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Why is quitting alcohol different?

Old 04-20-2009, 11:02 PM
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Why is quitting alcohol different?

I've been hooked on a couple of things in my time: Cigarettes, Amphetamines, and Alcohol.

I quit Amphetamines years ago. They made my anxiety so unbearable that I had no choice. It was a struggle but I managed it. After about 8 years with no follow up treatment I am still free of them and have absolutely no desire to do them any more.

After many false starts I quit cigarettes in April 2006. I used patches for 10 weeks and have remained free of the smokes for over 3 years now. I have occasional thoughts of smoking but that's it - no desire to smoke them any more. I have had no follow up treatment.

Now I'm qutting Alcohol. I've had a few false starts but am on the right track. I'm seeing an addiction specialist weekly and taking Naltrexone (damn the nausea).

The common consensus here (I think) seems to be that I need to work a program for the rest of my life to remain clean. Why is this the case? Why is addiction to alcohol different to the above addictions? Until I started reading this site I expected what I would need to do was the same as for Amphetamines and Cigarettes in that I do what works for me for 6 to 12 months and the rest would come naturally?

I'm interested in peoples opionions. Especially those with 12 or more months sober as to why they continue to work a program to maintain sobriety? Do you think you would relapse if it wasn't for the program even with this long sober?
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Old 04-20-2009, 11:19 PM
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Im barely getting sober but I remember seeing a show about alcoholism a while ago and I think its because its legal and such a large part of the social scene...I could be wrong, Im new at this myself, I just remember hearing that
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Old 04-21-2009, 05:40 AM
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Slim...I don't think quitting drinking is any different than quitting smoking or any kind of drugs. It may be more difficult in the sense that people never question someone quitting smoking but tell someone you never drink and looks will follow. I don't work any kind of "formal" program and as time passes I don't think about drinking like I use to...congrats on quitting the smokes and the amphetamines...one more hurdle...you can do this! Best of luck and keep posting!
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Old 04-21-2009, 05:43 AM
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I stayed clean & sober for 10 years before attending meetings. I wasn't very happy though. I was basically 'tolerating' life.

I have been attending meetings for close to 5 years now, sometimes 2 per day, and I learn more and more about how to manage life and be happy, without drugs and/or alcohol.

I don't go to meetings to keep from drinking/using, I go to meetings to learn more about enjoying life.

Recovery, to me, now, means enjoying life.

I enjoy life 100% more when I attend meetings regularly.

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Old 04-21-2009, 06:16 AM
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Interesting questions....

As for why alcoholism is different than other addictions.....your addiction counselor is a better resource than I can be.
Congratulations on stopping your other addictions...

After being diagnosed with situational depression in '84 I decided to quit
drinking alcohol and joined AA.
I did not work the AA structured program nor did I make lifestyle changes.
I continued to drink ...off and on...for 4 years.

Then I read a book..." Under The Influence" by Milam & Ketcham.
That explained to me that my body was no longer processing
alcohol correctly. Zap! Eureka! Egad!

I took that info...made many changes ...re committmed to God and AA.
I've not had another drink. So Yes...AA is a vital part of my recovery.

Why do I still attend meetings and use the AA steps?
I want to share the joy and it gives me a purpose.

No I will not drink again if I give up AA
but why in the world would I want to?


Thanks for asking....all my best

Last edited by CarolD; 04-21-2009 at 02:33 PM. Reason: Typos
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Old 04-21-2009, 06:29 AM
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Wow, good question! I have 18+ months sobriety right now, and I do not work a formal program. I went to AA early in my recovery, but it is not a part of my life right now. I would love to be able to attend meetings, b/c I think you can always learn something there, but time and distance and family commitments and job make it impossible for me right now.

I think you need to work whatever program works for you in order to get sober and enjoy life. Enjoying life, not white knuckling it, to me is the key. Like Tommy said, you can be sober and not have it be worth a dang if you are not enjoying your life.

If you quit drugs and smokes without a formal program, you may be able to do the same with alcohol. You are seeing an addiction specialist, and that's great. Do whatever works to get sober, stay sober, and enjoy your life. I think THAT is what we are all about here at SR.

Congratulations on your work so far and good luck!
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Old 04-21-2009, 07:17 AM
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I know the feeling. I was into meth, oxycontin, crack, and use to smoke pot and cigarettes. I officially quit doing all drugs back in 2003 and never had any thoughts or desires to do them again. Smoking was a on and off thing for me, but whenever I did go back to smoking it was only when I was drinking. But I offcialy gave them up 6 months ago as of now, and as it stands I barely ever give smoking a second thought. Being around smokers you realize how bad those things stink after while

Drinking though that's a whole diffrent ball game. I've been going back and fourth with it for a long time now and for eash year that passes I hate it just a little bit more. But on the flip side I obsses over it, no matter how bad I hate it there's still this little voice in me that loves it.
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Old 04-21-2009, 09:03 AM
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Awesome questions and great responses here. I think I'm starting to get it.

I'm so used to being around hard core AA and when I look at my experience with booze, I'm in a really bad place with it physiologically. I'm in my early 40s and I have a long history with booze.

I am really starting to understand I think... that some of us are different with the booze, drugs, smokes, etc. It's a hard pill to swallow, because I always assumed more is better. Even with my recovery! I think almost anybody who knows me would agree that I do AA hard core. And I'm not the only one. But I think I can now admit, we are strange! So part of this may be my Irish alcoholic ego. IDK. So I can't assume...

I can't assume you drink like anybody else does. Congrats on putting the amphetamines away and the smokes. I know that's tough. I've been Copenhagan free for just over a year now. I have a wife who really really wants me to stick around for a few more years. It's kinda cool.

Now, some people can get and stay sober... doing certain things. I came to AA and immediately felt at home and a real warm sense of connection with other drunks from the first time I was thrown into a detox/treatment center (Washington House) when I was 18. I got a Big Book read it like a novel, and stopped drinking for about a year... but did all the drugs I could find; weed, acid, shrooms, coke, crank, mesc... Then one day, I was going to a country bar with a coworker... trying to meet chicks, and the thought occured to me... If I could just have a few drinks, I could unwind and be myself. Inside of 2 weeks, I crashed my Nova and got my second DUI within 2 years. I felt like the slime that forms on the bottom of ... you know? whale dodo.

So I come to find that I can go to AA, get sober for two years or so... and go back out and drink!

I not only had to come to AA, but I had to get "IN", as if it was life or death, and now I have about 1927 days or just over 5 years and I couldn't imagine trying to stay sober without seeking God and being plugged into a very healthy group in AA. There are times when it ain't fun. They don't stroke my ego and tell me how wonderful I'm doing. They are honest with me and shoot me straight and I try to do the same. I tell you, it constantly goes against all of my instincts and it's a total blast... most of the time.

I really want to learn to help people see their truth in their drinking and what works for them.
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Old 04-21-2009, 09:19 AM
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I think the difference between quiting smoking and quiting alcohol is that quitting alcohol is truely a lifestyle change. Cigarettes do not change your personality alcohol does as do drugs. I have been sober since 9-1-07 and I don't work a formal program but that's mostly because I'm very much a loner. I did go to AA in the beginning and it was an awesome place to start and I continue to work my version of the 12 steps and if I ever feel myself beginning to slip I would go back to AA and feel comfortable with that.

Judy
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Old 04-21-2009, 09:31 AM
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I think like McGowdog said, we're all so very different. Mc, I appreciate your post.. recognizing that the ways of addiction in all of it's horrific forms can be as different as we all are from each other.

Personally, quitting smoking has been harder for me than quitting drinking was.. I don't know why, and it doesn't mean quitting drinking was easy (oh lord no it was not..). We're all battling such different reasons for where we got to where we got to.. but now we can all at least share in the common thread of having been (or continue to be..) incredibly dependant on .. (insert DOC etc here).. something, and we're fighting as best WE know how against it.
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Old 04-21-2009, 09:37 AM
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I switched one addiction for another for another for another for years.

I finally came to believe that the problem was looking right back at me in the mirror.

Thank God I have a program of recovery. I've found a better way to live.
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Old 04-21-2009, 10:09 AM
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Working the program

Everyone here says that because its really hard work when you have an addiction its not natural to be sober. I personally know addiction more than I know normal, or what normal is. But its a common term in recovery "working the program". I guess it means it won't work if you don't work it.
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Old 04-21-2009, 10:28 AM
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One thing that separates alcohol from alot of drugs and nicotine.

Alcohol is not an addictive substance.

I know this does really answer the question beacuse addiction is a very complex matter as we all know.
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Old 04-21-2009, 10:37 AM
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I think... what I'm finding... is there might be a sliding scale. Or at least a few levels... of what people need to do in order to stay sober (in my case) and drug free (addicts case).

Some need to "work a program" and some don't. Some "work a program" or do a set of steps, and they're pretty good and can maintain that and maybe not have to go to meetings or go once in a while, but go to kind of check in or that's where they choose to do service work and stuff.

I think I am a mad dog. I need to do this and need to stay in the middle of it and I don't want to test the waters of trying to let up on this "spiritual program of action" or this "daily reprieve" or this "fit spiritual condition" because my previous patterns of this thing we call "mental obsession" hits me right in the back of the head like a 2 x 4. I'll be going along on a nice sunny flowery day, "la dee da da", then the thought will cross my mind... "Boy, a couple of bourbon and coke sure sound good." or "Why am I sitting in this dark dungy bar in the middle of a sunny weekday drinking booze?"

My mental obsession is a freaky thing because I drink just like that very nonchalantly and with absolutely no fear. It's as if I totally forget that I'm an alcoholic, a blackout drinker, a push you away from the table and drink your drink and kiss your wife kinda guy and I do this... I drink this first drink... when I'm stone-cold sober! What the heck is this?

Oh, but for me. That's just me. What was it like when you first took a drink after being sober for a while? What were you thinking? Did you think you were just gonna have one and stop? Were you gonna tell the waitress to just fill your beer glass half way up? Did you drink a half a beer? Could you let the waitress or waiter come by and take your half drinken glass of wine and ask for another? "Oh, freshen that up for me please. I think there's an eyelash in my glass."

Originally Posted by tomvlll View Post
One thing that separates alcohol from alot of drugs and nicotine.

Alcohol is not an addictive substance.

I know this does really answer the question beacuse addiction is a very complex matter as we all know.
Wow! I so agree with this. I know it's controversial and all. I'd like to talk to you more about this in a DM or a specific thread about this.
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Old 04-21-2009, 10:49 AM
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Well actually, this is a good thread for that point. How IS alcoholism different than an addiction?

Here and again, I see people who describe how they could kick the drug habit or the cigarette habit, but not booze. That's my experience too!

I've seen, but never posted in, the drug addiction threads... there are people who are clean from drugs and don't do ANY mind altering substances and they include coffee! Wow! That's hard core if you ask me. I don't understand that. I can get out of hand with the coffee and stuff. But I don't trip on it too hard. I never try to punch doctors and cops out when I'm all Mountain Dew'd up and stuff. I've never wrecked my car sober. I've never even been thrown in or carried into jail sober... or on coffee. I've never ever been seriously depressed or in self pity when on coffee.

But I digress. I don't mean to go off on a coffee rant, but am I different than the non-alcoholic and hard drinker, and if so, how?
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Old 04-21-2009, 10:57 AM
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FYI, about Naltrexone....it definitely works WHEN you take it. And the nausea will disappear within days (did or me, at least).

My issue with Naltrexone is that you have to WANT to take the pill instead of drink. Many days I chose the bottle over the Naltrexone.

If that sounds like you, consider taking Naltrexone in monthly injections. It's called Vivitrol. It works because the Naltrexone is always in your system.

Best of luck!
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Old 04-21-2009, 11:43 AM
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I personally wouldn't want to replace one dependency for another re: Naltrexone.

I don't think alcohol is special in any addictive quality, it's what those who've become dependent on it use, for whatever they use it for. I used it too much.. and I'm done.
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Old 04-21-2009, 11:53 AM
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I agree with you flutter...alcohol is a natural choice for many due to its availability.
I too am done..not powerless or hopeless....just the opposite in fact...sad for so long I had forgotten my worth and purpose. I lost sight of the big picture. Time away from any addiction sheds a whole new light on them.

How are you doing Slim?
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Old 04-21-2009, 12:02 PM
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Why is addiction to alcohol different to the above addictions?
Alcohol Addiction isn't different from other addictions. Alcoholism is something altogether different. If you have a problem with drinking and you quit, your problem is solved, if you are an alcoholic and are not treating it, your problem has just begun. AA teaches us that alcohol was merely a symptom of a bigger problem.


Take for instance people who dabble in narcotics, mess around with opiates a little and you will become physically dependant ( classified as a drug addict) many will withdrawl and never put their hand in the fire again, the addict or the alcoholic however ( at least this type) will seek new ways to use, will swear off drinking and find myself in a bar, will swear off using and find myself in the bad lands copping dope....

With no clear reason why. We are a baffled lot. The 12 steps give us a design for living that enables us to live right with the world.
Alcohol is not an addictive substance.

Really???? What were those delerium tremens I used to get from???

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3537387.stm ( story from the BBC about how alcohol is addictive)

http://drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/28 ( cool charts)

You probably won't die from Heroin withdrawl, but withdrawing from alcohol can definitely kill you. Sounds like a drug to me folks.
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Old 04-21-2009, 12:10 PM
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Certainly one must address the reasons one drank alcoholically but "treatment" can take on many forms...most alcoholics who choose to quit do it like most smokers do...no meetings involved....grit and determination at it's best. If you like aa by all means utilize it...just know that it is entirely up to you.
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