Questions about recovery
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 6
Questions about recovery
My SO has been off of oxycontin for 5 months. I am trying to be supportive to him but I feel like things keep spiralling out of control and I don't know HOW I can continue to do this.
He is abusing tylenol with codeine (hes taking much less now thankfully) as well as any medication his doctor will give him *off and on*. (mainly anxiety medication)
When he was on the oxycontin, as least I knew what was going on. He is lying more than he ever was and I'm beginning to wonder when this rollercoaster ride will end.
I suspect his behaviour is because "old habits die hard". Certain things seem to trigger panic and he goes to his doctor for any medication that will "help".
He has weeks where he is reasonable and then something seems to trigger and he goes off the deep end. (depression, anxiety..looking for meds) Could this be leftover withdrawal from the oxycontin? I have told him what I suspect..and he doesn't think prior addictions have any bearing but I'm not so sure. I only know what I see him doing and it LOOKS to me like it is old cravings resurfacing. So I guess my question is, does anyone here have any experience with this? If so, what are your thoughts.
Honestly, he went through HELL getting off the oxycontin and wants to be completely non dependant on medication but it seems like something just hits him once in awhile and its almost unbearable for him. (to the point where hes been hospitalized a few times)
I would love some input! I have no one to talk about this with and honestly, it just feels like its getting harder and harder to deal with.
TIA!
He is abusing tylenol with codeine (hes taking much less now thankfully) as well as any medication his doctor will give him *off and on*. (mainly anxiety medication)
When he was on the oxycontin, as least I knew what was going on. He is lying more than he ever was and I'm beginning to wonder when this rollercoaster ride will end.
I suspect his behaviour is because "old habits die hard". Certain things seem to trigger panic and he goes to his doctor for any medication that will "help".
He has weeks where he is reasonable and then something seems to trigger and he goes off the deep end. (depression, anxiety..looking for meds) Could this be leftover withdrawal from the oxycontin? I have told him what I suspect..and he doesn't think prior addictions have any bearing but I'm not so sure. I only know what I see him doing and it LOOKS to me like it is old cravings resurfacing. So I guess my question is, does anyone here have any experience with this? If so, what are your thoughts.
Honestly, he went through HELL getting off the oxycontin and wants to be completely non dependant on medication but it seems like something just hits him once in awhile and its almost unbearable for him. (to the point where hes been hospitalized a few times)
I would love some input! I have no one to talk about this with and honestly, it just feels like its getting harder and harder to deal with.
TIA!
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Almost 'me' again
Posts: 102
There is something called PAWS that can show up for months after detoxing but that is more to do with lack of memory and stuff like that ( I think ). My first thought in reading your post is that maybe what you are seeing is the underlying issues why he used the oxy in the first place. There is usually something underneith the drug problem. Maybe his response to stress and anxiety is is primary issue.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2007
Posts: 6
He was having memory issues for awhile. I will look that up, thanks.
There are underlying issues yes. There are also other health issues that are complicating everything.
I have to admit that he has improved in dealing with them. I know its going to take time... its just so frustrating. The doctors just seem interested in giving him a pill that will take it all away.
He needs cognitive therapy but for some reason its taking forever for the doctor to actually get him started on it.
There are underlying issues yes. There are also other health issues that are complicating everything.
I have to admit that he has improved in dealing with them. I know its going to take time... its just so frustrating. The doctors just seem interested in giving him a pill that will take it all away.
He needs cognitive therapy but for some reason its taking forever for the doctor to actually get him started on it.
Member
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: In
Posts: 561
The doctors just seem interested in giving him a pill that will take it all away.
Bridge CLOSED
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: No ones business
Posts: 1,497
I gave up on the entire psychiatric community because of the "lets medicate and see if that fixes you" theory as opposed to discussion and cognitive therapy.
Used to be you did this with a psychiatrist. Now you see a social worker or a psychologist and the psychiatrist is only there to write prescriptions. I am not impressed.
My Ex husband was an alcoholic and he was mentally ill. He was medicated and evnetually committed. On one stint as an inpatient in one hospital the treatment for his mental illnes seemed to really be progressing forward. His improvement was marked and he was not being medicated.
Of course, he was released because insurance would only pay for 3 weeks inpatient.. and within 3 weeks he was back in the same downward mentally ill cycle.
He attempted suicide so many times they finally got a court order and he was committed to a State Mental hospital. He finally got his wish and died of a massive heart attack 8 months later. He could have gotten better.. if he had the treatment he got at the one hospital longer I am convinced of that. However, since no one was interested, he never got better and I must say his death was a blessing.. ending his terrible suffering.
It is expensive to treat someone and he was an added burden of bening an alcoholic... so the insurance decided he wasn't worth it.
Used to be you did this with a psychiatrist. Now you see a social worker or a psychologist and the psychiatrist is only there to write prescriptions. I am not impressed.
My Ex husband was an alcoholic and he was mentally ill. He was medicated and evnetually committed. On one stint as an inpatient in one hospital the treatment for his mental illnes seemed to really be progressing forward. His improvement was marked and he was not being medicated.
Of course, he was released because insurance would only pay for 3 weeks inpatient.. and within 3 weeks he was back in the same downward mentally ill cycle.
He attempted suicide so many times they finally got a court order and he was committed to a State Mental hospital. He finally got his wish and died of a massive heart attack 8 months later. He could have gotten better.. if he had the treatment he got at the one hospital longer I am convinced of that. However, since no one was interested, he never got better and I must say his death was a blessing.. ending his terrible suffering.
It is expensive to treat someone and he was an added burden of bening an alcoholic... so the insurance decided he wasn't worth it.
On a tear
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Volcano Country!
Posts: 3,221
Doctors are taught to treat symptoms... so they do.
Addiction is addiction is addiction. A drug is a drug is a drug.
It sounds to me like he is still fighting his addiction. It will be his battle to win.
What you can do is figure out how you want to live... do you want to live your life in REACTION to his? Will his being clean, or not, determine if your day will be good, or not?
This is a difficult proposition... Alanon helped me understand that I could detach from the chaos of addiction and learn to live life on MY terms. Some of us have had to separate physically from the addict (I did), but others have found ways to be separate, while living in the same home.
Being caught up in the chaos turns OUR lives upside down... and we aren't even using!
Detaching can give us the space to live a life of joy and love.
Alanon helped me very much with this. Naranon and Coda meetings can also help. Another good resource are the books by Melodie Beattie - Codependent No More
I wish you the best.
Addiction is addiction is addiction. A drug is a drug is a drug.
It sounds to me like he is still fighting his addiction. It will be his battle to win.
What you can do is figure out how you want to live... do you want to live your life in REACTION to his? Will his being clean, or not, determine if your day will be good, or not?
This is a difficult proposition... Alanon helped me understand that I could detach from the chaos of addiction and learn to live life on MY terms. Some of us have had to separate physically from the addict (I did), but others have found ways to be separate, while living in the same home.
Being caught up in the chaos turns OUR lives upside down... and we aren't even using!
Detaching can give us the space to live a life of joy and love.
Alanon helped me very much with this. Naranon and Coda meetings can also help. Another good resource are the books by Melodie Beattie - Codependent No More
I wish you the best.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
