'Coming Out' As Suboxone Patient

[surgerybound]

I'm curious to hear about people who have let it be known to everyone that they're on Suboxone. I'm still "in the closet" for the most part, with the exception of my family and all my doctors.

I recently had a horrible experience with post-op pain management following a major surgery, and I really would like to write about it, perhaps pitching it to magazines and online publications. However, I'm still apprehensive about attaching my real name to it (and not everyone is OK with pseudonyms; I don't like them either).

I'd like to be open about it, but I'm just afraid of it somehow haunting me, mostly regarding prospective employers. I'm still afraid to tell my current employer, even though he'd probably understand. I've always been a very private, guarded person, but I'm trying to get over that.

[Kitty36]

Pretty much everyone I know knows that I'm taking suboxone. Not that they all know exactly what it is. But they could always look it up if they wanted. Personally, I don't care who knows, or what they think about it. I started suboxone for iatrogenic addiction and decided to stay on it since it works really well for my back pain. I don't think being on sub should be something to be ashamed of, and it's messed up that you have to be scared of what future employers might think. I understand your concern. It just makes me mad that you should have to feel that way. That's just my opinion. Also, sorry that you had such a bad post-op experience. That's one thing that really scares me about sub, having to have surgery and not having effective pain relief. Sorry you had to go through that.

[surgerybound]

Thanks, Kitty. After re-reading my post, I realized it seems a bit silly, but I just remembered a big reason for my concern: I live in South Florida, supposedly the "pill mill" capital of the world. There is a HUGE stigma down here for people taking oxy (which is what I was on before Subs), and most people have a very black-and-white view.

If I could explain my situation to everyone in person, that would be one thing. Beyond that, people like to assume the worst.

So it's mostly from my own experience of seeing how addicts are looked down on, and there's no difference between addiction and dependence in most people's minds. Of course, the only way to change that is to educate, and it's up to people like me to do so. I think maybe if I come out to a few people at a time (possibly including my boss), it would give me the courage to speak out. And I know once I start, I won't shut up.

[Kitty36]

I don't think you sounded silly. You're right that a lot of people are very closed minded and only see things how they want to see them. And unfortunately, there is a lot of discrimination against people on subs and on pain pills, even if they have a legitimate reason. I guess it's easy for me to not care what anyone thinks because I have no plans to ever find a different job, and I know that my current job can't do anything about the medication I take. If my situation were different, I'd probably feel differently about it. Your plan sounds pretty good. Tell a couple people that you trust and think will be understanding, and see how that goes. If you want to, that is. If not, there's nothing wrong with keeping it to yourself either. Whatever makes you feel comfortable, that's the best way to go

[raudy1975]

I totally understand how you might feel shy about opening up about being on suboxone. I have been on suboxone twice. The first time I told my husband and my parents. They all had such little education on the medication. I tried to educate them about it myself, but they just did not understand. They thought that i could just stop being an addict one day. They viewed me as weak because I was dependent on another medication. They all shamed me into getting off the medication, which I did ... and then I RELAPSED.

So this is the 2nd time I have been on Suboxone, and I have not told ANYONE. The way I look at it, is that it is no ones business. Especially the fact that many people do not understand addiction. Especially the ones that view Addication as a CHOICE. For me it is not a choice, it is a Disease that needs to be treated with medication. So this time, I am left to keep it to myself and this forum.

[jonathanm1978]

I totally understand how you might feel shy about opening up about being on suboxone. I have been on suboxone twice. The first time I told my husband and my parents. They all had such little education on the medication. I tried to educate them about it myself, but they just did not understand. They thought that i could just stop being an addict one day. They viewed me as weak because I was dependent on another medication. They all shamed me into getting off the medication, which I did ... and then I RELAPSED.

So this is the 2nd time I have been on Suboxone, and I have not told ANYONE. The way I look at it, is that it is no ones business. Especially the fact that many people do not understand addiction. Especially the ones that view Addication as a CHOICE. For me it is not a choice, it is a Disease that needs to be treated with medication. So this time, I am left to keep it to myself and this forum.

This reminds me of some of the conversations I've had with a facebook group...I joined "Recovery in Ohio" after one of our members here mentioned them giving such a hard time about Suboxone treatment as being "not totally clean"...and boy..they are dead-set against people who do it...there's no talking to them....I actually told someone "Fuck you" the other day after he said "fuck that doctor for comparing suboxone to insulin" regarding an article that I posted...
Basically telling people they aren't clean enough, or they could be cleaner...or they could do it THIS way...is BULLSHIT..nothing but bullshit. What works for Joe Bob may not work for Jim Bob...and people who have this back-asswards perception of treatment being abstinence ONLY...need to step back and get off their fking high horse...
Pill addiction isn't alcohol and doesn't affect the same areas of the brain...and there are a bunch of AA people who look down their fucking nose because they think it's as easy as putting down the bottle...Sure...meetings may work for alcoholics..because alcoholism affects people in a different way..it's a different type of addiction...but for AA people to tell opiate addicts they are doing it wrong??? I don't have the patience to talk very long about it.

My patience is already thin, I am trying to call Suboxone doctors in another area of the state, just getting phone numbers for my mom..who once again called me yesterday saying she was going to kill herself. She doesn't wanna try anything but eating her pills...and I'm nearing the end of my rope for dealing with my mom calling me up, high as a kite...she's 52 years old and hasn't been clean since 1995. I'm not going to condone her eating pills when she won't even consider any other options...if it involves not eating pills all the time...it's not to be discussed.

Sorry for going off on a tangent...i just got off the phone with a doctor's office who says you can't have treatment if you don't attend meetings and shit...and that burns me as well. Holding sobriety hostage for more money from a psychiatrist, when they already charge $300 induction and $150/month after that...

10 phone calls made, none of the 10 take insurance. I'm on a roll.

[TwinCitiesHardcore]

I'm coming out, so you'd better get this party started.

[Crazy_Cat_Lady]

Stigma, because some people have to make the world a shitty place.
I'm sick of people feeling the need to shame other people.
I take sub because my childhood was good for Nothing besides getting high. Fck the adults that let it happen and fk the system for shaming me the entire way.

We doing good. Sub