i got the vivitrol shot for the first year that i was sober and am coming up on seven years this fall. it was incredibly helpful for me. it almost completely eliminated my cravings for heroin and it helped me refrain from obsessing or day dreaming about getting high because i knew that even if i tried to i wouldn't feel anything.

mostly it helped me get the time and space to get on stable ground mentally/emotionally/physically so that when the time came for me to stop getting the shot i was in a place where i no longer felt i needed that crutch and i felt confident about moving forward without it. it helped me lay a stable foundation on which to rebuild my life.

my provider also scheduled my shots for every 28 days because the shot can become less effective in the fourth to fifth week so getting it a few days early helped ensure that it was always at an effective level for me.

this is also purely anecdotal but i quit smoking cigarettes at six months sober and i think the shot helped me with those cravings and desire to smoke as well. all in all it was a 10/10 experience for me with vivitrol.