help

[kate27]

Hi, I'm not sure what I'm looking for but need some advice. My boyfriend was addicted to ocs and and been clean for 2 years. He went through rehab, attended meetings, and so forth. Recently, in the past 2 months, he has been having severe cravings and been completely depressed. He has told me he's taken them twice, and no more. So, let's say he is telling the truth, I don't know what I can do to help him. I am so worried, and don't fully understand because I haven't been through it, and wasn't with him when he went through it over 2 years ago. I want to be there for him, and am wondering if there is anyone out there who has recovered, and then regressed. I need advice...

[mtlmd]

Firstly, congratulate yourself for being so supportive.
I had an addiction to dialudid and got off. I had cravings for about a year or so but never gave in to temptation. I met my husband after this and we talked about my previous experience. He was a bit judgemental at first but seemed to understand. We made a deal that if I ever took something I would tell him.
Well, I got pregnant and ended up with kidney stones and bad pain. They switched me from morphine to methadone so I would not go into premature labor. I was trying to get off the methadone ever since the baby was born but got into a bit of trouble. At the end - about 3 mg/d I started to escalate my dose back to 10-12 mg/d to feel good again. When my prescription ran out early I took Tylenol 1s (you don't need a prescription in Canada). I realized after about a week that I was in trouble and stopped cold turkey. I started having withdrawl and then told my husband. At first I told him just that I was having withdrawl from decreasing my dose, then I told him I had escalated my dose of methadone and finally I told him about the Tylenol 1s.
Telling him was one of the hardest things I have had to do. I know he loves me but there is no way he could understand the pain of withdrawl or what I was going through. He was also pretty judgemental with me. He said that I deserved the significant symptoms I had becuase I had gone up on my dose. ANd if I had just stopped from about 3 mg I would be feeling better.
What you need to find out from your boyfriend - WITHOUT being judgemental, is why he felt he needed the drugs again - what stressors are there in his life right now. Let him know that he can tell you anything. Try to get him to tell you when he has a craving so you can distract him - go for a walk, watch a movie, etc... so that he doesn't actually take anything. Let him know that you realize this is very hard for him and congratulate him for being honest with you. You would both be wise to see a counsellor - probably both individually and together to work through his problems, educate yourself and work on your relationship.
Hope this helps a bit.
Since I am just finishing going through withdrawl I am finding this site an imense support esp when I don't feel well. So I will be checking often.
Let me know what happens and if I can be of more assistance.
MTLMD