Gypsy Rose Blanchard Admits To Drug Relapse Fears

Gypsy Rose Blanchard admitted she was deeply involved about relapsing into dependancy after her launch from jail final December.

In her new memoir, Gypsy Rose Blanchard explores how her mom’s Munchausen syndrome by proxy—a psychological sickness the place a caregiver fabricates or induces a baby’s sickness for consideration—had a profound influence on her personal psychological well being.

“About 4 or 5 years in the past, I used to be hooked on Suboxone, [a medication to treat opioid addiction]. I succumbed to and overcame, then succumbed to once more and overcame once more … an opioid dependancy,” she first revealed in her e-book, “Launched: Conversations on the Eve of Freedom.”

“I used to be involved about relapsing earlier than I acquired out of jail as a result of that thought did cross my thoughts,” she advised PEOPLE Magazine, reflecting on her time incarcerated whereas selling her new e-book, “My Time to Stand.”

Dee Dee Blanchard claimed that Gypsy Rose had quite a few medical situations, together with bronchial asthma, most cancers, Down syndrome, and epilepsy, amongst others. Gypsy additionally underwent a number of pointless surgical procedures, reminiscent of gastrointestinal procedures, eye operations, and the elimination of her salivary glands, all based mostly on fabricated diagnoses.

“Her feelings have been a whip that snapped towards my self-worth. I discovered solace and escape in medication, particularly after we started combating loads,” she wrote.

“I bear in mind the primary time I sought out the painkillers for no ache in any respect, and it was after Mama and I have been yelling at one another for what appeared like over an hour. I simply wished to loosen up.”

Gypsy additionally spoke about her addiction in her Lifetime docuseries, “The Jail Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard.” “No person is aware of that I even had an dependancy earlier than jail, not to mention in jail,” she mentioned on the time. “The medical doctors had prescribed me ache treatment after the surgical procedure, however when the ache treatment ran out, I used to be nonetheless in ache and my mom had a prescription for Vicodin.”

She continued, “And so when she wasn’t trying, I might simply go and take one or two from her bottle. I did not know what dependancy actually was. I simply knew that it was a craving that was all I may take into consideration. I wished one other one.”

As her tolerance elevated, Gypsy Rose Blanchard revealed that she started taking an increasing number of tablets, resulting in an dependancy that persevered after her mom’s homicide and continued throughout her time in jail.

“Within the first couple years of my incarceration, I coped utilizing medication,” she mentioned in her docuseries. “I believe I first began to be taught that medication have been obtainable in jail after I began seeing different girls get excessive. I attempted Suboxone and it gave me the identical excessive as taking ache tablets. Immediately, I used to be introduced again to the dependancy that I needed to ache tablets again after I was residing with my mom.”

Whereas in jail, Gypsy Rose Blanchard admitted to “scrounging” for medication, recalling how she would inform herself, “It’s important to discover it, actually form of get into the groove of who has what in jail.”

Now anticipating her first youngster with boyfriend Ken Urker, Gypsy shared that she initially feared tablets could be “extra accessible” within the exterior world however is relieved she hasn’t felt the urge to make use of once more. “I have never gone trying, so I do not actually understand how accessible it’s,” she added.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard attributes her skill to beat her struggles to the unwavering love and help of her father, Rod Blanchard, her stepmother, Kristy Blanchard, and her half-siblings, Mia and Dylan Blanchard.

“Once I got here out, I used to be stunned to be taught that the household dynamic stored me away from that stuff,” she shared. “I have never thought of doing something. I have never had any cravings.”

Gypsy added that she considers herself “very blessed,” concluding that “even within the hardest moments of this 12 months with coping with social media trolls and the conceit that could possibly be introduced down in all of the scrutiny and the way hectic that’s, I nonetheless by no means thought of going again to that.”

For those who or somebody you recognize is impacted by the problems mentioned on this story, contact SAMHSA’s Nationwide Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).