Prescription Drug Abuse Support Group

Thats a good question. I was doing a job that was physically stressful and as I got older, the more my body had difficulty handling it. I started with aspirin, and was on it for about a year and it screwed up my stomach. Doc says it was responsible for acid reflux disease. Next went to tylenol, which never helped. Then went to ibprofen and was on that for several years until it was no longer helpful. Changed to prescription dose of naproxen and was on that for several years until it no longer worked.

Right about this time, they had taken Vioxx off the market. The columbians were ecstatic! because the only thing left for pain control were narcotics! So my doctor was hesitant to prescibe anything in that class which also included celebrex.

I started with 2 vicodin a day. Kinda twisted my doctor's arm for 4 vic's a day. As I built up an immunity, I was unable to get more from my doctor so I began buying them online. It was quite easy for me because I got a copy of my records which showed I had a problem, and sympathetic doctors were everywhere online. That fueled my addiction.

Eventually, the DEA began closing down internet drug stores and so I lost me sources. I tried quitting 100's of times but had a problem doing it without help. Finally got into detox, not once but several times and eventually got the counseling I needed to help me stay clean.

I was working in my ex hubby family business...It was long hours and a bunch of people there were taking percocet and told me to try it to keep myself going...I tried it and was hooked from the first one...it eventually escalated to taking roxi's and went downhill from there...It was a four year battle until I hit the bottom!

I had never been a drug user in high school or colleege, tried to smoke pot but got the WORST panic & anxiety, that's really what I believe started my Panic Disorder....anyhow I'm going off topic. In 1998, my partner had back surgery, for the heck of it, I tried a percocet. From that moment on I was madly in love and for the past 11 years have been on & off mostly Norcos, hydrocodone 10/325. Went to inpatient rehab in 2005, stayed clean 6 mos. Went Dr. shopping, forged an Rx by changing the 1 in 15 to a 7, for 75 Vicodin. HOW STUPID! Got caught by the cops had to go to court but got off with only community service & probation. I swore that was the end of it because that experience did truly scare the living s#$t out of me, to think I could have gone to jail. Stayed clean for 2 years after that, then I don't even know WHY I started buying off of the internet in 2007 again but I did....now I'm on Suboxone trying to repair the last 2 years of my addiction to hydro.

Great topic, Amyb.

~Zen

I was going through some pretty awful stuff, very anxious and worrisome times and the docs would prescribe me anything really as they felt bad for me and the stress I was under. It became a situation that I was being grossly overprescribed and took full advantage. To be fair I was never good at moderation so when I had pills in abundance that I could just keep popping until I felt like a zombie on auto-pilot - I did just that. I was getting from point A to point B as best I could. The meds kept me numb as I wanted them too. Addiction was born from this. Bleh.

After my 2nd child was born I was once again prescribed pain meds. Months later- I started seeking out the drugs-- asking friends for it, stealing it from family members, etc... my friends would just give it to me. They had full bottles that they had only taken a couple. I didn't care if it was 5 years expired... I would still take it. I also discovered that if I drank with my meds it would increase the feeling of being high. And all of this time I was taking my Klonapin that was prescribed for anxiety and Ambien for sleep.

A few years ago I scoped out the doctors at my gym. I started chatting with a really nice doctor and we started working out together all the time. (This was a platonic relationship.) I didn't even like him that much but I was hoping he would ask me if I wanted anything. One day he asked me if I needed anything for pain. Mission accomplished! (I still feel bad about using him like that) So then I was a kid in a candy store. I didn't have to drug seek or doctor shop anymore. I also started taking valium, xanax and sometimes halcyon--besides the opiates and besides my prescribed medications. My doctor told me that I was going to OD sometime in the future. I didn't care. I was so selfish I wasn't even thinking about my kids.

Almost a year ago I told a friend that I was sick and had a problem. She told me about NA and AA. It took me 3 more months before I went to a meeting. I was terrified that it would be a bunch of drunks and junkies who had become uber religious. It wasn't at all like that. So I started going often. With my doctor's help I detoxed cold turkey from the opiates. (I learned NEVER to go cold turkey from benzos!) Now I'm almost 9 months clean and feeling better every day. I take naltrexone for opiate cravings and try to go to a meeting everyday.

18 years ago I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and an unknown skeletal disease (now they know I have Ankylosing Spondylytis which is a form of Rheumatoid Arthritis). I began to be in intense pain all the time so I was put on narcotics. That has been followed by 18 years of obsession and dependence. I have taken everything they make.

I stopped almost 7 months ago because they caused kidney failure and a heart attack. I was forced to go cold turkey while recovering. I had 3 weeks of hell with hallucinations, crazy dreams, mood swings, and sleeplessness.

I have made great strides since then. I have no desire for the drugs. I have no desire for that old life. I truly would not trade one of my worst days now for my best day then!

Melanye :)

It started with a back problem, and then turned into bone cancer and they gave me pain pills for the pain and it just esculated from there....but the dr said that people with depression or bipolar have addiction problems, but yet prescibed me the pills....hum...

After I smoked my first joint when I was 14 I was hooked and searched constantly for the drug and any other drugs ince then. I was just thinking about that on my home from work today.....

I was like you had to be on them for chronic neck pain for 4yrs and then the dr cut me off cold turkey, so I started buying on the street, and dr shopping to get them. My addictive personality didn't help either.

My first time with drugs was when I snorted a line of oxycontin with my friend. I was the type of loser kid who did it just to be cool and fit in, but ended up abusing the dexedrine my doc prescribed to me for adhd. I'm checking into a rehab center soon to get my life back, as I have lost all my friends and failed college