Depression & Anxiety caused by drugs

[zagor11]

Has anyone else got depression and anxiety while on or after being on opioids. I am on oxy and don't get any euphoria nor pain relief no matter what dose I take. But I have severe depression and anxiety, had it for 8 months when I was on suboxone. I am tapering off but the mental illness is just crippling. Darker than the dark.

Anyone??

 

[Xorkoth]

Absolutely. Most drugs will only be positive for so long once you're addicted to them. I started using opiates and I was happy at the time (relatively anyway), I just wanted to experiment. After many years being addicted to them the very best I could ever hope for was to feel not suicidally depressed, when I was high. I mean really I wasn't even "high" anymore, I just didn't feel like human garbage. The longer it went on, the worse it got. Eventually I quit, 5 years ago, and although it took some work, I recovered and haven't touched opiates since, and my life is infinitely better because of it. Of course I still get depressed and anxious sometimes, but my baseline state is back to being content and happy. I did realize something I was using opiates to cover up though, in the process of quitting them, so when I quit I had to also change those circumstances in my life, otherwise I would probably still be depressed. But being dependent on opiates for so long threw my body and mind so out of whack that I could only feel horrible, or nothingness.

 

[Mafioso]

Yeah that's pretty much par for the course. Anhedonia is the result of being low on natural opioids like endorphins and not having the artificial opioids your body has become accustomed to replacing the natural ones with. The good news is that the body can recover and most report an upturn in mood around 2 weeks of being clean.

 

[Xorkoth]

There is an upturn indeed after acute withdrawals are over, but it's important to know that it takes substantially longer than that to feel 100%. Most people experience some post acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) for lingering months after withdrawals are over, as your body (and mind) slowly adjusts to not still missing the drug. Sometimes when people don't know that it scares them into thinking they've damaged themselves forever, but you will recover fully if you just keep pushing for improvement.

 

[Asclepius]

Hey Zagor,

Posting this as a suggestion - if your body and nervous system is f(l)ailing it can help to train it, somewhat.
I instinctively baulk at the idea of 'exercises' of these types by default as there is such a 'woo' factor, in some but this aids to train your mind to use the tension/release of your muscle groups to bring some semblance of control and stability in yourself..personally, I found this one helpful (particularly in the eve or, morning). Just put a little time and attention into yourself - set some space aside ( sit/lie down, dim the lights) for yourself...this imo does help to get you feeling more empowered and relaxed, at the same time. It's the things we take forgranted like our nerves/muscles and how we neglect ourselves, that require us to attend to them; to feel better. You wont get euphoria but some comfort -euphoria is an overrated ruse, anyway. Be well man.

 

[zagor11]

Oh anhedonia is a killer man. I have been sitting and staring at emptiness while not feeling pleasure in absolutely nothing. If someone offered me $millions it would not make a damn fuckn difference. I don't know if I will get PAWS because I have been one year off suboxone when I switched to oxy and since I had no mental alter, it gave me no high nor pain relief, just got into my body system as any other drug would, like some antidepressants that dont help but it is hard to quit. But even if I do get it I plan on taking antidepressants (which might or might not help) and you are right about exercise. But when you are dont you and raped by anhedonia you cannot exercise. I have said many times I would give my both arms or my both legs but to be mentally healthy.