doing well

seth is my name and i'm from stillwater, Minnesota. My last post was sometime in January, so its been a while and i just wanted to say hi to the people here. I've been taking methadone since April 2009, and sober since September 5, 2009. Like many people here, i've been through hell and i'm here. I've fallen many times but the important part is that i picked myself up. I'm
always here to talk if anyone wants.

37 years old myself.just got on methadone two months ago.i had a 12 year vicodin/oxycodone habit that liked to have killed me not to mention losing money and family.

Mike75- It was nice to see a response to my post so soon. Sometimes when I post things to a forum, I never get any sort of reply, and it makes me feel like I am simply posting to myself. So, thanks for taking the time to share a part of yourself. You know, we are all very different people, but we all have something in common: addiction. We cannot do this thing called life by ourselves, when we do, we use drugs. Together, we are strong and we can learn to be happy and content without needing to escape reqality just to make it through a day. I want to share a little about my history. I had my first drink when I was about 11. my first cigarette when I was 11, my first time use of pot was 16, by 19 I had moved on to use cocaine, LSD, mushrooms, methamphetamine, vicodin, oxycodone, xanax, nitrous baloons and by 20 years old I was growing marijuana for profit. In 2008, I was drinkiong vodka and taking xanax in an attempt to come down from a crack cocaine binge that lasted 3 days. I passed out on my arm and didn't move for almost 24 hours. My parents found me and called an ambulance because I couldn't move or breath wel and was unaware of my condition. I ended up with a collapsed lung. Also, from laying on my arm so long without moving because I was so knocked out by xanax and alcohol, I developed what is called " Compartment Syndrome." The flow of blood and thus the flow of oxygen was cut off from my muscels in my right arm and the nerves and I required emergency surgery because the breakdown of muscle protein releases toxins that if they reach a certain level, can cause death. So I spent 17 days in the hospital for that and the next 3 months with a "wound vac" connected to my open scar on my arm in order to close the incision that was 12cm long and 5cm wide. In the following 13 months, I was admitted to a hospital 14 times for drug related overdoses. They were all very serious, but the most serious was when I cut open 2 100mcg/hr Fentanyl patches and swallowed the entire contents on top of more oxycontin than I can remember. It was after that OD, that the doctors gave me an option: I wasn't leaving that hospital unless they enrolled me in a methadone program, or if I didn't accept that option, they would petition the state to have me committed to the state to a lockdown facility due to the danger I posed to myself and the public. I chose methadone treatment. I ended up leaving the clinic I started at, relapsed went to inpatient treatment again, and lated started at my current clinic in April 2009. Throughout my drug use, I always heavily abused benzos, especially xanax and ativan, and it almost killed me more times than I remember. Today, I don't need drugs or alcohol, though, sometimes, I do think about smoking pot. I loved it, but it didn't love me. So, I choose sobriety. I attend AA twice a week and run a meeting on one of those days. I have spoke a few times and I try to walk most days as it helps me relax and feel good about myself. Maybe you see some of yourself in my story, i'm sure I would find some of myself in yours: We like to get high and escape. But we know where it leads: death, jail or institutions. I've been in jail many times and built up a criminal record that includes to felonies and 5 misdameanors. I don't want to die at my own hands. I still have much to work on. I seem to have acquired a food addiction and now my weight is a very serious issue. Anyways, stay strong and remember these 3 things are required to be content in your sobriety: be open minded, be honest and be willing. See ya' round.