I’m 19F and have been addicted to opiates since I was about 13 years old. I’ve been in recovery for a couple years but only clean for just over a year. feel free to ask anything i’d love to share my experience to hopefully prevent other people making the same mistakes I did and help people to understand how easy it is to become an addict.
I’m addicted to opiates AMA
r/AMA
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Did you have any issues with your GI tract when you were getting clean? Has addiction affected your menstrual cycle or any other body processes?
Are you on any meds to fight the cravings?
Are you working the steps?
How did you end up addicted?
My dad struggles with the same thing (opiate addiction) on and off, because of PTSD I think but I’ve never asked him about it much for obvious reasons. It’s like an unspoken understanding. Eventually I’ve come to comprehend it a bit more like a disease, and recovery is fucking horrible to go through. He thinks we can’t tell when he’s using, and it’s heartbreaking.
I’m sorry about your ex, and happy for you that you’ve been clean for so long. I’m sure you don’t need more people telling you you’re strong but you’re doing a great job. The people in your life are very proud of you, I should hope. Keep it up.
Fighting any addiction is no joke, and I’d imagine it might feel really lonely sometimes. What has been the most meaningful way others have supported you?
Thank you for your vulnerability. You have a lot to be proud of.
What have you found most helpful in your road to recovery?
I do some peer support volunteer work, and would like to learn more about addiction, as it’s one of the things I have not personally struggled with. Is there anything you think is important for someone like me to know?
I’m sorry for your addiction 😞 Happy for you that you are in recovery. I never take opioids. They make me throw up! My BFF got hooked on crack. She’s been in recovery for 10+ years. I know it’s hard, but hang in there! You can do it ☺️
Hurt my back in 1998 at 22, was prescribed Ocycontin rt off the bat. Took them as prescribed but quickly was up to 80mg 2x a day, did this was 2 years straight never missed a dose. Until that one day my bottle was stolen out my work locker, didn’t think anything of it I’d call the doc and get another script, it was 5 days away from refill anyway. Well I found out that night what DTs were, I had no clue what was going on. Wound up in the ER, hurting like MFer. My doc saw me at the ER that morning and upped my dose again to 80mg 3x a day. About a year later that Doc was fired from the hospital and the new one would only give me 30 5mg Vicodin. Took 15 the first day, 15 the second and it didn’t touch the DT or my pain which was amplified 100x now. I was in and out of rehab, staying 2 days and jumping the wall at one place, 2 days at a few others lol. I did the whole doctor shopping thing, Pilll mills. I was getting 150 Lortabs, 150 soma, 90 Bars, 120 40mg methadone wafers every two weeks from two doctors. I’d take all the done 240 of them in the 2 weeks and sell most the rest. So you could say I had a big habit. Ended up addicted to heroin for 5 years, shot 30 bags a day. This went on until I was 34-35, I lost everything I had 3x over. Not a dime to my name, no vehicle, no job, no Friends, no nothing.
One day I bought some Suboxone tablets, never heard of the stuff. Immediately i knew something was different with this medicine, I could function , I could think, I didn’t have DTs, and I didn’t crave anything. After a few months only on subs, I went to a 30 day rehab and completed it. You wouldn’t believe me but I had no DTs at all. But my mind and brain wasn’t rt. Even after 2 months I was just off, can’t explain it. I went to a sub doc and been clean off all the other shit since. I’m 47 now and haven’t touch a pill , even for a hernia surgery I had no pain medication not even during. I take a half a sub a day and I’m good with that. So I’d give it a try just keep an open mind and stay positive. Things will look up! If I can do it anyone can, bc I’m the biggest pussy when I start to withdrawal. The Biggest!
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