I'll pray for you. Don't get too down on yourself. You caught the problem early and you were smart to see the Dr. They know how to wean you from this stuff.
I had an employee with a severe back problem and the Dr told him ahead of time that he would need meds and WOULD become addicted for a period of time, but that they would wean him off at the proper time. I wish more doctors would follow-up on this stuff.
By the way, you ain't a jerk. I'll be praying!

a jerk? you are not that for sure, you are sweet man who made a bad judgement. I was addicted to percocet, horror of horrors my friend. Live and learn, you just throw those things in the toilet and plan on a detox of a week, depending on how long you were on them. It is no fun but you can do this. James, no no no no narcotics ever again, ok? Prayers to you my dear.

Warning::: No narcotics for any alki on this board! Ever! Unless you are dying in about a week, then it is ok I guess. But these little suckers will get most everyone who is an alcoholic addicted hooked!! Bear the pain, it is not worth throwing away everything, no matter how much your doc may think you need them.

Good for you James. You told the doctor everything and now here you are telling on the disease. Stop calling yourself names, you deserve better than that. I'm praying for you.

james I know what you are talking about. I've had numerous extrememly serious health issues for 30 years half sober half not. I've had numerous surgeries including having my colon removed and a liver transplant. I
lived the last 5-6 years in pain with constant body aches and extreme discomfort. I virtually had no choice but to take pain meds to the point of becoming physically dependent on them.
What I have done since I've been in the program is always tell any doctor up front about my alcoholism my fear of becoming addicted to pain med. I've always let family members know how much I'm taking and how I'm doing with that and I always discuss it with my sponsor. I also never took enough that it would give me a buzz just enough to deal with the pain. I never lied about it or took them in way other than perscribed. My sposor has always told me I don't have to suffer in pain but I do have to be honest and follow the doctors instructions. When one has had surgery one needs rest thatbecomes impossible when one is in extreme pain.
I'll say a prayer and don't feel poorly it is extremely easy for what you decribed to happen. You have got honest with us continue that pattern of honest and you will get through this.

well ironically enough being an insomniac,i was addicted to sleeping pills.i was nineteen and begged my doc for more.wasn't a good manipulator then so had no other ideas on how to get them,i was so angry that they just left me high and dry i said i will never beg for drugs again.i didn't either.hugs

i think our best thinking got us here.i too had problems with my ears i heard everything suggested but i didnt want to listen.when we start realizing that functions been out of whack then we start getting somewhere.i learned this in early recovery.i've now learned to listen the good part is when i started using it in my actions..im praying 4 you but i think you're on the right road.so dont beat yourself up..learn from mistakes..i just started and i just turned 40..takes a while sometimes(smile)...lisa

I have been reading some of the responses here. I find it amazing that I'm not the only one. I've been struggling with this awhile now, and trying to keep it a secret because I was embaressed. Trying to talk with others about recovery, while your keeping a secret like this is really not fun. Often I just felt like a hypocrite, and a drink really wouldn't matter now, but it would. The part that really started getting me worried was falling back into the old ways. Constantly thinking about how to get more just to keep up the facade, and be able to function. When i would be working with my landlord in rental properties I started even looking around to see if there was pain pills. That is definetly not good. It's taken me so long to build up trust with people again, and I could see that going out the window, but it was seeming like a hopeless situation. It feels so good today to wake up and not have to worry about how I'm going to maintain. It's the first time I have trusted a Dr for help like this. In the past I thought if you tell them the truth, you will never get more than an aspirin for anything. I guess times, or me have changed. Anyway, I feel good today. Thank you, Lord.

Hi James ~ I swear, if it made me feel good I could get addicted to dirt! I had the same problem as you James. Years ago, when I was first getting sober, I was also having panic attacks so my doctor at the time prescribed Xanax (BIG no-no). I didn't know anything about drugs or ANYTHING at the time, and this doc said I NEEDED it because I had a mitral valve prolapse in the heart and my heart beat was always extremely rapid anyway. So, I took it ~ and found that I couldn't NOT take it. That scared me!! Here I was trying to get sober, and I couldn't get off these things!

Well, I told my doc and all she said was "You know what you have to do" but she never gave me any more!!! So I just weaned off with what I had, and thought I was gonna die! LOL. But thank God He helped me thru that, and I never wanna go thru it again!

You're not alone, James. My prayers are coming your way. God loves you and so do we. Take care. Hugs, Lee

James-

I'm glad that sharing your secret gave you such a positive experience.
I admire you for having the courage to open up about whats going on in your life.

James, the reason I tell you all that I've drank again EVERY time is because I have to not keep secrets. They are what keep me in my own darkness. I blirt it out, and let the chips fall where they may...embarrassment and all, and afterward I'm exposed and can move on from there. I've embarrassed myself a LOT around here too...it doesn't get easier with practice, lol, but I still have to...for me. (o; Good for you, and you're not a jerk. Just a honest guy...like me(o; (well, i'm really a girl...really!).

We all feel like jerks at some point.
The good side of that feeling is that we ARE feeling.
Good luck to you as I know what an addictive personality is first, second AND third hand!

Hi James,

Are you off the percocet? I am hoping you are. I had a very good friend who was addicted to pain meds. She did have medical problems which made it neccessary for her to take medication (chronic pain from fibromyalgia and arthritis) however she never stopped abusing them for longer than a few months.

My friend and I met in a treatment program by me and except for one more relapse I have been sober since then. It scares me to think that another good person would become addicted to pain meds.

Sorry if this response upsets anyone but my friend died due to her addiction about 4 years ago and I still miss her alot. She was a wonderful person full of love and was always there for me to listen to me, laugh with me and all those special things a best friend does.

I do have friends in the program who have chronic pain issues and still stay away from addiction and I thoroughly respect and admire them.

Good luck James!!!!

james, you "went to your doctor and told him everything." good for you! i have never told my doctor about any of my tendencies. i am sorry about your accident too and hope that you will not be in a lot of pain without meds. i've never been prescribed perc. but have heard that it is really strong. keep yourself really busy is my advice and i'll pray for you.

Oh James, you are not a jerk!

You just had another taste of the hook. I make certain I do two things that we keep me safeguarded from getting prescriptions that could be harmful:

1. I tell EVERY healthcare person that I work with about my addiction to alcohol and drugs (including my DENTIST)
2. If I have to be on a medication that has the potential to be a problem (after I broke my arm, after surgery, ect.) I make sure I AM NOT IN CHARGE of taking the medication. I have trusted friends for that aspect. Because there are times when a limited amount of narcotics must be used.

The reason I tell my doctors is because I have a very HIGH tolerance for many sedating drugs, and while it takes more to get me sedated, it takes very little to keep me under (and it usually is pretty close the dose that would kill a 'normal' person) and an experienced clinician will realize that I must be treated differently.

Yes, you will feel 'weirded' out for a few days, cranky and maybe you will have some emotional binges, but work your excellent recovery program, and forgive yourself.

Prayers are going out for you. Thank you for leveling with us and keep on keeping on!

James,

Thank you for sharing -- I appreciate your honesty. As far as it goes for the "jerk" stuff -- you can ease up on yourself sir, Thank You. I am gonna need you to lose that one, Sir. You are not a jerk -- you are James. Since God loves you just the way you are, so will I.

You have done what you needed to do to get matters straight; now you can move on and get the rest on with recovery. Furthermore, you will not be allowed to get stuck.

In Recovery,
Darrell