Foil, Q Tips, and Sandwich bags
It is interesting to me how the parent of an addict will have such a different reaction to a normal household item after experiencing addiction firsthand. These are the common objects found in every home that a parent who has never had an addiction issue in their family would not think twice about.
Household goods such as Tin Foil, Q Tips, and Sandwich bags can set off a range of emotions that are hard to explain to those parents not belonging to the “club”.
Sadly to those in the “club” these objects are far more than a method to store food or clean one’s ears.
I remember when my son was actively using how quickly these items ( along w/ spoons ) would vanish from my home. I don’t miss those days.
peace and strength
Categorised as: Journal Entries
I was wondering why spoons was missing from the list but it showed up!
In our house it was cotton balls – I can’t stand the sight of them!
Missing lightbulbs and salt found in strange places are another indicator.
Hi Amy- thanks for comment can you explain further.
Sure, meth addicts remove the insides from light bulbs to make a home-made pipes. They use the salt to clean the residue off the inside. Then they use a hollowed-out ink pen or straw to smoke the meth through.
You hit the nail on the head. After my daughter got sober, it took me two years to allow tinfoil back in my house! Angels to you all!
Ironic that I read this just as I'm hearing on the News that Jon Bon Jovi's 19 year old daughter has been taken to the hospital after heroin od. No word on condition yet…
My son has been an addict for 5 years. He is home visiting and I thought he was clean until he just asked for q tips to clean out his ears and then I saw him put them in his wallet??? I just red on your post what they are used for. I don’t know if I can go through this again.
Just reading these makes me sad and relieved at the same time. I’m relieved that I’m not crazy or alone, but sad that my son is still using. My heart is breaking.
Hi Sad Mom…read the happy posts too. There was an extended period of good “one day at a times” The current relapse is what it is.
They can do it… if they want it. Don’t enable them. Don’t become too codependent on them. Get off that emotional rollercoaster that is so often tied to the parent / child addiction war.
peace and strength
I did not know all of these ‘tools’ of the trade. What I don’t learn. . . .(that I never wanted to)
Not trying to be debbie downer but this just isn’t amusing to me.
Sidda the post is not meant to be amusing..but rather a reflection upon a “commonality” that many of us go through.
Heroin addiction is a painful family disease that kills, saddens, whores, steals, lies, and manipulates to attain its only goal…feeding itself.
With that said..we are a community of parents that occasionally need to release our sadness / experiences …sometimes with humor.
For me and others..it’s ok to smile… don’t think you are being a debbie downer and you are prob in the middle of some significant drug chaos…we are here ..we will listen and share…we wish u well
Peace and strength.
Don’t forget candles and dads old belts.
My son also used to rip the hem of a t-shirt off. I could not for the life of me figure that one out. Also, the lighter for the grill and fireplace. Those things were never where we left them.
Terri,
Hem off a t-shirt is stretchy and is used as a tourniquet.
Ron,
Until I typed that earler it had never occured to me. It used to just drive me bonkers that he would rip up a new t-shirt. I’d ask him what that was all about and he would just respond, “I don’t know”. It does sort of pin down when he started using needles though. A lot earlier than I thought.
How about a “pipe” made out of a potato or an apple to smoke weed after I smashed the pipes I found? Found them in the mornings in the bushes thrown out of his 2nd floor window.
Unbelievable !
That’s new one for me!I know about using soda cans to smoke weed. Never produce!
Tampons are used also. And hand sanatizer.
oh my God….we NEVER could keep plastic sandwich bags in the house….but we do now !!
What do they use the q-tips for?
My son rolled the cotton from Q-Tips into a filter to filter out solids from the dope he cooked up in a spoon. The same for the rolled up cigarette filter.
what are q tips used on to get high.
They take the ends off and roll them in tiny balls & use them for a “filter” before injecting:( Unfortunately there are numerous drugs that they could be using…… Heroin, synthetic drugs(bath salts is one) Pretty much any drug you can inject.
Don’t forget ink pens with no insides, straws cut in half and why on earth would anyone roll up a cigarette filter into a tiny ball.