Relapse Opiate recoverers.... How many relapses over how long?

[geekgrl]

Sorry I'm on one today, but I have read a lot that stopping IV opiates is a life long battle. This is my 3rd shot at tapering opiates having managed a week each time stopping IV and moving on to 'safer' ones to cut back. I expect I will also have a life long problem. I'm interested to know how long people have stayed clean and what made them relapse? I guess its a mixture of craving and life problems causing set backs?

 

[somnilicious]

I have relapsed too many times to count. I have been an IV heroin addict for 20yrs. During that time I have had proper clean times of over a year, 9 mths and several different month or so long stints. I was also on and off methadone for 10yrs. I always relapse because of my inability to deal with life. I am proud to say that since the first time I got clean for a yr in 2015 that I have not gone back to IV use.

 

[geekgrl]

I have relapsed too many times to count. I have been an IV heroin addict for 20yrs. During that time I have had proper clean times of over a year, 9 mths and several different month or so long stints. I was also on and off methadone for 10yrs. I always relapse because of my inability to deal with life. I am proud to say that since the first time I got clean for a yr in 2015 that I have not gone back to IV use.

Wowsers 5 years is a good deal of time to stay away from IV, deffo a massive achievement. I can see that being a really hard thing to achieve.

 

[THECATINTHEHAT]

Over the course of about 8 years of heavy using (all kinds of drugs including opiates) I detoxed and relapsed on opiates too many times to count, maybe 20+? Not all detox got to the end successfully.

The five years following on from that I've used maybe five bags of gear on five separate occasions, never picked up a habit again (although I did pick up a near death experience with an OD).