Old 05-16-2012, 09:02 AM
  # 278 (permalink)  
Dalek
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Other Drugs

Originally Posted by Purplecatlover View Post
Can you be successful in abstinence of alcohol (BP) but not other drugs?

I feel like I've been duped. I committed to no alcohol forever but never even crossed my mind about abstaining from other stuff in the future.
Good question. People and their Beasts usually have a preference for a certain drug, or a certain family of drugs (ie, stimulants, depressants, etc). The Beast is going to want to get high any which way it can, though, and just as it will "settle" for low-end drinks when the top shelf stuff isn't available, it will also settle for other drugs when its favorite stuff is out of the question.

I don't recall it being mentioned in the "New Cure" book, although I do remember it saying in there somewhere that "drink" and "use" are synonymous as far as AVRT is concerned. In later RR materials, this is made even more explicit, though, and the Big Plan is defined as a personal commitment to lifetime abstinence from alcohol and other hedonic drugs.

From a practical standpoint, this is probably a good idea anyway, since once you get high on any drug, your judgement becomes impaired. Once under the influence, there is a risk of going out and getting your favorite stuff, and the Beast will probably try to steer you in that direction. This is why people often go back to using their main drug when they try to switch to another one.

Originally Posted by Purplecatlover View Post
Never really even thought about other stuff b/c I do not use other drugs BUT if I had opiates in the past (prescribed, years ago) I always took them even if I didn't need them.
I liked the high feeling.
The Big Plan does not prohibit the use of legitimate medicine outright. You just have to follow the directions from your prescribing doctor and/or on the bottle, and not use it to get high, as you say you did with the opiates.

Your Beast is always going to get excited from any drug that creates a little bit of a buzz, but as long as you are aware of this, you should be able to make an informed decision. A good question to ask any doctor would be if there are non-opiate alternatives, though.
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