Addiction Kicked opiates, crack & benzos.... Cannabis is the hardest + DVLA problems

[ageingpartyfiend]

I’m sorry I’ve no proper advice for you but you’ll not piss clean for probably 60-90 days due to your decades of use.

that long? fucking hell

 

[geekgrl]

I work in a lab, not doing urine analysis but if you’ve been using for decades then it’s going to be a lot longer than 30 days to clear. You know yourself the situation with how fat stores THC. I just don’t want you to think you’re all good at 30 days because it won’t be that, it’ll be up to 90 days.

“After smoking of a single cannabis cigarette, serum Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels are typically below detection limits within 12 hr 3, whereas its primary metabolite, 11-nor-9-carboxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THCCOOH), may be detectable in serum for about 1 week and in urine for about 2 weeks 4. In chronic cannabis users, however, THC and THCCOOH may be detectable in blood for up to 1 month 5–7, and THCCOOH in urine for up to 3 months 1,8,9. The delayed cannabinoid excretion in chronic cannabis users is believed to be caused by accumulation and subsequent slow release of THC from fat tissue 10,11.”

From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4270258/

Thanks I appreciate the info. Yeah I was guessing I would be at the very least 30 days.

What would one call a heavy smoker though? I genuinely have no idea. At least when I was on dark I didn't smoke much, I tend to smoke about half oz a month, what's that, like 0.4g a day? I guess that is a lot. I smoked double that when withdrawing from opiates. I'm seriously crewed aren'tim I

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

Green is not a drug, in sane people eyes at least. For me it wasn't the meds or detox but weed who helpt me further.

true (well not really cos it is a drug - ever tried driving after a 60mg tch edible?) but it certainly is a drug in the eyes of dvla and most other organisations

 

[geekgrl]

true (well not really cos it is a drug - ever tried driving after a 60mg tch edible?) but it certainly is a drug in the eyes of dvla and most other organisations

I hate driving after smoking, in fact I don't do it because I know it affects me. I dont drive after taking any drugs really. Shame that doesn't help me in this situation at all.

 

[ageingpartyfiend]

Thanks I appreciate the info. Yeah I was guessing I would be at the very least 30 days.

What would one call a heavy smoker though? I genuinely have no idea. At least when I was on dark I didn't smoke much, I tend to smoke about half oz a month, what's that, like 0.4g a day? I guess that is a lot. I smoked double that when withdrawing from opiates. I'm seriously crewed aren'tim I

Its not a LOT, but it is a lot, and the daily intake for 20 years makes you a heavy smoker regarding retention of thc in fat etc etc

I smoke a similar amount perhaps but for a longer time. I'm terrified of getting a drug wipe when driving even though I never thesedays smoke anything prior to driving. I am likely to have smoked perhaps 15 hours or so before driving though and would still be likelty to fail the est even if straight as a dye at the time

 

[geekgrl]

Its not a LOT, but it is a lot, and the daily intake for 20 years makes you a heavy smoker regarding retention of thc in fat etc etc

I smoke a similar amount perhaps but for a longer time. I'm terrified of getting a drug wipe when driving even though I never thesedays smoke anything prior to driving. I am likely to have smoked perhaps 15 hours or so before driving though and would still be likelty to fail the est even if straight as a dye at the time

I guess you feel my pain, huh? I have literally smoked every day since 2000. I think I had 2 weeks off in 2002 when I went on holiday. Thats it. Seriously. Not done a day without. I don't even know how to do a day without. If I try, my anxiety rockets, I know its mostly psychologically but it's fucking real.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

it is not your fault!! you were right to reach out to drug services, they shouldn't be putting your livelihood in jeopardy. its just fucked.

can you not just tell them that as you've been clean for 2 months and are putting work in to maintain your recovery, you do not see the need to inform them now? and further, that informing them now would be detrimental to your mental health, and their role is to protect both you and the general public.

Unfortunately, 'reaching out' to any of the government funded services (drugs and alcohol, mental health, social) is like shooting yourself in the foot. The people you deal with generally couldn't give a fuck about you and are just hopping across yet another stepping stone on their career path. All they are capable of is 'support by numbers'

The wife and I were caught up in the drug services for years. Did they actually help us? No, aside from doling out methadone scripts and paraphernalia for injecting, there was no human element, no real interest in us and no actual incentive to get clean.

Ironically, the major incentive for us to get off methadone was that the wife's sister joined the local drug and alcohol service on her career path in mental health having worked her way up from hospital cleaner! She is one of the least sympathetic and empathetic people I know, and although she has now progressed quite high up in her job, she still doesn't know her arse from her elbow about drugs or alcohol - and she has to evaluate YOU...

I also have experience with the mental health services through the wife, my son and several friends. They're as bad - only capable of writing prescriptions for SSRIs and making endless appointments where you just go round in circles and nothing really happens.

As for the social services - some of my extended family are having serious problems with the SS - jumped up idiots with delusions of grandeur and sense of superiority. All they do is make life hard for genuine people while letting children get abused under their noses because the families are too difficult to deal with. When things inevitably go terribly wrong (e.g. baby P and endless other cases), their response is "there are lessons to be learnt". But THEY NEVER LEARN THE FUCKIN LESSONS".

I've known several social workers and they seem to conform to a type - middle class busy bodies with no real idea of hardship but a little power that goes to their heads. Generally lower than average intelligence, but higher than average up their own arses.

I realise there are some sweeping generalisations here - but generalisations are generally correct...

 

[geekgrl]

Unfortunately, 'reaching out' to any of the government funded services (drugs and alcohol, mental health, social) is like shooting yourself in the foot. The people you deal with generally couldn't give a fuck about you and are just hopping across yet another stepping stone on their career path. All they are capable of is 'support by numbers'

The wife and I were caught up in the drug services for years. Did they actually help us? No, aside from doling out methadone scripts and paraphernalia for injecting, there was no human element, no real internet in us and no actual incentive to get clean.

Ironically, the major incentive for us to get off methadone was that the wife's sister joined the local drug and alcohol service on her career path in mental health having worked her way up from hospital cleaner! She is one of the least sympathetic and empathetic people I know, and although she has now progressed quite high up in her job, she still doesn't know her arse from her elbow about drugs or alcohol - and she has to evaluate you...

I also have experience with the mental health services through the wife, my son and several friends. They're as bad - only capable of writing prescriptions for SSRIs and making endless appointments where you just go round in circles and nothing really happens.

As for the social services - some of my extended family are having serious problems with the SS - jumped up idiots with delusions of grandeur and sense of superiority. All they do is make life hard for genuine people while letting children get abused under their noses because the families are too difficult to deal with. When things inevitably go terribly wrong (e.g. baby P and endless other cases), their response is "theres lessons to be learnt". But THEY NEVER LEARN THE FUCKIN LESSONS".

I've known several social workers and they seem to conform to a type - middle class busy bodies with no real idea of hardship but a little power that goes to their heads. Generally lower than average intelligence, but higher than average up their own areas.

I realise there are some sweeping generalisations here - but generalisations are generally correct...

You are so right. I'm never telling them anything again, it's all my own fault for getting them involved. I knew this was a risk, I took it feeling weak when lockdown really screwed with me and I'm going to pay the price. I have to say in terms of mental health services I've found some of the education / therapy useful, but I am so fed up of the rest of them. No doubt they will want to increase my SRNI prescription. There are a few good individuals but the rest are all bloody useless.

 

[geekgrl]

Thanks everyone for chiming in and not judging. X

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

You are so right. I'm never telling them anything again, it's all my own fault for getting them involved. I knew this was a risk, I took it feeling weak when lockdown really screwed with me and I'm going to pay the price. I have to say in terms of mental health services I've found some of the education / therapy useful, but I am so fed up of the rest of them. No doubt they will want to increase my SRNI prescription. There are a few good individuals but the rest are all bloody useless.

Ya know, when I first tentatively approached my local drug service seeking their 'help' due to heroin addiction, I asked them if it would go on my medical records (I wanted to avoid this partly from a sense of pride, but also in the knowledge that I would never get anything worthwhile prescribed in my life - even if i needed it). They told me "no, this is all confidential". Rather naively, I believed them and signed up for treatment.

At some point down the line, I realised that my drug abuse was very much recorded all over my medical records. When I questioned them they played dumb and said "of course it has to go on record, what if you had a serious accident and needed painkilling treatment?" Obviously this makes sense and I couldn't argue with it. But it's like they deliberately lied to me to get me into treatment.

I also remember when this notifying the DVLA business first kicked off. They made it appear to be voluntary, but also made it clear they would grass you up if you didn't do it yourself. Luckily, I managed to get out of treatment before that happened.

So I feel your pain @geekgrl

At least fully autonomous vehicles are not to far in the future now. I wonder if we'll still have to pass drug tests to prove we're sober enough to put our lives in their hands..?

 

[geekgrl]

Ya know, when I first tentatively approached my local drug service seeking their 'help' due to heroin addiction, I asked them if it would go on my medical records (I wanted to avoid this partly from a sense of pride, but also in the knowledge that I would never get anything worthwhile prescribed in my life - even if i needed it). They told me "no, this is all confidential". Rather naively, I believed them and signed up for treatment.

At some point down the line, I realised that my drug abuse was very much recorded all over my medical records. When I questioned them they played dumb and said "of course it has to go on record, what if you had a serious accident and needed painkilling treatment?" Obviously this makes sense and I couldn't argue with it. But it's like they deliberately lied to me to get me into treatment.

I also remember when this notifying the DVLA business first kicked off. They made it appear to be voluntary, but also made it clear they would grass you up if you didn't do it yourself. Luckily, I managed to get out of treatment before that happened.

So I feel your pain @geekgrl

At least fully autonomous vehicles are not to far in the future now. I wonder if we'll still have to pass drug tests to prove we're sober enough to put our lives in their hands..?

Sounds like u do feel my pain. I knew about all this stuff before hand and I still went to them because I thought I needed methadone to come off the gear. Managed to get off it myself because they took so long, but that's not enough for them they still want to take my licence, even though they know how much I stand to lose from it. They don't care. Now they are worried about my mental health, 'history of risk', no bloody wonder! But it all comes back to me, I brought this on myself I can't blame anyone else. Still trying to figure a way out though.

 

[geekgrl]

I hope this post serves as a warning to others, certainly in this country (UK), think very hard and carefully if you're a driver!

 

[Jabberwocky]

FUBAR with all due respect, I think drugs services might have changed a little since you were in them. I actually didn't bother with them when i was using cos I just thought you'd get a double habit, i had no intention of quitting and no one i knew using them had any intention of quitting.

going in clean and with the intention of staying that way they have been amazing, the final stage of CGLs foundations programme and therapy i got from a charity, signposted to me by my key worker, are in the top three of therapy that has kept me in recovery. number was one particular lady in rehab doing accelerated resolution therapy, i only had 5 sessions cos the management were shit. those 5 useful hours of 22k rehab are very poor value for money compared to the help I have had for free from the local drugs services. i know plenty of people in recovery who got great help from their drugs services.

mental health services, on the other hand, i agree are shit. last time i interacted with them only group therapy was on offer, on not overly useful topics, and they are destroying a good friend of mine. and it appears they are responsible for the DVLA bullshit so i don't see that a reason to lay into drugs services.

 

[Jabberwocky]

geekgrl- stop beating yourself up, you have done the right thing. from what i can tell of your situation you are well within your rights to assert yourself, state you do not and have never driven under the influence, so notifying DVLA is unnecessary.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

FUBAR with all due respect, I think drugs services might have changed a little since you were in them. I actually didn't bother with them when i was using cos I just thought you'd get a double habit, i had no intention of quitting and no one i knew using them had any intention of quitting.

going in clean and with the intention of staying that way they have been amazing, the final stage of CGLs foundations programme and therapy i got from a charity, signposted to me by my key worker, are in the top three of therapy that has kept me in recovery. number was one particular lady in rehab doing accelerated resolution therapy, i only had 5 sessions cos the management were shit. those 5 useful hours of 22k rehab are very poor value for money compared to the help I have had for free from the local drugs services. i know plenty of people in recovery who got great help from their drugs services.

mental health services, on the other hand, i agree are shit. last time i interacted with them only group therapy was on offer, on not overly useful topics, and they are destroying a good friend of mine. and it appears they are responsible for the DVLA bullshit so i don't see that a reason to lay into drugs services.

Going in clean? Well no wonder they were amazing, you've done all the fuckin hard work for them...

 

[geekgrl]

geekgrl- stop beating yourself up, you have done the right thing. from what i can tell of your situation you are well within your rights to assert yourself, state you do not and have never driven under the influence, so notifying DVLA is unnecessary.

I wish the DVLA saw it that way! Currently thinking I should just give my licence up for 12 months, try quit weed and re apply. Either that or mental health services get me revoked and then I believe your insurance goes up and everything. God I've made such a mess. Got my old care coordinator coming on fri so I think I will just mull things over till then. The main thing I need to do is to get back on track with anything positive I can still recover, all of my plans involve a car so I need a plan B. I really want to discharge myself from CMHT but I don't want to make things worse for myself, would that stand against me? I don't know.

 

[geekgrl]

And not to buy any more class As they are fucking with my mood, I'm so glad I can see that 5though as it's the kind of motivation I need to stay on the straight and narrow..... But weed. I can't see me living a day without it. Worry about that later I think. Thanks for all your kind words of support.

 

[geekgrl]

CGLs foundations programme and therapy i got from a charity, signposted to me by my key worker, are in the top three of therapy that has kept me in recovery.

My local drug service is CGL, I might look up this foundations programme, what was the charity / therapy? I'm really interested in knowing more about what's worked for you, PM me if you prefer.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Going in clean? Well no wonder they were amazing, you've done all the fuckin hard work for them...

lol i get ya, though i am pretty sure i was the only one on my foundations group who had been to rehab and you have to be able to do complete abstinence from all substances for the last phase.

its hard to explain what foundations is- its 3 phases, i missed the first phase cos we figured i'd have covered the material in rehab. its a long commitment, 2 mornings a week for like 4 or 5 months in total. the second phase i didn't find that useful, but the last phase was amazing. the most important thing that we did for me was forgiveness. its hard to explain. i almost didn't go because of the hatred i harbour for the man who raped me repeatedly. i couldn't stand the idea of being told to forgive him. i still hate the bastard and always will but the lady helped me process and didn't tell me to forgive him, just that not doing so was causing me pain and that i should at least open myself up to the possibility of forgiveness.

this was the charity: https://www.rapecentre.org.uk/contact.php

i hope despite the shit storm you are giving yourself a big pat on the back for staying off the class a's. seriously they aren't worth it.

 

[geekgrl]

Thank you. I will be happier with myself when I stop relapsing so quickly..... I accept there will always some element of that.

I am going to have a look at forgiveness and see if I can build that into my healing. It sounds like it could be quite powerful, I harbour a fair bit of hate for people and it probably isn't doing me any good. Forgiving myself is anorher thing lol, but I know kindness to yourself is another one of those steps towards happiness (in theory). I harbour a fair bit of hate for myself too for some of the major stupid shit I have done.

Thanks again for sharing your experiences it is much appreciated.