Conquered 9 year cocaine addiction but now take diazepam

Question

answers please from people with experience of both.

cos of my coke problem it left me unable to function in social occasions due to anxiety depersonalisation depression etc.I managed to quit several months ago and tried every natural and legal method of relaxation,gud nutrition,exercise etc but nothing helped.my doc eventualy prescribed diazepam which immediately worked.he prescribed 14 5mg a month which i found inadequate so i buy them illegitametely and sometimes take up2 50mg a night just to help me relax.which has a knock on effect of keeping me calm the next day.I never take them during the day and only take them 3 or 4 times a week.I no all about the addictive potential of diazepam but because of these i have managed in the space of several months to complete a level 4 in drugs and alcohol and basic counselling and been offered work as a mentor which is something which wud have been impossible without diazepam.I still have bad days but the gud days are slowly catching up.haha

Any advice,similar experiences or personal thoughts on this wud be gratefully recieved.

many thanks

rich

Answer 1

Congratulations on quitting cocaine. It's good you know that diazepam is addictive because quitting a full blown diazepam addiction is harder than a cocaine addiction. I fully agree that 14 5mg a month really wouldn’t help.  You should be getting that a week for a serious anxiety condition.  Try not to use more than 20 mg per day. 50 mg is considered recreational use.  Diazepam is the most abused prescription in the US so just keep that in mind.  Comming off benzo's I thought I was going to die. Taper down to a low does and take a non-addictive supplement to come off completly like varian root. Good luck.

Answer 2

Be honest with your doctor!!!  Tell him that the dose prescribed ain't cuttin it and he may increase your dose or give you something different that stays in your system a little longer.And it's not even that it's a bad thing to adjust your own doses, but the people you have to associate with to pick up illegal d-pams.  I'm pretty sure they have other things that will tempt you besides scripts and it's just best not to expose yourself like that.

As someone who's been in your boat, I sympathize with your plight, but you're substituting the valium for your cocaine.  Trust me, man.  It takes time to get yourself straight(more than a few months) and it ain't easy.  The things that helped me the most were NA (narcs anonymous) and finding something you enjoy to do to occupy your time (I found martial arts).  Be strong, brother.  Life really is great once you are free.  Best of luck to you.

Answer 3

First of all,Well done you for breaking your habit of

cocaine.

I myself am a recovering alcoholic and drug abuser!

I also have Diazepam among other prescribed drugs on a Daily basis to help me function and relieve depression and pain.

The danger of what you are doing is,

You have replaced one addiction for another.

I do understand about the diazepam as I know how much they help me.

The problem is Poppet,the more you take,as with any drug,the more your body will rely on.

So eventually you will be back to square one,with all the

symptoms of withdrawals,dependancy and lack of judgement.

I was 35 years an addict,have been clean now just over 2 years.

Every Day is a struggle and Every Day a battle.

I have been very near to relapse,but thankfully am remaining the winner.

I know just as all addicts do that this fight will never go away.

I also know how hard it is to stay clean and focused.

The bottom line for all of us,is the choice between life and death. I choose to live for as long as I am able.

Mentoring is a great job,but ask yourself, in truth is this a job you can go into knowing you are still relying on drugs.It seems to be some what misleading and immoral

don't you think?

Any way Sweet, I wish you well and hope you can ease yourself off diazepam,as you are still living a lie

if you are taking more than you should.And eventually,

Poppet,tou will come unstuck.

God Bless.x

What difference sweetheart does it make what I think of Your reply,For as We addicts know,

In the end we will do whatever we so choose,

regardless of what is right or wrong!

Just Believe in yourself Poppet, If you Want to you Will get to where you wan't to be!

I am rooting for you!x

Answer 4

Im so sorry

Answer 5

Hey there,

I'm not sure what your question is, but congrats on quitting the cocaine!  ;-]

Well, diazepam is a legal prescription drug that's used to treat a documented medical condition.  You're getting it without a prescription?  I don't mean to preach, but you do know that diazepam is a controlled substance?  Anywho, what will happen if/when your *source* is shutdown?  

You are taking more than the usual adult dosage of diazepam, which is 4-40mg per day.  I took low dose of the benzo Klonopin years ago for insomnia and now I take Ambien 10mg.  Benzodiazepine withdrawal will be a nightmare for you given the high dose your on.

Just talk to your doctor.  I strongly suggest being assertive; repeat yourself if you necessary.  Let him or her know how much anxiety your experiencing and that a measly 14 5mg tablets don't cut it.  There are lots of effective medications available to treat anxiety; examples include Xanax XR, BuSpar and SSRI anti-depressants.

Peace

Answer 6

Congrats on coming off the coke, you know your next step is coming off the diazipam. Get some help to do this before this drug dominates your life as the coke did.

Answer 7

I am a recovering person, who also works in the addictions field. (14+ years of living clean and grateful for every second)

You probably have replaced the cocaine with the Valium, given what you have described. (Switched addictions)

I understand about the depression, anxiety, etc., but you are self-medicating due to the fact you have increased your dose by purchasing illegal street drugs, and your prescriber is not aware of the changes you have made to your 'dosage'.

This is typical 'Addict' behavior.

It is important to know that addiction to any substance is a disease process that can never be cured, only managed.

You mention many things you have done to get help. You have not mentioned any 12 Step programs. Cocaine Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are two such programs that you would probably find very helpful.

Check out     www.na.org    for Narcotics Anonymous meetings near you   or   ca.org for Cocaine Anonymous meetings near you.

The people at those meetings have anywhere from 24 hours to 50 years clean. They understand that addiction is a disease. They know what you are going through, and how hard it can be. They are real people who know how to get clean and stay clean.

And, yes, they have been where you are. Did you know that it is entirely possible to have fun without any substance at all?

I didn't, but I learned how to!  

Life really can be wonderful without drugs!

God Bless you on your quest,

Dee

Answer 8

I've never been addicted to cocaine, I did take 120-150 mg of diazepam a day for a while, though. The withdrawals are truly horrendous, as I'm sure you've been told. You're going to suffer at some stage. As for being involved in drug counselling, that's a joke! Unless you're straight yourself, it's an insult to people looking for help. Wanting to be some kind of social worker is a pretty clear sign that you need one yourself. Get straight first! Valium is a nasty, vicious little drug.

Answer 9

you have switched one addiction for another. dude you need some serious help. most people just cannot quit cocaine cold turkey. you need to check into a rehab immediately and get some help.