Daisy09

Hello all,

As some of you know, my husband is addicted to heroin. He is now in early recovery after his second detox (one week clean.) I was looking at the "Recovery Stories" board yesterday, and they all seem to be related to alcohol. Does anyone have an opiate success story they could share? I'd love to hear one...

Thanks,
Daisy

Stagebear

Although alcohol used to be my drug of choice, I was introduced to opiates after chronic pain and cancer diagnosis. I used them responsibly for a bit, got off them and back on the merry-go-round about 18 months ago. Was abusing them ridiculously.
This time around, with a second cancer surgery in August, things plummeted. I began buying street pills and putting myself and others into dangerous situations. It culminated in getting caught at my job conducting "business". Lost a great job.
I got into detox six months ago and it's been a much better life. I have a sponsor, home group and a commitment. It works for me.
I have taken opiates since my entry into recovery after another surgery. They were kept locked and counted. My sponsor knew, as did my IOP counselor.
I still have no job but recognize, clearly, that my primary purpose is to stay clean. In doing so, I make myself available for better things.
Hope this helps!

change4penny

Hi Daisy,
I'm a recovering opiate/cocaine addict, 9 months clean. I am a work in progress and I always will be.
More than ten years ago I was in an accident and was prescribed narcotic pain meds. I liked the way they made me feel, so it wasn't hard for me to get hooked.
Before entering rehab 9 months ago, I was swallowing thirty 10mg of hydro or oxycodones per day just to keep from being 'dope sick' plus, snorting/smoking an 8ball of coke along with it. What I was doing is basically 'speedballing'...I'm very lucky to be alive.
After a 10 year addiction to opiates, as you can imagine, I went through hell while in detox. That memory keeps me on the 'straight and narrow' as far as the opiates are concerned. I still struggle with the sometime urges to use cocaine.
What's helped me the most with the opiate addiction has been a drug called Suboxone.
8mg of sub per day has taken all the cravings for opiates away and has afforded me the time to get use to a life of recovery. It's been a miracle pill for me, but as I've said before, without the focus and desire to be clean...it's just another pill.
Has your husband ever tried Suboxone? Does he attend NA meetings?
Either way, I wish you and him both the best of luck.

Penny

justanothrdrunk

It's not my personal story, but that of my best friend whom I met in treatment.

He was a heroin addict off and on for 20 years. He has about 23 months sober right now.

I'm not sure what details I could share that would be helpful except to say that he's dedicated to the program of recovery and the 12 steps. He goes to 5-7 meetings per week. Sure, he has his struggles from time to time. But it's clear that his past life is nothing like the life he has now.

eaglesgirl

My RAH was a heroin user... He presently has two and a half years clean working an active program through NA...

It actually took me almost two years of him being active in the program and clean before I even dared to put the R (recovering) in front of the AH!

I am very proud of what WE have been able to accomplish with BOTH of us working our OWN programs.

Sugah

My drug of choice (or, more accurately, my drug of necessity) changed many times over the years. I was treated with tranquilizers when I was as young as five years old, and I got plenty of belly aches to get the paregoric that that tasted horrible, but made me feel so good. I drank every chance I could get, and managed to be quite regular about it by the time I was nine. My first "run" on opiates came between 12-18 when I was treated for back problems -- beginning with Darvocet and ending with Dilaudid. I switched over to primarily to alcohol, meth, cocaine and pot for a few years, then just booze and pot, back to cocaine, and finally, the last few years of my active addiction, Oxycontin, Vicadin, any other pain pill I could get, and if I had to, heroin.

Twenty-five years from beginning of regular use and very active addiction to a very painful detox. That was over six and a half years ago, and each of those days was successful, as was yesterday, as do I expect today to be, though it is all dependent upon the work I put into it. If you define "success" as "cured" -- I'm not a success. If you define it as a remission dependent upon continued treatment, then, okay, today I'm a success. I started out in NA and AA, got a sponsor, took the steps, found purpose through a god of my understanding, and today, I do most of my 12th step work (working with others) in AA.

Good luck to your husband. My best suggestion to him is to learn and practice honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness.

Peace & Love,
Sugah

Daisy09

Thanks to you all for sharing your stories...(((Bear, Penny, J.A.Drunk, Eaglesgirl, Sugah))) I cannot begin to express how much it helps me to know that there are people who successfully kick opiates. He's on two weeks clean today, finally slept well last night, feels like he's "over the hump" and his birthday is tomorrow, so we're both feeling good

Cautiously optomistic,
Daisy

christin1225

Thanks for starting this thread, Daisy. I can get discouraged and be tempted to stop trying. It's always good to read about successes (I hope that more people share their stories).

Please tell your husband: :day1 He has a wonderful gift in having you as his wife.