Heroin Addiction & Recovery Support Group

thinking about you and hoping things are getting better

here is another kinda support site:
http://www.heroin-detox.com/topic....#260165


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heroin

the withdrawal syndrome from heroin may begin within 6 to 24 hours of discontinuation of the drug; however, this time frame can fluctuate with the degree of tolerance as well as the amount of the last consumed dose. Symptoms may include: sweating, malaise, anxiety, depression, priapism, extra sensitivity of the genitals in females, general feeling of heaviness, cramp-like pains in the limbs, yawning, tears, sleep difficulties (insomnia), cold sweats, chills, severe muscle and bone aches; nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and fever.[31] Many users also complain of a painful condition, the so-called "itchy blood", which often results in compulsive scratching that causes bruises and sometimes ruptures the skin, leaving scabs. Abrupt termination of heroin use often causes muscle spasms in the legs (restless leg syndrome); hence "kicking" has been used as a slang term for heroin withdrawal. Discontinuation of heroin can also cause goose bumps, and this symptom is the basis for the expression "going cold turkey". The intensity of the withdrawal syndrome is variable depending on the dosage of the drug used and the frequency of use. Very severe withdrawal can be precipitated by administering an opioid antagonist to a heroin addict.

Three general approaches are available to ease the physical part of opioid withdrawal. The first is to substitute a longer-acting opioid such as methadone or buprenorphine for heroin or another short-acting opioid and then slowly taper the dose.

In the second approach, benzodiazepines such as diazepam (Valium) may temporarily ease the anxiety, muscle spasms, and insomnia associated with opioid withdrawal. The most common benzodiazepine employed is oxazepam (Serax). The use of benzodiazepines must be carefully monitored because these drugs have abuse potential, and many opioid users also use other central nervous system depressants, especially alcohol. Also, although extremely unpleasant, opioid withdrawal is seldom fatal, whereas complications related to withdrawal from benzodiazepines, barbiturates and alcohol (such as epileptic seizures, cardiac arrest, and delirium tremens) can prove hazardous and are potentially life-threatening.

Many symptoms of opioid withdrawal are due to rebound hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, which can be suppressed with clonidine (Catapres), a centrally-acting alpha-2 agonist primarily used to treat hypertension. Another drug sometimes used to relieve the "restless legs" symptom of withdrawal is baclofen, a muscle relaxant. Diarrhea can likewise be treated with the peripherally active opioid drug loperamide.

god i so agree with you! this is support for addicts and ex addixts isn't it shouldn't there be a seperate one for families, friends and partners of addicts? i mean christ! i wanna help people get to where i am today not listen to somebody pissed off at someone like who i used to be!

I, too, thought I could find support here as the ONLY person in the world who is trying to help my husband through this difficult time. Now I feel like nobody wants me on this website just because I am not an addict? That's bullshit!

like i said this is for addicts and ex addicts. why don't you go on a site for loved ones of addicts i'm sure you'll get the support you need from them. sorry if i sound callous but this is supposed to be for people like me.

I found myself having to temporarliy add myself to this group so that I could make a response..... and as soon as that is done I will again be leaving this group because I AM NOT A HEROIN ADDICT. You can however, still find me on DS if you wish to reply to me directly.

Roko- I think you need to go back and read this post again and learn something from what this addict is trying to tell you! Addicts have all kinds of triggers but when coming to a support area for Heroin addiction there are some blatant triggers that they should not have to face in such a place. I completely understand wanting to understand the desease of addiction and wanting some support in trying to be there for your husband- which is why NARC-ANON is a very very good suggestion. Or how about going through this site and reading what other addicts have written here- as there is a lot to be learned from those without needlessly inflicting triggers on addicts trying to recover. Or even better yet, send a message to DS asking for a support group specifically for the family and friends of addicts (I may be mistaken here but I am actually pretty sure that already exsists but you could ask for one specifically for Heroin addict supporters). Ok, I just looked and here is the link.... http://dailystrength.org/c/Familie...

And frankly whats with the guilt trip???? Don't you think that these addicts have enough guilt to deal with to last them a life time already???????? Cruel and unfair! Because two people said they didn't feel like this was the appropriate place for supporters of addicts to complain about all the stuff that comes along with loving or caring for some one who is an addict you all of a sudden feel like you need to completely leave DS- a site made up of thousands of people. I humbly suggest that perhaps instead of focusing so much on the problems of your husband that you focus on your own problems- there is a depression support group along with the family and friends of addicts support group as well as a codependency support group. Here is the link http://dailystrength.org/c/Codepen...
I'd also suggest that if your husband is actively trying to recover asking questions like is it really that bad is entirely NOT helpful at all ( I mean do you really have to ask- just take a good long look at your addict and you can easily see it for yourself without uttering such words) and if you truly want to support him and learn what it is like for him one of the best things you could do for both of you is to start going to meetings with him (if and when he decides to go to NA).

I would like to add one more thing. I listen to my addict often extremely upset because this board is so inactive. I 100% think that part of the reason this is so is because this board is sooooo infested with friends and family memebers complaining about the actions of their addicts. At some point all recovering addicts have to face what they have done as an active addict but it has to come in their own space and time if it is to be genuine. Making them feel guilty and bad does nothing to effect the realities of their disease, their addiction- if it did they would have stopped a long time ago. All it really does is chase them away from seeking out and asking for support and help when they need it.

So I guess I'll leave with this question here- what was your goal in coming here- to help and support your husband while you become educated in the disease of addiction or to complain, trigger, and pass on guilt trips to those peopel that you won't have to see the effect of such selfish action????

I joined this group bc i wanted to read what other addicts had to say bc i am dealing with my boyfriend who is sober right now, but wasnt for a while and i wanted totry to better understand what they are going through, who better to tell it then other addicts. I also wanted to use this to post things that my boyfriend, as a recovering addict, said helped him. I have posted a discussion that many recovering addicts tell me has helped them, yet i should feel bad for being here? Support is support regardless, i could go ask molly mom at the soccer field how to deal with a heroin addict, i was rather get insite from someone who is actually there in their life.

you're still not fukin listening are you? all that sense that irish storm spoke in that last message has just floated through your head without you taking a blind bit of notice! are you one of those people that have to have the last word wether you're right or wrong? i'm sorry but i'd hate to be in your bf's position if you are this selfish at home. you're in the WRONG place fgs! i've been clean for years and i really don't want to be constantly reminded of who i was. why should i be pushed out of ds becoz of ppl that arn't even addicts?! it's insane! i think also for someone in your position the best support and help you can get is from ppl who have been through what YOU have....you couldn't possibly understand it from an addicts angle no matter who you speak to or what you do becoz you haven't been there.

so this is my opinion.

we shouldnt BASH people who turned here for advice, whether addicts or not.

yet on the same note, you are right. I have been clean for over a year and all I find on this website is stupid shit like "should i try heroin just to see what my bf's going through"

so badly i wanted to tell that girl to do it. but i didnt. i told her not to, because i would never wish it upon someone else. but holy balls, if you want to know what someones going through.. ASK THEM. I have no idea what they are going through, all i know is what I went through. sure, it may be similar, but im not sure me telling you what withdrawals feel like is going to help you understand any better...

How about this- after i make this comment, im going to start a group, JUST for the addicts. that way we can all talk about issues we need to. without hearing about how much hurt we as addicts have caused. because believe me.. I KNOW!

just wanna see my topic at the top again

holy fuck theres some stress in here !
lol
i was bored and was just checking out groups n shit .
Oh ill add i grew up around junk and ill leave it at that.
FFS will the people that cant get shit through there heads make a fucking group for ya self's, maybe Info group for supporters or some shit .
last thing recovering addicts need is more bullshit ,
give em a break ffs.
i only joined the group to post my reply ,ill leave now .
OH good luck and strenght to those that need it .
cheers,
daz