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Day 3 cold turkey

T

Turk@GG

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 12, 2014
Messages
79
So...Day 3 of no opioids and I want to jump out of my skin, the only thing I have to help me through this is some Tylenol and some Chamomile tea...pathetic I know, but I as of right now I am out of a job and cannot afford anything else to help. The cravings for some Tar are unreal and definitely the worst side effect i've encountered so far, the RLS and sleepless nights are really getting to me as well.

I am detoxing at my parents house which is a bridge and 10 miles away from where I live, where it is super easy for me to cop dope. (east bay, california) I have tried to detox at my apartment but everytime I get to day 2 or late in day 1, I crack and end up relapsing. The access I have to the drug is one of the biggest problems.

Today is the first time I was able to keep some food down, but all of the "classic" withdrawal symptoms are still with me, though I feel like they are starting to subside to a degree...I also try to load up on vitamins and try to take a couple easy walks a day, but I get SOO winded after only about a 1/4 mile, doesn't help that it's 80 degrees during the day though! Anyways, I just have a few questions:

Would stretching techniques help? Anybody know of good ones to try?

Does drinking alcohol make these symptoms seem more exaggerated in the long run?

Any other advice is welcome, I am focused on getting through the acute stuff first, and then worrying about PAWS as I believe that takes years to get over the craving and mental fixation of using.

Thanks all
 
Excellent to hear you're three days clean! Stay strong brother! It only gets easier as time goes on - copping tar at this stage will just put you back to square one. You know that though :)

Drinking alcohol won't help you in the long run and will probably make the nausea and exhaustion worse.

Stretching of all sorts and exercise will help immensely. Stretch all the muscle groups that feel sore for 10-15 seconds and then stretch again just to get a warm fuzzy buzz as your muscle tissue regenerates and rebuilds. Even if you weren't detoxing, stretching and exercise is so good for your body I recommend you do it anyway. Anything that gets the natural endorphin circuits pumping again and keeps your busy is a good endeavor. Just keep pushing yourself and your body will get stronger and your mind will get less and less concerned about chemical crutches.

To me at least PAWS is just an excuse to yourself to replace the warm fuzzy opioid experience with some other hobby that makes you happy. Focus on doing nondrug activities and exercising a lot and PAWS won't be a concern.

Keep on staying strong. You've made it through the rough patch almost, you're doing excellent :)

OD -> Sober Living
 
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I dont know how it reacts in the body with alcohol but i know when i was going thru my withdrawal from opiates, alcohol made it alot worse for me. It didnt really take any of the symptoms away and i just felt like i was in a numbing fog. It didnt feel good. Hot baths helped for me. I didnt have any meds to take either so i definitely know the pain your in. I was taking about 25 to 30 norcos a day and went cold turkey. I could never taper. But the fact your at day 3 is really good and i know it doesnt feel like it but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I think what has helped me stay away from those pills again was the shit i endured going cold turkey. It felt like someone had hooks in me and was pulling the drug out of my body. Your gonna feel so much better when you get thru to the other side without that ball and chain dragging around. If you can hold on for another day, i think you will be surprised how much better you feel. Good luck
 
^^ Thanks man, it's so nice to hear positive encouragement, let me tell you. I want to change so badly, and I really am trying my best. I know it's only Day 3, but I've tried detoxing many times before so I'm definitely not new to this. Let me just say I've never been an IV user, my main ROA was vaporizing tar on foil....up to 2 grams a day, of the local premium tar.

The dope life is not worth living, it's such a devil in disguise. I hate what i've become, but I am so lucky to have family and the BL family to help me. 18 months ago, I had a full time job working as a cook in a restaurant working 40-50 hours a week.....but that didn't last long after I started using. Thank you for the great advice Sekio, and the positive encouragement.

My main concern is relapse if I get through this. I might not be able to go back to my old apartment ever again because the temptation might be too great, but that bridge will be crossed when i get to it. Thank you again for the advice and I will definitely take it to heart, as this is something I really really want in my life....Sobriety, and to be myself again. Sorry I posted in the wrong forum, and thanks for moving it to the appropriate place

Any other advice is welcomed!

edit: I have to add that listening to music has been very very healing and calming for me as well.
 
You can do it :) i live in the bay area too & i know how easy it is to cop here-i mean theres usually a dealer posted 50 feet from my methadone clinic. I just dont want to do it.

Day 3 off heroin means you should be feeling better soon :) for me hot baths and showers helped a lot, gives you that warm relaxed feeling. Other than that, just remember that this is NOT forever, and you WILL feel better soon.
 
BlueSaffron said:
You can do it :) i live in the bay area too & i know how easy it is to cop here-i mean theres usually a dealer posted 50 feet from my methadone clinic. I just dont want to do it.

Day 3 off heroin means you should be feeling better soon :) for me hot baths and showers helped a lot, gives you that warm relaxed feeling. Other than that, just remember that this is NOT forever, and you WILL feel better soon.
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Thank you!! The RLS and nausea are the worst physical symptoms I have right now, and of course the craving. Hadn't thought about hot baths, so will definitely try that tonight.

PS...nice to hear from a neighbor =)
 
Oh maaan, hot baths are a must :D

Bravo dude, mad props, congrats, cheers! Everything I can possibly say... I KNOW exactly what you're going through. I have been off it for 2 months now! It's been incredibly difficult to adjust, I miss smoking it so much, but I don't want to anymore, I truly don't. I'm tired of feeling miserable on it and always looking for a fix, and simply DEPENDING on something to get me through a tough time or to get me happy. Ask yourself, what are the benefits of being clean from it? I know it's hella hard to stay motivated. But keep with it, you're almost completely through the hard part! PAWS? Fuck PAWS :D I took a good tip that someone posted here... that PAWS is all in your head man, forget that PAWS is real. What is real, is that you will have cravings here n there, that's it! But the control you will have, is unreal.

Do I still wanna go hit it? Yeah, sure, why not... but I know if I do, here we go, all over again. I don't have a mansion or a private yacht, and I'm not a billionaire, maybe if I was, then I would, unfortunately (or not), let myself indulge in smoking some. But honestly, doing that, there's a good chance I'd lose everything I have. Because that's the hard truth, it has happened over, and over, and over, and not just with myself, but with friends too and so many people I've known to smoke it or whatever with it.

Hang in there brother, hang in there, you're about to get the hard part over with, BELIEVE ME. The CLEAN life, the CLEAN feeling that you will get, the JOY from being SO FREEEEEEEEE, without depending on any shit..... is SO WORTH IT!

We're in it, to win it! Win at life, and be something much more incredible than we currently are. Even if it takes you to bitch and moan and complain and post here a thousand times a day, DO IT, as long as you stay clean and clear headed, every day only gets better.

#truth %)
 
Zerix said:
Oh maaan, hot baths are a must :D

Bravo dude, mad props, congrats, cheers! Everything I can possibly say... I KNOW exactly what you're going through. I have been off it for 2 months now! It's been incredibly difficult to adjust, I miss smoking it so much, but I don't want to anymore, I truly don't. I'm tired of feeling miserable on it and always looking for a fix, and simply DEPENDING on something to get me through a tough time or to get me happy. Ask yourself, what are the benefits of being clean from it? I know it's hella hard to stay motivated. But keep with it, you're almost completely through the hard part! PAWS? Fuck PAWS :D I took a good tip that someone posted here... that PAWS is all in your head man, forget that PAWS is real. What is real, is that you will have cravings here n there, that's it! But the control you will have, is unreal.

Do I still wanna go hit it? Yeah, sure, why not... but I know if I do, here we go, all over again. I don't have a mansion or a private yacht, and I'm not a billionaire, maybe if I was, then I would, unfortunately (or not), let myself indulge in smoking some. But honestly, doing that, there's a good chance I'd lose everything I have. Because that's the hard truth, it has happened over, and over, and over, and not just with myself, but with friends too and so many people I've known to smoke it or whatever with it.

Hang in there brother, hang in there, you're about to get the hard part over with, BELIEVE ME. The CLEAN life, the CLEAN feeling that you will get, the JOY from being SO FREEEEEEEEE, without depending on any shit..... is SO WORTH IT!

We're in it, to win it! Win at life, and be something much more incredible than we currently are. Even if it takes you to bitch and moan and complain and post here a thousand times a day, DO IT, as long as you stay clean and clear headed, every day only gets better.

#truth %)
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Wow man....you're post really hit me hard. exactly what I have been talking about with my Dad today is what you just summed up into a couple paragraphs. Thank you so much for your positive encouragement. As of now I am still clean, things have gotten MUCH better over the course of the day.

I am so tired of depending on people or making sure I have enough money to last the week, and just going through this shitty ass cycle of using. It's really no way to live.
I want to be the person I once was, somebody that is respected in society and has confidence to overcome anything. Thank you so much for your kind words because they really mean so much to me right now. This is the start of my new life without "chemical crutches" that have kept me down for so long.

Will update tomorrow on how I am doing, but I expect to report that I will be feeling ever better!!
 
I def know what you're going through as I can relate to your story a lot... I'm heading into day three myself. I've been taking small slivers of Suboxone though, I only had one strip to work with but I still couldn't imagine going through it without it. You're strong for doing that!! I got clean July of last year but then relapsed after a few months... like you I had a lot of things going for me at that time like a ton of new friends who didn't fuck around with heroin and were good influences for once, things were looking good with my producing/DJ career, met a guy I had real feelings for... and I lost it all VERY quickly after I relapsed. It really sucks to think about what you've lost because of a relapse, but at the same time it's also kind of encouraging right?? Cuz you have personal experience to remind you that you did it once, you can do it again... except better this time, cuz now you know what mistakes to avoid. I know how you feel about wanting to be back to your old self and your old life... I feel the same way... it really is sooo much better being clean. Life just seems to flow a lot more smoothly when you can come at it with a clear mind. Living life behind the veil of a heroin-induced haze is not living at all. It's miserable day after day after day and it never leads to anything good. The best we can hope for while we're using is that we don't lose absolutely EVERYTHING before either dying or ending up in prison due to getting caught with drugs one too many times... and there is no way I'm letting that be my end game, and it seems like you have a lot going for you so don't let it be yours either... just remember all that and hang in there and everything will be fine. :) Your head and heart are obviously in the right place, so you're already a step ahead!!

Everything is gonna be okay dude. If you ever wanna talk to someone who's going through the same thing, feel free to PM me <3
 
^ Thank you for your reply.

Sounds like we are in the same boat, I hope your recovery is going as good as it can be. And true that, once you really WANT it bad enough, and you truly WANT to change, nobody can do it for you, only yourself. When I think about it now, I try to associate using with all the shitty parts of living that life. Thank you for your support, it really means a lot.

Today is Day 4 and I am feeling much better, although I am not able to sleep that much, most of the acute symptoms have dissipated. I am eating much healthier and just came back from a walk to the coffee shop this morning. It's really about keeping your mind busy, and wearing yourself out everyday so you're not just sitting and thinking about it....Your mind can be your worst enemy I have learned. Getting back into the activities I used to enjoy before I used is very therapeutic too. The respect I have for myself has increased so much over the last couple days.

Going to keep going strong, and counting the days, posting in this thread. This isn't easy, but I know there is no other way. Again, Thanks to the BL family for all your support and wishing everyone the best.
 
Thank you :) It's going pretty good for me, of course I feel pretty horrible physically even with the Suboxone... still having minor chills and hot flashes and sweating spells, and minor stomach issues, and some anxiety/restlessness, and getting to sleep is hard. But when it gets really bad I do the same thing as you do... I try to think about the shitty parts. And I realize that being sick and free from heroin is infinitely better than being well and strung out. There is just way too much stress that comes with that lifestyle and I've lost so, so many amazing things because of getting too strung out. I'd been shooting dope for 3 years and I have NOTHING to show for it... in fact I hardly remember it, it's all kind of just one big blur because every single day was always the same. I'm 26, it's time to grow the fuck up and stop running away and face life head on.

Plus dope kills my creativity and my spirit, that's the worst part. I never feel comfortable in my own skin while I'm strung out. But when I'm sober I'm active and confident and creative and outgoing and I actually like myself quite a lot lol. I also miss having real relationships with other people. THERE ARE JUST SO MANY REASONS LOL

Anyway I'm sooo glad to hear you're feeling better :) I think that if you can make it through the worst of the acutes that it really increases your chances of staying clean. At least that's been my experience, I always feel the most vulnerable to relapse during this stage. Much agreement about the whole staying active/mind occupied thing though. That's definitelyy crucial like AS SOON AS you are able to function enough to do those things. The longer you sit around thinking about how miserable you are, the worse you feel and the longer it takes to get back to normal.

You're doing awesome, stay strong... you can most definitely do this!! <3
 
Get as much sleep as possible. If you can get your hands on sleeping pills all the better. You're probably through the worst of it at this stage, it only gets easier from here on in. Keep active and being social helps.
 
Turk@GG said:
^ Thank you for your reply.

Sounds like we are in the same boat, I hope your recovery is going as good as it can be. And true that, once you really WANT it bad enough, and you truly WANT to change, nobody can do it for you, only yourself. When I think about it now, I try to associate using with all the shitty parts of living that life. Thank you for your support, it really means a lot.

Today is Day 4 and I am feeling much better, although I am not able to sleep that much, most of the acute symptoms have dissipated. I am eating much healthier and just came back from a walk to the coffee shop this morning. It's really about keeping your mind busy, and wearing yourself out everyday so you're not just sitting and thinking about it....Your mind can be your worst enemy I have learned. Getting back into the activities I used to enjoy before I used is very therapeutic too. The respect I have for myself has increased so much over the last couple days.

Going to keep going strong, and counting the days, posting in this thread. This isn't easy, but I know there is no other way. Again, Thanks to the BL family for all your support and wishing everyone the best.
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Good update! And great job! Glad to read this as well. Thank you ALSO for the reminder, to keep the crazy mind busy as hell and do not let it mislead you, or I !

I've been trying to force myself, to do any little thing, even as much as read a few pages of some self-help material, or participate in a online discussion whatever it is, when my anxiety keeps kicking in! Ugh, like right now... haha just forced myself up from bed, feeling a bit exhausted from working out, but wtf I didn't do a single thing today besides that, no excuse, and I actually remembered to check in with ya, forgot to see an update!
I too wanna get back to my good old self man, life was so wonderful, at one point... now I barely have anyone to talk to and while I'm finishing up an outpatient program, I am def just trying to stay focused so I'm not reaching out to anyone really, I just wanna come back STRONGER THAN EVER, physically, and mentally. Let's make our doubters n' haters eat their words bro. I know personally there are some who think of me as a lost cause, and I try to remind myself that, cause I definitely am NOT. And neither are you.

Keep it going brotha! :D
 
Hey BL family!
Thought I would stop by and give an update on how I've been!

Life could not get better, but everyday surprises me still and I can't wait to see what is in store for me. Today I am 29 days clean with absolutely ZERO substance abuse of any kind with the exception of Marijuana...but I don't consider it a drug really.

I have a new full-time job at a well known catering company here in the Bay Area, which is just going fantastic. Meeting new friends, ditching the old ones, and it feels so good to have healthy social relationships with people again. Not to mention having a little money to go out at night and possibly meet a lady I can eventually have meet my folks =)

My body is getting stronger, I got a used street bicycle for my birthday a couple months back and I've been riding to work everyday which is about a 45 min to 1 hour ride, 1 way. Something I could have never done when I was using, but now it's something I look forward to doing!

Anyways BL, I know 29 days is not much, but I am extremely proud of this accomplishment, I feel as strong as I ever have, my willpower grows everyday, and the trust and relationships I am building with people now is so important to me..... I'll never look back!

I hope this finds you all well, thanks for reading :)

-Turk
 
29 days is awesome and is certainly something you should be proud of!! Congrats and I'm glad you're feeling so great :D I'm on day 5 myself and know exactly where you're coming from, I'm just now rediscovering myself and my passions and I've found that your heart will tell you what it really wants if you're ready and willing to open your mind to it and listen. When mind and heart collide, truly amazing things start to happen <3 Following my intuition toward my passions is what keeps driving me forward each day, and most importantly is what I believe will be the biggest role in keeping me sober for the long haul

We all deserve fulfillment out of life, purely out of living life itself, and it's awesome to hear that you've been able to find that for yourself... makes me happy to hear about people getting clean and rediscovering life's true beauty and nature. it's like a message of hope to every addict when that happens, I feel like :) So many people are afraid of getting sober, not realizing that so many amazing things could be waiting for them if they just open themselves up to it, and it's stories like these that inspire people and give them courage to take that step!! so awesome. congrats again on your 29 days!!
 
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