This week we have a guest blogger. Please welcome Constance Ray of recoverywell.org. We are glad to have her here to give insight into addiction and recovery. As migraine sufferers, we often find ourselves addicted to pain killers.
Welcome Constance….
A Painful Road to Recovery: John’s Journey to Overcome Opioid Addiction
The opioid epidemic in America is nothing to scoff at: it’s estimated that over 2 million people in the country have opioid-related substance use disorders. Perhaps the most frightening part is that often painkiller addiction doesn’t stem from abuse, but can evolve from a valid prescription. Many people with chronic pain conditions — like migraines, arthritis, and fibromyalgia — as well as those with prescriptions following injuries or surgeries, fall victim.
I recently spoke to a recovering addict with intimate knowledge of just how dangerous opioid addiction is, and he was kind enough to let me share his experience with others who may benefit from his insight.
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It’s true that not everyone who is prescribed an opioid becomes addicted. But because of their powerful euphoric effects, it can quickly become incredibly difficult for someone to stop using a prescription painkiller — even if it’s meant to be a temporary course of treatment.
John’s introduction to opioids stemmed from a terrible car crash. He ended up needing more than a dozen surgeries, and even had to have his lower leg amputated.
“That’s when my painkiller addiction began,” he noted.
For years, he succumbed to his addiction. Though his friends and family urged him to seek treatment, he never saw his pill abuse as a problem that would last forever. He said he simply assumed that everything would resolve itself. In reality, he was falling deeper and deeper… until he finally hit rock bottom.
John was working at a major company but continuing to self-medicate with opioids for his pain and anxiety. Finally, it became clear to his boss that he had a problem.
“One day, the CEO brought me into his office and told me, ‘You obviously need help. I can’t help you in the way that you need it. But I can let you go so you can find that help.’ I was fired,” John remembered.
That’s part of the danger of opioids: they can make a person bold enough to use them at home, work, with family… wherever and whenever they need the pick-me-up. But just because your body is there doesn’t mean your mind is — and that can take its toll on your loved ones.
“I went to several treatment centers before going to the Treehouse [in Texas], trying to sort through my trauma and establish my footing in the real world. I was emotionally checked out for so long — it was a struggle,” John explained.
Fortunately, with time and counseling came clarity. He realized all that he stood to lose if he didn’t find a way to overcome his body’s dependence on opioids. He knew things had to change — immediately.
“I learned the importance of being available and sober for my family. While I was [in treatment], my wife and I had some conversations about divorce,” he said. “It set in how permanent addiction could make things for my family.”
John is so devoted to the sober life, he’s now committed himself to helping others find that healthy path. A liaison between patients and addiction centers, he said his work is rewarding in endless ways. It even helps his own recovery.
“My disease tells me not to talk about it, but I’ve found myself being able to have the difficult conversations that I had shied away from in the past,” he shared. “I’ve surrounded myself with the right people, and I’m entrenched in it.”
If you need help with recovery, email me for some resources at lwadsworth@verizon.net.