What gives you the worst withdrawal/comedown?

[Ninae]

I've now had the privilige of experiencing comedowns and short-term addiction from a variety of drugs and would be interested to see if other's experience matches my own. For me, I would have to say the worst have been drugs based on:

1) Serotonin/Dopamine
2) Gaba
3) Opiates

Though they all are so bad it's almost not possible to really compare and they are more or less equal, it's just in the order I would least want to experience.

To sum it up, I've never experienced withdrawal from Serotonin/Dopamine-based drugs (or it's been masked by other drugs), but I HAVE experienced a few comedowns from it and the suicidal/psychosis feeling was almost more than I could bare to manage, and think you can only endure it because it's so short. One time, a spiritually-minded woman even came upto me while I was sitting on some stairs alongside a street, asking me if I was okay and blessing me (LOL). It's also a really crazy experience as when it's over all those feelings are vanished and you're just left with the memory of a traumatic experience you can't connect with anymore.

Then I'd have to place benzos second, it's very similar to a stimulant comedown, just milder and more outdrawn. Both give you crazy anxiety and psychotic depression but the serotonin or dopmine-type comedown is much more acute or desperate. While in benzo withdrawal you just want to die, you're still somehow prepared to wait it out, but in a stimulant comedown you obsessively think you HAVE to kill yourself. It's just lucky it's short enough to enable you to avoid acting on those feelings.

It's kind of funny putting opiates last as the withdrawal from it makes you so desperately unhappy and is probably what creates the most genuine unhappiness. The feeling of needing more or you're going to die of misery is also really strong and makes people do all kinds of crazy and horrible things, so in a way it could be put on top, but it all depends on the situation. Like, someone who's been a needle-junkie for a year are going to suffer a lot more than someone who's been taking Kratom-extracts or other softer opiates for a few months, for instance.

But what I find more forgiving about the opiate withdrawal is, first of all, the physical symptoms are much easier. In benzo or any Gaba drug (like Lyrica or Neurontin) withdrawal the high blood pressure, muscle cramps, rapid heartbeat, and the feeling that you're on the verge of having a deathly seizure or heartattack, and you actually are, many have died from it, is really horrifying. And this goes on for days and days and days...easily for 10 days...this is another thing I find harder about benzo withdrawal. While with opiate withdrawal there is a noticable progression for each day. After the 3 first days the worst is over and after a week it's virtually done. But benzo withdrawal can apparantly go on for so long, and it gets progressively worse before it gets better. The third day is much worse than the first day, for instance.

I also must say I find the psychological effects harder to bear. While the extreme depression and unhappiness you get from opiate withdrawal seems like the worst you can possibly experience as a human at the time, at least you are half-passed out in a flue-like state with a much more dulled conscience which enables you to get a bit more peace. While with benzos, with the extreme restlessness, anxiety, panic-attacks, paranoia, and psychosis, as well as almost no sleep, there is no peace.

I'll stop here as it's already getting too long, but I'd be interested in hearing other's experience in comparison. I know a lot of it also depends on the individual situation, like what form of the drug you have taken, in what dose, for how long, etc. but it seems there are specific symptoms to each that everyone would be able to experience. At least if you imagine they were all used in the same way, you can't really compare if one drug was used much more heavily than the other.

 

[Opiator]

I would agree with you. I think you really nailed it as far as the effects of the different withdrawals. Not sure what alcohol works on, but it definitely is up there with benzos in terms of withdrawal.

 

[HCandKROD]

Benzos especially Xanax and Halcion
Alcohol
Personal experience with both. Alcohol is worst the first 5 days but longer is the benzos

 

[Ninae]

I would agree with you. I think you really nailed it as far as the effects of the different withdrawals. Not sure what alcohol works on, but it definitely is up there with benzos in terms of withdrawal.

Thanks, I thought it would be pretty spot-on and might be helpful for anyone having yet to go through any of these experiences. Can't really say what is worse of comedowns and withdrawals - comedowns are harder but withdrawals much more outdrawn. But I guess ultimately I would rather go through a bad comedown as 1-3 days still isn't that much to endure.

I also really think people should prepare themselves for the withdrawal if they get themselves into the situation where they might end up in one. I am very against cold turkey detox and think it's barbaric and very dangerous. I guess the general idea is that you deserve the punishment and that going through that horrific trial will scare you off for good, but in reality that only happen to some (a minority). Because the actual situation is that the experience can be so traumatic to go through, as well as generate many new problems and bring up old emotional issues, that when you've endured it you can be more in need of a drug than ever. While maybe before it was more of a recreational thing, now you can be in real need of emotional healing and escapism for a long time, just to distance yourself from that whole experience and those emotions.

You also need to consider that your biological body chemistry has been changed and will take a long time to get back to how it was, so even after completing detox it's still not easy, and in most cases a slow taper and maybe remaining on a minimal dose to keep away negative symptomps will probably work out the best. It might not be becoming clean, but it's a lot better than being hopelessly addicted if you can manage on a minimal dose in a functional way. It also avoids creating the association that stopping a drug is a horrible thing, and going without it even after completing withdrawal is not acceptable, which just makes people see much more value in drugs, and need for it, than if they were put through a gradual taper and maintainance schedule.

It's good to have principles against drugs and many who do mean well and really want to help (because they also do really ruin many lives), but the fact is some of us are just hopeless cases. Whether you're an adventerous type who just wants to have fun, don't think much of the consequences, and don't give a fuck, or you're someone who need escape/healing from some trauma. And long-term drug abuse will nearly always lead to some trauma which will increase the need for it even more, or create a real need. Though not as bad for some as for others, not all of us end up as prostitutes or victims of violent crime, or whatever, but it's close.

Problem is that by their nature drugs shelter you from that fact before it happens and sometimes even makes you invulnerable to what would normally be traumatic events. I almost got raped one night at a bus-stop but was so high on benzos I just found it amusing as I just managed to escape it as a police-car drove by just in time and I held up my hand so they stopped and picked me up and it seemed like a movie. I wouldn't say I'm scarred by the experience, but horrified by the thought of what might have happened, and how I was so far removed from the reality of it it didn't really touch me. Obviously, I'm not the only one this applies to and there's really almost no limit to the dangers we can put ourselves in - it's a bad world and you won't always be under divine protection.

 

[Opiator]

Thanks, I thought it would be pretty spot-on and might be helpful for anyone having yet to go through any of these experiences. Can't really say what is worse of comedowns and withdrawals - comedowns are harder but withdrawals much more outdrawn. But I guess ultimately I would rather go through a bad comedown as 1-3 days still isn't that much to endure.

I also really think people should prepare themselves for the withdrawal if they get themselves into the situation where they might end up in one. I am very against cold turkey detox and think it's barbaric and very dangerous. I guess the general idea is that you deserve the punishment and that going through that horrific trial will scare you off for good, but in reality that only happen to some (a minority). Because the actual situation is that the experience can be so traumatic to go through, as well as generate many new problems and bring up old emotional issues, that when you've endured it you can be more in need of a drug than ever. While maybe before it was more of a recreational thing, now you can be in real need of emotional healing and escapism for a long time, just to distance yourself from that whole experience and those emotions.

You also need to consider that your biological body chemistry has been changed and will take a long time to get back to how it was, so even after completing detox it's still not easy, and in most cases a slow taper and maybe remaining on a minimal dose to keep away negative symptomps will probably work out the best. It might not be becoming clean, but it's a lot better than being hopelessly addicted if you can manage on a minimal dose in a functional way. It also avoids creating the association that stopping a drug is a horrible thing, and going without it even after completing withdrawal is not acceptable, which just makes people see much more value in drugs, and need for it, than if they were put through a gradual taper and maintainance schedule.

It's good to have principles against drugs and many who do mean well and really want to help (because they also do really ruin many lives), but the fact is some of us are just hopeless cases. Whether you're an adventerous type who just wants to have fun, don't think much of the consequences, and don't give a fuck, or you're someone who need escape/healing from some trauma. And long-term drug abuse will nearly always lead to some trauma which will increase the need for it even more, or create a real need. Though not as bad for some as for others, not all of us end up as prostitutes or victims of violent crime, or whatever, but it's close.

Problem is that by their nature drugs shelter you from that fact before it happens and sometimes even makes you invulnerable to what would normally be traumatic events. I almost got raped one night at a bus-stop but was so high on benzos I just found it amusing as I just managed to escape it as a police-car drove by just in time and I held up my hand so they stopped and picked me up and it seemed like a movie. I wouldn't say I'm scarred by the experience, but horrified by the thought of what might have happened, and how I was so far removed from the reality of it it didn't really touch me. Obviously, I'm not the only one this applies to and there's really almost no limit to the dangers we can put ourselves in - it's a bad world and you won't always be under divine protection.

The highest I've ever been was after taking 160mg of oxycodone before I had any real big tolerance. I kept nodding off and dropping my phone trying to reply to a text message and eventually passed out on my friend's bed, after which they had to carry me out to the car and drop me off at home. Somehow I managed to get inside my house, maybe they helped me, I don't remember. But I ended up passing out in my kitchen for a few hours. When I came to, it was pretty scary, because it took me quite a bit to recall the events of that day.

Obviously, I can't compare that with almost being raped, which is a terrible thing. But I do agree that sometimes there is a such thing as "too high" even though you might be encouraged by friends or peers to get higher and higher and so on as if it were a game. It's frightening sometimes to be out of control. That's why a steady prescription of moderation and relaxation is the best medication.

 

[kaywholed]

caffeine and alcohol.

 

[laCster]

this is blog material

wtf do you mean by serotonin/dopaminw? opiates increase serotonin and dopamine, so do amphetamines, cocaine, alcohol, weed, ect.... you cannot say you are withdrawing from serotonin/dopamine as most recreational drugs affects serotonin dopamine

what drugs are you on man, you dont even know what you are talking about

 

[pasha]

Hi Ninae. Thanks for sharing your outlooks on drug withdrawal. Basic Drug Discussion is more of a quick question and answer. If the user obtains the answers they seek, the thread gets closed.

I don't however, see how you will obtain those answers in this thread since they're going to be highly subjective -- they will vary in each and every individual. This means endless discussion, something which is discouraged here. In all fairness, every thread that begged the responders to create a list from "most to least" (eg. most to least addictive drugs) has been closed for these same reasons.

If you would like, copy it into the social and seek peoples opinions on the topic there.

Closed. Please feel free to PM me if you need anything.