has anyone been to rehab?

[Lune]

I've had a long term relationship with mother poppy, pure opium with all 40+ alkaloids. The euphoria isn't quite there like it is for other opiates due to competitive binding, but it's the ultimate pain-devastator, provided a lot of energy and focus, mild euphoria etc. I did eventually get addicted for a while and quitting that was more difficult than getting my doctorate. Nearly two weeks of sweating, restlessness, anxiety, depression, searing pain, complete dopamine and serotonin crashes with zero ability to do anything but stare at a wall or read for bouts of 10-15 minutes, while time passed as slowly as a schoolkid watching a clock-- also with crippling insomnia, all followed by weeks of PAWS. Oh yea and hypersensitivity such that I'd nut if my wife so much as glanced at my wang, I'd be lucky to make it in before nutting lol. You're not just coming off morphine or any other single opiate, you're coming off of every alkaloid in that plant. Pure hell and the worst thing that's ever happened to me.

It all started when I "inherited" the mother lode of hydros, oxys, and morphine from a deceased relative who was on powerful rx pain meds their entire life from an injury. I'm talking thousands of pills. The feeling of those first hydro highs were indescribable. Just a state of pure bliss, waves of warmth and pleasure washing over my body like the ocean, unimaginable euphoria, and profound feelings of peace and bliss, that all is right in the world and forever will be. Still gives me chills to listen to certain songs I listened to during those highs. One time I nodded and watched How It's Made for like 4 hours and it was like a religious experience. Sure enough I chased the fuck out of that dragon, but I was careful never to use too frequently... for years. Actually managed to never get addicted until I ran out years later and switched to pure opium.

Kratom was a godsend in quitting opium, took the WD symptoms down a good 50%, eliminated the diarrhea, and allowed me a couple-hour window to pass time playing a game or something. Having some xanax on hand helped immensely as well for insomnia during that ordeal. Weed edibles and gabapentin also provided considerable temporary relief from WD's, just watch out for restless legs/arms with gabapentin during WD if you're susceptible to that-- sometimes that'd be worse than the WD's themselves.

OP, tapering was instrumental for me in kick-starting the quitting. I tapered my dose down about 80% over time before jumping off which made it a lot better than it could have been (though also drew it out). Rehab can be effective, but like others mentioned in the thread your friend absolutely has to want it, and he has to cut those ties, habits, and rituals to stay clean from the alcohol.

I still try to stay away from the Publix bakery because I'd usually grab some shit from there to counteract the bitterness of my opium.

I'm not sure a time will ever come that I won't periodically dream of the feeling of being high, particularly on hydros-- I dont think you can ever not miss it, but you can get further away from it. Addiction literally rewrites pathways in your brain, makes you extremely creative in the reasons you could totally use right now and in fact should!