duckblind405

I've been clean from any kind of narcotics for over a year now, but here recently I've found myself at the local bar more often than I probaly should. Being new to the area I convinced myself the bar would be a great place to meet people. In a little over a month it has went from a few drinks on the weekend to watching the clock for quitting time so I can meet up with everyone and waiting for the bar to open on my days off...and usually end up drinking far more than I should. Even when I find myself at the lake enjoying everyone's company it always involves a few cases. It hasn't caused any issues (yet) with my work and/or personal life but a few close friends of mine have made comments pertaining to my recent excessive drinking...Knowing I have an addictive personality, my fear is that I have started to trade one addiction for another without realizing it has gotten this bad already or am I just worrying too much...advice?

dragonfire613

Wow, that could have been me making that post 5 years ago. The one year I was able to stay off opiates (out of 15 years of addiction), it was scarily similar to your story. I'm sorry if this is not what you want to hear, but I can only share my own story. After battling oxy addiction for the better part of a decade, I got into a methadone program, and successfully tapered and stopped using. I was coping with life, but would have the occasional drink with friends, and much like yourself, weekends turned into most days turned into every day... I told myself my problem was with opiates specifically and alcohol wasn't a problem for me, even knowing truly I was using it as a poor substitute. To make a longer story short, I ended up using again, got into suboxone treatment, and have been struggling to get off in the 4 years since. Let me ask you, do you want to go through the narcotic detox again? All that work? I would advise doing whatever is necessary to STOP NOW and not follow in my footsteps. From what I read of others, alcoholic detox is just as nasty, if not worse, than opiate detox. You don't want to end up there either, ya know?

KnowHope

Hey Duck, as far as I'm concerned if you're an addict it's not trading one addiction for another, rather the whole thing is addiction. What I have come to understand through my own experience and the collective experience of masses of other addicts is that I am allergic to all mind-altering, mood-changing substances, and alcohol is a drug. In time, I have never known and addict who could use drugs successfully. We lose control over our using and then can't stay stopped, and not very happily. If that's your deal too, and only you can know that, then I hope you will begin to do what it takes to treat the addiction, which doesn't just go away after when we get clean. It's a lifetime deal, but it's a joy and a privilege. I hope you might consider checking out some meetings in your area to find some others who have been down this road who can give you some insight from their own experiences as well. Sending my veery best wishes to you on your journey.

duckblind405

Thank you to you both I opted for an AA meeting last night instead of the bar with my "friends". It was helpful to talk to other people in similar situations after the meeting (as well as some folks on here). So far it's only been a little over 48hrs without drinking but it's a start. No serious withdrawl symptoms, just the urge to drink when I'm having a hard time or passing the bar and the shakes from time to time. Again, thank you both.

dragonfire613

Great job duck! I'm so very proud of you. Great job!