CT Day 3 begins at noon today. DEPRESSION!!

[wholenewworld]

Hello All,

I went CT on noon of this past Sunday. I'm no stranger to detox, unfortunately, but was wondering why my withdrawals are so different from everyone else's. To start, I was taking about 100mg of Lortabs a day for about 3 months.

I suffer very little of the physical symptoms but am RACKED with severe, bone crushing depression almost from the very beginning. I don't vomit or get the sweats. I don't even get RLS. I do suffer from sleeplessness and the runs and mild anxiety attacks, which usually begin around days 6-8. But WHY do I get SO depressed? I know the grass always seems greener on the other side but I would honestly rather be sick. I feel so badly for people who suffer from depression like this all the time. My only hope at this stage is the knowledge that it's temporary.

Does anyone else on these forums share my symptoms?

Thanks for hearing me out.

[butalbee]

Your body is adjusting. It's emotionally a rollercoaster sometimes.  
Keep busy, start new hobbies, slowly at first, do fun things you used to love to do before the drug..  

[Flutterby111]

I had horrible depression for weeks after I had quit oxy's...  I ended up on antidepressants because I literally didn't know what to do...  I was devastated from sun up til sun down...  I now would suggest mega vitamin and supplement regimine...vitamin D.   essential oils would help.  Prayer, a program.  and I would eat very clean food.  If I had to do it all over again, I would choose an organic approach and skip the meds if at all possible.  exercise.  It's hard... gl

[Ballgame]

So you're on day 4 or 5 now? Just keep telling yourself the depression is from wd and it will end. It always does

[udoschoices]

actually its endorphins that opiates (pain pills) replace in your brain... so your brain stops producing natural endorphins and enkephlins the natural pain relieving and pleasure creating chemicals. You have to rebuild them over time, and unfortunately, only time will heal which is why its so important to stay clean. Exercise is PROVEN to reduce the amount of time it takes to replace natural endorphins, as exercise creates endorphins (ever heard or experienced a "runner's high"? endorphins.)   Exercise for at least 12 minutes per day with heartrate over 120bpm for maximum benefit...

there was a chart i saw one time showing an opiate addicts brain and the amount of endorphins- basically you are at 0 when you quit taking pills.. and that's why your body screams for them and you crave so much and (like me) cave so easily.. after one month, a small amount are produced.. after 90 days, even more.. up to a year or more in some cases. Another reason many of the aftercare / 12-step programs focus on 30/60/90 clean intervals because this is the time it takes to start healing the brain...

hang in there, and try and stay positive. Natural remedies as suggested above help, exercise, and just having a good mental attitude are the best...

[NoOC123]

I get really bad mental sides to WD as well as the physical stuff. The depression comes in because the more you use opiates the more you artificially flood your brain with dopamine, and when all of this dopamine is coming from an outside source (the opiates) your brain doesnt think it needs to produce it anymore so it stops. Then when you stop the opiates and your brain is no longer being given the "happy pills" it takes a while for your brain to start up again and produce dopamine on it's own. For some poeple the depression can be really really bad, have you ever been depressed before? Maybe for people who have suffered from depression or more prone to depression feel this withdrawal worse than the others? BUt you have been given good suggestions, I take 5-HTP in the past and it really helped, of course the excercise will help. Being in the sun helped me, or Vitamin D (which is what is in sunlight) this increases mood.

[wholenewworld]

Thank you all for your comments. It's such a help to know that we're not alone. I'm going to begin an exercise regime tomorrow. I've been on 5-HTP before and still have some in the cabinet, I believe. I just want Day 3 to be OVER....lol. This depression is so crippling. From previous experiences I hope to begin seeing some small breaks in the clouds around days 5-7. Isn't it funny how we literally count the hours during these first weeks? Thanks, again, everyone.

[sudie58]

i also had the depression, it was awful, but i did get through it, my counselor said, some of it was like a mourning for my friend, the meds! and also my brain learning to live without them, like it was returning to normal in fact, just give it time, but if you need reassurance see your dr. your doing well, stay strong, take care.

[justneedtotalk]

I was taking about 120-150mg's of hydro a day as well when I went cold turkey over a month ago.....I too never really got the huge stomach purging or some of the real bad physical effects but suffered more from anxiety, restlessness, raging emotions, debilitating energy loss and a whole heck of a lot of NO DRIVE.....I think that the short lived physical effects are easier to deal with than the mental ones.....I was always thankful that I did not get both.....You need to start getting some exercise the minute you can force yourself to get up....You are only on day 3 but even as early as tomorrow you will start seeing small improvements.....Each day gets better and better....Do not get me wrong you will have some bad days along the way and unfortunately the sleep and energy are the last to return but I am here to tell you that at almost 5 weeks sober (which is the longest I have ever been sober in 5 years) is absolutely fantastic.....I caught a nasty cold around the two week mark but now two weeks later the cold is all but gone and I feel great!!!   You truly have to give yourself a chance to see what life is like sober!  It is fantastic....I feel better now than I did when using the pills.....Yes, there are still challenges and cravings but those are going away.  Energy and drive have never been higher and I can actually get up off the couch and get my chores done without having to force myself to do them......You just need to get it in your mind that everyone is different and I am a firm believer in that you get out of detox, what you put into it.....Vitamins, protein, supplements, and exercise will get you back on your feet in no time BUT you have to be religeous about taking and doing them......Hang in there and keep posting!  God Bless!

[dovecottage]

i am also going c/t and 2 day is day 5. i am taking htp-5 which increses the seratonin in your brain similar to an anti depressant. feel ok  look it up online it cost about 12 bucks...good luck...dove