I need to save my life..

[savingmylife45]

I am 26 years old with a 2 year old. I have been on pain meds for almost 5 years due to a spine surgery i had. I HAVE to quit to save my life.. I am terrified of going through the withdrawls.. I can't live my life like this anymore. Not being able to go anywhere in fear of not having enough pills or how will I feel. But its not fair to myself or my child for me to.live like this. I have been searching alternate ways to control my actual pain but please can anyone suggest anything that will help with the pain I will go through from w/d????

[savingmylife45]

Thank you so much for those words of encouragement. I keep reading them over and over...

[savingmylife45]

Thank you for the much needed support. I truly am going to need it. This is going to be a long hard road but I know I can do it, I have to. Just helps to know I habe the support from not only the few people in my life that know but kind amazing strangers who have been where I am!

[marycarmel]

There are many ways of managing your pain and you'll probably have to try different things to see what works well for you.  Right now I'm not exercising and I have a long way to work back up to where I was but exercising really helped me.  I always start with swimming because it's gentle.  First go around with it I started walking one lap.  That's all I could manage.  It took me longer to drive to the gym than the amount of time I spent there.  I eventually got to where I was at the gym anywhere from 1.5 to 2 hours most days.  It helped my pain and more importantly helped my head.  I was better able to deal with the pain.  There are also prescription creams, compounding creams, lidoderm patches, procedures that may help.  I don't think for most pain patients there is any one thing that works.  It's usually a combination of things that help.  For me, ibuprofen plays a big role.  I have several different pain issues and what works for one may not for another.  Start out slowly and find what things make you feel better.

[ang_811]

Congrats on getting the gift of desperation. U only have to go thru withdrawals once and that's it. Hot baths helped me and exercise during wds help also.

U have ur whole life ahead of u so y not live it freedom and serenity.

[MYoungAtHeart]

I have had 3 unsuccessful spine surgeries and only take aspirin for pain and stiffness.  A year ago the doctors told me that all I could hope for was to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life and that was not what I wanted for my life.  

I started making simple lists of what I needed and wanted to accomplish every day and check off those things I do as they get done. I started journaling and meditating and told myself that Pain is a symptom, not something to be feared or ignored.  I also started rating my pain, 10 being the worst possible and 0 being pain free, and would ask myself as the day goes on what number of pain was I in.  

Without being too much Blah Blah Blah, I do wish you the very best in your journey to be drug free.  There are alot of awesome people here to help you with any question you might have.

M