As a newly sober person it may have been a while since we have seen a physician for a check-up. Drinking and using can wreak havoc in our physical bodies. I suggest that it would b a good idea to seek out a physician and receive a clean bill of health if that is the case.
While in active addiction we place ourselves in all kinds of precarious situations. As persons with poor impulse control, we usually act and then think about it later. We throw caution and good sense to the wind and may have done some damage to our bodies and organs. Our addictive lifestyle may leave us with one or more incurable diseases. We can never truly know the content of an illicit drug. That’s one of the reasons for an overdose especially with fentanyl. The addict will take whatever drug is presented to them and ask questions later.
Poor impulse control can lead us into all types of sexual situations. We do things that we wouldn’t dream of doing while sober. His behavior puts us at risk for contracting a sexually transmitted disease. Some of these diseases are able to be cured, others are not. HIV and AIDS run rampant in communities of addicts who are using. This is especially true if they are sharing needles or don’t know exactly what they are injecting into their bodies. These diseases cause death if left untreated.
Hepatitis A, B and C are especially contagious diseases. These diseases attack the liver. There is a vaccine for Hepatitis A and B but not one for Hepatitis C. In long term hepatitis C, the liver can cease to function properly and cause death. There is a host of other sexually transmitted diseases that can be treated by a physician with minimal damage done to the person. We also need to think about the partners of someone with one of these conditions. They are transmitted person to person. In our disease, we may infect others while in our addiction. This can be quite traumatizing to know that you gave someone a deadly disease.
There are clinics in most communities that provide free or low-cost medical care to indigent persons. The reasons shared above are why we as recovering addicts need to get checked out by a physician. If you are honest with the physician, he can order blood tests for many of these diseases. Medication can then be prescribed for the particular disease. Medications have become extremely effective today what with HIV being able to be brought into a state of remission. One still has the disease, but it is controlled by the medication. Hepatitis C in its most dire condition can only be treated with a liver transplant.
So, I hope you see the importance of getting yourself checked out by a physician. It’s not just for you but for others too. Knowledge of a disease can help you stop the contact you have with others and of transmitting the disease.