Dr and drug and alcohol counsoler thinks something I totally object to.

[anxietease]

I have recently entered sobriety almost 4 weeks sober as of now from heroine iv use and meth oral use. I was on opiates since I was 14 started with hydro's and climbed the ladder to heroine at about 23 oral then eventually I.v... Falling into sobriety cold turkey has me suffering major mental health side effects in which are common with drug use... Severe Anxiety, with a slight depression... I went to see my family physician. He brought in the drug and alcohol nurse and they had both suggested that I get on the suboxone program and taper me off of suboxone instead of getting on a low mg long acting benzo because (it will lead me down another path) which is understandable because I am an X drug user... But wouldn't they want to pinpoint my REAL and only problem which is just anxiety than get me on something I'm 4 weeks sober from and bring swims opiate tolerance back up? I got prescribed chlonadine for my anxiety. I'm on day 12 with the same anxiety symptoms swim cannot go into public at all without an attack. All this stuff gives me is bad side effects of lightheadedness tingling feet and shallow breathing from the lowering of blood pressure. Also regardless you have to fail a UA for opiates to be elligable to get on the suboxone program were I'm at so I would have to go out and relapse to do so...anyways Finally to my question. Do you Think I should relapse and hit the suboxone at a month sober? Or try and get a advancement on something that will take away the only thing swim is suffering from? Swim is not dr shopping he is only trying to get what I feels he I as swim is only trying to advance in sobriety. I am so aggravated about this I can't live a normal life as of now. I know its early in my sobriety and that the anxiety will slightly fade away but I know the anxiety is all natural and only Had worsened with drug use.

 

[T. Calderone]

If you have been clean from opiates for four weeks, I don't know why the doctor would want to put you on suboxone. It's hard to understand exactly what you're asking with all the SWIM, please edit your post so we can answer you better. Bluelight does not permit the use of swim. Thanks.

http://wiki.bluelight.org/index.php/Bluelight_User_Agreement_(BLUA)

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

DO NOT relapse on opiates or even the suboxone or other drugs, including cannabis or kratom. It's also odd that while you've been clean from opiates for over four weeks that the doctor would want to put you on suboxone. Can you get a second opinion?

I am moving this to sober living for you.

I edited your post as we do not use the term SWIM here or refer to our personal or previous drug use in the third person.

Things will get better for you; but it will take time. Get yourself a long period of sobriety time. Do you talk to any sort of counselor or therapist that specializes in drug addiction? Or go to NA/AA meetings? Do you have a network of support of family and friends who are sober who know you want to get and stay clean or sober? All of these things help a lot.

 

[manboychef]

I would suggest against getting on sub. You are more than likely experiencing PAWS. PAWS info.

This will pass with time. The best thing you can do for yourself is to start the process of healing that is necessary after long term drug abuse. I too started early, and it is particularly true that quite a bit of the emotions you have swept under the rug with your use will come back to haunt you.

One thing I have noticed in people that started early is they have not developed coping mechanisms, ability to have healthy relationships, and the ability to be completely honest with themselves. Work on these things because it will save you from relapse down the road.

 

[neversickanymore]

Clonidine will not treat your anxiety much. In detox it's used to try and control adrenal spikes.

Since your four weeks off you should consider tapering and dropping this med unless you still have goose bumps, severe restlessness or that frozen sun burn feeling on your skin in areas.

Since your having the major anxiety symptoms in public this indicates social anxiety. Social anxiety is one of the hallmarks of addiction.

You are subconsciencly judging your self by the reactions of others.

The reason you feel like everyone is looking at and constantly judging you is your judging yourself based on the reactions and opinions of others.

This is fully cure able but it will take some effort.

You need to identify and believe in your own uniquiqe morals and values.

In doing so you will learn how you need to act to be good with you and you will learn what you value.

When you accept and believe in your uniquiqe morals and values and live your life to these standards and in those directions you will once again know how you need to behave and what you want to spend your life doing.

You will then go from judging yourself and your life by the reactions and opinions of other people to instead measuring yourself and your life against your own standards.

In doing so you will no longer feel your constantly being judged by others. Other people's thoughts and criticisms will lose all the power they have over you and will just be some other whack jobs I opinion.

You will no longer feel crippling anxiety around others esp people you like, respect or total strangers.

Hope this helps.. Congratulations on the new sobriety and keep healing

 

[Jabberwocky]

Buprenorphine can be effectively used to treat anxiety. I got on Suboxone after detoxing from opioids, sober for two weeks. It can be used as a stellar safety net to help prevent and treat against relapse. I have to say I tend to agree that buprenorphine will probably be a safer, more constuctive option than a benzodiazepine if you have a history of opioid misuse, especially if you used long term.

Buprenorphone treated my anxiety really well. I highly suggect you lool into a medication such as Wellbutrin to also take to treat your anxiety. Seeing a therapist, group therapy and self help groups will also make an incredible difference in your early and long term recovery.

The nice thing about Suboxone is that to use it properly you have to stay on it for a while. Basically if you are not using it just to detox you are talking six months minimum. That is a pretty big committment. But as an opioid addict, you need a good long period of stability, the kind of stability from addiction and anxiety that Suboxone can provide. If you go down and taper slowly, gettinf off it is relatively painless. With comfort meds and whatnot, there is literally no reason you would have to suffer.

There is so much shite info about meds like Suboxone and methadone. You need to educate yourself from reliable sources. med like buprenorphine will be mjch more helpful than a benzo in terms of your recovery from opioid and stim addiction and your anxoety disorder.

Suboxone is not a magic bullet. You will still have to do a lot of hard work, going to meetings, seeing your therapist and keeping up with the doctor. But medication assisted treatment provides you with a foundation early on, helping to prevent relapse and diminish cravings so that you can focus on the really important work, working with your therapist to treat your challanges with anxiety. That is how you will over come your struggles with anxiety long term, not so much with benzos. And even though they take a while to start working, regardless of what you do you should also get on a drug like Wellbutrin to treat your anxiety that wont inhibit your CNS or lead to dependency.

Good luck! Use this to start learning about Suboxone:

These are a pdf and pptx of a powerpoint presentation I made on MAT/ORT for a collegue's alcohol and drug studies class. It is pretty basic info, but it covers a lot of ground and is pretty thorough for educating someone who do not know anything about MAT or ORT.

It should be noted that, because of the detail, it makes no sense to present this to an audience you know will be antagonist to harm reduction. It is only intended for people with open minds.

MAT Presentation pdf

MAT Presentation pptx

 

[Captain.Heroin]

See another doctor and get a low dose Valium do not relapse do not get on Suboxone

stop taking clonidine if it makes you feel that way

 

[Jabberwocky]

Wouldnt a low dose of clonazepam be preferable to diazepam? Generally it seems less abuse prone, although both are readily abusable, and I believe clonazepam has a longer half life. Just a thought. I still vote for Suboxone and a SSRI. Either that or a SSRI and a low dose of a long acting benzo like clonazepam.

What is important OP is that you make the choice you are comfortable with. No one can make up your mind but you, no one can make healthy choices but you, and no one can change but you. The good news is that you can easily accomplish all of this by taking super small steps reguarly. As long as you keep working and moving in the right direction you will get to a place you are comfortable with in your recovery and in your life sooner than you may think.