^ What 88brenno said about a CWE is very important - it wasn't clear to me whether you were extracting the codeine or just eating the tablets?
Although if all goes to plan your wont need be using codeine again, if you
do decide to use again, even just once, please read over the
Codeine and CWE Megathread. Here you can find all sorts of useful advice, but most importantly, instructions on how to do a cold water extraction (if you don't already know how to do this). This is so important, as it helps you remove the majority of the paracetamol and ibuprofen from the codeine - and it's the paracetamol and ibu that are damaging to the body. Chronic ibu use can use stomach ulcers, and there's a real risk of significant, irreversible and even fatal liver damage from chronic paracetamol use. Even staying within the recommended doses of para can cause damage if you use it daily for long periods.
If you haven't been extracting your codeine, I would
highly recommend you go to a doctor and get checked out, particularly for liver damage.
After all that - good work for deciding to make a change and being tough enough to stick with it since Friday. That's something you should be really proud of yourself for, it's not easy. If your last dose was Friday morning, it looks like now you've had 5 days off it, and I think you're well over the worst. I found when quitting codeine that the wd's peak at 48 hours, and then get better from there.
Getting through the physical wd's and staying strong is one thing, but as with any addiction, there's probably a strong psychological component too. I find codeine has its particular difficulties because compared to some other drugs, it's freely available, there's plenty of triggers, and not buying it is harder than deleting some dealers' numbers from your phone. I think it's fantastic that you've opened up to your wife about this and that she's supportive - I think that's going to be a really beneficial factor for you. Being honest with people about something like this can be hard, especially if you feel ashamed or don't want to disappoint them - but I think continuing to be honest will allow your wife to help you - and it sounds like she's willing to do this. Same with your dog - I don't think it's silly at all that he can be part of your recovery. Pets can be really perceptive and sometimes they just seem to know when you need them to just sit with you quietly and be with you for awhile.
Another thing to keep in mind is that if you've been using for 3 years, relearning to live without it will take some time too. Just be aware that it is an ongoing process, and don't give up if it feels like you're not getting anywhere. As you move away from it I think you'll notice more and more signs you're getting better - but you might also experience some tough moments. I find it helpful to keep in mind 'the only thing that's certain is change' - in other words, no matter how bad or cravey you feel, you can be sure that that feeling wont last forever. Intense cravings don't last long - and I think you'll find if you can just put off making a decision til tomorrow, or even just til the next hour, that you'll find the craving has lost it's intensity.
There's lots of advice and support available here on Bluelight, in particular I recommend you check out
The Dark Side. Some areas of Bluelight can be quite triggering, but in The Dark Side you'll find some incredible people and lots of support, as well as lots of useful advice if you look through some of the threads there.
All the best, and welcome to Bluelight
