Is there ever a 'right time' to quit?

I've been in residential detox twice before. Each time I have struggled with the residential environment but, more than anything, I've struggled with the emotions that come up for me while detoxing. Both times I've checked myself out on days 6-7. I'm well engaged with an addiction clinic and I'm receiving support there. I also have a T, who specialises in trauma. I have not been mentally stable enough recently and my next attempt to quit using has been put on hold until I'm more stable.

I'm starting to think I will never be stable enough. Maybe there's never going to be a right time to try and give up again.

I guess I'm wondering if trying detox again - at home this time - is something that needs to wait.

Any opinions on or experiences of waiting for mh stability before attempting to quit a substance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks x

This is just my opinion, but any time can be the right time to quit, and that looking to forward dates, ie, I'll quit using when....X happens, was just an excuse for me to keep drinking.

And for those of us who have both an addiction and a mental health problem, it
s a double whammy. We use the substance because we think it makes us feel better, and it may short term, but in the long run it doesn't and can worsen conditions like depression. So we use again to feel better, get more depressed, rinse repeat.

For me getting sober meant that I was able to really start working on my mental health stuff, much more clearly and intensely.

So what I'd suggest is pick a quit date. Write it on your calendar. Then stick to it.

Quitting anything can be really hard, especially if you don't have any or much IRL support. AA, NA, Double Recovery, all have meetings that can help you.

I hope you'll decide to stop using because using alcohol/street drugs, with psych meds, if you're on any, can be quite dangerous.

splitimage

There is no time like the present time. If you were drowning, would you ask someone to hold off throwing that life preserver until you feel that you might be ready to receive it? I know this is a bit extreme, but isn't that's what is happening? We don't know what will happen tomorrow let alone the next hour.

It is hard to get sober when you aren't mentally stabile because of the self medicating aspect. I couldn't really stop drinking/drugging till my meds kicked in. Once my meds kicked in, I didn't feel like drinking anymore which was a good sign of being sober at the the your med shopping, besides, you need to be sober when med shopping or it's not going to go well.

When getting sober, one needs a support system and to base their living style around recovery, so getting in an OP counseling really helps.

Good luck!

Yeah, I'm on 4 different psych meds, one of which I have only just transfered to last week. I guess I'll have to wait at least until that med has stablised. Then there's the clinic closed over Christmas for a few weeks. Looking like early next year, when I'm stable med wise and my support team is available.

Thanks for the replies. I do hear that now is as good a time as any, but I think it would be dangerous to attempt something I know is going to cause me a lot of emotional pain while I'm as unstable as I am.

I wonder if weaning off rather than cold turkey has been considered or might be worth considering.

The research suggests that the more times you try, the greater your chances of being successful will be. Your mental stability will change after you are detoxed anyways, so the stability to experience now is likely to be a result of continuing to use (you don't say what you are using). I would advise against trying it at home with what you are reporting as it seems that close professional supervision would be the safest way.

My guess is you won't be stable unless you get sober. You're stuck in a cycle right now and self medicating. "Is there a right time to quit?" Well, there's never a wrong time. When I was drinking I would always say "oh I can't quit now, I'd have the shakes at work!" Then next wk I would be going through some chrisis so I couldn't quit then. I just woke up one day and said "ok I'm sick of this ****" and had my bf drive me to detox before I chickened out. Yea I had to put my life on hold but I've been sober for 6 months now. Some may say you have to hit rock bottom. But I see some hit rock bottom like 5 times already for real lol.

Dx: BP2, PTSD, bulimia/anorexia
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From my book of experience :

I think you have things in reverse here. Did you ever think that your addiction may be the cause of your " mental instability " ?
You said your struggling with emotion. What kind of emotion and why ?

If your an addict YOU don't decide when to quit. It decides for you. Usually after wrecking your life . Do you think you have control ? Are you an addict or just playing with something ?
Your in an environment that also gives support. What more do you need ?
Guess you either haven't hit "bottom" yet , ( don't need to go there though ),
or you are fooling yourself by making up this excuse.

Your T agrees with you ?

Good luck to you.

I think you should be admitted to a secure medically supervised environment.
Your "thinking" right now is , and this is just my opinion , putting you and others in immanent danger.

[QUOTE=RxQueen875;4794590]My guess is you won't be stable unless you get sober. You're stuck in a cycle right now and self medicating. "Is there a right time to quit?" Well, there's never a wrong time. When I was drinking I would always say "oh I can't quit now, I'd have the shakes at work!" Then next wk I would be going through some chrisis so I couldn't quit then.[QUOTE]

--------------Of course an addict will always come up with some kind of excuse. That's the nature of the beast.

[QUOTE] I just woke up one day and said "ok I'm sick of this ****" and had my bf drive me to detox before I chickened out. Yea I had to put my life on hold but I've been sober for 6 months now. Some may say you have to hit rock bottom. But I see some hit rock bottom like 5 times already for real lol. [QUOTE]

--------------If you can get into a rehab I think that's the best. Some people have been to 20 rehabs and then the 21st worked. Very lucky to get that far. Some went to an AA meeting and got sober right then and there with their support.
Also everybody's bottom is different. You don't have to lose everything before you can get better. You really have to "hit bottom" mentally and WANT to get better. Otherwise the bottom you hit may be dirt , six feet from the surface.