best ways to support my husband after opiate addiction

Okay so my husband needed opiates due to his back surgery and herniated disc i know not too surprising everyone seems to get given these drugs to help but it seems to not really be worth it in the end. Anyway things happened and we lost out insurance so his back specialist just up and cut him off... did not taper it... he needed his script called it in so he could pick it up and the dr called back and said no more to go to his family doctor. Well we all know the attitude that happens right after someone just cuts a persons opiate pills so needless to say he was not happy. So he got sick of it i looked all over the internet to try and find ways to lessen the withdrawal symptoms with much success he had no physical symptoms for the first 4 days Yay. well on day4 he could sense he was losing control of his mind so he went to the hospital in search of a therapist to get anti anxiety and anti depressants. They did offer him an oxy and he proudly declined and said no more he just wants help with the mental  so he went to a mental health hospital and now its day 7 opiate free and i am so proud of him. every time he calls me i tell him i love him and i am so proud of him that he is such a great man. I even had all his friends call him to boost his spirits as well. So my question is he says he should be coming home in two days. How can i help him like how can i support him. What are some ideas on what i can do to make him happy that he is off opiates to ensure he stays off.... and has less of the PAWS i guess i just want to know what was great that other partners did to help.

[BarbRTR]

Wow, he's going to have a much higher chance of being successful because of your support. That's great.

But take time for yourself too. He might be short on patience, snappy, even say things to you he doesn't mean. Hopefully he doesn't go through that, but many of us were short fused during the first month or so. I had to learn to count to 10 before responding to some people. And I loved them, and would never want to hurt them.

So, make sure you get some you time too. Get out and do something you enjoy, alone or with friends.
This is a long journey, but the rewards for both of you will be tremendous.
Best of luck!

[Enuffisenough]

How did he find a mental health hospital ? That's great. Good for you.

[want2bbtrwife]

a social worker at the er found a place for him to go

[atthebeach]

Hi and welcome. Was your husband depend or addicted to his meds?
Did he take them as prescribed?

[want2bbtrwife]

He was prescribed them but he was also addicted to them you know sometimes taking more one day then re counting them some days he would even forget if he took them so he would take way too much which would just make it worse. But he suffered from depression before hand and was on anti depressants/ anxiety meds but the opiates took that away and he no longer needed them.

[atthebeach]

Will he start with anxiety/depression meds again? As he found out when stopping opiates anxiety/ depression are very, very common and can be very debilitating. He should probably attend counseling and/ or support groups such as na or aa. Exercise will help to heal his brain chemistry and get the natural endorphins producing again.
How is his back now? Will he need to seek out alternative pain management?
He wants to stay off the meds?

[want2bbtrwife]

He had to see a therapist before his family dr would write the prescriptions for depression and anxiety mends. It hit him harder since he had depression before taking the opiates. He is planning on seeing a therapist regularly after leaving the rehab/mental health facility and wants to go running but does not want to take me. he said he needs another man because i would slow him down. He said he just feels like he has stiff muscles and some pain but he would rather the pain than the side effects of opiates and of having the withdrawals. His dr wouldnt sign the script a few times so he would have to suffer through the weekend and this was i guess the straw that broke the camels back... he has been on them for at least 2 years. He says he doesnt want those pain meds ever again but if he needs to have more back surgery he may have to. I guess he is more sick of the stress with counting the pills seeing when his next refill comes when to call it in the pills not working still being in pain, how some people would treat him like a criminal even though it was a prescription having to find a pharmacy that had his amount he needed ( usually a 4 hour trip just finding a pharmacy) , and how snappy he would get sometimes without realizing it. He is currently doing much better but has stomach ulcers that could be from his long term use and the shock and stress of withdrawals, so the exercising he wants to do he cant atm. the facility he is at now it a lot of groups they do seem to be overwhelmed with other patients so his one on one time with a therapist is limited even though that is what he mainly wanted. It seems to me more like a summer camp with the activities they have but if it works than i am thankful. I just know when he comes home i have to do my part to and like allow him to be selfish because he needs to take time for himself and i have to forgive everything he said/did while out of it from the meds etc, i just dont know what else i can do. I told him i have tastykakes here for him and that im gonna bake him peanut butter brownies the day he comes home. I know its a healing process and we will need to work on everything. Just wanted to hear what other people did for their significant others in the months/ years of recovery that helped

[BarbRTR]

Wow, he's going to have a much higher chance of being successful because of your support. That's great.

But take time for yourself too. He might be short on patience, snappy, even say things to you he doesn't mean. Hopefully he doesn't go through that, but many of us were short fused during the first month or so. I had to learn to count to 10 before responding to some people. And I loved them, and would never want to hurt them.

So, make sure you get some you time too. Get out and do something you enjoy, alone or with friends.
This is a long journey, but the rewards for both of you will be tremendous.
Best of luck!