DOSE:

repeated

oral

Poppies - Opium

(tea)

BODY WEIGHT:

125 lb

I did poppy seed tea sporadically for about a decade, but I didn't become a "fan" until I bought unwashed seeds a few years ago. I wasn't a stranger to prescription opioids and never had a problem with them, so with that train of thought Poppy Seed Tea was a zero consequence "high" in my mind. My naivety about the tea kept me blind to the fact that my tolerance and dependence was growing more and more as time went on.

Usage Timeline:

10 Years: Used- once a month, Seeds- washed & weak, W/d- no negative effects

1st Year: Used- twice a week, Seeds- unwashed & potent, Dosages- first batch I used 1lb+ dry seeds then re-used them for batch two, W/d- no negative effects noticed

2nd Year: Used- 3-4 x a week, Seeds- unwashed & potent, Dosages- 1-2 batches of 1lb+ dry seeds Stopped re-using batches because didn't get desired effect, tea was too weak, W/d- still not noticeable, but the temptation to have PST daily was increasing

3rd Year: Used- 6-7 days per week, Seeds- unwashed & potent, Dosages- 2-3 batches of 1lb+ dry seeds, W/d- since I had it in my system everyday only minor problems occurred i.e. grogginess and over sleeping

Last few months of year 3: Used- daily, Seeds- unwashed & potent, Dosages- 3 batches of 1lb+ dry seeds, W/d- didn't stay clean long enough for symptoms to occur

Honestly, I knew my tolerance had gone up a lot and that persuaded me to cut back starting January 2020.

The last few months of 2019 I drank Poppy Seed Tea a lot and was still none the wiser about how my tolerance and daily usage would create a beastly nightmare. In December 2019 I set, what I thought to be, an easily obtainable goal of drinking less tea come January. I made this goal because I noticed I went from drinking seldom and re-using batches to making 3 large batches and using daily. I felt it was getting out of control and the amount I had to drink to feel high was more than tripled in a few years. I wanted to take back control of the situation and that was that.

In January I got my first taste of the second worst (benzo's is first in my opinion) withdraws from tea, and it sucked! After my first withdraw experience I read up on Poppy Seed Tea from science articles to personal experiences written on forums. I had no idea about how addicting this innocent looking yellow beverage was until January, but I was determined to regain control and not be dependent on tea.

I had so many people tell me how impossible quitting Poppy Seed Tea is and that I couldn't do it without aid from drugs i.e. Suboxone, Methadone, Kratom, and other opioids. But, I was determined to quit tea without trading in one drug for another potentially dangerous and addicting drug. So, at the beginning of the year I set out to have 3 sober days a week, 1 - 2 batches of Poppy Seed Tea, and no more drinking tea all day long or having a third batch. I stuck to this regiment 80% of the time in January and February and by March I had cut down on Poppy Seed Tea usage and dosage by half at least. The sober days, especially in January, were really fucking tough mentally and physically but I got through it.

January and February Timeline of Withdraw Symptoms:
Sober 12 hours- minor discomfort and edginess, but tolerable

Sober 24 hours- hot and cold sweats, chills, extremity restlessness and numbness, some anxiety and edginess, fatigue, still tolerable

Sober 48 hours- all the above mentioned but more intense, night terrors, panic attacks, some delirium and audio hallucinations, and the feeling of despair starts to set in- which sucks!

Sober 60+ hours- all the above mentioned but even more intense to the point of mental and physical agony coated in despair and dread

After 60 hours of being sober the w/d process still continues with more of the same symptoms mentioned.

Tapering down the tea was not a measuring cups and documenting usage formula, but more instinctual and listening to my body and not my brain process. I did one last batch early March and decided I had tapered long enough and now needed to take the next step- detox.

Quitting in March was made a little less painful due to my tapering and sober days regiment 60 days prior. Honestly, if you can make it through the first week with no Poppy Seed Tea you are over half way there. The first week of detox was rough, but completely doable with the right mindset and determination.

Dealing with tea detox is hard on the mind and body, here's a few things that helped: electrolyte drinks, hot baths/showers, Agmatine, weed, clean bed linens, benzodiazepines, sleep, and staying hydrated plus eating well. After going through 7 days of detoxing the next week was very doable with minor discomfort i.e. anxiety, restless leg, and some sadness. I felt like I was about 70% back to normal after week 1 and 90% normal after 14 days of sobriety. Withdraws are a bitch and it may be tempting to resort back to tea when the detox process gets rough, but that's when the true cliche mind over matter comes into play. Hope this helps someone who's wanting to quit.

Exp Year: 2010-2020	ExpID: 114285
Gender: Not Specified
Age at time of experience: 32
Published: Apr 24, 2020	Views: 1,999
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Poppies - Opium (43) : Retrospective / Summary (11), Hangover / Days After (46), Addiction & Habituation (10), Not Applicable (38)