Anyone Who Has Been Clean 5 Or More Years, Please Respond!

[manda]

What is sobriety like after 5 years, ten? Does it get more bearable? Do you forget how good the stuff felt? Do you still want it every day?
How has it improved your life?

Reputation Comments on this post:

I like it

[beentheredonethatagain]

I went 6 1/2 years clean, from 1999 to 2005, I had no desire at all to restart the active addiction . I was getting divorced and then she got killed before it was final and I was getting involved with another, she ( new wife )and I started to have problems and when we went to Jamaica I wound up smoking. The rollercoaster started again and I was on my way to using again. If my first wife (my son's mother) were still alive I am sure I would still be clean. Good Wishes to you and take it one day at a time

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good luck to ya!

[Big Fella]

I have been clean for seven years, five years things start to get dangerous. When SWIM had been clean for five years he started to take all sorts of OTC and prescrined medication.

At year five you realise that you can live life without thinking about drugs everyday, or wanting them, the negative reinforcement of them is less prominent so your mind starts to wander off into dangerous territory, like euphoric recall without any tirggers.

SWIN has only ever took one illegal drug since the cesisation of heroin/crack/amphet etc in 2000, and that was cannabis, however it taught SWIN a valuable lesson, complacancy is his new enemy, not tempation.

Sadly though for some people like SWIN, they will always miss the feel of opiates, alcohol was never a drug of choice for him, so it offers not solace in times of need.
In those times he grist his teeth and rides it out, or he does others things that need not be mentioned in this thread.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	nice, honest
	Good luck

[manda]

Thank you so much for responding, the two of you. Good luck to you both as well.
I am suprised there are not more people who are clean for that long here, because a lot of people here discuss recovery knowledgeably.

[runfrom MURDER]

How about some ex-meth users that have been clean for years post.

What are the effects you still feel? Cravings, etc?

Reputation Comments on this post:

You're a good kid, don't let meth help you ruin yourself!

[methMADMAN]

I am only clean nearly 9 months, but I was clean 5 years from Meth til I relapsed. It gets better, after a year or so it's hardly an everyday thought, but if you ever forget how bad it is you are in danger because I did and it's always good that first few time you pick it up. I stronly reccomend AA and/or NA or some recovery group for people in recovery. I know so many are scared of the "god" issue but I am agnostic and it works great for me (as long as I don't stop going like I did when I had 3 years and went on to eventually lose 5 years). I know athiests that it works for, though I am not alltogether sure how, you'd have to ask one of them about that. More than anything it's a social club full of people who understand whayt it's like, wont judge you, and know how to help you. Like anything there are fucked up people there too but if you look for the positives you will surely find people there that you can realte to you, and really want to help.

For me, at one point, I was an atheist, but they told me "fake it till you make it", which meant try prayer and meditation. As silly as I thought it was, I tried it, and when I got results, I went from athiest to agnostic. As I said though, I know people who profess to still be athiests, and how it works for them I could not tell you, but I know it does.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Interesting ideas. Thanks for sharing

[runfrom MURDER]

Originally Posted by methMADMAN

I am only clean nearly 9 months, but I was clean 5 years from Meth til I relapsed. It gets better, after a year or so it's hardly an everyday thought, but if you ever forget how bad it is you are in danger because I did and it's always good that first few time you pick it up. I stronly reccomend AA and/or NA or some recovery group for people in recovery. I know so many are scared of the "god" issue but I am agnostic and it works great for me (as long as I don't stop going like I did when I had 3 years and went on to eventually lose 5 years). I know athiests that it works for, though I am not alltogether sure how, you'd have to ask one of them about that. More than anything it's a social club full of people who understand whayt it's like, wont judge you, and know how to help you. Like anything there are fucked up people there too but if you look for the positives you will surely find people there that you can realte to you, and really want to help.

For me, at one point, I was an atheist, but they told me "fake it till you make it", which meant try prayer and meditation. As silly as I thought it was, I tried it, and when I got results, I went from athiest to agnostic. As I said though, I know people who profess to still be athiests, and how it works for them I could not tell you, but I know it does.

How long was SWIM addicted to meth? And was it everyday/every week/etc.?

[methMADMAN]

Swim used it for about 4 years in two chunks, but it took swim down fast. Swim's had addiction problems with other drugs on and off since swim was 15. At the end swim was injecting no less than half a gram, and as much as a gram 3x daily, with "runs" lasting an average of two weeks sans sleep and food. Swim would then take three days of recovery time (nothing but eating and sleeping and occasional potsmoking), which was a living hell, then start another run.

[runfrom MURDER]

Originally Posted by methMADMAN

Swim used it for about 4 years in two chunks, but it took swim down fast. Swim's had addiction problems with other drugs on and off since swim was 15. At the end swim was injecting no less than half a gram, and as much as a gram 3x daily, with "runs" lasting an average of two weeks sans sleep and food. Swim would then take three days of recovery time (nothing but eating and sleeping and occasional potsmoking), which was a living hell, then start another run.

SWIM has lost his job, and now has no source of income.

With the help of an old friend, SWIM will NO LONGER be controlled by this fucking substance called meth. It will NOT control his life.

SWIM flushed his only and last baggy a few minutes ago...

Reputation Comments on this post:

	Wise choice
	good luck

[Big Fella]

SWIM has a lot of mates who go to AA/NA/CA, some are Christians, some are Electic (bits of this bits of that) some are agnostic, and one is an Atheist, of this they are all one thing; Pragmatic. Pragmactic enough to know that accoutability, freidnship, purpose and support are massive factors in the lives of anyone who lives drug free.

SWIM finds these in other areas, as he does go to church, accountability and support as he has drug free mates whom he meets with, and purpose in being a drug worker (the conflict between these and SWIM's other post is clear, but today SWIM is two days no substances, now more CWE's, SWIM Learnt that here, it hasn't been good for him.

Reputation Comments on this post:

You hit the nail on the head

[manda]

When SWIM thinks of quitting meth forever, even being an infrequent user, some of the light SWIM sees in the fututre turns into a dull, lethargic, miserable void.

[Lisa J]

SWIM was off heroin for 10 years but still went back to it, SWIM thinks you can always have the risk of relapse and that now scares the hell out of her as she knows she will never be completely safe.

[Pondlife]

SWIM used cigarettes for about twelve years, and has been off them for almost fifteen years now. After the initial cravings had ceased, he often had dreams in which he went back to smoking. These dreams had a strong guilt element, and SWIM would typically wake up feeling real bad that he'd relapsed until he realised that it was only in the dream.

SWIM believed that if he had started smoking again during this period, he would have been back on a twenty-a-day habit in no time. After five to ten years (I'm not sure when exactly), these dreams stopped. SWIM now has the occasional cigarette (maybe one or two a year) but feels absolutely no addiction.

Edit: I realise that the thread is not talking about tobacco but I suspect that the long-term psychological effects are likely similar for any addiction.

[Stiney]

Originally Posted by manda

What is sobriety like after 5 years, ten? Does it get more bearable? Do you forget how good the stuff felt? Do you still want it every day?
How has it improved your life?

Swims been clean for about 7 years now, can't believe it's been that long. Yes it does get more bearable, believe it, it really really does, the longer you are clean the easier it gets.

No, swim has never forgotten how good it felt at the time, infact swim can still almost feel it still when he sees someone else use or just sees a bag of smack, he starts to feel it again, but swim also remembers how bad it felt trying to come off the stuff and how bad it felt stealing money from his friends and family and telling himself it was just a loan and he would pay them back but knowing that was utter bullshit, thankfully these feelings are stronger than the remembered feeling of using.

No swim doesn't still want it everyday, sometimes swim can go a few weeks without thinking about it at all, but every now and again, if swim gets really pissed off about something, or sometimes if swim is just sitting down watching tv, out of nowhere he gets this sudden overwhelming urge for the stuff, sometimes to the point where he has actually went out and picked some up. He would get home and sit there playing with the bag in his hand for hours, opening it and closing it again, pouring it out and then scooping it back up again. The most recent time swim did this was only about a year ago after he had been released from a remand prison and had been in a cell with two junkies going through withdrawl, you wouldn't think thats the kind of thing that would send you out craving for the stuff but there you go. Thankfully the handful of times swim has done this he has poured it down the sink in the end.

How has it improved swims life? Well he has a soul and a conscience again, he can look at his parents and the people that love him without seeing the tears in thier eyes and being racked with guilt for the crap he put them through and he no longer has to spend every waking hour trying to come up with ways to scrape enough for a hit, so he has time to actually enjoy life. He is willing to and capable of looking out for and protecting the people he loves instead of just looking out for himself. Basically he is happy.

Reputation Comments on this post:

	I commend you, and nice honesty and sincerity.
	Very honest, open, and encouraging: Thanks for sharing
	the truth is real

[manda]

Stiney- That rocks that you have 7 years!
Doesn't it stink how even after 7 years, when you're an addict and something sets you off, that the using behavior is right there to mess w/you, even if you don't use?

[hippie_lain]

hey manda, long time no see =), swim currently has about 3 years clean from meth and 2 form coke, e , shrooms and all the other ones. swim found the only way he could stay away from it was going to church. i know that my sound weird but i found a whole family there that helped me to grow. swim started a new life there and become an entirely different person(well basically more like swim was before the drugs). now the need to use meth and coke has is still there when he gets depressed, swim still thinks things like it would be great to just have one hit or one gram of coke to have some fun but he refuses to let his family or his friends down. but most of the time he feels great being clean. swim will admitt he still want to try things like doc or 2c-e but he will never go back to meth or coke cause one hit is too many and a thousand is never enough.
i went to a few recovery programs and those seems to help alot too

Reputation Comments on this post:

nice to hear your expierence , strength and hope

[veRGe]

That's a long time...

[0utrider]

how about "short term" (like 1 year of soft opoioids like tramadol/tilidin) addiction (and more or less low dosed), how long does it take? actually right now i dont have many problems and its only a few months ago since i quit, i think about it, but it also because im still "in touch" with it, sometimes when i talk to old friends over the internet or look for psychedelics (like here) and find topics like this one. i also have never had any "money" or "health" issues, since i got it from doctors/friends.
i will stay clean for 6 months more (due to chaning my workplace to a different country) but i think if i wont go to a doctor and wont buy any, but sometimes, like every month or so let a friend invite me to a nice haning-out, i will be fine.
but on the other hand im not sure about this, especially since its so easy to get, it was quite easy to quit, but it made me change my personality. i became a selfish asshole and after some time the only friends (or most) i enjoyed time spending with were other "addicts" or recreational users.
and one thing is still left, that year, i basically didnt go out much partying (without being on something) etc, so now i feel it hard to "get to know" new people and open up and make friends especially female, which before that time was anything but a problem for me.
whats your ideas and opinions about my case? thanks in advance

edit: SWIM wrote this

[cganon]

Swim dreams of the day that he can respond to this post...

[beentheredonethatagain]

Originally Posted by cganon

Swim dreams of the day that he can respond to this post...

please explain.

[cganon]

Originally Posted by beentheredonethatagain

please explain.

SWIM dreams of the day he has been clean for 5 years or more.

[0utrider]

well SWIM hasnt been, but its also very different since he wasnt hooked for a long time and used rather smart consumption patterns (in comparison to other addicts.. addiciton is never smart..)

[Stiney]

Inteligence and addiction are also unrelated but whatever...

[0utrider]

true.

[yaba]

Originally Posted by manda

What is sobriety like after 5 years, ten? Does it get more bearable? Do you forget how good the stuff felt? Do you still want it every day?
How has it improved your life?

Swim would have been clean of yaba for 7 years if he didn't went to Thailand not so long ago. He has been clean of heroin for litlle less then 10 years (with a few exceptions) He also hasn't touch coke for a few years and crack for many years. And he had little xtc the past few years. Last thime he had ketamine is about 10 years ago.

Swim still now is missing drugs sometimes specially yaba and heroine. Swims life was all and only about drugs, He is happy that his life has changed! He gets on better with his family now.

Swim only smokes pot sometimes and takes painkillers for his back. Swim had to move somewere where there is little drugs he has been there 7 years now.
When he is on holiday or in a other place he uses everything whats on offer!!
Thats why he only goose on holidays where he knows he can get his drugs.

He thinks that this is the best option for him he knows if he moved to a city he will go down hill again. And now its fantastic when he can use some instead of using everyday.