over 50 days clean, got in car accident last night!! Help!!

[troubleinohio]

omg what am i going to do?? Im over 50 days clean and last night got into a car accident! At first I didnt even think i was hurt at all and in fact the damage was so minor to our cars that we did not even report it! Some lady rear-ended me in the grocery store parking lot. We both decided to just let it go, why make our insurance rates go up right! well about an hour or so after it happened my neck and back start hurting.....kept getting worse as the night progressed. i took motrin 800, laid on the heating pad and went to bed. woke up around 4 a.m, stiff as a board and in so much pain i can barely walk!! what the helll am i gonna do?? I dnt want to relapse yet again! im freaked out now too because as most of you here know i already have a very bad back and now im wondering if it did something to my bad discs in there! do you think a minor fender bender could do damage liek that, or do you think its just muscular crapp that will eventually go away if i just give it more time?
man this suckks so much! i cant even believe my rotten awful bad luck!!!!!!!

[mtgoat911]

there is also an na book dedicated to injury and illness, i have that one too but i cannot find a copy online for you

[mtgoat911]

i found this for you, wanted to pass it along

This is a program of total abstinence, however, there are times, such as in cases of health problems involving surgery and/or extreme physical injury, when medication may be valid. This does not constitute a license to use. There is no safe use of drugs for us. Our bodies don't know the difference between drugs prescribed by a physician for pain and drugs "prescribed by ourselves" to get high. As addicts our skill at self-deception will be at a peak in such a situation. Often our minds will even manufacture additional pain as an excuse to use. Turning it over to our Higher Power and getting the support of our sponsor and other members can help prevent us from being our own worst enemies. Being alone during such times would give our disease too much leeway to take over. Honest sharing can dispel our fears of relapse. Serious illness or surgery can present particular problems for us.

Physicians should have specific knowledge of our addiction. Remember that we-not our doctor-are ultimately responsible for the risk we expose ourselves to. To minimize the danger there are a few specific options that we may consider. These are using local anesthesia, avoiding our drug of choice, if any, stopping while we are still hurting, and spending extra days in the hospital in case withdrawal occurs.

Whatever pain we experience will pass. Through prayer, meditation and sharing we keep our minds off our discomfort and have the strength to keep our priorities in order. It is imperative to keep N.A. members close by at all times, if possible. It is amazing how our minds will go back so quickly to our old ways and old thinking. You'd be surprised how much pain we can handle without medication. In this program of total abstinence, however, we need feel no guilt after having taken a minimum amount of medication prescribed by an informed professional for extreme physical pain.

We grow through pain in recovery and often find that such a crisis is a gift, an opportunity to experience growth by living clean. Before, we were unable to even conceive of the thought that problems bring gifts. This may be finding strength within ourselves that we never knew before or regaining the feeling of self-respect we had lost.

[mtgoat911]

na has really helped me, i have always been able to detox and stay clean for a while, even reaching that year marker but i would relase, without na there is no way i could have made it this far, na does talk about what avis mentioned in great detail, about how addicts can trump up pain or turn a small problem into something more, i can send you that link, i am not sure i can post links to other sites here

[teko]

A bag of freezer peas, a heating pad, a chiropractor, and a pool. Nothing stronger than ibuprophen.  If no improvement you might have to be seen, probably whiplash.

[avisg]

Ohio,
I am really happy to hear that. We as addicts have all had that line of thinking. I did it many times .recoverycare will help you change the addictive mind set it takes time but it does happen .You an do this but you need some more help.
:)

[troubleinohio]

avis and lee
you are right (and boy Im afraid to keep checking back on this thread in case IBK and Sara chime in too, LOL) . Trust me I wasnt looking for an excuse to use but of course the thought crossed my mind that i could probably get some narcs if i went to a dr or ER and the way i was feeling at 4 a.m. this morning, Im not sure I could have been strong enough to turn them down at that point in time i was hurting so badly.   As for me getting hurt alot, yes I certainly do-- there's no denying that. Im one of those people that have really bad luck I guess. This accident was totally not my fault in any way, shape or form though.  (and to MT Goat- i wasnt moving, i was at a complete stop when she hit  me).  
I guess this accident was a good test for me. It proves to me that even though I still have the strong desire to stay clean,  that I am more vulnerable to relapse than I wanted to realize and also proves to me that I need to work more at changing the way I think and react to situations. Apparently Im still in that mindset that if I get hurt badly or have my back pain flare up worse than usual, that it could be "ok" to use again. I have to change the way I think! You guys that have been here a long time have seen my perpetual pattern Ive been stuck in... i get clean...then end up having a toothache, a back attack and countless other accidents around the house and end up relapsing something fierce...then go through WD, get clean awhile and then same shittt over and over again.
About a week ago, I tried to find an NA meeting near me and couldnt (I did post about this) and then just gave up and didnt try to find one for this week. So I think I better go back to their website right now and look up when there is a meeting in the next day or so, and GO, even if i have to drive 45 mins because i need the support and i need to develop the tools to change my thinking..

[leeisgettingclean]

I think u bring up a good point, as addicts sometimes i feel that we convince ourselves that our pain is worse than normal, saying things like "you dont understand,this isnt a normal backach: and stuff. I feel that we think if we can justify our using it some how makes it better. Not saying you are doing this in this certain situation trouble, i am only speaking in general

[mtgoat911]

you should be checked out by a  doctor, bring someone with you who is in recovery, not a family memeber or friend, someone who can call you your shiet
i ran into a tree going 140mpeh when i was younger, thanks to valuim and the maxima i got for graduation
i am paying for not treating those injuries now, so do not aviod medical tx because you jones for the pain meds, take care of yourself
how fast was the person going that hit you? were you stopped or moving?

[avisg]

Ohio ,
I am going to be straight up here. I am not trying to be mean you know I am not a mean person but it seems as if you get hurt alot . I wonder if there is a part of you that thinks as long as you have a legitimate reason to use that  you have no other choice but to use ..There are lots of times being addicts we will have to deal with a fair amout of pain and try everything else possible then if there is no other way look into narcotic options tordol is a great thing they can give you from the er .Keep up with the flex-rail try to take the thought of narcotics out of your mind .You can get threw this without them.

[troubleinohio]

ginsa!! thank you for reminding me of my own ramblings when i compare giving birth to WD!! thank you thank you thank you! it also made me remember a time when i had a REALLY BAD Whiplash from one of my own dogs years ago! That was like 100x worse painwise than what I have right now, and guess what, I got through that without taking anything at all!! It hurt like helll for days and lifting my head off the pillow each morning was complete and total AGONY it hurt so freaking bad!! I had forgot about that until just now.
Anyways, thanks so much guys I am getting through this with motrin (no tylenol at all because i figure my liver has seen enough aceto to last 100 lifetimes and dont need a single mg more, ever! ) and i also found some old Flexeril i had from years ago and tried those and by golly they are actually working a tiny bit! Amazing that non narcotics CAN work when you give them a chance and are actually seeking pain relief instead of a high! I have to re-train my brain to not look at all those non-narcotic medicines as "junk" anymore!

[TakingAction]

You do not need them.  It may be very painful, but not nearly as painful as what you will have to go through to get and stay clean again.  Mucscle pain is shortlived, a few days max.  Women have had babies without epidurals since the beginning of the human race.  That's pain!  

I broke a finger a few months back and used it as an excuse to use.  A finger!  In the back of our minds, the addict in use sees an opening and goes for it.  By entertaining the thought of taking medicine, you are creating more mental and physical pain.

You are stronger than this.  Hang tight and continue what you are doing.  I promise it will pass!

Take care,
Matt

[peaceinknowing]

I commend you for coming forward about it. I am over 70 days sober from the pills, and the other day I was in a car accident I was lucky to get out of my car in. Both vehicles were totalled, and I turned down pills both in the ER as well as afterwards. I know to some here, it sounded silly that I did this -- but I did what I had to do to keep going down the right track. It's almost as though life was testing the both of us. The woman who hit me was drunk as a skunk and had Oxycodone in her system. I JUST found this out from the insurance companies.

THIS alone, made me realize that I am better than this.

Good luck with dealing with the pain, I know just how hard that is to do from time to time. All we can do is deal with it, even when I have well over 20 stitches in my arm and bruises all over my body with another pulled disc. It will only make us stronger in the long run, this I promise you.

[NautyOne]

If you do go to the ER ask for a shot of Tordol...sp?.........It is supposed to work well for acute pain.  Tordol  Trouble........Tordol, ...No opiates.  You know you will eat them like a woodpecker, and then come back here depressed as he!!, and in withdrawal...beating yourself up.

SNAP OUT OF IT SISTA !!!!!

xoxoxooxoxoxo
Nauty................

[salsinator]

Hi Trouble - I have been rearended twice and in both occasions I had a similar experience.  Nothing hurt and it was minor, but then hours later the pain started.  It was only muscle issues - minor whiplash.  This will heal in a few days, although it will be tender and sore.  You can do this without narcotics - worst case, maybe some muscle relaxers that are not addictive would do the job, but please do not use.  After the heat, do to the ice.  Give it a couple of days.  Hang in there.

[whitie]

yeah, sounds like she drove liek a moron.........alot of them out there nowadays.

glad to hear you fought off the pain, the good news is your pain threshold is back to normal from not using.


good luck

[troubleinohio]

thanks you guys. im still hanging tough. been laying on the couch with the heating pad most of the day.. this suckks so much though!! and btw Whitie- yes she was driving like a lunatic in the parking lot! I was stopped because there was a caravan of people crossing the lot, a lady blocking the road with her shopping cart, and another woman blocking the road trying to back her car out but she was stopped too waiting on the pedestrians and this woman came flying up behind me and hit me (and she was driving a huge Escalade truck of all things, and I in a tiny compact car !)  anyways, i figure if Ive made it 12+ hours so far without having to go in to the hospital for this, I can make it into the clear-- it shouldnt continue to get worse from here on out right??  Ok, im crawling back to my heating pad now. thanks guys for the support..it feels so weird to me that somedays Im able to give great advice and support to others and the next day need it myself lol  

[DavaSage]

Dont go back to them...

[whitie]

I had a similar situation many years ago..........which got my habit going even worse. although the lady turned right into me at 55mph, and cracked two vertibre in my neck. did not know it till later that night when I had a big lump on my neck.

what the hell did the lady do in the parking lot....ram into  you like a nutcase at a high speed?


you should have gotten her info, because now you cant get your doc bills covered.  if you are hurting real bad, you might have to go in. but, you can wait and see, thats all you can do.


you know its not worth it, period. short of being in the hospital, under a nurses care(with them knowing you are a recovering addict),  you dont want to have access to any pills.

[ginsa]

Don't go down that road again! Do as flmagi said, use ice and heat alternatly. Do you see a chiropractor? That might help. Getting into an accident might have caused you to be tense and that can cause back pain. Try some easy stretching along with the heat and ice. I feel for you. I've had back pain come back with a vengance after rolling my lawn tractor a couple of weeks ago. Just be strong and focus on something else. Remember having a baby...the pain will eventually ease up.  Hang on tight.

[flmagi]

Don't be looking for a reason to use. Keep taking the ibeprophen and relax. Do the ice and heat thing. You're stronger than this, Trouble. You've been thru so much, you can handle a little pain. Good reason to give yourself a little break on the house work and cleaning etc. But not a good excuse to use again. Stay strong, Trouble. You can do it.

[troubleinohio]

where is everyone this morning??? oh man, i need support today