My roommate is an ex- herion addict, he supposedly quit years ago! However every once in a while he acts like he’s on something! He stays up all night making moaning sounds, grunting, jibbering, growling, uncontrollably laughing, stands knees bent swaying and doing things like, trying to light a toothpick like a match, packing up the kitchen (putting stuff that needs to be refrigerated in the same box with cabinet stuff) because he “thought we were packing to move out because there were so many boxes out (1)! He threw the garbage in the hot tub! It creeps me out! He acts like he’s demon possessed and im worried were not safe with him here! Any ideas about this? I know he had some pink liquid labeled as methadone but I am not sure if this is what he is on also is it safe to be around him?
I have a question.
Is he speedy, or sleepy or spaced out during these episodes?
I think you’re focusing on the wrong part of your problem. Instead of wondering what he’s on, you should be getting the fuck out of there ASAP. There’s no such thing as an “ex-junkie,” there are only junkies who no longer do drugs. Leave now, and never go back.
This.
It might be love. Love makes people do really strange things like that. If it was heroin, he’d be too zoned out to find the hot tub. If it was meth, he’d have painted the house twice by now. If it was pot, he’d be sitting in his chair with a big smile on his face. PCP, he’d be flying off the roof. Opioids, he’d be sleeping and making out with his pillow. It has to be love.
This OP reads like something we’d find at Ask Marilynn or Dear Abby … courageous women both … unfortunately here we’re looking for factual answers and so we’ll need one hell of a lot more information … let’s start easy: What does your roommate say when you ask him/her this question? …
ETA: I think Morgenstern is on the right track … it may not be drugs at all but rather a severe mental health issue, like being in love …
The simple fact is that we can’t know what may or may not be running through your room mates system. Honestly, IMHO, it’s not fair to ask us for a medical opinion when most of us aren’t medical doctors and I doubt any of us have examined him. When he’s lucid next, ask him directly what going on. Don’t judge and offer what support you can. His reply will tell you what you need to know. Option B is to wait for another of his episodes and then summon an ambulance and/or police if you feel he is a danger to himself or others. The final option is to bail, today.
He could be taking Suboxone. It’s a drug that is used to wean people off of opiates. Still makes you act weird.
It sounds like he is having manic episodes.
The usual cause for this is bipolar disorder. It could also be caused by substances such as amphetamines or sometimes anti-depressants. It could also be caused by trying to quit methadone.
He needs to see a psychiatrist as soon as possible. Manic people are a danger to themselves for the most part, but it is nothing a layperson can help with.
Since we have no way of knowing the factual answer to this, let’s move this to IMHO.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Maybe the problem is not what he’s ON but, instead, of what he’s OFF, as in the meds necessary to control a mental illness. Just because he’s a recovering addict doesn’t mean that, automatically, it’s the only problem he can have. This may be an entirely different problem altogether.
Meth of dissociatives maybe?
I’d move
If you came to this forum because of the name, please know that by “Dope” we mean “Knowledge”, not drugs.
I agree. Run. Get out of there.
Is there an involuntary commitment law in your state? As soon as you’re safe, call 911.
It’s not a huge sample, maybe 3 or 4 in the last few years, but every young person I’ve heard about that was showing the early signs of severe mental health issues was using synthetic marijuana.
Phone for a taxi.