218 - Taking Suboxone for 8 years! Brennan gives us his experience218 - Taking Suboxone for 8 years! Brennan gives us his experience
Real Recovery Talk
Brennan talks about spending eight years on Suboxone, how it affected his behaviour, emotions and relationships, and what changed when he moved into abstinence-based recovery. Tom, Ben and Brennan also discuss the role of medication, therapy and family support in building a more meaningful sober life.
37:32•11 Sept 2022
Eight Years on Suboxone: Brennan’s Story of Fear, Flatness and Finding Abstinence
Episode Overview
- Long-term Suboxone use can keep the same obsessive behaviours and fears alive, even during stretches of sobriety.
- Short-term Suboxone use in detox may help, but ongoing maintenance can dull emotions and quality of life for some people.
- A zero-baseline approach—coming off substances first—can clarify whether psychiatric medications are genuinely needed.
- Abstinence-based treatment and good therapy, including EMDR, can help people reconnect with real feelings and joy.
- Family members can benefit from Al-Anon, education, and supportive communities to better understand addiction and respond effectively.
“"I was using the same behaviours with the Suboxone as I was with the drug use."”
Curious about how others handle their sobriety journey when medication like Suboxone is involved? This candid conversation on Real Recovery Talk brings together host Tom Conrad, co-host Ben, and guest Brennan to talk openly about eight years on Suboxone, why it felt impossible to stop, and what life looks like after coming off it.
Brennan, who describes himself as "an alcoholic and an addict" from Jacksonville, shares how a childhood injury led to early exposure to opiates, later escalating to daily oxycodone use and multiple treatment attempts.
Suboxone was first offered as a one-year maintenance plan, but he explains, "Fast forward eight years later, I'm still on Suboxone," using it to avoid withdrawals, sell for money, and, as he says, "using the same behaviours with the Suboxone as I was with the drug use." Ben adds his own history with Suboxone and methadone, backing up Brennan’s experience of fear, obsession and flat emotions.
He recalls cutting tiny slivers off his dose in desperation to get off it, and sums up his frustration with one blunt line: "If we're not living for the good feelings, what the hell are we living for?" The episode doesn’t slam medication outright. All three agree there can be a place for Suboxone, especially short term in detox or in very severe cases.
But they strongly question long-term maintenance for younger people and highlight how easy it is for medication to become "a fallback plan" that keeps someone stuck. You’ll also hear about the importance of an abstinence-based approach, doing proper therapy (including EMDR), and getting to a "zero baseline" before deciding on psychiatric meds. For families, Brennan praises Al-Anon and learning about addiction as crucial first steps, while encouraging anyone struggling to get to a meeting or into a programme.
If Suboxone or other meds feel like they’ve taken over your life, could it be time to ask what you really want your recovery to look like?
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