Drugs And Physical Appearance

[gizzy32]

I posted something like this a long time ago, but it's one of the positives that does not seem to be talked about much when getting clean and I wanted to remind you, lol. During my using days my appearance started to change and I looked like death somedays. Now that I am clean, not only do I feel healthy, but I look healthy. I have put on 20 lbs (which I needed ), I don't have those horrible dark circles under my eyes from sleepless nights, my face is no longer sunk in, like it was on coke, and I am no longer pale, even though I need a tan, lol. I posted this because I saw some pictures of me yesterday when I was using and it made me feel sick to see what I looked like and I didn't care at the time. Drugs really do a number on us, but the good news is for the most part we can heal and look hot again, haha.

Have you noticed a change in your physical appearance since quitting and if so what.

[freebird227]

I entered treatment ( a glorified detox ) weighing a whopping 98lbs. and I'm 5ft6in. Sunken cheeks, hollow eyes. bitten nails, despondant, lifeless, ashamed, self loathing, lost spirit, guilt ridden, deterioration from the inside out, with a hole so big in my soul I felt nothing would ever be able to fill it..................Hell what did I know. I Got Recovery. I cleaned up went back to school ( don't we all ) and hello life. Today.... well you can see my pic's on my profile.....Great post Gizzy

[Holliee]

I have gained weight and now I WANT to put make up on and for about a yr i think that i lived in sleeping clothes like sleeping pants and tank tops or shirts not caring what i looked like when i went out now i dress up and care, my skin looks better and i sleep good now finally not drug sleep or no more drug dreams i had them awful at first

[luppygirl]

I almost died cuz my symptoms were so severe.  If he was my doctor he would have killed me how scary is that.  Sorry to get off topic.  I just had to vent after reading that.

[luppygirl]

I can't believe it.  I got told I had lupus about 3 years ago.  I don't think I have met a doctor in the city I live in that doesn't think lupus is a real disease.  That doctor is welcome to come and live in my body for a week, he probably wouldn't be able to handle it, he would crying like a baby...God that makes me so mad!!!!!!!!!!!

[troubleinohio]

PS to Gizzy- believe it or not, the kids FOUGHT over that brocolli!! they couldnt eat enough, they love it. Its one of my favorites as well. It gets so nice and tender in that pan and also a touch of the meat flavor and seasonings steamed into it

[troubleinohio]

gizzy, LOL yes i was "talking fast" in my post! I only had time to come here and read one post, and respond once so i had to try and get it out in one quick burst because both kids were yelling/fighting and i needed to go start supper too, lol.  (which btw was goulash- sorry no pics this time, haha)

[Ella789]

Sorry, you read it rignt and I wish that I had known that before I went to him..  I have a dear friend that works at the hospital ajacent to the clinic and she said I should have seen a m.d. cause alot of the d.o.'s do not accept sle as a dx, cause so many other problems accompany the symptoms.  Well, duah!!!!!!!!!!!  Everything made sense to me after she told me that and the "questioning" of my dx.  I was pretty much devastated!

Hugs,
Ella789
My computer locks up more than I do, it has taken me awhile to get this posted.

[luppygirl]

Did you say that your doctor doesn't believe in systemic lupus???? please tell that i miss read that

[gizzy32]

Congrats on 11 days and congrats on having boobs and an *** now, LOL. I am sure your husbands shock is good right.

Troubleinohio is it me or are you talking fast in your post, lol. You sound like your doing good, keep them cakes coming:) I saw the meatloaf, but wtf is with the broccoli.

[Ella789]

  Last summer I weighed 94 lbs. My first visit to the pain management clinic they took a picture of me for the Dr. to reference.  In Nov. my other dr. put me on cymbalta and remeron and in Dec. at my next pain clinic visit the dr. said he would have never thought I was the same person.  He showed me the pic and I was mortified at just how bad I looked, amazing. I had gained to 107 at that time and now at 113.  I never weighed more than 106 unless pregnant.(and then no more that 139 for any of the three)  The cymbalta and remeron both say weight gain is one of the side effects, at the moment I do not care, I am enjoying having boobs and a** and my husband is in shock! ha, guess I could have left that part out.   Going to the pain clinic wasn't worth it and I will never see a D.O. doctor again.  He doesn't believe in SLE nor fibro.  I'd almost wish it on him so he WOULD. He asked who said I had that and I told him the drs. names and one of them is a dr at the oklahoma arthritis  research foundation, when I told him this he just looked at his chart and said no more.  It really got me that all these months he didn't believe me.  He said "You have no idea how many people come through my door everyday looking for drugs"   Well, on my way home and for weeks now this has peeved me off.  He could have obtained so much more info on me from my previous drs. and didn't.  That was my last appt. with him.  They schedualed for me to come back for 2-25 and I cancelled the monday before.    This is way to long but I needed to tell it I guess.

Hugs to everyone,   Day 11 for me and still opiate free.  Feel'n better
Ella789

[intothedarkagain]

Hey man.
I went tanning and for a walk and I look so much better.
Skin tone, white eyes, no bags.
Think of how hot i am going to look tomorrow.
Just imagine:)
Joshua From Oregon

[troubleinohio]

yep the eyes were the biggest change for me as well. When i was using , my eyes were DEAD. Like a fricken shark or something (ever see a sharks eyes?? LOL) Yep, I had Dead Shark Eyes which were bloodshot and just blahh looking. I distinctly remember when I first got clean, a week or two maybe later It hit me in the mirror one day OMG my eyes finally looked SPARKLY and full of LIFE again, free of being bloodshot and dead, it was so nice!! Also my hair is better now too (although dont get me wrong, I still have to freaking dye the sneaky grays out!!) but it is shinier now and healthier looking and thats a big deal to me cuz i have really long hair and its important to me that it looks good. Now if i could only keep it from getting wirey the way some grays do Id be set. I dont want to look like a Chia Pet and Brillo Pad mated and my hair was the offspring, ya get me? LOL   anyways, I am rambling here like crazy. I havent posted in a few days hardly at all (its been insane here with the kids) I did post a picture of my meatloaf in my profile yesterday if you want to see it, Rofl!  (am i getting too far off topic yet or what??)

[liscamdave]

I didn't CARE what I looked like. You could totally tell I was letting myself go. I mean, not that  bad, I have seen friends of mine get worst, but I would not get my hair colored for a few months instead of every 6 weeks. I would not put on make up, not that I ever wore alot anyway. I would wear sweats and t-shirts all the time. I started to care again how i presented myself once I was clean and took the time to care.

[rue10]

That's so funny about the pink eye!!  Every morning I'd drop three drops of Clear Eyes or something in each before anyone in my house saw me.  My eyes are my nicest physical characteristic, but when I was using they were always red, never really quite open and glassy, glassy, glassy.  Today they are clear.  They don't dance off my face like yours (LOL) but that's OK.  They look 100% better.

[intothedarkagain]

Hey guys,
a still am in the phase were I look like death.
My eyes are flat.
My skin is white,
and i have black bags.
I can't wait to be on the side of the coin that you all are.
Hour by Hour.
Minute by Minute.
Joshua From Oregon

[gizzy32]

Mojo you crack me up sometimes. I am glad your face has cleared up now, lol.

[mojorisin64]

ok im the minority here,i dropped like 20 lbs (that i needed) and i had a rosy complexion...when i stopped my face broke out like a fiend...probably from living in actual reality lol,but its all good now....

[cathy5841]

i noticed a much bigger change in appearance when i got off the coke.  i had lost down to 85 lbs and was close to dieing.  with the pills i was not nearly as thin...but gezz those black circles were bad with both drugs....yeah, i look much better today than in years gone by....

[refusingbondage]

I have to agree.. there was an absence of life to me. My eyes were dead.

[dominosarah]

Funny how we thought we looked good.  My eyes were so bloodshot all the time.  I remember my mom asking me alot if i had pink eye.  I was just a looking fright!!!  Now my eyes just dance off my face!!!

[gizzy32]

Sarah I forgot about the eyes, that is so true. Almost like there is a sparkle now, instead of bugged out of my head, lol.

[dominosarah]

I looked like death warmed over.  My skin had the color of an elephant, my eyes were so sunken in and the bags under my eyes were nasty.  I saw some pics of me too and i was like who the he!! is that person.  It made my stomach turn.  Now my eyes are bright and clear, my skin color is back to its normal winter white.  My hair is healthier, even my lips have color in them again.  I dont feel like a dried up old prune anymore!!!!