Question: Suboxone is making me feel mentally paralyzed. I always made huge decisions on the spur of the moment on impulse. I made a lot of really bad decisions and they cost me everything. Five months on Suboxone and I do not want that crazy life any more but I am so scared to make a mistake. I am trying to be basically a single parent dad for my 3 year old son and I feel like I am walking on the edge of a cliff and I am holding his hand and one wrong step is going to send us both falling down. It’s a lot of pressure because if I know I can’t be perfect the addict inside of me wants to say fuck it and get high for a month.

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. Suboxone is not meant to be a treatment for addiction on its own. It is meant to be used as one part of a treatment program.The other parts are Narcotics Anonymous or a similar support group and counseling.

It sounds like you are trying hard to stay clean. But it seems like you are trying to do it all on your own. Addicts need help and support to maintain recovery. NA meetings can give you the support you need. It sounds like you may want to get off Suboxone but fear relapsing. Recovering addicts can be the best help because they have been where you are and have made progress. If they can do, it so can you. Being around them will give you hope and inspire you to want to be abstinent.

Counseling can help you process how your feeling and thinking. It can help you learn coping skills to deal with the stress you are under trying to raise your son and manage your recovery. You can develop a relapse prevention plan with resources you can access when you are struggling or having cravings.

I hope you will consider reaching out for help. There is no reason to do this all on your own. Good luck with your recovery!

Question: What are the most useful counseling tools for dealing with resistance and ambivalence in clients at a methadone clinic?

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. Counseling addicts at a methadone clinic can be a challenge for even the most experienced counselor. Some of them don't want help, some of them aren't sure if they want help, some of them do want help but want to tell you what kind of help they need and a few do want your help. But whether they want your help or not, it's your job to provide it.

How you go about providing that help can make all the difference. The best advice I have for resistant clients is to not give them something to resist. If you offer suggestions for things they can do, they can always come up with reasons why it won't work. Instead of trying to get them where you think they should be, work with them where they are. Shift the way you look at resistance. Resistance is often looked at as the client isn't willing to do something. Try thinking about it as if the client isn't ready to do something and it's your job to help them discover why. It's not your job to get them to do something. You cannot change the client. They have to change themselves. The only thing you can change is how you interact with them.

Instead of fighting with them to get clean, go to meetings, etc. Explore where they are, where they want to be and how they can get there. Motivational Interviewing is a good tool for dealing with both resistance and ambivalence. Motivational interviewing is goal oriented counseling that helps the client find internal motivation to change. It works with the client in the context of the stage of change they are in.

After you determine a goal for the client, you can resolve any ambivalence by exploring the pros and cons for and against the goal. If the problem is drug use, explore the following,

• pros of using
• cons of using
• pros for quitting
• cons for quitting

Once you discover where they are and where they want to be, you can explore ways to get there. You can come up with a couple ideas and they can come up with a couple ideas. Then, you can explore the pros and cons of each idea. You might be very far apart on your ideas. For example, they might think going to one meeting is enough while you think they should do a 90 in 90. In this case, make a written agreement that they will try their idea and if it doesn't get them where they want, then they will try one of your ideas. So if being clean is the end result, they can go to only one meeting but if they relapse, they agree to go to 90 in 90. You can even let them pick the second option from your list of ideas so they feel like they have more control. Or have three ideas to try. One idea that is least to do, one that is moderate and one that is the most to do. They can start with the least and work up to the most until the goal is reached.  

I hope this gives you some ideas on how to work with resistance and ambivalence.

Question: If I snort heroin am I ever going to o.d. so fast that I would not have time to call an ambulance or is it always going to be slow enough that I would have time to get help if I need it.

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. There is no safer way to use heroin. Whether you snort it or inject it, you can still overdose without being able to call an ambulance. The problem is not in how long it takes the drug to effect you. The problem is that once it does effect you, your thinking can become so clouded that you might not realize you need an ambulance. It can also cause you to pass out so you are unable to call for help. I hope that you will consider entering a treatment program. At the very least, you should never do drugs alone. If someone else is around, they can call for help if you need it.

I hope this answers your question and I hope you get the help you need.

Question: I have been on Subs for 14 months. I want to cut down and I am stable on 8 a day. My plan is to do drops of 25% every week so it goes from 6 to 4.5 to 3.8 …. Do you think this is going to be slow enough? I am going to do a water taper. Do you think this is the best way to do the tapering?

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. The best way is to taper slowly to minimize withdrawal. Because every person's body is different, it is hard to say what is slow enough for you. The best advice I can give is to pay attention to your body and your emotions. You might want to keep a journal to track how well you are doing. If you take a decrease and find yourself having a lot of cravings and withdrawal symptoms, then take a smaller decrease the next time. Be sure you are completely through any symptoms before taking the next decrease. If you're not through the withdrawal from one decrease and take another, the withdrawal will get worse. Try to not go back up once you take a decrease. This will only make it more difficult to get off Suboxone. And be sure to talk to your doctor about your decreases. Your doctor may be able to give you non-addictive medication to reduce withdrawal symptoms. It will also help minimize withdrawal to take good care of your body by eating right, exercising, drinking lots of water, etc.

You are more likely to have emotional withdrawal symptoms than physical withdrawal. Use coping skills like writing, talking, listening to music, etc. to help you cope with the emotional ups and downs you may experience while tapering. As you are coming down on your dose, be sure to have plenty of support. Talking to a friend in recovery can help you keep motivated. You can get support by attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

I hope this helps and good luck with your recovery!

Question: I am going to quit taking opiates this year this is my new years resolution. I have been taking percocets and oxycodone if I can get it for 3 years and I am tired of it. I don’t even really want to get high now I am just really using these pills to feel OK and this is crazy I know it. I want to try to take a little bit less every day. How long should I try to cut down for is it best to try to do it over 2 weeks or so or is it best to try to cut down more slowly than that?

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. I'm glad you have decided to stop taking opiates. You are right that after you take opiates for awhile that you stop getting the euphoria, or high you initially get from them. Our bodies quickly build a tolerance to opiates which means you have to take more and more to get the same results. When physical dependence takes over, you need to take opiates just to feel normal. 

The best way to taper from opiates is to take it slowly. Without knowing how much you are taking, it is difficult to say how slowly you need to go. You want to reduce how much you take at regular intervals without reducing it so much that you have withdrawal symptoms that are more than you can tolerate. You will probably experience some mild withdrawal symptoms but if you reduce too much or too quickly, you may have urges or cravings to take more. Taking more just defeats the purpose of tapering. It's best to set a schedule for decreases and stick to it. If you find you set a schedule that is too difficult to stick to, change the schedule for further decreases but I wouldn't take more one day and then try to return to the schedule. Taking more will just confuse your body and make it more difficult to stop.

Be sure you are not taking any other drugs while trying to taper. Addicts sometimes make the mistake of thinking another drug will ease withdrawal symptoms and make it easier. Other drugs only make it more difficult and can cause you to become addicted to another substance. Substitution is a common mistake people make when new to recovery.

Addiction is as much a psychological issue as it is physical. While you may have every intention to taper off opiates, you may find yourself taking more then you intend. If you cannot set a taper schedule and stick to it, consider going to rehab. A rehab with a medical detox can take you off opiates comfortably. At the very least, you should consider going to a hospital for a medical detox. Generally, opiate withdrawal is not dangerous or life-threatening. However, if you have other health problems, it could pose a danger. A medical detox can make the process quicker without as much discomfort. You may find it easier because someone else is in control. Addicts often find it difficult to control how much they take. After all, if we could control our use, we wouldn't be addicts.

Whether you go to rehab or not, consider getting some kind of support. You will find it easier to stop taking opiates if you have the support of someone who has been through it before. This will give you someone to talk to about what you are going through. You can ask them questions and get advice on how to live without substances. You can find support through a 12 Step group like Narcotics Anonymous, a Christian recovery group or whatever group you feel most comfortable with.

I hope this answers your question. Good luck with your recovery.

Question: Is poppy tea as addictive heroin or oxy? Sure they are all opiates but the poppy tea seems much more laid back so I am wondering if the detox isn’t as extreme either.

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. Poppy tea that is brewed from the Papaver somniferum poppy plant which contain opium can be addictive. How addictive and how much of a narcotic effect would depend on how much of the opium from the plant is in the tea. Without testing the tea brewed from the plant, you won't know how much opium you are getting in the tea. It could be a small amount or a large amount. This makes it very dangerous to consume.

from consuming poppy seed tea.

The second website was created by parents whose son died by drinking poppy seed tea. It includes information about multiple deaths from people who made and drank poppy seed tea.

You question makes me think that you are probably already using opiates and are looking for a way to do so without the consequences of taking heroin or pain medication. There is no way to use opiates without the consequences of addiction and withdrawal. Opiates are inherently addictive and will lead to addiction and withdrawal no matter what form you take them in. I hope you will consider getting help if you are already taking opiates.

I hope this answers your question and gives you the information you need to make good choices.

Question: Can you drink enough to get stomach varices that burst open and cause you to almost bleed to death out of your rectum and from vomiting up blood if you are not an alcoholic? I knew my brother was drinking a lot but I did not think it was this bad. Nobody did. He spent 17 days in the ICU and he almost died and he still says he is not an alcoholic and he does not need any help. How can he still be in denial in this situation and if being in the ICU won’t wake him up is there anything I can do to change his point of view. It is so unbelievably sad seeing him like this. He used to be an athletic and muscular person and now he is wasted away and his skin is like paper so you can see the veins. He is only 37.

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. I'm sure you know that your brother is suffering from alcoholism. It is not normal to drink so much that you end up in the ICU for 17 days and nearly die. That he still does not see that his drinking is killing him shows how strong denial can be. Denial protects the alcoholic from his behavior. When you know you are doing something wrong but are unable or unwilling to stop, your mind will protect you from this inconsistency by using denial. Basically, he doesn't want to admit to himself or someone else that he has a problem because then he would have to change. Change is hard and many people don't want to face it.

It must be really hard to see your brother hurting himself and be powerless to help him. There is nothing you can do to make an alcoholic person quit drinking. But you can help yourself. Al-anon is a group for the family and friends of alcoholics. The disease of alcoholism is just as difficult, if not more so, for the family members who bear witness to it. Please consider joining a group with others who will understand what you are going through. They can also help you to be sure you are not enabling your brother in any way. Enabling is behavior that helps the alcoholic person continue drinking. It is often unintentional but damaging to the alcoholic. Examples of enabling are letting him drink around you, paying his bills, giving him money, making his appointments, etc. Enabling includes anything that you do for the alcoholic that they can do for themselves but don't because of their drinking.

You could have an intervention for your brother. An intervention is when a professional meets with the family and the alcoholic to try to make the alcoholic person go to treatment. The interventionist usually has each family member tell the alcoholic how the drinking is affecting them and that the family won't help the alcoholic (or possibly even talk to them) unless they go to treatment immediately.

The only other thing you can is to take a stance of "tough love." Point out your brother's behavior as being unacceptable. Let him how it affects you and your family. Let him know how you feel. Refuse to enable or help him until he gets treatment. While you cannot make him get help, you can let him know you believe he needs it.

I hope this helps answer your question and I hope your brother gets the help he needs.

Question: I am taking dxm a lot. Everyday to second plateau or higher and I have been doing this for about 10 months. I am addicted. Now I feel like I have to urinate like 50 times a day and when I go hardly anything comes out. I am scared but I still cant stop.

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. You have been abusing cough syrup (DXM) for over ten months on a daily basis and you are having serious physical problems as a result. You need immediate medical attention. That much cough syrup could be causing permanent damage to your organs. You said that you cannot stop. Once addiction has progressed to the point that you are unable to stop even when you want to, the only choice you have is to reach out for help. I hope you will call the number on this website to find a rehab that is able to help you. I recommend continuing treatment after rehab in a halfway house or a three quarter house. The more treatment you get, the more you will learn how to live life without the use of substances. I wish you luck and I hope you reach out for help.

Question: Do steroids or HGH count as drugs? I’m an ex drug addict and alcoholic. Can I take these without risking my sobriety?

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. In your question, you left out some valuable information that could help me answer your question. Are the steroids (or HGH) being prescribed from a doctor? Are they for a legitimate health reason? Do you want to take them to bulk up for weight lifting?

If they are for a legitimate health reason and are prescribed by a legitimate doctor (not one who will prescribe anything for a price), then I don't see a problem with taking them. If they are just for weight lifting, adding bulk, increasing performance in sports or some other reason unrelated to a real medical need, then I do think there is a problem with taking them.

Anytime you take any medication that is not prescribed by a doctor, you are risking your health and your sobriety. If you are not a doctor, you cannot possibly know what kind of reaction a medication can have. Even a doctor cannot always predict when someone will have a bad reaction to a medication. document. If you are getting medication from a doctor, they can monitor you and they are available to call if you do have a bad reaction.

For an addict in recovery, 'old behaviors' can lead to relapse. "Old behaviors' are behaviors that were a part of your addiction. These include lying, stealing, manipulating and anything illegal. Taking any medication that is not prescribed to you is illegal. Doing anything illegal can make you feel guilty. Addicts are more prone to relapse when they feel negative emotions like guilt. No one likes to feel bad. An addict's way of coping with feeling bad is to use drugs. So, in recovery, we must be careful to avoid these emotions whenever possible. It's obviously not always possible to avoid all negative emotions but you can avoid guilt by doing the right thing.

In addition, buying steroids can put you in contact with the same people, places and things that you had to remove from your life in recovery. And when you do one thing that is wrong, it is easier to do something else that is wrong. Let's say you buy steroids from someone and they offer to sell you another drug. It will be easier to buy another drug when you're already buying one thing that is illegal.

I hope this answers your question. If you are in a recovery program, I hope you will also bring this up with your support. It may help you to confirm the answer through more than one person. Good luck with your recovery!

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Question: Is electrical acupuncture (I forget the precise name for this) a good method to help me with feel less opiate withdrawal. I am planning to quit again. The last time I did 3 years ago I had PAWS for 8 months after quitting so I am trying to do this smarter this time. I relapsed about 2 months after the PAWS ended so that’s my story of stupidity.

Anna Deeds Says...:

Thank you for your question. Alternative medicine like acupuncture can be helpful for easing withdrawal symptoms. However, you tried going through withdrawal on your own and ended up relapsing. You said you are trying to do it smarter this time. Try doing something different by going to a treatment facility. Addiction is a disease which needs proper treatment. It is more than just getting through withdrawal symptoms. Addiction is physical, psychological and spiritual. All three of these areas need treatment for it to be effective and long lasting. 

A medical detox will include medications to help ease withdrawal symptoms. It is possible that you had PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome) for such a long period because you didn't get the right treatment. Plus, if you didn't learn how to cope with PAWS, cravings, triggers, etc. you may have made it more difficult for you to maintain sobriety. The longer you go for treatment, the better the outcome. Remember, you didn't become addicted overnight and it takes time to work on the issues that led to the addiction. Detox followed by inpatient rehab and then a recovery house is your best chance to maintain long term sobriety.

I hope this answers your question and you get the treatment you need.