USA - swims legal trouble (first time)

[JaWill88]

swims life has gotten really fucked up recently. a complete mess. swim has never had any trouble with the law until recently (asside from a MIP? when he was 13. no charges or anything though. nothing.) anyways swim has been on suboxone (buprenorphine) for a little over one year now (got on the day after christmas 2007) for a really bad heroin (diacetylmorphine) habit he had had for a couple years that kept escalating and escalating (oh yeah would ususally do speedballs if swim had the money). anyways swim never got caught. recently swim has gotten really sick of being on buprenorphine on was very determined to get off. however he has found he would rather suffer heroin withdrawals any day of the week. the withdrawals from buprenorphine are not quite as intense, but rather they are WAY, WAY longer than heroin withdrawals in duration. swim has tried to kick it a couple times and the withdrawal doesn't even seem to peak until about day 16 ... . anyways swim tried to kick with benzodiazepines (mainly clonazepam) a few times but swim just couldn't do it. swim knows a few people who have been on buprenorphine for a while and the only ones who got off sucessfully were the ones who used heroin or their drug of choice for a month or two, and then just kicked that. so that's what swim did. well swim is fairly broke but finally got A LOT of money together saved up for a long time, and got A LOT of heroin to do it. well about 10 minutes after getting it, swim fucking looses it!!!! just aweful. swim had never been more angry in his life. that night swim got really, really, drunk and took a whole lot of clonazepam. this made swim feel like he could do ANYTHING. so swim got the bright idea in his stupor to rob the pharmacy up the street. this is not like swim at all he never really stole or anything, but the drugs he was under the influence of made him feel completely invincible. so swim goes to the pharmacy and tries to get in through the drive through window. it was REALLY thick and swim could not crack it. so swim just goes to the front, takes a huge rock, shatters all the glass and gets in the store. then he had to get in the pharmacy which was even harder. well finally after a few minutes swim got in. of course swim took his sweet ass time being that he was "invincible" and in a complete stupor. instead of grabbing everything and running (which if he did, he would have gotten away for sure) he acted as if he was just shopping around. took all the time he needed, grabed a couple bottles of 1000 count hydrocodone, some benzos, some amphetamine, and other shit. by the time swim was ready to go and leaving the store, the police come and say "freeze! get on the ground!" that was that. swim was fucked. swim went to jail for a few days and what not and was released. this was a few weeks ago. swim was ordered to not do ANY drugs while out and all that stuff until his next court date. swims charge was robbery in second degree but was reduced to theft? or something like that, that wasn't as bad. so swim is wondering what he should do? so far he has signed up for outpatient treatment, will be going to meetings. might do community service, and thinking of other things to do. any advice? suggestions? he thinks this will help show he is determined to get clean. btw he hasn't been ordered to do anything yet as he has not had his court date it hasn't even been set yet. oh yeah but shit gets worse. well swim lives with his parents and is still determined to get off suboxone. so swimmomanddad lent swim some money and got some heroin, swim knows it may not have been the best time but he wanted to be off of it for court, treatment, incase he goes to prison, ect. well here is where it gets even worse. swim makes up his three to four shots a day in the morning. well the other night one of swims friends who is only 17 comes over drunk and high on oxycontin. well when swim wasn't around in his room this kid took one of his shots and slammed it. he has practically no opioid tolerance. he stopped breathing and swim called the medics. they came and revived him. has dad was furious as he didn't know the kid stole it yet and what not. but anyways this really makes things worse as swim was ordered to not do a single substance and all that stuff. so now swim is thinking he may be reallys screwed. although swim is almost sure the dad/family isn't going to try and press any charges/sue or whatever as he realized swifriend stole it. but still swim is wondering what will happen now. oh yeah swim is on his last couple days of doing heroin now and will be detoxing in a few days off of that. this has all been a nightmare. to anyone who bothered to read this thank you very much. any advice, suggestions, input, whatever, would be greatly appreciated. thanks.

[Metomni]

First off, that's awesome that SWIY's robbery charge got lowered in severity and also that his friend's parents are being rational. With all the shit that seem to have hit the fan, it seems like it could be even worse for SWIY.

SWIM wishes SWIY luck with the detox, it seems like that is the most important thing right now. After that, SWIY can deal with the looming charges and see where life takes them.

Good luck escaping the addiction my friend.

[heroin_ed]

If SWIY hasn't detoxed yet, get clonidine for the withdrawals, it's a non-opioid. The thing with Suboxone and methadone is that honestly they just prolong the inevitable. SWIY's gotta pay the piper sometime.

[JaWill88]

swim has pretty much detoxed. he finished doing heroin for 3 or 4 weeks and used suboxone just for a few days for the worst of withdrawals and hasn't has sub for a day or two now and is just taking lots of clonazepam that was prescribed. swim thinks his physical dependence on opioids is finally over. finally.... after fucking years of this stupid shit having to take something just to not feel like shit but doesn't do anything when you do take it. swim is glad that seems to be over. and swim started treatment today. swim really doesn't like opioids anymore at all. but he has a HUGE problem with cocaine. he quit shooting it so now not using any needles but smoking crack cocaine he makes himself every single day. the first thing he thinks about when he wakes up is how hes gonna get money for crack and he's really, really, really sick of that to. he hates it. swim is just tired of drugs (mainly these harder ones that bring nothing but trouble). if anyone has any advice to get rid of this crack cocaine craving in his head that would be great. swim has a job he loves to death he started a couple weeks ago and swim knows if he keeps doing what he's doing it's not going to last for long. and there is a lot of money to be made in this as well as all benefits. there is nothing more swim could want than to never do a drug again and just live a normal life. this has to come to an end and there is no better time than now. once again any advice would be great. anything to put and end to all of this. swim just wants a normal life, something he hasn't had in probably 6 or 7 years. btw, thanks for listening to swims story and the replys given. thanks.

[Bikelbees]

I don't know what is withdrawal like from crack. Looks like to get clean of it one has to say NO - do something vigorous with your body, take nutra-drinks and mineral water, go for long saunas, stretch, smoke some ganja, dance, play music.

Anyway, has SWIY decided how to plead yet? What about a defence of necessity?

[Pinkavvy]

On a legal stance, it would be better that swiy be on the suboxone (be legal prescription) as proof that swiy has a drug addiction and that swiy is TRYING to overcome it. The crime may be seen as a result of swiy's drug addiction and be pushed into drug court and be dropped after one year with no punishment rather then jail time.

[Bikelbees]

Originally Posted by Pinkavvy

On a legal stance, it would be better that swiy be on the suboxone (be legal prescription) as proof that swiy has a drug addiction and that swiy is TRYING to overcome it. The crime may be seen as a result of swiy's drug addiction and be pushed into drug court and be dropped after one year with no punishment rather then jail time.

Sounds right, SWIY has not had proper drug management and their acts were borne out of such desperation as to negate the mental element of the offence. SWIY will likely to be charged with criminal damage and theft. The former is more difficult to defend in this way, but if the court will accept that they did not form the necessary intent to steal, by merit of the compulsion of the addiction, then really the damage part flows from that. Of course they don't want to establish that addiction justifies SWIY's act, but it remains open to consider a not guilty plea or mitigate upon the same basis.

[daniel556]

SWIY, the first bit of advise is that if SWIY really does wanna get clean, stay off the BENZOs. SWIM used to use them to try and get clean and SWIM and everyone else always ended up worse as they make SWIY do very silly things including taking more than usual and risking shit.
SWIM knows methadone and subbys take longer to get off but at least SWIYs stable and can reduce,which also looks good for court. Like SWIM always says " SWIMs been on heroin 12years, what harms another year on methadone gonna do" and at least its free(UK).
Hobbies thats what SWIY needs, an xbox360 or sommat like that, SWIM knows they say get out socialise and stuff, but for SWIM staying away from EVERYONE and interacting more with family showing them how well SWIMs doing on a slow detox worked for SWIM
could work for SWIY.
Anyway this is just SWIMs "theory" but just getting clean isn't everything, the mind needs time to re-adjust and heal itself, the time which can be spent slowly detoxing on subbys or methadone.
Oh SWIM would rather be still comming of heroin than crack oooh that shits bad.. maybe SWIY should "crack" that problem first. (sorry for the pun)

[purplehaze]

In swims opinion, the herion, crack/cocaine, is irrelevant to the situation. Any human being who mixes a large enough dose of alcohol with benzos is going to be unaware of any consequence to any action. That would be my defense.

[silentghost]

SWIM feels for SWIY He has seen quite a few kids who don't get the help they need until "shit hits the fan". Basically, at least at the ER where SWIM worked, SWIY could cut a deal with the cops and check in to a rehab clinic instead of jail. Sounds like the physical addiction is real enough.

[Politicalchalk]

Just a bit of advice. If SWIM is going to do drugs, swim first has to RESPECT them. Taking them just to get a buzz is not use, it's abuse. I know I"m not the first to preach, had problems myself there, somewhat. The key is to remember: you're taking medicine, not happy-candy. Helped me, hope it helps you bro.