I thought when my husband stopped using that his physical ailments would disappear - 3 years on, they haven’t! I now wonder if the use masked them…or enhanced them.
Achey back, terrible sleep.
I’m super interested if others have noticed this in their loved ones?
In a weird way, this is encouraging @polly! Encouraging to know that my concerns about dad’s physical pains still flaring even after he’s stopped using is not that unusual.
I have heard that physical pains do come back much worse after the using stops. I spoke to my boyfriend’s uncle the other day who has been sober for +10 years from pain pills and he said he has a lot of neck/back pain that heightened when he stopped using. He still participates in a suboxone program to help with pain. He told me that’s just what works for him.
I noticed with my boyfriend, he has a really bad back and it flares up much more when he’s sober. I know it’s an excuse but he tells me that sometimes the pain is so bad, it makes him want to use because he knows it’s the only thing that will be a quick fix.
As a recovering addict I would have to say yes, absolutely. Especially for a person who uses opiates. It makes perfect sense. I mean thats what doctors give people who suffer from pain. I never had back pain when I was using or on opiates. As a matter of fact the pain I started having in my body as I have stopped has been very difficult. And its things I never fealt or realized before. You also got to understand as addicts/alcoholics most of us have not done a great job taking care of ourselves either.