Will i pass my drug test? Will i get the job?

[NextGenesis88]

I don't know why I even asked that question.

[Barkingturtle]

Originally Posted by susvain0362 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

but now ima have more money than ive had in along time so well see!

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[NextGenesis88]

Originally Posted by susvain0362 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

yurp i got the job. 40 hours a week now woooooooooooh. cleanest ive been in 3 years. Jan 1st literally marks 5 years of shooting dope, past 4 being almost daily. each year id be like damn it 2 years, damn i been doin this 3 years...4 years...and now its like...fuck dude 5 years. what the fuck is wrong with you.

but now ima have more money than ive had in along time so well see!

Awesome man. Things can only get better if you stick with it.

[susvain0362]

lol. id never OD unless i wanted to. seen it like 10+ times and its so annoying to deal with. every single time i saw it coming and pleaded the person not to do that much because of their tolerance/recent detox and clean time etc....any person that is in touch with reality most likely wont

[Auvdar]

Originally Posted by NextGenesis88 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Your brain probably needs time to redevelop connections that have been lost and create new ones. Likely when any of us boots up EQ there's certain parts of our brain and connections that send signals that trigger positive feelings and serotonin that make us feel good. When you aren't taking opioids anymore your endorphins are nowhere near potent enough to stimulate our receptors and therefore everything will seem dull and we feel pain that we shouldn't feel. That's essentially why we get withdrawals, but over time our receptors heal and will recover enough to where our endorphins are strong enough to stimulate the receptors and these uncomfortable pains and aches will go away and we start to get more of those good feelings and positive reinforcement when we experience certain things.

Kinda. The way I've learned it (self research and treatment shines light on this) is addiction has a lot to do with your hedonic set point.

Think of it as a base line in your brain. Without drugs, normal everyday things that are vital to survival gives you a normal shot of dopemine that will peak right above that line, giving you a "Hey, good job guy!" feeling. Eating, sex, sleeping, exercising etc etc will all release that.

Problem is when you add drugs. Drugs shoot dopemine way beyond what your brain would normally give you. So what ends up happening over time is your hedonic line raises to match up with the increased dopemine. This is big reason why people have major cravings when they quit. Normal shots of dopemine can't reach the new line, since it got set so high. So people feel depressed, anxious, angry etc etc since your brain has a very hard time giving you that "Hey, good job guy!' feeling. So in order to get there, your sub-conscience (the part of the brain you can't control much if at all) will tell you to take more drugs to reach that hedonic point. Your frontal cortex (read: everything that makes you, you) isn't quite evolved enough to have firm connections with the sub-consience brain, so it can get overrided very easily by your sub-brain. Making it very hard to say no sometimes.

This is why self help programs like AA are effective. Instead of reaching for the drug, you reach for a sober set of friends. You interact. And you do this, over and over because that is how your brain heals itself. Repeativness. Just like how you got hooked on a drug in the first place, by doing it over and over, the same thing applies to getting off it. Doing good sober life skills over and over. Just remember, it's not about going to a meeting and just sitting there. A meeting is just that, a meeting. It's where you meet people, like you.

Find some people who you can interact with. Go out to coffee with them. Or biking. Or whatever hobbies you like. If they have been sober awhile, they will help you stay sober. And that's the point, because if they help YOU stay sober that in turn helps them to stay sober.

Also, your hedonic set point over time does go back down to normal levels. Over time major cravings do go away for the most part. There is also a LOT more in the brain with addiction than what I posted, however that is a big one that a lot of people don't seem to realize.

Addiction is all just brain work. Once you learn how your brain is doing things as an addict, it makes it a lot easier to overcome the addiction. But like I said, the hedonic set point isn't the only reason, there are a ton of reasons. But that's a big one, especially when you are sobering up and dealing with cravings to realize. And realizing that with good sober repeatative actions it will help heal it.

That's why white knuckling things hardly ever works. Yes you can will-power things, but the vast majority of people who try will end up with a relapse. Overcoming addiction is much more about changing how you handle your life, then not using the drug. Once you make your life better and happier, you will have much less of a reason to pick up your drug of choice. You won't need it.

[Auvdar]

I will add that AA isn't for everyone, and people can overcome addiction without out.

I just know it works for me. I used to think "Well hell, I will learn about this stuff and not bother with a support group! I don't need it." But guess what, I would relapse almost weekly.

Once I finally just said "Hey, just give in and try it." and actually put the effort into it, well I haven't relapsed in a very, very long time. I go to a meeting maybe 2-3 times a month now. Usually to meetings where I know my friends I've meet through the program are. Otherwise we all just hang out and do activities together.

Sorry, won't preach on AA. Some like it, some don't. But, if you are struggling without it.. give it a try. Give it a honest try. And if it's not for you, then it's not. But it won't hurt anything to try.

[Auvdar]

Originally Posted by susvain0362 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

lol. id never OD unless i wanted to. seen it like 10+ times and its so annoying to deal with. every single time i saw it coming and pleaded the person not to do that much because of their tolerance/recent detox and clean time etc....any person that is in touch with reality most likely wont

A lot of people who are heavy addicts aren't in touch with reality anymore [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[NextGenesis88]

Originally Posted by Auvdar [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Kinda. The way I've learned it (self research and treatment shines light on this) is addiction has a lot to do with your hedonic set point.

Think of it as a base line in your brain. Without drugs, normal everyday things that are vital to survival gives you a normal shot of dopemine that will peak right above that line, giving you a "Hey, good job guy!" feeling. Eating, sex, sleeping, exercising etc etc will all release that.

Problem is when you add drugs. Drugs shoot dopemine way beyond what your brain would normally give you. So what ends up happening over time is your hedonic line raises to match up with the increased dopemine. This is big reason why people have major cravings when they quit. Normal shots of dopemine can't reach the new line, since it got set so high. So people feel depressed, anxious, angry etc etc since your brain has a very hard time giving you that "Hey, good job guy!' feeling. So in order to get there, your sub-conscience (the part of the brain you can't control much if at all) will tell you to take more drugs to reach that hedonic point. Your frontal cortex (read: everything that makes you, you) isn't quite evolved enough to have firm connections with the sub-consience brain, so it can get overrided very easily by your sub-brain. Making it very hard to say no sometimes.

This is why self help programs like AA are effective. Instead of reaching for the drug, you reach for a sober set of friends. You interact. And you do this, over and over because that is how your brain heals itself. Repeativness. Just like how you got hooked on a drug in the first place, by doing it over and over, the same thing applies to getting off it. Doing good sober life skills over and over. Just remember, it's not about going to a meeting and just sitting there. A meeting is just that, a meeting. It's where you meet people, like you.

Find some people who you can interact with. Go out to coffee with them. Or biking. Or whatever hobbies you like. If they have been sober awhile, they will help you stay sober. And that's the point, because if they help YOU stay sober that in turn helps them to stay sober.

Also, your hedonic set point over time does go back down to normal levels. Over time major cravings do go away for the most part. There is also a LOT more in the brain with addiction than what I posted, however that is a big one that a lot of people don't seem to realize.

Addiction is all just brain work. Once you learn how your brain is doing things as an addict, it makes it a lot easier to overcome the addiction. But like I said, the hedonic set point isn't the only reason, there are a ton of reasons. But that's a big one, especially when you are sobering up and dealing with cravings to realize. And realizing that with good sober repeatative actions it will help heal it.

That's why white knuckling things hardly ever works. Yes you can will-power things, but the vast majority of people who try will end up with a relapse. Overcoming addiction is much more about changing how you handle your life, then not using the drug. Once you make your life better and happier, you will have much less of a reason to pick up your drug of choice. You won't need it.

Wow yeah, that all makes a ton of sense. Now that's the kind of post that belongs in this thread. Really appreciate your input! Much better then the other two goons above just trying to troll.

[susvain0362]

Originally Posted by NextGenesis88 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Wow yeah, that all makes a ton of sense. Now that's the kind of post that belongs in this thread. Really appreciate your input! Much better then the other two goons above just trying to troll.

moi?

[NextGenesis88]

Yeah I have been starting to go to groups and meetings lately and I always avoided it before. I really like meeting people and socializing so really I don't know why I thought I wouldn't like it. I already got someones number from another one that I switched out of that was a trucker and was really cool. I am going once a week and I want to find more that would be similar in structure of just hanging out and talking about anything. I was staying clean without them, but really it can only be a positive thing.