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My detox and future plans, what are your methods and expertise?

Mf_Mayhem

Mf_Mayhem

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So I am day 2 off opiates, and things are well considering I have 3 strips of suboxone. I definitely do NOT want to do replacement therapy, but I thought it would be good for the detox. Yesterday, I took one full strip; 4 mg in the am, 4 mg in the PM. Today, I've only taken 4 mg, and I waited up until the PM to take it. So I have 1 1/2 strips left and have made it almost through day two. I am hoping the subs will take me through the worst of it, and I'll be able to carry on with my day to day living sans anything after those run out. I unfortunately do not have the luxury of attending a medical detox, or rehab, or anything for that matter. I have a professional career that I cannot break from, and a family that depends on me, so I cannot just up and leave. I have been on a 2 month binge, after a 4 year break of being clean off of opiates (aside with a couple dabbles here and there).

When the WDs are gone, I'm going to start working out again and doing yoga to tap into my higher Self. Exercise and meditation will be my replacement therapy. I also suffer from anxiety/depression, but I never stopped taking my meds throughout this whole ordeal.

What have others done to get through their detox, and push drugs further away from their lives? (aside from 12 step groups)

What mantras do you tell yourselves to achieve success?

Does anyone have any advice with the way I'm going about things? Things that they would do different?

(PS, yes I have tried 12 step programs very diligently, made it through all the 12 steps, did everything I was told, but it just wasn't really my thing. Everyone is different, so please don't judge or nay-say. thanks! =] )
 
Here's a classic mantra for ya buddy: ohm-man-ee-pad-mae-hoom :)

Get yourself a Mala and learn to use it with that mantra. It's actually a really effective way of getting yourself out of your self when you have a craving. Something about moving those beads with your thumb and forefinger, counting mantras, speaking mantras, especially while walking in circles, well I love it when I am able to use it.
 
Since this has just been a very short term problem then you may have a chance of making it with the patented "suboxone and hope" method your using. But its going to be very difficult. Whatever motivated you to use opiates to excess and caused your addiction will likely be your second biggest trigger behind the lingering withdrawals. Its going to suck and that's putting it mildly.

Practical advice. Avoid people who use. Limit your access to cash if possible. Throw your dealers number away. Go to a support group. Have sex.
 
I garden. As toothpastedog stated...you have to center yourself. Being in my garden and breaking each individual step down into something I can enjoy. Sometimes I go barefoot so I can feel the earth on my feet. It is almost like I am touching mother earth and she is giving me her positive energy. I find when I am feeling lost and alone I will go out into my garden and make a bouquet of flowers and the first neighbor I see walking I give them to him/her. The act of making the bouquet...selecting what would look best with what other flower, and then the joy I see in their face takes me away from the negative feelings I have towards myself.

Find something you love doing...break it down into steps. Take pride and really focus on each step. I also like to see and follow the microcosm of organism that live in my garden. I can spend hours watching a snail....or sit and listen to birds sing to eachother and think about how their flight mechanism works. Basically anything you can do to take your mind off using. You will be surprised at how fast cravings pass, and the overwhelming joy you will feel from doing something productive.

I also cook. Nourishing others helps me nourish my own soul.

I would highly suggest the method toothpastedog laid out for you. Guided meditation works for me. When I am scared, when I feel alone, when my medical condition makes me feel like I have to face my mortality....I sit in a quiet and still room. I light a candle that I love the smell (lilac). And I first focus on my breathing, then I focus on taking my breathing deep into my belly. I then imagine a healing light that starts at the base of my head and works its way down to my liver. Then I imagine that the light is coming from within me and I am sending all the negative feelings out of me. All this while being ever mindful of my breathing.

@toothpastedog..you really should start a meditation thread. I would be really interested in trying a few of your techniques....maybe start a tiny chat room where you lead people through guided meditation or teach mantras. I am sure that there are many of us here in soberliving and darkside that would benefit drastically from it.
 
%) I should shouldn't I. Best see if Capt'n has any thoughts.

And what you describe there chef is the perfect definition of mindful awareness or mindful movement. Cook and eating are my favorite examples, but as I've sung before gardening is too.
 
What is your plan for when the bupe leaves your system and the wd actually starts? You say you have a job you work full time, do you have any time off. I hate to sound like a negative arsehole but the reality is the detox doesn't really begin until after the last dose of sub.

Anyway...the mantra/attitude that has most changed my way of thinking has been one of simple self respect. I try to have the self-respect to not engage in activities that will drag me down. I try to have the self-respect not to fill myself with negative emotions for my perceived failures. I try to have the self-respect to engage in activities that will enrich my body and mind. I try to have the self respect to be patient with myself.
 
In a sense perhaps but 24mg of buprenorphine doesn't produce any significant withdrawal side effects. He or she might feel a little shitty due to the residual acute withdrawal from their doc, espwcially if they run out of bupe on day three or four, but they won't withdrawal from the bupe proper. If they make their bupe last for five to seven days they should even experience much acute withdrawal from their doc either though.
 
toothpastedog said:
In a sense perhaps but 24mg of buprenorphine doesn't produce any significant withdrawal side effects. He or she might feel a little shitty due to the residual acute withdrawal from their doc, espwcially if they run out of bupe on day three or four, but they won't withdrawal from the bupe proper. If they make their bupe last for five to seven days they should even experience much acute withdrawal from their doc either though.
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That's pretty optimistic. I know it varies from person to person but I agree with catinthehat that he is still going to have 5 days of feeling pretty shitty most likely. Hopefully not but I think its a strong possibility. Anyway the real question is how is OP going to address the problems that led him to getting addicted in the first place? I know for me looking back all my detox attempts failed miserably because I never addressed the reason I was running from reality with drugs. That is where therapy, support groups, and medication can play a role.
 
toothpastedog said:
In a sense perhaps but 24mg of buprenorphine doesn't produce any significant withdrawal side effects. He or she might feel a little shitty due to the residual acute withdrawal from their doc, espwcially if they run out of bupe on day three or four, but they won't withdrawal from the bupe proper. If they make their bupe last for five to seven days they should even experience much acute withdrawal from their doc either though.
Click to expand...

It's not quite that simple, you can't just cover the detox period with bupe and then bang you're fine when you stop taking the bupe. The bupe is still stimulating the opiod receptors and preventing the process of your body resetting it's production of neurotransmitters which it needs to stimulate the opiod receptors (the lack of which causes withdrawal symptoms).

If it was that easy no one would ever have any trouble doing a detox, you would just take the bupe for 10 days or whatever and then be fine.
 
Correct, cross tolerance does play a role - and it would be the most significant aspect of it - but there isn't going to be withdrawal from buprenorphine after only using 24mg compared to the withdrawal from taking 4-8mg every day for months and months, or comparable to the acute withdrawal of a full agonist opioid like heroin or oxycodone.

It's all a little besides the point, as you're all pointing out is that he needs a plan for what to do outside of just taking and then not taking buprenorphine. That is what is the most important. I was just trying to highlight that coming off of taking that much buprenorphine isn't going to be very difficult compared to what most people think of withdrawal as. And having the expectation that there is going to be withdrawal from 24mg of buprenorphine comparable to kicking a full agonist or months of buprenorphine cold turkey is generally not too helpful.

I don't mean to be confrontational, as without a doubt everyone's experience is going to be difference. Withdrawing from a full agonist opioids by taking 8mg of buprenorphine every day for ten days is going to be pretty incomparable to just kicking cold turkey. Likewise the feeling of coming off that ten days of buprenorphine isn't going to be very comparable to kicking cold turkey off a full agonist alone - or using buprenorphine for longer periods. That's all.

Without a doubt though, what the OP is going to do other than just using or not using drugs is of the most importance here.
 
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