Heroin Is it possible for a former heroin addict to relapse and remain responsible?

[ErgicMergic]

For a very short amount of time, sure, you'll just be chipping and lying to yourself how you have it all under control. Then, you're strung out again, using multiple times daily to keep the sickness away, before you know it.

The only opioid I would recommend for an ex-opiate addict is plain leaf Kratom, not the extracts/blends. This miracle plant has helped many opiate addicts live normal, productive lives while taking away the nasty PAWS symptoms of opioid discontinuation. Just go into it knowing that it won't get you "high," just feeling normal so you can get on with your life without the bullshit symptoms of PAWS chaining you down.

 

[DooMMooD]

dont think so. in rehab, they told me everytime i go out it gets worse and worse, and as much as i hate to say it, i agree

Word up. Nail on the head.

Im gong to make an guess here and wager the OP hasn't quit for that long? Its so crazy how quickly we forget all the bad and only remember the 'good' (which in reality there wasn't any hah).

You quit for a reason right? Is that reason no longer valid? It definitely is but you're most likely fooling yourself that it isn't. Although the ultimate reason someone should quit doing opiates is that it'll definitely land you in cement box (jail) or a wooden box (grave), and theres really no actual way to turn that into a legitimate excuse to use.

You will eventually die/go to jail if you keep it up, so never mind the "can I keep it under control" question. One of those outcomes is inevitable.

And as for the word "responsible" i think that a heroin addict relapsing on heroin after X time is the exact opposite of responsible. Even if you manage to keep your use under wraps for however long you can (which will be not very long), it is in no way shape or form 'responsible' to be using heroin when you are a recovering heroin addict.

As I said I think your brains already trying to trick you into going out and using, but theres really no way, when you're being honest, to trick yourself about your impending doom. Good luck brotha.

 

[sekio]

This thread pops up every month or so, the answer is always 'no'.

 

[Cane2theLeft]

You fell into addiction in the past already... what makes you think you magically can resist this time? If anything, you'll fall into it a lot faster.

The people who CAN go back to chipping are almost always the ones with a REALLY long time clean where they totally turned their life around, addressed the issues that lead to their use, became productive, etc. so when they go to have a drink, smoke or even sniff here or there, they didn't NEED it to numb all the bullshit and if they face consequences from their use they know to pull back rather than dig in harder.

Stop after this small slip and you have a chance of not fucking your life up more. Don't rationalize that since you already stepped in the pool that you have to go swimming. You know you have flush the bags or give them to someone. I don't expect you to do this but just stop after these bags!

 

[helium-4]

With a small short addiction (or peroid of physical dependence) I say yeah it can be done if the person has his or her life together and doesn't try to use multiple times a month. Rules in place also are important (not using when depressed, never use more than 1 day in a row, never user more than once or twice a month, don't actively seek opioid dealers or make addicts as friends).

A long strong addiction I say there is a 95% chance you'll go back to where you were before.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

With a small short addiction (or peroid of physical dependence) I say yeah it can be done if the person has his or her life together and doesn't try to use multiple times a month. Rules in place also are important (not using when depressed, never use more than 1 day in a row, never user more than once or twice a month, don't actively seek opioid dealers or make addicts as friends).

A long strong addiction I say there is a 95% chance you'll go back to where you were before.

That's exactly when people use. Most people don't relapse because they feel fantastic.

 

[Donewthislife]

Addiction sucks big hairy sweaty ballz! Whenever I have stopped any addiction and gone back, my use quickly picks up from where I left off. I just relapsed for a brief period after being clean for a year. I convinced myself that I would just use for a couple of days just to get some relief from my chronic depression, which was caused by my opiate addiction. Well I caught a habit and now on a Suboxone taper, and not looking forward to the withdrawals to follow. I have never met anyone that has found the "cure" and drug successfully. After this latest relapse I am finally convinced that I can no longer use successfully. If you do find a way to use successfully please come back here and report back how you did it

 

[ErgicMergic]

Addiction sucks big hairy sweaty ballz!

Agreed. A substance stops becoming fun and starts becoming a burden when you depend on it just to feel normal.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

I like to think of heroin as a lover, imagine someone you love more intensely than anything, but unfortunately they are very bad for you. You might manage to leave them but you still pine for them, long for their touch, and you always know they are out there somewhere, willing to take you back. After time makes you forget how damaging it was to be with them, they call you up and invite you over. You think to yourself, one last night for old time's sake. You delude yourself into thinking you aren't still in love with them or that you will see them just one last time. But once they hold you in their embrace and apologize for all the shitty things they did in the past, soon you find yourself ignoring your instincts and seeing them more and more frequently. Suddenly you realize that you have moved back in with them, they really haven't changed their bad ways at all, and it's going to be just as hard to leave them again.

 

[xxxyyy]

like most people said, it's possible but extremely unlikely. i love opiates, they will always be my drug of choice, but since i've fucked up so badly with so many other drugs, i take them very, very seldom. it's been over two years since my last shot of h, and before that it was... i don't know, at least three years. i take weaker opioids, like tilidine and dihydrocodeine semi-frequently, about once or twice every two-three months, mainly because my supply of them is limited and i'm not going out of my way to get more.
this works for me, and i realize that i'm definitely in the minority with this. but then i've never been physically addicted to opiates, the mental addiction will always be there, as for me they are the epitome of happiness, and since i know how addiction prone i am, i reserve them as very special treats very seldomly.
and just to be clear, i do not recommend anyone to try this.

 

[Donewthislife]

Agreed. A substance stops becoming fun and starts becoming a burden when you depend on it just to feel normal.

Normal...ah what a word normal is. That's the insidious part of addiction. I felt that I wasn't feeling 'normal' so I decided to pick up in order to feel normal again for a few days. Problem for this addict (and many others) is that I have no idea what 'normal' is. I had been using some substance or another for a very long time. Pot, coke, booze, pills, gambling, sex, working out, et al...I feel once you cross the addiction line with anything the party is over. That's just me. And that's what makes addiction suck!

 

[xxxyyy]

yeah addiction really does suck. funnily enough, i still have the biggest problem with alcohol, although it's not really much fun. in fact, often i get really miserable when drunk, and it was definitely a contributing factor in my suicide attempt. and even though alcohol is gradually ruining both my body and mind, has cost me countless friends and a few girlfriends too, the compulsion to drink just comes again and again, even though i know exactly that it's horrible for both my body, mind and psyche.
and the only way i can stay away from drink for any appreciable amount of time is when i substitute it with a different drug, so for now i'm trying to replace it with hash... far from an optimal solution, but at least thc has never made me aggressive, or filled me with maudlin self-pity. or prompted me to make an attempt on my life.
i don't even know why i always end up drinking again, after i ingested a certain amount i always get depressed and miserable and ahhh. fuck. sorry for the rant.

 

[DooMMooD]

While I agree things are relative, and my default state is drug use, I definitely know its not the norm to feel depressed all the time. and I def know its not the norm to wake up every day sick until you stick a syringe in your arm filled with shit that is not meant to be put there lol.

I get your point about "what is normal?" But I think it should be inherent that it is not how you should be. Just instinctively not want to be that way, despite continuing to do so; which is why addiction is so insidious. You WANT to stop but you cant.

And definitely inherent that it is in no way shape or form a healthy/good way to live, even though many of us have done it. And to me, that is just inherent, regardless of my own definitions of "normal" lol. Like i inherently knew it was amiss when I woke up everyday feeling like life was garbage, wanting to die, and being sick until i got that first opana lodged so far into my nose that it was a reverse booger

 

[helium-4]

That's exactly when people use. Most people don't relapse because they feel fantastic.

When I was chipping for 8 years I made a rule not to use ever when I was depressed. I chose to indulge in no drugs when depressed, alcohol, weed, or opioids. Obviously people relapse when they are depressed, but the point of what I posted, is it is a way for someone who may have had a small period dependence with a low tolerance to be able to use opioids responsibly (like how many friends I have use opioids - as it comes to them and when they are feeling good, just looking for a fun time).

So I don't understand the point of you post. I mean thanks for pointing out the obvious?

 

[xxxyyy]

yeah, this is another thing i've seen with a lot of addicts, and it certainly is true for me, i got into drugs mainly because my childhood was one traumatizing clusterfuck and my depression and anxiety issues where duly ignored by everyone who should have cared. i mean my father, worthless bastard that he is, is a psychologist, so he really has all the tools and the know-how, but fuck it. so my psychiatric disorders went untreated, i attempted to self-medicate and before i knew it i had a nasty addiction problem that was making all the underlying stuff even worse.
i'm not saying that every user takes drugs to compensate for some inner pain, hell i've known a few who were in perfect or at least decent mental health who ended up becoming heavily addicted, but really a lot of heavy drug users i know/knew got into drugs because of a fucked up childhood, or some traumatic event(s) or because of some psychiatric disorder. and even though i know alcohol is just horrible for people with a long-lasting, severe unipolar depression, i cannot really get it under control. i've tried countless times, and have been off the sauce for weeks (sometimes months) at a time, but mainly because alcohol is everywhere and so easily available, i always end up drinking again.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

When I was chipping for 8 years I made a rule not to use ever when I was depressed. I chose to indulge in no drugs when depressed, alcohol, weed, or opioids. Obviously people relapse when they are depressed, but the point of what I posted, is it is a way for someone who may have had a small period dependence with a low tolerance to be able to use opioids responsibly (like how many friends I have use opioids - as it comes to them and when they are feeling good, just looking for a fun time).

So I don't understand the point of you post. I mean thanks for pointing out the obvious?

I just meant that saying not to use when you are depressed is pretty impossible in reality. The vast majority of people who use opioids on a regular basis in the first place are using them to self-medicate for things like depression, anxiety/stress, pain, etc. If someone has already been addicted to heroin, then the time when they are most likely to use again is when they are not feeling great. It is way easier said than done for the vast majority of people to only use when they are feeling happy and never when they are depressed. If you or your friends do it to have a "fun time" then that would imply that things weren't already fun, wouldn't it? If someone was already totally happy and content, why would they want/need to use opioids?

Do you actually have many friends who were physically dependent on opioids, quit and then became able to only use once in a while for a long period of time?

Not trying to be argumentative, I'm actually curious.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

i'm not saying that every user takes drugs to compensate for some inner pain, hell i've known a few who were in perfect or at least decent mental health who ended up becoming heavily addicted, but really a lot of heavy drug users i know/knew got into drugs because of a fucked up childhood, or some traumatic event(s) or because of some psychiatric disorder.

Is it possible you just couldn't tell that they had some sort of "inner pain" they were secretly dealing with? And/or that they were in denial about it themselves? I have never known anyone to get addicted to hard drugs when they had perfect mental health and happiness.

 

[Donewthislife]

For this addict I think my early drug/alcohol use was due to my lack of having any solid life coping skills. "Partying" early on was used as a sort of escape from anything uncomfortable going on in my life. I had a pretty good childhood growing up, just my parents got divorced nothing major. As life went on I switched using different drugs but it was mainly booze and pot. I then became very successful in business and life and I picked up a coke habit. The coke stopped working for me which is when I tried an opiate at 39yrs old. Life was still pretty good at that point but the opiate high just masked everything I felt. I didn't realize until I crashed and burned how much opiate use was numbing EVERYTHING. Once abstinent did I realize that long periods of drug use changed my brain chemistry which made me chronically depressed. I stayed absitent for an entire year until I picked up again. Yes a year isn't nothing compared to many years of drug use but it was the depression that took me out. And I had been working hard the past year to help myself overcome my depression but unfortunately my addiction won this time around. I'm not going to give up...NEVER EVER!

 

[helium-4]

I just meant that saying not to use when you are depressed is pretty impossible in reality. The vast majority of people who use opioids on a regular basis in the first place are using them to self-medicate for things like depression, anxiety/stress, pain, etc. If someone has already been addicted to heroin, then the time when they are most likely to use again is when they are not feeling great. It is way easier said than done for the vast majority of people to only use when they are feeling happy and never when they are depressed. If you or your friends do it to have a "fun time" then that would imply that things weren't already fun, wouldn't it? If someone was already totally happy and content, why would they want/need to use opioids?

Do you actually have many friends who were physically dependent on opioids, quit and then became able to only use once in a while for a long period of time?

Not trying to be argumentative, I'm actually curious.

You are continually not even bothering to read and comprehend my first post. Edit: sorry, this came off a little harsh, my bad. Kpins sometimes can make me get frustrated easy. No qualms with you bro

With a small short addiction (or peroid of -small carrying over- physical dependence) I say yeah it can be done if the person has his or her life together and doesn't try to use multiple times a month. Rules in place -obviously before they begin to use again- also are important (not using when depressed, never use more than 1 day in a row, never user more than once or twice a month, don't actively seek opioid dealers or make addicts as friends).

A long strong addiction I say there is a 95% chance you'll go back to where you were before.

I think it is self explanatory, but I will add that yeah the individuals physical and environmental factors can and do play a role in the ops question

And yes I've a couple (not many) friends who have used for short periods and dealt with a small dependence, stop for a while, didn't associate with opioid addicts (I am their only friend who uses everyday, granted I have a medical condition), don't have any dealers who regularly sell any opioids, and will use once in a while for a good time. I've seen one of them (a good friend) even have a handful of oxy around for well over a month with out touching them. They didn't have a serious dependence at all, and manage to keep it recreational now.

Obviously someone with a deeper dependence/addiction will have a different set of circumstances and challenges. Thats why I covered two different types of individuals

 

[DooMMooD]

IMO i think the only ones who are able to successfully use (their doc) at all without it being a problem are those people who do not have the addict gene. Someone who has the addict gene eventually can no longer say no, but more importantly, its.....more than that. I cannot even explain it. The way my thinking differs so drastically from someone who is not an addict is one way to tell the difference i think. EX: I think justifications, however bullshit, are legitimate reasons for my continued bullshit. I like, cheat, steal, blame others.

So its behaviors as well. Another example: People who take pain pills for pain and are NOT addicts are very successful: in tapering fine, controlling their usage, etc. They dont abuse their meds, they dont take them in ways they shouldnt (IV, nasal, etc), and are obviously not addicts, despite using a drug that would induce withdrawals, and using a drug that for an addict would be impossible to use responsibly.

I believe there are addict genes not only for a general addict (someone who displays addictive behaviors to any/all substances/behaviors) but also for specific things (ex someone may be a GAMBLING addict but NOT a substance addict), although i think 99/100times the person has the gene for all of it

Others may have a tolerance and go through withdrawals, so a physical addiction, but if you dont have the addict gene i cant even explain it really....