Need help quiting cough syrup!

[shadowknight]

Hi. I am 23 years old and have been abusing a cough syrup on a regular basis since July. Around 4 days back when I last consumed it, I felt weird and dull the other day so I paniced and made up my mind that I'll stop it. Since that day I've been feeling dull and my body feels weak. Also, I've a hard time sleeping. I feel scared most of the time, specially when I try falling asleep and because of that I am not able to sleep properly. Even though I am not able to sleep properly, still I am feeling sleepy most of the time. I would like to know how the recovery process for this works and how long will it take and if whether I'd need to take any medications?

Also, if I stop now, will I be ok in the future?

Please help.

[micheleTX]

what is DXM?  an the corcedin?  what kind of cough syrup is that?  i am just curious.  it makes you high?  you don't have to answer if you don't want to talk about it now ok

[starfruitanimal]

oh and by the way, the main substance I've been abusing over the past couple years is Corcedin cough and cold, and alcohol. I'm 20. I'm a young pretty girl. I know this. Its draining me.

[starfruitanimal]

I did well for one day, how ever today I'm getting an extreme urge. I just might do it, but I hate to. Then I have to start soberness all over again, and I only lasted a day. I need to do this because I made a commitment to myself and my father. I can't let my father down,  I need to make him proud of me and happy because he's sick, and I don't know how many years he'll be around. He's the best person alive, and the closest to me. Why is this so hard for me? The image of him should be strong enough to beat this. Especially when this whole thing is so stupid. I need to continue the strength in my myself. I don't want to go to rehab. I want these thoughts to stop going through my head, they won't go away. I'm on antidepressant (wellbutrin) also. This helps, but not with this. Thanks for all the advice people have already given me, I know it's myself who has to do this, who has to keep the strength to do this. If i do do it again, I'll just feel even more guilty and upset with myself. :(

[shadowknight]

I am a programmer myself and I like to consider it to be an art rather than a science. During my days of cough syrup I too felt it helped me focus and gave me motivation. But one day I realized the habit is eventually going to take my life. Also I did a lot of things under its influence which I now regret. And one of those things was marriage. I could never think straight. All the time my thoughts were altered and this is something I realized when I became sober.

There is no advice to give. You either stop the habit or you don’t. You yourself admit you are young and you have a whole life ahead of you. The good thing here is that you acknowledge the problem. So that’s a start.

In my opinion breaking the cough syrup addiction is easier compared to other synthetic drugs. What I mean to imply here is that the withdrawals you will experience from cough syrup won’t be as bad as other drugs. And they'll last for a week at max. You basically have two problems here. One with cough syrup and the other with alcohol, which too is a drug. I cannot help you with the alcohol problem but I will try giving you some insight on how to break the cough syrup addiction.

It’s the addiction that compels you to go to the store. Resist the craving and don’t consume it for a day. If you can stay sober for one day, you can for another. Do just that. Stay sober for two days and then think of the third day. Then the forth and the fifth. Set a target. Maybe a week? If you can stay sober for one week, you most definitely can for another week. Make sure your current no. one priority is to stay sober. Thats primary, everything else thats going on in your life make them secondary. This is how I did it. I came here to medhelp 4 days after giving up the bad habit.

Regarding depression. It works two ways. Depression can lead to substance abuse and vice versa! If you develop a depression once you are sober then there is treatment available for that. But let’s not get into that right now.

Remember, count every single day and feel proud. You'll be able to do it, trust me! Not because I am saying so but because I am 9 months clean now :)

And please make a post on the forum and ask if whether its safe to quit DXM cold turkey. Cold Turkey means quitting the habit at once. The cough syrup I abused contained codeine and I went cold turkey.

[starfruitanimal]

I'm not sure what is keeping me from it... I use it a lot to enhance the way I look at reality through my art work. I'm also afraid I'll be depressed if I stop using it. But I hate using it.. I am compelled by something that drives me to the store everyday to get that dxm...I steal it usually, because I can't afford the habit. it's pathetic. I also am a heavy drinker of alcohol. I am a pretty young artist who had a future ahead of me these are the things holding me back.. any advice whatsoever could help. I don';t think doctors or my parents took it seriously.

[shadowknight]

I am more eager on asking than advising, what is it thats stopping you from quitting the habit? If I could do it then so can you.