Mental & Emotional Self Care

I already talked about physical self care in a previous post. Mental and emotional health self care is even more important. Why? Because if you are a person with a substance use disorder then this part of you is very unbalanced and has contributed to your disorder. Sometimes it is the root cause of substance misuse. Since we are body, mind, spirit, all aspects of ourselves must be treated at the same time. This area might need a little more work to become balanced and whole. 

Again, it starts with you...the real you. Not the person you pretend to be at school, work or even home. The real you without any masks. Some people don't really know who they are since they have pretended and used substances for so long. So, the first step is to acknowledge your feelings. This takes time. What you feel is NOT who you are. It is a temporary uncomfortable place. Maybe you are angry or bitter that life dealt you so many difficulties. Maybe you are scared to get help; fear of the unknown. Perhaps you think it means being judged. It could be that you don't like or love yourself. You have self blame and guilt for getting into this situation and having this disorder. Well all that can get better and those feelings can go away! How? First, make the phone call for help. Entire cities are getting together and each agency near you may have a common goal of supporting you, guiding you towards treatment and recovery, and being there for you every step of the way. Gone are the days of going at it alone! Even if your family and friends are not supportive, these agencies are being taught on how to manage your care according to all your specific needs and be your support system. If this is not the case, then find an area that is adopting this type of care. It will be well worth it.

After you start treatment and feel safe and supported, let all those negative feelings melt away. Cry if you need to....it is therapeutic. Then it is time to get to know yourself. Self reflection is needed. Counseling is recommended. In most treatment programs it is mandatory since it is so crucial to success. Also do things on your own such as taking a walk every day and think about yourself: your dislikes, what you like about yourself such as your positive qualities. Think about happy times in your past and what you can do to make happy memories in the future.  Make an appointment for a Reiki session which is energy work that facilitates balancing and healing all aspects of you. Reflect while you paint or do color therapy. Besides walking, it is one of the best activities for self reflection and it can be fun! Work on a jigsaw puzzle. Go out and sit in nature without distractions. Listen to a  guided meditation in a place where you won't be disturbed. Sit in the Sun. Do some gardening or get some houseplants and take care of them (yes talk to them!). Listen to meaningful music. Journal by writing or drawing every day. Join a peer support group. Recovery is successful when you have multiple support sources. Plus you might make a friend or two.

Now that you know yourself a little it is time to love yourself and express who you are. Forgive yourself.  No more self blame!  Do one thing for yourself  EVERY day. It is so important to love yourself and to show yourself that love. Practice positive affirmations every day and say them out loud. Learn a new hobby that always intrigued you. Dance while no on is looking! Hug a pet or a friend and share your love. Watch a comedy and engage in laughter which is very therapeutic. Read a self help or spiritual book. Go out and listen to live music. Join a social club of some sort. There is a social club for every type of interest such as sports, art & culture, photography, book club, dinner & movie, dog walkers, singles, chess, cribbage, billiards, gaming , arts and crafts, etc...

As I said before, it starts with balancing the physical, mental/emotional and spiritual aspects of yourself. All this is needed for a successful recovery.

Here is how we can make a difference!

I went to a conference where virtually every public and community health agency in the area where I live was represented. There is a change in the wording of the common language being used when speaking about "addiction". I want to talk about this and explain some of the reasons why this is being changed.
When you hear the words "addict", "addiction", "drug abuse", it brings a mental image to whoever hears or reads these terms.....for example, the word abuse brings on the image of someone hurting another person. These words, which depict images when heard, influence a person towards being judgmental of that person or group of people. This could affect the quality of healthcare for that judged person. Maybe that person feels judged and won't go for help. That is a terrible thought! We need to stop judging by changing our language when speaking about or with "people with substance use disorder". Doesn't that sound like we are talking about an everyday person with a diagnosis that needs to be treated? Yes! Let's start using these terms:
substance use disorder, person in recovery, drug misuse, actively using, abstinent, not using.
NO more addiction, addict, drug abuse, former addict, clean, dirty. Let's talk about people as if they ARE people, like you, like me. When people who have a substance use disorder talk about themselves, they also should not use the old terms. Why? Because talking about themselves in a negative way presents a negative self image in their own mind. When they say it over and over again, that negative self image is reinforced over and over. That is enough to make anyone depressed, want to hide and numb those negative feelings! So let's help others talk and feel more positive about themselves. It starts with me and you. Together we can make a difference!

Let's talk about Opiate Use & Drug misuse

Takoda says, "Talk LOUD"

Takoda the rescue dog got a second chance at Life...someone you know might not if they misuse opiates, other drugs, or medications so....talk LOUD

Let's talk about
Opiate
Use &
Drug misuse

with your friends, with your kids, with your parents!

WHAT IS BUPRENORPHINE? WHAT IS METHADONE?

Buprenorphine is an "analgesic", aka pain medication, aka narcotic. It is man made from something "natural" and altered chemically to become a semi-synthetic compound. Yes it is considered a narcotic and treated as such by the DEA. It is in the "Opioid" category. When taken, this medication will merge with opioid receptor sites just as morphine, heroin or methadone does. But this med has other slightly different properties. 

Buprenorphine is a partial agonist opioid. Heroin and methadone are full agonists. I mention this since you might hear those terms, not to conduct an opioid course. Because it is a "partial agonist" Buprenorphine can give pain relief same as the other opioids but it doesn't affect your breathing as much as methadone would. It is faster and easier to get stable with this medication and when you are ready, faster and easier to detox off.  It is considered to be less addicting and with fewer side effects. It is shorter acting compared to methadone. You can't be on any benzodiazepine prescriptions (or illicit) such as xanax since it is not medically safe. You must be illicit drug free after you are stabilized or usually you get terminated. Remain illicit drug free and you get "take home" doses for several days or a week so you don't have to go everyday. Some clinics have you go every other day. Of course there is a catch: buprenorphine has what is called a "ceiling" effect. Meaning, once you reach a certain dose, taking additional doses does not give you more pain relief and it is not suppose to get you euphoric or high. Once you reach a certain level, that is it. Okay if your drug use has been 5 years or less or your daily use is not real high. For some people with substance use disorder  this works very well!  If you are taking buprenorphine and still have cravings then you need methadone. With the carfentanil, it is hard to judge if this treatment would work well with heroin users until one tries it. Doesn't hurt to try. 

Heroin users usually need methadone; WHY? Because of the large amount of daily use and recently because of the carfentanil potency. Methadone is a full agonist. It has no ceiling effect. It gives full pain relief but take too much and you will stop breathing and die. Plainly put. It affects your breathing so anyone with a respiratory disease such as asthma or COPD must be monitored and must be very careful in taking this medication. Methadone can also affect your heart rhythm. A very high dose (> 200 mg) or a dose above 80 mg in combination with certain prescribed meds such as clonidine or seroquel can be deadly. That is why methadone clinic patients are monitored so closely. For medical safety. Methadone is dispensed by nurses only (not counselors) and you are assessed before you take that daily dose, for medical safety. Methadone has a very long half life....it lasts for days in your body until it is totally out of your system. When you take it at a methadone clinic daily, as you should, it builds up in your body to a therapeutic level and then it is maintained at that level. A therapeutic level is when you have no physical withdrawal symptoms at all AND no cravings. You almost forget that you take it because you feel "normal". Not high. Not sick. No cravings. Just live and enjoy life. When I say methadone clinic, I mean methadone for addiction NOT pain. Methadone for pain is a totally different program, different approach and different rules. 

Personal Power

We all have personal power. Yes, we are made of energy particles therefore we are energy and energy is power. We all have the ability to use our power in amazing ways. We also have Free Will to do what we want with our energy. Have you ever "willed" yourself sick before an event you really did not want to go to...focused intensely on how happy you would feel after passing an exam...visualized yourself excelling in a sports game and actually have these happen, just as you expected? You used your personal power. What would happen if you focused on how to steal some money for the next fix....constantly lied to cover your habit...always thought about your "bad luck"? Your power would start becoming negative and sickly. Once you cross over that line and become addicted to some type of opioid, you give your personal power away to the drug 100%. The drug now controls you. You have allowed the drug to take your personal power. It starts affecting every aspect of your life because you are now the puppet. The drug has taken over your personality. You are negative, irritable and don't care about anything except your next drug use. It ruins your family life, social life, your school and/or your work. On the outside you are the same person, but on the inside you lack personal power because you gave it away. So, TAKE IT BACK! Step 1 in the 12 Steps talks about admitting you are powerless. Any disagreement there? If you are an addict then you are powerless at this time. But you CAN start heading the the direction of getting your power back 100%. It is never too late to begin this process. In order to do this you must begin at a basic level and admit that drugs have your personal power.... temporarily. At the very least, start Addiction Counseling. Maybe you need inpatient or maybe an outpatient clinic fits your needs. See an Addiction professional. They can get your input then tell you which one is best for you. Don't rely strictly on your friends and family unless they have experience and education in Addiction. There are too many myths out there. Family and friends however, can be a great support system if they are interested in becoming educated and involved with your recovery. With the right treatment, with the right professionals, with the right attitude, you CAN take back your personal power 100%. Read about "The Next Step: The Phone Call" and read about being "...nervous about going to a 12 Step Meeting" for more insight.

My Friends Keep Calling and Stopping By Even Though They Know I Started Recovery!

You will hear about how "friends don't tempt friends when they start a recovery program". Just think about it.....those friends are addicts too! Don't get angry. Addiction likes company. No matter how much a friend wishes you the best in recovery, the addict in them can't leave you alone. If you truly believe that your addiction is a disease then you must believe the friends knocking at your door have a disease also. But, the fact is, you must do what is best for YOURSELF, or recovery will not work for you. You can offer support while they seek treatment but don't put yourself in the position where they are using in your presence. Even if you don't participate in the drug use, the temptation will seep into your brain. You might start dreaming of using or have severe cravings when you are really stressed about something in your life. It will spiral down from there. So don't go there. If a friend is not ready to seek treatment then just let them know that you will be there when they decide to take that first step. Tell your friend that until that happens, they must stay away from you, out of respect of the friendship. No phone calls, no visits. This is the best approach with friends. Anyone else who is not a friend you can just say no and go away! If a person continues to bother you despite your request, say what you must to discourage them. This is your life and you want to live!

Can I die from withdrawal symptoms if they are bad enough? What can I do for withdrawals?

You will not die from the symptoms of opioid withdrawal, no matter how bad they are. You will feel like you are dying and others looking at you might agree. You will not die, but there is no doubt you are suffering :(     What can happen medically is severe dehydration from the sweating, vomiting and diarrhea. Being badly dehydrated is a feeling of extreme weakness, pale skin, sunken eyes, cracked dry lips, possibly even dizziness. If the person cannot drink a large amount of water and Gatorade or Powerade, then go to an Urgent Care for IV fluids to rehydrate. In a dehydrated state you are at risk for injury from a fall due to weakness. How many of us had a real bad flu and nearly fell in the bathroom from feeling weak and dizzy? Be safe.....getting hydrated is necessary whether it is from drinking lots of fluids or getting IV fluids. Always have some Gatorade or Powerade in addition to water and IV fluids to replenish your electrolytes. It will help bring back your strength. Over the counter products can help with other withdrawal symptoms such as Immodium for diarrhea, I would avoid Kaopectate and Pepto Bismol since it contains a substance similar to aspirin and anyone ages 12-18 should not take aspirin since there is a chance it can cause a disease called Reyes Syndrome (serious/ fatal disease) if conditions are right. Imodium takes a little time to work so take it at the first signs of diarrhea. If you are pregnant, go to the Emergency Room since you don't want to risk taking any medication, and dehydration when pregnant is much more serious! For muscle cramps take ibuprofen or naproxen but don't exceed the max dose recommended or you can damage your kidneys. I would avoid acetaminophen unless you are absolutely sure you do not have Hepatitis C Antibody; it might overload your liver. Over the counter magnesium supplements also may help muscle cramping if taken according to directions and you do not exceed the recommended dose. Need some sleep? Only at night, use generic benadryl (diphenhydramine) 2 caps and try some melantonin: anywhere from 3mg - 5 mg any brand, or a 10 mg time release tab by Natrol. Melantonin is a hormone your own body makes which regulates the wake-sleep cycle. Taking a supplement helps some people with sleep disturbances get a decent night's sleep. If you end up going to Urgent Care it is best to have someone with you who knows about why you are in this condition. If ER staff suspect you are in withdrawals then whoever is with you might find out. If the Emergency Room takes blood...if they draw any blood they might do some drug testing......if they get a urine sample they might do some drug testing.....that is all I will say on that. If you are drug tested in any way and you are on probation then your probation officer might find out and have concrete evidence against you. Be wise. Go for IV fluids and don't ask for any narcotics or benzodiazepines (like xanax or ativan) and you should be treated well, be rehydrated, & released. Simple as that.