Coping with total sobriety
I'm an ex alcoholic/meth/heroin addict. I've been mostly drug free besides marijuana for over 6 years now. Marijuana helps me in a number of ways that I used to take medications before, such as sleeping, depression, pain management etc. I found out last week that in order to start treating my hepatitis c, I have to have a clean ua. Today is the last day I have of smoking. This is kind of a bad time to stop as I have recently lost a few friends to OD/suicide, and I have been generally depressed for the first time in a few years. I know the treatment is important though, and that it's worth quitting weed for a little while. Anybody have any advice for me about coping with my depression while completely sober? I'm thinking about seeing a counselor or therapist, but I live in a small community, and I'm not sure how soon I could get an appointment or whether I can afford it at the moment.
@CoughingTiger8862 Hi there, and thanks for your post. I truly appreciate you opening up to us. I'm so sorry for your losses, and during this time, I can imagine how stressful things are. Given your history of addiction, you show so much strength for moving forward. So far, how have you been handling the depression? Do you have any interests/hobbies that you enjoy? If you ever want to talk, feel free to reach out to the listeners here. We are here for you!
@lovelyWhisper66
I've been handling the depression ok I guess. I try to keep a positive attitude, but sometimes I just can't keep the negative thoughts from flowing. Sometimes I feel like I screwed up my life by doing drugs in the past, and even though I'm sober now, I feel like I'll never really amount to anything. My parents helped me get clean by letting me move in with them in a new state. That was 6 years ago, and now I feel stuck here. I don't make very good money, and I know if I moved out I would be struggling financially. It's too late for me to go to college because it would take forever to pay off debt at my age. Kitchen work is all I know, but it pays crap. As far as hobbies go, I enjoy playing music, video games, hiking, camping, walking, and going on bike rides. It's winter right now though, so it's difficult to do half of those things. I'm new here, so maybe I'm doing something wrong, but everytime I've tried to get a listener, I've been unsuccesful. I've checked out the depression chats, and they were a little helpful I guess. I didn't see and addiction chat. Thanks for responding.
@CoughingTiger8862 Of course, you are most welcome! I'm glad you are doing your best to keep positive. Given everything that has happened, it is understandable to have regrets and feel unsure about the future. That's a very neat list of activities you do; spring is around the corner, so hopefully, you can engage in the outdoor ones soon! They may not directly help with the depression, but they can be nice stress relievers, and the physical activities can help keep you energized and in shape. If you haven't already, feel free to check out the Hobby community here to interact with others with the same interests.
Yes, finding a suitable listener here can be like finding a needle in a haystack; it can be frustrating. When you browse through listeners, it helps to check if they are verified (a check mark next to their name on their profile indicates they are). Verified listeners are experienced listeners who get officially approved through a mock chat; it's sort of like getting a seal of approval. I am glad the depression group chatrooms helped you a bit. At the moment, addiction support doesn't have their own chatroom. We have regular discussion sessions in the support chatroom (it's a temporary room that only opens for discussions). You can find the schedule of discussions here that includes a variety of other topics.
I'm so proud that you have reached out here! It takes courage to seek support. No matter where life takes you, you will have the strength and peserverance to move forward; you've already proven that. Feel free to let us know how things are at any time or if you have any questions or concerns. I hope you have a wonderful week, and best wishes!
@CoughingTiger8862 Hi there, welcome to our community :). We're very happy to have you here and proud of you for reaching out for help.
It's great that you're making your physical health a priority but it also really sucks that you have to give up the green so fast, especially during such an emotionally trying time. I'm not too familiar with the process of quitting weed but in addition to what Whisper recommended, I'd like to share a few other resources you might find helpful :)
1. Reddit has a community specifically for people quitting weed. It's called r/leaves. A couple of buddies of mine have found it to be helpful and have positive things to say about it.
2. This guide on quitting weed. It's got some details and tips on coping with withdrawal issues.
3. The 7 cups depression self-help guide. This has some useful tips on coping with depression on your own if you aren't able to access help from a therapist.
4. A self-help guide for a medication-free technique called emotional freedom tapping that may help you cope with your pain.
Much respect for you for doing such an incredible thing for yourself. This is certainly not an easy step to take and you are very courageous and strong for doing so. Good luck with everything. Feel free to come back and check in with us and let us know how things are going for you. We're here for you and you're not alone in your journey <3
