Drug Detoxing : Will They Take Me Off All My Drugs at the Same Time?

by IFRC

Question by Alexander: Drug detoxing : will they take me off all my drugs at the same time?
Okay so firstly try not to judge me too much I know I’m a screwed up junkie, but there’s point in telling me something I already know. 

Anyway so I really want to quit and due to my health condition (I’m HIV positive) i have no choice but to so I’ve taken the desicion to go to rehab because let’s face it, these drugs are abd have sort of already ruined my life. Now what worrys me is coming off these drugs all at the same time because I’m addicted to heroin, ecstasy, cocaine and Xanax and there’s been times when I couldn’t get any heroin and I remember becoming in a lot of pain, i was all over the place and i became 
quite anxious despite being an Xanax (it treats anxiety) addict. 

When that happened I remember becoming very frightened but I know I’m going to have to go through that again if I want to get off them but it’s going to be a million times worse if I do that with all my addictions and now I’m terrified about going and I’ve considered not going now. 

Someone help? 🙁

Best answer:

Answer by Malissa! 😀
You will be happy once you are off of these drugs! There is a cure to hiv now, didn’t you know? Go to the doctor and ask for help. Be brave! YOU CAN DO THIS!

Answer by SeeInElle
Hi Alexander,
First, please know you are NOT alone. The last time I was in rehab I was detoxed off of five different drugs. Rehab centers normally have detox wings. Detox is a medical unit where you will probably have a room mate. You will get medication about 4 times a day. You will also have to have your vitals checked 4 times a ay (the numbers vary deepening on which rehab/detox you go to) but expect medication and to have your vitals checked. MOST of the time you are there, you will be sleeping. The medication they put you on is to take away your physical withdrawal symptoms, it also will make you pretty sleepy. You will be given Suboxone or Subutex for heroin withdrawals. This will make you VERY sleepy and basically you will feel kind of f**ked up. It is an opiate replacement. Depending on how many bags a day you do, they will normally start you off at 8mg of Subutex a day, then bump it down to 6mg, then 4mg, then 2mg, then nothing. This will take away the majority of your heroin withdrawals and you will not be dope sick, but you will still be uncomfortable when you are awake. Coming off of benzos (Xanax) is actually the most dangerous withdrawal you will go through out of all the drugs you are on. You will either be put on Valium (another benzodiazepine) or phenobarbital which is a barbiturate. Barbiturates are pretty much just the older generation of benzodiazepines. This again, will take away the vast majority of your withdrawal symptoms and you will be pretty sleepy. For your sake, I hope they use Valium. Depending on how long you have been using and how much you use your detox could range from a few days up to two weeks. Most rehabs get you stabilized and on detox medication then put you in the rehab center (still giving you medications 4x a day) after 4-5 days. Ecstasy and Cocaine produce very few, if ANY physical withdrawal symptoms and normally will not be treated especially since you will be on two very powerful medication.

Going to rehab was the best thing I’ve ever done. It was also very hard, because I had a family member die while I was in there, but I still stayed and finished my program. This had led to years clean and I now work with other drug addicts.

When you are there, you will make friends. For some reason alcoholics and drug addicts have HUGE personalities and you will generally laugh A LOT. You will also learn things there that will help you, you can probably even get your HIV status under control. You will go to group therapy and probably have one on one therapy sessions. You will grow a lot while you are there and you will also start to deal with some of the problems you have.

Just remember…detox and rehab are like the Emergency Room. You go there to get stabilized and get some immediate treatment, you are not cured when you leave. You have to follow up with out patient programs, therapy and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) meetings or you will end up back in rehab, jail, or dead.

Good luck, and please when you get back (if you come back, a lot of rehabs have sober living facilities set up for after care- and I HIGHLY recommend them) let me know how you are, you can use the link to email me from my profile page.

Just a few tips for when you get there (PLEASE GO, you are sick and need help)
1. Don’t fall in love in rehab
2. Don’t make a best friend in rehab
3. Listen to every suggestion your councilor gives you because they KNOW how to treat this disease
4. Get a journal and use it.

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