Anna Deeds
MSED, NCC, LPC
Counselor/Therapist
Uniontown, Pennsylvania, USA
Answers questions in Addiction Treatment · Addictions · Alcoholism
What I do
I am an addiction counselor in private practice. I worked for 5 years in methadone maintenance treatment counseling addicts. I created a company called Challenging Addiction to help alcoholics and addicts find recovery.
My story
I am a recovering addict and a Licensed Professional Counselor. I have over 6 years clean from all substances and more than 10 years from illicit drugs. I work as an addiction counselor and have more than 5 years experience counseling addicts.
Why life is worth living
There are so many incredible, loving people in my life.
Treatment Offered
Specialties
Therapy approaches
Patient population
Modalities
Articles(22)
Discovering Your Spiritual Side - A How-to Guide
Believing in something greater than yourself can bring meaning to your life and help you feel connected to the world around you. Learn how to open yourself up to your spiritual side and find what you believe in.
Read article →Oxycontin Addiction Treatment: Rehab or Suboxone/Methadone?
This article examines the different treatment options for Oxycontin addiction. It looks at who should go to rehab versus who should go to Medication Assisted Treatment like Suboxone or methadone treatment. An explanation is given for what each treatment is and what would be expected of the addict for each option.
Read article →Going to Rehab is Scary - Learn How to Get Past Your Fears
It is normal for addicts to have fears about going to inpatient treatment. With a little change of perspective, you can turn your fears into reasons to go instead.
Read article →Is Addiction a Choice or Disease?
Addiction is not a choice but life-threatening disease. Unfortunately, many people still believe addiction is a choice - and it's a serious problem.
Read article →Broke? How to Find Resources for Treatment and a New Life of Recovery
Many alcoholics and addicts struggle with finding treatment because they lack basic resources such as insurance, money, housing, clothing and food. This article gives tips on how to find resources and treatment, no matter what your financial situation may be.
Read article →The Pros and Cons of Different Addiction Treatment Options
This article outlines the different treatment options for alcoholism and drug addiction. It explains what each treatment is like and gives some of the pros and cons of each type of treatment.
Read article →What Happens at an Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous Meeting?
This article describes what to expect when you go to your first AA/NA meeting. Many alcoholics and addicts hear a lot of rumors about what happens at meetings. Some people are afraid to go to their first meeting because they don't know what to expect. This article clears up all the rumors and will let you know exactly what to expect.
Read article →Heroin Addiction Treatment - Break Free with Treatments That Work
For anyone struggling with heroin addiction, the treatment options can sometimes seem overwhelming. Learn what treatments are available and which one may be right for you.
Read article →7 Reasons Why Buying Street Suboxone Won't Help You Get Clean
Why does it matter where you get the Suboxone? Well, when you buy street Suboxone you still associate with dealers, you rarely get counseling, you're not forced to make life changes and you use it more like drug than a medication.
Read article →Long-Term Addiction Recovery: You'll Need More Than 30 Days!
Why consider long-term addiction recovery over the standard 30 day rehab? Learn about successful recovery options and how to increase your treatment duration.
Read article →Learning to Forgive Yourself and Let Go of Guilt and Shame
Alcoholics and addicts do things in active addiction which leave them feeling guilt and shame. Learn what you can do to get over your guilt and shame to forgive yourself and let go of the past.
Read article →How to Write a Relapse Prevention Plan
This article describes what a relapse prevention plan is and how to write an effective plan. It includes ideas for what you can include in a simple relapse prevention plan or a detailed recovery plan.
Read article →The Dangers of Cocaine Use while on Suboxone or Methadone
Here are 4 excellent reasons to avoid cocaine use while on Suboxone/methadone: cocaine reduces the effectiveness of Suboxone or methadone (which means more opiate withdrawals), increased risk of overdose, poly-drug addiction and resumption of a drug seeking lifestyle.
Read article →Benzodiazepines: Lethal for Suboxone and Methadone Clients
Using benzodiazepines with Suboxone or methadone is more dangerous than using illicit opiates! Learn why benzos and methadone/Suboxone just don't mix.
Read article →"You Got Sober, Now Grow Up!" - Learn to Make Friends, Get a Sober Job, Go to School, Etc.
Discover who you are without alcohol or drugs! Many addicts and alcoholics fail to complete some of the normal developmental tasks due to their addiction. Recovery becomes a time to go back and complete tasks that were delayed because of addiction.
Read article →MAT Tapering - Don't Get Stuck! How to Avoid Common Pitfalls.
If you choose to taper, don't trip-up on common problems - learn how to handle fear, complacency, physical/emotional withdrawal and cravings.
Read article →Preparing for Your First Job in Recovery
Getting your first job in recovery can be a scary thing to consider. You probably need the money, but you're also scared of relapse - how can you know when you're ready? Read on to find out how to prepare yourself for safe employment now that you're in recovery.
Read article →Going Back to School Once in Recovery
An article about the benefits of and how to prepare for going back to school in recovery. It includes information and resources for getting your GED, going to college or to a trade school and has links to GED testing and financial aid for school sites.
Read article →Starting a Relationship in Recovery: Tips and Cautions
New relationships can be stressful and place a burden on recovery. This article includes tips for reducing the stress of new relationships.
Read article →Learning to Have Fun in Recovery
Boredom in recovery can lead addicts to relapse so it is important to find ways to have fun in recovery. This article explores ways to discover new interests and fun activities to keep people in recovery from feeling bored and restless.
Read article →Being Financially Responsible in Recovery - Learning Essential Skills
This article explores the importance of learning financial responsibility in recovery. Addicts in recovery need to learn to place financial needs over material wants. This can take planning, budgeting and thinking of long-term needs over the instant gratification of wants.
Read article →Tips for Healing the Body, Mind and Spirit after Addiction
Addiction is a disease that damages the body, mind and spirit. Here's a how-to guide to healing your physical, mental and spiritual health once in recovery.
Read article →
Answered Questions(100)
Alcoholics Wanting Someone to Drink with
Morning. Why do male alcoholics want their girlfriend to drink with them?
Read answer →Rehab
Is it necessary to submit myself in a rehab center?
Read answer →Opening a Sober Living House
Dear Anna, I'm writing this letter on behalf of my client who is in process of opening up a profit Sober Living Home in NJ or PA. The client is intending to seek legal help on matters relating to: 1. Opening up of a Sober Living Home 2. Real Estate Law and local laws to confirm while setting up a Sober Living Homes 3. Finding possibility to route inmates who are sentenced to live in Sober Living homes by courts (that may include registering with State/ courts) 4. Brand promotion on internet/ social media/ print media to get more cases from other living homes. This is a tentative list and that may include changes as we go forward. If that is your area of expertise and if that interests you, it will be great if you give your consent to be our client's legal help for all/ partial points discussed above. I'm keeping this letter brief to save your time but the content must have made enough declaration to clarify things about our requirements. Please do forward me any questions, if you have. Going forward, if you give your consent, we'll forward your contact information to our client to take the things to next level. Yours sincerely, Kapil Mishra km_jpr@yahoo.com
Read answer →Searches in Detox
No money so how can I get treatment like a human being? I was treated like a criminal and a scumbag even though I had come voluntarily. I kid you not they even wanted to body cavity search me but I refused and they backed down because they had to admit in the end that it was not legal for them to do that because I was not a CJS offender but they would not let me stay anyway. Why would I come to detox with heroin when I want to get off dope? Can you explain to me why they treat people who volunteer to get clean like criminals?
Read answer →Article Response
Hello Anna. I've just read your article on the dangers of combining methadone (or suboxone) with benzodiazepines. It is very clear & well-written in my opinion. I have been on methadone for 14 years & my most common 'reward to self' has been benzodiazepines. The combination turns me into a dribbling baby in a man's body (but I'm so 'stoned' that I'm unaware of this). I am on a methadone wean and have decreased from 135mg/day to 30mg/day. I decrease 5mg per month. I am so happy that you are Christian! God bless you!! Sorry I havn't got a question. Love from New Zealand. James Ingle
Read answer →Alcoholism Treatment without Insurance
Hi, I'm an EAP Coordinator and have a friend who is suffering from Alcoholism. She has no insurance but wants help. I do not want her to detox by herself. Any suggestions on where to send her? Outpatient will not work. Thanks, Mike
Read answer →How to find a Detox
I have been dealing with a basic opiate addiction for almost two years now. I was first using opiate pills. I tried to get off of them by going to a methadone clinic. Unfortunately the methadone clinic is too far away and does not accept any (including mine) health insurance. The gas money and the price of going was costing me almost $1000 a month which is basically what I was spending on the drugs to begin with. When I expressed to the clinic that I wanted to taper off of the methadone because I could not afford it anymore they did begin the taper from 60mg dropping me 10mg a week, and because I have the worst luck in the world when I finally got down to 10mg for the week, where the next week they would have put me on 5mg, then 2mg so I would not experience any withdraw symptoms, I was in a very bad car accident and the methadone clinic kicked me out for missing a couple of days. Methadone clinics work a certain way and are kinda strict. I was paying $15 a day for my "dose" as they call it and $20 a day in gas to get there and get back home. And you have to be there every single day except Sundays. They will let you take your Sunday "dose" home. If you miss a day they can and will kick you out. I actually missed a couple of days from the car accident being so severe. I was not getting high or taking any medication on the days I missed I just was extremely sore and had no transportation to get there and back. When I realized that they would not take me back my addiction started again. This might just be justification but I needed something from being so sore from the accident, which I was very lucky to still be alive from, and I was beginning to start having withdraw symptoms. I am sick and tired of being addicted to this drug and am more then ready to quit. Im at the point where the only thing holding me back from quitting cold turkey is the fear of withdraw for two weeks and the fact that I have children to care for and would not be able to if I were that sick for that long. I was wondering if a hospital might admit me for 4 days to a week so I could be quickly tapered off of the drugs and finally be done with this thing that is holding me back in life and making me miserable, but also be monitored by doctors while doing so. I have tried to just slow down on my own at home and I just get entirely too sick and can not do it alone. But I absolutely do want to be done with this nonsense and am at the point where I'm desperate. I am just terrified of the withdraw symptoms and would feel much more comfortable knowing that I'm in the hands of doctors and nurses while going through something so painful and scary. I have some education on CDC and I know the extenuating factors. I know afterward changing people places and things in necessary, groups are necessary. I just cant get past this step. I need to do this for my children, my husband, and more importantly myself. I want to go back to school and take steps forward in my life. I cant just quit and get sick because I need to be able to watch my children but if I can find a hospital that will take me for a quick (weekish) taper, my family will more then likely help me with the children that week so I can get past this point. Plus I just get so scared of actually how sick I really do get that being watched by a doctor and tapered down I really do think is the best way. The methadone clinic takes up so much money and time. And I did try my hardest there, and I can not take the time or money to start all over again. I was so close to being done when I was in the car accident. I'm more desperate then ever to find a hospital to help me. My life may actually depend on it. I live in Cincinnati. If anyone can please help me find a place to go to get over this hump in my life, my recovery, grateful would not come close to describing how I would feel. I know the steps I need to take afterward. I was sober for 6years. I want my life back. Can anyone please help me find a place to take me for my taper? I'm desperate. My kids and husband need me back and I want more then anything to be back to normal...... Please??
Read answer →Opening a Sober Living Home
I want to open a sober house in Philadelphia. I am not a guy that is trying to capitalize on others misfortune and just doing this for the money like I know a lot of people that start sober homes are I am a recovering alcoholic with 4 years of sobriety that wants to give back. I am in the process of inheriting my mothers 5 room house and this is why I am in a position to do this. What do I need to do to do this? Are there any special licenses I need? Since I am going to charge a very low or reasonable price I think I can fill the rooms pretty easily.
Read answer →Sickness when Starting Suboxone
I tried suboxone for about2-3 days and I got so sick. I vomited at least 4 times that day. I was very nauseated and couldn't keep any food or liquids down. Also I had a horrible headache like someone was beating me in the head with a hammer. I don't know if I was going through withdrawal or exactly what was going on. Should I have continued using the suboxone or what? I was very disappointment because I was so ready to get off opiates. Any suggestion?
Read answer →Is Withdrawal Worse the Longer You are on Suboxone?
I have heard some real horror stories about how hard the withdrawals are from Suboxone. Will the withdrawals be a lot harder if I take the drug for a longer time? If I take it for only 3 months and then start to get off slowly will that be a lot easier than if I take it for 9 months or a year or will it not make much difference?
Read answer →Suboxone Patients Need Treatment
Suboxone is making me feel mentally paralyzed. I always made huge decisions on the spur of the moment on impulse. I made a lot of really bad decisions and they cost me everything. Five months on Suboxone and I do not want that crazy life any more but I am so scared to make a mistake. I am trying to be basically a single parent dad for my 3 year old son and I feel like I am walking on the edge of a cliff and I am holding his hand and one wrong step is going to send us both falling down. It’s a lot of pressure because if I know I can’t be perfect the addict inside of me wants to say fuck it and get high for a month.
Read answer →Wife Picking up the Pieces after Rehab
my husband is in an inpatient treatment facility getting help for crack/cocaine/soboxone/xanax. Before he left he left a trail of damage that hasnt been dealt with leaving me angry and alone once again. I want him to get the help he needs and live a successful sober life together. My question is when is it ok to bring up the issues that are left up in the air. I dont want to set him off or trigger a relapse when he comes home but there are serious issues that i feel i need to deal with and unanswered questions about things that happened before he left. He wants me to come and visit which requires a 2 day class to understand what he is going through and addiction. i plan to do whatever it takes to support him but there is no class for him to take that explains what i am going through because of his actions. When does it stop being all about the addict? Is there ever a day that happens? I need things to be about healing and repairing damage that i have been through as well
Read answer →Sober Living House Neighbor Nightmare
I want to know how people in the addiction treatment industry can sleep at night when they have no problem ruining normal people’s lives while they go home to some rich gated community to sleep at night. What are you supposed to do when the house next door gets sold and instead of a normal family moving in someone opens up a for profit sober living house where the residents get no supervision and it turns into a loud party all the time with dodgy characters driving in and out all day dealing drugs. Things have started going missing from the neighborhood and there have been break in where there were not any before. It is obvious what the source is but the police say they are powerless to do anything about this and they act annoyed that people would even call them up. I have small children and now I am scared to let them play in their own front yard. We are prisoners in our own house! I would not mind if the people in this sober living house were sober but this is a nightmare. How is this right or respecting my rights?
Read answer →Alcohol Withdrawal and Delerium Tremens
If I felt like bugs were crawling beneath my skin while I was in alcohol withdrawal does that mean I had the DTs? I detoxed on my own and I thought I was going to die it was absolute hell.
Read answer →Alcoholic Dad
I think my dad has alcohol brain damage but I am not sure. My father is a heavy drinker. I do not know if he is an alcoholic but he drinks about a mickey of rum every day. He is 52 and early retired on disability and he lives alone. He’s got VA care. He used to be quite socially normal but he has gotten stuck in his routines and he gets very upset when his routines are interrupted. He cannot seem to roll with any changes. He gets fixated on any small problem or deviation and he can’t let it go for hours. It is not rational. Since stuff always comes up this means he is upset about something everytime I go over to see him. The other symptom he has is he has lost his sense of humor. Why is he getting like this? If it is because of his drinking I know there is nothing I can do because he won’t stop. If it is because of something else there is probably still nothing I can do because he is so stubborn and resistant to doing anything different but I should at least try. I am really his only family that still talks to him.
Read answer →Is There an Advantage to Withdrawal?
Is there any advantage to suffering during detox? For example, to going cold turkey instead of Suboxone. I feel like if a man does not have to feel pain when stopping then there is not much stopping him from going back to use again, since he knows he can always quit any time he wants to so easily.
Read answer →Suboxone Tapering
When tapering subs how low should you go before jumping off? I am doing a water taper and I am below 1 mg (.9 mg for 2 days and I am hurting on it) a day from 16 but my withdrawal symptoms are still really bad after each drop if you can believe that. I am dropping by .1 every 3 days now but do you think it would be worse to just stop completely now? The restless legs and anxiety and irritability and generally feeling uncomfortable all the time are my biggest problems.
Read answer →Suboxone Drug Testing
I am thinking about getting clean with Suboxone. Only problem is that I hear that I have to give urine samples and that a nurse will stare at my junk while I go. I am a pretty shy person and I can’t even go in a regular bathroom if there is another person in with me. This has always been a problem for me. There is no way I can give a urine sample with some person starting at me it would be too humiliating. Is there any way I can get around this because if I can’t I am just going to buy my Subs from my dealer and I know if I do that I’m going to be topping up heavy all the time.
Read answer →What to do when Children are Harmed by Addiction
My 26 yr old daughter has a heroin problem and will not admit to it. She also has a 3 yr old daughter. I'm concerned for their lives
Read answer →Detox Using Suboxone
I am steady on 120 mgs of oxys a day now and I want to stop. I can get subs. I want to be done with detox in a week or 10 days. How many subs should I take and when should I take them? If I wait 24 hours after my last oxy is that long enough before I take my first sub? By 24 hours I am feeling pretty sick.
Read answer →Poly-Substance Abuse
I am on the following medications, prescribed by my Psychiatrist: Klonopin, 4 mgs daily, Aderall 20 mgs daily, celexa and sapharis 10 mg once a day. I abuse the aderall and am addicted to painkillers. I abuse the klonopin to help with withdrawal from pain meds. Also, I have ben arrested for DWI in march of 2013 (I am NOT an abuser of alcohol) and I am on probation until December of 2014. How can I avoid the pain killer withdrawal? I do not want to use all of these drugs anymore. Is inpatient the best bet and if so, how long would I be in patient? I need to keep my job and do not want my probation officer knowing.
Read answer →Rapid Detox
I just had a quick question. Have you heard anything positive about anesthesia assisted rapid detoxification? What is the difference in withdrawal symptoms and success rate using this method? Which are the most effective and safest places to go for this type of treatment.
Read answer →Vivitrol after Tapering off Opioids
What do you think of using vivitrol to play it safe after finishing tapering down from methadone?
Read answer →Counseling for Resistance
What are the most useful counseling tools for dealing with resistance and ambivalence in clients at a methadone clinic?
Read answer →Withdrawal During Pregnancy is Dangerous
My wife started getting prescribed 16mg of sobetex the doctors told her that she woukd probably need to increase her dose, now he won't write her another perscriptuo, because someone told him she was selling her medication. While, she is 35 months pregnant how harmful is quitting cold turkey for my unborn child.
Read answer →Overdose
If I snort heroin am I ever going to o.d. so fast that I would not have time to call an ambulance or is it always going to be slow enough that I would have time to get help if I need it.
Read answer →Addicted Family Member
my brother is addicted to heroin. it was confirmed yesterday my parents finally have to face the facts. i am worried about them. where can they go or who can they call to get professional help in dealing with this problem. we live in delaware.
Read answer →Suboxone Taper
I have been on Subs for 14 months. I want to cut down and I am stable on 8 a day. My plan is to do drops of 25% every week so it goes from 6 to 4.5 to 3.8 …. Do you think this is going to be slow enough? I am going to do a water taper. Do you think this is the best way to do the tapering?
Read answer →Help a Heavy Drinker Stay Healthier
Everybody talks about getting people to quit but what I need information on his helping a person that doesn’t want to quit stay as healthy as possible. My partner is a 46 year old unrepentant heavy drinker who does not deny that he drinks too much and who has no intention of stopping. I am worried that he will die young but if I make any small comments about his drinking then he gets very angry and to be fair he was clear about not wanting to change from the start of our relationship. What can I do to help him reduce the damage that alcohol does to his liver and body? For example he had this habit of taking Tylenol at night every night to prevent hangovers and I got him to stop this to protect his liver. Are there any other diet or lifestyle steps he can take that don’t involve him drinking less but that will help him stay healthier?
Read answer →Subutex
ok im the one that was on 12 im on 10 now it sucks sometimes not as bad as full blown i will call my insurance thanks for the advice what is subutex is that from a doctor are you a doctor here o and the girl that asked about decrease 2 mili a week is what im doing at an outpatient clinic people say they r clean nodding out its sick its good for people who need help most just wana get high on state monry and no thats not my opinion its what i see everyday i need a cheaper way to do this or im scared i wont make it the rules are not fair to people who really try
Read answer →Methadone on Private Insurance for the Employed
Iam on 12 mili methadone daily. My hausband and I work instead of living off the state. it costs us 800$ a month between fuel and med. I see all these people on Medicaid get free med and fuel pay back; this is not fair. It is like the state does not want you to work. We have great health insurance; however I can not find a doctor or clinic that takes private insurance for this service. I fell this is very unfair; we are having to let bis get behind to pay clinic; while others take over 100 mili a day and the state pays them! Can someone please help me find a service that takes private insurance? I live between Johnstown and Greensburg Pa. Thanks.
Read answer →Methadone on Private Insurance
I am not on Medicaid I live between Johnstown and Greensburg Pa. We spend 800$ month for 12 mili a day due to the fact they don't take private insurance. I do not think this is fair while others get paid for their fuel and meds by the state on Medicaid and guzzle over 100 mili a day. Please help I just want someone to take my insurance for 5-6 weeks while I dose rest way out thanks
Read answer →Support for Loved One Home from Rehab
My husband has been an opiate user for a couple years now and just went into a rehab program. I need help on how to support him when he comes out of this.
Read answer →Restless Leg Syndrome in Withdrawal
What can I do for the restless legs that I have because I am trying to stop using kratom after a 6 month binge?
Read answer →Tapering off Opiate
I am going to quit taking opiates this year this is my new years resolution. I have been taking percocets and oxycodone if I can get it for 3 years and I am tired of it. I don’t even really want to get high now I am just really using these pills to feel OK and this is crazy I know it. I want to try to take a little bit less every day. How long should I try to cut down for is it best to try to do it over 2 weeks or so or is it best to try to cut down more slowly than that?
Read answer →Should I go to Rehab?
I can’t sleep unless I get drunk first so I have been having at least 7 to 10 alcoholic drinks per night for about 2 years ever since I developed this really bad insomnia problem after a difficult emotionally gut wrenching end of a relationship. My life has gone wrong in so many ways I just want to hit the restart button and start all over again. I am all alone and I don’t know what to do. Should I go to rehab?
Read answer →Substituting One Drug for Another
I have a drinking problem that I have never been able to control and I have been to AA meetings before. I do not always drink but when I do I drink for days and it gets bad. I was in a car accident and I got some Vicodin for back pain and I noticed that when I took Vicodin I had no desire to drink and I also never had a real desire to try to get stoned and take too much of the Vicodin. I have never been into opiates. I do not take this medication every day but now when I feel a strong need to drink I just take 2 or 3 pills over a night and I can go to bars or anywhere with my friends and have no problem sticking with sprite all night. So far I have done this 4 times and I have not been drunk in 3 and a half weeks which is looong for me. If I am strict with myself and only take this medication no more than once or twice a week when I really need to drink will I get addicted physically? I think that once I can get out of a drinking habit for a few months or maybe even for a year I just won’t feel the need to drink so much anymore.
Read answer →Vicodin Addiction
I am so confused.. I have been taking 5mg vicodin 3 times sometimes 4and a few times 5 times a day for 4years or so. I am able to get to two a day.. but the final total get off it is not doable. Would suboxen helpme? Or is it worse than a low dose vicodin addiction. I feel the vics have helped and then hurt my already unstable moods.. I am in treatment for depression and talk therapy and on lklonopin and an antidepressant all my life. anyone on low dose vicodin who went to the drug subox?
Read answer →Is Poppy Seed Tea Addictive?
Is poppy tea as addictive heroin or oxy? Sure they are all opiates but the poppy tea seems much more laid back so I am wondering if the detox isn’t as extreme either.
Read answer →Denial in Alcoholism
Can you drink enough to get stomach varices that burst open and cause you to almost bleed to death out of your rectum and from vomiting up blood if you are not an alcoholic? I knew my brother was drinking a lot but I did not think it was this bad. Nobody did. He spent 17 days in the ICU and he almost died and he still says he is not an alcoholic and he does not need any help. How can he still be in denial in this situation and if being in the ICU won’t wake him up is there anything I can do to change his point of view. It is so unbelievably sad seeing him like this. He used to be an athletic and muscular person and now he is wasted away and his skin is like paper so you can see the veins. He is only 37.
Read answer →Cough Syrup Abuse
I am taking dxm a lot. Everyday to second plateau or higher and I have been doing this for about 10 months. I am addicted. Now I feel like I have to urinate like 50 times a day and when I go hardly anything comes out. I am scared but I still cant stop.
Read answer →Do Steroids Count?
Do steroids or HGH count as drugs? I’m an ex drug addict and alcoholic. Can I take these without risking my sobriety?
Read answer →When Will the Cravings Stop?
Hi. I am 9 months clean from opiates that I abused for 3 years. I got clean by using the miracle of Suboxone. What is am wondering is when I will stop craving drugs. I still get strong cravings every day and I thought they would be gone by now.
Read answer →AA/NA Donations
Do I have to put money in the pot at AA meetings? If I don’t have money I don’t go because I am ashamed.
Read answer →How to Make Amends
Hello Anna. I enjoyed your article on shame. It hit very close to home for me. I broke into a neighbors down the roads home 2 years ago when I knew they were gone to the cottage. They are a nice older couple who did not deserve what I did. The worst thing is I did not just steal I also broke some things for no reason. I do not know why I did this. I was high on crack and I was not thinking about anyones but my own needs. This is the worst thing I have ever done. I want to make amends but I do not know how. I am a new dad now so I cannot just turn myself in to them or to the police since I need to be here providing for my son. I am 4 months clean but it is not easy. I am doing this on my own. Can you give me an idea about what I should do to make amends. The other thing I wonder about is if I should wait for longer before I try to make amends. I feel a lot of shame but I am also not feeling very strong and clean.
Read answer →Out of Control Spouse
Hi Anna, I'm separated from my AH he has spiraled out of control he was trying to get home then I found out he had been sleeping about and texting loads of o/w that was why I asked him to leave in dec 12 i found a woman's number on his phone that he's been using for 18 months but still denies a affair. H e sais he doesn't love me and won't be coming back but he was trying to get back in July and then I found out about this sleazy life also he has been taking cocaine. He also has nothing to do with our son who is 14. He knows my son knows about the other women and my son was disgusted and ignored a couple of texes from him. We never hear from him he doesn't contact us, its me who contacts him and I am very angry most of the time we were together for 25 years. Should | stop the contact and let him just get on with his life? Is he in full blown alcoholism now? He has been drinking for 9 month solid possibly 5-6 days a week he is loosing everything but won't admit a problem or seek help. He is also very sleazy sexually something that he wasn't before what has caused this? I have lost the love of my life to alcohol? Can you please advise should I cut all contact and let him live his life? very hard to watch someone kill themselves that you love. Thanks. Tracy
Read answer →Acupuncture for Withdrawal
Is electrical acupuncture (I forget the precise name for this) a good method to help me with feel less opiate withdrawal. I am planning to quit again. The last time I did 3 years ago I had PAWS for 8 months after quitting so I am trying to do this smarter this time. I relapsed about 2 months after the PAWS ended so that’s my story of stupidity.
Read answer →Neurontin for Opiate Withdrawal
What is your opinion on using neurontin as a medication to help with opiate withdrawal symptoms? I was looking for a remedy for the restless legs that plague me horribly every time I go through this and I see that some people say that neurontin helps with that and it is also helps reduce withdrawal symptoms across the board. Is this true? Should I ask a doctor about this? If I ask a doctor to give me neurontin to help me reduce the symptoms of opiate withdrawal is that likely to happen or is that going to look like more drug seeking?
Read answer →Incentive for Daughter to Quit Drinking
The prices of rehabs can be extraordinary. Please consider this alternative idea. If a rehab could cost 20 000 dollars for just 28 days. What if a person was given a chance to earn that money for themselves just by staying sober and by using self help groups that are free. For example think about this. Imagine I said to a person I will give you 1000 dollars a month to not drink alcohol and to go to one AA meeting every day and one counseling session every week. You must wear an alcohol monitoring anklet so I know that you are not cheating. You do not get the money at the end of each month. Instead it piles up. If you can make it for 20 months you get the whole 20 000 dollars. If you drink you have to start at the beginning again. This way I am only paying for a program that gets me 20 months of abstinence. This is more than any rehab can guarantee and it gives the person a real incentive to stay sober. I would like to consider suggesting a plan such as this to my daughter. Is it reasonable?
Read answer →Dealing with Pain in Recovery
I am feeling really discouraged right now because I just relapsed yesterday after 11 days and I am hair of the dogging it right now. I have gout and it flared up 2 days ago. I can’t get around and I can’t exercise and I just sit in pain and frustration and I relapse. The gout gets me every time. I am alcoholic not a drug user but I am cautious with addictive pills because I know my tendencies. Should I take short periods of narcotics during gout attacks so I won’t drink?
Read answer →Making Amends
I am not in AA but I was an alcohol addict for about 15 years. During that time I did many things that I feel ashamed of. I I’d rather not live through all the humiliations again. I’d rather seal that time off and try to forget most of it. This is one reason I do not go to AA. The idea of going back to find everyone I ever treated badly to say sorry is not something I would want to do. I am 6 months and 6 days sober. It is not easy yet. What I want to know is is does going back and saying sorry to people from the past offer me any significant advantage today? I pretty much feel that doing that would be so stressful I’d have to be drunk to get through it.
Read answer →How to Take Suboxone
I am confused about how to take Suboxone. Should I take it once a day or twice a day? If I take the same amount, is there any advantage to breaking it up into morning and evening doses? Does it work better for taking withdrawals away?
Read answer →SMART Recovery Vs. AA
Do you think SMART recovery is an effective alcoholism recovery system? Do you think that online meetings work as well as fact to fact meetings (which would have to be AA for me in my community). I do not like the system of AA but do you think I should combine going to AA for the face to face stuff and the friendships and doing the SMART recovery thing online? I’d almost be scared if I got ‘found out’ at AA….
Read answer →Coming off Methadone
What do you think is better. When you know and prepare for dosage methadone dosage reductions, like on a set schedule, or if they just do it for you secretly, so you don’t get so freaked out and psyche yourself out about what’s coming. I forget what this method is called. If I go down and then I start feeling really bad cravings again should I go back up right away, or should I try to ride it out for a few days to see if I can adjust? How many days should I wait and see before I ask to go back up? I really want to start reducing but I am scared to do it.
Read answer →Alcoholic Boyfriend
My boyfriend drinks very heavy. its gotten to the point where he needs it every night and when he's off of work he can't stop. He's fighting with his parents and I. When he's this way he can admit to having a drinking problem, but he he's sober he doesn't think he has one and won't go to AA or back to rehab. What is it that we are doing wrong? We have tried everything to get him to go to rehab. Please help
Read answer →Making Friends in Recovery
I had really painful loneliness in middle school and early high school. I remember constantly roaming the halls at lunch because I didn’t have any friends to sit with and to sit somewhere alone seemed too pathetic. Better to at least look like I was on my way to someone or somewhere (don’t think I was fooling anyone). Anyway, later in high school I found drugs and booze and I loved them and with them I fell into the ‘druggy’ group and that was priceless to me and that just made me love getting high more. Getting high literally solved all of my problems in one fell swoop. OK now fast forward 20 years. Now I am married and with kids and I am 19 months clean and sober. The problem is I never learned how to make friends or have relationships other than by getting high and getting rejected socially is so painful to me I have a really hard time with putting myself out there. Honestly I can’t even talk about this with my wife. I feel like I have to deal with this pain of my past and I have to learn how to make friends and I have to overcome my social problems that caused my life-long social problems and I have to do all of this very painful and difficult stuff without relapsing. How should I do this?
Read answer →Logic Won't Convince an Alcoholic to Stop
I know my husband drinks too much but he always has a good reason for every drink he has. He is very smart and a lawyer and whenever I raise the subject I always end up losing the debate. This approach isn’t working. I cannot win this argument with him and so I cannot convince him to drink less or maybe even seek some help. If I cannot convince him through reason, what other approach should I try?
Read answer →Depressed Daughter Who Won't Accept Help
I am very worried about my 34 year old daughter. She is extremely depressed, but every time I offer help or suggest counseling, she ignores the subject. She lives two hours from me, is separated with two pre-teen children. She tells me she is very unhappy with her life, hates where she lives and cries every night. She says she is miserable and is tired of crying and being unhappy. I have suggested couseling, many times, and suggested medication. I've even told her to pack everything up and come live nearer to me so I could help. Yet, she does nothing, week after week. She'll have a breakdown and tell me these things, and then carry on going to work, etc. until the next time. I don't know how to help her. She has even told me about just leaving the area, alone, going somewhere and starting over. I know that is not the answer, it's just running away and I fear that in the future she will regret leaving her children. I think she is just overwhelmed. Is there anything I could do or should be saying to help her?
Read answer →Unstructured Time
Having free time is a major relapse trigger for me. I am 7.5 months sober and one way I have made it so far is by staying busy all the time. I have a scheduler and it is full. I feel like this is not sustainable but I am not sure how to power down or if I am ready. How do I start to face unstructured time without putting myself at risk?
Read answer →Alcoholic Friend
My friend is 27. She has been drinking a fifth of rum everyday since she was 24, or sometimes more when she goes out to a bar. How long can she survive if she continues to drink this much every day? I am very worried about her but she will not listen when I tell her how dangerous this is! She says lots of people drink a bottle a day. The problem is all her other friends drink like fish too so she has a funny idea about what is normal.
Read answer →Depression Symptoms
I'm 15 years old, and over the past couple of months I've felt down. I do not enjoy my usual hobbies as much as I use to. I have intrusive thoughts that tell me to stop getting good grades and stop bodybuilding (two things I take pride in). I have a constant headache and feel hopeless to an extent. Should I tell my parents. What should I do?
Read answer →Suboxone Side Effects
I started taking Suboxone 3 weeks ago. It is good but the constipation and stomach pain is unbearable. I have really probably gone 3 or 4 times only since I started taking this and I have gas pain all the time. It is awful. I am taking laxatives and Metamucil but they are not helping. Will this get better soon? Will my body get used to this? Is there anything I can do like take a stronger medication?
Read answer →Alcoholic Brain Damage
Is there anything I can do to reverse alcoholic brain damage? I am 11 months sober. I was hoping that my thinking problems were only temporary but after almost a year I don’t think I am going to just get substantially better. My ability to concentrate and hold and manipulate abstract thoughts in my working memory is substantially worse than it was 5 years ago. I am only 34 so I know I am to blame for my brain damage.
Read answer →Non 12 Step Treatment
Is there a non 12 step mentorship program for people trying to recover from addiction who do not believe in the whole powerlessness and spirituality side of things?
Read answer →Help for Son with Alcoholism
Hi...I live in CT....my adult son (37),,lives in Holly Hill Fla with my exwife...he has a serious drinking problem...I recently..last weekend...had to call the local police there..because he was having a phycotic episode and was hearing voices..I was in fear of him hurting himself or his mother...the police took him to the local hospital..he was held overnight and given fluids since his potassium levels were dangerously low and sent home the next day!...He called me today and seems to be hallucinating again...he has no insurance..we have no money...is there any help available..I am living in fear of the worst and dont know what to do ..living so far away..please help and advise..thank you
Read answer →Suboxone or Methadone for Long Term Treatment
If a person is going to use an opiate substitution for long term maintenance (like maybe for forever) is there any reason to choose methadone over Suboxone or Suboxone over methadone? Right now I am thinking methadone because it’s a lot cheaper and it has been studied for a long time and it seems very safe for long term usage. Can you advise me one way or another?
Read answer →How to Stop Using Xanax
Can you advise me on the best way to reduce my Xanax problem? Based on this site I am trying to taper down my daily intake by 1 mg per week. I am on 12 mgs a day (which is stupidly high especially since I do not have any reason to use these drugs. I started using them with heroin. Now I don’t use heroin any more and but I can’t stop using the Xanax. If I go to rehab they will just try to get me to detox and that is not what I want to do. I want to do this slowly to make the detox easier but unfortunately I can’t even manage to stay consistent on my taper. This week so far I have done 11,12,11 and then yesterday I had a tough day and did 14. The last week was pretty much the same. I really want to do this but as soon as I get deep into the day any little thing can get me stressing and then I can’t resist getting high. So what do I do?
Read answer →Advise for an 30 year Alcoholic
What would your advise be to an alcoholic that has been through treatment 3 times in his 30 years of drinking. He has been in and out of AA for 2-3 years. Once in the last 3 years he was sober 76 days. Today he is sober 1day. He wants to stay sober. He really does. There are just so many struggles in his life. And yes, drinking only makes them worse.
Read answer →Am I an Alcoholic or Am I Depressed?
I feel really flat and unhappy. I have been drinking too much for a long time because this is the only thing that at least makes me feel something. My parents want to send me to rehab. Oh I am 27 and still live at home. No job. I think that alcohol is a problem for me because I am so habituated to needing it to fall asleep each night and pass the time all evening but I do not think it is the main problem and that is that I just am feeling very flat and unhappy. I told my parents this but they just think I am trying to get out of going to rehab and that is not totally true, but maybe it is coloring my judgment a little…who knows. Based on what I have told you do you think I should go to rehab?
Read answer →Alcoholism Signs
My friend is 18 he can drink for days in a row. Most people I know need to sleep after no more than 24 hours but sometimes he drinks for days in a row with barely any sleep. Does this mean he is already an alcoholic?
Read answer →Alcoholism Treatment for a Person with Social Anxiety
I am very shy. I am probably an alcoholic. I do not enjoy meeting new people and I especially do not like having to make small talk or speak in front of people. These things drive me to drink (harharhar). I am unable to stop my drinking and it is taking over my life and compromising my health and my ability to work. I am an artist and I am not as creative as I once was. As far as I can tell, and I have called a few places, all addiction treatment is like a cocktail party of socializing and groupity group group stuff…minus the one thing that could get me into that situation (the booze). So that’s out. So how do I get treatment on my own without having to interact with quite so many strangers?
Read answer →How to Have an Intervention
My brother has made it clear to us that he won’t listen to anyone who tries to criticize his drinking and he just gets up and walks away if we try. I want to get the family to do an intervention but what are we supposed to do, handcuff him to his chair? How are we supposed to get him to stay put long enough to hear us out?
Read answer →Which is More Cost Effective: Methadone or Suboxone?
How much does Suboxone cost per month. How much does methadone cost per month? Is Suboxone cheaper in the long run because even though it is more expensive you don’t take it for as long?
Read answer →Pregnant Sister Was Denied Treatment
hi, my name is ana. i have a sister that is 25 that wants to detox. she tried to go today, she had a slight seizure. she was told she is pregnant. she went to hospital the detox placed released her and they told her that they cant take her. Can someone give a # or place that can help her?
Read answer →How Long Should You Stay in a Halfway House?
How long should a recovering alcoholic stay in a halfway house after rehab? She is a girl who is 25 who fell in with a partying crowd when she left home at 18 and things got way out of control for her. This was her first stay in rehab.
Read answer →What Is the Best Choice for Addiction Treatment?
What is better using Suboxone or just detoxing and going to rehab. I am addicted to vicodin or basically any opiate I can get my hands on. I have even done heroin a few times but I try not to. I have considered fast opiate detox but it seems like it does not work as well as they say it does. Do you recommend fast opiate detox instead of drug rehab or not? Thank you for helping me to understand the best way to go, I am very confused with all the choices.
Read answer →Is Longer Treatment Better?
If someone can go to rehab for any length of time what is the best amount of time to go for. Is longer always better. I am asking for someone who is a very heavy alcoholic who has been to rehab and outpatient treatment programs before. Is it best to go to like a year long program if possible?
Read answer →Heroin Addict Needs Immediate Help
im 31 and i dont have a phone,i really need help bad from heroin addiction asap. is there anything i can do for immediate help? live in new jersey,no money,no insurrance. please help me
Read answer →Adult Son Who Needs Treatment Without Insurance
I'm not sure if the first request went through so I will try again, I am looking for some direction and options for my adult son which has no insurance for treatment, how can I get him state medical treatment? please advise me on helping him get into a detox/rehab he is not willing to do this himself, I need information on tangible help for him before I present it to him. thank you.. Pam
Read answer →Son Who Needs Treatment for Alcoholism
Hello, I am inquiring for my son , he's 32 and is an admitted alcoholic, I am looking for some assistance and information regarding insurance, he has none, I am disabled and have medi/medi, so I need to know if there is any way to get him /detox/treatment? will the state pick up insurance for it? he won't even apply for anything for himself. please help me with some sort of direction /options??. thank you Pam hinkle pamhinkle98@gmail.com
Read answer →H.A.L.T. (Hungry Angry Lonely Tired)
I have never as an adult wanted to sleep for more than 3 or 4 hours a night. My therapist says this is one reason why I am having trouble with a pattern or relapsing. I am an alcoholic in recovery. I want a second opinion. I do not think every person needs 8 hours a night. I do not feel tired and I do not think fatigue is the reason why I have relapsed. Do I really need to force myself to get more sleep than I need? Is it actually possible to be tired and not realize that you are tired? This seems unlikely to me?
Read answer →Relapse While on Vacation
I am 14 months sober or actually I should say I was 14 months sober. I am on vacation at the beach and for some reason I just felt that old itch last night and so I scratched it. There is something about hotels that always makes me want to tie one on. So I am supposed to stay here for another 2 weeks. Do you think it matters if I just stay and keep drinking for as long as my vacation is since I have already started or should I end my trip early and go back to AA meetings. I was going to a lot of aa meetings but I stopped going when I got busy at work about 4 months ago and I guess I figured I didn’t need them anymore.
Read answer →The Difference Between 12 Step and Rational Recovery
What is the difference between the 12 Step recovery model, and the "rational recovery" model? Can you use both for different addictions, or are you stuck with one once you've picked one? I'm asking because I used the 12 Steps of AA / NA to stop drinking & using drugs (804 days today), but I can't seem to stop smoking. I'm wondering if the "rational recovery" approach could help at all.
Read answer →Can Willpower Help Someone Use Less Cocaine?
How can I strengthen my willpower? Is this what people learn to do in rehab? I cannot afford to go to rehab or stop working but I would like to try to reduce how much cocaine I take. Are there some mental exercises or something that I can do to help me with this?
Read answer →What to Do When You Cannot Stop Using Drugs
Relapsed and blew through $400 last night. Crack is my thing. I already did a whole outpatient program and I know all about avoiding triggers and all that but yesterday there was no reason for it I just had a good day and then I got a text from my dealer and I just called up for 20 for no reason. And then I didn’t stop till my bank was cleared out. Now I’m broke and have no rent money and not sure if I can even scrape it up in time. I am one step away from homeless and I still can’t stop. What am I supposed to do?
Read answer →Becoming Alcoholic
I like to drink and party. After reading some articles on this site I gotta wonder if there isn’t a bit of scaremongering going on. According to the FACTS here anyone who drinks more than 5 drinks in a night is a BINGE DRINKER and risking alcoholism. I am in College and everyone I know drinks more than 5 drinks in a night at least 2 or 3 times a week. Are we ALL going to become alcoholics? Seems UNLIKELY.
Read answer →How to Know If You Are an Alcoholic
Who can help me with a drinking problem? I have been to 12 steps meetings and they just don’t feel right to me. I feel like everyone there has a problem that’s 10 times worse than what I am dealing with. I feel like a poseur. But on the other hand I keep getting into trouble with drinking and with drinking and driving and from my wife who I am separated with at the moment in part because of the problems from my drinking. I have a problem but I do not drink every day and I do not think I am an alcoholic. I feel like AA and rehab and what not is all set up to deal with people who are alcoholics and I am not sure where the guy like me is supposed to turn? Can you offer me any advice on getting some help, even though I must stress, I am not an alcoholic?
Read answer →Are All Drugs Bad for You?
Are there any substances that can get you high or buzzed that are not bad for you or addictive? I know this is a site that doesn’t promote drug use but I know myself and I can never give up drugs completely so I was just hoping that maybe I could find something that wouldn’t kill me at least.
Read answer →Teen Looking for Alcoholism Treatment for a Parent
Hello, I am the daughter of an alcoholic. I am 15 years old and I live with my Dad and step mother, visiting with my alcoholic mother every weekend. I know my mother would get help if I found a way for her to. She seems to have given up but I haven't. She is on disability for her back so she doesn't have enough money to go to a treatment facility and I don't think her insurance would cover it. Is there any way for her to be admitted to a facility for free or for her to get help for free?
Read answer →Alcohol Detox - Without Money for Treatment
I live in Atlanta. I have no money to pay the rent this month. I am unemployed. I am an alcoholic. I was working as a pizza chef and I got fired for drinking at work. I used to be a guy that had a master’s degree and now I am a guy that can’t hold down a job in a pizza place. I am ready to stop but I have no money (as I mentioned). If I just wait until I get really shaky and then go to a hospital will they detox me? I wake up with bad shakes every morning so it won’t take too long. I think if I can not drink until midnight I will be in very bad shape. I want to move into a sober living house but I need to get detoxed first. There is no way I can afford rehab.
Read answer →Drug Treatment for the Uninsured
I have signed up for this web site for my brother. My brother David is a meth abuser and he has a wife and 2 boys under the age of 8. We grew up around this surroundings with my parents. He is finally wanting the help a 6-9 month program that will detox him, send him through a program, and then maybe a half way house too let him back into society. I live in TX and there's not really many options considering we have no insurance on him and plus he doesn't work at the moment. I am really hoping you could turn me too the right direction and help me out. Thanks for you taking your time too read this. Hope you have a wonderful day.
Read answer →Switching from Methadone to Suboxone
I am currently on 20mgs of methadone and want to switch to suboxone..I am very scared of the transition..can you suggest the proper transition..
Read answer →Does It Take More Than Willpower to Stop Drinking?
How can I make my willpower stronger? I am trying to stop myself from drinking liquor every night. I do not have a drinking problem really since I am kept on my toes as the owner of my own contracting company with 16 people counting on my for paychecks but too often I feel like those late night drinks with the guys steal energy from me that I should be directing towards my wife and 2 kids. I have good intentions but I work a lot late nights and my business partner always has vodka on ice in his office and there is just always drinking going on around me I always say just one then and that always turns into just 7 or 8 before I manage to head back home.
Read answer →Opposite Sex Sponsor
My wife is a recovering alcoholic. She has had trouble finding a sponsor that she feels comfortable with. Now she has found a sponsor that she really likes and she says he gets her and calls her on her bulls**t. The problem is he is a handsome guy and she had an affair before one when she was still drinking. I am feeling insecure I guess but I am just not comfortable with her spending a lot of time with this person. Am I wrong to ask her to change because of my jealousy? It feels wrong, but not asking her feels really wrong too, in my gut.
Read answer →Out of State Treatment
Do I currently have to be a resident of the state that I would like to do my treatment?
Read answer →How to Decrease Drinking
I have made the same new years resolution that I am going to make this year for the past 3 years. I want to cut down my drinking. I am not an alcoholic but I do drink too much and I am overweight and unhealthy because of this. I never make it more than a few weeks though before my old habits return. I do truly wish to cut down and to keep it up but I am not really interested in stopping altogether. I go to a lot of dinners and parties and I can’t imagine doing this without drinking anything at all. Can you give me some advice to help me stay true to my goal to reduce my alcohol intake over the next year?
Read answer →LSD and Depression
Is LSD a bad idea for a person who has depression? My friend wants to take some because it was the only drug he ever really loved and it has been a long time since he felt any love or joy at all. Will it make things worse or will it just give a few hours of fun? I can get it for my friend but I am not sure if I should or not?
Read answer →Alcoholics Anonymous
What percentage of people that try AA actually get and stay sober for a long time. Do you think there is anything special about what happens in AA exactly or is just that meeting with a bunch of other people who are also trying to stay sober is helpful support?
Read answer →Suboxone Long Term Use
I am on Suboxone. I don’t really mind it other than the cost. Is it bad for me to use this medication for a long time? I think if it is not bad for me I would just like to use this forever. Is this OK?
Read answer →Treatment Options When Insurance Is an Issue
I am 7 months sober but I still need more recovery. My insurance won't pay for long term, but I don't have much money. What can I do?
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