I HAVE BEEN ADDICTED TO PRESCRIPTION AMPHETAMINES FOR 11 1/2 YEARS!

I was also addicted to prescription and otc amphetamine like pills (e.g.- ephedrine). I started taking them when I was 15 in order to help me lose weight and gain energy. I am now 28 and have not taken any ephedrine for 15 months. I can totally relate to the feeling of never being able to function "normally" again. I didn't go to rehab. When ephedrine was banned in 06', I just stopped taking them. The helpless feeling is difficult to explain in mere words. It was horrible. I slept for what felt like forever. No one knew that I was going through detox, so it was hard for my friends and family to understand where all my energy went all of the sudden. Over the following year I gained almost 20 lbs. and that is with a low-fat diet and 1+ hrs. of exercise per day. I still do not feel as energetic as I would like, but it feels tremendously empowering to have quit taking ephedrine for over 1 yr. now. I do not know you, but I am sure that if you keep trying and refusing to relapse, you will succeed. I can't promise that you will ever begin to feel better than "a more mild case of detox", but at least you can stop feeling like you are fighting a losing battle. Keeping a clean, healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise has helped me a lot. I wish you luck in your journey. Remember to be patient with yourself and just take one day at a time. Learning to say no when your other people's demands exceed your energy limits is o.k. If they are a real friend, they will still love you. Be honest with yourself and determine what the drugs mean to you. Then decide how to let that go and fill that void with something or someone else that is more positive.

This makes me sad and you said "please help", so I will give you my two cents -- don't get mad! Maybe if, instead of blaming the drugs for your problems, you'd take look at yourself and your own motives then you might be able to get past your addictive behavior. It doesn't even sound like your discussing addictive medications, but maybe there is some hidden meaning in your words I am not catching?

Using anything, be it medication or food or sex, as an excuse, crutch or escape from reality is baaaaaad news and points to a mental "problem" in my opinion. I don't mean you are psycho, or even that you have a legitamite mental "disorder" like depression or bipolar (though you very well might). You may simply be in denial that you are in a bad relationship and don't have the guts to end it...and so you try and find a way to make yourself feel better or forget, for example.

Anyways, can I offer you advice? Take a vacation. Break your routine. Reevaluate your motives and take control of your life. It really sounds like you are making yourself miserable and with a little common sense applied to your decision making processes you could be much happier and ditch the bad habits! See a psychologist if you need help.

Good luck, I truly believe every person deserves to find happiness and I wish it upon you!

I was addicted to various things since I was about 13/14 it lasted (very intensley) for about 5 years (not much compared to you i know) but after trying to stop for multiple times I felt really helpless because ,even though i could stop, life seemed even worse and harder withoout the drugs and i knew i was always 10 mins away from using them again. I have been predominantly clean (used for about 5 separte days) for over 3 years, and only now are things starting to get better. I didnt believe ut would take anywhere near this long but this is common among addicts apparently. I am only now starting to want to do things without having to really push myself and feel so bad that noone can connect with me. My advice would be to not beat yourself up as you wont beable to controll everything you need to right now, know that people are not meant to always feel like c**p or even feel like c**p most of the time and so you do not have a death sentence to feel the way you do it will change, and look after yourself emotionally eg dont hate yourself, go to a good therapist who will not judge anything you say think or do and sleep as much as you want. Its a journey to recover and i dont believe you need na or aa etc but they are very helpful to alot of people , have faith and make WANT to have a fun , happy life and you will start seeing how to do it. NEVER believe you are finished because its not true (even though everything you 'know' /believe will confirm it is true) and you will slowly come out of it through stuuf to have a better life than the one you had before you started. All the best, Love Matt

I have been using meth for over 35 years I am 50 there has maybe been a total of 7 days in 35 years I did not use, I have in my mind always functioned well never abusing it just a little in the morning and a little in the afternoon I would eat 3 times a day and sleep normal 6-8 hours a night I reached executive level in my career, but I knew I always had this skelaton in my closet I knew I could not talk about which kept me away from trouble with the law but also kept me from having any relationship with anyone, 2 years ago I was laid off from a job of 18 years I have not been able to find work, I have gained over 100 pounds ran out of money and went cold turkey, I can't seem to get a grab on reality all I do is sleep eat and walk around in this daze my body will not adjust to "normal" I live in this daze I just can't snap out of, addiction is the worst thing anyone can experience the key is to find something that you enjoy better to replace it with, and if you you can't find something better to replace it with, then what do you do.