I made this mistake, thinking after all the dope etc., that going back to drinking wouldn't be so much of a problem (I barely drank at all while I was using...most don't drink much).

Wrong. Didn't relapse, but drank WAY too much, ended up a mess.

Eventually put it aside for a bit, and now I drink in moderation with no problem.

It was just drinking immediately after kicking that was my mistake.

As for pot, I have to say that I do not prefer it EVER, but I think it might be pretty helpful for some people, used medicinally and therapeutically.

But if I had to go one way or the other, I'd say don't.

Most heavy opiate users do not drink afaik.

jmakinme,

not sure who you were directing that to, but if you read like the second half of page 3 (100 posts/page) we're discussing marijuana use for withdrawals, and it's effect on relapse.

imozy,

Yeah, generally true. In my case I never drank to begin with, but I've had alcoholic friends that just stopped drinking completely when heroin consumed them.

I just spotted one easy way you can change your life and see immediate positive results.

tuq,

I don't know what you're trying to say exactly but the pot discussion starts around post 250 or so. I thought 100 posts/page was the preferred option around here, but I guess it's page 25 on the default.

Like he really needs someone to harass him about posts per page right now!

Layzie, Tuq was referring to the perpetual feud of 50 posts per page versus 100 posts per page on the forum.

Yeah I know people around here have an obsession about bragging about their settings and their ignore lists, but I wasn't aware of a 50 against 100 feud.

Thanks again for that link, entertainme i'm looking into it and making phone calls right now.

If someone is sweating profusely in an obviously normal temp room where everyone else is comfortable, does that indicate a possible opiate addiction? Ignore other possibilities like being sick or whatever.

The guy in that Current TV piece was really sweating which is what made me think of it. I guess I'm curious if that is true for other drugs as well or just opiates.

I don't know exactly how much sweat you're referring to but after several days of heavy drinking and going into detox mode, it was astonishing how easily I would sweat. Basically doing anything remotely exerting would lead to me sweating far more than I should, sometimes just drenched and I'd jack the A/C way up to dry out by the time I got wherever I was going.

Also, I remember Doc Gooden when he was getting into nose candy in the mid/late 80s - he was often far sweatier than made sense.

Not much help but I doubt it's just related to opiates unless you are talking about epic levels of sweat.

Ah okay. It wasn't epic levels or anything but he was super sweaty just sitting around the house. I wasn't sure which drugs/etc caused that stuff.

N82,

I'm still experiencing this: I am freezing cold, and have goosebumps all the time... but my feet, under my arms and the palms of my hands constantly sweat. I'm taking like three showers a day because it gets so uncomfortable... the sweat makes my clothes wet thus making me more cold. This is a terrible side effect that's especially bad during the first few days but it hasn't gone away for me. I think it's partially cause i'm like 138 pounds and get cold easily to begin with. The sweaty and clammy feeling of my skin is so annoying I have to keep showering. Getting out of the shower is murder, because i'm so cold my teeth chatter.

Do you know why that happens?

It's just a side effect of withdrawing from opiates. As far as I know it happens to most everyone, not just me. I don't know the scientific reasoning behind if that's what you mean, it's just one of the unfortunate things you gotta deal with. It's actually one of the worst parts of the withdrawal in the beginning, except for the nausea and uncontrollable vomiting... there's nothing that compares to that. I mean vomiting so much your stomach muscles are like bruised and then you're in pain from vomiting so much.

My first job in my current line of work (healthcare) was as a drug addiction counselor. My story is pretty simple, but suffice to say I spent quite a bit of time with addicts/dealers as a kid and young adult, some of the former my family and some of the latter my closest friends at that time.

Not that I'm remotely familiar with your experience, personally, but have had a lot of exposure to these issues and will share, for what it's worth, responses I've immediately had to this thread.

I've read your threads with sincere interest (as opposed to voyeurism) and really hope you can get through this. I don't know how to help, at this stage, as it's on you. My impetus for posting here is re: your MJ beliefs, which I think are pretty pedestrian, except for a recovering addict. For the record, I swear off the stuff at this point in my life because every time I'm involved with it, my **** gets ****ed up and I run ridiculous risk of ruin for myself and my family. I understand that some people can handle it, but I don't at all, and it's going to cost me my family/job/future if I engage in the behavior.

No offense intended or implied. I'd tell the same things to the folks in the culture that I associate with on a regular basis. I could be wrong, but I have spent a lot of time wrestling w/the MJ issue, and its peculiar relationship with legality and addiction; in essence, I don't think it's wrong, but our culture does, and even if it was legalized tomorrow, there'd still be a set of behavioral issues related to the culture that are really, really bad for a recovering addict to associate with. The most important thing to realize is that you're sick and tired of being sick and tired of the BS that our culture heaps on us, and find a way to make it regardless of it, without associating with the negativity of just isolating yourself via drugs.

Yeoman,

No, the way in which I obtain marjiuana and the way in which I obtain heroin are not cut from the same cloth at all. I don't want to go into details, all I can say is that the heroin is from a drug dealer whereas the marijuana is not... if you understand what i'm trying to say. I guess all I can say is that you'd have to take my word for it, if you want to.

"[b]Weed did it for you. Just because you did [a] before , doesn't imply that [a] is better because you didn't catch a charge for it. Plenty of guys were involved in petty theft before they got caught up in robbery, right? There's a pattern related to the behavior, and it's the pattern to pay attention to, not the substance. "

I'm not sure I understand. I'm not saying that weed caused me no legal problems, I'm saying I had no dependency issues or financial issues from it. I agree it may have increased my anxiety I guess but I was diagnosed and had the anxiety problem even before then.

"Booze would be, too. So would dope. Do you think you could use dope as a therapeutic? I know you don't. Face it: you're gonna' have to look within yourself here, not to a substance."

I think you're missing what I was getting at. What i'm trying to say is that marijuana to me seems like a safe therapeutic whereas dope obviously isn't.

I really appreciate the insight from someone like you and don't take my rebuttals the wrong way, please i'm not trying to be difficult.

Reply in text

"Well, I don't think I'm missing the point, at all. My point is that MJ (however viewed or obtained) won't be therapeutic if you're of the mind that you'll be using it as a maintenance drug."

Well said, that's basically what I needed to hear. The fact that i'm using it for maintenance and medication seems to be the most dangerous risk factor.

Basically what I was trying to say Yeoman, is that while the heroin is bought from a drug dealer, the marijuana is not obtained from a person. What i'm alluding to is the fact that marijuana is a plant that doesn't require a whole lot of talent to cultivate. So, even dope addicts can pull it off...theoretically, of course.

Also, if you were a drug addiction counselor, that does kinda make you an expert, right? Thanks for the continuing advice.

I've found that the cold/hot flashes and sweats last for up to a month. Depends how heavily you've been using. The severe temperature changes and sweating is the last thing to go away. Other then the lack of sleep I guess.

I've been doing a lot better myself, I've been tapering off my suboxone, and have hardly gotten high at all this last week. two more days and I will be out of Suboxone, so who knows... I will not have any money available to me though, (I've purposely done that), so I shouldn't be able to relapse.

If I don't post for awhile it's a good thing. It means I'm too sick to use my computer, but that I'm not getting high!

I've had the best results kicking with minimal withdrawal using a tapering Suboxone method. I barely take 2 mg a day now, so I shouldn't have too rough of a time kicking. I got some xanax prescribed to me though which helps for sleep.

I reply in the quote, it gives me a message that I have to type out of the quote. Reply in the quote.

How you feeling, Benny?

By the way, I understand using them for kicking, but am I the only junkie in the world who cannot stand benzos?

I mean, damn, they're just...sad.

But like I said, they're invaluable when kicking.

Nah, I used to like them when I was younger, now they're just gross. Same with alcohol but I was never really a big drinker, haven't had but maybe a bottle of wine(total, not at once) and a couple shots of port in nearly 20yrs.

Rushmore,

When I was like 17-19 xanax was my drug of choice for recreation. I am very much a downer person (obviously) and smoking/benzos was a great combo. As I got older, I stopped enjoying the buzz. They make me feel extremely generous and very open to tell people things that would be better off remaining private... also for some reason it gives me some kind of urge to shoplift. I know this probably makes no sense... it sounds ridiculous to me, now that I think about it.

I'm kind of where you're at now, though... they are valuable for withdrawal but pretty much just dangerous for recreation. Detoxing from a heavy dependence on benzos is deadly because of the seizure risk.

EDIT: Just wanted to add something: Someone had previously asked if I planned on following up with a therapist for my anxiety and depression. I do plan on doing that but this time I will be informing the therapist of my substance abuse problems and making sure i'm steered clear of benzos for treatment.

Yeoman,

I concede. I'm gonna stop with the marijuana debate. After alot of thinking, I think you're right and I would be better off giving up the pot too... in the future at least. Right now it is helping with my withdrawal and helping me keep a needle out of my arm. I'm not physically or mentally ready to stop until I have some more opiate-free days under my belt.

I would really like to hear some experiences from parents who have had kids suffer through substance abuse. I have an extreme amount of guilt for what I've put my family through, particularly my mom. I don't want to sit here and beat myself up about it, especially not in my current mind state, but I just feel as if I have shortened my moms life and am personally responsible for so many family problems.

If anyone wants to share, the questions I have are:

When your kid asked you for money for something (and you knew it was drugs even though they're lying to you), how did you handle the situation? Did your love for your kid guilt you into giving him/her the money, or did your love prevent you from being an enabler?

Did you confront them about their drug use before they came to you?

How did you go about treatment?

If anyone would like to share I'd appreciate it, and of course PM's are always welcome.

This is probably the best advice I can give to all the people reading looking for help with addiction: Tell as many of your family and friends as you can about your problem. Bring everyone into the fold. The more people that are thinking about you, the better. It's a really powerful feeling when you know that if you relapse, you'll be letting down so many people who are there for you in the hardest of times. It will give you the strength to continue when you don't feel like you have it. It will give you a reason to keep going when your mind starts to run out of other reasons. Don't try to do this alone, and don't feel ashamed to ask for help.