13 days in. Still no energy?!?! Lots of anxiety
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Shreveport, LA
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13 days in. Still no energy?!?! Lots of anxiety
I cold turkeyed off about a gram of heroin per day which I’d been taking for about 5 months. Opiate pills for a few months before that. I’m still ALWAYS tired. ALWAYS anxious. It’s been nearly 2 weeks and I’m still just barely getting by. Barely sleeping, etc.
any advice or support would be greatly appreciated!! I just want to feel normal again!!! Will it ever happen?
any advice or support would be greatly appreciated!! I just want to feel normal again!!! Will it ever happen?
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 710
gpat, I have no experience with heroine. Only alcohol and cigarettes.
I know I was really frustrated after quitting alcohol because I was not feeling any better (or at least not as good as I expected) for over 2 weeks. I am sure that, if you are able to analyse the past 13 days, you are probably better today than 1 week ago. I understand that the craving for heroin is really difficult to fight and you have gone through the worst. Don't let the long-term goals defeat your most important aim: not using now.
You will get better. Every day you are getting better as long as you don't use. It may take a bit longer to feel it than we expect. Best of luck
I know I was really frustrated after quitting alcohol because I was not feeling any better (or at least not as good as I expected) for over 2 weeks. I am sure that, if you are able to analyse the past 13 days, you are probably better today than 1 week ago. I understand that the craving for heroin is really difficult to fight and you have gone through the worst. Don't let the long-term goals defeat your most important aim: not using now.
You will get better. Every day you are getting better as long as you don't use. It may take a bit longer to feel it than we expect. Best of luck
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Shreveport, LA
Posts: 12
Thank you!! I’m just wondering if I’ll ever be myself again? I used to laugh at work and have energy to complete my assignments. Now I can barely make it through the day. Yet still can’t sleep.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 652
You will be yourself again. 13 days is terrific, amazing and fab but it is still very early days.
I am an ex-heroin user (24 years) and it took me around 9 months to start feeling relaxed again and to properly find my laughter. I was very tired and anxious in the early days. I would shake and stammer if anyone tried to talk to me.
The good news is that it is not like it is crap for 9 months and then better - it is progressive, you will progressively feel better, you will progressively find your laughter. You will start liking yourself more. You will start having good days and my guess is that will be fairly soon.
Watch out for that voice that wants you to doubt that and fear that you are never going to be normal again. That is the addiction talking.
You will, without a doubt feel normal again. Be patient.
Once again congrats on that 13 days.
I am an ex-heroin user (24 years) and it took me around 9 months to start feeling relaxed again and to properly find my laughter. I was very tired and anxious in the early days. I would shake and stammer if anyone tried to talk to me.
The good news is that it is not like it is crap for 9 months and then better - it is progressive, you will progressively feel better, you will progressively find your laughter. You will start liking yourself more. You will start having good days and my guess is that will be fairly soon.
Watch out for that voice that wants you to doubt that and fear that you are never going to be normal again. That is the addiction talking.
You will, without a doubt feel normal again. Be patient.
Once again congrats on that 13 days.
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Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 710
I found my first 3 weeks without alcohol grueling. It became better after 2 weeks and much better after 3. Insomnia has taken 12 weeks, but I was feeling much better already even without sleeping.
You are doing a massive thing. Not only is your body healing from the damage (and how tired we feel is a sure sign of the magnitude of that damage), your mind is using plenty of energy to stay away from your poison. Try to enter survival mode at work. As much as you can, just make sure you do enough to go by without any big mistake.
I am sure you thought that staying 3 days sober was a big achievement when y ou were on day 1. You have done much more. Don't go back to day zero.
You are doing a massive thing. Not only is your body healing from the damage (and how tired we feel is a sure sign of the magnitude of that damage), your mind is using plenty of energy to stay away from your poison. Try to enter survival mode at work. As much as you can, just make sure you do enough to go by without any big mistake.
I am sure you thought that staying 3 days sober was a big achievement when y ou were on day 1. You have done much more. Don't go back to day zero.
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Shreveport, LA
Posts: 12
Originally Posted by Lucinda2 
You will be yourself again. 13 days is terrific, amazing and fab but it is still very early days.
I am an ex-heroin user (24 years) and it took me around 9 months to start feeling relaxed again and to properly find my laughter. I was very tired and anxious in the early days. I would shake and stammer if anyone tried to talk to me.
The good news is that it is not like it is crap for 9 months and then better - it is progressive, you will progressively feel better, you will progressively find your laughter. You will start liking yourself more. You will start having good days and my guess is that will be fairly soon.
Watch out for that voice that wants you to doubt that and fear that you are never going to be normal again. That is the addiction talking.
You will, without a doubt feel normal again. Be patient.
Once again congrats on that 13 days.
I am an ex-heroin user (24 years) and it took me around 9 months to start feeling relaxed again and to properly find my laughter. I was very tired and anxious in the early days. I would shake and stammer if anyone tried to talk to me.
The good news is that it is not like it is crap for 9 months and then better - it is progressive, you will progressively feel better, you will progressively find your laughter. You will start liking yourself more. You will start having good days and my guess is that will be fairly soon.
Watch out for that voice that wants you to doubt that and fear that you are never going to be normal again. That is the addiction talking.
You will, without a doubt feel normal again. Be patient.
Once again congrats on that 13 days.
thank you sooo much for your response!! I know that it will take time to heal, I just never thought I’d feel this bad after two weeks. I’d you have anymore advice or insight to add, feel free!! I need all help I can get
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 652
Originally Posted by gpat1979
thank you sooo much for your response!! I know that it will take time to heal, I just never thought I’d feel this bad after two weeks. I’d you have anymore advice or insight to add, feel free!! I need all help I can get
Do you do meetings at all or have any support elsewhere?
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I haven’t been to any meetings this time around. I haven’t told anyone about my recent heroin use. Not family or friends. It would hurt then too much. My parents are old now and have seen me struggle for most of my adult life. This one has been my “secret” though I suspect they know something is amiss as I can’t even muster a smile or kind words when I see them. Which is every day. I definitely need to go to some meetings.
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 652
I don't do meetings. It is not the only way. There is probably a whole army of us out there that have cleaned up on our own. Just kind of hidden. But meetings are an option, right? Probably kind of nice hanging out in rooms with other people who just get it.
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
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Originally Posted by gpat1979
thank you sooo much for your response!! I know that it will take time to heal, I just never thought I’d feel this bad after two weeks. I’d you have anymore advice or insight to add, feel free!! I need all help I can get
and dont use even if your ass is fallin off.
i strongly encourge you to look into working the steps along with going to meetings. im still amazed at the change the steps did internally for me.
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Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 259
Hi, I just wanted to quickly comment that I was in a dual diagnosis outpatient treatment where people were detoxing from all sorts of substances, the one you were on included. Over the six week period, while staying free of the substances, everyone improved massively and were feeling way more normal. After just few weeks in, almost everyone was still struggling with negative physical and mental symptoms. By six weeks, feelings of more normalcy was present. In my situation of alcohol, it’s a bumpy road with ups and downs. I have to remember that I was often not living life on life’s normal, bumpy terms while drinking and I was also overthinking how I was feeling a lot early on. I still do. Hang in there and good luck!
Not Alone
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: South East UK
Posts: 1,513
Originally Posted by gpat1979
I cold turkeyed off about a gram of heroin per day which I’d been taking for about 5 months. Opiate pills for a few months before that. I’m still ALWAYS tired. ALWAYS anxious. It’s been nearly 2 weeks and I’m still just barely getting by. Barely sleeping, etc.
any advice or support would be greatly appreciated!! I just want to feel normal again!!! Will it ever happen?
any advice or support would be greatly appreciated!! I just want to feel normal again!!! Will it ever happen?
Opiates mess with your brain chemistry and often lead to something called 'post-acute withdrawal symptoms'. It's basically like less severe withdrawal symptoms that you'll feel after your actual withdrawal. Some people say it doesn't exist whereas tons of opiate addicts, myself included, say it definitely does.
Do some research on it and you'll find ways of managing it whilst your brain essentially rewires itself. It does get better, some people don't experience it at all, others experience it for 6 months or a year. It all depends on how long you were using and how much. But, it does get better and it is manageable.
Good luck!
Natom
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Day 15. Currently at work. My energy has improved slightly, but the anxiety is still very high. It’s like my body is in fight or flight mode ALL the time!! The slightest things are making me freak out. Also, prone to crying for no real reason?!?!
thanks for checking in on me!!
thanks for checking in on me!!
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Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 652
Day 15 is great! Past the 2 weeks mark is major.
Will you be able to get some downtime over the weekend? Sounds like it might be good to unwind over a rubbish box set or whatever helps you to relax.
Crying sounds about right! I had forgotten that one.
Will you be able to get some downtime over the weekend? Sounds like it might be good to unwind over a rubbish box set or whatever helps you to relax.
Crying sounds about right! I had forgotten that one.
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