does my friend need help? - Addiction & Recovery Message Board

mochi* · 10-28-2003, 02:48 AM

Hi guys!
I am a little worried about a friend of mine, he told mey boyfriend that he had bought two cans of whipped cream and inhaled the fumes (sorry if I sound ignorant on the subject). I am worried because, it seems incredibly unlike him. He says he feels stupid about doing it, and says not to worry. When he was ateenager, he did alot of drugs and experimrenting, but since he has only smoked pot. He has a very strong opposition to hard drugs now, so it seems so wierd that he inhaled those chemicals. He has also had alot of trouble sleeping latlely, and I noticed sleeping pills in his car and LOTS of open Nyquil in his house, he is housesitting, so it couldn't have been anyone else's, and he does not have a cold. What worries me most is that in his fridge there were about eight cans of whipped cream, I noticed this before I knew that he took any, so I just thought he was eating ALOT of it. When my boyfrind confronted him about it, he said that the people he was housesitting for just had alot of whipped cream. But, I don't remember seeing it in the fridge a week ago. It would have been hard to miss. He says he's fine, but I don't know. Is he hiding something? It just seems very unlike him to use inhalents.

Philster2003 · 10-28-2003, 05:55 AM

I think the red flag has been raised. Not good signs. I can tell you that 30 years ago when I was in college I did a lot of Pot but never did coke, or H, or Meth or anything else because I was to paranoid about the ole saying if you use it once you're hooked. So like your friend I went years and years (25) then all of a sudden I have chronic back pain, get prescribed vicodin and then a short time later I'm totally hooked, crossed the line and end up taking the Equivalent of 25-40 10 mg pills per day. So what I'm saying I would never have thought given prior history and my stance on previous drugs I would ever get myself dependant on pain meds. What you said to us just seems to say there may be an issue with your friend. I'm not sure what you can do if your friend does not recognize he may have an issue. So far there is either no issue or he is in denial and until that changes or clears itself up there is not much you can do other then try and talk, and talk and talk.

phil

mochi* · 10-28-2003, 02:45 PM

thanks Phil!
He has done ALOT of hard drugs when he was 15 or so. He is now 24. He is a pretty secretive person, so how do I get him to open up without scaring him off? He said he was okay, and that we don't need to worry. I ahve had alot of other friends with hard drug addictions, but it was really obvious with them. I can't tell if he is addicted or just taking them casually. Any more advice?

coug · 10-29-2003, 01:15 AM

The gas he is inhaling is called nitrous oxide(N2O chemical symbol). It's the gas they use as the propellent in whipped cream cans and it's what gives whipped cream it's "foamy" like state otherwise only whipping cream would dribble out of the can. Nitrous Oxide is the same gas they use at the dentist. It's effects are extremely short lived lasting between 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Here is a link also for more information... [url="http://www.resort.com/~banshee/Info/N2O/N2O.html"]http://www.resort.com/~banshee/Info/N2O/N2O.html[/url]

I wouldn't consider N2O a "hard drug". Nitrous oxide isn't very conventional because you can't hide it in your pocket like a pill and it's pretty obvious when you pull out a whipped cream can or nitrous tank at the dinner table and start taking hits off it.

Nobody has 8 cans of whipped cream in their fridge unless they have a serious eating disorder, at most maybe 2 cans.

As for the other drugs you mentioned it sounds like he has a problem. When do you draw the line between a high quantity of one drug and a low quantity of several drugs all together? Keep an eye on him, there is a possibility he is getting/holding the drugs for someone else or he's had a couple "parties" since he has been house sitting.

Ask him about how life is going. Does he have a job, if so is he working more often or even less? Is he taking courses in school, if so how are they going? Does he live at home, does he rent, or does he freeload with friends? Ask him in general if he's happy or depressed or somewhere in between.

mochi* · 10-29-2003, 01:47 AM

Thanks Coug,
Your imput was alot of help. He is very depressed, I think. It's hard to tell because he is so secretive. He lives with his parents and has a job and goes to school. I have had my suspicions for a long time that he may have social anxiety disorder, because he never hangs out with more than four people, always goes home early, and NEVER comes out unless it's to someone's house. It's weird. He is really lonely and wants to be in a realationship but keeps getting hurt by women. I've tried talking to him, but he just shuts me out. How can I help him without scaring him off?