Hi. I was on methadone for about 4 years.125mg a day. Detoxed to 30mg of meth-then switched to suboxone. Been taking subs for about 2 months. Started with 3 8mg pills/day. Slowly weaned down to about 1/4 to 1/8 of a 8mg pill/day(so about 1 or 2mg/day). First couple days on 1/8 of pill were tough, adjusted now, but scared to death to get off completely. There are sooo many negative posts on here, I just want a pro's advice..please help..is there any length taper thats better than any other? Suggestions for how many days i should stay on 1/8 before decreasing again with minimal w/d's??
If you are at 1/8 to 1/4 pill daily right now....take your time. If you suddenly quit, you could get withdrawls a few days later that are no fun. I personally think you weened down to 2mg way too fast. The fact that you felt bad pretty much tells me that. Suboxone has the nasty quality that it can stay in your system for 2-4 days before you get really sick. You may notice you are feeling the crappy the next day if you missed a dose...but try waiting 3or4 days. It can take that long for full blown Suboxone withdrawls to occur and you will think after the second or third day "yeah this feels kinda crappy but I can deal with it" only to be surprised with something much more sinister and taxing on the body.
It took me a year to ween from 16mg's a day down to 4 mg's a day and another 3 months to go down to 2 mgs. Once you get down to the lower doses, you cannot go too fast. You have to get leveled out on that dose until you are functioning normally and not craving or getting withdrawls. Here is basically how my weening schedule played out. After weening to 2 mgs and taking it regularly for a couple weeks, I would then skip a day a week. A week or two later I worked to skipping a dose on every third day---so I'd take 2mg mon,2mg tues, nothing -wed, 2mg-thurs, 2mg-fri, nothing sat...etc. Another couple weeks and I would try the same schedule but doing 1mg a day instead of 2. (It all depends on the person, if you are feeling crappy after weening, do not ween again after another couple weeks, stay on the current dose until you level out and feel normal on it.---also don't let your doc bully you into weening. Explain to him that you felt terrible after weening to the last dose and will need a little time to level out on the current dose) Then after another week or two I went to 1mg every other day for a couple weeks, then eventually I went to 2mg every third day, then 2mg twice a week after some more time. This will tell you if your going to get withdrawls or not...when you get down 2mg twice weekly. After the second or third day without having anything you may feel bad.....if it is ok and you can deal with it...go to 1mg twice weekly and eventually to 1mg per week.....or take 1mg only when you get to feeling a little bad. When you get to 1mg once a week or less, you should be ok to go ahead and stop altogehter. Just think positive thoughts and think you are cured. Also continue going to your doc, or to counselling...this will help you refrain from cravings.
Just remeber, it has to be a slow process because your brain is imbalanced from taking your drug of choice. It has all of these excess recepters that were created to accomodate the unnatural endorphins that have been constantly flooding your brain since you have been abusing the drug. That is how tolerence forms....as you get more and more receptors it takes more and more of the drug to fill the same percentage of the receptors. Your body has to naturally get rid of some of these excess receptors and it will do so as you lower your dosage. Lower dose=less # of active receptors. When receptors are not used for a while your brain gets rid of them. The goal is to get close to the body's original receptors before you abused drugs, that way when the body creates natural endorphins to fill the receptors it can fill the normal percentage of receptors (about 60%-80%) and you will be happy and feel ok. If you ween too quick and have a bunch of excess receptors then the endorphins your body naturally creates only fills a low percentage (1%-60%) of the receptors and you always feel horrible and depressed and sick......this is what causes withdrawal. The brain can take a few days to get rid of inactive receptors, or it can take a couple weeks.....it just depends on the person, the specific type of drug, and how long the receptors have been active.
If you get bad anxiety like I did when I got off of them totally, maybe take a very small dose of klonopin as needed for anxiety/panic attacks or try some zoloft. Do not take klonopin while still on suboxone---it can react negatively. (BEWARE: taking too much klonopin can be addictive and you already have a history of drug abuse and addiction. Benzodiazepam withdrawls can be just as horrible as opiate withdrawls.--I try to keep a small .5mg klonopin in my pocket at all times because it keeps my mind at ease knowing its there in case I have a panic attack. I very rarely will take any klonopin--only about once a week or less when I'm in panic mode and feel a full blown panic attack coming on) You will have a slight chemical imbalance in your brain until you naturally get rid of the excess opiate receptors in there after a month or two---so expect to be depressed or have anxiety. It goes away after a couple months and gets a lot better. I promise.
The unfortuante thing is, the way most addiction doctors work is they make you pay an amount to get into the program (such as $400-$1000) that insurance WILL NOT cover---so that's cash in their pocket. After that, most major insurances will cover the appointments, or at least part of the appointment so doctors ween their patients down way too fast so they can get rid of them and get more new patients in there to make $$$. Also the class that doctors have to take to subscribe suboxone is bullsh*t from what I'm lead to believe. They do not discuss the mentel illness aspect of the addiction which is the hardest part. They just discuss how the drug works and how much to prescribe. It's up to the doctor to decide the time frame on the weening and recovery which many doctors do WAAAAY too fast. Many docs will also see you for bout 5 mins, give you a script, schedule another appt a few weeks later, and get you out of the office which is terrible. The mental aspect of addiction needs to be addressed both by that doctor and by outside counseling and support groups and it sometimes takes people a long time to change their whole outlook on addiction as a disease. Basically these docs will ween you off in a few months and throw you back out on the streets because they know you will relapse and have to get back into the program and drop another nice payday on them.
The first suboxone doctor I went to, I remember on the first day I went in there there was another patient who had been weened off of suboxone just six days previous was her last dose of 2mg. She had come back into the office to tell the doc that she was having withdrawals that just started about 4 days after she took her last dose. The doctor made her pay the $500 fee again to get back into the program again so she could get put back on suboxone. I remember she was crying and saying she followed their dose schedule exactly and she's still withdrawing, but the nurse in the office said it had to be something she did wrong, or she was taking stuff she wasn't supposed to since the last visit because their program works with no withdrawls for patients that follow the program properly. I thought that was a terrible thing to do to that young girl because everyone's bodies are a little different. There is no schedule set in stone that works for everyone, everyone is different and had different addictions. so I left right then and researched and called a few docs and found the one with the proper program for my needs. My doctor was an addict himself who cleaned up and decided he was going to go back to school so he could help people who had to go through the same horrible thing as he did.----He understood everything I was going through and addressed the mental issues associated with addiction.
In closing....Suboxone can be a great tool to fight addiction when used properly. No one is going to successfully detox using suboxone if they don't go into the program with 100% dedication to getting off of opiates. Suboxone is not a miracle drug, however it will stop withdrawls and when used with the proper counselling and support it can work miracles. Anyone who thinks Suboxone is a miracle drug and will cure their addiction without addressing the mental aspect of addiction as a disease that constantly needs maintenance and support, will fail miserably while detoxing and end up relaspsing not long after. I hope this information is helpful in your weening process. ----Dr. H
It took me a year to ween from 16mg's a day down to 4 mg's a day and another 3 months to go down to 2 mgs. Once you get down to the lower doses, you cannot go too fast. You have to get leveled out on that dose until you are functioning normally and not craving or getting withdrawls. Here is basically how my weening schedule played out. After weening to 2 mgs and taking it regularly for a couple weeks, I would then skip a day a week. A week or two later I worked to skipping a dose on every third day---so I'd take 2mg mon,2mg tues, nothing -wed, 2mg-thurs, 2mg-fri, nothing sat...etc. Another couple weeks and I would try the same schedule but doing 1mg a day instead of 2. (It all depends on the person, if you are feeling crappy after weening, do not ween again after another couple weeks, stay on the current dose until you level out and feel normal on it.---also don't let your doc bully you into weening. Explain to him that you felt terrible after weening to the last dose and will need a little time to level out on the current dose) Then after another week or two I went to 1mg every other day for a couple weeks, then eventually I went to 2mg every third day, then 2mg twice a week after some more time. This will tell you if your going to get withdrawls or not...when you get down 2mg twice weekly. After the second or third day without having anything you may feel bad.....if it is ok and you can deal with it...go to 1mg twice weekly and eventually to 1mg per week.....or take 1mg only when you get to feeling a little bad. When you get to 1mg once a week or less, you should be ok to go ahead and stop altogehter. Just think positive thoughts and think you are cured. Also continue going to your doc, or to counselling...this will help you refrain from cravings.
Just remeber, it has to be a slow process because your brain is imbalanced from taking your drug of choice. It has all of these excess recepters that were created to accomodate the unnatural endorphins that have been constantly flooding your brain since you have been abusing the drug. That is how tolerence forms....as you get more and more receptors it takes more and more of the drug to fill the same percentage of the receptors. Your body has to naturally get rid of some of these excess receptors and it will do so as you lower your dosage. Lower dose=less # of active receptors. When receptors are not used for a while your brain gets rid of them. The goal is to get close to the body's original receptors before you abused drugs, that way when the body creates natural endorphins to fill the receptors it can fill the normal percentage of receptors (about 60%-80%) and you will be happy and feel ok. If you ween too quick and have a bunch of excess receptors then the endorphins your body naturally creates only fills a low percentage (1%-60%) of the receptors and you always feel horrible and depressed and sick......this is what causes withdrawal. The brain can take a few days to get rid of inactive receptors, or it can take a couple weeks.....it just depends on the person, the specific type of drug, and how long the receptors have been active.
If you get bad anxiety like I did when I got off of them totally, maybe take a very small dose of klonopin as needed for anxiety/panic attacks or try some zoloft. Do not take klonopin while still on suboxone---it can react negatively. (BEWARE: taking too much klonopin can be addictive and you already have a history of drug abuse and addiction. Benzodiazepam withdrawls can be just as horrible as opiate withdrawls.--I try to keep a small .5mg klonopin in my pocket at all times because it keeps my mind at ease knowing its there in case I have a panic attack. I very rarely will take any klonopin--only about once a week or less when I'm in panic mode and feel a full blown panic attack coming on) You will have a slight chemical imbalance in your brain until you naturally get rid of the excess opiate receptors in there after a month or two---so expect to be depressed or have anxiety. It goes away after a couple months and gets a lot better. I promise.
The unfortuante thing is, the way most addiction doctors work is they make you pay an amount to get into the program (such as $400-$1000) that insurance WILL NOT cover---so that's cash in their pocket. After that, most major insurances will cover the appointments, or at least part of the appointment so doctors ween their patients down way too fast so they can get rid of them and get more new patients in there to make $$$. Also the class that doctors have to take to subscribe suboxone is bullsh*t from what I'm lead to believe. They do not discuss the mentel illness aspect of the addiction which is the hardest part. They just discuss how the drug works and how much to prescribe. It's up to the doctor to decide the time frame on the weening and recovery which many doctors do WAAAAY too fast. Many docs will also see you for bout 5 mins, give you a script, schedule another appt a few weeks later, and get you out of the office which is terrible. The mental aspect of addiction needs to be addressed both by that doctor and by outside counseling and support groups and it sometimes takes people a long time to change their whole outlook on addiction as a disease. Basically these docs will ween you off in a few months and throw you back out on the streets because they know you will relapse and have to get back into the program and drop another nice payday on them.
The first suboxone doctor I went to, I remember on the first day I went in there there was another patient who had been weened off of suboxone just six days previous was her last dose of 2mg. She had come back into the office to tell the doc that she was having withdrawals that just started about 4 days after she took her last dose. The doctor made her pay the $500 fee again to get back into the program again so she could get put back on suboxone. I remember she was crying and saying she followed their dose schedule exactly and she's still withdrawing, but the nurse in the office said it had to be something she did wrong, or she was taking stuff she wasn't supposed to since the last visit because their program works with no withdrawls for patients that follow the program properly. I thought that was a terrible thing to do to that young girl because everyone's bodies are a little different. There is no schedule set in stone that works for everyone, everyone is different and had different addictions. so I left right then and researched and called a few docs and found the one with the proper program for my needs. My doctor was an addict himself who cleaned up and decided he was going to go back to school so he could help people who had to go through the same horrible thing as he did.----He understood everything I was going through and addressed the mental issues associated with addiction.
In closing....Suboxone can be a great tool to fight addiction when used properly. No one is going to successfully detox using suboxone if they don't go into the program with 100% dedication to getting off of opiates. Suboxone is not a miracle drug, however it will stop withdrawls and when used with the proper counselling and support it can work miracles. Anyone who thinks Suboxone is a miracle drug and will cure their addiction without addressing the mental aspect of addiction as a disease that constantly needs maintenance and support, will fail miserably while detoxing and end up relaspsing not long after. I hope this information is helpful in your weening process. ----Dr. H
Hi ,i ive been on the methadone program on and off for the last 10 yrs. i was on 100mls now im on 15ml. with a 2.5mg reduction per week with no withdrawls until i hit 15.i then checked into a detox center (which i checked myself out from 30 hrs later) as the withdrawel kicked in solid within 15hrs of not having dosed.my methadone doctor is great. in Australia we dont have to pay to go on to any program so i knew in my brain i could easily get a script and dose and then feel SOOOO much better,i couldnt believe how easili i succumb to my addiction.i see my doctor tomorrow .he wats me to swich me to Subbies.(thats wat they are called in australia) i hope i can extract this disease out o my life for ever i take one stepp at a atime now one day at a time
Hello Dr. H,
It’s been over a year since your advice to the OP, but I have just come across this. I have been back on suboxone after a year being solidly sober.
I decided to go back on off label for pain as I did not abuse the short round of painkillers I was prescribed. I was afraid to ask for more despite the extreme 8-10 level pain post foot reconstruction surgery. Also as I was straight w them as I am in recovery.
As soon as I felt able to deal w the remaining pain I weaned myself slowly down in just over a year now from 16mg/4mg per day. It wasn’t bad. So I drove during this pandemic from Boston to my parents in Raleigh to assist me. i drove 13 hrs as the sole adult and driver, my 7 lb furry bestie and my two preteen daughters. My entire family (including entering college son and husband)
From about 1.5mg to a grain of rice (as these are impossible to cut without a laboratory) Then I got into overly self confidence mode. I am scripted 2 Klonopin p/day which I am very cautious with. once I ramped up my progress w (slight intensity once very low) or so I thought. I went by how I felt, as instructed by my doc. My main issue is extreme anxiety as a child despite having not perfect but phenomenal parents who gave me everything.
Long story short, got so sick I was bed ridden for the final 2 or 3 wks. I was now taking -1? Mg 1x p day. I even fought through 2 days of torture then dosed and managed to skip another.
Well I was so anxious and agitated, physically no energy. I had to safely now drive all the way back w so many obstacles in that undertaking. Once I reached him tonight I did as I was told and took a mg and hrs later same thing. I had to get up to appx 3-4 mg to even hold me. Have I destroyed all my efforts in one day?? I was instructed to do this to reset my positive attitude to Get back in the ring. My husband is an angel and I have so much gratitude. He did everything to the house the smallest being having the house keepers here again this wk just for us but mostly me.
I was so depressed at feeling like a failure that I could only cry. Crying is a constant. I’m 100% honest w the best loving kids but I’m scared I am hurting their future mental health watching me struggle and not be the mom they’re used to, despite them all completely understanding.
In short, did I destroy my progress in one day? I wouldn’t have physically made it home otherwise. I can’t drink any caffeine as it only induces anxiety. I am praying you somehow see this even after all this time. I have talked to 6 different recovery friends and my sponsor at length but I’m eaten alive with guilt, bc I’m very competitive w myself. I have kept my therapist, a psychiatrist, my sub doc and even my PC in the loop. All supportive.
Any suggestions of professional opinion on how to continue also I would be forever grateful? I’m 38, OCD about everything. My house, gardens, pool, my backyard chickens, my dog and cat. A big beautiful house that most ppl probably think I’m ungrateful for. It’s just overwhelming to keep up with as I can’t sit w self otherwise. Worst is my body and skincare being obsessive my appearance staying the same as my house. Pathetic really but deeply ingrained. I was introduced to pills at 34 due to RA undiagnosed until just this year with labs finally and repeatedly matching my yrs of complaints and suffering which only fed that GAD/OCD and hyperactivity.
Apologies for the novel but as you are in recovery yourself, you stated it’s an extremely complex monster. Ending w I have done a lot of “work” in AA for the past 3 years and absolutely everything to live for. Amazing family, lifestyle, and surrounded by love and I cannot bear to put myself in a position to lose all we have built in almost 15 yrs of marriage.
In Gratitude,
~AP
It’s been over a year since your advice to the OP, but I have just come across this. I have been back on suboxone after a year being solidly sober.
I decided to go back on off label for pain as I did not abuse the short round of painkillers I was prescribed. I was afraid to ask for more despite the extreme 8-10 level pain post foot reconstruction surgery. Also as I was straight w them as I am in recovery.
As soon as I felt able to deal w the remaining pain I weaned myself slowly down in just over a year now from 16mg/4mg per day. It wasn’t bad. So I drove during this pandemic from Boston to my parents in Raleigh to assist me. i drove 13 hrs as the sole adult and driver, my 7 lb furry bestie and my two preteen daughters. My entire family (including entering college son and husband)
From about 1.5mg to a grain of rice (as these are impossible to cut without a laboratory) Then I got into overly self confidence mode. I am scripted 2 Klonopin p/day which I am very cautious with. once I ramped up my progress w (slight intensity once very low) or so I thought. I went by how I felt, as instructed by my doc. My main issue is extreme anxiety as a child despite having not perfect but phenomenal parents who gave me everything.
Long story short, got so sick I was bed ridden for the final 2 or 3 wks. I was now taking -1? Mg 1x p day. I even fought through 2 days of torture then dosed and managed to skip another.
Well I was so anxious and agitated, physically no energy. I had to safely now drive all the way back w so many obstacles in that undertaking. Once I reached him tonight I did as I was told and took a mg and hrs later same thing. I had to get up to appx 3-4 mg to even hold me. Have I destroyed all my efforts in one day?? I was instructed to do this to reset my positive attitude to Get back in the ring. My husband is an angel and I have so much gratitude. He did everything to the house the smallest being having the house keepers here again this wk just for us but mostly me.
I was so depressed at feeling like a failure that I could only cry. Crying is a constant. I’m 100% honest w the best loving kids but I’m scared I am hurting their future mental health watching me struggle and not be the mom they’re used to, despite them all completely understanding.
In short, did I destroy my progress in one day? I wouldn’t have physically made it home otherwise. I can’t drink any caffeine as it only induces anxiety. I am praying you somehow see this even after all this time. I have talked to 6 different recovery friends and my sponsor at length but I’m eaten alive with guilt, bc I’m very competitive w myself. I have kept my therapist, a psychiatrist, my sub doc and even my PC in the loop. All supportive.
Any suggestions of professional opinion on how to continue also I would be forever grateful? I’m 38, OCD about everything. My house, gardens, pool, my backyard chickens, my dog and cat. A big beautiful house that most ppl probably think I’m ungrateful for. It’s just overwhelming to keep up with as I can’t sit w self otherwise. Worst is my body and skincare being obsessive my appearance staying the same as my house. Pathetic really but deeply ingrained. I was introduced to pills at 34 due to RA undiagnosed until just this year with labs finally and repeatedly matching my yrs of complaints and suffering which only fed that GAD/OCD and hyperactivity.
Apologies for the novel but as you are in recovery yourself, you stated it’s an extremely complex monster. Ending w I have done a lot of “work” in AA for the past 3 years and absolutely everything to live for. Amazing family, lifestyle, and surrounded by love and I cannot bear to put myself in a position to lose all we have built in almost 15 yrs of marriage.
In Gratitude,
~AP
Hello Dr. H,
It’s been over a year since your advice to the OP, but I have just come across this. I have been back on suboxone after a year being solidly sober.
I decided to go back on off label for pain as I did not abuse the short round of painkillers I was prescribed. I was afraid to ask for more despite the extreme 8-10 level pain post foot reconstruction surgery. Also as I was straight w them as I am in recovery.
As soon as I felt able to deal w the remaining pain I weaned myself slowly down in just over a year now from 16mg/4mg per day. It wasn’t bad. So I drove during this pandemic from Boston to my parents in Raleigh to assist me. i drove 13 hrs as the sole adult and driver, my 7 lb furry bestie and my two preteen daughters. My entire family (including entering college son and husband)
From about 1.5mg to a grain of rice (as these are impossible to cut without a laboratory) Then I got into overly self confidence mode. I am scripted 2 Klonopin p/day which I am very cautious with. once I ramped up my progress w (slight intensity once very low) or so I thought. I went by how I felt, as instructed by my doc. My main issue is extreme anxiety as a child despite having not perfect but phenomenal parents who gave me everything.
Long story short, got so sick I was bed ridden for the final 2 or 3 wks. I was now taking -1? Mg 1x p day. I even fought through 2 days of torture then dosed and managed to skip another.
Well I was so anxious and agitated, physically no energy. I had to safely now drive all the way back w so many obstacles in that undertaking. Once I reached him tonight I did as I was told and took a mg and hrs later same thing. I had to get up to appx 3-4 mg to even hold me. Have I destroyed all my efforts in one day?? I was instructed to do this to reset my positive attitude to Get back in the ring. My husband is an angel and I have so much gratitude. He did everything to the house the smallest being having the house keepers here again this wk just for us but mostly me.
I was so depressed at feeling like a failure that I could only cry. Crying is a constant. I’m 100% honest w the best loving kids but I’m scared I am hurting their future mental health watching me struggle and not be the mom they’re used to, despite them all completely understanding.
In short, did I destroy my progress in one day? I wouldn’t have physically made it home otherwise. I can’t drink any caffeine as it only induces anxiety. I am praying you somehow see this even after all this time. I have talked to 6 different recovery friends and my sponsor at length but I’m eaten alive with guilt, bc I’m very competitive w myself. I have kept my therapist, a psychiatrist, my sub doc and even my PC in the loop. All supportive.
Any suggestions of professional opinion on how to continue also I would be forever grateful? I’m 38, OCD about everything. My house, gardens, pool, my backyard chickens, my dog and cat. A big beautiful house that most ppl probably think I’m ungrateful for. It’s just overwhelming to keep up with as I can’t sit w self otherwise. Worst is my body and skincare being obsessive my appearance staying the same as my house. Pathetic really but deeply ingrained. I was introduced to pills at 34 due to RA undiagnosed until just this year with labs finally and repeatedly matching my yrs of complaints and suffering which only fed that GAD/OCD and hyperactivity.
Apologies for the novel but as you are in recovery yourself, you stated it’s an extremely complex monster. Ending w I have done a lot of “work” in AA for the past 3 years and absolutely everything to live for. Amazing family, lifestyle, and surrounded by love and I cannot bear to put myself in a position to lose all we have built in almost 15 yrs of marriage.
In Gratitude,
~AP
It’s been over a year since your advice to the OP, but I have just come across this. I have been back on suboxone after a year being solidly sober.
I decided to go back on off label for pain as I did not abuse the short round of painkillers I was prescribed. I was afraid to ask for more despite the extreme 8-10 level pain post foot reconstruction surgery. Also as I was straight w them as I am in recovery.
As soon as I felt able to deal w the remaining pain I weaned myself slowly down in just over a year now from 16mg/4mg per day. It wasn’t bad. So I drove during this pandemic from Boston to my parents in Raleigh to assist me. i drove 13 hrs as the sole adult and driver, my 7 lb furry bestie and my two preteen daughters. My entire family (including entering college son and husband)
From about 1.5mg to a grain of rice (as these are impossible to cut without a laboratory) Then I got into overly self confidence mode. I am scripted 2 Klonopin p/day which I am very cautious with. once I ramped up my progress w (slight intensity once very low) or so I thought. I went by how I felt, as instructed by my doc. My main issue is extreme anxiety as a child despite having not perfect but phenomenal parents who gave me everything.
Long story short, got so sick I was bed ridden for the final 2 or 3 wks. I was now taking -1? Mg 1x p day. I even fought through 2 days of torture then dosed and managed to skip another.
Well I was so anxious and agitated, physically no energy. I had to safely now drive all the way back w so many obstacles in that undertaking. Once I reached him tonight I did as I was told and took a mg and hrs later same thing. I had to get up to appx 3-4 mg to even hold me. Have I destroyed all my efforts in one day?? I was instructed to do this to reset my positive attitude to Get back in the ring. My husband is an angel and I have so much gratitude. He did everything to the house the smallest being having the house keepers here again this wk just for us but mostly me.
I was so depressed at feeling like a failure that I could only cry. Crying is a constant. I’m 100% honest w the best loving kids but I’m scared I am hurting their future mental health watching me struggle and not be the mom they’re used to, despite them all completely understanding.
In short, did I destroy my progress in one day? I wouldn’t have physically made it home otherwise. I can’t drink any caffeine as it only induces anxiety. I am praying you somehow see this even after all this time. I have talked to 6 different recovery friends and my sponsor at length but I’m eaten alive with guilt, bc I’m very competitive w myself. I have kept my therapist, a psychiatrist, my sub doc and even my PC in the loop. All supportive.
Any suggestions of professional opinion on how to continue also I would be forever grateful? I’m 38, OCD about everything. My house, gardens, pool, my backyard chickens, my dog and cat. A big beautiful house that most ppl probably think I’m ungrateful for. It’s just overwhelming to keep up with as I can’t sit w self otherwise. Worst is my body and skincare being obsessive my appearance staying the same as my house. Pathetic really but deeply ingrained. I was introduced to pills at 34 due to RA undiagnosed until just this year with labs finally and repeatedly matching my yrs of complaints and suffering which only fed that GAD/OCD and hyperactivity.
Apologies for the novel but as you are in recovery yourself, you stated it’s an extremely complex monster. Ending w I have done a lot of “work” in AA for the past 3 years and absolutely everything to live for. Amazing family, lifestyle, and surrounded by love and I cannot bear to put myself in a position to lose all we have built in almost 15 yrs of marriage.
In Gratitude,
~AP
Been on 8 mg Suboxone for 6 years. They want to taper me 2 mg every 2 weeks until I get to 2 mg, and then I just stop. That's a 6 weeks taper. Isn't that too fast?