lizw

Easy to do eh? Sometimes I read things on here then re read them then reread them again. Most people have good intentions eh? My head doesn't tell me that of course though.

Further example someone just rang me before from the company I work for asking to correct/amend something I've been doing and as soon as I open my mouth I noticed I was defensive.....

Cathy31

Good point and can also relate to 'wish I coulda got away with that' - but I can't...if I took a drug or drink that would start the not so merry go around and I'd be dead/institutionalised/in jail in no time.

Sugerspun gives good advice...examine *your* part .. why does this irk you.

But most of all well done on YOUR sober time!

BTW, as Carold says my sober time is between me and God, however for the record I would absolutely change my dos...but that's me. Nothing to do with anyone else.

Cathy31
x

tiburon88

Liz, if I want to take a year chip and cake I can. "Counting time" doesn't apply to me because yes I am different than most alcoholics. I've said it before the amount of time I've put into AA I feel the program owes me. You seem to like to pick on me and "take my inventory" and that's cool whatever makes you feel better.


tib

Pinkcuda

Every Alcoholic that walks in the door says the same thing.

doorknob

Maybe he's not an alcoholic but really just a drunk.. hell, maybe I am too...

tiburon88

Pinkcuda, not everyone who is alcoholic is the same. That's the funny part of addiction, there are absolutely no differences only similarities. Thats not always true and I would rather die a "wino" in an alley than swallow some AA crap that I don't believe in and probably ever believe in. I suppose I lie to people about my "sobriety date" all the time and ya know what who cares?


tib

RufusACanal

The easiest way to find out if you are truly Alcoholic is to try some controlled drinking.

tiburon88

Rufus I think "cotrolled drinking" ended years ago.

collinsmi

I wouldn't think so, unless you're getting a buzz off it.

What kind of trouble are you having with step 3 Digderidoo? It was explained to me, and I believe, that a big part of step 3 was to trust the steps, commit to working the rest of them, and get busy doing it. Try not to stay where you're at, stepwise, too much longer.

Tazman53

The only person I can keep sober is me, the only person I can get drunk is me!

As some one already said, my DOS is between my HP and me.

For me I drank to feel good for many years, I did some drugs along the way for the exact same reason, my DOC was alcohol, but for me, and just for me, if I drink one drink on purpose, or I take a hit of what ever on purpose then I am not sober.

For me, if I do any drug or alcohol with the purpose of simply feeling good to feel good, then I would change my DOS.

What any one else uses as a guideline for being sober is their business.

Right now I can say with absolute certainity that by my definition of sobriety I have been withour a drink or a drug (for recerational purposes) for 721 days. No lingering feelings of guilt or shame, never get that feeling when I am honest!

digderidoo

Thanks collin.

I have posted my thoughts on here about step 3 amongst one or two long threads, so i don't want to post a lengthy post regarding it. I have only been in AA 8 months, today is my 100th day sober! Bit of a milestone, but hope there are plenty more to come.

I achieved step 1 after trying some controlled drinking. My last drink May 30th was ny last drink, i would say about a week before that i knew what the word "powerless" really meant. As for my life being unmanageable, i only really realised that last month after missing 3 weeks of meetings due to holidays and children.

I have looked at the god thing or higher power since my first week in AA. Because of this i questioned whether AA worked for me. I threw out God about 15 years ago when i left the religion i was brought up in (Jehovah's Witness). Because i rejected that i guess i threw out the baby with the bath water, so to speak. It has been a long journey on that score coming to terms with a god of my own understanding.

It has only been through posting on here about my thoughts that i feel comfortable with a higher power of my own definition. I would say it has only been the last week that i feel i have achieved step 2. I believe that higher power comes in many forms, taking away the spiritual aspect of it, there are many things that i can do that keeps my mind active and away from insane thoughts, these activities i can also define as a higher power.

My issue with step 3 really has been an issue since January that i have looked deep into and feel as though i am getting there. Please do not misuderstand me, in thinking that i have been standing still on it. I will get there. The way i see it i have two choices, 1) to reject the steps that involve god (there are 6 of them) or 2) find my own defintion of god and remain sober.

Sorry if i am posting off topic, but the question has been asked about my issues with step 3.

Getting back on topic, i have come to the conclusion that for someone who has more than one addiction, there is a difference between clean and sober. The guy has been honest in mentioning the drugs he took two years ago, so i do not want to detract away from what he has accomplished.

One or two posts have seemed to suggest that the guy is somehow kidding himself. Someone even called him a turd. With comments like that i wished i had never mentioned him or maybe even regretted starting the topic. The guy has done well, it is not my intention to start criticising what he has achieved.

Paul

nandm

IF you truly believe that AA is crap and do not believe in it then why would you continue to use it???? Makes absolutely no sense to me......do you just like the shiny coins, cake and attention????

Peter

It depends on the "rules" you make for yourself.

I know for me I have very strict "rules" where alcohol and drugs are concerned. To intentionally and knowingly put drugs into my body for no valid medical reason whatsoever is for me a relapse.

CarolD

If any member is curious about another members
back history....
Please take the time to look at their previous shares.

You can find that information by clicking on the User Name.

Thanks everyone...

lizw

Sorry you feel that way. I honestly meant no offense. You may want to read my further reply to another poster who called me on it.
Take it easy

TTOSBT

Wow. I am really not sure what to say.
I have always felt the opposite, that if I am not doing service and giving back, after all AA has given me, then I am stealing from AA.
I don't want to argue with you but I did have to speak up because for ME (and me only) the program has given me SO much, the tools to live a different kind of life, hope, serenity, more than I deserved or earned, that is for dang sure. Today, I earn my seat by giving back to the program that so freely gave to me.

Peter

So you want a refund ....?

lostbutterfly

I'm an alchy and a druggie. The two are really intertwined for me. I take drugs (painkillers) to get me through work to my first drink, then used to take them together with alcohol at night and weekends. They enhanced each other. I've not drunk for 3 days, and I'm proud of that and would say I have been sober for 3 days. The drugs do not get me off my head like alcohol did and I don't neglect my kids. BUT I am using them to cope with life and won't feel like I am truly clean until I can get off them as well. I just can't do them both together, not just now. But when I finally get up the courage to actually talk at an AA meeting, I will be honest about the drugs. I wouldn't want people to think that I am OK when I am not. I don't think it's fair on the people who really are managing with no chemical assistance!! I have no idea how to live without mind altering chemicals!

Tazman53

Butterfly there are a lot of folks in AA that do not manage without chemical assistance that are clean and sober according to every person I know in AA. If one is prescribed an anti-depressant, or pain medication by a doctor and taking them as prescribed every person I know in AA considers them to be clean and sober.

Do not get me wrong, there are some folks in AA that feel any medication, doctor prescribed or not taken is a break in sobriety, but I have never met one. These folks need to read the BB along with an AA pamphlet that explains AA's stance on meds.

NoelleR

"If you smoke weed or take drugs do you have to change you D.O.S.?"

From the Original Post...: "...i have found out someone i know who has 3 years sober, has used drugs in that time... surely that means he should change his sobriety date. Or does it? Being relatively new to AA..."

From many of the other posts here in this thread the terms 'clean' and 'sober' have been used.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1) Since this post is in the Alcoholism Forum, if any Organization is to be referenced, it should be AA

2) D.O.S. stands for Date Of Sobriety and is an AA term; NOT an NA term

3) Sobriety is an AA term which is defined by AA (not necessarily by all AAer's) to mean: freedom from AOCOHOL (and that's all)

4) 'Clean' is an NA term meaning free from all mood altering drugs (excluding their 'outside issues')...as in #3, 'sober' is an AA term meaning freedom from alcohol.

5) A drug is a drug is a drug.....etc. is an NA expression, although one may hear it in the halls of AA, it is NOT an AA expression. AA deals with alcohol and alcohol only; all other drugs are considered 'outside issues'

6) AA has a Singleness of Purpose ---- alcohol and alcohol ONLY

7) Regardless of the opinions of AAer's (of whom I am one, and am also an NAer), if you want to know what AA (the Org itself, and not its individual members) thinks of drugs, other than alcohol.....just check out their website..... Alcoholics Anonymous : and check out both their Singleness of Purpose statement and their pamphlet titled: Problems Other Than Alcohol.....both of these can be read in their entirety there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

....to answer the questions here, per my understanding of AA is that.....NO, the person does NOT need to change their sobriety date; according to AA they are sober.....if, however, they were a member of NA, they would not be considered clean.............. (o: clear a mud, eh.....


NoelleR