• H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist | cdin | Lil'LinaptkSix

Recovery A new me.

Hey LHL, have you seen the Netflix series Insatiable? It's basically about rich assholes in a fictional Atlanta suburb, complete with shallow, superficial women who despite their wealth are still basically trailer trash and effeminate men, who despite having families are clearly gay (think Todd Chrisley). I thought of you after I started watching it after hearing your travails with the bf's parental units. It's hilarious, although it could be just about any big southern city. It could just as easily be set in Dallas, Birmingham, Jackson, Nashville, Charlotte or any number of other places. Alyssa Milano and Sarah Colonna, who used to be Chelsea Handler's sidekick is in it. The two of them have got to lay off the sauce, though. They're both younger than I am and they look 10 years older, and I've been drinking like a fish since I was 17.
 
Last edited:
Bahaha, I know right Aihfl!!??? They have so much money too, and they STILL end up looking like cats!! It's a combo of rx meds. booze and too much plastic surgery. Same with all the housewives.



.Alyssa Milano and Sarah Colonna, who used to be Chelsea Handler's sidekick is in it. The two of them have got to lay off the sauce, though. They're both younger than I am and they look 10 years older, and I've been drinking like a fish since I was 17.
 
Hey you know what's really awesome? Staying out way too late on a Friday night drinking with your friends, and then waking up 30 minutes past your clinics close time on Saturday morning... Meaning you are going to miss Saturday and Sunday's dosing. Luckily, I Live 5 minutes away so I jumped into my car and got there just as the nurses and front desk staff were about to walk out. They wouldn't dose me... But they were kind enough to write me I guests dose referral over at a clinic that stayed open till 11 that was just down the street... I barely made it in before they closed there but I got there in time. Unfortunately they charge a guest dosing transfer fee of $40 plus $24 total for both days worth of medicine making it a $66 fee all together for waking up late... When it would have cost me nothing extra at my home Clinic because I paid for the whole week already... But I didn't miss my dosing... And I would have been feeling pretty rough by now. This is the only thing I hate about methadone... The Suboxone I could stash pills here and there but with the methadone I really can't... I guess I could not take my Sunday dose but I don't do that with my methadone. Unfortunately it's the week before Payday too so that almost $70 cost is going to hurt me this week... But I don't regret it the drugs would have cost more to get me through this weekend if I had to do that instead. Anyways..my weekend has been good. Restful. Will update more tomorrow. Love yall
 
That’s definitely a major hurtle with methadone, is how restricted it is and challenging to get takehomes.

That said, if you continue doing well and passing UAs you’ll get takehomes sooner than later.

Hows the treatment continuing to work for you btw?

Ps nice mug :)
 
Yep, huge (and rather expensive) pain in my ass :/. I got two days worth of meds that I won't have to pay for at my home clinic eventually so it was really only a $42 loss all in all, but still. Gotta remember, the dope I would've needed to maintain myself that long would've cost way more than that so it wasn't too bad..just leaves me kinda tight till payday on Friday.

What am I at? I guess 8 days since my 1/2 day relapse, but just a week shy of a month on methadone with just that one slip up! Things have been good! Things have been real good! Im taking one class this semester (I am just a few shy of graduating with my bachelors in psychology) and starting tonight after work. Gonna suck having school on Mon and Wed till 7:15, but fortunately my school is near my office and traffic sucks on the way back home anyways so it won't be so bad having a class while traffic dies down some.

Been feeling fine. A little restless, like I don't know what to do with myself without trying to find drugs, using, thinking about how/where to get drugs next. You don't realize how much time drugs take up in your life until you're done and then you're like,,,ok now what do I do with myself with all of this time, now? I get home an hour-an hour and half earlier every single day because I don't go out scoring after work. My bathroom breaks at work even take less time, lol. So much time I wasted using/getting drugs over the past couple years...sheesh! Anyways, trying to find things to fill all this newfound time up, but having trouble sometimes. I've been keeping up with my housework, I've been trying to get some exercise (walking my dog some anyways), and I try to listen to music at home and watch shows I like, practice guitar, etc. It's working, but I still feel like *something* is missing (that something probably being drugs, honestly, though I'm sure someone will probably chime in with "Jesus!" instead). I'm sure I'll get over that, though. Things are getting better. Not being on dope is becoming my new normal and I dig it. My only complaint about methadone is that it still can make me really tired. I can make it through the day, especially with a lot of coffee, but I get so tired at nights sometimes. Shit, tired all day really. I can stay awake if I really need to, but as soon as I sit down and let my eyes close, I'm out. And I stay out. I can sleep, uninterrupted, for hours. When I fall asleep at night, usually around 10 or 11, I'm out like a light till my 7am alarm. I feel good and rested, but but lunch my eyes are heavy again (like right now even though I just drank a really strong coffee). I fear I've been drinking so much coffee lately that it's not working on me anymore. Or maybe the methadone is really just that powerful. I don't feel like my dose is too heavy otherwise. I'm not sweating all of the time, I'm generally pretty comfortable temperature-wise, I'm slightly constipated but still going once a morning, and I definitely don't feel high, I just feel normal, pretty much,,,sleepiness is my only real symptom. For the past 2 months, I've been taking a multivitamin that contains 300% of the body's daily requirement of b12 (plus other b vitmains), which are supposed to give the body a lot of natural energy. I've heard, however, the multivitamins can be pretty much useless (or not create much of an observable effect on the consumer. anyways). I just want to stay awake! Don't get me wrong. I love having the ability to nap and sleep (something we pray for in recovery, often times) whenever I want, I just hate feeling dragged down. I'm becoming that girl who wants to go home at midnight on Friday night because I"m exhausted, I'm 32, I'm not 60! Any suggestions, methadone vets? Should I go down in dosage? I feel like this is the perfect dose in every other way. I didn't feel like my dose held me through the day/night until I got to 60 but I'm just so fucking tired, HALP!!

Other than that, things are good. Slept a lot this weekend. If you read the above paragraph that's probably not too surprising lol
 
I wouldn’t mess with your dose until you have more full stabilized. If you’re curious try lowering it by 5mg maybe, but there are other ways you can help with the fatigue (diet, exercise and just taking it easy on yourself however you can).

Glad to hear you aren’t being too hard yourself after slipping up. Clinics expect people to make mistakes, especially during the first 90 days. So that’s not such a big deal.

Just be mindful that once you have a couple months without any UA issues they will start giving you take homes. Not having to go in everyday to dose makes life a lot easier.

Are you seeing a therapist or anything? Sounds like you’ll be pretty busy with school and work, but the most support you find the more you invest in your recovery.

If the fatigue doesn’t get better once you’ve stabilized (1-3 months without using heroin/etc), it would be worthwhile experimenting with lowering your dose.

Might want to avoid sugar, as that’ll add to the fatigue. Same with coffee actually, but it shouldn’t be a problem if you’re only drinking it in the morning.

In a way, as long as it doesn’t interfere with your work or school, the tiredness isn’t such a bad thing. Coming off a habit like heroin, it’s good to give yourself lots of rest. It’ll help with the healing process. And if you can get some exercise each day, and eat healthy, you’ll really be giving you body-mind what it needs right now.

Outside the clinic and SL, do you have any support IRL?
 
Just started RR. Also lots of love and support from a great family, group of friends, and s.o. but I'm the only "junkie" I know, so RR is the only place I can get support from someone who's been there.

Yeah, I really didn't want to lower my dose, but I'm just exhausted (i was especially tired whilst writing that response) most afternoons. You're probably right about needing the rest, though. I just hate feeling like i'm sleeping my life away. ya know?
 
lhl: The best advice I could give you is what TPD already said: getting exercise. That, and eating a good diet, are the only things that really helped me. I didn't like doing the exercise, but I was always more energetic the rest of the day after I did. Exercise can turn into a much easier routine if you keep it up regularly. It really does help with energy. I use a treadmill and also going for long walks on weekends.

I would have tried calisthenics, but I figure if God wanted me to touch my toes, he would have put them on my knee caps. ;)
Your friend,
Dale
 
That's great to hear lady!! The more support the better. I'm sure you will get used to the dose you're on and hope you won't feel so tired after a while.

I hope you're having a great day!! Proud of you!!
your friend,
Ash.

Just started RR. Also lots of love and support from a great family, group of friends, and s.o. but I'm the only "junkie" I know, so RR is the only place I can get support from someone who's been there.

Yeah, I really didn't want to lower my dose, but I'm just exhausted (i was especially tired whilst writing that response) most afternoons. You're probably right about needing the rest, though. I just hate feeling like i'm sleeping my life away. ya know?
 
Just started RR. Also lots of love and support from a great family, group of friends, and s.o. but I'm the only "junkie" I know, so RR is the only place I can get support from someone who's been there.

Yeah, I really didn't want to lower my dose, but I'm just exhausted (i was especially tired whilst writing that response) most afternoons. You're probably right about needing the rest, though. I just hate feeling like i'm sleeping my life away. ya know?

Sounds like it would be a great time to learn how to meditate too. Along with exercise and diet it will also help.

I have mixed feelings about the meditation instruction from RR. In the first case it’s really hit or miss, and it seems rare anyone with training actually does the meditation instruction. In the second, the instruction is really basic and boilerplate.

The guided meditations at RR meetings provided a nice introduction to meditation, the quality is just really limited. RR is more about providing a peer support community (a Buddhist version of 12 Step stuff) than it is about developing a meditation practice.

I’d recommend continuing with RE if you find it helpful, but if you’re specifically interested in developing a meditation or mindfulness practice, I’d recommend practice specific programs elsewhere (like Metta Group - the guy who runs that is amazing and is really good about integrating meditation to support your recovery).
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have mixed feelings about the meditation instruction from RR. In the first case it’s really hit or miss, and it seems rare anyone with training actually does the meditation instruction. In the second, the instruction is really basic and boilerplate.

The guided meditations at RR meetings provided a nice introduction to meditation, the quality is just really limited. RR is more about providing a peer support community (a Buddhist version of 12 Step stuff) than it is about developing a meditation practice.
RR doesn't claim to be anything other than a peer support community. It's said in the meeting introductions that 1. meetings are not a substitute for your own meditation practice and 2. there's a disclaimer that the meeting and meditation leaders are not Buddhist teachers.

Personally, I don't even listen to the meditation instructions. About ten years ago, I got shanghaied into going to (for the lack of a better term) a self-empowerment forum called Landmark Forum. They have a name for that voice in your head you can't turn off, "always already listening." But you can over time learn to stop that voice from being judgmental and self-defeating to one that constructively accomplishes something. That's what I focus on during the meditation.
 
I am!

So sorry. folks..ya know, I had this long-ass update written out last week that i never got to finish. I opened up my browser on my work laptop this am and there it was, staring me in the face..all unsent and shit.

Last week my work had a big conference with a bunch of investors and potential investors in town. Pretty much Tues-Fri I was swamped with stupid motivational presentations, product demos for products I've seen a million times, all you can eat buffets, Korean karaoke bars (I work for Koreans, in case I didn't mention or if anyone forgot), and lots and lots of schmoozing. I recently got a promotion from an entry level/secretarial role to a mid-level management position so I had a lot more responsibilities this conference than in ones in the past...they even made me do a 15 min ppt presentation (which was met with a lot of blank stares since like 60% of the room spoke no English). There were about four or five potential investors that are American/Canadian and they wanted me to basically take them under my wing throughout the week (as I said...schmoozing basically).

Every single time I tried to finish my update last week, someone would inevitably pull me aside or ask me to "come here for a min" or something. And each evening, er night, I didn't get home till the 10-11pm range and literally passed tf out. I don't usually get on here much on the weekends bc that's usually bf/friend time and I'm not in front of a computer all day. But, have no fear, bluelight, I am well!

Still on 60mg methadone, still no dope usin's! :D I've been feeling kinda meh at night, once again, and cravings are starting to creep up after work again as well. I talked to my counselor this morning and he suggested a small dose increase may be needed. My methadone people: is it normal to feel like a dose is working, then a few days later, have it not work as effectively? That's what I feel like happens to me. I go up to a dose and I'm like "oh! this is the perfect dose for me!" then, after a week or so I start feeling shitty at night again and start to have lingering dope cravings again. Or is this the addict in me trying to convince myself that I need more, when I really don't? I have a bs in psychology. with a focus in neuroscience, and I know that the brain is a powerful organ and can create psychosomatic symptoms that feel very real...part of me wonders if that is what is happening here. Idk though, some of my symptoms seem very real. My GI issues are especially bad...I have IBS already (I think I've told you guys that) and opiates always made me normal or stopped me up completely. I could always tell my dose of whatever was wearing off if I felt a bm coming on and, when in full wd, i couldn't get off the toilet. Now, it's somewhere between being regular and full wd stomach (depending on how much I've eaten that day)...but it's all day long, something I never had a problem with on opiates...which makes me think I'm not on the right dose. I'm glad to not be stopped up and have to take laxatives every day like a lot of mmt patients, but i'm tired of constantly having a stomach ache and having to spend so much time in the bathroom. Sorry not sorry about this, btw.

Other than feeling kinda meh towards the end of my days, everything else is well. Work is going good, relationship is going good, life in general is going good. Looking forward to the upcoming labor day weekend! My clinic gives me an extra takehome for monday so I might actually get to go camping, or drive 3 hours to the coast for a couple of days, or something since I'll have an extra day to not have to go up there. Speaking of that, if I pass my UA next month I get to move up in my MMT program...meaning I get an extra takehome day...which I can't wait for. After another clean 2 mos, i'll get another. This is great bc I really want to be able to travel at some point, and right now that's pretty much impossible. Oh, and btw, my clinic counts a UA that has only THC in it as "clean", weird, right? My clinic is owned by a 30 year old guy (who is actually shares some mutual friends with me) who inherited the place from his father when he retired, so idk if he's fudging the UA results to send in to the state or what. but I sure as hell didn't think my UA would be "clean" seeing as I put Tommy Chong to shame currently. Buuut...it was..so..I don't know what to tell you. When I asked my counselor, he said, "we're pretty lax about marijuana..but nothing else". So..idk. As I've mentioned before, I get the ETG (i think those are the right letters...) test that tests for 72 hours worth of alcohol metabolites, which I've failed in the past a few times, and that's a much bigger deal to them than thc. But..i was clean on that one as well, even though I had one beer the previous evening..so I'm not sure exactly how that one works seeing as I've showed alcohol at times when I've had one or two beers the night before, and other times not showed when I've had one or two beers the night before...I'm not really sure what makes a difference...water consumption, maybe?

Anyways, I hope everyone is well. Hope I didn't scare anyone with my absence ;)
 
Good to see you back around LHL. So you work for Koreans? Interesting. On my way to the mountains I usually stop in Chambodia (Chamblee) and pick up a roast duck and a few groceries to nosh on while I'm away from civilization. Although I never would have imagined I would live to see the day when you can get sushi in the Blairsville Ingles. Quite a few good Korean restaurants on Buford Highway too. Having lived in Japan though, I never want to go to another karaoke bar in my life again, ever.

Speaking of Tommy Chong, a few years ago when I still had my house in Southern Vermont, I got a call from Cheech's personal assistant. I had advertised my garage apartment for rent and Cheech was looking for a place for his son while he went to school in the area. He probably could have hooked me up with righteous ganga, but I'm glad he never followed up because the kid sounded like trouble. Years ago when I still had XM radio I was listening to Tommy Chong and he was crossing the border into Canada and the Canadian immigration agent who was a Chinese immigrant himself, asked him, "Chong? What kinna name ii dat?" and when Tommy said Chinese, the guy started to laugh uproariously. He also talked about his first day in prison and reading a pamphlet called, "You are here for a reason." I thought about doing the medical weed thing here in Florida since I qualify, but it is a total racket. The clinic I called said I could prepay a year's worth of visits for $475 (Fla. law requires a doctor's visit for weed every 70 days) and that doesn't even include the weed. It'd be much cheaper to just buy it off my neighbor if I were so inclined, but I am doing just fine with my benzos and Adderall.

Hope to see you back around here soon.
 
Yeah, I lived up in WA state before the state legalized and it was only available medically. It was basically 4-500 bucks given to some Dr. who would write a 'scrip saying you had anxiety or insomnia or bad menstrual cramps or whatever and then you could buy to your heart's content. However, as a result, the local weed dealers had to compete so they brought their prices way and i mean WAY down. This was in 2011, and legalization was right around the corner so under an ounce was basically dealt with with a ticket at most so I decided to take my chances. Surprisingly, I've been smoking weed since 2002 (when I was just a wee high school gal) and I've driven around with it fairly regularly and I've never gotten any sort of a charge *knocking on wood currently, btw) despite living in the bible belt with our archaic drug laws. I've even been arrested twice whilst having a one-hitter on me that got either over-looked during the vehicle search, or the vehicle may have never been searched in the first place..either way, lucky me. I managed to never pick up any drug charges during my opiate use as well, somehow. Looking innocent has always helped. Even when pulled over, I think me being a heroin addict has never crossed an officer's mind...I don't have any kind of a drug charge history and I certainly dont look like an addict, whatever that means. Alcohol is another story. Being a bartender and leaving bars reeking of booze for a decade, I can't even count on my hands how many times I've done a field sobriety test. Most of the time, I was ok to get past the test, I didn't drink while working...I'm not a very functional drunk at all, I'm sloppy. I do have two DUIs from 2006 and 2008, but I've stayed out of trouble (legally, at least) since then.
 
Also, not related to my last post AT ALL..but I DO have the classic methadone symptom of a sweet tooth from hell. I may or may not have purchased an entire box (8 count) of cupcakes from the Publix Bakery on Sunday night and then proceeded to eat all but 3 of them within 2-3 hours. And this is just an example. Most days have a similar tale. I polished the other three off last night (and wished I had more).

I REALLY need to get my ass to a gym before this starts showing up on my physically, and just for mental health purposes and energy level issues, but I can't seem to find the time and/or the motivation. I know that once I start, I will be happy I did and I will become "addicted" to workouts (always happens after I start) soon enough, it's just getting started that I always struggle with. Typical girl over here, but one thing I find that helps is getting some cute new workout clothes. Yeah, I know, but sometimes just getting dressed for the gym and actually going there is most of it, and I'm more likely to want to get dressed if it's something new that I like and want to wear out. I'm sure a lot of you ladies feel me on this.
 
It'd be much cheaper to just buy it off my neighbor if I were so inclined, but I am doing just fine with my benzos and Adderall.

Can I ask why you'd rather be on benzos than weed?

Good to hear you're doing good ladyh, but I have difficulty believing that you're on a dose that will 1) leave you tired all the time and ready to pass out at a moment's notice and 2) not hold you properly. I think you hit the nail on the head when you say its psychosomatic - are you sure it isn't just the constipation wearing off *slightly* and then the rest of the symptoms are being created in your mind? Also my stomach can start doing leaps and I feel like I urgently need the bathroom if I have that particular kind of craving that seems to reach to your core and directly manufacture butterflies in your stomach at the thought of using. Are you sure it isn't anything like that? I don't think just constantly escalating the dose is the answer - its unlikely that ramping up your methadone is going to do anything more than make you more tired, and not subutex or methadone or any drug will totally take away cravings for us heroin addicts who have been engraving neural pathways of using into our minds for years & years - we are just going to have to suffer through our minds going haywire for a while until they're functioning normally again.
 
Can I ask why you'd rather be on benzos than weed?
Not that it's any of your business, but there are a bunch of reasons. My benzo and Adderall doses that I'm prescribed are so low I don't get high, I feel normal. And I'm able to sleep. If I did smoke weed, I know I would inevitably get stoned, which will inevitably lead to other drug seeking behaviors and/or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. I've done it too much in the past to deny that is a pattern. Then there is the issue of cost. A $3.10 copay for 60 Ativan is substantially less than the $60 I paid my neighbor for a quarter ounce last time I bought weed. And last but not least, I'm not actively seeking another job, but I do look into opportunities that come my way. If I were really dedicated to weed, I would go the medical route so I couldn't be penalized if that employer drug tests.

LHL, sounds like a trip to Lululemon is in order!
 
Last edited:
Not that it's any of your business, but there are a bunch of reasons. My benzo and Adderall doses that I'm prescribed are so low I don't get high, I feel normal. And I'm able to sleep. If I did smoke weed, I know I would inevitably get stoned, which will inevitably lead to other drug seeking behaviors and/or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol. I've done it too much in the past to deny that is a pattern. Then there is the issue of cost. A $3.10 copay for 60 Ativan is substantially less than the $60 I paid my neighbor for a quarter ounce last time I bought weed. And last but not least, I'm not actively seeking another job, but I do look into opportunities that come my way. If I were really dedicated to weed, I would go the medical route so I couldn't be penalized if that employer drug tests.

LHL, sounds like a trip to Lululemon is in order!

I know it's none of my business. That's why I said "Can I ask" rather than "I demand you tell me". No need for the hostility.
 
Top