KCI The Anti_Meth Site

How do you know you are ready to quit Meth?

lilbit crzy97	how do you know you are ready to quit meth? how do you know when your finally through with meth and ready to quit? i've wanted to quit using lots of things, but i always quit by switching. i don't seem to have the will.
Replies...
Rachel sue76	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? Are you ready yet? You said last week you were ready. *Quote:* i don't seem to have the will. You have got it. You can do it. Just do it one minute at a time if you have to. Can you not use for one minute??? How about the next??? Maybe you have got to start small and then before you know it, you will be where you want to be. I am glad to see you. I have been wondering about you.
Penelope	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? I was never able to quit on my own will either- I was able to jeep using by my own will, but stopping required something more. I needed help, and thank God, I GOT IT!
le grumps	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? If you know you have a problem, and want to not be stuck in the maddness anymore, then you are ready to quit. You don't have to let it get "that bad" or "as bad as such and such". Know that the longer you wait to quit, the more painful and regrettable your future using will be. I think people underestimate regret by light years when it comes to meth addiction. Please, take it from us, if you quit now, and do the WORK to stay clean (with the loving support of us, and maybe NA? Smart Recovery?) you will be glad you did. Addiction only gets worse by the minute. With recovery, your life can only get better.
Sfj	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? Here's a few tips that have worked for some of us: 1. The realization will never live up to the expectation. That means that you will always expect it to be better than it is. And each time you use, you'll be more and more disappointed. 2. Why return to the source of pain to find comfort? The meth is what is causing all your pain and discomfort, so why go back to it? That will just make it worse. 3. It will NEVER EVER be as easy to quit as it is now. Each moment you wait to get clean, makes it that much more difficult. 4. Withdrawal sucks, Right? So why go through it more than once? It just doesn't feel good to have to go through withdrawal over and over. 5. There are a jillion more ways of getting clean and staying clean. It takes a little effort to search for them tho. Keep finding them. It's worth it. 6. If possible, see a therapist, counselor, or similar source of support. Abstinence means drug free, recovery means dealing with the emotional things that led to substance abuse meth use is like taking out a huge loan on future happiness and pleasure, with incredibly high interest rates and no grace period Meth does not forgive those who sell out. It will extract your very soul, then invite you back meth doesn't kill pain, it postpones it, then multiplies it meth doesn't kill depression, it postpones it, then multiplies it Meth addicts will stop when the pain of continued use exceeds the fear of withdrawal. Quitting meth is very difficult, recovering is one of the hardest things I've ever done, the only thing harder is not recovering.
Spase monkey	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? This is what I tell to people in early recovery sometimes.. and it seems like it's appropriate here too. We're addicts. We reach a point where we know this and know we need to change but quitting just seems like it's too much change. We start trying to think of alternatives.. but in the end no matter what we change it isnt going to solve the problem untill we know that the only way to be successfull is to quit Quitting sucks. I won't lie to you. It's hard, it's a pain in the ass, it isnt alot of fun and so on and so on... The reason to quit though is this... No matter where your life is.. if you endure quitting.. your life will continue to get better. No matter where your life may be.. if you continue to use it will only get worse. You're really ready when you decide to stop and mean it.. and then don't give up when it gets rough. I used for about a year.. then I quit for something like ten months. I even posted for a little while on this site.. then I decided I hadn't found my bottom and I set out to find it after being clean for ten months. I'm not going to go into details. Let me just say.. going looking for your bottom isn't the way to go. You can quit any time you want and it gets harder the more you @#%$ off your life.. not easier. You know everyone here is going to tell you that now is the time. Really it's all up to you though. Peace.
danimal 55	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? When you finally surrender to outside help, then you know your ready to take your first steps toward quitting.I've been to a few funerals of those who we're "getting ready" to quit. Talk ain't it, recovery is for those who DO it. We ALL try to out-think our addictions only to find ourselves back using...we do'nt know HOW to quit. Self will, combined with our own best [addictive] thinking are typically un-reliable. The obsession to use always comes calling, and until we learn what we're doing to ourselves, WHY we do it, and take measures to change...history WILL repeat. That's why we're known as "addicts". Like the rest of us, you CAN un-do this, but it's doubtful that willpower alone will carry you far. Like the rest of us, you'll look for a easier/softer way, like the rest of us...you wo'nt find one. Make this forum a daily habit and you'll soon come to know just what recovery means. Help IS everywhere... when you're ready
eyes open83	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? for me i knew i was ready to quit because it wasnt doing what i wanted to anymore to put it lightly... since i have quit i have discovered what that means.. i spent 10 years of my life using drugs to hide from me,i didnt like me and i didnt want to be me so i was what ever the drugs made me and i didnt have to claim responsibility for who i was cause "i was just on drugs" i quit because it hurt,everytime i had a drink or a drug it just fuking hurt me,emotionally and spiritualy and mentally and physically..i was using drugs to hide from that pain but it wasnt working anymore,i tried to give up and that hurt,so i kept using and that hurt more...so i chose to give it up and move through the pain to a better life with love
lilbit crzy97	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? that sounds exactly like me
mdfaza lea	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? WOW....this has to be on the "Top Ten List" of questions we ask ourselves sooo maybe it's simply anserwered that if you are HERE POSTING then you're ready or if you walk into an NA meeting or tell a friend or family member or whatever. I think that when I personally asked myself that question it was the beginning of trying to quit...after that it's all about you and if you're willing to take the steps. I chase recovery like I use to chase that bag for 17 years. Yikes, it's a mother having 11 months clean, but I won't give it away for the first 2 months I felt coming down, AGAIN! Only you know when you're ready and you alone, but you are NEVER alone when you do decide to try.
angie Ncali	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? I guess it is different for everyone. But for me ... it was when the pain of using got greater for me then the fear of not using. For SOOOOO long my desire to use was always Greater than my desire to not use .... at the end of my using ... I FINALLY really wanted to walk away and I couldnt the desire to not use was there ..... and it scared me that I had no idea how to stay sober.
Silent SonIII	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? Comment: Hello Sfj I like your approach and positive attitude. Please allow me to critique this statement, without being too critical. 2. Why return to the source of pain to find comfort? The meth is what is causing all your pain and discomfort, so why go back to it? That will just make it worse. If the meth was causing ALL your pain and discomfort, then it would be real easy to see the improvement in ones life by not using. A lot of us had serious pain and discomfort that was there before the meth. When you stop the meth then you have to deal with all the pain and tragedy the meth has been helping you avoid. So it is like you said it just makes it worse. Don't take this wrong, the meth is causing major serious problems. Unfortunately the underlying problems that brought us to the meth are still going to be there. All this is just my opinion, take what is good for you and forget the rest.
Sfj	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? That's right. Initially, drug use is not a problem, it is a symptom of bigger problems. Eventually though, addiction becomes a bigger problem by itself. Drug abuse begins for one reason and continues for another. Focus on the solution, not the problem. After the solution is found and put into action, therapeutic reflection upon the pre-existing problems can be addressed. How will that work for ya?
imlost inky	Re: how do you know you are ready to quit meth? You are right- for some, maybe even most, there are harder issues to deal with that come after the meth- and they are hard to handle. I do agree with SfJ and others, therapy can be the best help for those issues that were there before meth- that are still there after meth. For me, it is just too painful really to do on my own as I did for a lot of years. I am lucky I found this board. LilBit, Keri- how I knew it was time for me to quit- I didn't. Somebody else did- the well ran dry, no more dope. Just long enough for my head to clear. How did I know I wanted to stay quit? My life had been a blur- I had 6 kids in my care, 5 of them mine- and I didn't even have a clear memory of my youngest first birthday. That ain't me.That is just not who I am. How do I stay clean now? Because I never want to lose who I am ever again.