Drug Rehab Options Blog

has anyone ever tried MS Contin? im currently on oxycontin/codone and my insurance refuses coverage of the oxycontin unless you have cancer...my chronic pain is out of control if i dont take my meds, so because the MS is covered 100% i need to try it as my oxy is almost $400 a month...what has your experience been with it? did it work well/not so well? any bad side effects? any input is appreciated...thanks!

Hi all..been having a difficult time of late dealing with life on life's terms...looking for some support in this category! While I don't want to drink and I'm trying to use all of my aa tools in my toolbox...these past few days have been hell in the emotion dept...
my daughter has been having some health issues, as has my husband..both have been going for testing...results not back yet..tuesday we had to put our dog & beloved friend of 10yrs down due to cancer and we are so overwhelmed with credit card debt from yrs of careless alcoholic spending...
and these are only a few...
i try to talk myself down..this too shall pass, gratitude list running over & over in my head, serenity prayer, etc...but sometimes i just have this overwhelming fear...
any thoughts appreciated...glad i am here with you all and not at the bar!! just need some help!
thanks!
Lisa

An addict is an addict way before he/she ever makes the first contact with a drug or alcohol. Addiction only is a symptom of a difference in brain chemical make up.

In all of my years of dealing with addictions and knowing so many good people who are addicts I find that addicts are the most intelligent, creative, and sensitive of the whole population. Without them life would not be as beautiful or colorful. Unfortunately the treatments implemented for them does not help a very large number of them. I think taking a look at the stats on addiction will show that recovery success rates are low.

I think it is terrible that so many people end up in jail because they have not been able to get a handle on their addictive behaviors. What if society decided that having cancer, heart disease, kidney disease or any other serious condition needed to be treated with prison confinement? People would be outraged and we as addicts and the loved ones of addict ought to be outraged as well....

I believe that main factor in recovery success or failure is being grossly over looked. The brain of an addict is different from the very beginning of their life. When they do make contact with a substance or behavior that raises the levels that are less in their brain this begins the cycle.

Unfortunately the drive to make contact with the addictive substance or behavior is unconscience in the addict.

Fortunately recovery can happen when a person caught up in the symptom of addictive behaviors are trained to recognize these differences and are taught how to deal with it and how to accept and be conscience of drives that happen on a sub conscience level.

After an addict goes through detox and their bodies have recovered they are over half way home.

The limbic brain of a person with addictive behavior problems has a different balance in their brain than other people. This difference does not have to be medicated. The person with the problem needs to be informed of this difference.

Raising the levels of certain neuro-transmitters with chemically reproduced neuro-transmitters serves as a temporary solution with harmful side effects that can affect devastating change on the personality of the individual especially in younger people. This is not the solution.

I know there are many dedicated health care professionals working with individuals with addictions. That is to be commended. Still they are treating the symptom rather than the cause. They are doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Addiction is not a disease it is a symptom of a difference in the limbic brain.

Thank you for reading this.

My parents are coming out on Saturday for the holidays (they live about a thousand miles away), and I just don't feel like I can talk to them about this yet.

Some backstory: my mom's mother drank a bit too much; her dad was a full out alcoholic who died of cancer directly linked to his drinking. Her brother was also an alcoholic. He died in his 30's -- drank way too much one day, vomited, and aspirated it into his lungs. Not a good way to go. My mom has always been twitchy about alcohol (for good reason, I suppose)... but I think because of the family history, she's always worried about my brother and I more than normal parents do. My dad also has some issues on his side but they aren't quite as directly linked to alcohol.

I know the past few months, my mom has been worrying more about me/my drinking. I'm not even sure what's triggered the worry but she's a mom so I'll let her have it.

I'm not afraid that she'll be mad or anything -- I imagine she'd be overjoyed to know that I'm not drinking. And she'll probably figure it out because I'd normally drink around them / have booze in the house, and I won't this time. But I don't think she'll ask why I'm not drinking, and I don't want to bring it up.

I worry about her worrying about me. Like I said, I live far away from all my family... I'm newly single... I drank too much... etc. She's already worried. I'm afraid if I come out and say, "Mom, I'm an alcoholic," it'll just push her over the edge. Pretty much her worst fear, confirmed. And there's nothing she can do because she's far away and it's a battle I have to fight for myself. Oh, and in spite of the many alcoholics dotting my family tree, we really don't have any success stories. I'm scared that she'll immediately picture me -- her baby -- dying in a pool of her own vomit just like my uncle. I don't know how she'll quite get over that visual and I don't think she has any real faith in recovery/AA because she's never seen it work.

It's weird because we're very close but we never really talk about how much I drink. We talk almost daily and I know it bothers (bothered?) her but it just wasn't spoken of. Actually, when I was younger (college age or so), I drank lots and was sort of in-your-face-look-at-me-I-can-TOO-handle-myself about it to her. I was so sure that I'd be different. I'd outsmart those bad genetics! But I guess that's what alcoholics do? We try to convince other people we're normal, right? And look where it got me.

Anyway... I know I'll have to tell her someday (I've got some amends to make when the time comes for that step). But can I just avoid the "Mom, I'm an alcoholic" conversation next week? Or is that somehow being dishonest? I guess I'm not sure how to balance honesty with anonymity. I'm ready to admit alcoholism to you myself and to other alcoholics who "get" it (like you awesome people and the people at my AA group). But I just don't feel ready to tell my mom.

About 3 weeks ago, while I was in rehab, an uncle of mine died of cancer. I knew about it when it happened, and it hurt, but we all knew it was coming and he made peace with it...

Well, I just found out a few hours ago that his 24 year old son hung himself at about 6 pm... I was pretty close to him, and I'm crushed...

But I didn't pick up. And I don't have to pick up. I'm just so thankful for my sponsor and my support group, because without them I would probably be doing something I know I shouldn't. I still have my 28 days clean, and that's something I never have to lose.

I'm still pretty messed up over it... But I know that if I can make it through this without using, I can make it through anything. And this might just be my God's way of showing me that this is life. I was way too comfortable in my recovery and this is probably what I needed to realize that I have to stay on guard for the unguarded moment...

Thanks to everyone at this website too for your continued support. I know that I can come here and have the weight of the world lifted from me.

In todays hard times we often feel like were missing out on something Im refurring to not having a nice home or nice car , or a better paying job there's an endless list . I myself find manything in that list . But last nite I watched a program , that literly brought me to tears . and made me relize Im not that bad off like so many in this world . The show was Secret Millionar ( how ever its spelled ) They are very well loaded and live the very highlife . planes cars estates u name it . They gave up all there belongings for one week and were placed in an area of high poverity to live off a small some of money to eat , sleep . something they were totaly not used to . In the end giveing away a very huge sum of money to those they found in there weeks journey that truly were in need and who could beneifit the best from that sum of money , They kept there real life a secret until day 7 where they re-visited those they selected and came clean with who they really were . I was especially touched buy the first hours show . And how they just assumed that people of poverity are there on there own choosing and prefured not to do anything to change there lifes , But the wake up call was them partisapating in this Documentry and finding how how terribly wrong they were , That its lifes hard times and things that happen to ppl that put them in the situation they are in . was a preacher who gave up everthing which was nuttin after Katrina took his home , doing for others while he had nuttin him self to rebuild , A woman who had been homless after a horrible accident on a work site , the hospital bills left her homeless for a yr . a family trying to keep there home while paying for there daughter Cemo treatment for cancer , a Coach who brought together 3 schools to play football after Katrina ( all schools gone ) to win the State HS football Trophy . and many more , The storys shared by these wonderful people who literly have nuttin , but gave of them selfs so much and asked for nuttin in return . They opened there doors to these Secret Millioniars , with out askin for anything in return other then to just help those in need when they need them selfs . They were given a gift of money from these secret ppl . I know this is a long winded post . But Its just something I thought was so heart warming . And a big eye opener for those who have so much and take for granted there upscale lifes and forget that there are people in the world that could beneifit from the money they put out just in a nites meal ( one said 5000$ wasnt even a worry ) to him .... will they change they ways of thinkin .perhaps ...but It sure made me humble and thank My HP for all the things I have in my life , It may not be the best but its sure better then the way things used to be . The show I guess is a new series and will be on again next week it was on Fox ( wensday nites ) for those who wish to watch it . thanks for letting me share this long winded post , and thanks SR for being here for so many that need it . your a life saver for all of us and ask nuttin in return other then we find our lifes better from getting clean or sober .. bless you all this holiday season . :ghug3

I have been in a 5 year relationship with a man whom I believe to be an alcoholic, I will give you a little insight and hope that you can confirm this. When we met I had just left a 10 year relationship with my University Boyfriend and had lost my Mother after spending some years caring for her with Cancer. I fell instantly in love with him and was happy to indulge in his lifestyle of social drinking at that time. His family are quite dysfunctional, his Mother has always been Bi-Polar, His father a very heavy drinker and his sister has suffered with depression since a breakdown some years past and they all lived together. Over the first few years there were a number of drunken arguments between us but when he was sober he was so kind, conscientious and loving. I then bought a house and became pregnant. Since living in 'our' house and particularly through pregnancy and the subsequent birth of our daughter he went out more and more without me and commonly went on 2 and 3 days drinking binges. I recognise from what I have read that I was enabling this by either - locking the door don't come home or getting him a new job when he got sacked, either or. I also understand again from what i have read that I became very co-dependant (my family were entirely normal with no dependancies/ mental illness etc but my Mother though caring would never even use the word 'love' but I know she loved us dearly) recently after a binge he returned home to find I had put his things outside and came in and set fire to the kitchen whilst I was upstairs (there has been a number of such incidents) He was arrested and now faces the penalty this may bring, although I have said I did not wish to go to court. After a short while I asked him to come home again, desperate to have this normal family life and we did albeit short. It didn't take too long for him to disapear again as his Father has recently come into several thousand pounds all of which he will spend on drink and happily encourage my partner to join him. I 'snapped' overdosed on sleeping tablets and am now being treated for depression. He simply walked away, he left his things, his car, his job, us everything and made no effort to contact me or even enquire through friends about my well being. Since then I have been contacting him sporadically to try to arrange meetings to see our daughter (but in reality I want him to see me) also on the occasion I do drink I will get very upsaet and try to contact him then. I know to his family and friends he blames my arguing and trying to control his drinking on all the trouble that has been caused, I sometimes wonder if it was my fault, had I held the hurt and anger in when he went missing etc, he wouldn't have become angry and it would have settled down again? He has told me that he no longer loves me, we are over and he will need to 'straighten his head out' before he sees our baby. I can't accept this, He has been drinking solidly every single day now for the last 6 weeks- helped by his dad. Does he mean this? I can't believe he does because during the periods where he was sober or not drinking terribly heavily we were so close and happy. I hope you can answer this honestly becasue I need to hear it even if it is that there is no longer any 'us'. I know the relationship was awful and I would tell a friend to run away fast and not look back. I am 10 years younger than him, have a great family and friends and a good job and it does get a little easier some days but others are horrific it feels like he's dead and I can'[t accept it, I'm just pretending to those around me. So that's really the question, do you think he means it, when the money has gone will he come back to me? On dark days I would gladly have him back, problems as well. I know that sounds pathetic but I am being honest. Any advice would be gratefully appreciated, I'm so consumed by the upset I can't function.

My dad was recently diagnosed with cancer. The prognosis isn't good. He seems to be ok with it. still smoking and drinking and says it's too late to give up the vices. I kind of see his point.
He taught me from childhood that the world is a cruel place and that life is not fair. He was not wrong. It might be a bad way to raise a kid but It wasn't a lie. He also taught me about science and the beauty and brutality of nature. He brought home some tadpoles one night when I was about 9 or 10. he woke me up and told me to watch.
He opened the lid to the tank of salamanders that I kept in my room. He poured the tadpoles in and the salamanders began to devour them. Gulping them down whole. I started to cry and my mother yelled at him. He said "well how else is she gonna learn about life?"
My life has never been easy and my family has never been close. I love my dad and i know he loves me we just don't say it.
I feel that he is ok with this because he knows he won't have to hurt anymore. I really can't blame him for that. He is an alcoholic with the mind of a genius and a huge heart that he keeps locked away.
He saw his father dead at the dinner table when he was 13. He started down his road of self abuse then. There are no excuses. There is just reality. I don't blame my dad for not trying to fight the cancer. He isn't weak. He knows he did this to himself and he is not feeling sorry for himself. He is going through chemo and radiation and going through the motions. I don't think he expects to get better.
I think it's sad that all the years of therapy I've had were spent trying to teach me that what my dad taught me was wrong somehow
His view of life makes even more sense now than it ever did. Things are hard and they only get harder. I try so hard and I still can't get anywhere. I feel lost and unsafe all he time. I feel exposed like my skin has been peeled off.
He taught me those things because he didn't want me to hurt. It never stopped me from hurting. I don't blame my dad for anything.
I hope he doesn't suffer and linger like some do. I know my mom is in denial. I don't really need any advice or anything...I just wanted to write this and send it out to people who can probably understand.
Thanks

Ohhh Dear Lord I don't know were to star I guess I been posting
in the wrong thread here it Go's please Prayers I ask from all of you's
in this difficult time of need My Auntie Emelda just pass away two hours ago
she lost the battle with cancer,Thanxxxxx:sorryI just don't know what else
to write I'm just exhausted, and so tire,