What greiving said

Welcome Kim,

To the best of your memory how long has your friend been using narcotic pain pills..........

Hi. My best friend is addicted to lortabs, or any pain pill really, percocet, oxy cotten, you name it. My question is how do I help her? What can I do and what can she do to stop taking these freakin pills??!!  
To:

Have you quit before?
Have you ever relapsed?

1.  Well, doctor-shopping is clearly indicative of addiction.  It's a drug-seeking behavior that crosses established social norms and involves at least deceit and more likely affirmative deception.

2.  Likewise, being "on tabs for about a year" indicates a problem.  For whatever reason, you brain finds the state of being opiate-impaired preferable to an unimpaired state.  This is not "normal."  Although most people may find the effects of opiates to be pleasant now and then, for short periods, they don't adopt them as a new way of life, with constant use.  

3.  On the other hand, you seem to have a very low threshold for negative consequences.  Most addicts require something much more concrete and far more negative before they experience those moments of clarity when they see their addiction for what it is and know that they must stop.

So, from my perspective, you're not in too much trouble --- YET.  It sounds to me like the far more dramatic negative consequence, and the continued obsessive use despite those consequences, can (will?) be yours in the future if you fail to heed the warnings provided by the behaviors noted in paragraphs 1 & 2, above.

If you "pick up" again, sooner or later what you see now as being unacceptable will become simply necessary.  Your level of use will rise over time and your life will become more and more consumed by the addiction.  You may be able to stop in the future or you may not.

I would suggest that you take some steps to figure out why your brain seemed to think that staying on tabs was such a good idea in the first place.  There are some very good resources for this, including: "End Your Addiction Now," by Charles Gant; "Seven Weeks to Sobriety," by Joan Larsen; and "The Mood Cure," by Julia Ross.  These books focus on the role of brain chemistry in those who are in (and/or prone to) addiction and will help you address those issues via nutrition and supplements.  

Turns out that most addicts-in-waiting are deficient in some of the neurotransmitters that make "normal" people feel good about being alive without a buzz 24/7.  Once identified, specific NT deficiencies can be addressed with amino acids.

If you're "hard wired" for addiction it would be to your advantage to address that rather than to risk another round of active-addiction.

You also might try hitting some AA and/or NA meetings, which can be a huge help in addressing many of the emotional/spiritual issues that seems to go hand in hand with substance abuse.

Good Luck!

CATUF
Day-751

hey there my friend. good for you for being off of them that long. I can only give you my opinion.. But if you have been off of them that long. you might not need help., I know for me, that when I was clen for a long period of time. I also needed help with my mind if that makes any sence..  some can do this without any help at all and some.(Like me) need all the help i can get.  no one can really tell you if you are an addict, but you..  I wish you all the luck..
cody

I am not quite sure I understand your question but are you saying that you stopped taking any pills in April and want to know what you should do now?  Are you still having problems, like cravings for the drug?  If you are doing okay now, then I would think you need to do nothing.  Why are your friends wanting you to get more help, is there something you failed to mention?  I am just not quite sure how to answer your question at this point, but sounds to me that you are doing fine?

Love, Cindy

Perhaps just go see a therapist who has experience with addiction.   I'm not sure about this one.  There are others who may be better able to answer but they may have turned in for the night.  If you don't get a response, please repost tomorrow ok?

tzt