Author: TeeJay

Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:49 pm

Heya

I’ve done the so called "geographical" thing before. It’s not looked upon that well in NA circles, the idea of moving to get away from drugs. And the reasons are legitimate. Mainly the fact that there are drugs available anywhere you go. Also, moving to a new area doesn’t change one’s personality for any real length of time.

However, I found moving interstate really helpful in some ways. As you said, by moving … I was instantly removed from all my using peers. Not just that, I also got a new phone number so I didn’t get any of those phone calls from dealers telling me they had the good stuff. But the main thing that helped was the new frame of mind that came with moving. It really felt like I had a clean slate. This can really help in those early days.

BUT… that feeling fades eventually, and unless you’ve done some work on yourself in the meantime, when life starts to get a bit challenging you may find yourself instinctively wanting to reach for your old habit. To prevent this, I went to a rehab for the first few months after I moved. This gave me a head-start on recovery, and helped me get some momentum. Mind you, I wasn’t on any Suboxone or methadone. I managed to stay clean 13 months which is still my longest stretch without any opioids to medicate / help my recovery.

Where I ended up falling over was when I relapsed into bipolar depression. It was pretty bad too. I even had some hefty paranoia happening on the side. I lived in a coastal town, and I remember having bad thoughts while looking over the cliffs at the top of "the hill". Eventually I got help for it, got put on some strong anti-depressants and within 2 days I was using. I now know that certain anti-depressants are bad for my recovery. So it’s really hugely important that you still manage what factors leads you to using, because that will still be there no matter where you go.

If you’re using Suboxone, you may find moving interstate enough of a circuit breaker to stay away from drugs. But eventually, you will find your recovery challenged. Moving may just give you enough of a break to have a chance at staying clean.

Another thing – I knew many people in NA whose main recovery weapon was geographicals. Many of them eventually ran out of places to move, because the moment they messed up they moved again. So moving in itself isn’t enough.