Screwed by bad choices and as situation out of my control

Thank you for the kind words Xorkoth. I am looking for other jobs. Not as hard as when I had no job. Considering this job is actually sucking money out of pocket, I should be looking for new work as hard or harder than I did when I was unemployed.

In the past 23 years that I've been a provider, no one has starved or had to worry about a roof being over their head while under my watch. It's not going to happen now (it just feels like it could sometimes ).

I just need to chill. I got a lot to be proud of, no need to let my brain/ego be my own worst a enemy. Of course after I chill I need to get busy again.
 
I don't know why but emotionally I still feel like an open wound. I was on the phone checking into a non profit private vocational college because I fucking hate my job and when the lady asked what program I wanted information on I just broke down and started crying. I had to explain that I didn't know what I wanted to do but after my employer (my brother) passed away I've been trying to make ends meet but even with a bachelor's and 2 master's degrees I don't really feel qualified to do anything. She was really nice to me and had me set up with an academic counselor the 18th, which is the first day that person is back from vacation. Their fall trimester starts September 3.

So I guess I'll trade my finacial uncertainty in for a cert in welding or facilities maintenance or possibly an assoc degree in industrial electrical or hvac/refrigeration/heater repair. The associate degree take 2 years though and I don't know if I can wait that long.

Being private and not for profit this school does drug testing. Thank goodness I'm already hip to being drug free.
 
Funny story, actually made one sale today and have myself set up for possibly 3 sales next week. Apparently I do my best selling when I'm just myself, which apparently happens when I feel emotionally naked - like I did after crying on the phone while talking to a vocational school receptionist. Maybe taking the pressure off of myself because I've discovered I still have a lot of options career-wise helps as well.

Making the sale feels awesome. It it's like the best part of taking a pain killer minus the bad shit and guilt. My new drug is my job.....
 
I made another sale today. So happy the job is starting to work out. This is an extremely hard market to break into. Took me a month to make my first sale; another half-month to make my second sale. One business day after my second sale I made my third sale today. This feels so good; better than any drug high...oh yeah!

The irony is that my relapse began because I thought I needed my amphetamine and Oxy to do the job. However I didn't make my first sale until until day one off amphetamines last month. I thought I needed the amphetamine for focus and motivation to do my job but honestly they actually made me too anxious sell anything.
 
Alright, way to go! :)
He'll ya man! It feels so good not to be scared of life.

Basically I am building a business while recovering from a 15 year drug binge. I'm a lot more badass than I give myself credit for.....but I'm humble and that shit will never go to my head. The really cool thing is that I am making money helping other businesses save money. As long as I remember it is all about the product and not about me other than being of service to others, I think I can be successful with out being arrogant.....lol, now I'm really getting ahead of myself.... Goodnight day 27 of my sobriety!
 
Good to hear things are going better for you!
Thanks T. I am feeling a lot better.

My brain feels like a pendulum. On Adderall and then vyvanse I eventually became very depressed. Once I was sober and doing the right things (working out, eating right, taking care of my shit) my brain eventually over compensated, placing me in an almost manic state. Unfortunately pendulums are dynamic in nature and it felt like my brain chemistry briefly went back too far in the other direction, and I had a couple of bad days last week. Hopefully this all settles down soon and I will ride the waves on an even keel.

Honestly though good days don't just happen. Exercise helps and putting intense and intelligent effort into my work also makes a big difference irt how I feel about myself. ....but the writing is on the wall and soon even this won't be enough and eventually I'll have to face the issues that fueled my addictions for so long....oui.
 
Thanks T. I am feeling a lot better.

My brain feels like a pendulum. On Adderall and then vyvanse I eventually became very depressed. Once I was sober and doing the right things (working out, eating right, taking care of my shit) my brain eventually over compensated, placing me in an almost manic state. Unfortunately pendulums are dynamic in nature and it felt like my brain chemistry briefly went back too far in the other direction, and I had a couple of bad days last week. Hopefully this all settles down soon and I will ride the wbit aaves on an even keel.

Honestly though good days don't just happen. Exercise helps and putting intense and intelligent effort into my work also makes a big difference irt how I feel about myself. ....but the writing is on the wall and soon even this won't be enough and eventually I'll have to face the issues that fueled my addictions for so long....oui.

One day at a time.
My story is a little different but thought I would share. I was around sixteen when i started messing asaround with drugs but i wont share the whole story because it take up to much space.
By the time I was twenty two I had went through withdrawal a couple times not even knowing that was what was going, figured it out later. By twenty five I was messed with most man-made drugs and natural ones, cocaine ( favorite ) , acid, shroms , etc and pills knowned. My dad, Grandma, aunt, 2 uncle's and 1 cousin were my easy source not to mention numerous friends. Will with all that said I will let you know I have 3 brother's , 1 sister, and my mom that never messed with anything. My parents stilled married after 38 years and siblings do real good for their self. 10 years ago my brothers son died at 3 months old , terrible time and don't know how my brother over came that.

Okay this were things start really getting messed up. My cousin (the one mentioned above) who I didnt know going up moved back to where I lived. He was here about six years which he lived with me or my family the entire time because my uncle His dad is a ritzy piece of crap. So the only reason my cousin left was because he decided he had enough of this life and put a bullet in his head. So another terrible time for my family.

So now I'm a full blown pill head and really don't know what is to come. Skipping through little things because I always felt I was blessed not having to deal more deaths than this at almost thirty. This is where things get really wierd.

My grandma and aunt move decide to move back to tenn after living here for 30 plus years. What we did not know was that favorite aunt with her sister ( my aunt ) being close second was shooting up morphine at a alarming rate. We recieved a phone call from cousin that my grandma found my aunt not breathing. So she had passed away. Another terrible time. My dad favored her because she was his youngest sister and he had drove 20 hours round trip to rescue her froma abusive relationship years before. This crushed my dad

So my dad picked up a drinking habit which turned into a 1 and 1/2 gallon of vodka every day and a half. Nobody knew about this for a year or so. Let me add my grandpa died that winter which was unexpected but he was 82. Still another terrible time. So back to my dadand his drinking pproblem. I'm fishing one night with my three kids, which I have not mentioned and my dad. We are getting ready to leave and I notice my dad is sitting in the truck already and not helping me packa thing up which is not normal. So I get in my truck and I smell alcohol which is not normal so I think its my smell is off until he starts arguing about a fish I had caught. I then realized he had been drinking which was not normal. So everything started to make sense but my dad did not drink my entire life going up until now so I was floored. So I don't say much and just hope it was a one time thing. I receive a phone call one night from my mom at about two in the morning that my dad is out of control. I go over to my parents to find my dad is out of control and hammered drunk. He starts talking to me and I can't understand much but something about why did his sister have die. I start to try to calm him done and nothing is working and the next thing I know he lounges at my mom and before he gets to her I tackle him and we wrestle around until get backwards over a couch and hold him there. Let me mention I was recovery from a herniated disc and degenerative disc from a couple months earlier and still on workman's comp. This had happened while I was working in a maximum security prison. Will explain later. So I have my dad done and don't know what to do so my mom calls my brother who is a police officer. He gets there and dicides we have to him admitted to the hospital for threatening suicide. To fight my dad and have him forcefully admitted was by far the hardest thing I had ever done. But knew it was the best. So when got released we had family intervention with no real luck because he couldn't go a hour without drinking without suffering severe withdrawal. I would have never guessed his problem was that bad. So month later were at the same spot on Thanksgiving and we finally talk him into checking into rehab. He completed 7days of detox which they described him to be one of worst they seen in a while. So seven days behind us and he's home to get a phone call that his brother my close uncle was found dead. What the heck and how is he supposed to handle this. Unreal but he keeps his sobriety from alcohol with god watching over. (His brother overdosed) let me remind you his sister was 40 and his brother was 43 or 44.

So about 2 months go by and my grandma died at 81 to be with my grandpa.

So back to the story we get a phone call from my grandpa in Tenn that my aunt died at 48 and that would be my dads last sibling. She died at my grandpas in his arms. What that heck she died of cancer but why I do not know and so she went to be with her husband that had died after my first aunt 2 years before. Craziness.

Still wondering how my dad was going to handled it but he made it. So about 2 months go by and get a phone call that my grandma in tenn the only on i have left is not doing well. So we head to Tenn and she dies a couple days later at 76. So that's the worst of it but it started with my nephew 10 years ago. Since then my cousin around 5 years ago and then all the craziness.

My dads sister one and a half years later his only brother, just months later his last sister and then a few months later his mom. So that leaves him with his dad which he left when he was sixteen due to the beatings him and my grandma taking from my grandpa. When I say beatings I mean thrown out the car doing fifty, chairs broken over them, shot at with a 30/30, even poisonous snakes put in the car with them. So my grandma poisoned my grandpa until he was parilized and then her and the kids went north. My grandpa was in the hospital for almost six months.

My dad is close with his dad now and so are we. Let say I never saw that side of my grandpa but is true.

So my dad is still sober from alcohol to this day. My dad has to be the greatest there is even though the night I will never forget.

So I start going to suboxone doctor about fours ago and after a couple years I go to work for a prison. I have had a job since I was 14 and never lostva job because of drug addiction. When I was out I would tough it out and go to work. I'm talking about construction work until the prison. So I'm a work one morning and out of nowhere my back pops and I can't walk. A ambulance took me to the hospital. I had tell everyone at the hospital that was on suboxone so they wouldn't overdose me. Embarrassing to say the least. When you tell someone that and your dressed in officers clothing they look at you funny. So my wife of sixteen years is in nursing school at this time. We met she was sixteen and I was seventeen and have been together ever since. So I go on workman's comp for a year and a half. Without any pay for nine of those months even though i jumped through every hoop they had. I wanted the surgery but they keep fighting it was PR existing and I couldn't take a chance in court with my with wife almost done with school. So i took a settlement and a 5 lb weight restriction for the rest of my life. We managed to get my wife out of school without losing our house which is now payed off and vehicles.

I will have to finish later
You not believe I had rest of the story done and walked for 30 minutes thanking whether I wanted let that much out and the whole thing reset. Man what a night and morning.

So I won't finish the story yet but I wanted say something to you.

Last night I read from start to finish your thread again to understand your situation a little better. So you know I'm not trying to highjack your thread or trump your story in anyway but I feel like my story may interest you. I'm amazed by how you handled your brothers death and what you had to do after the fact. That is not normal and i would say your a hell of lot stronger then you give yourself credit fir and one day your kids will realize how great you are. When there youngits hardto understand and I know from experience. I would recommend seeking professional help on top of all the good advice you have received on here. As I said that is not normal and you could compare it PTSD. Keep you head high and know this for your kids and you. Baby steps not giant leaps.
 
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Wow deashaft, that is quite the story so far. Definitely a lot of shit to go thru in a relatively short amount of time.

You are welcome to finish the story here but you may also want to start your own thread if you have specific issues you'd like to address.
 
Deashaft, I see you did write a little more in your post. I appreciate what you have to say and the compliments.

However I don't feel so strong. I'm hanging in there as best I can. Every day I don't use is a victory but it is not enough. Some days are good. Days like today are harder. Still being relatively new to the drug free lifestyle, my mood and sense of well being swings wildly from one extreme to the other. I constantly worry about my ability to feed and keep a roof over my family. As no one is hungry or homeless, I am letting my imagination take over. I am stressing myself out to no end. I feel chilly and slightly dope sick today even though I haven't use anything in over a month. I know it is all just a matter of perspective. I need to work hard instead of letting fear paralyze me.

The fear still paralyzes me. Not like it did when I was still using and found myself at that darkest place but it still finds me - I think about it too long and I got to catch my breadth.

All I can say is fuck I wish I wasn't too proud to seek professional help.
 
Sorry I haven't replied, I myself have been trying to keep clean to 14 days today so I do know how your feeling. So stayed away from the post to keep my mind off the withdrawal. I've been back to work going on a week with about 2 to 3 hours of sleep a night for the past two weeks and its been tough. I have heard that you can feel like your full blown withdrawal a day here and there months down the road but remember it only last for hours compared to the rest of your life. You have it beat physically now those days its just mental so keep strong. My name I chose is deashaft so I will try to explain it a little and why here 14 days clean. You know my history above and about my injuries so I will tell you about a doctor I was seeing for my addiction which turned into pain management due to those injuries. The doctor I saw was running 5 clinics which I didnt know and was seeing massive amounts of patients. So the 26 of July his offices were raided by the dea and 11 people were arrested which four were doctors and one was a attorney. When I found out that day I had five days worth of meds left with half my script left at the drug store to cost and no insurance. I pay 500 a month for this treatment for 4 years so the day of my appointment I would only fill half my script and two later I would pick the other half up. Immediately I called the drug store to see if I could get the other half and the said no the Dea had frooze everything that had to due with him. So like hundreds of other patients of his we were screwed. I called almost 100 doctors in the next few days and several that said they had room for more patients would ask who had treated me in the past and when I told them they said they couldn't take. I didn't break the rules but I'm being treated like the criminal. The others that said they could see me only needed my medical records but guess what the DEA has all the records and won't release them. So that's why I chose the name. So with no luck I decided to try life clean that week I decide I would take my paid vacation and see how it goes. O I found a very nice doctor the second day of withdrawal who would treat me but I decided I would continue the withdrawal and see where it went. I have three great boys that mean everything to me and a beautiful wife that has stood by my side through everything so all that has pushed me to do this all that much more. This has been living hell until the last few days but I'm on my way. The hard part is not showing weakness at home and at work. So you continue with your sobriety and I will mine which your story has helped me through this tough time and just know 6 months from know you will ask yourself why did I ever chose drugs over living life because as long as your days are artificial your not living life.

Ps I will try to stay in touch and I will finish my story and stay strong
 
Deashaft, wow what a load of bs you've been put thru by an unscrupulous doctor! It totally sucks to suffer due to someone else's actions; in your case a greedy doctor running several pill mills. I gotta give you props for making it thru these last 2 weeks drug free; that it's awesome.

Me, tbh I'm at home losing my mind. I've seemed to have developed extreme agoraphobia. I'm working for myself trying to establish a business selling industrial lubricants. I've been rejected so many times I can't even get out of my car to call on potential customers. I'm frozen in an irrational fear. I am representing a great product line that would save businesses a substantial amount of money. The products are even documented thru the EPA and DOE as to lower energy usage. This week I haven't been able to force myself to make one sales call. My stomach hurts and my heart races all the time. It is almost enough to make my want to find synthetic courage in drugs.

I have a wife that cannot work and a son to raise. These people depend on me and I am letting them down badly.

I don't know what to do. I don't feel like myself at all.

Normally I'm an intelligent and very likable person. I know that rejection in sales is nothing to take personally. But I'm frozen and don't know how to dig my way back out. I wish I could just disappear but that would be a much worse thing to do to the people that love and depend on me.
 
Azure, even though others depend on you that does not mean that you are responsible to the point of making yourself sick to provide for them. I can understand how the constant rejection would get to most people in sales. Is there anything else that you could look into being trained for?

Can your wife receive some disability for her condition that would help take the pressure off of you?

Hang in there--you know in your heart that any chemical fix will be temporary and wreak more havoc in your future. Not worth it.<3
 
Azure, even though others depend on you that does not mean that you are responsible to the point of making yourself sick to provide for them. I can understand how the constant rejection would get to most people in sales. Is there anything else that you could look into being trained for?

Can your wife receive some disability for her condition that would help take the pressure off of you?

Hang in there--you know in your heart that any chemical fix will be temporary and wreak more havoc in your future. Not worth it.<3
As far as the chemical fix goes, the operative word is "almost". Although this job is sucking my life force, it can't have my soul. I won't let any situation compromise my sobriety. That's the one thing only I can take from myself and I'm not willing to let go the one thing I've done right this last month.

I am smoking cigarettes again. This sucks and really plays havoc on my self confidence as well. Who'd thought that my image of myself could be tied to such a thing.

Monday was the only day I could get to the gym this week. My son days he'll go with me tomorrow. So much easier to go when he's along to inspire me. Tbh a morning workout wakes me up and makes the day so much better than cigarettes and coffee ever could.

My wife has been applying for ss disability for a couple of years. No luck so far.
 
Still fighting the good fight. No relapses. I'm even back off cigarettes (for over a week now. Not even a puff but I am using the 1mg nicotine gum this time).

I don't like writing here though as I'm having a hard time expressing myself thru written words. With the hyper focus superpowers of amphetamine gone, it is really hard to lay out how I feel using words; very embarrassing as well - feel like a grunting caveman. .....I know this will get better as my brain heals and I probably should force myself to try to be more expressive so I can learn how to properly communicate again.
 
You sound like you're doing fine, quitting the pills and the cigarettes. All you can do is keep on keeping on. I'm proud of you! :)
 
Still fighting the good fight. No relapses. I'm even back off cigarettes (for over a week now. Not even a puff but I am using the 1mg nicotine gum this time).

I don't like writing here though as I'm having a hard time expressing myself thru written words. With the hyper focus superpowers of amphetamine gone, it is really hard to lay out how I feel using words; very embarrassing as well - feel like a grunting caveman. .....I know this will get better as my brain heals and I probably should force myself to try to be more expressive so I can learn how to properly communicate again.

I think you do a great job of expressing yourself and not only that but I am so grateful that you take the time to do so. It helps so many more people than you even realize to read this thread from the beginning to the present. You are honest about the struggle and the highs and lows of the journey as you are living them. I feel that your transparency and humility come from a very open heart and I think you do a fine job of expressing yourself.<3
 
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