AndyAmine. Posted August 4, 2008 Yeah most reformed IV addicts will tell you the same, the smell of Isopropyl alcohol triggers me off instantly and makes me want to heave although its slowly getting a little better. I use it a lot for sterilization in the garden etc so I guess Im slowly reconditioning my self.... a little bit... Most addicts end up using needles as a method of economy, simple as that, I smoked heroin for about 6 months before I finally gave in one afternoon then there was no looking back. I used needles very occasionally in the 3 or 4 years before that, I found I could take it or leave it, I even shot heroin one time and ddint try heroin again for another 2yrs. My GF on the other hand was an instant addict, he just loved it from the first smoke and well, beceuase she was hassling me to go get it with her every day and because I was the one payiong for it I would want some of it too and before long I was hooked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baphomet Posted August 4, 2008 The smell of swabs gets me too but strangely enough so do some rubbish bins.. Yes rubbish bins! I don't know why but there is some kind of organic matter that smells a lot like heroin when it starts to decompose, haven't figured out what it is yet but I have heard other people say the same thing. I am not talking about when it's in rock form in which it only smells faintly like vinegar (if you have enough to even give off an odour), I mean the smell of good dope in the spoon when you mull it up. Smells that remind me of this often bring on a psychosomatic reaction that makes me start phisically withdrawing again and I often end up dripping with sweat, (and its been over 5 years since I had my last taste). Quitting this shit is a tough gig and anyone who tells you that the withdrawals & cravings only last a few days or weeks is full of shit! It is a lifelong struggle and requires enormous strength of character. Anyone who has quit cigarettes will be all too aware of the fact that the cravings last for years not days or weeks and certain triggers like alcohol, food, passive smoke, etc can trigger it all off again years later and they can often find themselves being a grouchy motherfucker with sweaty palms, hair standing on end, etc withdrawing as if it were just yesterday that they had their last smoke! Same thing!! I know this wasn't meant to be a thread about getting off opiates but I am aware of at least one other member who is doing just that at the moment so forgive me for going a little off topic! I don't want to talk up the challenges involved or sound pessamistic, I'm just trying to be realistic and tell you what I think it takes and prepare you for what I am going through. I have never been to an NA meeting but I know that there is a common saying among former addicts that you have to hit rock bottom before you can stop using, may not be true for people who have just dabbled but this was certainly true in my case! IMO something has to "click" in your head, I know I am using a commonly possibly overused expression but thats the best way that I can describe it. Even if you are unfamiliar with what the term means you have to knowingly or unknowingly perform self hypnosis! If it takes a bad experience such as interferon/ribovirin therapy or a serious overdose to snap you out of it then so be it but eventually you have to associate heroin use with death decay and suffering rather than euphoria & satisfaction. The good news is that once your brain has been wired this way you can exercise your will in many other aspects of day to day life which ironically can make you much healthier than the general population. It's like Nietzsche said.. "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!". Maybe not true in all cases but it is in this one! I quit just about every drug you could think of in one day and nearly died from withdrawals and then after doing that I stopped eating refined sugar for about a year and could eat vegies or whatever was good for me without any trouble whatsoever because my brain was wired in such a way, its not like I don't crave shit food when I see or smell it but I can easily program my brain to associate these foods with death & decay and I don't dwell on it. Whilst they may still be strong, cravings will become less frequent over time and your brain will learn to block them out soon after they pop into your head and whilst they seem like they will last forever they are just transient often lasting a matter of seconds. All the best! Sincerely, Baphomet Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Undergrounder Posted August 4, 2008 "Smells that remind me of this often bring on a psychosomatic reaction that makes me start phisically withdrawing again and I often end up dripping with sweat, (and its been over 5 years since I had my last taste). " Interesting you say that, i wasn't sure whether i believed the whole red room thing but i guess theres a lot of truth to it. I think that's one reason why people try to get off the gear by going overseas... not only to get away from contacts, but to get rid of all familiar settings and conditioned stimuli. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndyAmine. Posted August 4, 2008 (edited) yeah, it helps a lot, moving QLD helped thats for sure, however it can be a problem when they decided to do a tour of S.America or S.E Asia.. LOL.. That said addiction needs to be resolved at the core, unfortunately just removing your self from it for a period of time will very rarely be effective unless permanent because once you are reintroduced to the triggers and or drugs it will all come flooding back and you will be back to square one. I was told joke about a man addicted to masturbation by my detox Dr once that would fit this topic very well but for the life of me I cant remember it, Ill try and find it online. Reaching rock bottom is absolutely right Bapho, sometimes it takes more than once and each time the bottom of the barrel is a little lower. As you infer, it has a lot to do with reinforcement and retraining your mind to believe that its not a good thing but its not easy, its a bit like trying to teach yourself that sex and orgasm is a bad thing, there has been so much positive reinforcement already to the contrary it seems impossible. I was watching a program on foxtel recently about sex offenders and there was a negative reinforcement treatment used in the USA where they would get the person to talk about their favorite scenario and record it, then they would place the person in a room, the person would then have to chew an extremely bitter tasting tablet, turn on their tape recording (on repeat), open a scent bottle that contained the smell of rotting human flesh and then watch a video of gory human situations and conditions of human disfigurement like war wounds, accidents, flesh diseases, STD's etc. They would then have to take a smell of the bottle every few minutes or particularly when they became aroused. Apparently this has been showing a fair bit of success which is proven by putting the person into a penis/erection testing device and playing footage or their fetish.. Edited August 4, 2008 by AndyAmine. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Undergrounder Posted August 4, 2008 I was watching a program on foxtel recently about sex offenders and there was a negative reinforcement treatment used in the USA where they would get the person to talk about their favorite scenario and record it, then they would place the person in a room, the person would then have to chew an extremely bitter tasting tablet, turn on their tape recording (on repeat), open a scent bottle that contained the smell of rotting human flesh and then watch a video of gory human situations and conditions of human disfigurement like war wounds, accidents, flesh diseases, STD's etc. They would then have to take a smell of the bottle every few minutes or particularly when they became aroused. Apparently this has been showing a fair bit of success which is proven by putting the person into a penis/erection testing device and playing footage or their fetish.. That's fucking nuts man, sounds like something out of a clockwork orange Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MindExpansion Posted August 4, 2008 Sounds fucking exactly like clockwork orange. I've wondered if getting someone to take LSD then doing a treatment like that would re-enforce the treatment even more...on the flip side it might just make something in their brain snap and it would be a fairly terrible thing to do. Peace, Mind Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
t st tantra Posted August 4, 2008 that inside/outside connection of needle to vein,drug into body is such a strange sexuality! but sometimes a certain intensity of experience is needed to calm the soul! imho,dont go there ,its too complicated. t s t . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
baphomet Posted August 4, 2008 Sounds fucking exactly like clockwork orange. I've wondered if getting someone to take LSD then doing a treatment like that would re-enforce the treatment even more...on the flip side it might just make something in their brain snap and it would be a fairly terrible thing to do.Peace, Mind Sounds more like MK-Ultra! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mark80 Posted August 4, 2008 That's fucking nuts man, sounds like something out of a clockwork orange Can't the reverse happen were they learn to get sexual pleasure form those sorts of things. Apprently poeple can develop wierd fetishes by thinking about those things as they orgasm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MindExpansion Posted August 4, 2008 Can't the reverse happen were they learn to get sexual pleasure form those sorts of things. Apprently poeple can develop wierd fetishes by thinking about those things as they orgasm. Interesting point, imagine the sort of sicko's that sort of effect would produce! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chilli Posted August 5, 2008 Yeah I knew guys who injected vegemite when I was a kid, at least they said they did and I had no reason to disbelieve it, they pretty much injected anything. I've heard of people who inject water too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
