Recovery = 100% abstinence from all mood or mind altering substances, including pot, beer, wine, liquor, xanax, valium, ativan, etc. 99.99% of people addicted to one specific drug, be it pills, heroin, whatever, will very quickly substitute one substance for another without a program of recovery. Those of you who have a problem with hearing this, take the cotton out of your ears (or your bottle of pills) and put it in your mouth. Stick around, learn something from the people who have time in recovery. They are the ones who are going to live. They are the ones whose lives are becoming less unmanageable. CG and other Recovery advocates don't talk about this stuff to be on a high horse, or to shame anyone or make anyone feel bad or that they're not doing the right thing. THIS DISEASE KILLS PEOPLE. Those of us in recovery all once thought that we were special, different, unique, that we might be the exception. We learned that we were wrong. We were addicts/alcoholics, and the same circumstances and methods that enabled others to recover could work for us, if we let them. So if you think you can drink, you should stick around until you realize that you're no different than the rest of us. If you think you can use other drugs "successfully", stick around until you realize that you're no different than the rest of us.
well said Matt!
Matt,
It can't get any more simpler than that...
thx
It can't get any more simpler than that...
thx
Matt:
Thanks for keeping it simple and keeping it real.
Rachel
Great post Matt..how true.
matt that might be true for most but not all,last night i had a couple of my buddy's came over to shoot some pool,anyways my one friend does the home brewery and makes a diffrent variety of beers,so he brought over a case and offered me one,so we played pool and drank beer,now where i'm going with this is over a 3hr period i drank 2 lousy beers and there is probally is between 6 to 8 beers left in the fridge,and in no way am i compled or feel tempted to drink the rest of them,they can sit in there for another year and collect dust for all i care,so what it boils down to is what applies for one might not apply for another..................vinny.
Vinny,
Congratulations. It sounds like you're one of the .01% of addicts who can successfully drink and not return to active addiction of their DOC. I also LOVED microbrews, and I never considered myself as having a problem with alcohol. But when I looked back on it, every time I picked up either pills or coke after long periods of abstinence, it was always when I had been drinking.
But do you really want to debate me on the numbers and statistics of this? You seem like a smart guy, so I assume you can see that you're in the vast minority. I believe in carrying the message about what works for the majority of recovering addicts. Are there exceptions, such as yourself? Clearly. But an active addict or a recently recovering addict is going to have a hefty case of denial, and will look for loopholes and exceptions. Giving creedence to those few like yourself will likely hurt more people's chances than anything else.
Matt
Congratulations. It sounds like you're one of the .01% of addicts who can successfully drink and not return to active addiction of their DOC. I also LOVED microbrews, and I never considered myself as having a problem with alcohol. But when I looked back on it, every time I picked up either pills or coke after long periods of abstinence, it was always when I had been drinking.
But do you really want to debate me on the numbers and statistics of this? You seem like a smart guy, so I assume you can see that you're in the vast minority. I believe in carrying the message about what works for the majority of recovering addicts. Are there exceptions, such as yourself? Clearly. But an active addict or a recently recovering addict is going to have a hefty case of denial, and will look for loopholes and exceptions. Giving creedence to those few like yourself will likely hurt more people's chances than anything else.
Matt
again, Matt, well said....
vinny, sweetie, you most probably can manage a beer or two....but just be careful....you are working with Cunning, Baffling and Powerful....
vinny, sweetie, you most probably can manage a beer or two....but just be careful....you are working with Cunning, Baffling and Powerful....
matt like i said the majority.................vinny.
Welllllllll,
I don't know about majorities/minorities.....I really wish there were actual studies done on people who use complete abstinence versus those who maintain recreational drug use of drugs other than their DOC and compare rates and intensities of relapses, but ohhh well.
No matter, irrelevant. Complete abstinence of non-medically need psychoactive drugs is simply the most prudent, the safest, choice, that is all. It is what I do, what I will recommend to others. What they do, is what they do. I will not talk about using other drugs recreationally on this board, even if I did. It is not a comfortable topic and I feel this board is not for learning how to use any drug recreationally.
My perception of this board's existence is how to learn to live a life without psychoactive drugs used for non-medical reasons (emotional pain is not a justification for pain pill or other pill use). People don't have to be clean and I don't care if they are.
Aha! A thought and I am sure it isn't original, some more SOLUTION topics.
exs. What do to to relieve stress/panic attacks that DON'T involve CNS depressant like benzos?
What to do with chronic pain that DOESN'T involve narcotics?
For 12-steppers, hints on doing the steps, Step 4 inventories, Steps 6 and 7, the character defects, how do you work those? (HINT, I would love input on that!)
yeeks, enough of this book, I am going to start such a topic!
I don't know about majorities/minorities.....I really wish there were actual studies done on people who use complete abstinence versus those who maintain recreational drug use of drugs other than their DOC and compare rates and intensities of relapses, but ohhh well.
No matter, irrelevant. Complete abstinence of non-medically need psychoactive drugs is simply the most prudent, the safest, choice, that is all. It is what I do, what I will recommend to others. What they do, is what they do. I will not talk about using other drugs recreationally on this board, even if I did. It is not a comfortable topic and I feel this board is not for learning how to use any drug recreationally.
My perception of this board's existence is how to learn to live a life without psychoactive drugs used for non-medical reasons (emotional pain is not a justification for pain pill or other pill use). People don't have to be clean and I don't care if they are.
Aha! A thought and I am sure it isn't original, some more SOLUTION topics.
exs. What do to to relieve stress/panic attacks that DON'T involve CNS depressant like benzos?
What to do with chronic pain that DOESN'T involve narcotics?
For 12-steppers, hints on doing the steps, Step 4 inventories, Steps 6 and 7, the character defects, how do you work those? (HINT, I would love input on that!)
yeeks, enough of this book, I am going to start such a topic!
AA/NA works if you work it. i stopped working it in AA and relapsed on pills. Everything said by matt is true and ive heard it a million times---i know through experience
I must be in the 0.1 % that you talk about Matt because I can have a drink and then leave it alone. Many years ago I drank and used to get hammered when I went out on the weekends. I did a lot of stupid sh*t..I admit.. I knocked all that crap out years ago though.. I am able to go out with friends and drink a few drinks, get a cab home or a sober driver and be done with it for months. I am able to keep beer and wiskey in my house and not touch it for weeks, months and then make a drink out of the blue. It is a choice that I have and that I make.. So I think there are many people out there that are able to do that and not be off and running to pain pills. This is a pain pill board and I have been clean for over 8 months from pills..I don't need anyone telling me what I am doing is wrong or I am going to fail.. That is just total non-sense and if that's what your program teaches you then great! I saw this same thing happen with Jeff/suboxman when he said he had a drink of wine on a date.. Same thing again with Traci...I know I don't have a drinking probem but I know some that do..! I know some that are able to take pain pills and be done with them when there pain is gone. I am not one of those people.. I don't hate on people that can but I can't. The world doesn't stop because I can't take a pain pill. The world won't end because I can drink socially and some can't..
It is usually the people in NA/AA that come to the board and judge someone else on what they are doing wrong in their lives. If they aren't working a program outside the house with other addicts.. Like oh my gosh you had a glass of wine you are setting yourself up, your not clean, your going to fail, look at the #'s ... Please give me a break.. Nobody here is perfect and when someone comes here being honest and shares a part of their life with us who are we to say it's wrong?? I was blasted not long ago for saying I drank a pina colda. I have been on this board for almost a year.. Damn I can't share that I went out to Red Lobster and had a frozen drink without having it thrown up in my face that I am not clean and that I lost my clean time..That I am not being honest with myself or to pull the cotton out of my ears. Oh or to shut my mouth and listen to others that know more than me.. Always by someone in a program.. I understand people in the program are trying to give back what they live by and by what keeps them clean. However, there is a way to say it and then leave it alone without making someone feel bad about who they are..I have respect for people who work a program and they are able to stay clean by doing soon.
I only hope some will have respect for me because I do not attend meetings and I am equally as clean... and sober right now thank you.. I won't be apologizing anytime soon for the way I am. I kind of like the person I am. I have myself and my higher power and I could careless what anyone thinks about me..I have friends that still use I don't think I am better than them nor would try and take an inventory on the way they choose to live their lives.. If that's the case maybe I will call my grandma and tell her to stop drinking wine and run to the nearest AA meeting at 78 yrs old. It's not my place to tell her anything about the way she lives her life. My grandpa drinks beer and is a lutheran pastor, retired policeofficer and is well respected in his community and church.. He used to have a problem with drugs when he was younger do you think I should call him out on his sh*t? This place should be a safe place for people to be honest without being attacked unless they lie everyday about some illness and say garbage like an Exstasy pill kept them clean for 5 years or some off the wall BS.. Then I can see where someone would jump in and say hey Cut the crap girlfriend your full of it..That's my 2 cents.. Cheers, Rae
It is usually the people in NA/AA that come to the board and judge someone else on what they are doing wrong in their lives. If they aren't working a program outside the house with other addicts.. Like oh my gosh you had a glass of wine you are setting yourself up, your not clean, your going to fail, look at the #'s ... Please give me a break.. Nobody here is perfect and when someone comes here being honest and shares a part of their life with us who are we to say it's wrong?? I was blasted not long ago for saying I drank a pina colda. I have been on this board for almost a year.. Damn I can't share that I went out to Red Lobster and had a frozen drink without having it thrown up in my face that I am not clean and that I lost my clean time..That I am not being honest with myself or to pull the cotton out of my ears. Oh or to shut my mouth and listen to others that know more than me.. Always by someone in a program.. I understand people in the program are trying to give back what they live by and by what keeps them clean. However, there is a way to say it and then leave it alone without making someone feel bad about who they are..I have respect for people who work a program and they are able to stay clean by doing soon.
I only hope some will have respect for me because I do not attend meetings and I am equally as clean... and sober right now thank you.. I won't be apologizing anytime soon for the way I am. I kind of like the person I am. I have myself and my higher power and I could careless what anyone thinks about me..I have friends that still use I don't think I am better than them nor would try and take an inventory on the way they choose to live their lives.. If that's the case maybe I will call my grandma and tell her to stop drinking wine and run to the nearest AA meeting at 78 yrs old. It's not my place to tell her anything about the way she lives her life. My grandpa drinks beer and is a lutheran pastor, retired policeofficer and is well respected in his community and church.. He used to have a problem with drugs when he was younger do you think I should call him out on his sh*t? This place should be a safe place for people to be honest without being attacked unless they lie everyday about some illness and say garbage like an Exstasy pill kept them clean for 5 years or some off the wall BS.. Then I can see where someone would jump in and say hey Cut the crap girlfriend your full of it..That's my 2 cents.. Cheers, Rae
well put rae--- what i posted refers to myself only
wow rae!!!!! very powerful stuff, as an average shmoe all i can say to that is go rae, go rae !!!!! heheh
terrianne
terrianne
Rae, your 2 cents is well taken....thanks for your input...
I agree. I would love to go out for my anniversary and have a drink to celebrate. I know that I wouldn't have to stop on the way home for a bottle, so I can get drunk, I truly believe that I am past alcohol abuse. But if I should decide the next day that I'm going out for a bottle to get drunk it would throw up a red flag and I would definately seek help.
The fact that Cowgirl came out and said something to Medusa was justified. She is in denial, it shows in her Ecstasy and Marijuana use. I agree with what Cowgirl said wholeheartedly. She has been here long enough to have seen others be called out on their crap, and should have expected that sort of reaction. She also has some deep emotional problems that are best handled by a professional. Telling her what she wants to hear will inevitably kill her.
I agree. I would love to go out for my anniversary and have a drink to celebrate. I know that I wouldn't have to stop on the way home for a bottle, so I can get drunk, I truly believe that I am past alcohol abuse. But if I should decide the next day that I'm going out for a bottle to get drunk it would throw up a red flag and I would definately seek help.
The fact that Cowgirl came out and said something to Medusa was justified. She is in denial, it shows in her Ecstasy and Marijuana use. I agree with what Cowgirl said wholeheartedly. She has been here long enough to have seen others be called out on their crap, and should have expected that sort of reaction. She also has some deep emotional problems that are best handled by a professional. Telling her what she wants to hear will inevitably kill her.
janet,
i think that is super cool you are in touch with your addict side enough to know your limits and all. i admire that. i also would agree that no one is disputing you on the medusa thing we all are in agreement on thatone chica.
terrianne
i think that is super cool you are in touch with your addict side enough to know your limits and all. i admire that. i also would agree that no one is disputing you on the medusa thing we all are in agreement on thatone chica.
terrianne
thanks Terrianne.
I just posted on the cowgirl thread and reiterated that.
I just posted on the cowgirl thread and reiterated that.
Janet,
Exactly I don't have a problem with what Cowgirl said to Medusa. I really don't. Cowgirl can say whatever she wants to whomever she wants..Like I said in my post above This place should be a safe place for people to be honest without being attacked unless they lie everyday about some illness and say garbage like an Exstasy pill kept them clean for 5 years or some off the wall BS.. Then I can see where someone would jump in and say hey Cut the crap girlfriend your full of it..
So yes I agree in my opinion Medusa is attention seeking and refused everyone's advice to go to a hospital. If I had stabing pains in my vagina like she talked about then I would have gone but hey that's her problem... Like I told her in the million miles away thread " let me know how that works out for ya.. She was in total denial and still is..So no I applaude cowgirl for saying something to her because I would have...I already let Medusa know how I feel though in her PMS thread... She was playing everyone for a damn fool and that is my opinion.. I wish her the best though and I hope oneday she comes back here and says what's up, I am clean and I am happy...That would be fine with me..
I feel bad for Traci and I don't want to see her leave the board! She had a rough detox off methadone and she should be applauded for having 17 days clean. Nobody gets to take that from her or make her think she starts now on day 1 cause she had wine. That's ridiculous.. I know her and Cowgirl will work it out. I honesty don't feel it should have been brought up in that scary story halloween thread. Everyone was suppose to be honest about things they did in the past. The one thing that got picked out of lots of posts on that thread was that Traci had a glass of wine and no I don't think that was fair..
Just like with Jeff when he said he drank wine on a date...I don't think he should have been told he wasn't clean for a drink he had months prior and then have all the NA/AA thumpers come give him a bunch of sh*t.. If he or anyone has an alcohol problem then they will know it hopefully and they will reach out for help or maybe go over to the alcohol board. Rae
For the record I am not upset with Cowgirl for what she said it was how it was said..She has a right to voice her thoughts and opinions and so do I.. We are all adults and we all have choices and thank goodness we don't have to live with each other. LOL Rae
Exactly I don't have a problem with what Cowgirl said to Medusa. I really don't. Cowgirl can say whatever she wants to whomever she wants..Like I said in my post above This place should be a safe place for people to be honest without being attacked unless they lie everyday about some illness and say garbage like an Exstasy pill kept them clean for 5 years or some off the wall BS.. Then I can see where someone would jump in and say hey Cut the crap girlfriend your full of it..
So yes I agree in my opinion Medusa is attention seeking and refused everyone's advice to go to a hospital. If I had stabing pains in my vagina like she talked about then I would have gone but hey that's her problem... Like I told her in the million miles away thread " let me know how that works out for ya.. She was in total denial and still is..So no I applaude cowgirl for saying something to her because I would have...I already let Medusa know how I feel though in her PMS thread... She was playing everyone for a damn fool and that is my opinion.. I wish her the best though and I hope oneday she comes back here and says what's up, I am clean and I am happy...That would be fine with me..
I feel bad for Traci and I don't want to see her leave the board! She had a rough detox off methadone and she should be applauded for having 17 days clean. Nobody gets to take that from her or make her think she starts now on day 1 cause she had wine. That's ridiculous.. I know her and Cowgirl will work it out. I honesty don't feel it should have been brought up in that scary story halloween thread. Everyone was suppose to be honest about things they did in the past. The one thing that got picked out of lots of posts on that thread was that Traci had a glass of wine and no I don't think that was fair..
Just like with Jeff when he said he drank wine on a date...I don't think he should have been told he wasn't clean for a drink he had months prior and then have all the NA/AA thumpers come give him a bunch of sh*t.. If he or anyone has an alcohol problem then they will know it hopefully and they will reach out for help or maybe go over to the alcohol board. Rae
For the record I am not upset with Cowgirl for what she said it was how it was said..She has a right to voice her thoughts and opinions and so do I.. We are all adults and we all have choices and thank goodness we don't have to live with each other. LOL Rae
amen Rae....we could all live at "dysfunction junction" lmao
rolf @ janet, good one
