Humor & Attitude - The key to getting through w/d

[sparkie825]

Hi everyone,

I've stopped the hydro treatment after re-starting 3 weeks ago to fight RLS & DDD.  Long story short--it's just not working anymore.  I've built up a tolerance to the opiates.  So, 3 days ago I quit c/t.  W/d not too bad and I am mostly pain free right now which is really odd.  Sleep and RLS are the hardest.  I take Ibuprofen (800mg) and Tylenol (1000mg) to try and feel mostly normal.  Seems to be working ok.  Not really sure.  But one thing that is profoundly different for me this time is my attitude.  For three days I have been fighting some of the worst RLS ever and I found myself....laughing it off!!!  I said to myself, "Screw this. I know I'll have RLS, really bad for a while from the w/d again, but SO WHAT?!  After I had this little talk with myself at 3 in the morning on night one, I fell asleep.  RLS was much much worse last night, and I had the same talk after getting up, I went back to sleep again about 30 min. later.  Hmmmmm.....  So here I am.  Day 3, got a mild headache, feeling a little twitchy, but this time I carry a different attitude: carefree, nonchalant, a kind of this-will-just-go-away-in-time mentality and I think it's working....   This morning I also found myself laughing and smiling and kidding around and having some fun.  How did THAT happen?  Where has my groggy outlook gone?  Could that be the real key to recovery?

What you guys think?  Regardless of the pain and lack of sleep and RLS and whatever, do you find a good happy attitude made all the difference in the world?  

One other important note:  Three weeks ago I started an aggressive vitamin therapy and have started eating much better.  More water, more gatorade (electolytes) and I take 150% daily allowance of Iron: the key to fighting RLS.  Whelp.  Like I said the RLS is still there in a really bad way (still on day three) but already my mind and attitude towards the beast of w/d is very different.  Last time the beast was 1000 feet tall, this time the beast is the size of a breadbox.

Sorry to ramble yet again.

Your thoughts on all this?  Was positive outlook, HUMOR, the key to your recovery?

Thanks again.

[TooManyOxyz]

HELLO, THIS IS MY SECOND TIME DETOXING OFF OF ANYTHING AND THIS TIME MY MIND SET HAS BEEN TOTALLY DIFF, I AM ON DAY 14, HOWEVER I FEEL A LITTLE ROUGH, MAYBE ALOT, BUT THE BEAST IS NOT GETTING TO ME WITHOUT A FIGHT.

YES I THINK ATTITUDE AND HUMOR EFFECTS W/D'S AS WELL AS EVERYTHING ELSE. IF I FELT A TAD BETTER I WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO YOU, MAYBE EVEN A FEW WISE-CRACKS, BUT NOW I GOTTA CHILL!!!!

LOVE YA...KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK AND GIVE RLS THE FINGER!!!!
DON

[sparkie825]

Mimi, I think you're right, sometimes we can make things much more scarier than it really is.  I have to remind myself that some of the posts about w/d on this thread, the ones that deal with hard-core or high-dose drug use, might not pertain to me.  I feel bad for those that have to go thru w/d from that place, but I have to remind myself I am probably in a different state altogether.  

About the RLS:  I have found that for me, no OTC supplements work for relief. At all. Period.  All antihistamines create anxiety and jitters, melatonin (which is a hormone) i.e. Hylands, creates mild vertigo and hallucinations for me.  So for me it's all natural supplements all the way, i.e. vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, aminos, etc.  And lots of water.  And humor.  Oh, and getting up and moving (exercise).

[starfish1963]

Attitude is everything.  A frown is just a smile upside down :)
I did it all to the Glory of God in Christ Jesus!  They carried me through the valley and now I'm starting to see the mountain top!
God Bless keep up the great work!

[sparkie825]

Oops...a quick history:  I was on 4-8 hydros/day (5/500) and 4 somas a day for two years.  Quit the soma in June but continued the hydros up until now.  I did have a 14 day break where I was off the hydros in early August.  Went back on for three weeks.  Now I'm off again (Day 3).

[mimi1313]

I think a lot of it is attitude. Sometimes we have it so built up in our heads how bad withdrawal willl be and its not great but definitely not as bad as I thought it would be.