Expert: Crystal - 3/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: i have been addicted to prescription rugs for qutie a while now and there is nothing more that i want than to be opiate free but with the withdraws and the mental pressure i dont know what to do. i cant even get up to do anything without pills. i dont even use them for the  high but to just be able to be normal. my family doesnt know and would be devastated.i want to tackle this without bein sent away and my family bein hurt because of all my mistakes... do u have any advice please?

ANSWER: James,

First of all how old are you? This way I know which way to help you. It can be done but each age group is different. How long have you been taking them and have you ever tried slowly coming off of them?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: i am 21 years old and i have been takin oxycontin for about 3 years. i joined the army when i was 17 and broke my back and was honorable discharged at age 19. the doc had me on perk 10s. i went on to buyin pretty much wtv pain killer i could find, it started out for pain and turned into an addiction. i still have back trouble and the doc has  me on somas but i still buy pain killers off the street bc of the severe with draw i have. i have tried to stop cold turkey but it is to terrible i cant do anything and the depression really gets to me.not to mention the expense of buying them off the street. i been gettin into trouble trying to make the money for my addiction. i just want to be clean without my family and friends knowing i am an addict, get back to college and make my family proud of me for once.

Answer
James,

Did your doctor just take you off the meds or did he try to titrate you off of them? I ask this because there is a huge difference between addiction abuse and tolerance. If a doctor puts you on a narcotic and you are on them for a lengthy time the body becomes dependent because it changes the brain chemistry. Have you asked the doctor if he could put you back on them without telling him that you feel addicted? Sometimes they don't realize what you are going through and then they take you off of them without thinking and it leads to this type of result. It doesn't necessarily make you an addict but it is great that you recognize where you are right now.  Trying to come off them alone can be dangerous and you need help so you don't have negative results. Make sense? I hope this helps.