Did your addiction cause you to be anti-social ?

[allaboutmary]

.......and for those that are clean 3 months or more......have you become more social ?  Do you feel you are back to your old personality ?

I have a few friends that are not addicted that have also become anti-social.  Wonder is part of it is due to our age.

[want2bme]

this is an old post you might want to start a new one to get support from others that are active here.  Go to the main page and hit post a question...It will be your own "thread"

[DeeDee694]

I never was very outgoing.  Although others enjoy my company and think I'm a blast.  My thing is animals.  I truly love animals more than people.  Always had a dog during childhood and during my marriage a menagerie--a dog , 2 cat's , parakeets, finches, and a 50 gal tank of tropical fish.  It was kind of expensive buying all that animal food, but at the time my husband and I were both working, so it wasn't that noticeable how much it was costing.  The enjoyment we got from our animals kept us from thinking about money.  I'm also a super avid reader, any and everything.  Since I've been addicted about 4 years or so and my husband died in 2006 I have dropped the few friends I had.  I just don't want to make the effort to converse.  I'm extremely depressed over my health issues and pitiful financial state that I just don't feel like being bothered with anyone.  I'll be going through substance abuse withdrawal in a few weeks after I have my knee sirgery on July 12.  Hopefull I'll feel more normal and more like socializing.  The drugs make me self conscious because I'm very forgetful, confused and have difficulty the least bit challenging conversation.  We'll see how I am when I'm clean.  But, like I said, I never was a social butterfly and now I'm retired so I seldom go out of the house unless I just have to.  I've had a couple of fender benders recently because of the drugs so frankly, driving scares me.

[NorcoQueenoftheUniverse]

Actually SINCE coming off a 3 year addition to Norco 8-10 day x's 3 years  (day 18 clean) I've found that I have become anti-social and am having a hard time just "getting out of the house"  What's up with that?

[PfizerFighter]

I find myself becoming more anti-social because I get irritated with people easily. I would rather stay in and read, watch a movie, or clean up. I save all of my shopping for one day, and do it all in one shot. It's a hassle. I would never leave if I didn't have to work, and even that is a chore. I wonder why that is? You'd think an addiction would ease things, but it just makes everything tougher, more murkier. Hmmm

[thmpn8r]

Yeah, I can definitely say I became anti-social along with everything else!!!!!  My drive to take care of my home, yard, washing the car, etc., etc....  I did manage to still take pretty good care of my hygiene as this was pretty important to me....  I always had to see the docs. and an occasional friend or two, so I wanted to keep that image/facade that I was doing ok.....  Just struggled with the rest and have not been out doing all my normal things I was doing prior to the meds.....  I know for myself that is going to be what I have to do to get past the mental part of the addiction is force myself to get out and do the everyday things that makes us normally feel good about life....  I am currently on day 3 without the Fent. patch and norcs.  It's really hard, but I'm troopin thru it....  I want all those natural things back in my life....  That's the ticket after the physical w/d's to beat the mental w/d's....  When ur feelin down, get up and force yourself to do something productive....  Even though I feel like total cr@p right now, I have managed to go out for a short walk and even picked up the doggy poop out of the yard....hehehe.....  It was really hard cuz my guts feel terrible right now but I believe I need this to overcome the malaise!!!!

[122 Tactical Fighter Group]

I wasnt  going out so much that I got on an first name basis with the maillam, UPS, Fed Ex and and a few others - -   Boder Patrol and Customs was really the nicest- -   They  just sad, "quit odring this stuf////"         I quit....

[flmagi]

I think some of us are at an in-between age.....to old to be out partying and to young for shuffle board and bridge.  And to tired after work, and house care stuff.

[avisg]

yeah its odd i was when I was using but I am now to. I am so busy trying to be mom and make a sold finical future. I have become very boring .Drop me in the middle of a social gathering I dont know what I would do LOL.

[allaboutmary]

I haven't made a new friend in ages. All my friends I've known for almost 30 years.  I guess that's sad that I haven't made even 1 new friend. Most people bore me. lol

[BaronMunchausen]

Mary, you're close. I have my wife and that's it. No close friends, and essentially no casual friends. The past decade has decreased my patience for being around strangers.
I suppose I should work on that, but I've grown accustomed to my own company and find I enjoy the solitude (Not that we all don't have fun when I'm with a group).

Hang on to those friends you've got. Are they childhood friends or adult friends? I understand it is difficult for adults to make close friends as we get older.  One of the bad things about moving around so much is I lost touch with any of the friends I had as a youth.

[allaboutmary]

I have 1 very close friend and 2 that are fairly close. The one I talk to weekly and the other 2 monthly.   Then there are my sister's ......I talk to them daily.lol


I'm gonna guess you have your wife and possibly 1 other close friend.

[BaronMunchausen]

Yes, but I've always been a bit antisocial. I tend to prefer my own company to that of others. not to much has changed for me socially from then to now.

Here's a question;

how many friends do you have now? Close friends? (...in the physical world. not on here. :-)  )

I wonder if anyone can guess at how many I have? ;->

[10356]

I have never been real social and I think it is harder to make friends as we get older as of now my friends are here and a few through my husband.. while in active addiction I was a hermit and would very seldom leave my house.. My passion has always been nature the mountains ocean travel.. I now have found my passion again but have not learned the skills of being social.. I always feel like the odd duck.. I have been a addict for so long starting as a child.. when others talk of there past and experiences.. I feel very out of place as mine are very different from there's.. so I guess I'm still not social but open to conversation and going to stores and what not now.. lesa

[jaxcie]

I started to taper my meds last week and found that when i was experiencing withdrawals I couldnt leave the house to go anywhere. Didnt want to shower, or do anything. Then I decided to taper and at least my body is getting a smaller amount of my meds and I am still quitting. But it allows me to be there for my family, thank God.

[lady67]

It has been about 114 days and I am not back to my normal self around some people but I have gotten better.

[starfish1963]

I have always been a social butterfly...now I don't know what I am to be honest with you!

[marcatj]

btw - i am not a "have to go out all the time" kind of person... but like i said, when i do go go out now, I WANT to, and i enjoy it!

so again, you do indeed get social again if you were before...

[marcatj]

i was completely and utterly anti-social.  BIG TIME.

and YES - your personality DOES come back and you ENJOY socializing again!!

Thank the good Lord!!!

Night and day.. honestly.  I wouldn't even answer my phone before.. now I actually MAKE calls, lol.  And love to go out again...

:-)

[usarmymedic1]

I was very anti social before the meds now I back to being that way

[flmagi]

I was never extremely social before the pills, but I think early in the pill addiction I may have been more social. I felt I could talk to strangers alot easier on pills. Now I'm not social at all. Things have changed, I'm still on Sub, money is tight and I'm not getting any younger. I think if you've been addicted for any length of time, it's hard to get back into a social life without the pills. We forget what we like to do for fun?

[NautyOne]

Not in the beginning .....I was the  "Social Butterfly"  but, after a few years I was Howard Huges.......except I did bathe and clip my nails.......

Nauty..........

[road2recovery]

mary--maybe it is an age thing too..I know at the end i was anti social....Just wanted to be home...But now a yr and i still want to be home!!! Don't know....But good question..
r2r

[dominosarah]

During the last year or so of using i went out at night.  Not alot of people out and about.  I would sit in the house during the day.  Shopping became my passion at night.  Now that i am clean i am getting much more social during the day.  I dont feel like everyone is looking at me.  I dont shop anymore either like i did.  Now its groceries.        sara

[Coolio Hernendez]

It's weird...I became overly social when i was on the pills and anti-social while i was quitting.
When i'm normal...i am social but a little held back. I have always feared that i would be like my dad who is real cold and thinks everyone is a bad person. Wen i would go to work with a pocket full of pills..i would be on top of the world and the go-to guy.....

So i'm gonna see what me completly normal is.....and i'll let ya know....

Still off of Subutex48 hrs now....still no problems.