Introducing me
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Lincolnshire UK
Posts: 5
Introducing me
Hello everyone, I am pleased to be here, I found this site last week and from what I have read it is a very good place to come to gain insight , support and understanding surrounding addiction.
I have been addicted to prescription painkillers for nearly ten years. I plucked up the courage and went to a local Drug & Alcohol Counselling Service last year - after jumping through all of their hoops they eventually decided to put me on a substitute replacement drug - buprenorphine. I started on 6mg a day in October - then reduced to 4.8 in March and I have an appointment next week to review the dose again, and it is very likely that it will be reduced again.
The little white tablet was great at first, but I was still struggling and didn't really know why - until I found Narcotics Anonymous and started attending meetings - I got more out of a couple of meetings in a week than I had in 6 months of the drug replacement therapy.
I realised I need both to help me deal with my addiction and feel very fortunate to have found some very well established meetings, and also a women's group NA meeting.
There is only one meeting a week in my local area, but it is worth me travelling the 60 mile round trip to the meetings in another area - I get so much from these meetings!
I run a business from home and spend a lot of time at the computer, so these forums are ideal too!
I enjoy reading about other people and how they have overcome their addiction and their lives have taken an upward turn - it is very inspiring and gives me hope that my recovery will get better and better as time goes on.
Thanks for reading this and I look forward to interacting with you all on here
I have been addicted to prescription painkillers for nearly ten years. I plucked up the courage and went to a local Drug & Alcohol Counselling Service last year - after jumping through all of their hoops they eventually decided to put me on a substitute replacement drug - buprenorphine. I started on 6mg a day in October - then reduced to 4.8 in March and I have an appointment next week to review the dose again, and it is very likely that it will be reduced again.
The little white tablet was great at first, but I was still struggling and didn't really know why - until I found Narcotics Anonymous and started attending meetings - I got more out of a couple of meetings in a week than I had in 6 months of the drug replacement therapy.
I realised I need both to help me deal with my addiction and feel very fortunate to have found some very well established meetings, and also a women's group NA meeting.
There is only one meeting a week in my local area, but it is worth me travelling the 60 mile round trip to the meetings in another area - I get so much from these meetings!
I run a business from home and spend a lot of time at the computer, so these forums are ideal too!
I enjoy reading about other people and how they have overcome their addiction and their lives have taken an upward turn - it is very inspiring and gives me hope that my recovery will get better and better as time goes on.
Thanks for reading this and I look forward to interacting with you all on here
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Lincolnshire UK
Posts: 5
Hello everyone,
Its been some time since I joined and posted on here - but I have spent many hours reading - this site is a fabulous resource and such a huge amount of encouragement and support!!!
A quick update as to where I am at would be useful I think.
So I was on a subutex prescription to help me with an opiate addiction. I started off on 6mg which was just the right amount to keep me on a good level.
After three months my prescription was reduced down to 4.8mg and was to keep reducing every 12 weeks. As the dose got lower and lower we discussed different detox options.
I opted for a home detox after dropping to 1.04mg. I was prescribed Lofexidine as a detox medication that helps to minimise the physical withdrawals. I started on 12th September and it was done and dusted by 20th September. So my clean date was 21st Sept.
The first three weeks were great and I felt quite euphoric - then I had a relapse and started using again - and have continued to do so since.
I don't use every day - its mostly every other day. Its not the physical symptoms that get to me - its the obsessive thoughts of using all the time.
Every night I go to bed and tell myself I wont use tomorrow - but as soon as I wake up those obsessive thoughts are on me and are relentless!!
I am in between sponsors at the moment but have been given a contact number for a potential sponsor as I really think starting the steps with a sponsor will help me to keep clean and focused on my recovery.
I keep telling myself, as soon as I get a sponsor I will sort this out once and for all and have someone that can support me when I really need it.
I kept a journal while I was detoxing at home and hope to write out my experience and share it for anyone thinking of going down that route - it may help.
I would highly recommend it - it was much easier than I thought it would be.
I am hoping to use this forum more often as the support I have seen here is fabulous!!
So that's my update - hope to "see" you around the forum at some point.
Thanks for reading xx
Its been some time since I joined and posted on here - but I have spent many hours reading - this site is a fabulous resource and such a huge amount of encouragement and support!!!
A quick update as to where I am at would be useful I think.
So I was on a subutex prescription to help me with an opiate addiction. I started off on 6mg which was just the right amount to keep me on a good level.
After three months my prescription was reduced down to 4.8mg and was to keep reducing every 12 weeks. As the dose got lower and lower we discussed different detox options.
I opted for a home detox after dropping to 1.04mg. I was prescribed Lofexidine as a detox medication that helps to minimise the physical withdrawals. I started on 12th September and it was done and dusted by 20th September. So my clean date was 21st Sept.
The first three weeks were great and I felt quite euphoric - then I had a relapse and started using again - and have continued to do so since.
I don't use every day - its mostly every other day. Its not the physical symptoms that get to me - its the obsessive thoughts of using all the time.
Every night I go to bed and tell myself I wont use tomorrow - but as soon as I wake up those obsessive thoughts are on me and are relentless!!
I am in between sponsors at the moment but have been given a contact number for a potential sponsor as I really think starting the steps with a sponsor will help me to keep clean and focused on my recovery.
I keep telling myself, as soon as I get a sponsor I will sort this out once and for all and have someone that can support me when I really need it.
I kept a journal while I was detoxing at home and hope to write out my experience and share it for anyone thinking of going down that route - it may help.
I would highly recommend it - it was much easier than I thought it would be.
I am hoping to use this forum more often as the support I have seen here is fabulous!!
So that's my update - hope to "see" you around the forum at some point.
Thanks for reading xx
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