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Patient Story K
I am twenty-year old
college student. I started using drugs recreationally when I
was seventeen years old. I tried pretty much everything from
cocaine to fentanyl. I thought I was just a normal person who just loved to
party, until the day I tried OxyContin. Within a week, I was
both mentally and physically addicted to the drug.
I did OxyContin
everyday for about 7 months before I made my first attempt at getting sober. I
quit cold turkey. The withdrawals were miserable. My entire body ached, all the
way down to my bones. I would break out into cold sweats and then bundle up to
get warm, but then I would get too hot. Nothing could make me comfortable. My
hands would shake and I was constantly anxious. I had this feeling that
something was about to happen, something terrible, but nothing ever did. I lay
awake at night, crying my eyes out, wishing I could die, because nothing could
convince me that I was ever going to feel better. The withdrawals were so
painful that I didn’t even desire being sober, or not having to rely on oxy. ALL
I wanted was more of the drug. Honestly, all that kept me going was the fact
that I would get money soon so that I could buy more oxy. The cravings consumed
every second of every day. I would constantly try and think of crazy ideas to
come up with fifty dollars here and there. After seven dreadful days, the
withdrawals were finally over. But oxy was still ALL I thought about. I told
myself I would only do it twice a week. I swore up and down that I would not
allow myself to become physically dependent on the drug again. But who was I
kidding? My addiction was way too powerful for me to control. Within two weeks
I was getting high again.
I continued to use
oxy every single day for the next four or five months. My life began spiral
downward quickly until I finally hit rock bottom. I was in
debt, couldn’t afford rent, and had burned everyone who cared about me. I
decided to search for a way out. Many people I knew were on a drug called
Suboxone. I heard that Dr. Howalt specialized in addiction medicine, and I
decided to go into his office. He prescribed me Suboxone. Within a couple days
of taking the medicine, I started to feel better. I didn’t experience any
withdrawal symptoms, and my mood even improved. The thing that shocked me the
most is that I had no desire whatsoever to do oxy. It still baffles me that
this little orange pill seems to eliminate the craving almost entirely.
Dr. Howalt’s
outpatient program is amazing. He and his staff offer a
world of knowledge and unconditional acceptance. There are
no judgments made at SLOARC. The doctor and his staff are
there for you, day or night. As recommended by Dr. Howalt,
I now attend at least one AA or NA meeting a day. Thanks to
these meetings and Dr. Howalt’s program, I am clean and looking forward to
actually living my life. I am forever grateful to Dr. Howalt
and his staff. Without them, my addiction would have
eventually killed me.
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San Luis Obispo
Addiction Recovery
Center