HUNTINGTON -- Members of one Huntington family plagued by prescription drug abuse for more than 20 years say there just isn't enough help for them in this area.

Amanda Burnett, 46, has been using pain pills and other substances for years. She's been through three detoxification programs in the last three months and recently was turned away from one local outpatient program, where staff told her she was ineligible for treatment medication because of its interaction with Xanax, a drug she was taking.

"This was my last hope for actually living," Burnett said.

When Burnett returned home from her last stint in detox several days ago, she was very ill and stayed with her mother, Patsy Davis. Davis said they don't know where else to turn for help.

"We've just tried to do everything," she said.

Davis said the family can't afford to take Burnett to a place like the Betty Ford Clinic in California, where 30-day inpatient care costs at least $24,000. Instead, Burnett has gone through detox programs close to home, where Davis said her daughter is just put in a room to get sick and then sent home.

Davis said she's more afraid for her daughter's life every day.

"It's been an awful, awful struggle. Every time I think I don't know what else to do and we go and put her somewhere, there's no help and it just makes her worse. It puts her into another dark depression. They keep you for seven days and have you play jeopardy and throw you out the door," she said.

On Thursday, Davis seemed at wit's end.

"There's nobody to call. There's no help," she said.

Burnett's older brother, Jack Burnett, said the kind of treatment his sister needs simply does not exist in Huntington and doctors have not been sympathetic.

"They don't try to really get to the root cause and treat her," he said. "God knows I wish they would."

He said his sister wants help and his family has called seemingly everyone. He feels a lack of options for people with addiction and mental health issues contributes to the area's problems.

"When people become ill and they need help, the help is just not there. I witnessed that from a sober point of view trying to help (Amanda)," he said.

Jack Burnett said his sister's problems began when she was a young girl who felt out of place and alone.

"When she was in the sixth grade, she found alcohol," he said. "That was her friend then."

As she grew up, that dependence developed into needing more and stronger "friends," which she found after suffering physical pain and going through surgeries, her brother said. He said her need increased until she was using anything to alter her state, from alcohol to pills to cocaine.

The ongoing battle against drugs is hard on the whole family. Both Davis and her son said addiction has taken over the family members' lives.

"This is something we have fought until I've lost my life with it," Davis said. "It's just been constantly trying to help and take care of her. I'm 70 now and the stress has taken its toll on my body."

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