Originally Posted by
JeffreyAK 
I can't understand the judgmentalism. Not everyone who goes to an AA meeting buys into any kind of program, or counts days as a kind of pecking order, or even necessarily defines sobriety in the same way (for example, I personally think the guy with a beer in 10 years is doing much better than the guy with no beers in 10 years but with daily benzos). Some support groups make a deliberate effort to emphasize that if you trip, you don't lose your sober time, you just tripped - the point being to try to destigmatize a short period of lapse so that it doesn't turn into a catastrophic guilt-ridden month-long binge. Different strokes.
I was trying to not be judgemental. If the person using benzos everyday is abusing them and not using then as prescribed that he isn't sober either. The group I got into is kind of hardcore so that's where I get it from. Using NA beer in my group also resets your sobriety date. They really emphasize the importance of understanding that alcoholism isn't about alcohol, it's about how you think and how you use alcohol or other substances to change how you feel so you don't have to deal with life on life's terms as they say. That's why you often hear that alcohol isn't our problem but our solution and AA helps you find another solution.
I think if you call a relapse a trip or a slip and not what it really is than it will probably lead to more and more trips until you trip yourself right into oblivion.
These are times I need to remind myself to read pages 60-63 and be more understanding of those who don't view the program the same way it was shown to me. Like I try to say, as long as you and your family are happy that's ultimately all that matters.