Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

Subject: Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Tue 29 Dec 2009, 8:00 pm

Welcome to our many new members!!
My name is Beth & although I have been on a personal leave lately due to some issues of my own, I cannot wait to get to know each & every one of you better!! I apologize that I have not been here to welcome each of you more properly, but am now once again trying to get caught back up with everyone & am so glad that you have all made it here. I found this forum last November as it first began & I can honestly tell all of you that I have met my best friends here, people who actually understand what it is like to deal with that anchor of addiction tied around your ankle. I have had a long, painful experience due to my opiate usage & finally found Suboxone in May 2008. I truly believe that it has saved my life, as well as my family. I was at the end of having any hope left that I could recover from this hell that I had gotten myself wrapped up into. I had tried to quit so many times only to always fail once again, until I found Suboxone. I have been doing great with my opiate recovery, but along the way I also have dealt with severe anxiety as well as depression. After about a year into my recovery from the opiates, my doctor decided to put me onto a myriad of medications to try to help these symptoms. I was so zombie like & unable to even focus on some of these high powered sedatives. Then, last spring, she prescribed a medication called Tranxene which she assured me would help to reduce my anxiety. And it did!!! Yet, I could still kick myself to this day for not checking into this medication before filling the script & beginning to take it, as I later found out that it is a benzo. Just like Xanax & Valium and highly addictive- not the best choice for an addict... So while attempting to recover from one addiction, I got myself hooked right onto another. The difference is that when stopping the opiates & going onto the Suboxone, I felt instantly better. When stopping the benzos, there is no medication to help alleviate the withdrawal symptoms- just putting in the time. I went into the hospital the day after Thanksgiving to safely medically detox as I also have an underlying seizure disorder. (epilepsy) I stayed from early Friday morning until late Monday night & did quite well throughout that time period. I had expected to have severe mental cravings as I did when stopping the opiates, but have not actually had them as badly as what I thought I would- until this week & the holidays!! Yet, I know that this is a stressful season for everyone & I am not used to coping without something to help me through it. Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Fresse

Yet, I have managed to make it through, but not without many thoughts of how I could get them as well as the using dreams, etc. I have a wonderful support system, through this very forum, as well as my family. They are all very pleased with my success as is my doctor, but I just do not feel so sure of myself yet. I am still just plain out uncomfortable & just trying to get comfortable in my own skin once again. We are hoping that it should begin to lift around six weeks & I sure am praying that to be true! So, between this experience as well as the hectic holidays, I have not been around to meet our newest members & would truly like to get to know you all much better. I figured that I should introduce myself as I know that Dee has been mentioning that her, Barbara & myself are the moderators of this very precious forum and I wanted you all to know that I am still alive & kicking and badly missing my "second home" here!!
I would really like to hear more about each of you, if you feel comfortable to share your situation or have any questions that we could possibly help you through. We really are like a second family here & care about how you are doing in your own recoveries. Again, looking forward to getting to know each of you better & better. Hope that you will help get me up to date on all that I have missed & please know that I am here to talk at anytime. Again, welcome friends!!
Happy & Blessed Holidays!
Your Friend in Recovery,
Beth Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Herz

Subject: Re: Welcome! Welcome! Welcome! Thu 31 Dec 2009, 10:48 pm

Hi

I'm Barbara.

I'd like to tell our newest members welcome too. I've been under the weather myself too. Plus I'm just getting over being kicked by my horse. Not on purpose, just a brisk cool morning and was feeding them and I got in the way of their horse play.
I hope all of you are in good hands and on your way to a new way of life. If you have any issues or concerns, please let one of us know. We'll get it worked out and we stick together to help with whatever you have going on. Just remember you are not alone in this and we are more than happy to help anyone out.

Let us hear from some of you. You are important to us.

Happy New Year to you all,
Barbara