Withdrawals In a Foreign Country--and social fears

[Hel25]

I'm going through withdrawals in a foreign country--I'm an American and am living in the UK.  I've found some organizations that are currently working on figuring out a plan for me which could include drug replacement therapy and working closely with a doctor.  However the wait is at least a month or so and by that time I'll be out of hydrocodone and will probably have detoxed by then.  I've actually started detoxing myself and am going crazy (currently on day 3) and am saving the pills I have left for some emergency should one come up.  My dilemma is that I'm trying desperately after about 3-4 years to get clean and learn to function without opiates but I've been using them for so long to cope with anxiety and social fears that I'm afraid I'll have nothing to cope with those feelings once I'm clean if they don't go away (especially when in a foreign country).  Dose anyone know about or have similar experiences with social anxiety and opiate use and know weather those feelings will ever subside and will my mind ever feel normal and rational again?  The longest I've gone in the past is 2-3 weeks without hydrocodone but I still was left with feelings of social anxiety and fear of leaving the house.  Also the medical system is very different here and I'm having trouble getting any of the doctors to act urgently and help me find another way of coping with my anxiety.  Does anyone have any advice? I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

[Savas]

Is national health picking up the tab? Last I was there they were pretty casual about this, and you could get scrips and whatnot easily...but maybe times have changed.

What you're describing sounds like it goes beyond the addiction. So unless you get to the root of that, I can't say...

Otherwise, it should only take a few months tops of healthy living to get your body back to whatever it's optimal state is. See if you can get a clonidine prescription to help with the detox, it's cheap stuff (blood pressure med), you take it 3x a day. A little (few days) xanex wouldn't hurt to. Do a search on amino acids and multi vitamins to find out what you can take to help speed the process.

[Calzy]

Welcome to the site and i know the feeling you are having with coping without the opiates. It's funny, like you, i had asked and prayed that i could get off the opiates and than all of a sudden i was faced with no cash and no pills left.You have a some meds left and as much as they messed you up, try to take as needed to get by. Read the posts here that talk about the different comfort meds to get to help you and you will also read here you are not alone even in another country. You are not going to die from your w/d and your coping and social skills will improve as the opiates wear off and your body takes control again, the drug has wore you down physically and mentally. You should be at the worst at day 3 and 4 so hang in, take hot baths and you can ride out the storm.  Do the best with what you have and stay as positive as you can.