[allvolgirl]

Hi all. My boyfriend of 5 years is addicted to OC's. when he has the money, it's 2-3 40's a day. if he doesn't have the money, it's whatever he can get on front or whatever. we have a 5 month old baby. I have a few questions.

he says that he really wants to get off them. he's went a week without them, but went back to taking hydros to take the edge off, then steadily started to the OC's again. We don't really discuss his habit b/c i freak out. now i need some advice on how to handle him and the situation.

he went to be assessed today at a abuse clinic. she recommended he do intensive outpatient. we had read about suboxone, and he has an appointment in FEB (sooo long away) for that. i need to know how to handle him. he's at home now and hasn't had anything (partly b/c he has no money). how do i keep his mind off this as best as possible? what do i say when he says, jess-i really want to go get a pill? i try to tell him, just stick thru this, you're doing really good... but he's not really listening to me. i can see the wheels turning in his head on how to get money to get over the feeling of achiness with the withdrawals. when he went thru this a month ago, he was pretty much over the physical symptoms, but mentally wanted a pill.. how do i help him there? can you give me some suggestions on things to do.. he's been doing these pills so long he doesn't remember what he likes to do.

any links for support groups or anything like that would be lovely! i guess i just need to know what to say and how to help him.

thanks so much in advance!! i truly appreciate it
btw, this is a great site. we had such a hard time trying to find people to help him get off this stuff..

[Bosli222]

I hope you read this, I think it will help...

I have a best friend who is an ex-OC/duragesic (fentynal) addict. He was assessed and put into a 7 day inpatient program. Although, like every addict, he misses his habit but he has not gone back to them since. From your post it seems you have either money or a good medical insurance provider if this is the case outpatient might be right for him. I am currently in an outpatient program for Xanax (Aprazolam) and it's working for me so far. You probably already know that there are mandatory random drug tests in these programs. If this does not work then you need to get him into a 1-4 month inpatient program. Subutex (Beprenorphine) is the new methadone for opiate addicts and does wonders, takes away withdrawal in most cases. There are very few things you can do for him when he wants the pill. Withdrawal from something such as OCs is pretty horrible, it can't kill you but the addict will feel like he is dying. If you can put him in this program and put him on subutex he should be fine for a good amount of time but that is only if he tries hard to get off them. There will be moments in which he feels that he desperately needs OCs and that's how any addiction is, sometimes you really need it. Just be supportive, try to go to meetings with him (alanon meetings are for the family and they help with helping your loved ones), and finally just make sure he knows everything he could be throwing away for his addiction. I know how it is to one extent, remind him he has a baby to take care of and you. If he believes he can do it, he will.

[jayblade]

Ive been clean for 8 days but its a rough go... I can get my hands on some Meth... should I take it to take away the serious physical pain im enduring right now... I can handle much longer is there anything I can do??? Mentally im strong I dont wnat **** to do with those bastard pills again... please looking for some advise here

IF I can do it...anybody can

[sfc420]

Whatever you do dont go back to them - Remember what they do to you. Remember how eventually they stop working? that you were just taking them because you were stressed, or you needed them. Remember, you accidentally meddled with something that, when it comes to addiction, is compared to crystal meth and heroin. Withdrawals may feel like slow death but taking it is slow death anyway.
I know it sounds hard but you will get over the hump, god willing you havent taken any yet. I quit taking OCs without any program, the withdrawals were hell, but they were ONLY PROLONGED by taking oxycontin again. the minute i put an Oxycontin in my mouth after days of hard work detoxing, I went right back to square one.


So whatever you do, DONT TURN BACK
Good Luck everyone

[mpvt]

You guys are doing great but be carefull.After a couple of weeks off the pills it can be very easy to say to yourself "hey,I kicked this addiction and I bet now I can take a pill or 2 once in awhile just for a buzz and then stop and go about my life,I can handle them now!" alot of addicts get caught with this kind of thinking.Addiction is very powerful and you have to remember that narcotics take hold of your life.Once you get by this then you have to start to recongize what your triggers are and avoid them.For now though you are doing great..........Good luck and keep up the good fight...Dave

[lordnine]

addiction is certainly aweful...I quit smoking a couple years back and I did smoke weed for quite a while also and tried some other drugs and I'm glad I'm not on any of that stuff and haven't for about 7 years now. Hope your boyfriend gets well and stays well!

[allvolgirl]

Hey guys. thanks for the input.. my boyfriend did admit himself today for rapid detox. I really hope this is the anwser he was looking for. he wanted to be admitted b/c he was way too tempted trying to do this on his own. he went to his first meeting and he seemed to really enjoy it. hopefully we can continue meetings when he's finished detoxing....

from the abuser's perspective, is there anything more than giving him lots of love and support when he gets home??

thanks guys.. you all are great..

[EnoughPercs]

Originally Posted by lordnine

addiction is certainly aweful...I quit smoking a couple years back and I did smoke weed for quite a while also and tried some other drugs and I'm glad I'm not on any of that stuff and haven't for about 7 years now. Hope your boyfriend gets well and stays well!

Funny: I quite smoking too.
When quitting, I remember friends of mine saying 'Quitting smoking is the hardest thing I've ever done.'

With these pills, multiply quitting smoking by 150 times.

Pills are much harder to quit than cigarettes.