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

September Getting/Staying Clean/Sober Thread v It's Fall Again / The Sky is Falling

Can you replace the DXM with cannabis? I found that helpful when I needed to stop using DXM. At least there withdrawal is almost entirely psychological with DXM, not that it makes it necessarily any easier. DXM is a hell of a drug, for better and worse. You'll notice your health improving very significantly after two weeks of abstience or so. Especially your cognition (some of the more physical side effects like GI issues take a little longer to resolve).
Thanks for the reply. Yeah I do smoke cannabis and it helps but I also feel like I need to quit that, too, because I have been smoking pretty regularly for almost half my life. I'm trying sam-e, I'm already 3 days in and started getting night sweats but not as bad as I'm used to, idk if it's because of the sam-e or not.
 
I remember towards the end of my frequent DXM use I sweated something nasty. And for a week or two after I stopped. It was really nasty actually, because the sweat smelled far worse than normal BO. It was like my body was struggling to clean itself out. I honestly didn't really mind, but it made my sheets really nasty. Way worse than detoxing from opioids.
 
I remember towards the end of my frequent DXM use I sweated something nasty. And for a week or two after I stopped. It was really nasty actually, because the sweat smelled far worse than normal BO. It was like my body was struggling to clean itself out. I honestly didn't really mind, but it made my sheets really nasty. Way worse than detoxing from opioids.
Yeah man I took the gelcaps and I would definitely start to sweat out all the toxins everytime i would stop for a few days, but I assume there are way more toxins in the syrup. I am pretty sure that's what the sweating is about.
 
It's about as bad whether it's from syrup, Muscinex or gel caps. Chronic DXM use is super hard on the body regardless, but the syrup and gel caps just make it even more so.
 
Out with the sponsor tonight, going to hit a meeting up and go out to eat.
 
How long have you been working with your sponsor D's? This one I mean.

I always wished I'd been able to find a good sponsor I mesh with. I mean I ended up finding role models and mentors elsewhere, particularly through the secular mindfulness community, but sometimes I wish I had someone to work with who was as large minded as me and familiar first hand with substance use disorder themselves. One day perhaps, one day.
 
I never really had a sponsor, when I feel like talking to someone about my fears it's usually a bit too late.

One thing I'm getting better lately is how I sort of detect in myself early signs of a possible relapse or cravings. It's normally when I'm too energetic, moody, and trying to get a great number of things done at the same time. When I'm like that I know something is wrong with me, and by trying to change I often get stuck with emotions/feelings I need to confront. I think nobody should hold on to things we need put out. I believe that, at some point we do it in one way or the other.
 
I have been working the steps with my current sponsor for almost a year, we have both read the bigbook together, and worked all 12 steps.
I had to find someone that I could trust, someone that wouldn't steer me the wrong way. The guy I have to sponsor me has 2 years sober, and is a little older then me. We have a really good relationship with one another, and I am grateful we do because he isn't scared to call me on my bullshit. I call him daily,and pretty much go over my day with him. Sometimes I have stuff to talk with him about, and sometimes I just call him to say hey. It's really good to have someone that understands the shit I go through. My parents do not understand me like the way my support group does, if I call my mom at like 2am shes going to think the worse and flip out, and with my support group I can call them anytime and tell them i feel like drinking or using and they talk me through whatever it is I am going through.
Working the steps with this man has really opened some doors in my life, and was able to work through a lot of built up anger and feelings that I've been holding onto for years,and those feelings were keeping me sick as fuck, so thats the importance of doing a honest 4th step, is getting all that shit out there.
Steps 6 and 7 helped me understand my shortcomings and character defects(which were pointed out to me on my 5th step), there was a lot that i didn't understand at the time, like it was hard for me to see that i am a people pleaser, then after looking back at my 4th i relised that it was true, and many others that i have.

There are few things i do every day and night to reassure my soberity, and thats doing a daily inventory, i journal at the end of my day weather its just calling my sponsor and telling him or writing the shit down. Thats why my sponsor has been such a big deal.
I highlyyy suggest to newcomers the importance in getting a sponsor, or a temp-sponsor, just someone to talk to.

If anyone wants more information on how do you choose a good sponsor, and what are some things to look for in getting a sponsor then I will be glad to answer those questions, also any questions that anyone has on the 12 steps please feel free to ask me, i dont mind helping others, its what I do!

1 thing I pratice more than anything is attraction rather then promotion, people are going to notice you doing better if you really are doing better. I look at new comers no different then me, no matter what the situation is. I know by the end of the day and we are both sober then we both have 24 hours, and we both have another 24 hours ahead.

:)
 
Hi D's. I went back to my old AA meeting last night for the first time in a long time. I was nervous as hell but everyone was really nice and we all went out to dinner at one of these Asian fusion places to eat after. Contrary to the old saying, you CAN go home again, when it comes to AA. The guy who has basically been my temp sponsor is probably leaving town so it leaves me wondering what I'm going to do after that. There are very few people I can point to and say that I want what they have. Maybe my search will be more fruitful once I start going back to my regular NA meeting.

Thanks for the suggestion about IOP. I've been in a few IOPs and at this point I feel I would need to find a dual diagnosis IOP that would also address my psychological issues. Without that, I don't think I stand a chance of staying stopped. I can rack up anywhere from 6-12 months between binges (I almost got arrested last month which is what sent me skidding off the rails) so I think substance abuse is really a secondary problem to my psychological issues at this point. It's been a bitch trying to find a therapist that will accept Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance because they compensate their providers so badly but I've got to keep trying. I feel like I've got to take psychotherapy more seriously than I have before, at this point, because I've got to do something differently; "What's the definition of insanity..."
 
^^
I totally agree about the comfort of returning to AA/NA after a hiatus. There are a lot of things I've come to dislike about NA. But it blows me away how nice almost everyone is when I return after being gone from meetings. That stability--knowing that NA is always an option--is, in my opinion, one of the really valuable things about the fellowship.

Trying find a therapist who takes insurance in the US is such a drag. Are you looking for a psychiatrist, or would another kind of therapist be a possibility? At various points in my life I've been able to find LCSWs or similar who charge on a sliding scale, such that I've been able to pay them out of pocket. It's more expensive than having insurance cover it. But it can open up possibilities if you can swing it.
 
Sim, I have a good psychiatrist, but what I feel like I really need is a good psychotherapist at this point. I may end up having to go to a sliding scale therapist because no one wants to accept Florida Blue Cross Blue Shield. I also found a dual diagnosis IOP that might be a good possibility as well. Since it is under the auspices of a psych hospital I know they will take my insurance. Unless individual therapy is offered as part of the IOP, I think I will probably take a pass and continue to just look for an individual therapist.
 
Sim, I have a good psychiatrist, but what I feel like I really need is a good psychotherapist at this point. I may end up having to go to a sliding scale therapist because no one wants to accept Florida Blue Cross Blue Shield. I also found a dual diagnosis IOP that might be a good possibility as well. Since it is under the auspices of a psych hospital I know they will take my insurance. Unless individual therapy is offered as part of the IOP, I think I will probably take a pass and continue to just look for an individual therapist.

That's great that you've got someone to handle your meds already. That should make finding your therapist at least a little easier...i.e. You have a much bigger pool of providers to choose from if they don't need to be an MD.
 
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