My Friend is ADDICTED!! (What Do You Do?)

I’m sorry about your friend. I, too, was an addicted ICU nurse. In 1994, I went through the California State BRN diversion program. It saved my life. I’ve been clean and sober ever since - 30 years clean this July, one day at a time. I’m sorry about your friend. I lost my best friend to addiction in 2007. She was a pharmacist. (Pharmacists and nurses have high rates of addiction.) By the time my friend passed away, her situation was astonishingly bad. In all honesty though, it’s a miracle that it wasn’t me who died, as I was in astonishingly horrible shape before I entered recovery. Recovery is beautiful, but it takes work. If a person really doesn’t want it, there isn’t much you can do.

The 1st thing you need to do is protect your own sobriety! Don't let this "friend" trigger you back into your addiction! I know this is your friend but you have to keep yourself clean first and not let anything else distract you from that or you will be ruining all the progress you have made!

This will sound cold and heartless, but you MUST TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF FIRST. Remove all friends and pseudo-friends from your life who have the potential to drag you backwards. You no longer know them.

Can you please (if possible and is okay for the rest of the people involved) talk about how you mended your relationship with your family? You talk about your dad and your sister often, and I wonder how your addiction phase impacted your relationship with them, and how they came to forgive you and have a relationship with you now after your sobriety. My brother has been sober for 4 months now, but I’m still soo scared to interact with him because of how much pain his addiction caused me 😔

Everytime I see that you have posted a new video I just click so fast! It’s so nice to see another nurse that I can relate to. So glad that you are doing so well ❤️❤️❤️

Brian, I just saw you on Matthew Cox. Your story blew my mind. And do I get why they called you smiles. You had me laughing my ass off too. I’m really stoked to hear you’re doing so well. All the Best to you, P.s. I did a quick scroll and didn’t see anyone ask you about Dopey (Nation) Podcast. I’m sure someone has mentioned Dave’s show, but just in case, I’m here to tell you that your gift of story telling your personal experiences belongs there. Not every drug user/addict has the gift of story telling. Just the fact that you seem to find your harrowing drug fueled experiences funny, so will Dave. As do I and millions of other people. Anyway, thank you for sharing your story with the world. 🙏🏼

Thank you for this video. It is so heartbreaking to watch a loved one lose themselves in addiction and there is literally nothing I can do. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to help my loved one but it doesn’t matter. Take care of yourself.

You're teeth are perfect for coming back from years of serious addiction. Great job and keep up the great work.

Hi Brian, so glad to see a new video notification from your channel. So sorry to hear about your friend who is denying having a problem with Drug addiction when it is so clear that they are. They say with Alcoholics that someone doesn't reach out for help until they hit rock bottom and there is no way to go but up, in their situation. Having gone through this yourself in the past, hindsite is 20/20 and you wish you can help but they unfortunately won't seek help until the pain gets so unbearable for them. It is human instinct for people to try help others overcome an addiction and live a better life. Unfortunately your friend may need to get arrested, like yourself, to be forced to dry out from the drugs and hopefully then they can begin the rebuild their lives. The only good thing for you, from this experience, is hopefully it will be an extra incentive to continue your successful recovery journey and never have the urge to return to that painful lifestyle. Thanks for being so open and honest in your recovery and wish you the very best for your continued success and that of your friend as well.

Your words at the end - “it’s not your fault” - had me crumpled on my kitchen floor in tears. I needed so much to hear that, especially from someone like you. I lost a best friend to overdose exactly a year ago yesterday, and I’m plagued with thoughts of how I could have prevented it and saved him. ‘If only I’d done xyz maybe he’d still be here…’ Intellectually I know I didn’t have that control, but in my heart…the helplessness is hard to accept. Your videos help me understand what he might have experienced in his addiction. He overdosed less than two weeks after spending 2 months in jail (drug-related charges). He went through that hellish detox, and then walked out with no direction or support in staying sober. In retrospect I can see he was a ticking time bomb. I look at you, and what you’re doing with this channel, and what I imagine you’ll do in the future, and I think of all he could have been, how he could have helped others just as you are now. If only… Thank you for the honest conversations about addiction. I wish you well and am cheering for your continued sobriety. I hope you know you’re changing lives.

For me, I would talk myself into believing what I was saying (almost subconsciously). I wasn’t being honest with myself, therefore I also subconsciously thought I wasn’t being deceptive or dishonest with my friends and family. As an addict, my addiction was to numbing my feelings. I had a lot of trauma that was causing unbearable pain, and I desperately needed to escape that somehow. Also, I wanted to add, tough love was the worst response my family could ever have had. It pushed me further into shame, and only added to my need for a way out of the pain.

I HATED lyimg to my loved ones. Just knowing that they know but let me lie out of mercy and pity. That was one of the most painful parts of addiction.

Thumbs Up 👍 and shared with two million people.❤. Until someone decides that they want help You can’t stop them. Just show them Love.❤

Brilliant words, as always. Thankyou for this channel. Love from England ❤

Having an addicted friend is a truly damned if you do damned if you don’t situation. I guess my advice would be to tell them what you recognize the drug is doing to them and that you want your friend back. But you have to understand that your friend could cut you off for this but at least you can look at yourself in the mirror afterwards but at least you took somewhat of a stand. Tell them how much they mean to you but it’s a tough position to be in.

Former addicted Paramedic here .... I love your channel, you speak my language fluently. I feel for your friend and I hope they find that untenable pain threshold before it's too late. I also wish the best for you my friend ..... you are doing so well and it is so very hard at times. it really is a daily practice to maintain and grow. Love Love

Insightful video- good topic!👍

Thanks❤

Excellent analysis, thank-you!

Holy crap at 3:13 I wonder if that’s how my brother felt. I didn’t even know he used anything let alone crack & heroin. He was the golden child. He had it all. He passed at 43yo in a hotel alone. I wondered why I never knew