Hep c treatment triggers relapse?
I posted this on the substance abuse forum but no one seemed to have any answers to my questions. I know there are some addicts on this forum so i figure I'll post on here too. I'm having a lot of anxiety from this, maybe some of my codie friends can help me...
I have a few questions about hep c treatment. I'm not an addict, and I do not have hep c. However, my boyfriend is a recovering heroin addict and will be starting treatment for hep c soon.
He's been clean for 4 months, and is living in a sober house right now. He works a 12 step program as well. He starts treatment in a couple of months. From what the doctors tell him, the treatment for hep c involves injecting yourself with a needle. The doctors wanted to wait until he's had 6 months clean so that the self injection and handling needles will not be a trigger.
I know that he needs to do this treatment, however, this whole thing just spells trouble to me. Aside from the self injecting and handling needles, I've read that the sick feeling the patient gets during treatment is similar to that of heroin withdrawals. I've read that treatment also causes depression. All of these things seem like triggers to me.
Like I said, I'm not an addict and have never had any experience with hep c treatment so I'm a little lost here. My boyfriend says that he hates needles...yet he was a heroin addict. I don't understand that.
Has anyone had any experience with hep c treatment and have any of you noticed that the self injection is triggering you to pick up again? Also, are there any heroin addicts that hate needles?? Strange concept to me ...