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But i do think that there are many out there that have been through more, and never became an addict....hopes this makes some sense...
But i do think we need to deal with those issues and move on, because we cannot change what happened...But we can change now...:)
r2r
Nice life both as a child and as an adult.
I remember the first time I had a narcotic painkiller.
I was on vacation in Ocean City Maryland and got an ear infection.
It was LOVE at first sight!
I am not doubting anyones motives but Im a curious person by nature I guess.
Could you explain why, it was love at first sight?
had you had prior drug use as a teen?
what was attractive about the experience as compared to your life as it was?
Just for the record, I dont blame abuse for my drug use in paticular. for me, chronic health issues have reuslted from that abuse, that have led me to use.
Thanks everyone for your honesty
sarah: ocean city is where my addiction started, i was on my senior beachweek, i had taken them before but i brought a lot for beachweek and ever since....how ironic. haha
That is a very good question and I wish I knew the answer.
No, no drug or even alcohol use. I was in band for crying out loud. lol.
I just remember taking that pain pill and thinking how good I felt. And, man, wouldn't it be good to feel that way all the time!
I wondered if most people normally did feel like that???
But, as you all know......
that "feeling so good" feeling went away really quickly. The remainder of the time I used was probably mostly to stop the feelings of w/d and to feel "Normal"
Months turned into years because it was never a good time to quit.
Too much going on at work, holidays coming up.....
I'm sure you all know the drill.
Well, I quit last week and this is probably the busiest week of my whole year (yep, taxes) and boy are clients getting pissed. I drag to work and can barely function.
Nice timing, huh?
Surgery on my neck to remove my C1 did me in 4 years ago. Ma and Dad still think they had the perfect child. If I told them of my addiction they would'nt think any differently anyways. They would support me 100%
Army
I too...became addicted after several health problems and surgeries. Hope I didnt offend anyone.
We all use for essentially the same reason. We like to get high. Opiates happen to make us feel really good, and we spend the rest of our addiction trying to get that feeling we had the first time we used. No more, no less. No genetics, no diseases, no excuses. We just like to get high and use opiates. At some point we all reach that plateau where we have to say enough is enough. As with any addiction, our choices determine the outcome. I have seen some on this board quit for good, and others struggle mightily. I quit 7 months ago and plan on never going back, EVER. Life is too short to spend in a chemically induced haze.
My sister was like many of you the "good girl" but she was also afraid of letting anyone down, obviously she was more of the parent than her parents. She never got into trouble like I did, but i have seen signs that temptations to abuse alcohol exist for her. I hope to God that she proves me wrong.
i too made peace with my dad before he died at 60, he had rotted his esophagus with drink and ciggs.
I feel like i have alot of additions, soaps, sex, etc....
I am definately searching myself to learn the roots and causes that trigger these yearnings.
Counseling is helpful but seems to do little to stop me when i want to avoid pain, be it emotional or physical.
As dicplined as Ive been about my pain med use, it doesnt stop me from feeling that something is out of kilter, not right. And the meds made that bearable. But they also mask what is wrong or out of focus.
Thats where I find myself now, the physical pain from my stomach to my fibro is very real, but I know that after all the psych meds Ive ever tried, nothing ever made me feel as normal as my pain meds.
thats what feels so scary now, i guess, is how dark the feelings of withdraw are and the knowledge that there is no medicine to cure what caused me to want that feeling of numbness.
thanks for all the responses, you guys rock!
I am new to this.. My daughter is in recovery for the first time.
Here is what I have learned... and I am sure this is all subject to debate.
It is Nature, not Nurture. Addiction is genetic. It may not be first or even second generation, but somewhere in the gene pool there is addiction.
There are three areas of use... be it alcohol, or other drugs
- Social, or recreational
Use does not interfere with day to day activities
- Abuse
Binge or excessive use. Most people without the propensity for addiction will stop at this point cause the feel like ****
- Dependence and Addiction
Where the use is beyond abuse and it starts to interfere with your life. opiates are addictive by virtue of the way they interact with your chemistry... so as I understand it, even those without an addictive propensity are exposed for addiction if taken long enough.
That is not to say the psych issues do not fuel the process. There is always a justification for one's actions, or blame for one's actions
I can't say I know how hard it is, but I am living this through my daughter.
The physician at the treatment center put it in perspective. He is 8 years clean form opiates.
Despite our best intentions, we are powerless to the addiction of opiates. We believe that we can quit at any time.. just not today. That is why we all need help... be it this website or professional. group support is proven to be the very best.
He put it bluntly. "If I prescribed the strongest laxative to everyone in the room and told you not to go... despite your best efforts, you would simply not succeed." We all need support