Another trip...

Detox was another trip.  I don't recall much of the first three days other than making sure I heard them call my name when it was time for meds.  They had a hard time keeping my pulse rate below 100, I had tremors, was sweaty, had a headache and was highly agitated.  The treatment for withdrawal was vitamins and valium (for the first five days).  I didn't like it much when they took the valium away; a lot of feelings surfaced without being medicated and most of them were negative in nature.  I had been depressed for a long, long time (at least a couple of years if not more).  Supposedly, depression is anger turned inwards.  Well, that anger started oozing out on day 6 of detox.  I was pissed and asking for a punching bag.  "Use your pillow" the techs, nurses and case worker said.  Really?  A pillow?  I wanted to punch the living shit out of something.  That whole debacle (and it was) subsided in about 24 hours.  Actually, most of my emotional crisis did.

My nine days in detox equaled a lifetime of memories, that's for sure.  Some of the residents going through detox from opiates had to be so medicated they nodded into their pudding.  Sad fact, but true and it has great entertainment value.  We'd have to go to a 12 step meeting each night we were there unless we wanted to stay in our room.  Inevitably, you'd hear someone snoring five minutes after the meeting started because they just couldn't stay awake!  Poking them was kinda fun.

As my doctor and I worked on the psych cocktail that suited my needs best, I had some entertaining times of adjustment.  There were a few manic episodes during which I laughed uncontrollably, made inappropriate jokes, or spoke many sentences that segued into show tunes.  Kind of miss those times.  However, I know all too well there is a huge downside when the fun ends.

My entire experience with the staff and residents was pretty remarkable and surprisingly smooth.  The day of my discharge I let out a loud "Woo hoo" as I walked through their front doors into the fresh air.  Then I smoked about six cigarettes.  Ahhhh.  There wasn't any smoking in that facility and I had worn a nicotine patch the entire time.

My mood was still a little high the first few days I was home, but it was au naturelle.  That was good enough for me!