My assistant and I have worked together for about 7 years and have become very good friends. Last week she came to me and asked for the afternoon off because she had a dr. appt. I asked her if she was okay and she tuned up and told me that she thought that she had a xanax addiction. That she has been taking 7 or 8 pills pd since the fall. I was floored and probably didn't handle the situation the best I could of. I have a son in theraputic boarding school because of drug use (bars same thing? and extasy BTW he is doing wonderful!). So I guess another loved on on drugs floored me.
On the day of her appt., she told me that she has decided not to go to the Dr. and she was strong enough to quit using it on her own, that since she had enough foresight to think she had a problem she thought she could handle it. I highly disagree. I have been around addiction enough to know that now that now she is regretting telling me and is trying to deny her addiction I also think that if she told me that she is using 7 to 8 pills pd she is probably using more. From what I have also read Xanax addiction is very hard to kick and that the stress and anxiety will come back 10fold during the withdrawl period.
Today, she came to work all happy because she didn't take any today. She told me that she did take some over the weekend, but by Monday at 8am she kicked the habit. She also told me that she thought I was hyper sensative about xanax because of my son.
Yes, I might be hyper sensative, but during my son's use I learned everything I could about this and am scared for her. Also, I own a business that is many people's lively hood and I have to protect it.
She basically runs our business and while I don't ever think that she would steal or anything from us, I do know from personal experience that an addiction can make you do things that you never thought you would do just to support the habit. I really haven't figured out how to handle this situation, but I told her that all checks / withdrawls from now on will have to be approved. What I am thinking about doing since she is convinced that she can kick this on her own is telling her that I am taking over the accounting responsibilities until I know she is clean. Not because I don't trust her, I don't trust the addiction and mainly her denial. Then in 1 month, if she test clean I will give her back her responsibilities. If she test dirty then she either had to go to a rehab, dr. whatever for professional help to kick this.
Any ideas? She is a great girl who is sharp as a tack, just has had a rough time lately in her personal life and it really got her down.
You have every right to protect your business.I agree with all the decisions you've made and I hope she does the right thing.Hang in there and don't give in as you already know....Good luck to her I really hope she can do it...Dave
She needs to look at the free online Ashton Manual, it explains all about benzos and tapering. She needs to not go cold turkey; some people can get seizures or halucinate doing that!
You are smart to do that to protect your business. My son, also has been off xanax for 45 days. he was taking 7-8 bars.....he was a mess. When he came to us and told us, he's 20 yr old, I called the doctor and he prescribed a taper for him. and it saved him from the withdrawal, anxiety and the crawling skin feeling, as well the unable to sleep problems. The withdrawal does not happen over the weekend. She is fooling herself. If I were you, I would drug test her.......see what that shows up...explain that you are only doing this to help her. If she had a problem, stopping over the weekend, she would not come in Monday morning all happy......she would be a mess....as you prob already know........my son was on his way to his grave.......you can also have a seizure and die from abruptly stopping...that's why doc put him on a slow taper..........keep us posted!!
The absolutely worst thing that could of happened happened Wednesday! She had a seizure at the office! Thank God that I had clued in another person at the office and they advised the paramedics! At the hospital, the gave her 3 days of ativan, from which I have read is just as addicting.
The progress as of today is that her and her family are going on vacation (actually already left tonight! 3 kids 2 under 2 in an RV! Yuck even on drugs!) as planned and she called her family Dr and I'm sure snookered him into giving her more ativan or xanax to last her until she got home. She has really acted like nothing is wrong. So what she had a seizure at the office and freaked everyone out. I really do not know what to do. I am not going to tolorate this. I told her to take a few weeks off and get her self together, but I think that I am going to make some demands before I let her back.
Does anyone know what general policies companies have about drug use?
I just feel so bad for her. But she is in such deep denial that if I allow it, I am only allowing her to use, which I am not going to do.
YEA It's almost a three day weekend! I really need it!
Last edited by bayougal11; 05-25-2006 at 10:02 PM.
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