Recovery is rarely a linear journey. Sometimes, it seems that sometimes the medications that helped you reclaim your life create a whole new problem you didn’t foresee. It’s one of those situations that can knock someone off their feet, and honestly, there is nothing surprising about it.
When you started medication-assisted treatment, the medication probably felt like a lifesaver. You may have tried quitting cold turkey before, and it did not work. You might have experienced intense cravings. In those cases, nothing seemed to touch them. The medication allowed you to take a deep breath, think straight, and remember what it felt like to wake up differently without that all-consuming craving dictating your day.
But the one thing no one prepares you for is that sometimes medication develops a dependency of its own– not because you are doing anything wrong, but simply because that is what happens. They alter your brain’s chemistry. It is literally what they are made to do. And after using them for so many months or years, your body gets accustomed to those medications. Stopping medication is not as easy as just not taking the pill anymore.
The transition from beneficial to problematic often happens gradually. You may begin to find yourself anxious when you are running low on the prescription, even though you never miss a dose. You may have even said to yourself you would only take the medication for a little while longer, and then stop, but the thought of that becomes impossible.
Some describe it by feeling stuck between two worlds. The medication keeps the person stable; however, they also don’t feel completely free. They are not on the street using drugs, but they’re still relying on something to just be okay. It is a strange place to live in and is difficult to explain to outsiders that have never lived that way.
The guilt can also be extreme. There is that voice that says you should be thankful for the medication – and you are – but then there is the other part of you that wonders what it would be like to wake up without it.
The Physical Reality That Nobody Talks About
Here is the part that really surprises most people: stopping recovery medication is not merely a mental contest. Your body has gotten used to having that medication in its system. So when you stop suddenly, or even when you really try hard to stop, your body is in a state where it is just confused, and you feel as if you are in severe danger or distress.
There can be physical withdrawal from these medications, and it can be very intense. You can find yourself in a situation where, for weeks on end, you feel like you’ve had the worst flu of your life, and your anxiety is at such a level that it prevents you from leaving your home. You can’t sleep because you’re physically exhausted but cannot rest. Then you fall into depression, and nothing seems to have any hope or possibility.
Many families have issues when they try to ween their loved one off the medication without the supervision of a doctor because they ultimately relapse, not because they want to or they don’t have the willpower, but because the physical discomfort (withdrawals) is too much for them to endure.
Why Attempting to Quit a Recovery Medication Alone Rarely Works
The internet is full of information that restates and outlines what people have to do to taper off of their recovery medications alone. They are going to post that they’ve cut the pills in half, missed doses altogether, and tried to just suck it up. Most of the time, they wind up in a miserable cycle of feeling bad, taking the medication so they don’t feel bad, and feeling guilty about taking the medication.
The problem is that these medications need to be tapered down slowly and systematically. Fast, and the body may not be able to keep up with the changes. Slow, and you start getting stuck with a long drawn out withdrawal that never seems to end. Getting the timeline right requires knowledge of how your body specifically responds, which is nearly impossible to do alone.
Professional suboxone detox centers understand this balance because they have witnessed it hundreds of times before. They know how to create a tapering schedule to minimize discomfort, and to actually get you where you want to be. More importantly, they can readjust the program when it isn’t working.
What Professional Detox Really Looks Like
Medical detox from recovery medications is different from detox from street drugs. Medical detox is usually much longer, more gradual, and puts much higher emphasis on comfort and emotional support. It is not just about getting the medication cycled out of your body, it is also about helping your brain and body remember how to do everything without the medication. A reputable detox program will start with an in-depth assessment of how long you’ve taken the medication, the dose you are at now, and other factors that may impact your withdrawal, and then create an individualized taper schedule that reduces your dose at a pace that is slow enough that your body can comfortably adjust away from the medication.
While you are reducing your medication, the detox program will monitor you for complications and provide medications for symptoms you may experience (think nausea, sleep or anxiety). They will also provide counseling and support because the emotional and psychological part of letting go of your “safety net” medication is often the hardest part.
Letting Go of the Emotion of Medication
The decision to stop recovering medication can bring up a lot of conflicting emotions. There is often a sense of excitement that you may finally be able to be completely free, but anxiety about whether you will be able to live your life without that chemical help.
Some people describe it like feeling like they are starting recovery all over again. In some respects, that is not a false belief. The skills you learned in your recovery are still there, the part you may need to “brush off” is practicing those skills now without your medication to support you.
Support groups specifically for individuals coming off recovery medications can be helpful to navigate this time. Talking to other people that can identify with the complexities that surrounds this point in recovery helps normalize the experience and offers practical strategies for that “taking one day at a time” approach.
When It’s Time to Think About a Change
Some people don’t need to discontinue their recovery medication, and there is nothing wrong with staying on for a long time if it works for your life. However, some of the signs that it may be time to consider a change include feeling ready to try life without it, feeling the medication causing side effects that are interfering with your daily life, or genuinely wanting to see what being completely sober feels like.
Ultimately, it is your decision, and one that you can consider with input from healthcare professionals who have a commitment to treating patients with substance use. It shouldn’t be based on family, social pressure, or insurance considerations. All of that matters, but this is about what is right for your recovery.
Planning for Success
If you decide to pursue detox from a recovery medication, the timing is paramount—detox is not something to try during especially stressful times of your life. It optimally should happen after several months of relative stability for you, with a solid support system, and very little (or no) other major life changes happening at the same time.
Many people also benefit from an intensive outpatient program or frequent therapy during the detox process. The medication likely was helping manage more than the physical withdrawal—you may have used it to help manage stress, emotional regulation and daily challenges. You will need to fill that gap in your life with something else.
Moving Forward With Realistic Expectations
Expected timeframes vary on how long it takes to transition off the medication. Each person’s brain needs something different—from resetting to producing its own feel-good chemicals again can take several weeks or months. Energy, mood, and sleep may fluctuate or be disrupted during this time period. This is typically normal, and ensuring you know this is to help you not panic.
Your goal is not to white-knuckle your way through this process, but instead to transition from the medication as comfortably as possible while utilizing the skills you have been working on to manage your addiction. Some days will be harder than others, and that is okay.
What matters is that you are making an informed choice as it relates to your recovery, and utilizing the professional help to support you to do it safely. Recovery medication has likely served its purpose in your recovery, and now you are ready to move on. That is worthy of being proud of, not guilty about.
