Anxiety?

[2ala2]

where's the thread?

[ccgirl]

Which thread, ala? It's all a bit confusing, huh?

[windysan]

it got misappeared when the server crashed i think. why, you anxious?

just kiddin

[want2beclean]

I recently quit using opiates I was wondering when the anxiety lessens?

[windysan]

Originally Posted by want2beclean

I recently quit using opiates I was wondering when the anxiety lessens?

the nervous jitters go away after about a week. the really bad anxiety is over in about 3-4 days.

[bvaljalo]

Which opiate, exactly, w2bc?

How much were you doing, and for how long?

Aw heck, whatever I say is gonna be a pure guess anyways, so here's a tip for you ... just focus on staying clean TODAY and KNOW that if you keep doing that each day, the anxiety WILL lessen and go away ... exactly when it's supposed to, which is the point at which you will have learned well from your misery how much you DON'T EVER want to go through this bulls*it EVER again.

Embrace the suffering. It's there for a reason...

[ccgirl]

BV's right. Plus it's different for everyone.

[want2beclean]

Originally Posted by bvaljalo

Which opiate, exactly, w2bc?

How much were you doing, and for how long?

Aw heck, whatever I say is gonna be a pure guess anyways, so here's a tip for you ... just focus on staying clean TODAY and KNOW that if you keep doing that each day, the anxiety WILL lessen and go away ... exactly when it's supposed to, which is the point at which you will have learned well from your misery how much you DON'T EVER want to go through this bulls*it EVER again.

Embrace the suffering. It's there for a reason...

been off and off using heroin, oxy's for about a year or so, its been on and off never really suffered serious physical withdrawl's, definitely mental cravings. I dunno tho I'll just over think things sometimes and just get anxious and paranoid over stupid ****, you know?

[2ala2]

That is strange. I'm listed as the orginator of this thread even though I was only a contributor. I can't remember what I had written originally.
I know what you mean Want2beclean. It was tough for me at the begining especially after combining Benzos with Opiates. Some anxiety lasted a month, some two, some three. I felt a significant improvement at the 3 month mark.
It REALLY does get better. Whatever happens, do NOT use.
One day at a time. It will pass.

[want2beclean]

Well last night I did not use, but I had some drinks with some friends, alcohol is not my DOC, but after last night drinking I woke up with the worst god dam anxiety, and I do not even understand why. I used to wake up the morning after using and have these awful anxious feelings, like waking up was so horrible, I was just scared of everything for some reason I never used to be like this, I do not kno what to do about this, do you think eventually my anxiety will fade if I stay sober?

[bvaljalo]

Using alcohol when youre trying to get off opiates is probably the second worst thing you can do (besides ... using opiates). You're already prone to feeling sh*tty to begin with from the withdrawals, and having *any* semblance of a hangover on top of the feelings of w/d's can quickly push the situation into the realm of totally unbearable. This is not to mention the fact that in many people the way alcohol affects there brain is very similar to the way an opiate would, so in effect for many people when they drink it's much like they've taken opiates.

And I can say that I'm almost certain that if you get completely clean and sober and stay that way for a bit, your anxiety will dissipate. The anxiety is a withdrawal effect. I'll tell you you'd be doing yourself a BIG BIG favor if you could find yourself a way to head off your addiction 'at the pass' as they say. One year on the hard stuff, and you are knocking on the door of full-blown addiction here, where it's no longer going to be 'on and off' anymore, but always ON from here on out. I know from whence I speak, you are teetering on the brink right now, don't let it get any worse or your life is going to begin an extreme downward spiral very suddenly. Get clean now before the worst of this disease overtakes you ... Get help wherever you can find it my friend...

[bvaljalo]

Let me add that ALL of us pill-poppers and junkie-folk can remember being RIGHT where you were, right at the stage you were at. Waking up feeling like total crap, depressed, paranoid, after a period of using opiates. Let me tell you this ... THAT effect is NEVER EVER going to 'go away' for the rest of your life. I don't care if you didn't touch an opiate for 5 years, that feeling you get would still be there waiting for you 'the morning after' the FIRST TIME you got high on opiates.

If you keep doing what you're doing, 'on and off', what's going to happen is the 'on' is going to keep getting closer and closer together, and longer and longer each time. After while, that feeling 'the morning after' is going to become totally unbearable, and you're going to realize that the only way you're going to be able to get out of bed and accomplish anything is to use opiates again. And once you start down that road, you are officially hooked.

Trust me, believe me, I've been RIGHT where you are, using on and off, thought I had a handle, but starting to feel like crap in the mornings (and pretty soon the whole day, and then for DAYS) after using. Once you are in the realm of feeling psychological addiction, cravings, opiate-hangovers ... you are getting into a serious zone of danger where you can very quickly lose control and go into full blown raging daily addiction and all the misery that accompanies that situation.

And once you've gotten to that point, you can be almost certain that means that you're either going to need to get and stay completely sober the rest of your life (including pot and alcohol even), or eventually face the prospect of jails, institutions, and death.

I cannot overstate how important it is to get this thing under control before it overtakes you. I know the signs. You are RIGHT THERE my friend. You are into the danger zone. You need to do something about this problem now before you lose proceed to lose most everything that matters to you, like so many of us had to go through.

[want2beclean]

Thanks man you're post really gave me quite a mood lift and more positive outlook on my current situation. Yeah I can definitely say I can never use an opiate again, and I now realize that during this process of getting somewhat back to normal I need to stay clear of alcohol, which is pretty tough considering I am only 20 years old and in college. I was kind of curious I realize that I have done some damage to the way my brain works in terms of my dopamine levels etc, how long after being completely clean does it take for an addicted brain to return back to somewhat normal functioning?

[bvaljalo]

sorry if that brought you down, but I'm just telling it like it is from personal experience ...

for the time frame you're talking about having used, guessing what the amounts were probably like, I'd say ... pretty close to normal after about 1 week, totally normal after about maybe 2-3 weeks ... a month tops ...

but it'll never return to exactly how it was before you started using opiates in terms of how easily you can get re-addicted by using even a smidge of opiates ... just keep that in mind my friend...

and the permanent change is not to the dopamine levels, just so you know, it's your opiate receptor 'count' that never goes back to normal. doesn't have any long term effect on anything though except your proclivity towards re-addiction ...

[want2beclean]

Thanks man, nah your previous post actually made me pretty happy, thanks for all your help.