thomas11

I'm sick of taking pills and my knees made a significant leap in progress about 2 weeks ago. They showed very little improvement for the longest time and then in a matter of days they felt much better. To the point where I believe I'm ready to give it a go without medication. I am afraid of the withdrawal, but I think I am more afraid of the unknown that I am of the actual process.

On the job front, I'm sick of the snails pace of the hiring process and believe I have found something. Once again, I will be my own boss, and I'm kind of excited.

On the alcohol front, still going strong. I've talked about what I call the new normal before. I think I've reached that point completely. Not drinking or craving a drink on the weekend is just the normal course of life now. It's pretty nice because there is no stress, and I think many of us can agree that actively drinking is hard work and causes stress (at least it did for me).

doggonecarl

Fear of withdrawal keeps a lot of people ensnared in the pain pill cycle. I think stopping while the choice is still one you can make is wise. WDs suck. But they pass. The same can't always be said about addiction.

Good luck.

thomas11

That's kind of my angle Carl, I want to quit while the decision is still mine.

Hawkeye13

You can do it Jeff--post when you feel WD issues and we'll help you through.

I also think you are very wise to get off that crap ASAP

Good luck w/ job opportunity!

AdelineRose

You can do it! The best advice I can give (I am a recovering IV heroin addict) is to have a plan. Stock the house with lots of Gatorades and water bottles, keep some crackers or anything easy to keep down while you are W/D (even though you won't want to eat, forcing yourself to will help you feel better faster in the long run), start taking vitamins ASAP, stock up on advil, aleive, immodium, etc. Get any support system you feel you will need in place, alert doctors (medicines for restless legs, sleep problems, anxiety, etc. can be very helpful if a doctor is involved in your decisions) if at all possible, and get some shows you want to watch on Netflix, make a play list of songs to keep you going in weak moments, some books, and a journal to write it all down in so down the road you can look back and see why it isn't worth it to go back.

You can do this! Stopping before you completely give up on ever wanting a normal life again is a huge motivation to do it now. We will all be here to support you!

thomas11

Thank you so much AdelinaRose. I will take all the advice I can get. I'm ready to do this.

thomas11

Thanks Hawkeye, I did a trial run last week and one of the more notable effects was just being flat and I didn't feel like doing much (like posting), but I will post here when needed. Will be nice to have some cheerleaders for this one.

Meraviglioso

Good luck Jeff. You've been tapering for a while so hopefully the WDs will be minimal.

MissPerfumado

Can't give any advice Jeff, but can lend you my support and good wishes. It sounds like a good move. All the best on the job front too.

ALinNS

All the best Jeff and that is great news on your knee and potential job opportunity. Although my experience on the pill side is with Ativan years ago, I too was fearful of giving them up, in the end I had to find something to encourage me to do it and I found meditation in this case worked for me, all the best.

Andrew

JD

Hey Jeff, just wanted to say we're all here to support you any way we can.

entropy1964

Jeff I think you are wise to move away from the pills. You've been tapering for quite some time so hopefully your detox won't be too uncomfortable.

I'm glad you found a job. Be easy on yourself and others. Just do the best you can each day and be patient

thomas11

I'm sure I'll get some blow-back on this but I need to come clean so to speak. On the alcohol front, I drank a particular brand of spiced rum. Its all I drank, and I drank too much of it. Like water. Liked how it tasted actually.

There is alcohol in the house, Vodka, Whiskey, Beer and Wine. I hate all of it. The thought of drinking it does not appeal to me at all. All of it tastes terrible as I recall (obviously I've tried it all in my lifetime).
My taste buds have woken up and as I mentioned I'm getting into cooking and food. My memory is such, that all of those things sound disgusting taste-wise and forcing it down to get a buzz is something I won't do.

In fact, I've never drank a full glass of wine, and I have not had a beer since 1997.

thomas11

Thanks Frick, I'll be easy on others. Regarding myself, I'm starting to feel guilty. I have not gone this long without working in some capacity my entire life. I have not worked since mid November. Can't do it much longer.

I feel a little bit lucky regarding work, I have a long time friend (a good friend) who is one of the top Realtors in the state. He has a radio show, owns 70 houses, owns a brokerage firm etc....I'm 99% sure I'm going to enroll in school and get my license and work for his brokerage firm. Had breakfast with him on Friday to discuss. I want to specialize in starter homes and hobby farms/acreage.

thomas11

Thanks Andrew, is it worse than alcohol withdrawal? Have you experienced alcohol withdrawal?

biminiblue

I'm really sorry to hear this, Jeff. As many of us have said in the past, getting off the pain meds is going to reactivate the drink cravings. Keep posting. This is a battle for your life, and it's not over until you are off alcohol and opiates. You've been able to not drink for the last year because those dopamine receptors in your brain have been kept "busy" with the opiates.

Now the real battle begins.

You can do it. Please don't pick up the rum again. That way lies death and destruction.

thomas11

I wasn't aware that quitting pain meds could reactivate cravings for alcohol. If that is the case and I feel like drinking, it will all be gone. No way I'm screwing this up.

Leezer

I quit a 7 year, 50mg a day hydrocone habit back in March of 2012. The physical withdrawals for me were bad but only lasted about 11 days (I know that sounds like a long time, but looking back, it was not).

I have never craved one since. Now I'm tackling alcohol and am at 97 days today. Tried to do both in 2012 but could not. But here I am.

My advice: Eat healthily, tons of showers (you'll feel gross), lots of sleep (which will be weird sleep), tons of water, and if you feel super bad, of course, call a doctor. I did not have to do that. My withdrawals were bad, but I was also READY.....sounds like you are too.

Good luck!!




QUOTE=thomas11;5984420]That's kind of my angle Carl, I want to quit while the decision is still mine.[/QUOTE]