Open Discussion

[Chance]

I think that here we will have opinions galore. Most of us are fixed with our old ideas, most of us don't think that a certain thing is a relapse while other things are. We are also taught, "To Thy Own Self Be True". I know for me that relapse I do mentally a lot. That doesn't mean that I am going to start my sobriety and clean date over. Yet I have seen a lot of other relapses that start with other things.

I know for myself that drinking anything with the content of alcohol would in fact be considered a relapse for me. Whether it is Non-alcoholic beer, or NyQuil with alcohol or some of the other things that you find on the counters at the local pharmacy. Then I would also consider that taking too much medication not as prescribed would be considered a relapse.

A lot of it is also glorifying our addiction. For me I am not going to go to a bar and have a coke on the rocks and try to steal a little bit of pleasure from the atmosphere. I have been there and done that and it did in fact trigger me into thinking that I could have just one drink. That particular night even though I didn't drink I found myself hurrying to a meeting because I knew that I was not in good space. So here I would like to say that a relapse for myself would be any illegal drug, taking any kind of prescription as not directed, and drinking anything or taking anything that would have an alcohol content. That is just IMO...

Love Vic

Good lord Vic, you scared the be-jeesus out of me. I thought this was gonna be another burned out book thread.

Share your opinion all you want my friend, I'm listening.

Oh yeah, sorry....relapses', slip's, trip's, fall's, going back out's. I've had many, several, alot, before I got honest enough with myself to admit what was up. I even did the medical excuse use for a time, but again, that was before my own honesty with myself.

And thats what really prompts the change(s) anyway.

[Chance]

Originally Posted by Doug

Good lord Vic, you scared the be-jeesus out of me. I thought this was gonna be another burned out book thread.

Share your opinion all you want my friend, I'm listening.

Doug Oh yeah, sorry....relapses', slip's, trip's, fall's, going back out's. I've had many, several, alot, before I got honest enough with myself to admit what was up. I even did the medical excuse use for a time, but again, that was before my own honesty with myself.

Yep I think that is the key to it all is being honest to thy self. I know for me also that I had to turn my excuses for using into excuses to stay clean. I hope that I never think that I know all the answers again, I have been there and done that too. I sometimes still think that I know what is best for everyone and hell I don't even know what is best for me.

I do however like what I found the other day after years of reading it, this finally stood out to me in the NA Basic Text

PG 15 = "When nothing relieved our paranoia and fear, we hit bottom and became ready to ask for help."

I think after having 10 months today clean and sober I did hit bottom again 10 days ago with my mental state of being. I think a huge amount of it was caused from my interferon shots and yet today I think it is really even deeper than that. I guess for me today to actually be honest within myself is a huge step for me. I have reached out finally not only here at SR but also where I am living and have come to know that it is not an I program it is in fact a WE program and I fit in there too.

Love Vic

[51anna]

Vic,

10 months today!!