I've never detoxed from Morphine, but I've been an addict to pain pills (narcotics) for the past 2.5 years. I was taking approximately 30-40 Lortab 10's a day. I've been in rehab 3 times for my addiction. The first 2 times, I was detoxed by using Bupronex shots. The third time, and to me, the most successful time, I was given Suboxone for 26 days. (I stayed clean the longest of any of my rehab treatments.) Unfortunately, I did NOT stay quit even after receiving treatment with Suboxone. Moving from an "active addict" to a "recovering addict" takes a ton of self discipline and a lot of "want to" on the addict's part.

I've been clean and a "recovering addict" for quite a few months now, but that doesn't mean I still don't have cravings. I deal with my addiction on an almost daily basis. But I also choose daily to stay clean.

That being said, Suboxone can become just as much of an addiction as Morphine, Lortab, Oxycontin, etc. No, it doesn't give you the "high" you can get from those narcotics noted above, but it can and does maintain the addict; thus, an addict is NOT recovering as long as they are taking Suboxone. You WILL have to detox from Suboxone in some shape, form or fashion. The BEST way to be clean from all narcotics is to simply NOT TAKE ANYTHING. Get detoxed and stay detoxed.

Having been through rehab 3 times, I found the BEST way for me was to go "cold turkey", endure the intense withdrawal symptoms and get it all out of my system once and for all. Some can do it this way, where others cannot. If your friend TRULY wants to quit, he's going to have to decide DAILY to stay clean. If he gets through today clean, great. Then, tomorrow, he'll have to set the same goal. Cravings WILL diminish over time. Will they ever completely go away? I don't know. I'm not that far into my recovery to say yes. But I am living proof that recovery IS possible.

Depression is one of the withdrawal symptoms I had to overcome. Yes, I saw a psychiatrist and yes, that psychiatrist prescribed medication. There was NO need in me being on antidepressants because the ONLY reason I was depressed was because my body was ridding itself of harmful narcotics and my body so desperately wanted them. I quit taking my antidepressants when I decided to quit narcotics cold turkey. I am happy to report that my depression is now completely gone.

IT CAN BE DONE! Tell your friend to keep his chin up and head held high. Life free of drugs is SO MUCH better than my best day on drugs.

And congratulations on your success! He has been clean for a week and at this point he wants to stay clean, but he still has the desire to do it. In his mind right now, it wouldn't do any good because he's taking the suboxone. He's tried to quit before without suboxone, but wasn't successful. So, it seems his desire to stay clean is strong enough to take the suboxone once a day and know that he can't get high. Maybe not strong enough to fight it all day. He's only taking half a pill a day now. He started at 4 last week. Then went to one and has been on a half since Friday.

It's the mental struggle he fights with. Says he just has to get it through his head that he doesn't need it. He's excited about his next pay day coming and actually having money and it not going to his dealer. I guess these types of things are what he needs to concentrate on. I want to help him, but I know it's all on him and all I can do is just be here. He said he doesn't deal with sadness and the morphine kept him from being too happy, but that's okay because it's a trade off because with it he doesn't get too sad either. He has some heavy things in his life he needs to deal with...death of his twin brother being a major part. So, seeking professional help from a psyhchiatrist he feels he can talk to would be a big step in the right direction I'd say. The one he sees now, he doesn't particularly like as far as counseling goes.

If you any advice on the daily struggles, I'd pass them along to him. But thanks for the encouragement that it can be done. I will pass those words along to him. And keep up the good work!

HI,
I am a recovering Heroin addict who has relapsed on suboxone. The daily struggle is this. Know that evryday for the rest of his life he will think of using and he will dream about it. Know that his addiction will tell him that as a reward he can use. Know that Opiates can kill you, any type of opiate. The daily struggle is knowing all this and knowing the Feelimg of being high and deciding not to use anyway. Think of the detox and how horrible it is and once addicted how bad it is how "sick" we become to the point where we don't stop using. Never Give Up and Never go back. You can only go forward adn that way is not through drugs. I wish my brother knew that , he died at 24 from the withdrawals and the going back. Forget Overdosing, your organs will not keep taking the abuse! JUST FOR TODAY, I WILL NOT GET HIGH!