Date Posted:19:46:08 02/13/08 Wed Author:Jolene (doing great!) Subject: Re: I am 2 years clean & on Methadone In reply to:
Asha
's message, "I am 2 years clean & on Methadone" on 23:25:28 02/12/08 Tue
I'm glad you are now looking to get off of methadone. I am a recovery herion addict. I have been clean since Dec.29, 2007. I am living in a recovery home and attending meetings everyday. There is not one day I have not gone to a meeting since I have been clean. I tried quitting many times and the time before this I went on the methadone program for aprrox. 2 1/2 years. There was no excuse for me to have been on it that long. I was using it as a crutch. I believe methadone's main purpose is to detox a herion addict. It should only be used short term...not like I how I did it. While I was on the program I was hardly going to meetings..and still methadone is mood altering substance. In essence you are still using. I know it's hard to swallow but it's the truth. The good thing is that you are ready to come off it now. If you have your mind set that you want off...then you will get thru the side effects. And if you think about it being uncomfortable is only temporarily. It's worth the outcome. I used to be on 100mg..went down to 30mg then just stopped taking it. I had side effects but I was that ready to quit methadone. AA/NA meetings are crucial. You need a program in your life to stay sober long term. And after you start going awhile hopefully you'll get in habit of it being part of your daily schedule. The meetings teach you so much about the recovery process. Getting a sponser is part of it as well. Someone you can call and will help you work thru the 12 steps of the program. The first thing I had to do was turn my will over to my higher power...then everything started to fall in place. I work as hard at my recovery as I did during my addiction. Being an addict never goes away. But you can be a recovering addict. They say one is too many and a thousand is never enough. This is so true. I have learned so much about who I am sober and about my addiction. I will pray for you. I know that if I can do it..anybody can do it. You just have to have the willingness. Take care. You can e-mail if you'd like.
