Just an observation from a new person...

[Babydoll00]

I was reading through the posts and what not on here, and everyone seems to be going through something different. I have noticed there are quite a few posts titled "10 days and getting worse" or "6 days im in hell" etc etc. I just wanted to mention that although I totally feel your pain (literally) titles like these can be extremely scary for the population on the site, especially the new people. I am 2 days clean, and have been through this before, so I kind of know the drill some what as far as a time table on a lot of the WDs, but for someone coming off something for the first time...scared to death of how much it's going to hurt..seeing something such as "10 days, why is it getting worse?" can give someone the push to keep doing their drug. I promise I understand that I get where you're coming from, but we should be very careful with the titles we use. I don't even know if anyone will read this, just thinking out loud. I feel that it's okay to unleash every thought and emotion inside the post, but it's just too scary for new people to see terrifying titles. Just IMO...hope everyone gets well soon =)

[hormonejunkie]

I definitely do relate to searching for stories of easy detox though. The mind is powerful and if you expect it to be easier, it likely will be. So I do get that.

I think the real problem is that when it is easier than expected, people are less likely to post. So if you do happen to have an easy time of withdrawals (speaking to anyone reading this!) maybe take a moment to share you encouraging story and any tips!

[LadySailor86]

From a newcomer. Scary titles didn't scare me away. I clicked on them because I identified with them. Then read the hope down in the thread. I woiuld NOT have stuk around if I didn't see a thread title that spoke my pain. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[Sweetness91]

I hope I didn't offend you :(

That's what is so great about this place, you can say what you think and feel, and at the end of the day, no one is upset or mad at you. Life goes on because WE are all going on in life...getting to where we need to be. Clean....

It's so much easier to say what you think here. And I respect your opinion and I respect you for speaking it!! Don't change anything, because something you say may be the one thing that sticks in someone's mind...the one thing that they always fall back on. There are so many things I've learned here. I may not have liked it or been ready for it, but you take what you can use and leave the rest. (One of those things I learned. Lol).

Congrats on your clean time! Keep rockin it...and make it to the other side. We all know you can do it :)

[Babydoll00]

Very up and down..it's complicated. I don't want to give anyone the wrong ideas, so if anyone is curious how I am, feel free to write me to my inbox.

[glassguy]

That why we are here so people like you can express their opinions.:-):-) no offense taken here!!  Congrats on your recovery... keep on keeping

[61chevy]

Hi..
I don't think anyone was offended.  Just people wanting to help people.  I am on day 18 n I am finding that when I try to encourage others going through this wd mess, I find comfort myself.  When I am the encourager, I get encouraged.  
How r u doing?  When u 1st posted, I think u said u were on very early days?  Hope u r getting thru.  Let us know.

[Babydoll00]

Thanks for all the well wishes and replies. I really didn't mean to offend anyone, and I didn't mean to infringe on their right to speak their mind, I also am drawn to the Hellish titles that some use, I just know that if I was scared to death of WDs, and came to a site for answers and saw a post titles "10 days, will it ever get better?" I would be extremely siked out. I agree we all need to make the choice to stop or not stop...but so many are on the fence. Again, don't want to offend anyone, and I don't care much about the titles...it was just something I'd notice =) good luck to everyone, and thanks for the replies...again, sorry if it came across wrong.

[OxyTired]

When I was going through the first week of detox from oxycodone I could not sleep, no matter how exhausted I was, so I read and reread posts here. Wrote back at times. It was comforting to know by reading firsthand experiences, that the crummy h3ll I found myself trapped in, was quite normal. Just the cold hard payback that I had earned from abusing opiates. These no BS personal accounts gave me strength and hope.
I am very grateful that the message was not sugar coated in any way. As it was said above, this is a life and death matter.

[motye51]

Im not sure if anyone else mentioned this but.....i find that im more drawn to the titles, "OMG...day 3...feel like dying"..b/c it lets me know those people are usually right in the thick and really need some help off that ledge. Sometimes a blaring title...is done for that exact reason. To get our attention b/c they need help right that second. I know i had some pretty ugly "titles" on some of my earlier posts...and i thank God every day for the people that answered them. They saved my life...and gave me a life!

[dizzy31C]

Hi i have been going through so many pains ,feelings , exstream emosions and hinestly when any person is going through wds its very tough and a very long journy. Im on day 6 and its been a very bumpy road. Thats whats so great about this form/group, everyone can express how they feel and put ur heart and soul into it. There are so many wonderful members on here that has truly helped me so far and to be honest i wouldnt have it any other way. Especially not sugar coated. Going through wd is very tough, it takes alot of out of anyine. I know it has me. We need to hear the truth and it has helped me so much by being abke to read members posting in here and especially helps knowing i can say whats in my mind here without being judged or yelled at. We all deal with wd in our own way and yes everyones WDS will not be the same thats why our group is so important in every way.

I would have gone completly insaine without the support of everyone here. Just knowing that i can exspress my self with my true emossions helps me in so many ways. We help each other, respect, love and members are truely there 4 each other. I wouldnt have it any other way.

Im at day 6 cold turkey and i wouldnt be if it was for everyone here. Im a survivor and so many others are and u can be.to.with everyones support. I pray that i can be there for someone one day like the way everyone has been here for me.
This group is such a blessing and has helped me in.si many way by just posting or letting me vent. I still have a long road ahead of me & im not comoletly through wds but im getting there.

U can do the same. Congrats on day 2....

[lulu747]

Great posts everyone.  Especially you Gnarly and Sarah our fearless leaders and Weaver- always putting things into perspective.
Bama- you took the words right out of my mouth.  Us addicts DO have a flare for the drama.  And when you're in w/d you just want the thing OVER so when you suddenly have a return of a symptom at Day 10- you're like WTF?
We want instant gratification, like we got with the pills or DOC.  Recovery isn't like that.
While I hear what you are saying Babydoll, I have to disagree.  Because after being on this forum for 3 years and helping too many members to count through their detoxes and the early and later parts of their recoveries, I would say that we help people more than scare them away.
Anyone that is gonna keep using because of a title of a post- is, IMO not ready to stop.
The truth of the matter is, an addict in active addiction will always find a way to continue to use until they've had enough.  The strength and hope that is garnered by reading these posts, far outweighs the fear.  Again, this is just my opinion.

As you said, you've been through this before and so you know what to expect.  Please just try to focus on YOUR recovery so that you don't find yourself back at square one again.  Also, what I do on here every so often, especially in the early days- is post something inspirational and positive.
Like HOPE-
Or This Journey Is Worth it.
Or on Day 3 and it su*ks but I'm rocking it!

Ya know?  Just trying to help you to take those feelings you have and turn them into something positive.
Congrats on two days.
Keep on keeping on...
Lu

[dominosarah]

Congrats on 2 days!!  You said you have done this before so my hope is this will be the last time you go thru wd.  Have you done anything about recovery care?

Coming off drugs is a very scary thing.  We dont know how to live without some sort of chemical in our body.  I was one of them who thought once you put the drug down it was done and over.  I had no idea how mentally sick i really was.  We promote honesty here and it can be very brutal at times but necessary.  We cant tell the ones going thru wd that they wont be sick as 99.9% of us are.  We are here to give them hope that this part is only temporary and it also reminds us of where we have been.  This is a "we" thing, not an "i".  I know we have had some who have been scared off due to the postings but honestly, they just werent ready to stop.  

[weaver71]

I dont share how long it took me to detox and feel better very often. Looking back, I am certainly glad I was told by people that it may take years for me to recover. At 10 days, my withdrawals were just getting started, at 120 days, I had a total meltdown. It was about 10 months to feel good enough and I just passed 2 yrs, which I believe is when I had finally physically recovered from methadone. I am still working on my mental/spiritual/emotional healing. Recovery never ends, unless we relapse. That is a little difficult to swallow at first, but we gotta internalize it ASAP. Soooo, the posts you mention definitely worried me, especially being on one of the hardest opioids to detox from at one of the highest doses I have seen since my arrival here. I think the thing I got out if the scary posts was the responses, "No matter what, it is more worth it than you can see right now." I have a few friends who all at about 2 years right now and many of us thought it would never end, like we did permanent damage to our brains. The scary posts helped us to know that every detox is different, mine happened to be one of the longer recoveries. Without warning of others scared and hurting months in, I could have easily given up. I think we have to leave room for all kinds of posts and experience. It is also important to educate ourselves. If a hydrocodone addict read my posts and recovery time, it would be very discouraging and scary. It takes about 10 days for withdrawal to hit fully on methadone, while 10 days for Hydros is often the end of the physical part or most of it. I say surrender to the process, no matter what, you won't regret the worst of it. We all have different experiences in similar ways. I wouldn't suggest any further censorship personally. Sharing our pain is important and often many will jump on a post to help those with desperate titles. I have known several people to OD and die in my 2 years since detox. One was sick from morphine detox, he ran out. I had talked to him the morning of his death and he said he wanted to get clean too. When his script came in, he didn't whimper and cry out for help, he took extra and died, 12 hrs after I talked to him. Sugar coating doesn't help most of us, so I treat it like a life or death situation, because it is. There is always a reason to use, if a post online is what we chose to blame it on, that is as good an excuse as a hurt finger or a boss yelling at you. Fact is, if we are not ready to ride out the suffering, then no amount of niceties make us stop and we will find some excuse to keep using. The scary posts motivate many who are ready and nothing will be a good enough excuse to believe using is worth it. Detox is a strong reminder. I see more relapse with those who have easy detox, not sure it's the cause, but the fear of detox that keeps many using becomes the very thing that helps prevent relapse.

Anyway, I love your sensitivity and consideration of others. This was a very sweet thread and I can feel your empathy. Share how you feel the way you want to, those who relate to you will reach out to you. We encourage people to take what works and leave the rest. Your voice will touch many, so keep on being YOU and let others be themselves as well. Thanks for sharing your concern.

[Jinx_777]

there are people coming off of different substances and some things are harder to come off of and take longer.  for example- fentanyl and methodone.  those are extremely long detoxes and people will still feel like they were hit by a bus at 10 days.  
i for one, think it is invaluable information ESPECIALLY for someone who is considering going on a certain medication.  
my doctor wanted me to try methodone for chronic pain and after reading the hell people have gone through to get off of it, i said 'NO THANK YOU'

[Amandag78]

Oh, also congratulations on 2 days : )

[Amandag78]

Perfectly put Gnarly !!!
If people are going to use, they do not need an excuse, such as reading a title, they have nobody to blame but themselves !!
This is a wonderful forum where people need to be real and get honest in order to get better.
We have the best drug forum on the entire internet, and the most compassionate people you will ever speak to.
We only need to be careful on this forum about detailing our drug info, not our titles.
I hope you understand : )

[codean]

I take your point but I think it's incredibly important that people are allowed to say they're having a tough time. Those people are scared too at that point too. Hopefully the encouragement and support is provided by the responses? And maybe by the experiences of those that done it before...

[bama88]

Great observation.....I do understand what your saying....but I think we addicts say things with flare and drama....and for some the words flow or sometimes pour out screaming for help and understanding......

However words are powerful and this is a free zone for expression.  Nobody is trying to scare people...everyone's perceptions are different. And addicts think in the here and now and we don't have much control over emotions so when we are screaming for help we don't censor our words.....we are desperate.....

I get your point of view respectfully so.....it just is what it is...

And for the first time in a long time new people reach out and your right, we don't want to scare anybody away...

[Sweetness91]

I'm really not trying to rock anyone's boat here...but as you said "I feel it's okay to unleash every thought and emotion", now whether it be in the title or inside the actual post is beside the point in my opinion. They're saying what they feel. Some say more in their title than they ever do in their post, and that's ok, because they're here to talk to other ppl who have gone through the same thing. Some only have the option of aftercare meetings once a week, once a month or never. If those titles and posts help someone get clean, I'm all for it. Personally, I'm drawn to those posts that say a lot in the title, it shows they need some reassurance and encouragement. And I think if you've gotten to the point in your addiction that you can ask for those things, then you've made a good start. I do understand your point, it CAN be frightening, but it's honesty and it's real. I can't argue with either of those. :):)

[glassguy]

Well it's like this there's no reason to cover any ones addition everyone is going to go through there own wds. Wheather it be 2 day or 10 days  I myself went through 4 days of hell.I think everyone should know what to aspect if they really want to stop their addiction. We all know everyone is different and yes the wds are very scary.but not as scary as what the addition can do too ones life. Sorry just my opinion!!! Everyone needs to know.

[Yesidid]

Welcome to the forum.  You are right, many of us are at different places in our journeys. People in crisis and in pain find comfort in hearing from others who have been in their shoes and can offer advice on how to weather the storm. The titles of some of the posts are scary simply because the authors are scared and often times Are the new people that you are concerned about frightening away.