I need a plan to come off long term amphetamine use - UK "base"

[J1mb0]

ok to cut a very long story short SWIM has been using base constantly for the past 4 years. a few times he has stopped, longest i can remember 2-3 months, gone through the dreaded 2 weeks of tired emptiness, admitted he has a problem to relatives, screwed up his life totally, 2 jobs lost, slowly let finance spiral outta control amounting to over £7k debt, been the lowest hes ever been in his life, COMPLETELY had it out and known the score to the point he KNEW he wouldn’t do it again, only to start the road to nowhere, AGAIN. Only true reason he can give - there is no reasoning to madness.

SWIM is only 25, living with mum, no prospects, the sad reason is the one priority over anything else since he was 16 was drugs. All money went on hash in his teen years...started raving when 18, all he cared about was getting e'd outta his head, making a tit of himself later at the after parties, usually after smoking a bong.....oh dear

i typed up a cry for help in this forum before, saying exactly what SWIM had been up to.....the responses where basically STOP before he truly gets beaten, but he never really stopped and is still paying dearly. This was over 2 years ago, wow.

well anyway, SWIM KNOWS what he's done and what has to be done, now he's fed up of base, he just wants to get his magic back.

This moment in time , he is taking larger amounts but much more days in between, it dosent keep him going like b4.

its utterly pointless these days, he doesn't use it socialise , he is most social when off it...he is usually on his own when on it these days, this was unheard of a few years ago

if he's gonna stop he needs a good plan, it has to be different from all the last times, he knows even after a couple of months of getting stoned most nights and drunk wknds he is still not gonna feel content, no motivation to sort life out

not looking for sympathy or advice on the above, merely a bit of background to the torture my body and mind have been through.

so....

Protein - I know of L-tyrosine for dopamine replacement in the brain and he's used b4...would it be a good idea to take this stuff every day for the forseeable future? is taking 4-5 500mg capsules in one go, once or twice a day sound ok? any particular times of day he should take, before bed good to go for? Anything else in the way of protein he should take as well? i notice there are many other supplements on the market allong with shakes

Vitamins - Are normal vitamin&mineral tabs youd get at the supermarket fine or would it be allot better to buy more specific stuff from the drug store, like mineral pills and separate vitamin pills, slow release vitamins etc etc etc? any specifics would be great

FITNESS (the part thats diff) - i reckon physical health will play a huge role in SWIM feeling better and isnt something he's focused on before. Would doing 15min stretches every morning get him more mobile feeling, does anyone have a link to a chart showing you what stretches to do in morning? What about going to the likes of a health spa, using the sauna regular? (not even been in a sauna in over 10 years). 90% time being on base has been spent sitting down. swim doesn't need to lose weight but BADLY needs to tone up. hes of larger build, 6' tall, , 14 stone with a bit of a belly!


no chance of getting benzos or anything from GP but to be honest after dabbling with downers a few times in the past he knows the last thing he needs is valium.

Need a fixed plan to stick with. If he doesn't do this soon he is gonna have to face his worst fears that his head is fried beyond the point of repair.
Without a goal he WILL end up back to square one

sorry for long post and thanks for any help, look to save SWIM's own life..

[lyndon]

swim knows how you feel after nearly 20years phet addiction, and to this day the thought of not having makes him want to curl into a ball & cry. the thought of going without terrify's him, he's looking for alternatives instead of phet.

SWIM knows what he is & came to terms with it a long time ago, tried being something he's not a long time ago and hated it

anyway good look fella if hear owt on my travels i'll post for u

[humdroid]

SWIMs familiar with that smelly stuff which breaks minds and teeth.

SWIM feels like they are constantly on a comedown from previous doses, but aforementioned broken mind and teeth have forced SWIM to leave the little white smelly thing for the time being.
SWIM feels more paranoid now, three days later, but stresses that it is vital to remember that things always seem more depressing on a base comedown or the days after, than they really are.
That knowledge in mind is in itself a comfort.
Keep that time, one or two weeks in the future, in mind, when the feeling of being ok with out the smelly stuff is well and truly back.

Save the worrying for a time when the mind is in a better state, things wont be so bad.

From a fellow SWS (smelly white stuff) head, swim.

[rocksmokinmachine]

Make yourself a plan.

Number 1: Try to work out why SWIY uses

Number 2: Cut off all SWIY's conections (This is probably the hardest one)

Number 3: Indentify triggers in your life, this could be anything personal to you. It could be something as silly as a phonebox SWIY uses to ring his dealer that gives you the urge to use. Write these down and avoid.

Number 4: Identify high risk situations in which you would normally use. Write these down. Avoid them. These could be places your friends/aquaintances houses/flats for example.

There is no substitute for amphetamine addiction, which makes it difficult to find suitible medication. Possibly a milder stimulant such as caffeine may help, I don't really know I'm just speculating here.

Whatever happends, SWIY seems motivated enough to quit and I hope it all goes well for him. SWIY may want to look into auricular accupunture. It has been proven to work very well for cocaine addiction. It may work in SWIY's case.

[Esmerelda]

Hey

I'm new here. Just saw your post and felt I had to say something. This is probably something you already know but it perhaps doesn't do any harm to mention it anyway. I've learned that in truly breaking an addiction you can't just focus on quitting - you need to have a positive thing to fill your life with. A focus on getting healthy and well could be enough. Looking for ways to treat your body well is very different from thinking about the thing you shouldn't have.

I feel my addictions have always been a need to fill some gap in my life. Unless you understand the gap and start filling it with something truly satisfying it will always be a battle to stay clean. A plan is a good idea - thinking positive is not what you're going to be doing for the first few weeks I'm sure! So having a plan to get you through that is important. But keep the other side of it in mind... you're not giving up anything - you're going to be putting something awful behind you so you can start bringing amazing things into your life.

And don't give up. There's no reason that you can't do this - you just need to find your way. If you haven't found it yet it doesn't mean you're not going to find it tomorrow.

I hope I haven't sounded preachy. I'm not free of addictions myself - I'm just far far better off than I used to be and still moving forward. I wanted to share what I feel but would hate to sound like I'm lecturing!

Lots and lots of luck

[sadskills1987]

being the dumb yank swim is, he isn't sure how much this will help or how available certian things are to you, but will give it a shot anyway. swim has had success detoxing from adderall (dl-amphetamine) and dexedrine(d-amphetamine) with the help of some rather odd methods. he used to purify the caffeine from caffeine pills* (to help get a rush and for the nasal fixation..i'm sure bzp might even work better if you can get your hands on it) and begin with snorting methylphenidate (for both pickup and depression help) with the caffeine in between doses slowly replacing more and more with the mix until the speed gets cancelled out completely, then weane off the MPH and then the caf.

*caffeine pills extraction:
-remove coating
-crush well
-mix abt 2 200 mg pills to a shotglass with 70%(or higher) isopropyl alcohol
-strain through a funnel w/ cotton at the bottom
-if it comes out the other side clear, its good to go
-IPA should help most of the water evaporate leaving odd, pulpy substance
-continue to dry until hard, scrape, crush and enjoy

[methMADMAN]

I do AA and NA and they work great for me and many others, but that's all I'll ever say about that (on this site).

That said, the one peice of advise I would have is that you really have to get away from all your connections and drug abusing peers. That is the number one thing that was hardest to change. Regardless of anyone's feelings about AA and/or NA, the one undeniable fact is it is a ready neowork of people fighting the problem that can get you out of the scene without you becoming a hermit with no social life.

[radagast]

Swim had a base addiction for years he cut the ties to the drug accidentally when he was forced to move 300 miles away but before he left he bought a couple of Oz.
when that ran out he was up shit creek.

His brother came home from work one morning to find swim crying of a broken heart?

"Come with me" he said made him walk up the biggest mountain he could find pushing a bike. once at the top he said "here's some padding and a helmet so dont worry about falling off".
"I cant wait to fall off" said swim "to feel alive again".
He fell off a lot but the adrenaline at the time is better than sex and the dopamine afterwards is rewarding to say the least.

In short for swim scaring himself very badly worked wonders. even at weak moments he can think about the next he can get the adrenaline then dopamine rush.
So take up extreme sports it wont cure you but it may give you something to look forward to.

[rocksmokinmachine]

That said, the one peice of advise I would have is that you really have to get away from all your connections and drug abusing peers.

Thats all well and good, but for alot of long term drug addicts, the only friends they have (and I use that term loosely) is people who use drugs.

I believe it is much, much more than a 12 step program

[Solinari]

What is it like coming off of speed? I mean are there physical withdrawal symptoms like coming off of smack, or is it more of a feeling and psychological torture?

[rocksmokinmachine]

The withdrawal symptoms are not physical in the same way as opiates. There is, however, a strong psychological craving for the drugs which act centrally on the dopamine recpetors (cocaine, amphetamines). There are no real physical withdrawal symptoms, unless one counts fatigue and mood swings.

The only thing one should be bothered about it the VERY strong psychological pull. The UK style amphetamine sulphate should be no problem to kick. It does nothing for SWIM, and no doubt others too. If one has kicked a heroin habit, amphetamines should be a walk in the park.

[davidlaska]

Swim lives in Southern California and he has been complaining about his addiction after 15 years. He said the prices have jump up %500 and the quality has become a roll of the dice. His last month was bad quality and very pricey. The stuff burned harsh so he ended up doing less and less. When he ran out, he had also weaned himself of the Garbage. He had not touched the stuff for 6 weeks now and he functions well now.
He would pick up the habit again if he could get it free and 'good quality' regularly, but that will never happen.

He quit because it became bunk and expensive.

[rocksmokinmachine]

Base is a term in the UK, to describe the fairly rare (and usually higher) quality amphetamine sulphate that dominates the market. It is usually found as a sticky paste substance. Have a look in the chemistry forums and search for amphetamine sulphate. SWIY will find a perfect example in one of the synthesis. Have a look at the end product.

In effect, and long term use. It carries the same risks as methamphetamine use. The only difference being it can't be smoked. It is just as addictive and chronic users tend to inject it (at least the ones SWIM has met).

SWIY's input will be much appreciated. Please share it with the rest of us.

[savingJenniB]

Im a newbie (like amestang) Hers is the first thread that I can relate to. My neice has been using meth for more than eleven years now. It started as a social once a mth thing, but now she needs it daily - smokes it even shoots it. She has been in a couple of prms -
clean expensive - non-court ordered rehabs - the kind her rich SUV driving parents willingly paid for! straight (and useless & suicidal) for as long as 90 days. But always goes back to the life. I have always watched this from a distance but now she's asking me for help. Guess cuz I'm not so judgemental and have been known to party a bit.
She has agreed to go into a day tx prgm - but still living on the streets. Im trying to built up her self esteem and her will power. .. .I will follow the threads. thx

"When you live outside the law you must be honest."
Bob Dylan

[savingJenniB]

Protein, exercise, saunas, & yes, I did notice there is no list of ingredients
but it still might be worth a try. She has already cost our family thousands &
thousands of $$$$$ What's another $60 at this point?
________
"When you live outside the law you must be honest."
Bob Dylan

[23smooches]

Im not sure if anyone else has said this but one key thing in staying off of your poison of choice is to stop hanging around with people who use. It is very hard as some of your best friends may be hardcore addicts, but you must not interact with people involved with things that you dont want to be involved with anymore. Cut off all contact with friends and fiends. It can be done, dont give up though.

[savingJenniB]

Thank you so much for allowing me to read all of this wonderful, intelligent, REAL conversation. If there is one thing I am certain of when it comes to dealing with meth junkie niece - it is that love & kindness will get better results than "tough love" & a lecture. I am learning about the yearnings and your unabashed cantor is greatly appreciated. Please do not great angry with each other -
Kindness counts - Big Time!
_________
"And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make."
- John Lennon & Paul McCarthy
_______
P.S. If I knew how to rate posts - I would rate you both with a great big *.

[fakelondonboy]

its easyer said then done, that is the trouble