[Time2Change]

I am addicted to Vicodin. I started doing it with my best friend. She has quit but I still do it. I feel as if I do it out of boredom. I really don't feel a need to do it until I am doing nothing and bored.

I have lost my best friend over this. I have lied and told her I have quit many times but never actually have. She told me she will not support me anymore while this addiction is present. I now feel the willingness to change as my best friend means the world to me.

Here's my question. I don't know where to start. Both with kicking this addiction and mending a broken friendship. As her husband had told me "I've cried wolf to many times for her to believe me when I say I finally want to quit". How do I show her I am serious this time. What can I do to mend this friendship and also get healthy again? She won't talk to me as of right now.

I was pointed to this site for advice by her husband, as a first step in recovering and getting advice and opinions from those experiencing or those who have experienced similar situations.

-Courtney

[Jake2008]

How long have you been using Vicodin, and have you ever seriously tried to quit? If so, what have your symptoms been, and did you require medical assistance.

You imply that you can stop and start at will, usually out of boredom. If your 'addiction' is more recent, is increased use causing other problems such as multiple prescriptions from different doctors, buying off the street, etc. In other words, when did this go from something you could control, to something that is out of your control.

While you may wish to mend friendships that have suffered because of your drug use, if that is all that is motivating you, I'm not sure you are yet ready to change your life, for yourself. Only after you take care of you, can you begin to understand and mend friendships, get your life on track, and stay clean and healthy.

Withdrawal from this drug in my opinion, should not be done without medical intervention. There can be some very serious side effects during detoxification, and you should be monitored by your Doctor. That, I would recommend as a first step. He or she will be able to better determine a course of action after a thourough assessment.

It isn't enough to just want to. You need to take the steps, yourself, to make it happen. The resources are endless and there are many who can assist you, once you decide to take that first step, and take that first step for all the right reasons.

When you take care of yourself, everything else will fall into place.