DIFFICULTIES FACED IN EARLY RECOVERY

FIRST 3 -5 DAYS

These symptoms may become evident soon after the person stops taking the drug(s), usually worsening for several days and then remain somewhat constant for as long as a few weeks. During detox there are many things that help people manage these symptoms. People who are detoxing from alcohol and opioids usually do this under the care of medical staff who monitor their vital signs and symptoms to assure safety. Under certain conditions people could have a seizure or die so insurance companies and most local counties provide inpatient care for the first 3 – 5 days.

FLU-LIKE SYMPTOMS:

Fever
Sweating (Hot/Cold)
Muscle Aches
Shakiness
Rapid Heartbeat
Abdominal Cramps, Nausea, Vomiting

Abruptly stopping alcohol use in a person who is dependent on alcohol can be dangerous. An alcoholic who needs to drink daily should stop their use of alcohol under the supervision of a physician, and may need medication during their withdrawal.

INCREASED BLOOD PRESSURE

With substances like cocaine, opioids, alcohol, benzodiazepines, etc., patients have a disturbance of their level of consciousness or awareness, evidenced by drowsiness or an inability to concentrate or pay attention. Patients also experience a change in their ability to think evidenced by a deficit in their language or their memory.

CONFUSION

There are so many emotions that a person feels when they enter recovery, especially early recovery. A wave of feelings will hit you hard and head-on, because most of those feelings have been hidden away for years during your active addiction. One of the strongest feelings you might experience is anxiety. Feeling anxious is enough to threaten your sobriety, because using drugs or alcohol was your preferred method of dealing with anxiety in the past. To learn how to deal with anxiety in recovery, you’ll need to use different tools. Self-medicating is no longer an option. Without the use of medication, it is still possible to manage your anxiety so that you’re able to live a healthy life.

NERVOUSNESS

Stage one starts two to six hours after the alcoholic’s last drink. It’s marked by mild agitation, anxiety, restlessness, tremors, loss of appetite, insomnia, racing heartbeat, and high blood pressure. Neurotransmitters are the chemicals the body makes to allow nerve cells to pass messages (of pain, touch, and thought) from cell to cell. Amino acids are the precursors of these neurotransmitters. When addicts/alcoholics are low in particular amino acids from burning through them during their substance abuse, symptoms of withdrawal increase — especially cravings for their substance of choice. The goal in this stage is to support the body as it begins to clear itself of alcohol and drugs and to decrease cravings as much as possible.

AGITATION

It is common for those in early recovery to struggle with insomnia or a disturbed sleep pattern. This can lead to tiredness and fatigue during the day; it can also increase the experience of fuzzy thinking that people often complain about when they first become sober. Most people find that once they have been sober for a few weeks they regain the ability to enjoy a full night’s sleep. In fact the return to a normal sleep pattern can be one of the first signs that the individual is settling into the sober life.

POOR SLEEP, RESTLESSNESS, NIGHTMARES & DRUG DREAMS INVOLVING DRUG USAGE

A hallucination is the experience of seeing or hearing things that aren’t there while awake and conscious. Hallucinations can be auditory, visual, and even kinesthetic, they can make a person feel things like being touched or pinched. They can trick a person into believing the unbelievable, or that they are in a place they are not.

HALLUCINATIONS, TREMORS, DT’S (Delirium tremens) &SEIZURES (BENZODIAZEPINES, ALCOHOL)

Depending upon the length of time an individual is addicted to codeine, he or she may suffer from severe symptoms of withdrawal. Withdrawal from opiates such as heroin, vicodin, hydrocodone, OxyContin, and demerol, codeine should always be done under the care of a medical professional due to the possibility of suicidal and homicidal ideation.

SUICIDAL RISK, HOMICIDAL RISK AND DELUSIONS (OPIOIDS)

FIRST 3 MONTHS

SLEEP ISSUES

Addiction to most substances causes changes in brain structures and alters brain chemicals which cause cravings for the drug. When an individual takes a drug like heroin they experience feelings of overall well-being which the individual desires to feel again. It is my belief that in most cases a person can restore the damage done during their drug usage by making the healthy choices regarding the care of their minds and bodies. It si still very common for individuals to notice mood swings in early recovery.

MOOD SWINGS