Heroin Anyone successfully quit heroin for a long period of time (1+ years)?

[Captain.Heroin]

There are those of us able to quit heroin and give it up longer than a year, stop by Sober Living if you want to do that.

 

[Erikmen]

I've tried quitting heroin a few times. Both of the longest time I was clean were around 35 days each. The first time was by choice, but I honestly have no idea why I even wanted to quit. The second and longest time I was clean was 37 days, and this was due to me being forced into rehab and was drug tested weekly. Anyway, my current situation is that I'm broke. Literally can't even afford gas for my car, nor can I afford to register or lifcense it. And yet I still spent a chunk of money on some more heroin. I'm sad, depressed, mildly anxious, can't sleep, etc etc. But I still don't want,to quit, but I want to want to quiy if it makes sense. I'll think about buying more heroin every single day, and my first paycheck when I get a job is going straight to more heroin, but like I said I'd rather live poor and struggling to live with heroin than without it.

So I guess my question to those of you have quit for long periods of time: what made you actually want to quit. Not the typical "man I wish I could stop ", but " I'm done, stopping, here's my plan and I will follow through no matter what ". Perhaps I worded this wrong, I'm sorry it's getting hard to type right now, sorry for that. I'm just confused because I really wish I could want to quit. For fucks sake I overdosed and nearly died yet I still want to keep using. If you understand what I'm trying to say I'd really appreciate some insight, thank you friend.

Yes I believe it's possible. I can relate to what you are saying. I've also quit opiates and have been sober from the past 1 year + 1.5 moth from Methadone which I used for several years in order to block the effects of any other opiate and try to have a normal life.
Except that was nothing normal about that experience and I wanted to feel free at all costs.

It's not easy and it really makes you wonder if it's worth it as you get emotionally very vulnerable.
A lot of thread do cover experiences of people in recovery. Sober health is an excellent indication, you can also look up for few other threads so that you can feel free to express and share your experiences on a daily basis, e.g. Mental Health, The Dark Side, etc.

Good luck!

 

[David R]

I was a long time heroin addict (15 years), now I've been clean off all mind altering stuff (except coffee) for almost 12 years. I wanted to quit using after the first 6 months... it took another 14.5 years to finally do so. I loved the stuff it was my cure for heart ache and hangovers, it worked for me, as long as I subjugated myself to it; the heroin controlled my life, not me. I've been where you are MANY times, wanting to want to quit. After many unsuccessful attempts to quit using I finally resigned myself to 'just keep using until something really horrible happened' (getting shot, long jail sentence, tragic accident). Fortunately none of that happened, but my life was a complete and utter mess on all levels, and it was getting worse.

I strongly suggest you DO NOT get on methadone or suboxone for any more than a week or so (they are much more difficult to get off than heroin). I DO suggest you connect with like minded people, you will need support... and yes, NA is a great place to find those people.

On a day to day, or hour to hour basis life is not always 'better' than when I was using, but on a month to month or year to year basis my life is VASTLY better than when I was using. Getting clean sucks and there really are no shortcuts, believe me I looked for them. But heroin will own you as long as you use it.

My life now... I live in a beautiful home on the water in the Caribbean, I have a wonderful wife (who also had her addiction struggles), I have some money and I can afford to go on vacation. Never would have any of it if I'd kept using, in fact I'm quite sure I'd be dead.

Dave R.

 

[Freeguy]

Part of addiction is that you think you dont wanf to quit. Most people in their right minds wouldnt want to be in that position. Been clesn now 1.5 years n dont miss it at all. You jusf need to be patient and let your mind heal (which it will)

 

[pooneilcorners]

It takes getting sick of who you have become. For me it was reuniting with the person i use to be. Someone who I always respected and admired for being able to over come any challenge the person who wouldnt let dope tell him who he was because he never let anything do that. Once I realized i was infinitely happier as a studious "hippy raver" then a sad depressed heroin addict it is easier to stay clean. I would never give up my new old life for the heroin days, i had to go through hell to appreciate the heaven i am making for myself.

You can do it too you just need to find that single reason that you feel you would literally die for, mine was to achieve my goals and heroin is literally the only thing that will prevent me from doing so.

Very well said

 

[ziggo]

I did, not just heroin, but all opiates/opioids for longer than 1year, 2 times. I've even tested myself before and got some H and a rig and kept it nearby me for 8months. Didn't touch it at all and gave it back to who I got it from after those 8 months.

 

[tightlywound]

I haven't used heroin since the beginning of 2014.
I've IV'ed pain pills a literal handful of times since then though. in the past 13 months I have only done a single 8mg dilaudid one time, about 8 months ago, and that was entirely pointless because it takes at LEAST 5-6 to get me buzzed. my tolerance stays high because I am on buprenorphrine (even when off of it for several days so naloxone is not blocking the effects the tolerance is still ridiculous). I didn't even feel it.
buprenorprine saved my life in a dozen ways. highly recommend it. despite as strong a will as I've ever had I could never even make it to 2 weeks clean w/o the bupe (excluding a 30 day rehab stay, only lasted about 8 days upon discharge). the cravings were just out of control and never got better, even after the withdrawals had passed, the cravings made me not "want" to quit even though like you, I so desperately "wanted to want to" because opiates ruined every aspect of my life. I couldn't handle the cravings though. bupe killed my cravings and since then I've been able to remain a halfway functional and sometimes even productive borderline member of society.
seriously though, I "wanted to want" to quit and knew I had to from the moment I realized I was dependent and the desire to want to stay clean only got stronger and stronger the more and more completely my entire life fell apart over the following year. but I was incapable of actually doing it. bupe made me capable. saved my life like I said in a dozen ways.

 

[ziggo]

What helped me stay off the heroin and other opiates was going cold turkey withdrawal in jail 5 different times. Without bail, 6-9days of 0 sleep at all. 0 sleep.

The first cold turkey withdrawal was after I did $25,000 worth of heroin, IV, over 8 months, everyday. Then directly into jail.

 

[shadowstryker]

I think I'm just going to wait it out until hopefully I eventually want to quit, not much else I can do. Unfortunately I'm jobless and penniless right now. I can't even afford gas for my car, so I won't be using for a bit. Despite my shitty situation though, and heroin/other drugs being the cause, I still don't want to quit. Addiction is a strange disease for sure.

 

[belfort]

I think I'm just going to wait it out until hopefully I eventually want to quit, not much else I can do. Unfortunately I'm jobless and penniless right now. I can't even afford gas for my car, so I won't be using for a bit. Despite my shitty situation though, and heroin/other drugs being the cause, I still don't want to quit. Addiction is a strange disease for sure.

oh trust me, once u get a job and start making enough money to afford a good sized habit, then you get dopesick a few times and have to go to work feeling like that, u will have a very good incentive to quit..just wait until you need to shoot up first thing in the morning just to be able to get out of bed..

 

[Istaay]

I quit for a year and a half exactly, I started getting sick and knew my body couldn't take it I just felt like I couldn't take it anymore, I recently started again I I'm hoping to quit but in this environment im not sure it'll work