get the book End Your Addiction Now, by charles gant. fairly early in that book (i'm thinking chapter 4) there are a number of questionnaires that will id a) what neurotransmitters you brain is deficient in and b) what amino acids you need to restore those neurotransmitters to sufficient levels.
in my experience, this works much better than the one-size-fits-all approach of of the thomas recipe or various protocols.
add the EYAN supps to a healthy diet -- i.e. well balanced, no junk-food, and nothing high in sugar, watch the caffeine. it really is true that "you are what you eat" and this is ever so much more true for a brain that is trying to heal from the ravages of addiction. feed your brain well and do it as if your life depends on it (because it does).
lots of water.
exercise as tolerated.
sleep as possible. start working on a regular schedule.
meetings (NA or AA) . . . 90 in 90 is recommended. that seemed a bit extreme to me when they suggested that at my first rehab (28 days) and i rejected it as being just too far over the top. after my second rehab (122 days) i averaged 10 meetings a week for the next 180 days.
whatever you do, don't change your clean date (no matter what).
CATUF
2567
I always forget to mention this. There are a group of pages with info about addiction and helpful hints and ideas. Look at the bottom of this page and see most viewed health pages. There is a wealth of info there.
Lil bits gave you some excellent info. Do any thing you can do to increase your endorphins,,the feel good chemicals in your brain. Exercise is one way and so is laughing. It just takes time to recover. This will pass. Hang in there. ((hugs))~Bkitty
If you exercise each day till you are soaked in sweat you will return to normal that much quicker. The Amino Acid Protein Shakes will help you feel more "alive" during the mornings and afternoons. Lots of sun too! After about 15 to 17 days you will really start feeling alive again. Congrats on getting clean and keep posting. Dont stress it. You will get better. Great job!
for me it took about 3 weeks to feel "better" and I use that term carefully, because it was still a shaky time and I was still "craving" some. It got easier and easier each day. That is not to say that if a bottle appeared in my lap...I am not sure what I would do. I am 90% sure I would flush them, but still...guarding myself is the best way to stay safe. I count each day a blessing and that is all I can hope for.
What is your story hon?? How can we help??
This is the post that helped me the most to understand how the brain responds to the pills and how it recovers! Time is your best friend.
We did not get into this overnight and it does take time.
You have to remember how opiates work, and why you feel depressed etc. when you quit taking them and after you are over the withdrawals and often why we keep craving long after the physical withdrawals are over.
Opiates bound to the opioid receptors in your brain and body. They release their artificial endorphins to them, and block the bodies natural endorphins. After a while the neurons that produce the body's natural endorphins disappear. There is no need for them so they just don't rejuvenate like they would normally.
When you stop taking the opiates, they leave your opioid receptors bare, and they are calling out for your body's natural endorphins, but there isn't any there at first. You body has to repopulate the neurons that make them, and this takes time.
Endorphins like dopamine control your moods, anxiety, sadness, anger, happiness, pain etc.
You will slowly get your "old self" back as these neurons repopulate and begin increasing their endorphins production. After being off the opiates for a month, they should be about 45-50% of normal, and be back to normal within a year.
So hang in there, you will feel better and better as the months roll by.
Try keep busy and keep your mind focused on positive things instead of dwelling on the depression, anxiety, etc. that are only temporary and will disappear as your endorphins return to normal.