Opioids Can you ever feel completely normal again after long-term methadone maintenance?

[Bomb319]

I've been on it for about five years. Before that, I had a severe opioid addiction that also lasted about five years - so that's ten years now of opioid dependence in some form.

Before I was on maintenance, I quit opiates entirely for awhile because of circumstance (moving to a different city with no connects and living with family, mainly). It was the longest I'd ever managed to stay off them for, at about three to four months. Even though the worst of the symptoms were gone by the end of that period, I still remember feeling persistently depressed, having cravings, and worst - waking up every morning with a sudden rush of dysphoria, anxiety and sweating. I know people do quit all the time, but it's just hard to see how I could ever go completely back to the way I was before I first started taking opiates. I'm mostly talking about physical symptoms here...I know it's unrealistic to expect I'll suddenly forget this chapter of my life and not crave them at least occasionally. But if I could just completely ditch all physical withdrawal symptoms and not have any depression directly caused by the meds and not just my life situation and circumstance, I'd be happy with that.

 

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

Yes you can. But it takes a long time. I was on heroin and/or methadone for 20 years and thought I'd never be free, but I've been off heroin for 8 years and methadone for 3 now and I've never looked back.