Opioids What motivates someone to get off a norco addiction?

Hey guys, so I'm actually a pretty light user. I started doing norco recreationally maybe a bit over a year ago. For a while it was every weekend, then it was every two days, then it was every other day, and for the past 6 months its been everyday. I only take one dose a day at the exact same time, and currently I'm only at 20mg. No big deal right? But heres the thing, my source of pills is running out and I won't be able to get more for a very long time, if at all.

I'm honestly not really looking to quit, I just want to save some for a month from now or so. First off, my tolerance is growing slowly but surely and is in dire need of a break. Secondly, the periods where I can't get any norco are absolute hell for me, and I have something coming up in May that I don't want to be feeling that way for.

Every day I wake up thinking I'm not going to take any today, and I end up arguing with myself for the whole day, and somehow I end up taking them anyway (today was another failed attempt). It kind of feels like I'm going insane over these things sometimes. Like I said, its a small amount (theyre 5/325mg pills, I take 4 at a time), however it scares me that I literally can't seem to go a single day without them anymore. And the idea of going more than a day just sounds like the most depressing thing in the whole world. Even if its only one dose, my whole day revolves around thinking of that dose. If I'm having a good day or a bad day, it doesn't matter -- as long as I get to look forward to my dose. I always eat dinner right after taking them, in order to potentate them, so I associate meals with them as well.

I think my problem is that I don't WANT to quit. I love the way norcos don't make me care about anything else. I'm just stressed out over lack of resources. And something about that is making me feel depressed along with my high. But its a lose lose situation -- I know even if I got more, its only going to get worse and its going to be harder to get off them later down the road. I clearly don't even have the strength to do it now. Yet I don't want to wait until I've lost more to this habit. I already feel embarrassed and irritated that it's gone as far as it has.

Have you ever quit or known someone who has? What made you want to? How do you let go of something that makes you feel so good?

Thanks for any input.

Well, I've never quit pills & I'm not planning on it, but IME ppl get over "chasing the dragon". Increasing doses to achieve the same high.

Not that you're doing that. Yet. Chasing resources is also another factor.

Sooner or later, it's probably 50/50 on BL, there's either a reason to get sober or it's a downward spiral.

As you've stated, it is a low dose, but you are psychologically addicted.

No one is going to encourage your habit. This is a drug forum filled with addicts of some substances, and no one ever wishes to become addicted.

Rtp

I'm assuming you're not married or have kids? Norcos seem harmless at the beginning but can be a gateway to harder pills as well.

You're obviously pretty good with your dosage, only on 20mgs after a year........some people are already on heroin after a year starting on pills.

It will also be harder for you to quit since you take them to get high, & not for pain.

We all know the feeling of taking hydro or any other pill to numb your mind to the outside world.......like who wants to feel the pain of every day life.

Since you do say that you don't want to quit, then you gotta figure out how to possibly ration you meds, or since you won't be able to get a ymore, you might as well start a taper plan & taper down & finally quit.

Good luck with the mental tug of war.......

Since your dose is so low, you dont want to quit and you're likely physically dependent after this amount of time why not try kratom on a few days a week... or possibly poppy seed/pod tea.. careful with the teas though. While legal they definitely carry their own risk of addiction and withdrawal. Do a little googling on each.

Loki: my situation is a little bit similar to yours in that I joined BL to help with my plan to taper off of oxycodone. One of the main reasons I want to taper off is so that I will have a stash in case my doctor who prescribes them gets busted or for some reason I am denied my regular prescription. I also hate how much money I spend every month, as the doctor takes cash only and the amount I spend could be a car payment. At the same time, I still like the way the oxy's make me feel, and they take the edge off of my physical pain. So, I spend a lot of time in my head everyday not wanting to dose until I feel some physical w/d's set in and then the other part of me just wants to use b/c I like the effect. I guess either we will find the motivation to control our usage, or we will end up out of pills, and going without, and deal with the withdrawals, be they physical or mental at that point in time. I just want you to know you are not alone. I did quit opioids C.T. in 2013 and stayed off them for a year. The reason was I was afraid to lose my job, as I was taking off more and more time due to using, plus I spending a lot more money than I do now, as I was going to the streets for extra.

olypen said:

Since your dose is so low, you dont want to quit and you're likely physically dependent after this amount of time why not try kratom on a few days a week... or possibly poppy seed/pod tea.. careful with the teas though. While legal they definitely carry their own risk of addiction and withdrawal. Do a little googling on each.

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I agree the Kratom is a good idea. I don't agree with the pod tea being a good idea though. It is much stronger than hydrocodone. I know because I've been addicted to it for over a year now. I actually started the pod tea because like the poster my hydrocodone source dried up.

A month ago my friend gave me some 7.5 tabs of hydros. I took 8 of them before my daily pod dose to see if I could still enjoy them. Felt absolutely nothing

Sounds like you're opioid addiction is just beginning to blossom. Cherish these moments, when you could pop a couple of hydrocodone and get a strong buzz. You're trying to rationalize and make logical something that you have no real control over. "I'll take an extra pill today, just today" "I had a shitty day, I've earned an extra pill" "I'll take a few days' break, then I'll be able to get high again".

Addiction is addiction. The paths people take toward dependence vary in some ways, but they almost always end up the same way. Just the fact that you're so preoccupied with trying to figure out the "right way" to use your drugs is as good an indication as any that you're psychological addiction is already present. You're really just trying to find out the key to being able to get high for the rest of your life because you enjoy it so much.

No judgement at all. This is coming from a 1-2 gram a day heroin and now methadone addict. The level of denial and rationalization we're capable of when in the grips of psychological addiction are just incredible. Anything we need to believe to rationalize more and more and more we will.

Hey guys. So I totally failed and ate up the entire supply and then some. I have some T3s and xanax to make things a bit easier but when that runs out, I don't know what I'll do. I did go to a psych and he prescribed me some clonidine and zoloft. The clonidine makes me drowsy as hell however so I can't use it as much as Id like.

In maybe less than a month though, the norcos will probably be back in the house. They're not quite mine per say. I guess the wise thing to do would be to use what my psych gave me, and not touch the norcos again. But that's a test of self control that I don't know if I'll ever be able to pass. I've had to go without them before, and it just feels like the depression without them doesn't end. But maybe I just haven't waited long enough.

Thanks for all your input! I appreciate the advice.