Question about drug rehab procedure?

[nikkithechihuahua]

I wasn't sure where to post this but I really need help with an answer. My parents are sending me to rehab because I've been using heroin on/off for 3 years. I also want to go because I truly want to stop.

My question is when I'm in rehab will they give me benzos or ANYTHING that will help me sleep? It's nearly impossible for me to sleep without opiates. I greatly appreciate any experiences or answers!!

 

[nofx1422]

The rehabs Ive done wont give benzos as a general rule, but may but for a couple of days to help with the initial withdrawal. Can you go on methadone? Rehabs may not take you unless youre on under 80mg a day, but rehab is the best place to come off opiates, and the only thing you may be able to get for more than a couple of days is methadone.

It may be best to talk to the different rehabs in your area and see what they will be willing to do to help. I hate to tell ya, but youre going to have some sleepless nights regardless if youre serious about getting off the opiates....

 

[Bojangles69]

Even if they don't give you benzos if you tell them you can't sleep I doubt they'll leave you hanging dry. They can easily just give you seroquel and clonidine along with some visterol for sleep. That combination usually always did it for me.

Good luck with rehab that would be like a dream come true for me right now. Don't mess around while you're in there or you'll eventually be back on opiates imo. Take the program seriously and take your life seriously.. which is something I've never done myself and the reason I am where I am today.

 

[Ds]

I wasn't sure where to post this but I really need help with an answer. My parents are sending me to rehab because I've been using heroin on/off for 3 years. I also want to go because I truly want to stop.

My question is when I'm in rehab will they give me benzos or ANYTHING that will help me sleep? It's nearly impossible for me to sleep without opiates. I greatly appreciate any experiences or answers!!

hey man, glad to hear that u want to stop using.
it depends on what kind of rehab u go to, if the rehab has a detox, then i'm pretty sure that they are going to use valium, and suboxone to help with ur w/d's.

when i was at TRS, i lied my ass off, saying i was taking 10 bars a day, and doing 40 dilaudids and 10 bags of dope a day, so i staid on detox for a lil over 2 weeks.
I don't reccomend this cuz i was pretty much high as shit for the time i was there on detox meds.

just hang n there man, when detox is over, u'll begin the healing process with ur body, and mind.

goodluck.

is the rehab ur in a 28 day deal? or 6months?

 

[nikkithechihuahua]

Well the funny thing about all of it is I'm not physically addicted to heroin. I've grown accustomed to doing it for two weeks and stopping for two weeks. I've been off of it the last week and a half and now I'm back on it again.. so physical w/d's really won't be bad at all for me. It's just the sleeping, which I've had trouble with even way before I ever used drugs.

 

[cyrax99]

Oh man, but that's the wrong philosophy man... The physical withdraws are NOTHING, the PAWS (Post Acute Withdraw Symptom) and the depression, anxiety, and lack of energy that linger for months before you recover are the big motivating factors behind relapses. Physical withdraws are a cake walk, they last for like 5 days to a week at most usually, and are not even bad. PAWS lasts for months and just lingers and lingers, it takes will power like a mother fucker to get through it. I sobered up in September, and it was a struggle up until about a month ago. It never gets easy, but I am sleeping now, not craving hard, I have my energy coming back, and the depression has lifted tremendously. Good luck to you man.

 

[oliphill]

Well the funny thing about all of it is I'm not physically addicted to heroin. I've grown accustomed to doing it for two weeks and stopping for two weeks. I've been off of it the last week and a half and now I'm back on it again.. so physical w/d's really won't be bad at all for me. It's just the sleeping, which I've had trouble with even way before I ever used drugs.

The way you are habitually using heroin is most likely why you are having the sleep problems. Wen you have been clean for longer than 2 weeks, like a month or 2, you will start to get a healthy sleeping pattern. Benzos will just prolong it getting back to normal naturally too.

Here is some good info on PAWS too:

http://digital-dharma.net/post-acute-withdrawal-syndrome-why-we-dont-get-better-immediately/

It's all part of the process of the brain and body healing. When you're having a low point, try to see it as a good thing as this means you are in the process of healing.

Good luck man!

 

[User Name Here]

Oilphill's response is good.

It depends on the rehab you go to but I don't know if I would go to one that allows me benzos because that kind of defeats the purpose and prolongs things for a lot of people. Like someone said earlier, they won't leave you hanging and will probably end up giving you something better than benzos to help with sleep problems.

Hopefully you're going to at least a 30 day rehab too.

Anyway, it's wonderful that you have the desire to quit and that's a great sign of good things to come. Stick with it even though there will be some really tough times you will end up thanking yourself a million times over once it's all said and done with. Stay strong and good luck!

 

[xxkcxx]

The rehabs I've been to will not give you benzos for opiates, only if you have an alcohol or benzo problem because you need to be tapered so you don't go into withdrawals. Most rehabs will test your urine first to see what is in it so you can't really lie about what you are taking either.

Some have given me Suboxone, but ones that didn't have a medical unit or medical staff didn't give me anything. The ones with the medical staff usually also gave some kind of non-addictive sleep med like Doxepin or Trazadone.