Once an addict, always an addict?

[PipPip1234]

Once an addict, always an addict?
by PipPip1234, 3 minutes ago
Hey everyone, I really dont mean to sound depressing & well done to everyone whos doing well but theres one thing I would appreciate an honest answer to. Do you think an addict will always be an addict at heart? I hope not but it seems drugs are everywhere, maybe thats just where I'm from. Does anyone know anyone whos come off drugs and made a real good life without going back to them. I sometimes wonder if heroin/ex-heroin addicts are ever truly free of that grip. Im 21, first tried heroin when I was 16, went on methadone, got off everything then went back to heroin when I was 20, I swear to myself I will never touch that dirt again, never go through the long drawn process of methadone or the pain of withdrawing but do you guys think it can be done?

It seems everywhere I look people either end up on it fully, or on/off/on/off/on or dead. I know it seems harsh. I am going travelling soon, cant wait to see the world but I worry that, no matter where I go, the thought of drugs will never truely leave my mind. I also know how accessible they can be, does anyone understand that or is it just me, honest answers whether yes or no, will be much appreciated.

[laurel453]

Yes. I think so but i don't look at it as a sentence for life but as another part of my life. Meaning that i have to be conscious of leading a healthy life  and working on my personal issues and this is not bad at all if we look at the positive things of  " wow, i can not hurt myself with substances cause i can not control them and they harm my health, my mind and my life " Please, put the accent on " i can not hurt myself .... " and this is really something good we should have done from the start so it is not bad once we are well on recovery. Maybe now you think you are surrounded only by people doing drugs, this is something from your past life. I bet that once you work on your sobriety, you will surround yourself by people who are not doing drugs because you will have more in common with them and feel better. What i am trying to say is that this is a new life and a much better one that the life you had on active addiction. Have no fears, work on your recovery and sobriety and things will fit in with time. You will fight whatever comes with the tools you are learning now and you will do it by facing them not by hiding and this is something to feel proud. :)

[Richjess2226]

Hi

You will always be an addict. But you can be a clean addict. I know loads of people that have gotten clean, and become very successful people too.
I can think of tons of famous people but of the top of my head, davina McCall and russell brand are two ex heroin addicts that are doing very well clean. And have gotten all their success since getting clean and managed to tackle fame At the same time.
So yes of course you can do it. You just have to always be aware and never get complacent.
Temptation will always be around the corner, you just have to learn to avoid it and have the tools to face it if it's there.

[tomskat]

Hi and welcome.I beleieve once an addict always an addict,BUT there is a difference between being an ACTIVE addict and a clean one.I have relapsed after hundreds of days,but always know I want to be sober.I understand what you are thinking...it makes sense to me too.But there is life,and a good one,without drugs.You can stay strong;mind over matter.How long have you been clean?So yes,for me once an addict always an addict but the differnece being clean or not.We all have that addict in us that wants to get out soemtimes.It's knoweing what triggers it and staying aways from those triggers to be successful.Hope that helps!!

[PipPip1234]

I really appreciate your responses, some really great points. I know in my heart that I want to live a fun life drug free. My family and friends are great people who dont use drugs & Ive started getting out with them again, it helped a bunch. Ive been off heroin for a year & a half, off methadone for 7 days, I am not withdrawing from meth any more, still feel twitchy which I guess is why I'm asking. Definitely will use "I cannot hurt myself", I will say that to myself, I know I am a strong person. I was trying to think of people who are off drugs & doing well & forgot about Russell Brand, how could I lol. Thanks again for your input :-)

[dede2121]

hi pip,

yes, once an addict, always an addict. not meaning that you will always use but it is something you will have to work on the rest of your life. i have met people at aa/na that have been clean 27 years and still attend meetings several times a week.
i was outside (freezing) smoking a cig and a thought come to my mind about getting a pill. i didn't want one but it just popped in my head. why, i don't really know. i guess it has been my way of thinking for so long that it will take awhile to get rid of those thoughts. i think the urge will fade and won't be as strong down the road but i don't think it will ever go away.

[stilltrying1965]

You are doing great off heroin fora year and methadone asswell. I have been addicted to heroin 4 14 years i leave for an inhouse rehab today . I see it as my last chance to get and stay clean.Also agree once an addict always an addict but we can be clean addicts,,,James

[gnarly_1]

hey PipPip .....hate to say it but once an addict always an addict...but you dont have to live in active addiction....how is your methadone withdrawals going?? I just wanted to encourage you you can get past this but it takes some work  N/A has a very helpful program and its free
as addicts we need to change the very way we think you will learn skills to help you deal with things like cravings and triggers to live in recovery you have to change persons places and things from our drug past it is the only way to truly let go of the lifestyle if your willing to go to meeting change what needs changing its possible to live a normal clean and sober lifestyle
keep posting for support good luck and God bless......Gnarly  

[hellc@mst]

I dont know,but wasnt George W Bush an addict( coke fiend and alcoholic). He was pretty successful. Regardless of his own agenda and personal politics, becoming leader of the 'Free World' is a fairly impessive accomplishment. I might add that he wasnt a fan of 12 step programs or "aftercare therapies". May explain a few things though.

[PipPip1234]

Yeah I think you guys are right, sometimes worry that it will hang over me the rest of my life but Im going to turn the bad time/experience into a positive.

gnarly - hey, most of the withdrawls have gone, still cant sleep & my legs are pretty uncomfortable but I know its the healing process, I look at is as my body fixing itself.

hellc@mst - I think you may be right too ha ha.

[shrimpman]

Awesome job on quitting-----You will keep feeling better as your body tries to get back to normal-----for me It took about a year for my energy level to return to what I think is normal----I was snorting 10 t0 12 perc 10s daily when I quit with the help of many on this forum---I'm 53 and operate a landscape business and would be dead today if I had not stopped----Life is so much better without pills controlling it------Best regards, Jon

[PipPip1234]

A year sounds like a long time but I dont know what percs are, if you were on them for a long time I'm sure that probably delayed the healing process too, you seem to doing real good & Im sure landscaping is an energetic job :-). I bet it was worth the wait though, waking up full of life! Good on you!.

[curiousbystander]

Would a clean herion addict accept morphine at the hospital and pain medication for cellulitis? I know this condition is painful but would this cause a relapse if he would take prescribed medication. He didnt tell the doctors he is an addict. How should an addict deal with pain?

[nursegirl6572]

This is an old thread.  You would be better off starting your own new thread.

A brief answer, yes, there are times when an addict will genuinely need pain medication for whatever reason.  An addict needs to make formulating a plan for handling these situations part of their recovery from day one.

A plan for handling pain would include many safeguards, one big one being honesty with the medical professionals.  If he isn't being forthcoming about his history of addiction, that isn't good.  That doesn't always mean an addict is drug seeking, or doesn't need the pain medication, but it isn't the right way to handle the situation.  Being honest with the medical staff adds accountability which is crucial.

Yes, cellulitis can be very painful.  Him taking morphine for it doesn't automatically mean he's relapsed, but because he didn't tell the staff he's an addict, he's on a slippery slope and is absolutely risking his sobriety.

[curiousbystander]

Thank you for your input. We can use all the info we can. He has been in and out of jail/prison for 5 years. His sobriety has been dictated by imprisonment. As soon as hes out it is not long until he is using again and violates probation. Thus leading him back to serve more time. He has not learned the tools needed to help himself in his addiction. We try and explain that he needed to tell the doctors but he does not think he is an addict and that this medication is different than shooting up heroin. Is he in denial or thinking he is fooling us?

[ricart70]

I don't have to be sober . I want to be sober . The biggest part of me anyway.
I don't want to spend my spare time getting high. I am better when I am doing something else with my spare time. and no I don't smoke cancer sticks or believe in the supernatural  . Gee willikers !   ;))     old thread

[weaver71]

Though I agree with a great deal of what you wrote, I find it as egocentric as those you are criticizing. My motto is focus on what you are for rather than what you are against. So, 12 stepping doesn't work for you, I respect that. I tried the 2000 mic LSD approach, it helped until I came down. I have other issues that needed to be dealt with, therapy and lithium were really the answer for me. I wouldn't be so arrogant to say that is the answer for anyone else. I tried shrooms, MDA, even took datura stramonium, but my issue was chemical, not mental. I hope you can learn to respect whAt works for others. I practiced shamanism for many years, so I get your opinion and agree on many points. What I find troubling is you think what works for you is the only way, kinda sounds like the people you are complaining about. Good luck finding peace, it seems you still have some anger and resentment to deal with. You maybe should expand your mind and deal with that. I wasn't gonna respond to this, but the negativity seemed to need addressing. Good luck.

[clean_in_ks]

And the negativity got deleted....so for anyone that didn't read his comments....it may not make a lot of sense.....oh well~

[weaver71]

My post should be erased too, it was a response to 12 step bashing and pro-psychedelic therapy, just to explain to future readers. Oh well.

[Ben727]

On a humorous side-note, I read half of Weaver's response thinking it was directed at Ricart because I didn't realize there was a post that got deleted.

[zerokewl123]

Lol I was getting confused on that ok gotcha

[clean_in_ks]

Funny, Ben!!!!!!!!!!!

[ricart70]

LOL You're going down weaver !!    ;))   Just kidding . buddy

Yeah that is a great point on what works for others . I say whatever keeps one clean is a great thing and I have enough things wrong with me that I could do better to focus on those things rather than publicly ridiculing others beliefs and methods .  They should have left the post up but it would have turned into a cauldron for sure  .   ;)

[digger1976]

Well I didn't know what was going on there for a minute, haha! I always miss the arguments, ;(

[weaver71]

If a moderator reads this, could you please remove my response to the post that was erased.

My response looks like a crazy rant at Ricart.