You’ve gotten through the roughest parts of opiate detox. You’re at home and you continue on your maintenance schedule according to the treatment plan that you’ve created with your doctor. You get up every morning and take your medication, be it Suboxone or methadone. If you have a job, then you head there and if you have small children, then you spend time with them. If not, maybe a meeting, out for coffee, take care of the house…. What are you supposed to do all day?

One of the problems with opiate detox is that it’s boring. I’ve heard so many people say that they ended up relapsing because they didn’t have anything to do. TV got old and they just weren’t getting any ideas about how to spend their time. The opportunity arose to get loaded, and so they did. This is where chaos comes in.

Chaos and Opiate Detox

It may seem counterintuitive, but just like you have to ingest some fats while you’re trying to lose weight, you also need a certain amount of chaos in your life in order to successfully navigate an opiate detox. Yes, you need to stay away from the negative elements and stressors that put you in a position to use in the first place, but you can’t bury yourself at home and hide for the rest of your life, either. Humans crave contact and contact breeds chaos. And a little chaos can help you fight off the boredom that may drive you to relapse.

Where to Find Chaos

Maybe a friend of yours is having issues with her boyfriend or husband and needs someone to listen. Maybe you have a niece or nephew who could use a little “auntie” time. You can always find someone who needs something at meetings, whether it’s advice, companionship or a ride somewhere. The point? Controlled chaos can help you take your mind off yourself, get you out of the house, appreciate your situation and your newfound sobriety.

How do you create balance in your life during opiate detox?

So in addition to SecondRoad.com and Narcotics Anonymous meetings blogging about your recovery like the fabulous bottlecappie does, there is yet another online resource for those who are looking for support during the often-isolating Suboxone detox: SoberCircle.com.

Online Recovery Resources at SoberCircle.com

SoberCircle.com is one of the largest online recovery communities I’ve seen with more than 28,000 members to date. If you’re looking for a virtual recovery community, this one provides just about everything you could possibly ask for: forums, access to a variety of recovery resources including local treatment facilities and interventionists, blogs, a marketplace. Their resources pages has tons of informational articles on treatment resources and prevention resources in addition to recovery resources. There are also links to journals as well as resources for friends and family members of those who are addicted to all manner of drugs and alcohol, not just opiates.

The Future at SoberCircle.com

They’re also redeveloping the entire site to include online meetings, more media, online audio and video, among other things. Check it out! It’s free to join and you might just read something that you needed to hear today or run across old friends or make new ones that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

What’s your favorite online recovery resource?

There are as many triggers to relapse during opiate detox as there are people undergoing opiate withdrawal treatment. It can be as simple as the mention of a certain drug or the description of using it or what it’s like under the influence. For others visual triggers like seeing someone use in a movie is enough where others only find themselves fade under pressure when someone is using in front of them. Being offered something to drink can trigger the desire to use, even if alcoholism isn’t a problem. That’s why so many find that abstinence from all mind altering substances is the best way to stay off their addictive drug of choice. So how do you avoid relapse when you’re faced with a trigger?

Get. Out.

There is only one way to avoid relapse during opiate detox: take yourself out of the situation. If you feel vulnerable or unsafe in any way no matter what the situation, get out. It’s easy enough if it’s a movie you’re watching: just turn the channel. But what about when it’s a more difficult situation, like roommates who use or have guests who get loaded in front of you or a negative work situation?

Though not easy to deal with, the answer is the same: If you live with people who are using around you or who often have people over who use despite your sensitivity to the situation, find a new place to live. If you work with people who are using around you, find a new job as soon as you can.

In the Meantime…

Getting out may not be as simple as walking away. It may take time for you to find a new job, a new home, new places to hang out. What do you do in the meantime? Though you may not be able to squash the trigger permanently—and really, that will never happen—you can always remove yourself from the situation for the moment. If you can’t leave the building for whatever reason, go to another room or step outside, put on headphones to drown out the conversation, go online. If you can leave the physical presence of the people or situation that is causing you stress, just take a walk or head out to a coffee shop, window shopping, anything to put some space between you and anything that could interfere with your opiate detox.
What are your triggers? What tempts you to use during opiate detox and recovery? How do you avoid temptation?