Vicodin Withdrawl

[huddy318318]

Iam now on day 4...after taking vicodin and norcos for about 6 years...i would get them precribed and of course i would run out early then found out how easy it was to buy them off of the street to fill in the times between refills.....what bothers me the most is that my wife thinks i have been clean since last feb but relapsed in June and i hate myself for for it.  i figured that she is out of town on work for 6 days it would be smart for me to start the process again since she would not be here for the 1st few days of the withdrawl process.  i would give ANYTHING to be able to know what it felt like before i started this opiate rollercoaster!!  

My main question is after the physical withdrawal symptoms cease, how long does it take to be right mentally.  Its like my mind is my worst enemy in this process!!  

[littlebit667]

This was the first response that I received when I posted about depression and anxiety during/after withdrawal!  Maybe it will help.

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.

(me again)

We did not get in this overnight and it takes awhile to feel right again.  I am close to 90 days and I can say that I feel each day is getting better and better.  I am still having to be careful and don't let myself think too much about tomorrow.  I just take today and enjoy as much as I can.  

[huddy318318]

They hardest part right now is how bad that urge is right now...I got a call from Rite Aide telling me i have 7 days to pick up my refill before they discard it...That was yesterday...it makes the urge 10X worse knowing all i have to do is just drive down the road.  It ***** bc other than my wife nobody knows about my struggles with this and i am afraid to talk to her about this just bc i feel like i let her down...so i am doing this on my own..by far the hardest thing i have ever gone thru

[kyle505]

Welcome. The mental aspect of recovery remains the hardest part of the journey, and the most difficult to quantify. I too used to wonder if I could ever get back to that place before the pills - back to feeling good, happy, even euphoric, all naturally. I had some great memories. Well, I did and you can too. But, I believe that the temptation or desire never goes away. We handle it better the longer we are clean, but it lives in us forever. In fact, those " what will be the harm in taking just one" thoughts seem to occur the longer a person is off the meds; you tend to forget the hell you experienced. People have one or two drinks at social gatherings, so why not a couple of pills?
Aftercare and being honest with everyone about your problem are two things that help.  Also put up roadblocks; the harder it is for you to get pills, the less likely it is that you'll use. Good luck. Hang in there. Keep posting.

[minn66]

Hi and welcome. The "mental" part is something that we will always have to deal with. Once you get past the physical withdrawal, I think you should search for a form of aftercare that suits you. It doesn't have to be NA, there are lots of different types out there. Personally I am involved in NA and counseling. The cravings do get better but it really helps to have a plan in place for when you are tempted or if you are in pain. I am a pain management patient and involved in physical and massage therapy and get trigger point injections. I also have home TENS and traction units.

It will get better. Just hang in there and keep posting.

Hugs,

Minn