Has anyone ever successfully toned down their addiction? I thought I'd really fell down the rabbits hole but I've managed to reduce my opiate use unintentionally. With dope I've found it pretty irresistible (at this point in my life not working regularly) to use a whole bundle until it's finished whenever I get my hands on one. However recently I found an online source and I only use once or twice a week. It takes about a week to get more of anything so I'm forced to spread it out a bit more. I also found with pills there is not as much of an impulse to use as with syringes. It could be argued even if I use less I'm still an addict but it's still not as much of a problem as using dope all the time. Has anyone here ever gone from full blown daily addiction to chipping occasionally? Has anyone ever used ibogaine to deprogram their addiction? I have the view that addiction is not just an uncontrollable psychological urge but also a combination of social factors as well. Here's an interesting study that showed crack addicts would choose receiving money later over more crack if given the option: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/science/the-rational-choices-of-crack-addicts.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Opiates are physically different but that study does show that addicts aren't necessarily gripped by addiction no matter what. On the flip-side, there's an AA expression "If I could just have one drink, I'd drink all day." which I think applies to a lot of addicts once they relapse on their drug of choice.
It's pretty easy for me to give up opiates actually-as long as I'm not around them. I could be going six months doing two bundles a day....get through the initial sickness and then just...focus on other things, like...having money.(lol)... I don't really find it a problem, except the few times bags have just shown up (by someone else) in my house... I've also come off of suboxone (more then a short term use) four times now.. recently (because a new pregnancy) being the last time. Granted it's easier when you're pregnant (obviously more motivation), but even when I wasn't... once I'm done I'm just done. Cravings are just something you tell yourself will go away fast and do something else (exercise, whatever...)-- I know other people though that no matter how slow they come off of stuff...well, I'll just say I honestly believe some people are better NOT coming off of stuff. It almost always ends up in an o.d. within two weeks... Ibogaine would def. be interesting and probably helpful to ppl like that. I thought about using it myself before-but couldn't find it and got on suboxone instead.
Definitely social factors. Also about how you set your priorities like there should be a hierarchy of thing some more important than others, dope,should be somewhere in ther but should not come before important things, like having money to eat, making sure you can pay the bills things like that. After all these things if dope has a place then I guess then it's okay to get high. I once knew a chick that got pregnant and shot up meth and heroin the whole time. She obviously was a very selfish and narcissistic person and that disgusts me.
Glad to hear it's not an issue for you and congratulations on the baby. I've always had a problem with the thinking that once you're an addict you're always an addict. Circumstances in your life can change and create or remove addiction. Or maybe I'm in denial haha. When I'm working I don't use at all. Less desire and I wouldn't want to be seen nodding out. Being unemployed and home all the time is like being a rat in a cage, of course I'm gonna wanna use over and over again.
Yeah... people like that drive me nuts...just don't have the kid then if that's what you're gonna do. It's not like pregnancy doesn't end in 9 months or less (less when ppl find out) and you can't do whatever if you chose to afterwards... and also esp. because ANY suboxone doc will take a pregnant client right away..top of list and put them on subutex (no naloxone so safer as the naloxone is what is truly dangerous... or methadone if you can't do it cold turkey.) I've known I was preg for not even two weeks and the day after I found out (it was a Sun)-called the suboxone doc and got switched to subutex... took my last 1 mg a couple days ago. Been very tired but it's not too bad. I was only on 4 mg to weeks ago... in any case, have totally, safely stopped that and also haven't smoked another cig. since I found out. For me that's just common sense, if you have things you need to stop when you get preg you stop them... just sickening continuing to give those things to a baby.
A lot has to do with your brain/thinking and also your surroundings and circumstances (like you said... one of them being if you keep busy or not)-- for me, I keep busy and keep focused on other things... like having money and trying to better myself and my 3 yr old... and looking forward to other things like planning small vacations and stuff...exercise, eating well, just feeling healthy all the time without anything...and I try just not to think about stuff too much. I do think for me it's easier because if I wanted to get anything, I'd have to drive 25 mins away ... I mean, yea, it's easy ... one phone call and go pick up... BUT it's NOT right down the street from me. I think ppl who live within walking distance of it have it A LOT harder. I can't be around it. Also, a D&A counselor I once had told me that just because someone has been (even more than once) addicted to opiates.... the physical addiction does not automatically make you an addict. I'm not exactly sure what the distinction is-guessing something about why you do it or how much it means to you mentally or something... And thanks for the congrats.
Hi A.T., Congratulations on your pregnancy, quitting subs and smoking. Your plate sure sounds full. My hats off too you!
I used to have a 100mg+ oxy daily habit until being forced into drug court and onto suboxone. I took suboxone for a year and a half and got off it completely. Did not do anything for about 6 months after my last suboxone dose then relapsed with oxy again. I have managed to chip once a month besides a handful of times over the holiday months, and thats been going on for about a year now. Its possible but I am two hours away from a connect that gets stuff once a month...I don't seek out other sources and keep myself busy. It can be done under the right circumstances.
Thanks for sharing that. It's really encouraging to here. I don't think I've ever heard that kind of story. I have this theory rolling around my head about opiates. In that they are extremely habit forming. Duh, right? But I mean in the sense that no matter how you use them, that will be the habit. Whether it be binging, chipping, or never again. Humans are creatures of habit. I haven't used in over a month and I'm hoping it will be enough time to reset the habit cycle I've been on lately of binging. One thing I used to do was only use on Sunday night no matter what. And if I missed it I would wait till the following Sunday. Once I broke this strict habit and using on different days is when the floodgates were open. We'll see if it's possible to start chipping again next time I use. I'll post an update lol.
Chipping never worked for me. If I had dope I had to use it all. I managed to eve some after I built up a tolerance and was saving the rest for when I got some speed to shoot with it. But chipping has never worked for me in the long run. Once I did heroin and meth in the same syringe I was over it. It was an incredible high for me even stronger than shooting coke and h, but I just felt guilty lying and hiding it and going to work high. Nobody knew but it was just wrong. I'm tired of it and I have lost the desire to use. I just don't buoy it anymore and I don't want to repeat the useless cycle, it feels pointless. I still have some cravings but I don't act upon them because I know in a few months they will completely go away. I have no fun in using anymore and only feel miserable when I do it.
The psychology of addiction will forever be a field of infinite discovery. Having said that, here is an experience that fits right into this. During my active duty days in the navy, I was stationed aboard a submarine around the time where smoking was at the beginning of it's end, socially. The skipper decided that the 6 month deployment we were about to begin, would be smoke-free onboard. If and when we were to pull into a port, then of course we could smoke off the sub. At this point i had been smoking for 20 years, but during that deployment, there were several periods of two weeks or shorter mixed with a couple of periods of 6 weeks or longer. Neither of them had any affect on me. When we would enter port, I'd smoke like I'd resume smoking like I had been smoking all along, not more or less and of course, not smart enough to take advantage of the situation and quit. I was never close to attempting to steal a smoke underway simply because if i were caught, the outcome just didn't compute in my head being worth the risk and I simply never even had that thought. Now many will say that smoking isn't like opiates or other controlled substances and they would be right to an extent. What amazed me is the fact that those of us who smoke have at some point tried to quit. We made a plan, picked a day...etc. Attempting to get our minds in the right place to accomplish it, yet soon realized after starting that this was insanely difficult. Our brains just did not have a Hard, Fast Rule that by not quitting, the consequences would devastate us. The key to that rule is exactly what Ace hit on. Its a set of hard coded priorities we live our daily lives by. We automatically refuse to rearrange them unless it happens by things outside our control. Unfortunately, that key only fits the lock of a strong mind.
