Has anyone here ever beaten an addiction?

[verito81]

i had an addiction since my teen years i didn’t know it was an addiction until around 5 years ago when i had an encounter with Jesus and he started to show me the areas i was bound, and i started to cry out to him and he delivered me , but i tried to resist while i was praying God to help me

 

[jbarley]

Back in the day I was addicted to sex, but now at 83 yrs old I think I've got that beaten.

 

[1042686]

Yanno, the closest thing I have to addiction is gluttony. I love food, love to eat and drink and am a fatty for it. I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I don't consider it an addiction however so much as a lifestyle choice. I chose to chef, chose to be a stressful business person and I choose the lifestyle and I chose to eat, drink and enjoy the things that make my waistline what it is and that I enjoy.

I have folks struggling (and when I say struggle, I mean a day to day struggle for life) with gripping chemical addiction in my family however and the struggle is very, very real and it is extremely damaging to these individuals, their children and the families that help support them. The ancillary damage - in other words the emotional, physical and economic damage that an addict wields on their family is outrageous. If I told you that I had a great story to tell you - one of success and growth, I'd be lying to you because the reality of addiction through my eyes is nothing short of a daily struggle just to survive at best and at worst catastrophic failure of not only the addict but the physical, emotional and economic destruction of those who love the addict too much to let them go.

That seems harsh, I know this. None the less that is the reality I see my loved ones and our family experience on a daily basis and something that I have zero control or ability to stop. It's one thing to argue that they're impacting only themselves but they're not. Beautiful, innocent children are involved and even with that, these individuals still relapse, still fail in most aspects of their life beyond syphoning their basic needs from their family, individuals who should be enjoying retirement but instead find themselves parents (legal guardians) to babes, caretaker to addicts and watching their personal incomes dwindle into nothingness and their stress induced health deteriorate and spiral quickly towards the only conclusion which is their own death.

And when they die, who will care for those babies? Not the grandparents as they're dead and certainly not the addict. By this point if they're not dead themselves, they will be so absorbed with their own self pity and loathing, they will might as well be dead. It is a terrible, terrible reality with nothing positive or redeemable about it. Our social safety net? is that the destiny for these children? The legacy that these addicts leave for their babies? Addiction is a story of illness, desperation, self loathing, destruction, pity and pain.

If I were to give you any advice at this point, it is to seek professional help NOW and hang on every single word they say as if you life depends on it because it very well may. Your addiction is an illness and you need professional medical intervention for any chance at lasting recovery. Realize that you will never experience a cure and that relapse will always be on your front door step. You doctor (read NOT you family) can help you navigate your path forward. I wish you the best however with your addiction. Hopefully it does not consume & destroy you so fully and in the way that it has my family and my loved ones.

God Speed.

 

[Hieveryone]

Yanno, the closest thing I have to addiction is gluttony. I love food, love to eat and drink and am a fatty for it. I have struggled with my weight my entire life. I don't consider it an addiction however so much as a lifestyle choice. I chose to chef, chose to be a stressful business person and I choose the lifestyle and I chose to eat, drink and enjoy the things that make my waistline what it is and that I enjoy.

I have folks struggling (and when I say struggle, I mean a day to day struggle for life) with actual chemical addiction in my family however and the struggle is very, very real and it is extremely damaging to these individuals, their children and the families that help support them. The ancillary damage - in other words the emotional, physical and economic damage that an addict wields on their family is outrageous. If I told you that I had a great store to tell you - one of success and growth, Id be lying to you because the reality if addiction through my eyes is nothing short of a daily struggle just to survive at best and at worst catastrophic failure of not only the addict but the physical, emotional and economic destruction of those who love the addict too much to let them go.

Omg food is so good. I love all food lol. But I'm very careful with what I eat, because I don't like the weight. It's really hard for me not to be tempted to eat everything though. Nice sandwiches, burgers, FRIES, so good

 

[VulchR]

I am a neuroscientist who studies reward and, by extension, addiction. I think there are two parts to it. The first part on conscious goal-directed action and this is about what you value. I am not a clinician, but it seems to me a lot people do things that make them feel good but don't do enough to make them feel good about themselves. The second is the more unsettling part. It appears to be the case the addiction involves a lot of associative learning - the formation of conditioned reflexes that you might not even be aware of, for instance between a context and the addictive activity. These associations seemed to be formed in very primitive parts of the brain - structures that are hard to access by language and thought centers, so being aware of, talking about, and controlling these reflexes is hard. Thus the contexts in which you have engaged in the addictive activity should be avoided if you can. Otherwise you're walking through a minefield of sensory stimuli that might trigger craving.

The only other thing I can add is the people don't realize the extent to which some addictions change brain structure. It's like changing an operating system on a computer through changing connections in the hardware rather than merely changing software. The good news is that any system that changes connections can be changed again - it just takes time and constant vigilance.

 

[LizKat]

Thus the contexts in which you have engaged in the addictive activity should be avoided if you can. Otherwise you're walking through a minefield of sensory stimuli that might trigger craving.

To me this definitely contributed to why I found it so much harder to become a former cigarette smoker than a former user of alcohol. I had nicotine usage hooked up to so many things... making phone calls, writing anything, figuring out what to put on the grocery list... these aren't contexts that one can just erase from a fresh start on life without the addictive substance in question.

I mean that it wasn't that complicated to toss an address book full of drinking buddies' names into the trash when I left alcohol behind, but when I quit smoking, I was practically paralyzed at first.

And it was then that I remembered with new insight the remark of my dentist, who said once that he was at a cocktail party with his brother, and "we were standing there talking and when my bro reached into his jacket pocket for his cigarettes, I just automatically reached for mine too, but the thing is that I had quit smoking 17 years prior to that moment."

He was trying to talk me into quitting but also saying I'd have to pay attention not to relapse "on autopilot" since back then, smoking almost anywhere was socially acceptable and it was common for people who were lighting a cigarette to proffer the pack and ask "Want one?"

So the challenge in staying clear of cigarettes was a little different to the one of just not hanging out in the pub after work. Cigarettes seemed to be everywhere. But at the time he said that to me, I had no idea how deeply my own reliance on nicotine had already altered the way my brain worked.

So it was all "show and tell" for me, one connection at a time. I relapsed into smoking again about 8 or 10 times I think... sometimes even after not smoking for two years. Now it's been 20 years but I swear there are moments when I could light one up if an open pack and a lighter happened to be at hand, and I might not even realize I was doing it until I would (of course!!) cough upon inhaling. Now that's an addiction! I meant to try to quit smoking soon after I stopped using alcohol, but it took another 20 years for me to leave nicotine behind. I had to quit being arrogant and pay a lot of attention to helpful info about stuff like taking a deep breath, having a glass of water, walking up and down the stairs a couple times, walking around the block... all options to manage to discard a sudden craving for a cigarette many, many weeks or months after nicotine had left my system entirely.

You're right about the vigilance. Rewiring the brain to leave a dependency behind can take quite awhile, and it's not wise to figure "I got this beat" after some particular timeframe.

 

[2984839]

To me this definitely contributed to why I found it so much harder to become a former cigarette smoker than a former user of alcohol. I had nicotine usage hooked up to so many things... making phone calls, writing anything, figuring out what to put on the grocery list... these aren't contexts that one can just erase from a fresh start on life without the addictive substance in question.

I mean that it wasn't that complicated to toss an address book full of drinking buddies' names into the trash when I left alcohol behind, but when I quit smoking, I was practically paralyzed at first.

And it was then that I remembered with new insight the remark of my dentist, who said once that he was at a cocktail party with his brother, and "we were standing there talking and when my bro reached into his jacket pocket for his cigarettes, I just automatically reached for mine too, but the thing is that I had quit smoking 17 years prior to that moment."

He was trying to talk me into quitting but also saying I'd have to pay attention not to relapse "on autopilot" since back then, smoking almost anywhere was socially acceptable and it was common for people who were lighting a cigarette to proffer the pack and ask "Want one?"

So the challenge in staying clear of cigarettes was a little different to the one of just not hanging out in the pub after work. Cigarettes seemed to be everywhere. But at the time he said that to me, I had no idea how deeply my own reliance on nicotine had already altered the way my brain worked.

So it was all "show and tell" for me, one connection at a time. I relapsed into smoking again about 8 or 10 times I think... sometimes even after not smoking for two years. Now it's been 20 years but I swear there are moments when I could light one up if an open pack and a lighter happened to be at hand, and I might not even realize I was doing it until I would (of course!!) cough upon inhaling. Now that's an addiction! I meant to try to quit smoking soon after I stopped using alcohol, but it took another 20 years for me to leave nicotine behind. I had to quit being arrogant and pay a lot of attention to helpful info about stuff like taking a deep breath, having a glass of water, walking up and down the stairs a couple times, walking around the block... all options to manage to discard a sudden craving for a cigarette many, many weeks or months after nicotine had left my system entirely.

You're right about the vigilance. Rewiring the brain to leave a dependency behind can take quite awhile, and it's not wise to figure "I got this beat" after some particular timeframe.

The rewiring the brain thing is true. I found Dr. Norman Doidge's book The Brain That Changes Itself very enlightening in that regard.

 

[A.Goldberg]

Currently dealing with fighting a problem that has plagued me since childhood. Been getting professional help and it's been a very long road. I lose motivation to fight when things are going "ok". I'm becoming more aware of the patterns in life that lead to me falling down again, I'm just not sure how to break them. I almost wish I would hit rock bottom and everything crash down in my life so that I am backed into a corner and can't hide from it anymore.

Any good stories or personal experiences here?

I just wanted to check in and see how things were going.

As I’ve stated before, addiction recovery is a difficult journey. Most people don’t get it the first time.

As a non-addict but someone who works in mental health with many people suffering addiction, I find too many people are conditioned to focus on recovery time. For example, if someone is sober for months and relapses, they perceive that as an absolute loss. It is not! Some recovery programs prefer to see it as setting the clock back to zero, but don’t recognize enough the progress and achievements in such a time.

Another observation, particularly with younger people, many lack a sense of purpose of life. Without purpose in life, there’s not much to be sober for. I think Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankel is a must read for those struggling with addiction, and really everyone in general. It’s a quick, easy read.

If you ever need some inspiration, there are plenty of AA and NA meetings around- especially online. You don’t have to subscribe to the 12-step philosophy to appreciate others stories and get some peer support.


Hope you are doing well. Stay safe!

 

[LizKat]

The rewiring the brain thing is true. I found Dr. Norman Doidge's book The Brain That Changes Itself very enlightening in that regard.

It is a fascinating book; research certainly continues into how the plasticity of the human brain and related technologies can be combined to help people with either innate or acquired dysfunction.

Some cautionary tales in the book of course do highlight the fact that the brain is capable of being programmed without conscious intent, e.g., as in the development of an addiction. The beauty of the brain is that such programming is not irreversible, but turning an undesirable set of behaviors around can be a slog because that does require conscious effort... and may require help from other people and sometimes with needed medical and technological assistance.

 

[MacBH928]

I can't talking about substance addiction, as I heard some stuff might cause health problems if it was cut cold turkey.

As for habits, no. I kind of struggle, today the habit I struggle most with is that I would like to stay more off line and away from my phone. I think the best way to cut a habit is to cut it cold turkey, most people struggle because they need time to adapt. It usually goes really tough to take the decision, then struggling, after sometime it is as if you have never had an addiction.

I fought a 20 year two pack + a day smoking addiction.

Even now, after not having a cigarette in over 40 yeas, the urge to smoke slips into the back of my mind. Even writing this is a risk... I can taste it now.

You can only win over an addiction by quitting over and over...Till the day you die .


Keep quitting folks, and never say the word "Try". a2

20 years smoking and 40 off? how old are you? 75?

 

[A.Goldberg]

It is a fascinating book; research certainly continues into how the plasticity of the human brain and related technologies can be combined to help people with either innate or acquired dysfunction.

Some cautionary tales in the book of course do highlight the fact that the brain is capable of being programmed without conscious intent, e.g., as in the development of an addiction. The beauty of the brain is that such programming is not irreversible, but turning an undesirable set of behaviors around can be a slog because that does require conscious effort... and may require help from other people and sometimes with needed medical and technological assistance.

I’ll have to check out that book. I know a bit about neuroplasticity and factors influencing it, but I’m sure there are some interesting facets to learn about.

Addiction certainly changes the brain and how it operates. It’s amazing how pathways in the brain literally change in addiction that inhibit executive function in the decision making process. Therefore decisions are made with the most primitive parts of the brain, where reward is the sole factor. Not life, family/relationship, career, financial, health etc consequences.

The brain however also shows a tremendous ability to heal- something that wasn’t realized until relatively history. You’re absolutely right- action, intent, introspection, etc are necessary. It does take time though. Generally speaking science says it takes a year of abstinence for the brain to “rewire itself” to a state where the reward center isn’t aggressively combatting sensible thinking. Depending on the substance, successful patients usually say it takes about 1-2 years to start feeling mentally and physically “normal again”. That’s not to say every day as hard and things don’t get easier, but for most it’s a journey.

——

I see addiction as monumentally important public health issue and something the public needs a lot more education on. The main goal currently is to prevent kids from using drugs- clearly vital- usually with scare tactics. But kids and adults both need to understand addiction as a whole to break down the stigmas- how addicts brain thinks, why they do what they do, that it affects all walks of life, that it is an illness, and they are worthy and deserving of help. Lastly, people need to know it’s never too late to get help and where to get it- plus how to help a friend. There should be a compassionate dimension to public addiction education.

Addiction is a truly heinous disease. It destroys ambitions and goals, and eventually lives... but not before destroying their families first. There are so many externalities too- it’s probably the biggest promoter of non-violent crime, significant contributor to violence crime, not to mention a factor in communicable diseases, General health, financial problems, educational/career achievement, etc.

I think it’s too easy for society to write off addicts as people with poor morals, victims only of their own decisions, and generally the unsophisticated grunge of society. This cannot be more untrue. I treat plenty of doctors, CEOs, lawyers, Ivy League students/grads, pro... even the occasional politician or pro athlete. Many people are not as lucky and fall into dire circumstances as a result of their addiction before they reach their true potential. Addiction is most often a maladaptive coping method- in a lot of cases it’s probably the only thing that kept them alive during heinous life circumstances (abuse, trauma, etc) for which they are not to blame. A lot of addictions stem from medical treatment- often a result negligent prescribing.

Treatment is woefully underfunded and difficult to bill insurance for. Unless you have substantial resources to pay for private-pay treatment, it’s a tough road to navigate efficiently and there’s a lot of subpar programs that probably aren’t too beneficial. (For those who can afford it, it’s not uncommon to see people spends hundreds of thousands on treatment. I’ve had several patients whose parents have reported personally spending over $1m over 4-5 years.)

It saddens me to see such a large percentage of our country written off by society, insurance companies, medical professionals, etc. Despite most people knowing at least one person affected, all the negative stereotypes and myths persist... which for many attempting recovery is a barrier- the societal shame and stigma. We need to be a lot more compassionate and give a lot more attention to this issue- both in prevention and treatment.

The pandemic and its effects has triggered massive amounts of relapses in those in recovery. Further, it’s undoubtedly going to increase substance abuse rates.

The opioid epidemic persists- but it’s not the first pharma disaster and won’t be the last. Benzodiazpaine (Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, etc) addiction caused by negligent prescribing is already a big issue, overshadowed currently by opioids, but potential future crisis. I also have some significant concerns about marijuana addiction (most significantly related to recreational legalization). It a real medical issue and has many indicators suggesting rates are much higher than the textbook estimated 10% of regular users. Even in the absence of addiction it’s behavioral effects, particularly in young adults consuming routinely, can be rather problematic.

Overall I don’t have an overly optimistic outlook on addiction in the US. Maybe opioid addiction rates will decrease substantially at some point- which would be great considering how deadly they are... but I wouldn’t be surprised to see rates of other substances increase in opioids place. But as it stands now, as of July, 35 states have seen increased opioid overdose mortality (associated with covid, per the AMA).

 

[VulchR]

...
Treatment is woefully underfunded and difficult to bill insurance for. Unless you have substantial resources to pay for private-pay treatment, it’s a tough road to navigate efficiently and there’s a lot of subpar programs that probably aren’t too beneficial. (For those who can afford it, it’s not uncommon to see people spends hundreds of thousands on treatment. I’ve had several patients whose parents have reported personally spending over $1m over 4-5 years.)

It saddens me to see such a large percentage of our country written off by society, insurance companies, medical professionals, etc. Despite most people knowing at least one person affected, all the negative stereotypes and myths persist... which for many attempting recovery is a barrier- the societal shame and stigma. We need to be a lot more compassionate and give a lot more attention to this issue- both in prevention and treatment.
...

If you total up the world-wide health cost of chemical addiction (including alcoholism and smoking), the death toll is beyond imagination. The WHO produces estimates that seem to be going down over time as public health warnings finally take hold, but in our lifetimes we're likely to see the rate of deaths from chemical addiction match the rate of deaths caused by WWII. This does not include morbidity (disabilities and long term-complications) nor the financial costs, which are also staggering.

I have to say that research funding related to addiction is modest and doesn't really reflect the social costs of addiction (declaring conflict of interest here: I would likely benefit if addiction funding increased). I think in part it is because people do not value addicts as much as other patients due to victim-blaming, but perhaps also there is pessimism about developing treatments and cures. The only thing I see on the horizon that might stand a chance is the use of vaccines (both passive and active) against addictive drugs, but that raises a hornet's nest of ethical and practical issues - that is, if this approach works at all.

 

[JMacHack]

I think in part it is because people do not value addicts as much as other patients due to victim-blaming, but perhaps also there is pessimism about developing treatments and cures.

I can personally attest to this, most of my family works in healthcare and normally are very caring about their patients. However, my Grandma (who was a nurse for over 50 years, a CNA before that) has expressed many times that she thinks we shouldn't use NARCAN and just let addicts die. This despite the fact that she herself has overcome 30 years of cigarette addiction, and her stepson (who she considers her son, and vice versa) nearly died due to a combination of substances. My sister, who doesn't have any addictions (though she does drink on weekends) feels the same way (she works in admitting).

One thing that always stuck with me was the way my uncle went in for a hug from my grandpa, and Grandpa pushed him away.

This may make them sound horrible, but they're genuinely loving, caring people. It's just that when addiction is brought up they lose all sympathy for some reason.

 

[VulchR]

I can personally attest to this, most of my family works in healthcare and normally are very caring about their patients. However, my Grandma (who was a nurse for over 50 years, a CNA before that) has expressed many times that she thinks we shouldn't use NARCAN and just let addicts die. This despite the fact that she herself has overcome 30 years of cigarette addiction, and her stepson (who she considers her son, and vice versa) nearly died due to a combination of substances. My sister, who doesn't have any addictions (though she does drink on weekends) feels the same way (she works in admitting).

One thing that always stuck with me was the way my uncle went in for a hug from my grandpa, and Grandpa pushed him away.

This may make them sound horrible, but they're genuinely loving, caring people. It's just that when addiction is brought up they lose all sympathy for some reason.

I've seen it too. I work at a University and many years ago a student had uneven performance due to addiction. The student had been failing, then detoxed, and subsequently earned highest marks possible. He was denied admission to an honors program nominally due to insufficient GPA, but the comment from the leader of the admissions committee was 'it was his choice to take drugs'. There are times when a facepalm is not enough.

 

[TSE]

I just wanted to check in and see how things were going.

As I’ve stated before, addiction recovery is a difficult journey. Most people don’t get it the first time.

As a non-addict but someone who works in mental health with many people suffering addiction, I find too many people are conditioned to focus on recovery time. For example, if someone is sober for months and relapses, they perceive that as an absolute loss. It is not! Some recovery programs prefer to see it as setting the clock back to zero, but don’t recognize enough the progress and achievements in such a time.

Another observation, particularly with younger people, many lack a sense of purpose of life. Without purpose in life, there’s not much to be sober for. I think Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankel is a must read for those struggling with addiction, and really everyone in general. It’s a quick, easy read.

If you ever need some inspiration, there are plenty of AA and NA meetings around- especially online. You don’t have to subscribe to the 12-step philosophy to appreciate others stories and get some peer support.


Hope you are doing well. Stay safe!

Hi!

Things are going great - I am in a 12-step program and only had one relapse since June 28th. Although, what I've truly been struggling with recently is my addiction has been replaced by many smaller, less dangerous addictions... online shopping, video games, and web browsing. I'm thankful everyday to not be where I was, but it's still an uphill battle. The biggest change that has led to my success is when the withdrawals come back, I no longer try to fight the withdrawals or urges to use, but actively accept that it's happening and reach out to fellows in my 12 step group or friends and family until the feelings and mindspace passes.

I would say right now I do not have a purpose in life, you're right. Life is very murky as a young person. I picked up that book by Viktor Frankel years ago and it made me actually feel very depressed, but maybe it wasn't the right time to read it. I'll pick it up and give it another shot sometime.


Hope things are going well with you as well, and thanks for asking.

 

[Healer Flame]

Any good stories or personal experiences here?

Yes, quit smoking cigarette in my mid 20's but failed to resist cakes 🎂

 

[VulchR]

Yes, quit smoking cigarette in my mid 20's but failed to resist cakes 🎂

Supposedly (but probably not) Mark Twain said that quitting smoking was the easiest thing he ever did - he'd done it a thousand times....

 

[LizKat]

Supposedly (but probably not) Mark Twain said that quitting smoking was the easiest thing he ever did - he'd done it a thousand times....

Yeah there was a DEFINITELY a time I could identify with that. For awhile there I thought I'd never get the desire even to try to quit again but then I would, and then there would be times I was looking for an excuse to pick up a cigarette and anything would do. Literally anything, I mean an annoying headline in a newspaper or the sight of a cabbage moth on a broccoli leaf. A cigarette might be my solution, yeah! Then I would quit again for two afternoons...

Still have no idea why after a three day blizzard, it occurred to me that maybe I didn't want to resume smoking once my driveways had been plowed out so I could have gone to the store. I don't discount miracles any more. But I also think I was probably reaching a point of understanding that it wasn't getting easier to quit, and that "starting over" all the time was depressing. And I did feel better physically after not smoking for an extended period. So on balance it was worth getting really focused on becoming a nonsmoker. Not someone who had "quit smoking", just a nonsmoker for today. The days have added up and added up and here I am 20 years later, still a nonsmoker... for today.

 

[Sword86]

The rewiring the brain thing is true. I found Dr. Norman Doidge's book The Brain That Changes Itself very enlightening in that regard.

I concur. I went on a binge of reading books like this after three strokes.
There was another one that was OK, but my experience differed a bit from hers. My Stroke of Insight by Dr. Jill Bronte Taylor.
In my own experiences, there are a lot of tricks to help re-wire your neuro pathways. I re-learned how to walk and talk half decently but watching me try to run is frightful. My balance is probably the worst lingering effect along with loss of foot speed. That is why I can no longer run or play hockey.
I was once back home and showed my sister in law that I could finally run again. She said that if I was going to run in their neighbourhood, please do it at night. We’re still related.
I damaged a knee due to my gait being off, but it took about ten years to show itself. I have a few deficiencies still but I get by. I blew the pattellar tendon in my ‘good’ knee in June so that sucked. Two wonky knees now.

OTOH, my recovery from my so-called addiction is sixteen years this month. No issue at all, ever. I’ve always suspected my strokes were the result of my ‘addiction’ but my doc says, not likely. I do not agree with him.

S

 

[LizKat]

I can personally attest to this, most of my family works in healthcare and normally are very caring about their patients. However, my Grandma (who was a nurse for over 50 years, a CNA before that) has expressed many times that she thinks we shouldn't use NARCAN and just let addicts die. This despite the fact that she herself has overcome 30 years of cigarette addiction, and her stepson (who she considers her son, and vice versa) nearly died due to a combination of substances. My sister, who doesn't have any addictions (though she does drink on weekends) feels the same way (she works in admitting).

One thing that always stuck with me was the way my uncle went in for a hug from my grandpa, and Grandpa pushed him away.

This may make them sound horrible, but they're genuinely loving, caring people. It's just that when addiction is brought up they lose all sympathy for some reason.

It's probably because people in the healthcare professions do or can get get exposed to the "revolving door" syndrome of some substance-addicted patients who experience multiple and frequent relapses. The carers in emergency treatment venues may go all out to keep the person from croaking, bring him back from the dead (sometimes literally, e.g. w/ NARCAN), find a slot in a detox unit and then reach out to locate a 28-day program or outpatient care and counseling... but then blam... a month or six weeks or four months later the same guy is carted in having a seizure or overdosing or whatever. Once last year here the sheriff's department NARCAN'd the same college student twice in a month on the same damn country road, presumably after the kid had made a connection. Hopefully the second time they did more than drop him off at the uni health center, but it can be difficult in rural areas to round up a detox bed on short notice.

There is certainly the possibility of long term recovery for any substance addict, and millions of people do achieve a sustained recovery, many with restored ability to function in high level jobs and familial relationships, but in the short term for some of them --and until death for others-- some people just can't manage to maintain a recovery effort, even with well orchestrated handoffs from detox to rehab to aftercare to halfway house and aftercare assistance. And others will astound by taking to recovery as if they were ducklings imprinted on an image of clean and sober living.

It's not always clear why or what makes the difference in the variety of responses to addiction treatment and followup care, and there are always outliers on both ends, the ones you think will never make it, too hard a row for anyone to hoe, and the ones you figure as "high bottom" learners, folks who got off the elevator before it went to sub-basement B5. Some of both types never look back to the days of using, and some of both types end up dead because they just can't process that their addiction requires them to recover if they don't want to die of it.

One problem is that relapse is fairly common before someone connects internally with desire to extend a recovery. Another is that as active addicts in the throes of detaching from the addictive substance, we are probably not at our best in terms of how we relate to other people, including the people looking to help us.

It's a tragic waste of potential though, when someone doesn't ever quite manage to latch onto a recovery, and on the professional caregivers' side --with constant exposure to difficult and often relapsing patients-- it can be really difficult not to start thinking "see, they're all like that and so all of this is for what, really." And of course if you work emergency response venues then you are not going to encounter the success stories, right? They get better and recover and never land on your ward or in your ambo. The ones you see again get to be what you expect to see. Oh this one again...

So, burnout of caregivers is a serious issue, and some caregiving units make sure to cycle their carers through burnout prevention refresher courses every year or two. Can't really look after your patients or clients properly on the job if you're not also reserving time and resources to look after yourself... professionally, and personally. Easy to recite, not so easy to remember to find ways to make it happen.

 

[Polly Mercocet]

Yes I kicked a 300mg daily oxy habit. I say "kicked" rather than "beat" or "defeated" because I didn't even really consider it "beating" anything. I don't think that language helps because it makes it sound like you're fighting some sort of huge scary monster. In reality you are battling your own inner demons. Addiction is usually a result of a coping strategy or self-medication or both. So you need to understand why you got into the position you did and work out how to exit it. And you need hope things will improve once you quit. A support network is a big key to this. Finally you need to actually want to quit for yourself. Being forced into rehab never helped anyone, they will come out and head straight back to their dealer. You need to actually have the desire to quit for your own reasons.

The big thing for me is I just looked at myself and thought, where do I want to go and where is this life leading me? Either I change what I'm doing or I waste my short life before I OD. And I have a lot of potential and things I want to do in the future. So I began the painstaking process of withdrawal.

It also helped that I'd gotten to a point where my tolerance was so high I wasn't even getting high anymore, but rather was just taking the stuff to keep withdrawals away. This is monotonous and boring, the fun from the early days had long gone. It was no longer a case of crushing up an 80 and nodding out in intense pleasure for the rest of the day. It was more like a chore. I have to take this stuff or I'll feel sick today.

So I tapered and eventually got all the way down to zero. It was a painful process that took month or two but at least I didn't have to cold turkey the ****. I also got hit with PAWS so I felt horribly depressed for a few months after too. But I still wasn't tempted back.

Again though I don't consider this some huge triumph of mine. I just... did what had to be done. I was sick of living like that so I changed it. Nothing more to it in my head. Not trying to downplay addiction, just saying that's my own thoughts from my own experience.

Since then I have used cannabis and the occasional bit of MDMA or LSD in ways I consider therapeutic. The weed gives me a replacement drug which much much much less risk than oxy. The MDMA and LSD allow me to introspect and connect with my emotions and other people, which is normally very difficult for me to do (maybe because I'm autistic, I'm not sure). Unless Covid has pushed the schedule back, MDMA should be FDA approved as a medicine by 2022-2023, it's in phase III clinical trials and doing very well. Check out MAPS if you're curious about that.

MDMA – Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies – MAPS

www.maps.org

Also of note, the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous promoted the use of LSD to treat alcoholism. Today there are active clinical trials on MDMA, LSD, psilocybin, and ketamine. Psychedelic therapy is the wave of the future. For all sorts of mental illnesses. Addiction included.

I've found it lovely to switch from numbing my emotions with dangerous opioids to exploring them with MDMA and LSD.

Oh and others mentioned philosophy. This was part of my process as well. I read a lot of Nietzsche, found it inspiring and motivational in many ways, and it pushed me to face my pain instead of hiding from it. That's also reflected in using psychedelics, which by nature make you face your demons, rather than opiates to numb myself. It's worked very well. I'm in a much better place emotionally and mentally and I have even gotten myself a much better job.

I can personally attest to this, most of my family works in healthcare and normally are very caring about their patients. However, my Grandma (who was a nurse for over 50 years, a CNA before that) has expressed many times that she thinks we shouldn't use NARCAN and just let addicts die. This despite the fact that she herself has overcome 30 years of cigarette addiction, and her stepson (who she considers her son, and vice versa) nearly died due to a combination of substances. My sister, who doesn't have any addictions (though she does drink on weekends) feels the same way (she works in admitting).

One thing that always stuck with me was the way my uncle went in for a hug from my grandpa, and Grandpa pushed him away.

This may make them sound horrible, but they're genuinely loving, caring people. It's just that when addiction is brought up they lose all sympathy for some reason.

Yes unfortunately this is a common view still. My mum said outright "people who use drugs deserve to die." She was then shocked when she found out about my problems and asked why I didn't just come to her. I laughed and said you having a laugh or what? I reminded her of what she said. Her response? "Oh I didn't mean prescription drugs!"

What an arbitrary distinction! And I know she's aware of how arbitrary it is because she's seen people get hooked on perfectly legal substances like prescription pills and alcohol. I know her well enough to know she doesn't actually believe there's some special distinction. It just maybe finally clicked in her head that her position "all those druggies should just die" included her own son. I hope she actually took some time to reflect upon that.

Anyone who actually understands the history of the "war on drugs" knows how utterly absurd it is. None of it is based on science, but instead on American morality which was forced onto the rest of the world through the UN Single Convention on Narcotics using threats of economic sanctions after WWII. If it were in any way scientific, alcohol and tobacco would not be legal.

An interesting bit of history most people likely aren't aware of is Britain resisted the US push for a global drugs prohibition policy because we complained it was based on internal US moral crusades that had nothing to do with us. Up until the 60's we operated the British System by which addicts had their drugs prescribed. Addiction was seen as a medical issue without any stigma or criminal associations.

This worked very well - under the British System, the number of addicts was extremely low (under 1,000 in the entire country) and those addicts were able to be normal functional members of society as they had no need to commit crimes to fund their habits. But once the UK bowed to US political pressure and instituted prohibition, suddenly addiction skyrocketed. Prohibition is a failed policy.

The British System is still used in some countries like Switzerland to this day, and a version of it is making a bit of a comeback with supervised injection rooms in many European countries and Canada too. This is a harm reduction approach and it works very well.

Then you have Portugal, where personal use of all drugs is decriminalised and addiction is rightfully treated as a health problem. They have one of the lowest overdose rates in the world as a result.

I cannot help but find it mad how recent our current attitude towards drugs actually is and yet we think it has always been a given. It's literally so recent that our great grandparents could simply buy opium and cocaine over the counter.

 

[VulchR]

...
Anyone who actually understands the history of the "war on drugs" knows how utterly absurd it is.
...

While I think that some regulation is required (no kids; possibly a substance user's license that could be revoked if addiction or antisocial behavior was detected), it is clear people are voting for drug use with their wallets. A huge proportion of international trade is in legal and illegal drugs. The estimated economic value of the drug trade rivals that of tourism.

 

[ChrisChaval]

I quit smoking over 10 years ago and learned to play the guitar instead.

One day I just decided to quit, to NOT light a cigarette any more. That first step, it really was that simple and it basically was the desire to be free. The struggle then was to not fall victim to those bad old habits again.

I strongly believe that we as human beings are creatures of habits. Unconsciously and over the course of our lives, we create our daily routines and habits and continue to live by them for years, good or bad.

Today, I for myself choose every single day to question my way of life, to evaluate, to continue to try to choose good habits over bad ones. Just like choosing my guitar over my smoking.

As long as we are not talking about severe addictions that require professional care and help we can be in control of quite a lot in our lives, if we so choose.

If you feel you cannot be in control, if you feel you are slave to some bad habit and cannot get rid of it by yourself, go get help. If people offer you help, accept it. Accepting help is not a sign of weakness. It takes a lot of courage. It is a fist step into a healthy chapter of your new life.

The bad habit often presents itself as a wolf in sheep clothes. It tells you it is so good for you, when in fact it is more or less slowly destroying your life, taking people and things away from you and leaving you with nothing, often not even with your own life.

What you can do in any case is to evaluate, to question your way of living each and every day and to ask yourself if you are still living as a free man/woman.

Every day, I choose not to be a slave to anyone or anything and this is how I broke free from smoking (and other situations). I still have got some demons to beat, but hey, nobody is perfect. Working on it.

What I said above about bad habits goes for bad people and/or situations as well. Get way from them as soon as you spot then. Just keep scanning and evaluating. Questioning yourself and your surroundings.

Get help if you need to and do not feel ashamed to accept it when offered.

Stay safe, stay strong, stay free

 

[Polly Mercocet]

While I think that some regulation is required (no kids; possibly a substance user's license that could be revoked if addiction or antisocial behavior was detected), it is clear people are voting for drug use with their wallets. A huge proportion of international trade is in legal and illegal drugs. The estimated economic value of the drug trade rivals that of tourism.

Absolutely on both counts. If I was arranging a new system I'd regulate each drug differently. After all, it'd make no sense to treat cannabis and heroin equally. I'd arrange it so cannabis could be sold fairly openly like booze is now while heroin was once again made available only on prescription to existing addicts. This is something we simply know works. And it is a net benefit to society. Crime rates decrease, addicts become functional members of society who work and pay taxes, police resources can be used more effectively, demand for illicit heroin virtually disappears leaving the dealers with no incentive to sell it, and if such policies are instituted in enough countries it'd even harm the cartels.

Literally the only people who lose out in that scenario are criminal gangs. Unfortunately it may also harm the profits of alcohol, tobacco, and pharma companies if other substances were legal, and in the US the DEA relies on continued prohibition to exist and they're powerful and wealthy. All this is the only actual reason drugs remain illegal. After all wouldn't wanna harm the legal drug pushers like the good folks at Purdue and Pfizer.

Nonetheless we are seeing good progress. Cannabis is being legalised for medical and recreational use around the world, psychedelics will soon be approved for medical use in the US and EU, things are looking up slowly but surely.

As for the size of the illicit drug trade, iirc drugs are the second biggest commodity below oil and thanks to prohibition that entire market has been handed to ruthless criminals. People will use drugs no matter what the law says. The UK government did a study comparing rates of drug use in countries with relaxed drug laws and countries with strict drug laws and found it made no difference. Yet they're still pushing for a "war on drugs" anyway. But see they need drugs to be "bad" for political reasons and to keep their corporate sponsors happy so there you go.

Look into Professor David Nutt if you want to see what the government does when one of their top advisors says "actually, according to this actual scientific research you asked me to carry out, drugs aren't as bad as you think and alcohol does more harm to people and society." Spoiler alert they sacked him for telling the truth.

Finally just want to state one more fact. There are only two types of drugs where the withdrawals can actually kill you. One is alcohol and the other is the benzodiazepine family (Valium, Xanax, Klonopin, etc). Illicit addictive drugs can have horrible withdrawals, but those withdrawals don't actually result in death, that only happens if you're hooked on state approved legally available substances. Out of the two, alcohol withdrawal is more likely to cause seizures and therefore possible death, with benzos you do have to be abusing them pretty hard for it to be a realistic risk. But those idiots who "pop bars" are certainly putting themselves in that risk group. As an old saying goes: Opiate withdrawal makes you think you're going to die. Alcohol withdrawal makes you die.

And if you're wondering why I'm rambling on so much it's because I'm on my government approved doctor prescribed amphetamine. Because we all know it's okay to take speed every day if a doctor gives it to you. Honestly the double standard when it comes to pharmaceuticals and "drugs" is hilarious. I do actually have ADHD but I mean we both know you give anyone some Adderall it'll have nootropic benefits. The idea that stimulants "work differently" in people with ADHD is a complete myth.

 

[VulchR]

... The idea that stimulants "work differently" in people with ADHD is a complete myth.

If you are describing Ritalin, supposedly the dosage is low enough that the drug increases alertness without evoking euphoria. Seems like a somewhat suspect claim to me, but there are both subjective report data and functional imaging data to support it. The problem is absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

As for Nutt I live in the UK and the situation is a little more complex than many realise. Nutt used experts to rate drug harms and showed those ratings differed markedly from the legal classification of some drugs (e.g., alcohol is very harmful both acutely and chronically, but legal in the UK, whereas MDMA, which probably causes far less damage and indeed might be used therapeutically in some psychiatric contexts, is a Class A drug with the highest penalty for illegal possession). If Nutt had limited himself to making the one point that expert opinion and legal classification mismatch in some cases, he would have been fine. The obvious issue, though, is that this study was based on expert opinion rather than hard epidemiological evidence, which the public are more inclined to trust than expert opinion. Moreover, he called for policy changes publicly without being cleared by the government to do so. The problem for politicians is that they have a duty to listen to the people who elected them. So, some poor parent relates to a tabloid the story of how their kid had a lethal reaction to MDMA (or whatever it was they ingested), a wave of public sentiment rises against the drug, and the drug gets listed as Class A. Thus, scientists have to speak softly and carry lots of data. They are not the elected ones - politicians are.

The bizarre fact is the public vote with their wallets and buy drugs of all sorts, but paradoxically elect officials who present drugs as a moral law-and-order issue rather than a public health issue. Someday I hope both will change.