Hey, all. Thanks in advance for any help / advice.
I have been on Subutex for 10 years now. After a poly drug addiction culminated in a road to disaster via pain pills.
I have been clean of other drugs and I have tapered off once around 8 years ago. At which time the ‘harm reduction’ specialist I was seeing who was supplying the recovery service advised after tapering down to 0.4mg I would be fine stopping all together. Saying other people had done the same.
In reality, a couple days after I stopped taking the 0.4 I felt horrendous psychologically. I felt like a scared child with anxiety and severe depression. I started taking the subs again after a torturous couple weeks trying to take ssri’s the doctor had supplied that made me feel worse. I dunno if I’m a wimp or what but either way I was so far from being able to handle the psychological withdrawal.
Fast forward 8 years and I have tapered down very slowly again to 0.4mg. I am being pressured to stop taking the stuff again, I also want to be free of it myself, but I’m in a high pressure job where performance is essential and I feel I need to be able to find a time where I can a couple weeks off work at least (which I have been trying to facilitate for over a year and it never seems to be able to happen). I also have a daughter who I look after 3 days a week which adds to my concerns. I am being advised to just stop taking the subs and ride out the discomfort by keeping busy.
I feel I am in a better place now psychologically but I fear I am facing another pretty horrendous ride with the time comes.
Yet again I’m getting the old “don’t worry you’ll hardly feel it, you’re in a better place now. 0,4 is nothing. It won’t even be doing anything” from the harm reduction guys but I can’t help but feel this is overly optimistic!
From those in the know, what am I facing? Any advice on a strategy to get clear of this once and for all would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
I have been on Subutex for 10 years now. After a poly drug addiction culminated in a road to disaster via pain pills.
I have been clean of other drugs and I have tapered off once around 8 years ago. At which time the ‘harm reduction’ specialist I was seeing who was supplying the recovery service advised after tapering down to 0.4mg I would be fine stopping all together. Saying other people had done the same.
In reality, a couple days after I stopped taking the 0.4 I felt horrendous psychologically. I felt like a scared child with anxiety and severe depression. I started taking the subs again after a torturous couple weeks trying to take ssri’s the doctor had supplied that made me feel worse. I dunno if I’m a wimp or what but either way I was so far from being able to handle the psychological withdrawal.
Fast forward 8 years and I have tapered down very slowly again to 0.4mg. I am being pressured to stop taking the stuff again, I also want to be free of it myself, but I’m in a high pressure job where performance is essential and I feel I need to be able to find a time where I can a couple weeks off work at least (which I have been trying to facilitate for over a year and it never seems to be able to happen). I also have a daughter who I look after 3 days a week which adds to my concerns. I am being advised to just stop taking the subs and ride out the discomfort by keeping busy.
I feel I am in a better place now psychologically but I fear I am facing another pretty horrendous ride with the time comes.
Yet again I’m getting the old “don’t worry you’ll hardly feel it, you’re in a better place now. 0,4 is nothing. It won’t even be doing anything” from the harm reduction guys but I can’t help but feel this is overly optimistic!
From those in the know, what am I facing? Any advice on a strategy to get clear of this once and for all would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!