deep depression on kicking gear (heroin)

[farmaz]

I been on & off heroin for nearly 11 years now, I finally kicked for good due to my amazing Fiance.

Everytime I have kicked it though I go through terrible period's of severe depression after the actual physical withdrawl is finished. I find this darkness lasts for weeks at a time, it is a effot to even get out of bed, change clothes, cook food etc.

My mates think I am making it up but there still bang into the gear & cant be arsed to kick 100%

Does repeat use of heroin over a long perion of time effect your brain chemistry etc etc?..............
Anyone else ever suffered from this clinical depression on kicking heroin & if so how do you deal with it?...............

atm I am so fed up I just want to go score tbh

 

[maxalfie]

First off well done on kicking the gear mate, not easy at all.
I believe that depression after quitting heroin is very common.
I believe it is known as PAWS,Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, think that is right.
I believe it will pass with time so you won't always feel like this.
Going out to score will only take you back to where you started.
Try gentle exercise, even a walk can help your mental state.
Stick with it mate and I am sure you will in time start to feel better.

 

[farmaz]

First off well done on kicking the gear mate, not easy at all.
I believe that depression after quitting heroin is very common.
I believe it is known as PAWS,Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome, think that is right.
I believe it will pass with time so you won't always feel like this.
Going out to score will only take you back to where you started.
Try gentle exercise, even a walk can help your mental state.
Stick with it mate and I am sure you will in time start to feel better.

thanks for the kind words
I am going to look into this PAWS, thanks for the advice

It got to a point where my missus was going to walk away from me if I carried on with the Gear, she means too much to me too loose her tbh & also for months now the uk heroin quality has been shocking, allmost as bad as the drought of a few years ago when the TCP tasting gear was around due to the DEA spraying the afghan crop with a diease.

 

[maxalfie]

You are right there, its not worth doing gear now anyway cos like you said the quality is crap.
I think that since the drought started I have had about one month of getting good quality gear and now it's gone back to the weak as hell stuff.
Can smoke 4 bags one after another and not get the slightest buzz, waste of time and money.

 

[nsauce]

Dude stick it out man, I PROMISE you it will go away. I've been through it many times. Just hang in there and dont use, i promise your illness wil fade away. Trust me. Please. Clonodine helps alot, beznos can help you sleep but be careful with those.

 

[farmaz]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Post-acute-withdrawal_syndrome

Makes for bad reading imo

"Post acute withdrawal syndrome affects many aspects of recovery and everyday life, including the ability to keep a job and interact with family and friends. Symptoms occur in over 90% of people withdrawing from a long-term opioid (such as heroin habit) three-quarters of persons recovering from long-term use of alcohol, methamphetamine, or benzodiazepines and to a lesser degree other psychotropic drugs. Post-acute withdrawal syndrome as a result of GABA-agonist (benzodiazepine, barbiturate, ethanol) dependence and opioid dependence can last from a year to several decades, or indefinitely, with the symptoms entering in to periods of relative remission between periods of instability. Symptoms include mood swings resembling an affective disorder, anhedonia (the inability to feel pleasure from anything beyond use of the drug) insomnia, extreme drug craving and obsession, anxiety and panic attacks, depression, suicidal ideation and suicide and general cognitive impairment"

Res ipsa loquitur

 

[maxalfie]

That's worst case scenario painted there.
My best mate had a daily heroin habit for 15 years and got off it by getting a methadone script and sure he felt depressed for a for a couple of months but that was it.
He has been clean now for several years and has never felt better.
Just cos you feel down at the moment it doesn't mean it will last forever.
Be positive mate and give it a bit of time cos the gear has been blocking your emotions for years.
Trust me mate you won't feel like this forever.

 

[kokaino]

Great that you kicked the habit, keep at it - it takes work and a lot of will power.

Its natural to get depressed when quitting. I used heroin (and continue to use occasionally - maybe 1 or twice every 10 days or so; I'm on 130 mg/day methadone) for a good 10 years now and everytime I tried to quit I would get very depressed, even after going through all the withdrawals. I always would feel bored, hopeless, empty, lonely, and anxiety-ridden. I would cry a lot and feel like shit, which always led me to use again. I understand how you feel - its totally natural. It will go away in time. Focus on the positive in your life. If all that fails, try meds.

Do you use antidepressants? They might help. I am currently on 30 mg Lexapro once a day, 1 mg Xanax 3x/day, 130 mg/day methadone, and for my ADHD I get Dexedrine 5 mg IR tabs (I take 15 mg 2x/day). The Lexapro has worked well for my depression, so I do recommend it. But I think the combination of my meds has really lowered my depression. I mean the Dexedrine has to be having some kind of antidepressant effect on me aswell. But I think the Lexapro is doing more of the heavy-lifting as far as my depression goes.