SuzieQT

I have a question regarding pot as a mind altering substance.

Some of the people in my AA group say that they believe that any "mind altering drugs" should not be used. These are the same people I see drinking energy drinks, coffee, big gulps of soda and smoking. These same people say that you are not sober if you smoke. I am confused.

If "any mind" altering substance can not be used how can people claim to be sober if they use and abuse either or both Caffeine and Nicotine. These are classified as psychoactive drugs?

Caffeine is a mild stimulant compound that is found naturally in coffee, tea, and to a lesser degree, in cocoa or chocolate. It is included in many soft drinks, particularly energy drinks. Caffeine is the world's most widely used psychoactive drug and by far the most common used mind altering stimulant.

Nicotine is the active chemical constituent in tobacco, of which is available in many forms, including cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco, among others. Nicotine is used widely throughout the world for its stimulating effects.

My understanding is that AA is for the alcoholic with a desire to stop drinking.
"Thats Me" so is there a list of "approved" mind altering substances?

If I drink 3 red bulls do I have to start over with a 24 hour chip LOL : )
Confused.

Please help.

LaFemme

I can't speak for AA, but there are people in the recovery community that think that consuming caffeine, sugar, nicotine and pot make the likelihood of relapse far more likely due to biochemical factors. There are scientific reasons for this that I can't explain overly well.

LexieCat

I think "mood altering" might be a better definition of what's dangerous for us than "mind altering". The tryptophan in turkey can make you sleepy, but I guess if you wanted to take it that way, it would give a whole new meaning to going "cold turkey"!

Most people who are addicted to caffeine and nicotine (raising hand, here) don't use them to avoid reality, to numb or enhance our emotions. They are addictive in the sense that we crave them, and they might not be healthy for us, but they don't impair our reflexes or cause us to make embarrassing phone calls or get into fights.

Lots of rehabs forbid caffeine and nicotine, but I don't think any of them would consider an alumnus to be in a state of relapse if he or she goes back to coffee or cigarettes after leaving the facility.

They don't seem to make us crave alcohol or other drugs, either. But many alcoholics or drug users have found that they become easily addicted to other substances if they use those other substances in lieu of alcohol or their drug of choice.

MeAndOnlyMe

...is in the eye of the beholder.

Sober or a dry drunk.

Years ago we used to call morning coffee and bong hits a "wake and bake" or a "hippy eight ball."

spryte

I wouldn't give too much bother what everyone says about sobriety. Find people you really trust and respect, and whose sobriety you want. I'd look to their opinions (always keeping in mind that people are people, and people aren't perfect).

Lots of people say lots of things about what it means to be sober. There's no need to listen to absolutely everyone.

AA people are very well-versed on alcohol, but there is a lot in the mix of our lives once we get sober.

Personally speaking, I drink way too much coffee and it is bad for me, and I feel that I should stop entirely, because I can't just drink a little. Further, I need to be careful in taking any medication that makes me feel good. Now, is this a major strike against my sobriety? No. It's something to work on, like exercise, and eating well, and so on. It is not in the same category as alcohol, despite the fact that it shares some characteristices.

Mat

My personal take on this...

I have been smoking pot on and off for years. It really isn't very dangerous(unless you smoke like 15 joints a day or get high and go driving), BUT it sure does make me wish I had a cold beer to go alongside it. I have realized that I am not going to be able to cut out one and not the other, so I quit both.

Even if you aren't a smoker who often uses in combination with alcohol, I still can't see how the impairment of judgment that comes with the high wouldn't create a more perilous environment for sobriety.

Cigarettes on the other hand are almost as dangerous as the booze in terms of the health consequences when you factor out all of the accidents, fights, and so-on which comes with drinking. I don't understand this one myself...

Caffeine. I love it and can't go without a 2-liter of diet soda every morning! That probably isn't great for me, but... one thing at a time.

suki44883

I think it depends on the person and the reasons you undertook the process to begin with. I don't worry about drinking coffee. That's not why I went to detox or IOP. I smoke cigarettes and don't have any plans to quit at this point. That could change in the future, but as of now, I am a smoker. I went to detox and IOP because I drank too much beer and was beginning to find other alcoholic drinks I liked, too. This is what concerned me and this is why I went to detox and IOP. I no longer drink alcohol and so I feel like I have accomplished what I set out to do. Others may not look at it that way and that's fine with me. I didn't do anything for anyone other than myself.

Mark75

No list. Just that alcohol is not approved. Drinking three red bulls means that you might get a little jumpy and have trouble sleeping.

Dee74

I'm not in AA.

Pot nearly destroyed my life as completely as drink did, so it's every bit as dangerous as far as I see it.

It spoke to that part of me that wanted to escape myself and avoid reality.

Caffeine, soda, chocolate and cigarettes and whatever else never ticked that 'escape' box.

I have stopped smoking tho, and I drink less caffeine, less soda and eat less chocolate

Go me.

D

suki44883

Go me.



Yeah, I have about a cup and a half of coffee most mornings and an occasional cup in the evenings. I do drink a lot of iced tea, though. Sodas...maybe one or two a week. Chocolate...meh, on occasion. I do loves my chocolate pudding.

loveon2legs

I still have my coffee, can't imagine never drinking that again...sugar yep that too!! and I am still smoking, that's a choice for now....I don't think any of that, for me effects my sobriety at all...

CarolD

For everyone......please remember this is part of
our Sober Recovery posting guidelines ....

LexieCat

Carol,

I think we all want to play by the rules, but are you actually seeing someone here promoting drugs or alcohol?

I'm not trying to get smart, here, just trying to understand. Because I'm not seeing it.

CarolD

Lexie.....
from past experience these "Pot vs Alcohol"
threads often go downhill.

Just decided to make members aware of this
not everyone remembers the rules they
agreed on when joining.

No one has done so at this point...I agree.
Thanks for asking for clarification.....

soberbythesea

As a sober person I won't drink alcohol or smoke weed, both of which I admit I used to do. I don't consider anyone who does either of those things "sober," personally.

I also don't smoke cigarettes, but that is a choice I make for health reasons. I don't think cigarettes make you non-sober.

I admit to drinking caffeinated sodas and teas and eating the occasional bit of chocolate. But I won't have anything super-high in caffeine, like coffee or an energy drink -- these things make me jittery.

That's about as "pure" as I'm willing to get

MeAndOnlyMe

This is not a criticism in any manner but isn't it funny how many of us could not let go of our beloved coffee or tea habits now but we were forced to or either forced ourselves to give up our beloved alcohol habits? Imagine if caffeine or nicotine were a more destructive chemical?

soberbythesea

I think if tea caused me the problems alcohol has caused me, I'd definitely be willing to give it up. I bet the same is true of others here.

Alcohol, weed and cigarettes have all caused problems for me in my life... caffeine, not so much. Unless I drink it too late at night

lildawg

Soberbythesea said it well: I could let go of coffee if it caused me the problems alcohol caused me. However, my one latte a day is a pleasant morning treat.

Chocolate is a rare indulgence. The good kind is over-the-top expensive, and I've reached that age where it sticks to my gut like gorilla glue. Cigarettes went out the door with the booze. If my husband smoked in the house (and would allow me to do the same), I would probably still be smoking cigarettes. As it is, it wasn't important enough to go outside every time I wanted a cigarette.

Weed. I am not crazy enough about marijuana to make a point of smoking it. Alcohol was my best friend, my lover, my higher power. Marijuana was always that homely guy I took home if I was desperate. Then, once I got him home, I couldn't wait for him to leave. That probably sounds crazy.

I can see where pot would be considered a bad thing if your whole life revolved around it. I've known people who could only go places where they could sneak back to the car and smoke [marijuana] every hour or so. They had to carry marijuana on their vacation in case they couldn't find it at their destination. They couldn't have a job where you had to drug test. The dependency these people had mirrored the dependency I had on alcohol. I believe these folks had a problem . . . just like my alcohol problem.

Anything that makes my life crazy because I gotta use it has to go the way of the dinosaurs. I can't deal with any more addiction drama.

JosetteCollins

Pot and alcohol belong in the same category--they're both drugs that people use to get high. When I was involved in AA a while back, I was told that if you smoked pot, you lost your sobriety even if you hadn't drunk alcohol. Sobriety, from how I see it, doesn't mean substituting one drug for another. Also, pot is illegal. If you get stopped driving under the influence of marijuana, or get into a car accident and the labs show marijuana in your system--you're screwed. I saw this happen to one young woman when I worked in an ER--she accidentally struck and killed a kid on a bike. She hadn't smoked marijuana for 2 weeks but it still showed up in her lab work.

I would not put chocolate, sugar, or caffeine in the same category. All good foods, to some extent, stimulate the pleasure areas in the brain. It's much healthier to eat a piece of chocolate cake and drink a cup of moca express than to get drunk or stoned on weed.

murrill

AA as I understand it has no opinions on outside issues. That says to me that we stick to our shared experiences. Having said that, you will note that AA really doesn't have "rules" about not drinking: Rather, it is a mutual support fellowship for people who have a desire to quit. The chips are not part of the AA program; neither is sober time. Having said that, I think it is natural for people to share what has and what has not worked for them. I took an anti-depressant several years ago, and it helped tremendously, but some people in AA didn't think I should have done that. It comes down to personal honesty: If I were to choose to smoke pot or take a pill for the purpose of "chilling," I would probably be setting myself up for another trip down misery lane. I smoked cigarettes for many years after getting sober, and it always bothered me: Somehow it seemed that my recovery was incomplete. I have quit now, but I don't discount those first years without alcohol when I continued to smoke. I think it is important to distinguish between the AA program and personal opinions espoused by some members. Much of what you hear in AA today is the result of marketing ploys created by the treatment industry. It is a good question, though, and I expect there will be some lively discussion.