Hey there, I actually don't know your story since I'm new but I do know a few things about drugs. I'm also not sure how much you know so I might not be helping at all lol!

Now I'm guessing your talking about Klonopin? Its a US drug but here in Canada its clonazepam. Its one of the oldest benzos out there. It has an extremely long half life meaning it sits in the body for quite some time. Now that alone will change the makeup of your brain, which is why it causes withdrawl. Very long withdrawl.

And thats only an example of one drug. In the end, we don't know the long term effects of hardly any drugs on the market. That blood pressure med could be giving us Alzheimers.

Maybe you know all this and I'm just talking out of my butt lol.

I believe that you will get her back. When the drugs are out of her body her brain will be able to start repairing.

I do have a question about the suboxone, is she taking it long term? I've only ever seen it given out for people who are under monitored detox and for 7 days maximum. Is it different in America?

with an mind altering drug, sure will effect the brain,,, I do believe brain cells are numbed by the drug,,,, this effects their cognitive thinking, long lasting I'm sure the effects are lasting,,,, I'm not a Doctor, so i'm able to give exact medical information,,,, but I think has with any organ,, if it's not continuously stimulated, it could be healed,,, will you get the daughter back you once knew or raised,,, unfortunatly probably not,,, with all the abuse they have done to their body,, has well has what they have done,,,, but never give up hope of having your daughter being sober one day,, and can maintain coping skills with out the use of drugs,,,, priceless

Here's a report from the National Institute of Drug Abuse.
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/science-addiction/drugs-brain
The brain can rewire itself and if a person stops abusing drugs their brain can recover, to what extent it really depends on the person and drug of choice. I know for people who use meth it is like a tiny bomb going off each time they take a hit and this is very damaging to the brain. Most people who stop are still very immature and never reach the same maturity as a person who did drugs or drank.

Thanks everybody, she seems to be making a little progress, that's the only reason she is still living with me, On occasion I see aglimmer of my old daughter and I just ant to hug her and tekk her it will bwe OK by everytime I do that she seems to have a slip so I am keeping quiet. I am so scared that I have lost my old friend and I miss her terribly. I just want us to be the way we used befre drugs. She has so much potential but her self esteem is so low right now I know if I will ever have her back, right now I'd take just alittle bit of my old Krista (daughter).

In the US, more and more studies are being done about using Suboxone for long-term treatment of opiate addicts. My daughter was going to one program where there were people who had been on it for years; successfully staying away from the heroin and other illegal opiates. Obviously.............it didn't work for her. She wasn't ready. I think that is really such a huge factor.

I have no scientific proof to back it up, but my experience has been that drug abuse causes significant brain damage as evidenced by the behavior of the people using. They never seem to go back to the person they used to be.........................but then again, sadly, I don't personally know anyone with any long-term sobriety that I could observe for before & after. A friend of mine's daughter has been clean for 5 months and I would have to say she seems like her old self again................I'm praying she stays clean and that it lasts.

I have read that it takes up to 2 years for the brain of a heroin addict to return to its normal function; for those who have used meth, it's closer to 3 years. It is an agonizingly slow healing process. For those of those living with an addict in recovery, we had better arm ourselves with lots and lots of patience...

I have interviewed many recovering addicts on our show,and you would be amazed at what they accomplishe once they have drugs out of their system for a period of time.I think each person will varey in time. On a personell note not only did I get my daughter back,but I got a more careing person now than even before her herion addication. So if the person and their family continue to work recovery only good things happen NEVER GIVE UP HOPE

Phil I am so glad to read your post it gives me and many others much needed hope. My son did not have a long term heroin problem about a year and he has been off of it for about 14 months with 2 slip ups in that time frame one was a one time use that nearly kiled him the other was in september when I put my boundaries strictly in place but my point is even though he didn't have a long time habit it did change hi m in so many ways and he has come along way in his recovery he still needs to work on it and always will and even though he is not yet who he was yet I believe he will be someday so thanks again for the encouragement Dee

I suggest you contact the Society for Neuroscience. There is a lot of myth about how the brain works and whether people who drink alcohol and drugs loose brain cells and have brain damage.

It is not so, Wet Brain Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, a type of brain damage caused by a deficiency in thiamine which is frequently seen in alcoholics who do not eat much.

All of those meds rewire the brain for sure. Even the suboxone.

I am not an expert in benzos but I do know a little about opiates. What happens when you get high is the brain sends a huge surge of dopamine between the neurotransmitters. This is what makes you high, however the brain is not designed to work that way so it starts dropping receptors so that less nerve cells will be affected.

So then it takes more opiates to get that same high. This is called building a tolerance.

There is no way to get those receptors back. When they are gone, they are gone forever. This is one way our brains change from addiction.

Hope this helps,

God Bless

I read alot about benzo's at this link and there's more on Google. Had a personal friend many years ago that it took him 5 years to get back to his old self...
Alas, it is up to the addict...and a strong willpower with support from people

http://www.alternativemedicine.com/antidepressants/benzo-trap

http://www.benzobuddies.org/

What is beginning to be known about neuroplasticity in the brain is that it can do all sorts of surprising things. Producing more neurotransmitters is something that the brain does usually figure out how to do, but sometimes it takes a while, again, it depends on what drug and how long, etc.
My own son, a polydrug abuser--I wouldn't want the same kid back. not one who would be so naive about taking all kinds of stuff all at the same time and ending up in the hospital with seizures. No, even he knows he's been there and doesn't want to go back. He is more serious now, but puts his attention to learning much about the world around him --he has the curiosity of someone who knows the world has been busy while he was getting messed up, and he wants to know what's out there now. So I don't really want the same kid back, I like what he has become. He's showing a toughness I haven't seen before also. He says about once a month he wakes up irritable and nothing will make him happy on that day, but then that goes away also. I explained his brain is growing new receptor sites, and hasn't yet supplied the neurotransmitter which will eventually work with those sites. He needs to be patient with himself, which is one of the hardest things a young person can attempt. So far he's been staying on track, though, and as we all say, never give up hope.
I just keep my own program up and running as best I can and that way I don't base my comfort or happiness on whatever he is doing.