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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by oceanesque on October 25, 2006, at 21:51:20
Hi all,
I have had depression most of my life and am on various antidepressants. For the past 6 years, I have taken Vicodin (4-5 per day). I believe it helped with my depression. But I had to stop, and now it's my 6th day without any Vicodin, and I feel awful and crave constantly and feel so alone. Does anyone know how long it will take to feel better? I can't find any appropriate Narcotics Anonymous meetings or Internet groups, so it looks like it's just me and my therapist. Any support or information on the withdrawal process will be of much help...
Thanks,
oceanesque
Posted by Declan on October 26, 2006, at 15:14:48
In reply to Please help --- Vicodin addiction and depression, posted by oceanesque on October 25, 2006, at 21:51:20
Maybe the worst is already over? 6 days is pretty good. You have my congrats. It shouldn't last longer than 3 months until you feel right. But the worst is already over. The problem is the relentlessness of it.
Posted by bulletproofair on January 6, 2007, at 0:19:48
In reply to Re: Please help --- Vicodin addiction and depressi, posted by Declan on October 26, 2006, at 15:14:48
I have been an opiate addict for much longer than you with choice drugs being heroin, morphine, and fentanyl...you have it well off if compared to me.
I'm currently attending a methadone clinic and am doing very well. Methdaone just helps me physically though, i have to have counseling to help cure my mental problems that have developed over time due to my addictions.
I am SURE your physical withdrawals are completely through by now, what you need to do is to attend a Narcotics Anonymous group in your hometown. If there is a 12-step program, JUMP on the opportunity. Sometimes they provide you with vicodin or maybe some benzo's to help you detox as well, because lets face it, its hard to detox on your own. BUT it is VERY possible and drugs are NOT necessary to detox, especially at the dosage you are on.
SERIOUSLY. You will be glad you did. The first step is admitting your problem, and if you could, admit it to the ones you love the most. They will help you, whether its money you may need to attend programs or just support in general, i'm sure they'd be there for you if they knew you had a problem. Remember, addiction is a disease.
You need to get counseling mainly because of the chance of relapse. Addiction to opiates, in my opinion, has the highest relapse rate after a person quits. You need counseling to prevent from going back to your previous ways of life.
Your addiction, was VERY VERY minimal as far as dosage is concerned, and although it was a very long term addiction, it was so low that I'm sure you could overcome it in less than a month.
Since you've been taking so many vicodin, your brain has slowed or possibly stopped its production of natural alkaloids, because your brain is so used to you supplementing them, it has no reason to produce them anymore.
After a month and a half or so of being clean of opiates, you (GUARANTEED!!!) will have SO much more energy, your emotions will catch up with your body and finally, you will feel like an actual human being.
I know about depression from lack of opiates....its something you can't avoid, but its because of the lack of production of certain chemicals from your brain because you supplemented them for so long orally. You seriously need to find a hobby, work out to get the toxins out of your system and muscles, take multivitamins EVERY day, B-complex EVERY DAY, and make sure moral support is there, and like i said, within a month and a half, you'll feel like a new person.
if you have any more questions post them, and I'll do the best i can to help, as I've been an addict and am currently 3 months sober!!! I feel SO good inside and LOOK so good!! You wouldn't believe how much toll an opiate addiction takes on your aging process as far as your outside AND insides are concerned. Plus, you are KILLING your liver every time another pill is consumed, not to mention eventually possibly developing bleeding ulcers that are NOT good.
I commend you on your self-initiated detoxification, and you should know you've made the right decision.
Posted by crenshaw387 on April 18, 2007, at 4:57:37
In reply to Re: Please help --- Vicodin addiction and depressi, posted by bulletproofair on January 6, 2007, at 0:19:48
i was up to 3 or 4 fentanyl patches along with 60mg or so of oxycodone along with about 20mg of hydromorphone, 8 or 10mg of xanax and 5 or so somas a day... then one day i decided i was taking too many drugs and just quit them all... the month or so after that really sucked and im now working with wellbutrin and dexedrine to work out my ADHD and depression. it took a while to find meds that were productive for those problems but now (about 4 months sinice quitting other stuff) problems are really becoming under control. its hard at first and some days are harder than the days before but they become fewer and farther between and the clouds start to clear and the sun starts shining =]
This is the end of the thread.
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