Sensitive Question??

[clean_in_ks]

Can you count days as "clean" time if you have been taking narcotics for pain?  Addiction education doesn't support that, but I'm reading and hearing otherwise different places.
Just because a recovering addict takes narcotics for legitimate pain, seems like it cancels out your clean time and the addict would start counting clean days once again.
Open for any feedback here and not meaning to offend.

[pitbullmom]

i think when it comes to addiction your clean if your not abusing meds im on sub and consider myself clean since iv dropped all my drug seeking behavoir and take as priscribed only u kno if your "clean" i also hav legitimate pain issues which is why i started on pain meds i just grew a tolerance and took way more then priscribed  people shoudnt hav to suffer in pain  becuz they hav an addiction  once your learn the diffrence between treating pain and getting high if u feel a buzz then ur taking too much

[clean_in_ks]

Thank you for your feedback.  Even tho it isn't me that is on a narcotic, I just really needed to process the info you all shared with me.

I would be SCARED TO DEATH to "awake the sleeping monster" as Vicki put it.  I can't even imagine at 84 days clean even dipping a toe in that water!  I DO NOT TRUST MYSELF!  My husband was my gatekeeper of the hydros and somas before.....having "someone" keep my meds isn't new to me.  I had that question rolling around in my head as I read diff posts on here and had to ask for some feedback.
Free2agoodhome.......your sense of humor is refreshing.
Course being able to really belly laugh again after 6 yrs is also refreshing.
God knows what I can handle.......and gratefully.....my current direction is getting off every single Rx I was on and finding a baseline for my health, my nerve damage, my pain level, if I am still depressed, on and on.
Thanks guys!

[Free2agoodhome]

Hi and welcome

Depends.....

My sponsor who has 20 + years had kidney stones and told me he HAD to  take them it was too freakin much pain to manage...he told me he took as prescribed,,,threw them out when he could tolerate the pain...to me that doesnt't reset his clean time.....

I think if I was taking them to get high,,,, Iwould know before anyone  ;-)


stay strong

Free~

[kkcopacetic]

Am also addict in recovery and take narcotics for chronic pain. For me my clean time stops if I fall off prescribed med schedule. I am also upfront about my use when speaking with other addicts. This is not to defend, its just so I know Im being honest with myself. I need to be comfortable with how I feel about myself, not so much with how others may or may not be thinking about me. Path is a little different for everyone. Keep the faith!

[vicki595]

This depends on what is considered legitimate pain...your definition may be different from mine.

Many here have had to take pain meds post op or for a broken limb...that sort of thing. We tell them to take the meds as ordered, only for a short while, and to have someone else hold them. The trouble isn't so much with clean time as it is with awakening the sleeping monster!  Clean time is not affected.

As NG said, it only truly matters for You!  

[nursegirl6572]

I think you can do it however you choose.  There's no governing law that tells you how to calculate your clean time.  

If you were only taking narcotics for a brief time for a legit reason (not a splinter), and didn't abuse it, I personally don't see that it needs to reset your recovery time.  You WILL likely have times in your life when pain meds are necessary.  Most addicts will.  Does that undo all of your recovery?  Certainly not.

I think that's a call only YOU can make, and I don't think you owe anyone an explanation as to how you figured your clean time, if you're being honest with yourself.

Just my take.