I really appreciate everyone?s advice. The majority of yesterday was actually pretty great. Today not so much. I am stressing out big time over my daughters homeschooling, I am doing my best to change my thought process and try to react differently. I am very overwhelmed, but when we are using we put everything off. Feelings, emotions and priorities. Now that I am clean those things don?t go away they are there and I have to deal with them. Everyday gets better in certain aspects but today just happens to come with a lot of things to deal with WITHOUT numbing myself with drugs. I know I can do it, and I have to keep telling myself that.
You can do it mama. The honeybadger that lives in my garbage can is also a mom, and recently quit opiates. She feels you on the rollercoaster of emotions that were so easily blunted by drugs before, and is also having a hard time managing them now. She is doing cognitive behavioral therapy and has chosen so far to keep her drug use out of the conversation. She is focusing on managing those thoughts and developing a healthy way to process the feelings that hit her - sometimes like being smacked in the face -. She knows you can do this and tries herself to focus on her kid when things get rough. You can do it for them and you can do it for you, these feelings are temporary and will pass.
She finds taking 5HTP is helpful to deal with the depression and agrees maybe a anti anxiety med is a good idea for acute attacks. There ARE non-benzo anxiety meds that work really well (Hydrozine) which won?t make you develop a physical dependence (might want to double check that, but she said it wouldn?t).
She finds the following also help:
- hugs (from the mr or baby, just being held tight can calm your central nervous system and make you feel better). Sounds dumb but it?s easy and really helps honeybadger
- exercise, when really feeling like the world sucks and always will, take 30, 60, how ever many minutes you want to and just hit the gym. If you do a full workout great, if you just do 3 hard exercises great. But getting out and pumping some endorphins through your body will help EVERYTHING.
- 5HTP, a daily multivitamin, electrolytes (if still getting diarrhea, honeybadger shit all over my driveway and just can?t stop getting the runs, which makes her feel weak), so immodium too for that
- SELF CARE. Put on a face mask, do a home microdermabrasion treatment, get a skincare routine that you do in bed before sleeping to relax and treat yourself. Try a hair treatment like keratin or something - paint your nails! Whatever it is that you can do do make yourself and your body feel good can go a long way at this point.
- Kratom (but see the other warnings on this one)
- See good friends and DONT talk about the fact that you?re quitting. The reason she says this is because having normal conversations can help you see through the withdrawal and PAWS, to normal life and that there are so many other things you can think about and do besides drugs. And maybe, for at least a minute, you can forget about your addiction.
- Accupuncture, massage, yoga - Again just anything else you can do just to make an effort to heal your body and feel better. Honeybadger always feels better about things when she knows she?s at least trying to fix them, instead of constantly ruminating on the problem and feeling stuck.
YOU CAN DO THIS! We?re here for you.
Gotta go, honeybadgers trying to get over the fence and eat the neighbors baby shower cake. She?s feinding hard for sugar these days and just can?t control herself.
- Honeybadger don?t care.