I started with a prescription to Vicodin which kept me stable long enough to finish high school but things quickly fell apart after that. I feel all opiates are capable of the same level of addiction having been prescribed most legal ones and taken most illegal.

I started a goal of sobriety about 6 years ago with 2 years of terrible relapses causing me legal troubles and other problems for everyday life. I don't know what changed but at one point (maybe I burnt my bridges or enough friends had died) I stopped and stayed that way for several years. But I wasn't happy, all I did was sleep (about 12-15 hours a day, gained 60 pounds, and had the same absentee social life).

I see a psychiatrist who understands my avoidance to opiates and prescribes me stimulants to help me work through the psychosomatic and other physically related symptoms that cause me a great amount of difficulty throughout the day.

It was meant to be a short term solution but all drugs come at a cost, and even when controlled none of them work for me for long. I try to balance my life surrounding myself with more problems because I've yet to find a solution that works.

Sobriety is a great thing to be proud of, and I am ashamed I rely on chemicals. If you can maintain a positive attitude I have no doubt you'll do fine.