oh man, here come the opiate dreams!

[Friday]

I think i am about ready to face pain instead of facing the deeper parts of my subconscious. Taper is the word today. Its a pain to get, its a horror to use. Enough.

How well do you manage with antianxiety meds?

They don’t lessen the pain, any, but they KABOOM! so much the of the body’s pain response that they can be an invaluable tool once you’re off the opiates.

A few of the sports med physios I’ve worked with want all of their athletes and combat vets who can take antianxiety meds on them during certain phases of treatment so we stop “pushing through” the pain, and injuring ourselves further… but can instead shut off that highly trained ‘suck it up, keep going, block out everything else’ disassociation. It blew my mind the first time how much faster I recovered by removing the adrenaline smackdown. Oh. Oh this is WEIRD.

Clearly, benzos are even more addictive than opiates, so need to be handled reeeeeally carefully. But, to be frank? What useful tool doesn’t? Knives, fire, vehicles, medications… are all lethally dangerous. And need to be handled with care. But also wicked useful.

 

[enough]

How well do you manage with antianxiety meds?

i live on them. a fast one for getting to sleep and staying asleep if i am lucky, and a long half life version i employ when i would find myself in danger of using other stress relief methods on stressors that richly deserve it.
yes, they have to be used carefully and are hard to quit using. I have gone through the withdrawals and after a long period without I decided i was better off with and went back. The plan is to stop again after retirement, if i have to sleep so i can work, i need them. And if i am going to be using them anyway, why not nake it easier to get through life without having a stroke or worse? I will live longer if i stick with them.
unfortunately, opiates unleash monsters. I have done this without the anti anx drugs and it was a far worse thing. Wish i didnt have that memory.
thanks@friday, good wise advice, especially the be careful part

 

[enough]

one week without the pain killers on board. Heres what is happening:
the dreams are all but normal again, no more being punished for my sins every night.
Instead of being lulled into a state of calm relaxation and being a good patient with my knee on ice and above my heart, I am on my third cycle of feeling like I can and should be doing more followed by regression and more pain to set me back in my recliner, knee iced and above my heart. Today i am taking the advice of a good social media friend and using the anti anxiety drugs to keep me from feeling like if i can do more then doing more and pushing through the pain, doing harm and slowing the progress.
Unless I come back here with a final outcome post regarding the knee, this thread is basically done. the OP about nightmares from opiate use is satisfied and in the rearview once again.

 

[Freddyt]

Today i am taking the advice of a good social media friend and using the anti anxiety drugs to keep me from feeling like if i can do more then doing more and pushing through the pain

...same as PTSD.....push too hard and it slaps ya back.

Good to hear you are off the pain killers. Hope your recovery goes well and you are up and about soon.