Addiction is such a horrible problem that can bring a person to their knees and mess up their entire life. Unfortunately, not every addict is strong enough to go to war with their poison and come out intact on the other side.
While many people remain addicts throughout their lives, around 80 Americans die every day because of opioid addiction. The worst part of it is that over half of them were using prescription drugs.
So it doesn’t matter how you got into this, as long as you are committed to getting your life back on track.
When Does Opioid Use Become An Addiction or Drug Abuse?
Not every person that starts using recreational or medicinal drugs gets addicted to it. Many people can use them in reasonable amounts and not feel any adverse side effects at all.
Since every person is different, they might not move from casual to problem at the same point.
Addiction or abuse is not about the drugs you take, how much you take, or even how often you use it. It’s more about the consequences it is having on your life. If the drugs you are taking don’t have any effect on your work, studies, or home, then you might only be using the opioids instead of abusing them. But if its effects are seeping into every part of your life, then you may have a problem.
Treating Your Opioid Addiction
Fortunately, quitting opioids is not as bad as trying to cut back on alcohol or a sedative. You can slowly cut back on opioids and recover without facing much risk.
However, you may need to consult a physician if you are suffering from any diseases or are pregnant. If you start to go through the withdrawal with an illness, then you might suffer greatly. In the case of pregnancy, you may lose your baby by going through withdrawal by yourself. But even if you think you’re healthy, other than the addiction, consult a doctor before detoxifying.
There are many ways to put an end to your opioid problem.
You can go to a rehab clinic and get help from them. They can ease your cravings and make the entire process much more manageable. You can choose to live there till you get better, or be an outpatient rehab patient who only comes during the sessions.
Another way is by doing it yourself at home. Many people go through an opioid withdrawal by themselves and find their way to the other side. But since any addiction can have some dangers during the withdrawal phase, you should have someone there to look out for you. Also, you can use products like these to help you get better.
How You Can Get Your Life Back On Track
Avoid Discrimination through Legal Means
Unfortunately, people aren’t too kind to former addicts, and that is why they may suffer in many areas. That is why many people take advantage of addicts in recovery or even the ones that have gotten clean.
After getting clean, you might face difficulties in obtaining insurance, finding a job, or even renting a home in a beautiful place. All these problems can be terrible for your mental health, and they can also make you relapse.
That is why you might need to talk with a lawyer that helps people after they have gotten clean.
Seek Financial Assistance
Financial problems are quite common in addicts. As the addiction gets more intense, the bills, rent, debts, and everything starts piling up. Also, you might have been spending most of your income on opioids or other substances.
All of these things might lead to you getting fired or evicted. Things can sometimes get really bad, and you might end up in financial ruin.
With all that going on, your credit score might take a deep hit. That, combined with the financial problems, can have a significant toll on your mental health.
At this stage, most financial institutions will hesitate to give you any loans because they, unfortunately, discriminate against addicts as well. That is why you might not get any money and may end up in a rather challenging situation.
The most suitable course of action might be to seek financial guidance and think about filing for bankruptcy. This will allow you to be protected and get some sort of debt relief. You can then easily start with a somewhat clean slate, and get your head back in the game for a better future. Slowly, but surely, everything will get back to normal.
Be Honest About Your Past
After getting clean, one of your biggest concerns might be whether or not you should discuss your past during serious situations, such as a job interview. The best thing for you to do in this case is to be completely honest about your history.
If you try to block out the past and hope for the best, you must keep in mind that the truth will come out somehow, sooner or later. If you don’t, then you might get terminated when the truth comes out.
You should tell your interviewer that the recovery period is complete and that you would be happy to go through any screening tests as a condition for getting the position. However, you should not agree to any new policies they make up to target you for your opioid addiction, as that will be a legal issue.
Getting Back Out There
Your addiction might have caused a strain on your relationship and might have even been the end of it. But you should avoid getting involved with anyone from some time after you complete recovery.
You need to take some time and find your weaknesses, strengths, and get to know yourself. Before you get involved with someone, your life needs to be in a good place.
The main reason is that love and attraction are powerful emotions, and they can compel anyone to do risky things. Also, rejection, heartbreak, and the other person’s troubles might cause problems for you too.
Finding New Hobbies
Now that you are leading a life of recovery, try to find new hobbies and activities that you can find time for in your everyday life.
The choices are limitless. You could try to find something that you like, such as traveling once a year, visiting museums, catching more football games, or getting season tickets for your favorite basketball team.
But you should try to include some physical exercises too that can heal your mind and body. This could be joining a gym, running, rock climbing, cycling, hiking, or doing yoga, among other things. Just find something that makes you feel like a new person, and makes you feel good about yourself.
Healthy Diet
While you were going through the opioid addiction phase, you might have severely neglected proper foods and diets. As a result, you might not be in the best shape.
That is why you should look into cooking and eating a healthy diet. In fact, cooking can be a form of therapy itself, as it allows you to be creative and express yourself through foods.
You can make it as simple or as complicated as you like, and try to maintain a healthy diet to get your body and mind in good shape.
