Online Therapy

[4YRHitch]

Been a long time reader but now a first time poster.  

Long story short...I'm a mid 40's guy with 2 small children and great wife.  I had many surgeries mostly back & knees over the last 25 years mostly due to being a collegiate & semi-pro athlete.  Over the last 4 yrs I have been taking hydrocodone 10/325 (4-6 a day) & I'm done being a slave to these things.  It has slowly degraded my life over them 4 yrs making me less the dad than I should be.  

I'm on day 4 of CT and have told the doc no more Rx's.  I never went to the street as I always followed the script...but in reading a few hundred posts it seems I'm "dependent" upon them rather than "addicted"...although at this point I don't care what it's called I just want to be done.

The physical withdrawals come & go and I've taken notice of the Thomas recipe and followed to some degree.  My biggest concern and where I will need the most help is mental I believe.  These things have messed up the chemistry in my brain so simple pleasures are no longer even registering.

I know there are many variables but I'm curious for those that have been through this "detox" process how long before you felt right again?  I can handle a ballpark figure.   4 years of just the hydro (Vicodin) I know is different than someone who has been through 25 years with stronger stuff so if there is anyone out there in a similar situation please let me know your thoughts...but I also welcome all other thoughts, criticisms, and words of encouragement.

It should be noted that my wife knows I took them but doesn't really know how they have affected me.  I'm in pain all the time but have read the pain lessons as time moves on.  I may need another back surgery and have been told to get a new knee but I'll cross those bridges later.  I don't plan to attend any AA/NA and know some may disagree with this and I'm sorry.

Thanks again to all for listening and look forward to any feedback.  

[4YRHitch]

I'm glad you found the magic bullet for yourself.  It doesn't surprise me that drug helped you being a Parkinson's med.  I know a little on Parkinson's.  I cannot speculate on the drug makers but have no doubt they do not give a 2nd thought to the pain pill epidemic going on.

I'll try and get through this without popping another RX.  My insurance company I'm sure will send me a thank you letter.  :-)

[Ifoundthecure]

I was in the same boat, oxycodone for 5 years with vicodine for breakthrough. I tried everything to quit but could not function through the withdraw and I have a 10 year old son, a bed bound mother and a now 25 year old daughter with major depression so needless to say I had to function. So here's the scoop my ailing mother makes about 3 to 5 trips to the hospital a year and every time it's the same thing a huge fight with the doctors to give her pain meds that she has been on for 20 years. They refuse and she lands up in ICU because she sick with infection and than they send her into withdraw. Here's the cure the last two trips to the hospital as I argue with the doctors to give her pain meds so she doesn't go into withdraw and this time she never does. The doctor accused me of taking her pain meds stating with the high dose of meds she was on there's no way she's not in withdraw after 3 days of NO PAIN MEDS. She took 180mg of oxycodone a day with vicodine for breakthrough.  I was furious thinking all I go through to take of her and your going to stand there and accuse me. So after a angry call to administration I swore I would never take her back to that hospital again, never giving another thought as to why she never went into withdraw. 3 month later back to the hospital needless to say a different one and the same thing happened 5 days into her hospital stay and no withdraw. NOW I was paying attention what was different from the hospital stays before with severe withdraw to the last two with NO WITHDRAW she was diagnosed with Parkinson's between the severe withdraw and no withdraw visits and they put her on CARADOPA- LEVADOPA that was the only change. So I figured what the hell I'm going to try it and that my friend was the best decision I ever made I mean to tell you there are no withdraw symptoms at ALL. No runs, no chills, no body aches, no restless legs, no feelings of I can't make it.  You just feel normal.  I quit the pain meds and started taking the CARADOPA-LEVADOPA  for about a month than I quit those to. 101 days later the only thing I take is aleve and ibuprophen for pain.  I want to shout from the roof tops to let people know I even thought about trying to get a patent on the use of this for opiate addiction which I will still do if I ever get enough money to patent it for this use before some neurologist does. LOL  you do need a prescription for this but I don't think any doctor would have a problem with prescribing it as it is not a narcotic.  I really think that big pharma already knows about this but the money they would lose from opiate scrips persuades them not to tell people. Please spread the word as I will to this is a miracle. My friends can't understand why I am so excited over this discovery but anyone in withdraw will

[4YRHitch]

Thanks Vic and Motye...

The headaches, lack of sleep (although I never seem tired), and ZERO motivation to do anything but breath seem to be the biggest hurdles right now.  I'm sure depression will set in shortly as I've read...although I was always the optimistic person I'm hoping the depression phase is short lived.  Not sure if that's what they consider PAWS or not but maybe it won't come at all!  Hey that's an optimistic thought...I'm getting better.  Wow this head hurts...

[VICourageous]

Hi..Great Job on wanting to turn your Life back. It took me about a Year and a Half to come out of the Mental state..BUT I had some cluster deaths that set me back mentally..I would say a less then a Year for you for sure. A DR told me many times that it would take a Year or Two..But that is me and I have been using a long time..I do wish you the Best and just give it all Time to balance back.
Bless

[motye51]

Hey, N/A and A/A are not for everyone....I chose N/A for my aftercare to help my "hurting" brain, lol, but not for everyone.  What about seeing a therapist for a little while until you feel better....I would say at least 6 months.  Congrats on slaying that demon of opiates!  She's the devil and she gets a lot of us!  I am on day 132 (or 133) and my brain does feel better...I would say around the 3rd month, my brain started feeling better, but that's just me. We are all different.

[4YRHitch]

Thanks Acting.  In my current condition that seems daunting but realize its been 48 months I've been abusing my noggin.  

[ActingBrandNew]

According to Harold C. Urschel III MD, MMA in his book "Healing the Addicted Brain"..."It takes 4-12 months of complete sobriety for the brain
to heal"

From my own personal experience...Id say I started feeling pretty good around that time.