I don't know where this post belongs so I'm sorry if it's in the wrong place. Since getting sober in 03 I found myself dealing with other addictions, not drugs but addictions. Way too much caffine, chain smoking, food, and my biggest hurdle is I've become a workaholic. In fact this holiday weekend is the first time I. Awhile I've had 2 consecutive days off. I have a wife and a 9 year old son that mean the world to me and I've been feeling guilty about it.

Hi Smoothy,

I can sort of relate because I have a very intimate relationship with my coffee and cigarettes, but for me it's always been like that and probably always will be.

You, however, sound dissatisfied with the way things are now. I could throw out some ideas, but they would at best be guesses. Do you have a therapist? Maybe it's time to consider finding one that fits your needs. A therapist might be able to help you get to the bottom of what you're trying to accomplish by over-indulging in everything. You may also be one of those people who goes to extremes with little to no moderation. (Fast-slow, good-bad, right-wrong, black-white, etc.) Moderation can be a tough nut to crack, but it sounds like maybe that's what you need to work on. Now obviously I could be WAY off base on this, it's just a thought that came to me as I'm writing this and thought I'd throw it out there. Give it some thought. And try to enjoy your days off!

_________________
-As I have grown older, I've learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.

-I'm only responsible for what I say, not for what you understand.

I can relate. I'm a smoker and love me some caffeine....ALL DAY LONG! I also LOVE to eat. Bad thing is I find myself doing these things now when ever I get cravings (I have tapered down to 8mgs most days- sometimes I still take 12, just every so often) on my lower dose. So, I need to learn how to stop this addict behavior even if Im replacing it with nicotine or caffeine ot food, it's still not healthy.... I wish I had some good advice. Just know you are not alone. Hopefully we can have this as one of our topics in our upcoming meetings.

_________________
Laura

Of course there's such a thing as angels. Only sometimes they don't have wings... and we call them mothers. -Unknown

Don't you hate when someone tells you exactly what you don't want to hear but deep down we know that's the solution. I've definately been slacking on therapy and conselling. I've been sober for 6 1/2 years and it still amazes me how every once in awhile I feel like I'm a month clean (my behavior and thinking). I'm a very compulsive person and I sometimes don't recognize those other addictions when they are not substances (like working or exercising, things like that). It's funny how when I was new I thought all the people with years of sobriety under their belt had it all figured out. IMO we are never cured, I am still in some ways just as screwed up as ever. The obsession to use is gone but it's still just one day at a time for me. Hopefully doing a hair better today than yesturday. Thanks for the good advise.

When I first started Suboxone, I was smoking a fair amount pot, and instead of pulling me off completely, my therapist did some harm-reduction. I was willing to cut smoking, but we felt that going from a gram a day to nothing, while quitting heroin, and getting on Sub would have been too much. Cigarettes, coffee and work are completely different, I'm aware, but perhaps the method I used while tapering off pot could be useful. I feel you on being a workaholic, I'm 23 and own a flower shop, I worked 28 days straight before getting a day off-- but in a lot of ways it keeps me off the street and money in my pocket, it can add to stress in some but you know yourself best. Anyway, I started keeping a chart of how much I smoked daily, and worked on chipping out a little on a week to week basis. I started at a gram a day, knocked it down to .9 the next week, then .8, etc. Very similar to tapering off Sub. It's interesting to see it on paper how much you do something, I bet it'd be interesting to see how many cups of coffee you have in a day, or how many cigs, or how many hours of work. Say you have 17 smokes in a day, try and have 16 and hold it for a week, take it from there. Just a suggestion, it worked for me and in a few months I don't smoke much, sometimes a toke or two on a joint with some friends on a weekend, but my weeks are focused on work, and my therapist goes over my 'charts' with me to keep me in check. For me, some pot yielded less side affects and less risk than Xanax or Klonopin which I was prescribed for social anxiety, even Zoloft whacked me, so I stick with what I know works for me, but everyone's different. If you're willing though and see it physically on paper, you could do great things. I know a guy who had 8 drinks a night and didn't even realize until he wrote it down, got disgusted with himself, transformed it into motivation and chipped away, he has one drink a night now.

I am ashamed to say i slipped the other day. I took some vyvanse which is in itself a prodrug and inactive. However when digested and when cleavage to l-lysine it turns to d-amphetamine. My friend gave me some because i had a lack of energy. Now this sounds totally stupid but they didnt do anything but calm me down and generally made me feel more normal than ever. SuboxDoc or anyone I wanna know does this mean t have adhd still because as a child I was diagnosed with it but never treated. I tried ritalin yearts ago with same effect paradoxical to what abusers of amphetamine drugs get. They get a amphetamine or cocaine like high. I feel better than I do with my bipolar meds. In essence the vyvanse does what my bipolar meds never did which is calm my anger. My mind always rushes hundreds o! Miles an hour. With this vyvanse I feel treated nor high at all. Should i talk to my doc. About this? Again I dont get the typical crash adhd users describe when the drug wears off. I just go back to feeling my normal anger and fast racy head and that. Maybe im not bipolar but adhd. I know this is off topic and not about sub. But i desperately need advice. I will not accept her pills again i dont wanna slip again. Thank God they werent opioids which i never want again.

I'm no doctor, but my husband is ADD and takes meds for it (Adderall). It's my opinion that, yes, it's entirely possible that you do have ADD/ADHD, considering how that medication made you feel. I've never known anyone to have a reaction like yours that wasn't ADD/ADHD. (But again-just my opinion.) It might be a good idea to discuss it with your doctor. As for slipping up, don't be so hard on yourself. Get back up on that horse again! Let us know what happens.

_________________
-As I have grown older, I've learned that pleasing everyone is impossible, but pissing everyone off is a piece of cake.

-I'm only responsible for what I say, not for what you understand.