What led you to addiction?

[happynessbythekilowatt]

Almost 4am, day 6 and no sleep. Figured I'd spark up some conversation.

What led you to becoming an addict? Was there a cause or was it just a recreational thing.

Now, what are you going to do to turn it around?

[petroglyph54]

Good to see your still fighting the good fight! It should be getting a bit easier already?
I experimented with drugs when I was a youngster and as an adult a short run with coke. I also smoked weed for years but don't consider that a problem and of course have drank my share. What made me miserable was the opiate pain management I was on for 6+ years, never missing a dose round the clock. Steadily needing to upgrade my amount and strength as the tolerance grew. I don't swear I'll never take them again, but I certainly would dread doing so, and that would again be for pain management.
What I will do to turn it around is first recognize how addictive the opiates can be and how absolutely miserable they can do your life. Next is I'm doing alternative pain management as in physical therapy and steroidal epidurals, with otc's for pain. I do believe that however a person gets there the detox, addiction and wd's are nearly identical.

[gnarly_1]

FOR ME it was just wanting to fit in with one of the crowds but after 3 yrs of therapy I come to find out I have been self medicating my bipolar disorder ....I never really have felt right in my own skin now that im on the proper meds for it it has made it a lot ezer to not do this anymore although the though crosses my mind....once an addict always an addict today I chose recovery instead of using and am so grateful I have that choice...living with bipolar has its challenges but when my meds are right and working I dont even know I have it you just need to be mindful you have a chemical imbalance in your brain both my wife and I both have it and have learned to trust one another when one says its time to go to the doctor
its hard but it works for us anybody else suffering with bipolar...you can do this long term for me its been 6yr 3 mo off alcohol weed and everything else recreational 676 days off methadone and Kat has 23yr clean with God as her aftercare for me it takes a conslor as well as a bible study church and N/A from time to time but I spend less time working on recovery then I did getting high so it works if your willing to put the work in to it you get out what you put in good luck to everybody with there recovery become pro/active and you will have success......Gnarly    

[Dane74]

What led me to become an addict was all the years,  my lifetime actually of having surgeries and ultimately my body was fed off and on opiates my entire life.  I was always able to kick it with minimal issues, and YES i did take more than prescribed, before surgery and after.  But, this time around was a complete nightmare.  I abused the same amount this time but the difference was i was on diluid, oxy, and the new drug tram.  Where in the past i was never on tram, so im not sure if it was the tram or my body had enough with opiates. Good news, im clean 61 days i do go to aftercare and my biggest hurdle is my pain.  Thanks for asking:)

[Bubulous]

I used to own a Grand Prix.  It was a large vehicle and it had a large motor in it.  It often overheated and I would let it sit and cool off.  On this particular day it overheated and I was in too big of a hurry to let it cool down.  Instead I tried to take the radiator cap off while it was still hot.  I learned that day never to do that again.  The cap popped off and hit me in the face.  The water boiled out quickly and burnt my right shoulder.  That night I took my first one and I stayed recreational until I contracted PTSD from serving in Iraq.  The dependency lasted about 5 years until 106 days ago  : )

Thanks for the post,

Larry (Bubby)d

[Oxy480Jim]

oh almost forgot-   I don't know. There is no turning around that I know of. Cut the offending parts off? Some Docs have actually suggested that believe it or not. But that wouldn't solve everything, just a couple things, and would make living even more miserable. Standing up to pee is worth the pain and pills.  I think so anyway.

[Oxy480Jim]

What led to my addiction? An accident,  followed by an onslaught of heath problems, then another severe accident that by all rights should have killed me, but they managed to put Humpty Dumpty back together again, sort of. They must of  hammered a few pieces of the puzzle in that didn't  quite fit right or something.