scaredtostp

I hear you bear, you sound like my mother, but you are right, enough is enough, i will be going to detox soon to get off these damn pills, the dr i saw today said it should not be to bad, they have meds there to help with the withdrawls and a dr on site during the detox so i will be waiting for the call to go there for between 7-10 days. They said the first 4 days will be the worst but after that it will be uphill, or they said i could go on methadone to taper off the pills. The counselor also said he will talk to the dr about suboxone to see if i could get on that. There are three options on the table. While your in the detox here they give you codine to east the symptoms, will that help.....

Stagebear

Well, pal, I have to say of all the things I've been called here...that's a first.

Seriously...good work thus far. Stick with your committment to go to the detox. You will be so glad you did.

stapbmyloves23

Hello, I am new to this site. I find it helpful to read your posts. I am 32 days clean from a 4 year opioid (vicodin, percocet, and oxys) addiction. I am over most of the physical symptoms, however I am struggling with the mental aspect of addiction. I was wondering if anybody had any advice. Thanks.

Stagebear

You probably should start a new thread to introduce yourself, but here's a random idea: How about an NA meeting? Tell me where you are, privately if needed, and I'll help you find a meeting. Meanwhile, start that new thread.

scaredtostp

hi everyone, good news, i spoke to the addictionologist and he says i dont need methadone or sub to stop, he is going to switch up my medication which means no more street buying and the risk of being caught as this would ruin my buisness as i am in health care.
he is going to start me on a very slow taper, 6-8 months and is confident i will be comfortable through this process as i went for help early. thank god. he will meet with me every week to see how it is going....im so excited

tellmewhy

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

scaredtostp

thank you

Wolfchild

As a businessman, i'm sure that you understand these basic principles;

If you have defective inventory, your business will not be sucessful.
If you have uncooperative workers, not much will be accomplished.
If you have outdated merchandise, your business will go bankrupt.
If you spend more than you take in, your business will be unprofitable.

If these conditions are not remedied, the overall state of affairs will get very unmanageable. Those that depend on you will probably lose faith in your ability and eventually abandon you. You will experience the losses on a very personal level and spend much time scrambling about trying to put it all back together.


What similarities from these examples can you use to assess your spiritual condition?

scaredtostp

confusing post, not very useful. none of them fit my profile or buisness strategy

Shellslove

Hey scared - I'm glad you talked to your dr and are exploring all your options! You said s/he is going to help you with a taper schedule...can I ask what med s/he is going to put you on for the taper and why for so long? I think you were taking the pills for 6 mos and not taking a ton, correct?

I'm actually usually a huge advocate of suboxone...but in your situation where you weren't using for that long and your tolerance isn't absurd, I'd probably choose to steer clear of that route myself (maybe subs, if only for a week or two taper, def far away for methadone) The reason being -- these drugs are great used as manitenance for an opiate addict who has been using for a long time and needs to re-learn how to 'do life' w/o the opiates-- meaning alot needs to change and this can be a long process for someone who has had a lifetime full of addiction - the subs/methadone helps buy them that time. (and one of the reasons they are difficult to come off of, as you pointed out is the longer half-life. It takes a longer, slower weaning process.)

In the case of a person using for a short time, I tend to feel the maintenance drugs aren't necessarily beneficial and can make the problem worse -- as they are frequently used for longer than your actual drug addiction was! (of course each person is different - and some individuals w/a short habit get just as mentally hooked as the 'lifers.')

If your dr is tapering you with short acting opiates/the same thing you've been taking, that's awesome! It's really difficult to find a dr willing to do that, especially if you don't have a legitimate need (pain, etc.) other than addiction. In fact, I've had drs in the US tell me rx'ing pain meds (other than methadone and subs) for that reason is unethical and illegal in most states - I guess maybe Canada is different? My only question would remain...why such a long taper? Might be something to discuss with the dr?

Nallabelle

Thats really good about the taper. You are lucky to have someone who is willing to work with you and understands. I asked my doc to taper me and he laughed (i dont have pain). Here is my only concern:
You havent been on the meds that long and I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend a faster taper than that. Maybe like 3 months at the most. Still should be manageable in terms of your withdrawals. Still though, tapering wont take all the withdrawals away. You are in a sense, delaying the inevitable. A 6 month taper in your situation sounds awfully long. Good luck though!

Stagebear

scaredtostop:
I, personally, could not handle a 6-8 month taper either, BUT I am not your, or anyone's doctor. I find it odd that he upped your script just so you wouldn't street buy, but, again, I don't even play a doctor on stage. (Well, once, but that was 20 years ago).
The key here, I believe, is do you feel safe with pills on hand that you will not abuse them? If you feel totally safe, I guarantee you that's a dangerous place. We can lull ourselves into complacency (Oh, I got this licked now) and soon we're worse off than we were in the first place. I also worked in healthcare and was street buying. It cost me my job.
Also, it's a good idea to get a recovery program in place now. How do you plan to stay stopped?

Timebuster

If I got 6-8 months of my favorite DOC, I would be too.

Clinging to any reservations we may have in accepting the fact that we have a disease called addiction is referred to as denial. Denial of our condition is nothing more than an invitation to further pain and confusion. Denial is the mind game that all addict play to avoid dealing with reality and the consequences of our using. Often times our life-styles have become quite bizarre, yet we remain convinced that everything is normal. Denial is a mental operation of rationalization and justification used to shield us from the pain of our current situation.

We have come to understand that we suffer from a disease called addiction. This disease tells us that we do not have a disease, and therefore our minds work against us.

Addiction is so Cunning, Baffling and Headiest…isn’t it?

Ivan

Stagebear

Damn, Ivan, that's direct, isn't it? Usually it's me getting slammed for my bluntness. Must be a Jersey thing.


And, to scared: Timebuster is absolutely correct. I kept my gloves on a bit, and that's not going to help you right now.

scaredtostp

Whats not going to help me bear? The doctor is going to change my meds, to a more long acting drug....not sure why

Shellslove

I don't think Bear meant the meds wouldn't work scared, I think he's just advocating a lil tough love! Never hurt me in active addiction!

Wolfchild

Your not sure because you didn't ask. If you had asked, you would know.

You got what you wanted & your disease threw a celebration party in your honor!

Hope you have as much fun as you can for as long as you can.
When you eventually come to the end of your road,
you'll either keep using or find a new way to live.

Timebuster

You think it’s a jersey thing?...Or we call-them as we see-am?

Am only giving back, what was gratefully given to me.

Don’t feel so bad Bear, not many here like me ether. And life goes on….

I remain….

Stagebear

Being soft and gentle. There are those here who claim that's what they need...hugs and love and "support". Real support comes from an addict who has been there and offers their experience. That's what I've experienced and it's the only reason I'm here today.
You're wading into dangerous waters. You came here needing to stop, and your doctor has a very long range plan for meds of which you're not even sure. I tried not to offer advice for that, but I have to at least ask you why, knowing what you've heard here, you didn't ask more questions.
Basically, I think you've found what you believe is an easier, softer way. It never, ever is. Getting off opiates is tough, no matter how it's done, and maintaining long term sobriety is even tougher. That's why I took the gloves off. This isn't just a way of keeping your business going, or maintaining a veneer of normalcy for your family...this is our very lives at stake.

Climbing off my soapbox,I remain,

Stagebear

First warm day, you can find me on the boardwalk in Ocean City. Nice dry town.