The Best Defense for Positive Drug Test Results

Understanding When It Is Time to Accept Support for Recovery

After failing multiple drug tests, I chose Icarus Behavioral Health Nevada to begin my recovery journey. I lived my life in a constant cycle of drug testing, in and out of trouble because of failed drug tests.

When you get entangled in the legal system, it can be very difficult to get out of. My drug abuse not only did a lot of harm to my body, but I missed a lot of time with my family because I was in and out of jail on a regular basis. Through all of it, I finally found out that the best defense for positive drug test results is seeking out an effective treatment program and committing to getting clean.

When you fall into drug abuse and addiction, you get to know a lot of probation officers and judges. A huge chunk of the population in jail and prison are there because of drug or alcohol addiction. If you have enough strikes against you, all it can take is one positive drug test for you to end up in prison for a lengthy sentence.

I hope you keep reading if this is a situation you or someone you care about finds yourself in, and can gain some insights from the hard lessons I learned.

Breaking The Drug Test Cycle

As I fell into drug addiction myself, I started to get in trouble with the law. It all began with one arrest and probation sentence. I was heavily addicted to opiates at this point, and couldn’t deal with the drug testing. I thought of every way possible to cheat the drug testing and pass, but nothing ever worked.

My drug test results would always show that I wasn’t making progress.

Testing Positive, Time and Time Again

It’s very hard to break this cycle, but with the right recovery center and some willpower on your side, you can start to get a hold on your addiction and no longer worry about drug testing in Nevada (or anywhere else for that matter!) If you choose a recovery center like Icarus, you will be well on your way to passing drug tests and getting yourself out of the system.

Here’s what I did, and some tools you can use to escape the world of frantic searches for detox kits and fears of failing yet another round of drug testing.

A Personal Story Of Addiction in My Family

My experience with drugs began at a young age. I was a child of drug and alcohol addicts, so I didn’t grow up in a stable environment. My father was in and out of jail, and when he wasn’t in jail, I barely ever saw him. Like I would later, he fell into legal difficulty which was made worse by positive drug tests. I think his PO saw him more than I and even my Mom did.

He was given urine tests regularly, and I don’t think he ever passed a drug screening. He was subject to random testing, so he never knew when it was coming.

The Testing Process

I used to view his probation officers as the enemy. They were the ones taking away my dad and putting him in jail. In my mind, it was all their fault. I could see the fear in his eyes every time he would go to his probation meetings.

He failed drug test after drug test, and the consequences were always worse and worse. Once he fell into the cycle of drug testing, it took him years to get out of it.

Random Drug Testing

There have been a lot of advancements in the world of testing for drugs. There are a lot of products out there that help addicts pass drug tests. There are supplements and other over-the-counter methods that can help avoid a positive drug test.

Addicts will go to extreme lengths to pass a drug test. One of the things that my father used to do was use a friend’s urine in order to avoid a positive drug test result. He was court ordered to treatment and felt like he shouldn’t have to abide by the Judges order, even after nodding out driving almost cost him his life.

How Far Will You Go To Pass?

There have been some pretty big advancements over the years when it comes to drug testing. It’s gotten to the point now where you can even get fake genitalia and heating packs that you can hide in your pants to help pass a drug test.

When you get to the where you try to convince friends to pee in a cup for you, and then wrap heating packs around it to pass a drug test, you’ve gotta be pretty deep into your addiction.

Failing Drug Tests

A lot of things can happen with a failed drug test. It usually depends on the relationship you have with your probation officer. In my father’s case, his probation officer knew that my dad wasn’t really trying to get clean. He was more concerned with faking a negative drug test.

He put more effort into tricking the test than actually trying to get clean. Because of this, his probation officer didn’t take much mercy on him. This is why he was always going back to jail.

Unwanted Test Results

By the time I was in the drug testing cycle, I had the same attitude. I was always looking for ways to avoid testing positive. With opiates, it only takes a few days for them to get out of your system and not show up on a drug test.

The issue with opiate addiction is it is a physical addiction. It sounds easy enough to stop using for a few days to pass a test, but most addicts either won’t or can’t stop using for the long haul.

A False Positive Drug Test Can Happen Too

Drug testing isn’t always perfect, either. Whether you are trying to trick the drug test or not, sometimes you can have false positive test results. I’ve had a few experiences with false positive drug tests. There was one occasion when I didn’t use drugs for over a week.

I was trying to get clean for one of the first times in my life and was looking forward to passing my monthly drug test. When I went in for it, I ended up getting a false positive.

A Positive Test Result Isn’t Always Due to Using

I was so distraught over it that I convinced my probation officer to try again. He could tell that I was shocked, so he took mercy on me. He gave me a chance for confirmatory tests, and I passed them all. With that experience, I learned there are a few reasons someone may get a false positive test result.

Sometimes it’s simply a lab error. These tests aren’t always one hundred percent, and there can be mistakes. Another way you can get a false positive drug test is if you’ve taken another medication such as ibuprofen or other over-the-counter drugs.

In some cases, as I learned the hard way, a false positive result can even come from taking the wrong cold medicine or eating poppy seed pastries! In my case, my PO and I never figured out exactly what caused the false positive drug test, but all he cared about was that when it got sent to the lab (where they did a full gas chromatography-mass spectrometry test – what a mouthful!) it turned out I was clean after all.

Drug Test Paranoia Eats Away at Daily Life

When I was living with addiction and found myself in the drug testing cycle, I was always living in fear of the next positive test result. When I was first put on probation, I didn’t put much thought into getting a positive test result.

I had a very lenient probation officer, so I was able to avoid being drug tested for the first few months. I would lie at every meeting with my probation officer. I’d say I was making a lot of progress in my recovery, and I would be high the entire time.

Being a Good Liar Takes Practice (or Addiction)

When you’re addicted to drugs, especially opiates, you become a good liar. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve told people I was doing good and that I wasn’t using.

Now that I’ve been in recovery for a while, I can see the difference in people. I’ve had people tell me they were sober when they were obviously high. I used to be this person.

One Example of a Drug Test Failure

At one one of my meetings as part of my probation, my probation officer asked me if I would fail a drug test. Before this, he had never asked that question. He never even brought up drug tests, but on this occasion, he asked me for a urine sample.

Urine drug tests are the most common form of drug tests, although you can test for drugs with hair, saliva, and blood. Blood tests and saliva tests are pretty common in the world of probation as well.

Being Given a Timeline to Get Clean

I told him that I would pass, assuming that he wouldn’t give me one. He gave me the test, and I failed. I tried to be contrite, but I knew I had screwed up. He took mercy on me and didn’t revoke my probation. If he did, I surely would have gone to jail.

Instead, he told me that I had to come back in two weeks instead of the usual one month. This gave me less time to get clean and make sure that I could pass another drug test.

Positive Drug Test Results: No Matter the Consequences

I tried to stop using opiates a few days before my drug test, but I just couldn’t do it. By this point, I was heavily addicted and needed the drugs to function. I assumed that I might get tested, but I didn’t care anymore.

After another positive drug test, he revoked my probation and I went to jail for two months. Even after getting out, I still had two years of probation to finish. This time around, I was assigned to a probation officer who was much more strict.

Going Back To Jail Wasn’t Enough to Deter Me

I failed the first drug test I took with my new probation officer. Another positive drug test result meant another stint in jail. Interestingly enough, it can be just as easy to use drugs in jail as it is out of jail. Drug use is rampant in certain jails, and I continued to use even while I was locked up.

At this point, I figured I was done for. I knew that I would continue to fail drug tests after I got out of jail. I didn’t even want to leave jail at that point because I knew I’d be right back.

Random Drug Testing as a Way of Life

Once I failed enough drug tests, I was subject to random drug testing as part of my probation conditions. This made trying to fake out the drug test much more difficult. I couldn’t attempt to stop using beforehand, because I no longer had my tests scheduled.

Not like it mattered before, my addiction was at the point that I was failing tests no matter what the situation was.

Making The Choice To Get Clean

Once I started to have to face random drug tests, I was done for. I failed two in a row, and was faced with either a lengthy jail sentence or finding a rehabilitation program. A lot of people end up in this situation and don’t understand what a great opportunity it is.

Not everybody gets this option. A lot of people just get thrown back in jail or prison and don’t get the chance to have rehab help their court case. Luckily by this point, I was ready to give sobriety a chance. I was so sick of constantly worrying about positive drug test results.

Choosing Support With Drug and Alcohol Rehab at Icarus

When you make the decision to give recovery a chance, it can be a difficult sell. In any instance, it’s overwhelming to make a life change like that. When you are used to doing things your own way for so long, change is scary. This is especially true in the world of addiction.

In my case, I got into a treatment program immediately, so I didn’t have to worry too much beforehand. When I arrived at Icarus to begin treatment, I felt that I was finally ready to give it my best shot.

Entering Detox

Being addicted to prescription drugs like opiates requires a detox period before your recovery can begin. Certain prescription drugs can take longer to detox off of, and in my case it took nearly a week of detox for me to get through the withdrawal.

Once I started counseling and attending group therapy, I was able to open up and be honest for the first time in a long time. I had nothing to lose. I was looking at a lengthy jail sentence. I knew this might be my only chance to find lasting recovery.

From Failures To Success and a Life Without Constant Fear

I knew that once I got out of rehab I would be in an interesting position. I could go back to my old ways and fall right back into positive drug tests, or I could turn over a new leaf and get myself out of the system once and for all.

The people at Icarus set me up for success, but it was up to me whether or not I would stay on the straight and narrow. I was so close to not having to have that fear anymore. Am I going to fail again? Will my urine samples be positive? It was up to me and me only.

Trying To Stay Clean

I took all the lessons I learned at Icarus seriously, and started applying them to my life. It was very hard to stay clean at first. I wanted to go get high on multiple occasions, but the fear of drug test failure was always on my mind.

When I got my first positive result at my next probation meeting, I was beaming. I was worried that I might get a false positive, but I was thrilled when I passed. For the first time, I had passed a drug test fair and square.

The Best Defense Is Sobriety

You can do a lot of things to try and pass a drug test, but if you’re trying to cheat so that your drug use can continue, it will come back to bite you eventually. It’s more than just passing a test. It’s about living a productive and happy life more than anything.

If I avoided getting a drug test, the joy only lasted as long as it took for me to get that next high. I was unhappy and simply exhausted from playing the game. I was sick and tired of worrying about failing drug tests.

Workplace Drug Testing

When I was newly sober, I applied for a job that required a mandatory drug test. A lot of companies test employees for drugs prior to hiring them.

I never would have tried to get one of these jobs before, but now I didn’t have to worry about the illicit substances in my body, because there were none. I passed my test, and got the job. It was a surreal feeling considering how bad my addiction was not that long before.

Find Lasting Recovery Through Clean Living

I’ve made a complete turnaround since my time as a drug addict, and I owe it all to the wonderful people who have supported me in my recovery. For anyone who is struggling, I understand how powerless you can feel. I have felt that hopelessness.

If I could get clean and live a sober lifestyle, I think anyone can do it. You have to want it bad enough. If you don’t, you probably aren’t going to get very far.

The Best Defense for Positive Drug Test Results: Seeking Help at Icarus Nevada

These days, I still go to meetings and work on controlling my emotions and urges. The urge to use creeps on me once in a while, but I still remember the hell that was my addiction. I work very hard to avoid going back to my old ways. Icarus Nevada worked wonders for me.

Without them, I might not be here to tell my story. They could be the reason for your success as well. All it takes is making that one smart decision to seek help.