Clean or not

[hollys]

Hello I have a question for all of you and I am asking that you please be 100% honest where you think it will upset someone or not. I am on methadone and clean from all other drugs. All I take is Methadone one time a day. I am told that I am now clean but a lot of people look at it as not being clean. Not Methadone has saved my life, family, homes and self respect etc.... I do not get high on methadone and can't abuse the program. So my question to you is am I clean or not in your honest answer PLEASE

[christos24]

your tramadol use may seem under control and a benefit to you, but soon enough in a few more months you are going to be begging for mercy..opioids are nothing to mess around with...tramadol though not a very potent opioid at all only a little stronger than aspirin:), and comparable to 60mgs of codeine can lead to some very severe physical wd's that are no joy ride, and tramadol also acts as a rapidly short acting anti-depressant, so messing with the seritonin levels you are playing with fire, wds are ansty and the longer and higher the dose the worse and worse it gets day by day...alot of ppl like myself need methadone or suboxone either indefinitely or until were fully ready to get off our opiate DOC(mine being Heroin/Oxycontin), and I know without the help of a long lasting opioid that doesnt get me really high but stops any physical wd and the cravings then I can lead a productive, stable, and structured life...it is a great mitivating factor in my life but i am medically supervised and on a treatment program because i have already come to realize that i am powerless over any drug, opiates in perticular, but any of them, xanax, valium, coke, alcohol, cannabis, X, etc..I will always be ana ddict and its a daily battle, but as long as you stick with your treatment plan and are spiritually happy with yourself, loving yourself then you are clean and in recovery

[jacqui_m]

when people who don't have a history of substance abuse take drugs prescribed to them to aid them in whatever way, they aren't considered 'dirty' so i think it's all just stigma.

[mr.lucky66]

I think methadone is a usefull tool in recovery but most that are on it abuse it. I was on and off it for years and it worked very well for the first 2 years then after that like many, I got bored and started using other drugs. This is very common in clinics, people who are on done that smoke crack, are drunk, or in my case take benzos are the majority. You and some others are doing the methadone program the way it was intended, methadone only. As far as methadone or sub saving someone's life, I don't think that drugs save a dug addicts life. I wouldn't say that someone on done or sub is clean and this is an overdone question or a pointless case of symantics. What's important is that your life is getting better and hopefully you are moving to be drug free. all the best

[Mercedes175]

I did want to add I have a friend 3 years and ongoing using Sub.  I consider her clean and sober.  She attends meetings regularly, works her program, has a sponsor, does commitments, sees her internist regularly and is totally honest with him/her.  What else can she do?  I call that sober living.

She tapered from a very serious, bad drug habit of around 30+ opiates a day (I also believed she injected them for a more intense high)...when she finally went to detox they put her on sub but she was on a taper program. She followed it to a tee and at the end she went into serious withdrawal.  Went to the emergency room and spoke with a addiction specialist to be sure that noone at the emergency room would put her back on drugs since few understand withdrwals.  This person put her back on sub and said that even with the taper program "she" needed to be on it longer.  Something about her receptors were "damaged".  I don't know when is long enough. I am sure she will withdrawal again ..she says that in 24 hrs. without her next dose she feels the withdrawals.  Her current internist said to not worry or compare with others..she well may be on Sub for life in her situation. She is tiny, very thin and obviously her receptors don't react like others..or she doesnt tolerate like others.

At any rate, I believe she is clean and sober.  She has chosen to not tell anyone.  She told me out of confidence and I highly respect her.  Everyone is different.  Everyone has their own program. If you consicence is clean then you are.

[imanaddict]

I'm on sub and consider myself "Clean" because I AM CLEAN from a Norco (40 to 60 a day) habit. The sub saved my life as methadone has saved yours. There are people on here that would argue the point of being clean while on sub or methadone, but none of that matters. We don't all agree on everything, otherwise life would be boring. You are on the right track and don't let anyone make you feel bad about it.

[refusingbondage]

I think that using methadone or suboxone puts you well on your way to being sober and its a definate huge LEAP in the right direction.  I do not look down on anyone using them -- whatever you have to do on your path in life to become drug free.  I agree its a matter of being sober AND not addicted and being sober and addicted.  I spent over 2 years on suboxone.  I can say for sure the first year and a half I absolutely felt that I was clean and sober, the last 6 months I felt sober but not clean cause I was badly addicted to the subxone.  I was clean but still drug dependent.  I am off everything now 120+ days and feel truly sober and drug free.