Hi Jack
Welcome to SR
I'm not a doctor - and neither is anyone else here - so your question, from a withdrawal standpoint, is probably best addressed by a Doctor.
I'm not an American so I can't speak with any authority about red flagging of records, but that seems a little unlikely to me. Are you sure about that or are you just afraid that's the case?
From a philosophical viewpoint tho....I don't think any sober time is ever wasted...you just need to tweak a few things for your next attempt...especially things like friends giving you your drug of choice.
I'm an alcoholic but I know in my case I needed to make more changes than just not drinking/using...that meant cutting out a few friends who were more than happy, for whatever reason, to keep me in beer.
Have you considered a recovery programme?
We have a substance abuse forum here full of people who've been there and made it through into recovery. It might be worth a read, Jack
Substance Abuse - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information
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