hello everybody,
I have not read every post in this thread, so maybe somebody has already covered what I have to say. Anyways, I am on
Suboxone myself (8mg a day, I just dropped from 12mg a day. Been taking it for 2 weeks). I was hooked on
OxyContin (80-120mg a day- everyday) and I am finding Suboxone to be a miracle drug, as it were. The 1st day was very rough for me, but every last day since has been a true blessing. No more withdraws, pains, I am gaining my confidence back, more or less I am becoming who I was before my addiction. I also want to state that I find lowering my doses of Suboxone to be easy, so ,while Im sure there will be folks who dont have such an easy time as me, I think people should have confidence that they too can lower their doses.
But really what I wanted to talk about is the mental side of addiction. And quitting pain killers (or any drug) isnt only about withdraws or cravings. Yeah, those are important aspects of the process, but we MUST remember that when you have an addiction to pain killers your brain gets addicted as well as your body...
Your brain decides that you NEED pain killers to feel good. Kind of like a dog drooling when it hears the 'dinner bell' before it eats everyday- after so long, you can just ring the dinner bell with no food and the dog still drools. Its a habit. (If anyone wants me to elaborate this point just ask and I will). Your brain has associated taking the pain killers with feeling good. It decides you need that pill to feel good. Thats why we have our cravings. I see this being my own personal problem down the road. When I see an OxyContin, after getting off Suboxone, is my brain going to be re-calibrated so it doesnt tell me I NEED that pill to have fun or feel good? That will be the real test, in my opinion. Its in light of this fact that I urge each and every one of you to put the trust in your docs and follow the program as scheduled. Remember the mental aspect of addiction. You know, if your brain had told your body that you didnt NEED the pain killers, then you wouldnt be here... Just my 2 cents. Thanks for reading.
All that said, I am happy to be part of this community. Addiction is tough and I think all of us have realized that. I think it will only greater our chances of triumph if we work as a team. I dont know everything, so its nice to have a place to ask questions. I have no idea what will happen tomorrow, but I understand what has happened prior to today. Good luck to everyone!