Where do I start???

[saralee263]

Hi everyone. I am really needing some help right now. I'm 24 years old and have been addicted to  vicodin off and on for the last 3 years. Right now I'm taking anywhere from 6 to 8 500mg tabs a day. I had tapered down to 1 a day about 4 months ago, but have since fell back into the pattern of using them more and more. I found out my boyfriend has been addicted to heroin (smoking it) for about the last year. He had been clean a couple months after getting some subutex & suboxene from a friend, then I found out he had relapsed a few weeks ago. First smoking heroin & then taking oxys. Now he's back on the subutex. I keep trying to "fix him", but fail to address my own addiction. He lost his job (we live together) and I go back to work in a week and a half. (I have been on a temporary leave of absence.) I want to get help, but I'm just so scared. I've been using pills as a coping mechanism for so long I guess I don't know how to deal with life without them. I don't know if I should try and taper myself or contact my doctor who's been prescribing them to me. Where do you start??? I would appreciate any advice!!!

[worried878]

That is not a high dose i the scheme of things and you can cold turkey or taper...if u r not good at tapering the ct...or get him/if trusted/to dole them out to u daily...at 60 mg a day it may be easier just to ct or do a fast taper as long tapers for some cause loss of motivation...get the thomas recipe from the health pages and amino protocol...also an article on tapering..keep posting

[Friend999]

Worried is so right, keep posting!

Gain as much knowledge as you can.  Ask questions as they come up.  Receive the support of others.

..and that is only the first step!  

Friend999

[tommm70]

Well your post is a brave first step.
First off, your boyfriend getting subutex for a friend is a very hard way to beat heroin. Subutex should be given by a doctor aong with therapy. No pill is going to cure addiciton. I am not trying to preach, but it is important to understand this.

Have you tried to get outside help yet? Maybe an NA meeting? Or a subustance abuse counselor? The cravings are the hardest thing to beat. Withdrawal is hell, but the thomas recipe as mentioned earlier is a huge help. But again, the cravings are another story.
Don't be afraid to get outside help.
And please, make sure your boyfriend gets some help also.

Keep posting! You will beat this.

[liscamdave]

Lets start here, do you want to really quit? Do you truly want to be done and rid of the pills. Do you want a normal life back to where you wake up and don't need to pop pills to function? Only when you truly want to quit will you really be able to. There are a few options? Do you have insurance?

[cocobeanlisa]

As mentioned maybe you and your boyfriend should attend a NA or AA meeting.

I know that without the meetings I could not have stopped.  I need some help to control
the cravings, I needed some to teach me how to live without alcohol and pills.  I had no
clue lhow to do it myself.

So keep posting and maybe check oyt a meeting.

cocobean