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Craving thread – v. Hold On

It's been over a decade since I have used any opiates at all, and I still sometimes get random cravings for them.

I was never even physically addicted to them, which is the scary part. I never used dope, and only used pharmaceutical opiates like oxy, hydrocodone, and codeine in low doses a few times a month for years.

Cravings do happen and I just focus on other things besides the thought of using drugs or I remind myself that the nostalgia of using drugs is living in the past, and that it was not all an enjoyable time at all for me.

Talking to a counselor or therapist about addiction or addictive behaviour, and doing daily positive Reformations where you congratulate yourself about being sober are helpful. Also tell yourself that using drugs is not going to make you feel happy or solve any of your problems, and will make things worse for you.

I merged this thread into a mega-thread about cravings.
 
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I'm 8 days clean at the moment but I've got it in my head that I'll get 1 suboxone and take a bit for a few days... kinda take a break from my thoughts. I know this is a stupid idea but I can't shake it
 
That is only going to hurt you in the long run. You just made a good move. Instead of impulsively doing it, you came here and posted about it. I would highly suggest thinking it through to the possible conclusion which as an addict will more than likely be continuing to use.

You are experiencing the tail end of acute withdrawal syndrome and the beginning of PAWS. I would suggest whenever you feel like using to write down the pros and cons of using. Chances are you will see there are way more cons, and just taking that time to do it will actually give you time to beat the craving. Cravings pass. Eventually they will pass quickly.
 
You're a wise man, chef. Unfortunately I am not. I went to get A sub but when I got there my guy comes out with fent. What the fuck. You tell me you have a sub so I drive into grab your purse land and mother fucker puts 2 fent 50's in my hand. I didn't get them. I hate Fentanyl.

I don't know, it's weird. Usually I would have gotten a few bags or some blues or whatever but I just said thanks but no thanks and drove off. I've deleted all my contacts and will be getting a new number tomorrow. Fuck this sobriety deal is a bitch
 
Do you ever miss scoring drugs (like off the street)? Somehow, that's what I miss the most, maybe the only thing right now. I hated it because it was so risky, but that adrenaline rush when you did score and then get home with your new acquisitions was just the most incredible thing ever. Better than the drugs themselves. I don't miss nearly getting busted but I'll be damned if that wasn't the biggest rush of adrenaline I've ever felt (and I was high on crack). Buying when you've arranged a deal just isn't nearly the same, it's not risky enough to be exciting, just enough to sometimes give you a little anxiety. Not planning on doing it again or anything though, like I said, I got away once and I'm not pushing it.

Now that I think about it, that's all it was about (with hard street drugs). I was already an opiate addict so I didn't care about actually scoring heroin, I wanted to experience SCORING heroin, you know? Same with the crack, I didn't really think about crack before and didn't feel the desire to seek it out, but when offered a hit by the dude you're getting from while out where anyone could see you if they actually cared to look and cops are figuratively right around the corner (or maybe sometimes literally)? THAT was fun. It's almost like how some addicts get clean and stop craving the drug but still crave the needle. I guess that answers why I don't bother using the darknet.
 
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The needle is a hard fixation to break. It is one addiction that requires a friend to help you clean your house top to bottom of all the triggers. Those caps, and back caps get everywhere. For me, I can get by with seeing one now and just throw it away, but in early recovery it would have led to me obsessing about shooting up. It wouldn't even matter the drug, just the ritual.
 
Cravings

I just need to rant a little..

I've been sober about 2 months now from hard drugs, 2 weeks away from everything altogether. So far I feel a lot more grounded and normal; these anti-depressants I'm taking really seem to be helping and I feel like I have control of my mind again to some extent. I just can't seem to be happy though, and nothing ever stimulates me anymore. There's all these problems going on in my life and I can't even see my therapist often enough to get help with any of it, and I have no idea how to attack them. This huge part of me just wants to go back to crystal meth, it makes me feel so complete to be on stimulants like that... I know I can't go back and but I'm getting desperately attracted to the idea of picking up another gram and blasting my neurochemicals out one more time. I never thought I'd feel so powerless to drugs like this.

How do you all stay sober? All I want to do is get high and I can't find anything that makes me happy. These cravings just pop up at the weirdest times and it's so hard to ignore the hedonistic option to solve them. I don't even like coming here to bitch selfishly but I just have nobody else who I can turn to, especially with these things..
 
Mindfulness baby, mindfulness is how I have learned to self regulate my mod well enough to begin managing life without needing to rely on (most) mind altering substances. I still use nicotine, sugar and caffeine and such, but I am not exactly dogmatic or all too orthodox about the whole sobriety thing.

Sobriety is a state of mind, and awareness without judgement or criticism is the key :)
 
Kudos on your sobriety - that's fantastic! What you're experiencing is normal, it takes some time in sobriety to feel joy and pleasure from regular life. We have conditioned ourselves to feel pleasure instantly with drugs, and the dopamine response is of a greater intensity than that which comes from regular life activities. Keep holding on, it does get better.

Personally I think stimulant addicts experience this the worse as many stimulants really hit the dopamine system hard, and it takes time for the brain to recover. On top of that, you're not having the dopamine response, and you no longer have all the added energy like when you were taking stims so it's a huge transition.

Have you tried exercising? If not, try it and work your way into a higher intesity workout. Also make certain you are eating healthy (clean) and getting plenty of protein. Protien is essential to facilitating the recovery of your neurological tissues, though also make certain you are getting all of your vitamins and minerals as well. Make sure you have good sleep hygiene and that you are getting enough rest - that really supports a quicker recovery as well.

Do you actively participate in any recovery groups or have any friends in recovery? Having a solid support network that includes others in recovery really helps to stay focused and get beyond cravings. What are you doing to remain sober? You mentioned you're taking antidepressants, have you mentioned how you feel to your doctor, if yes - what did they say, if no, consider doing so.

Keep in mind that these feelings are only temporary, it does get better, it just takes time. Try to keep yourself busy and occupied, and when you get a craving eat something. There's a recovery acronym H.A.L.T. Consider this when you are getting itchy and wanting to use. HALT is responsible for many relapses. It stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. Try not to let yourself slip into any of those states as they do have a significant impact on cravings and emotional well being. Stay strong and keep up the great work!
 
I focus on other things. It was difficult at first, but like anything else it takes time.

I merged your thread into a larger mega thread that has a lot of advice.
 
toothpastedog said:
Sobriety is a state of mind, and awareness without judgement or criticism is the key :)
Click to expand...

This!
Despite regressing back to drinking in the past few months, mind its much less than when i started posting here a year ago, my mind set has significantly improved via mindfulness practices.

Would i like to be 100% drink free, of course, and i have faith that someday soon ill achieve my goal. But that doesnt mean i need to berate myself for days after i slip - i find that only leads to the "im a drunk might as well keep drinking" attitude and lots of stress, anxiety and guilt which feeds back into that vicious cycle of drug abuse .

Mind, i too have no intention of quitting all drugs, just the ones that i have a tendency to abuse and lead me astray from my chosen path. I still plan to use psychedelics sparingly because i find they provide me with beneficial insights/connections and or positive recreational experiences without the negatives aspects of the drugs on my do not fly list.
 
I just came out of rehab. When do you not want anything to take the edge off? I would suck the dried bier residue from underneath a whore's fingernails right about now.
 
It can take a long time. What kind of stuff did you use/what was your habit like? How long have you been sober and what kind of treatment did you receive? What kind of ongoing treatment do you still have? Generally rehab alone is not enough for most folks to find lasting recovery, but it does happen.

Perhaps conside starting your own recovery journal?
 
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