Opiates fixed that IMMEDIATELY.  And I did become instantly better in all regards.  Of course the problem is that the "fix" doesn't last too long.  All to soon, with tolerance to the drug, the "better" was not available to me w/o huge quantities of my drug.  Then, the there was not enough in the world to get or keep med there - I needed to use all the time just to keep myself at a level that wasn't even as good as the "flat-line" that had seemed not-good-enough from before.  I was living to use and using to live.

The problem is almost exclusively one of brain chemistry.  I was missing essential neurotransmitters - even what they call "the feel-good neurotransmitters."  The answer was to give myself amino acid supplements, as aminos are the building blocks of neurotransmitters.  I highly recommend the following books:

"End Your Addiction Now," by Charles Gant
"Living Clean and Sober," by Merlene and David Miller
"The Mood Cure," by Julia Ross

I am still on amino supps with now almost 21 months completely clean from what I considered a hopless addiction - I was literally almost dead from using and abusing.  For me there are other essentials (such as lots of AA Meetings, eating well, regular exercise, learning to live a life based on spiritual principals), but the aminos are an essential element.  A short time off them and I'm back to that feeling where life is a never-ending grind that I must suffer through.  I don't habe to live like that anymore and I no longer need opiates (or crack or meth) to avoid it.

CATUF

I know that feeling to...life is wonderful when you are high but when you start coming down and have to take more to get that same euphoric feeling, all you are focusing on is the drugs, how much and will I have enough, the joy of everyday life is gone! That was the turning point for me.  One thought that keeps coming into my head was something I read that Jim Carrey (even though he's not my favorite actor he had an addiction to opiates) When he got clean he said "Life is just OK" I found the positive in that statement in that we are trying to create that constant utopia with pills, when in   the "CLEAN" reality, there will be day to day struggles and bad times, but that just makes the good times, sweeter and we can appreciate them more. None of us can always be "Supermom"! Don't know how much sense that makes to you, but it really struck a chord with me.  You can do this....find your "reality" again!
Marcie