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FOUR MONTHS!!!!!!
Well sports fans.....I am offically 4 months sober! Yes, it has been a journey but now time is just flying by. For those of you who do not know me I have been and was a habitual relapser. I would get onto this site and post like crazy for a few days or a few weeks during many many detoxes but I finally made it more than a month. I wanted to post to let people know not to give up. I thought many times that I should not post after a relapse because people would judge me or that I would not be accepted BUT many on here made me realize that I am an addict and that is what addicts do.
I have been talking to a few of you individually and have been avoiding the main message board because it reminded me too much of myself. People will post a day or two and then never return. I think that everyone should post from time to time for the veterans on this site that take a lot of time out of their day to help people on this site. It means a lot to them to hear back from people they have helped and know they are still sober. So to all that did not give up on me.....THANK YOU, I would not be here today if it wasn't for your help and support.
Now.....for you that are in the beginning stages of detox, please hang on. There are things you can do to make it go a lot easier for you. #1 EXERCISE....This is the number one component to getting better. It is also the last thing you are going to want to do. Start out with a walk out to the mail box, the next day walk to the end of the street.....you can see where this is heading. Exercise will help your brain produce its own dopamine and help process out the remaining toxin which is crutial to recovery. #2 Vitamins and supplements.....many people already know the list of suppliments you need to take but if you don't let me know and I can let you know. #3 Protien drinks.....these are also crutial to recovery. Your body and brain needs lots of lean fresh protien to repair itself. You get out of detox, what you put into it is a statement that is sooooooo true. These procedures need to be maintained long after the intial effects of withdrawal subside. I still use them and sware by them. #4 Aftercare.....This is a must and was the hardest for me to realize. I was a habitual relapser and the support from another human being outside of this site is very helpful. AA or NA goes beyond talking about drugs or alcohol. I use it for my daily life and often talk about every day situations and it really helps.
I am by no means out of the woods yet. I still fight occasional sleeping problems but I am literally like a new man. The diet and exercise has helped me lose 20-25 pounds. My sex drive is through the roof. My financial status has improved ten fold. My family and friends notice a huge difference in my personality and most of all I am again closer to God. I feel as though if I had not gotten out this last time that I was well on the road to death or long term disability. I was taking well over 250 mg of hydro, oxy, methadone and or anything I could get my hands on. I was taking well over the 4000mg limit of Tylenol and was occasionally drinking. I was no longer taking the pills to get high, I was taking them to avoid getting sick. At first you experience the "High" with lots of energy and a positive attitude. Eventually once your habit increases and tolerance kicks in you have to take more and more. Soon you start to feel lathargic and crappy even after hundreds of mg of opiates. You spend all of your time and energy working on maintaining your supply and it truly runs your entire life. I always thought since I was a productive member of my community, married, good job, and a normal look that there was no way that I had a problem but boy was I wrong.....Well, I just wanted to post since I have not been here for a while to say thank you to all and to say hang in there to you out there that are feeling hopeless and sick.....The only way out it up!!!! Life on the other side is WONDERFUL, you just have to give yourself a chance to get there!!! God bless!
I have been talking to a few of you individually and have been avoiding the main message board because it reminded me too much of myself. People will post a day or two and then never return. I think that everyone should post from time to time for the veterans on this site that take a lot of time out of their day to help people on this site. It means a lot to them to hear back from people they have helped and know they are still sober. So to all that did not give up on me.....THANK YOU, I would not be here today if it wasn't for your help and support.
Now.....for you that are in the beginning stages of detox, please hang on. There are things you can do to make it go a lot easier for you. #1 EXERCISE....This is the number one component to getting better. It is also the last thing you are going to want to do. Start out with a walk out to the mail box, the next day walk to the end of the street.....you can see where this is heading. Exercise will help your brain produce its own dopamine and help process out the remaining toxin which is crutial to recovery. #2 Vitamins and supplements.....many people already know the list of suppliments you need to take but if you don't let me know and I can let you know. #3 Protien drinks.....these are also crutial to recovery. Your body and brain needs lots of lean fresh protien to repair itself. You get out of detox, what you put into it is a statement that is sooooooo true. These procedures need to be maintained long after the intial effects of withdrawal subside. I still use them and sware by them. #4 Aftercare.....This is a must and was the hardest for me to realize. I was a habitual relapser and the support from another human being outside of this site is very helpful. AA or NA goes beyond talking about drugs or alcohol. I use it for my daily life and often talk about every day situations and it really helps.
I am by no means out of the woods yet. I still fight occasional sleeping problems but I am literally like a new man. The diet and exercise has helped me lose 20-25 pounds. My sex drive is through the roof. My financial status has improved ten fold. My family and friends notice a huge difference in my personality and most of all I am again closer to God. I feel as though if I had not gotten out this last time that I was well on the road to death or long term disability. I was taking well over 250 mg of hydro, oxy, methadone and or anything I could get my hands on. I was taking well over the 4000mg limit of Tylenol and was occasionally drinking. I was no longer taking the pills to get high, I was taking them to avoid getting sick. At first you experience the "High" with lots of energy and a positive attitude. Eventually once your habit increases and tolerance kicks in you have to take more and more. Soon you start to feel lathargic and crappy even after hundreds of mg of opiates. You spend all of your time and energy working on maintaining your supply and it truly runs your entire life. I always thought since I was a productive member of my community, married, good job, and a normal look that there was no way that I had a problem but boy was I wrong.....Well, I just wanted to post since I have not been here for a while to say thank you to all and to say hang in there to you out there that are feeling hopeless and sick.....The only way out it up!!!! Life on the other side is WONDERFUL, you just have to give yourself a chance to get there!!! God bless!
OMG justneed I just LOVE LOVE LOVE your posts! They are so uplifting and so good for this place, and for our spirit. Thank you! :)
Hang in there.....Harry501.....It is time to quit my friend and trust me, if I can do it...anyone can! You just have to realize that detox is a necessary evil! But it is the price we pay to have our lives back. I cannot tell you how good life is on the other side. I know that it seems impossible now to get through this but if you stick with the suppliment and exercise regiment and find an AA or NA group you can do this. It is a win win.....
freshstart01.......Hang in there as well....14 days is AWESOME!!!!! I know you are probably still struggeling but trust me, you are right on the edge of feeling a lot better. I had a long term HUGE habit and it took me all of a month to feel normal. Right around the 14-16 day mark I started to feel better almost daily and it was noticable. You too need to try the exercise thing...it really helps and makes this process go a lot faster trust me! Look back at the last 14 days and how LONG and horrendous it has been....Do you want to go back there just for a few days of artificial relief? If you take a pill, you will have to go through this again and each and every time it gets worse. Keep your head up....Keep making baby steps forward and the time will pass. Soon and I mean soon, you will wake up and feel good again I promise!
Good luck to you all and thank you for the kind words......God bless!
freshstart01.......Hang in there as well....14 days is AWESOME!!!!! I know you are probably still struggeling but trust me, you are right on the edge of feeling a lot better. I had a long term HUGE habit and it took me all of a month to feel normal. Right around the 14-16 day mark I started to feel better almost daily and it was noticable. You too need to try the exercise thing...it really helps and makes this process go a lot faster trust me! Look back at the last 14 days and how LONG and horrendous it has been....Do you want to go back there just for a few days of artificial relief? If you take a pill, you will have to go through this again and each and every time it gets worse. Keep your head up....Keep making baby steps forward and the time will pass. Soon and I mean soon, you will wake up and feel good again I promise!
Good luck to you all and thank you for the kind words......God bless!
Very cool post and good timing. I'm on day 14 and really want a pill. Ugh. *****.....
Hi, this is my first post and I'd like to say congratulations, 4 months is fantastic. I'm a very heavy opiate user, have been for too many years to remember. For the first time though in my life (32), I really want to quit. God bless my firend.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Congrats on 4 months clean!!! Feels real good doesnt it!! Hold that clean time sacred~~sara
Gnarly.....Thanks man! You have been an insperation to me and many many others on this site. I know what it takes to post as much as you do and people need to thank you from time to time for your commitement and efforts.
ImDONENoMore....There are no words for the gratitude that you deserve. Thank you for being there for me and thank you for keeping my head up and heading int he right direction.
Thank you everyone for the kind words. I truly hope that you find the strength to keep going. For me it took many many tries but please do not use that as an excuse. I caused myself a lot of pain and anguish by going through detox over and over. I actually got to the point where I had a life time supply of my suppliments and vitamins on hand at all times. What I put my wife and family through each and every time I was miserable was just unacceptable. The massive amounts of money I waisted on pills is just obscene!
The main reason why I relapsed time and time again is that I never gave myself an entire month sober to truly see what life was like on the other side. I would make it a few days or a few weeks and give up because I was so miserable and just wanted what I thought at the time was an "Normal Day". The sick thing about that is I had spent so long being high that "Normal" to me was 250mg later. When in reality now as I sit here writting this I am normal. You lose site of what is real and what is fake when you are actively taking pills. Bottom line is please......no matter how bad you feel, no matter how many emotions are running rampid in your mind.....Give yourself a month. Just make the commitement to not take pills for a month. You will experience one of the best feelings of accomplishment you have ever experience.....Good luck to all and God Bless!!!!
ImDONENoMore....There are no words for the gratitude that you deserve. Thank you for being there for me and thank you for keeping my head up and heading int he right direction.
Thank you everyone for the kind words. I truly hope that you find the strength to keep going. For me it took many many tries but please do not use that as an excuse. I caused myself a lot of pain and anguish by going through detox over and over. I actually got to the point where I had a life time supply of my suppliments and vitamins on hand at all times. What I put my wife and family through each and every time I was miserable was just unacceptable. The massive amounts of money I waisted on pills is just obscene!
The main reason why I relapsed time and time again is that I never gave myself an entire month sober to truly see what life was like on the other side. I would make it a few days or a few weeks and give up because I was so miserable and just wanted what I thought at the time was an "Normal Day". The sick thing about that is I had spent so long being high that "Normal" to me was 250mg later. When in reality now as I sit here writting this I am normal. You lose site of what is real and what is fake when you are actively taking pills. Bottom line is please......no matter how bad you feel, no matter how many emotions are running rampid in your mind.....Give yourself a month. Just make the commitement to not take pills for a month. You will experience one of the best feelings of accomplishment you have ever experience.....Good luck to all and God Bless!!!!
Way to go....great story and thanks for sharing. You are so correct on your last sentence...Life is wonderful on the other side...It sure is. Congrats to you and keep on going. God bless you...Maria
Great Job!!!!! I found inspiration in your jurnoury to a new life. It helped me stay clean. Some people learn from doing and some learn from listening. I listened to everyone here and have made it this far and like you wish to keep what I have gained "sobriety" at any cost. So like a little soilder I will follow all the things outlined above on a daily basis and always look forward to my future. Thank You and congradulations.
HEY DUDE good to see you back and this time on great terms DUDE you did it you broke the cycle 120 days is ausum I am for one proud of you it takes a lot for some of us but you refused to quit trying and finely this last time you got it......stick with the plan family church aftercare are all parts of recovery combined they will hold you up when you are weak
post a bit more often the nebee's need to see you can do it even if it is a total struggle to make it out .....I wish you all the best good luck and God bless .....Gnarly
post a bit more often the nebee's need to see you can do it even if it is a total struggle to make it out .....I wish you all the best good luck and God bless .....Gnarly
I am just SO FREAKING PROUD OF YOU!!! It's almost too much to take!! (not really!)
Your words were beautifully written. You have a gift justneedtotalk - don't ever forget that!
We are very lucky to have you here. :)
Your words were beautifully written. You have a gift justneedtotalk - don't ever forget that!
We are very lucky to have you here. :)
What an inspirational story! Thanks for sharing. Congratulations on your sobriety.
Congrats!!! I just made a week today...HUGE for me!! Been a battle for over 10 years & besides the "body full of lead" feeling I am doing pretty good!! Thanks for the inspiration!! Julie
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