Getting Off Of Drugs Whas The Easy Part... What Now?

[Debby]

Hello everyone, I need guidance once again.
I quit my drugs by cutting it down every day and I accomplished that this weekend. I think that getting off the drugs was the easy part. No I am living thru the hard part.

Now I am having a tough time with depression and sleep. Sometimes I caint wait to fall asleep, but then I'm up like 4 hours later for the day and I am exhausted. and mostly I can't stop sleeping thru the afternoon I am waking up at like 3:00 in the afternoon. I caint continue this way because it is not healthy and I dont have time to sleep and mostly I work for my husband at our office at home (thank god its at home). And I am afraid to tell him because he works so hard, 6 to 7 days a week and here I am sleeping the day away. I also dont shower everyday like a normal person becuase I am too exhausted to bother, and therefore my house isnt getting clean and dinner is very simple and I caint even clean that up.
Another hard thing is I am not ready to see people who do drugs or drink because I will ask for some, so I stay away from that situation at all costs. But it gets harder and harder.

Just want to know how you all got thru this stage. Please help.
Thanks a million
Debby

[thanx2methodone]

Debbie,

You are doing the right thing by staying away from ppl who do drugs and drink. I don't know if this is good advice, but if i were you I would just do whatever makes me comfortable at the moment. While you are getting the drugs/alcohol out of you system, you are going to feel a little exhausted/tired, and i mean, if you are staying clean while you are sleeping, then all the power to ya!

It wont last for ever. You will eventually gather up energy and get back into a routine. But right now your body is changing, so you will probably feel this way for the next couple of weeks. Try doing some exercise during the week, even if it is just a light walk, that always seems to help with having more energy then getting a good nights rest.

CONGRATS on your clean time!! I say, just do whatever it takes to stay clean!! If you have to sleep for two weeks straight--then do so!! "It soon shall pass!" And when it does, you will be your energetic clean self again!!

So sleepling for a bit is worth starting your life over CLEAN, don'tcha think?

We're all pullin' for ya!! Stay Strong!! It gets easier by the day!!
Keep us posted on your progress!!

Lots of Luv

[nutz]

Ah yes....the life on life's terms thing

In step #2 of the text book. It say, when addicts stop using
it is very painful for us. Depressing too !!!! :tongue2:
This is why we must work the steps and seek unconditional love.
And get rid of our bagages of guilt, shame, remose, self pity, ect.
So we can live and not feel so burden.
I TRAVEL LITE is my M O .

The anxiety attacks got fewer and further apart.
Trust me, there were times I didn't get out of bed for days.
Then there the times when I stayed up for days.
The house was deffernently a mess among other things.

I read and write a lot.
I excercise, it helps my depression and also gets me out of the house
in the open. It also helps me build up muscle tone. I was suck up,
only weight about 105 lb when first got clean and sober.
Being out of shape made me more tired and depressed.

This is also why I go talk to a tree. When I get depress, it
gets me moving out of my rut, out of my selfcenterness.
It also gets me out in open space, I feel I can breath again.
It also teachs me to stay in the moment and accept peace
that surrounds me. It teachs me not to worry about what
other people think. It teachs me to just BE.
A lot goes on there. Its is my santuary
I saw a shooting star the other night. That was cool.

I can really let it all hang out and tell the tree
about everything thats bothering me and it won't
judge me or put me down. After all the tree has
weathered many stroms, rain ,and many, many seasons.
It's gone thur a lot and seen a lot of problems.
Besides, nobody has ever die talking to a tree before.
It also gives out the air a breath.

I buy plants for my bedroom and living room.
They help me heal. Just being surrounded by beauty helps.

I keep a list of things to do.
I do them a little bit at a time. I had to clean one conner
at a time. I move the mess from one conner to the other
at first. Anyways, I got better at it as I went.
It took me over 30 days to get to scrubing the bath tub,
but it got done
Funni....I had a hard time throwing away some of the things
I didn't used anymore. I wonder why i do that.

I take showers over, over , over again as many times
as I needed to start my day over again. I feel fresh
after a shower. 4-5 times a day.

I have hobbies, play my guitar, play video games and etc...

If all else fails....working with another addict is the best remedy.
Doing service has taught me a lot.
One of the thing I gain is , it taught me how to get out of myself.

[Evanna]

Wow, Debby. Fair play to you lass. Clean since the weekend, that is bloody brilliant.


I would suggest giving yourself a break about how you feel. I think it is fairly normal to feel like cr@p when we have just come off. Feels really horrid i know. When i am deep in it some of the little things that help include taking a walk early on in the day, planning my days ahead of time, and getting to lunchtime meetings. Try and do the things to help yourself feel a little better, like getting in that shower even if its the last thing on earth you want to do but at same time dont beat yourself up if it all feels too much right now. You have done the no.1 thing and put down the drugs. The rest will come in baby steps.

[splendra]

I would like to reckomened a "detox bath" You put a cup each of baking soda,episom salts and oatmeal(you want to tie up oatmeal in a clean cloth so it does not clog the drain) and maybe some essential oil like lavender or chamomile run the water as hot as you can stand and bring a BIG container of bottled water to drink and use cloth with oatmeal like a sponge to wash yourself with. Not only will it help to draw out toxins but it will also help you to relax and get a good night sleep if you do it before bed time. DON"T forget to drink water as this bath will draw out fluids and you do not want to dehrydrate yourself.... Take it easy on yourself it's progress not perfection.....

[Gooch]

I went to a meeting last night and a similar discussion came up. It was great to see my friend there who I met last summer at a pig roast and camp out. At the time he had just moved here and was relatively new at staying clean. He spoke up last night and shared something from the Basic Text about how working the first step, coming to terms with acceptiong our addiction and the unmanagability it has caused in our life, has left a vacuum in our lives. Thats when we work Step 2. It's time to find something to fill that void.

Do you have a Basic Text? Are you getting to NA meetings?

[Moontime]

Time for a sponsor or time to use a sponsor and get into the steps. This is a 12 step program, the spiritual freedom that void is filled with a higher power who I am connected with by the steps.

[tobstah]

dont be too hard on yourself! of course you are going to go threw an adjustment phase.... just give yourself some time and have faith

[Paulie]

(((Debby)))

Give yourself a break, be proud of what you have accomplished so far, and just keep taking in one day, one hour at a time.

Stay away from the using people, that will bring you down. Get to a meeting today. I know it is now easy, I have been there, but we just put one foot in front of the other.

I too work from home while my husband is out working 6 or 7 days a week, I get where you are coming from. There are times when I let that get to me too. but we have to do the best we can when we can. right now your body (not to mention your mind) is going through a huge adjustment, give yourself time. Plan easy dinners so you don't feel you are letting him down. Take naps if you have to, let your body work through this time.

And keep posting, keep talking...we have been there.

[WNY Addict]

The only way to recover is doing the 12-steps, Debby. You can abstain from drugs for years, but that doesn't lead you any closer to recovery than the addict fresh out of detox that's actually going to meetings..... and working the program.

Give yourself a break from the insanity. Go to some meetings, and start looking for a sponsor.

Addiction is a disease, and like any other physical/mental illness, it needs to be treated.

[Debby]

Thank you all so very much for you wondeful support.
Today is the first day in a long time that I got up took a shower, put on makeup, went to two stores and the post office all drug free.

[thanx2methodone]

Good for you!! I'm proud of you!!

See it wasn't so bad now was it? Don't you feel awesome for doin' that sober?!

Keep us updated!! You can do it girl!! We're pullin for ya!!

[Evanna]

Thats brilliant Debby.

[WNY Addict]

Originally Posted by Debby

Thank you all so very much for you wondeful support.
Today is the first day in a long time that I got up took a shower, put on makeup, went to two stores and the post office all drug free.

That a girl

Keep doing it, one day at a time. I'm a huge advocate for N.A., but it also took me a long time to find my way to the program. I'm only lucky that I found it before active addiction found me again.

Get into the program. You'll find that it fills that void in your life that the drugs are filling. We change for the better, and more is revealed each and every day. Recovery can be a hoot. It's amazing what you actually learn about yourself.

[Gooch]

Yep .... recovery is a hoot. I have more friends that I see on e regular basis and hang around with tat I met in recovery some for nearly 17 years now. We have a blast.

Hey WNY .. i might have asked you before but where are you located?