Why am i still depressed AFTER quitting drugs/drink/meds

Question

I finally quit abusing various substances 7 weeks ago. My addiction started with alcohol, went onto street drugs and then ended 7 weeks ago with prescription drug abuse. I saw an addiction specialist before i got clean and she told me i had 'polysubstance' addiction and wanted £40k from me to get clean so i decided to do it myself and i finally detoxed 7 weeks ago. I have to say i dont miss the drugs and i have absolutely no desire to return to any kind of substance but im really struggling on a daily basis right now. Im so depressed, lacking in motivation, low on energy, suffering memory loss, bored.... the list goes on. Every negative emotion you can think of i am experiencing it everyday. SURELY this cant be right?? I mean its been 7 bloody weeks and im still a scruff-bag. I cant apply myself to do anything meaningful other than a bit of light daily exercise and showering. Those 2 small things take me forever to do because i just put them off as long as possible. I feel like im not getting better. I really really hope someone reads this and has experienced something similar and can tell me im going to eventually feel happy again?!? The thought of my life continuing on like this just ***** and i have no idea what to do. I thought about maybe i need to be put on some anti depressants but due to my medication abuse in the past im very dubious. I just want to know whats wrong with me and why i cant get better. why am i a nervous wreck and unrecognisable even 7 weeks on. :o(

Has anyone any clue or ideas about how long this torture is going to last? Its actually worse than the initially detox because its not improving. Im stuck in a living hell.

This discussion is related to Depression after quitting heroin and crack.

TryingSoHard2 · Answer

I'm also in the depths of hell.  I'm 4 weeks detoxed from crack and everything else. I thought once I rounded week 4 I would be able to handle anything that might come next. Friday I hit a wall of sadness and depression so profound that I've been crying since Friday.  I walk my dog and not much else.  I crave and eat sugar all day everyday which makes me feel terrible. I've been to a few Life Ring meetings, which are secular recovery meetings, but I couldn't get off the couch to go tonight.  It seems insurmountable for this to last 3-6 months with this pain. Does PAWS come and go? Or will I feel like this until one day I don't?

10356 · Answer

Hello I think we all our polysubstance Addicts ! I had to look that up... Everyone above me is correct in that you need to give it time but that you also need to force yourself to move I mean force. Summer is around the corner my 1st detox I did a lot of camping traveling and I swear I felt like a million bucks 2nd detox after shoulder replacement I felt like crapp depressed sluggish.. You really do need to get your brain working for you again and that is by moving Ride a bike run in place wok in the yard hike clean walls whatever it is just move You will feel so much better. Make sure you are not Dehydrated this too can make us feel bad and eat clean no prepared our fast food.. AA NA are good support systems that you can lean on.. You will get better faster if you move but you will still get better if you do not it will just take you longer. Last if after all this you do not feel better speajk with your Dr. Be safe and take good care. lesa

jifmoc · Answer

Hi, I 2nd what Danny111 wrote. Also, we NEED aftercare. You are still walking around w/ your tortured addict brain but w/o the drugs. If we could learn to live on our own w/o drugs, we all would have done that already. Thus, we need help. Get into AA or NA (they're free.) I would in no way still be clean w/o them.

Danny111 · Answer

Hi and welcome to the forum,

The reason for the depression/lack of energy/boredom, etc is that your brain chemistry changes while you're using and it takes a while to come back to normal.  Your brain produces large amounts of endorphins when you're using 
Eventually this causes some of the endorphin receptors in your brain to shut down.  When you stop using and your brain goes back to producing just the regular amount of endorphins you feel depressed, bored, unmotivated etc. .

This will get better but it takes a few months.  Doing things like that make your brain release endorphins, like exercising(even though you probably have to force yourself), listening to music that you like, or whatever, can really help.