This is day nine of my cold turkey withdraw from a long term pain pill addiction.  In 1993 I contracted a very nasty case of Lyme Disease.  I was treated unsuccessfully for three years with oral antibiotics.  I worked through this period with the very necessary help of Vicodin. Then the Lyme got really bad and forced me to leave my job.  At this point they put me on a very necessary, fairly high dose of Oxycontin.  For the next eleven years  I treated with IV antibiotics through thirteen long term IV treatments, some lasting as long as six months.  Thirteen was my lucky number. My Lyme Disease was finally driven into remission. Unfortunately, after fourteen years the damage done was irreversible.
    I spent years on legal pain pills... three on Vicodin and twenty on Oxycontin.  This is day nine without.  The first three days I was just restless and couldn't get comfortable.  On the third day it really hit, feeling like the flu on steroids.  This morning most of the pain was gone.  I am still weak and fuzzy headed but I feel like maybe the worst is behind me.  This is something I've wanted to do for a long time.  My will is strong. 

I was a drinker for years. Both of my parents were alcoholics, and ultimately it killed my father. When I stopped, it was tough, but I got through it. Many people are addicts, and don't want to admit it. It's always other people's problems, but not theirs. If you need to, get outside support. BTW, I still have the desire to drink sometimes, even after years sober.

I am currently going through alot of pain management,  due to a car accident a couple years ago. Muscle relaxers and sych, but due to my family history.  I lost my younger brother to a herion OD about 1 month before my car accident.  I actually found some herbal remedies that work well for pain. It's called KRATOM it's part of the coffee family,  but attacks the opioid receptors in your brain. Works great for pain, but it's also used as a natural drug addiction  remedy as well. Instead of being on methadone or suboxion.  Kratom is used to help withdrawal symptoms.

Actually you can thank the oil industry.
Hemp can be used to replace many of the fabrics and plastics we currently use oil for - including diesel I believe. When that was discovered was shortly before mj was declared illegal.

never happen today

Good luck Ratman and I hope you stay the course. 

You got this, RM.

Wow a month.  Well done so far RM. Sounds like the worst of it is behind you.

Stay strong!

Keep on truckin'...