View Poll Results: Your opinion in regards to being "Clean" or "Sober".
Voters: 58. You may not vote on this poll
Clean&Sober_Poll
Clean&Sober_Poll
Hey my name is Martin & I am an alcoholic, this is strictly an opinion poll here and nothing more. I would like to find out how many people feel about drinking while being "Clean" and doing "Mind altering drugs" while being "Sober".
Now this is strictly my opinion, but for me to say I am sober means that I also need to be free of any mind altering drugs unless I am prescribed them by a doctor and I am taking them as directed.
Now this is strictly my opinion, but for me to say I am sober means that I also need to be free of any mind altering drugs unless I am prescribed them by a doctor and I am taking them as directed.
Great question. This is one I learned the hard way on.
Recovery first time round from me was from compulsive overeating (specificially my carbohydrate addiction) but I continued to drink alcohol, because I didn't think I was an alcoholic and more importantly because "I had given up enough" ....."the alcohol is my little treat" ......"it's mine, you (God) cannot have it"
Well I had recovery and it was great. I abstained from my addiction, my health got better, I was happier (before the alcohol got real bad)..........But now I have given up the alcohol and I can now see that I was missing out on so much by clinging to something which I thought was my right, justified because I had given up so much. Recovery this time round has sent me into a whole new dimension!
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of working these steps , we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
I have emphasised the last part of the step. If we are practising these principles in all our affairs, how can we be putting something harmful in our bodies or carrying out behaviour which is harmful? This is not God's will.
From the book Being in Balance by Dr Wayne W Dyer
Your Source doesn't create from toxicity. It doesn't fill your veins or your stomach or any part of you with poison or excess. It creates from wellbeing, balance and effortless perfection.
Recovery first time round from me was from compulsive overeating (specificially my carbohydrate addiction) but I continued to drink alcohol, because I didn't think I was an alcoholic and more importantly because "I had given up enough" ....."the alcohol is my little treat" ......"it's mine, you (God) cannot have it"
Well I had recovery and it was great. I abstained from my addiction, my health got better, I was happier (before the alcohol got real bad)..........But now I have given up the alcohol and I can now see that I was missing out on so much by clinging to something which I thought was my right, justified because I had given up so much. Recovery this time round has sent me into a whole new dimension!
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of working these steps , we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
I have emphasised the last part of the step. If we are practising these principles in all our affairs, how can we be putting something harmful in our bodies or carrying out behaviour which is harmful? This is not God's will.
From the book Being in Balance by Dr Wayne W Dyer
Your Source doesn't create from toxicity. It doesn't fill your veins or your stomach or any part of you with poison or excess. It creates from wellbeing, balance and effortless perfection.
The way I was "raised" in Recovery, to say you are Clean & Sober means that not only is the person abstaining from all mood altering substances (unless prescribed by their doctor and taking as directed) but also working a Program of Recovery. I've seen too many people who are mearly clean but not working any kind of Program, therefore they are basically on a dry drunk.
Resident
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Posts: 4,150
Although I am a non drinker now and also no longer do any drugs smoking up never lead me to drink so it would not now effect my ability to stay sober.
As with drinking I just have no desire to do it anymore.
As with drinking I just have no desire to do it anymore.
The way I was "raised" in Recovery, to say you are Clean & Sober means that not only is the person abstaining from all mood altering substances (unless prescribed by their doctor and taking as directed) but also working a Program of Recovery. I've seen too many people who are mearly clean but not working any kind of Program, therefore they are basically on a dry drunk.
Totfit that was her opinion, last time I checked we all have a right to one without others belaying it.
You have your opinion. like I have mine, so does serenityqueen, part of my recovery is the acceptance & tolerance of others opinions even when it does not jive with mine.
You have your opinion. like I have mine, so does serenityqueen, part of my recovery is the acceptance & tolerance of others opinions even when it does not jive with mine.
Hey my name is Martin & I am an alcoholic, this is strictly an opinion poll here and nothing more.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: UK
Posts: 4,682
And of course a person can't claim to be sober and still drug or drink
Just a fact that happens to coincidentally be my own opinion...
and no active addictions such as to nicotine or to prescriptions medications.
It is different for me. My antidepressants and anti anxiety meds are very necessary for me to maintain good mental health. They are not addictive or abused and are taken as directed, so how is that 'addiction'?? It could be said that I'm addicted to seeing a counselor once a week. I depend greatly on my hour to vent and get feedback and advice. I am distraught when I don't have my appt to look forward to.
The way I was "raised" in Recovery, to say you are Clean & Sober means that not only is the person abstaining from all mood altering substances (unless prescribed by their doctor and taking as directed) but also working a Program of Recovery. I've seen too many people who are mearly clean but not working any kind of Program, therefore they are basically on a dry drunk.
Just as the disease is different for everyone, so is the cure.
It is different for me. My antidepressants and anti anxiety meds are very necessary for me to maintain good mental health. They are not addictive or abused and are taken as directed, so how is that 'addiction'?? It could be said that I'm addicted to seeing a counselor once a week. I depend greatly on my hour to vent and get feedback and advice. I am distraught when I don't have my appt to look forward to.
i have chosen to remain clean & sober by not drinking and not drugging for four years. At first, the decision was motivated by fear of what my life would return to if i picked up. Later on, it was because the desire to recover was stronger than any thoughts of wanting to use. Lately, the decision is rooted in a spiritual awareness of everything that's much more satisfying than any method of "Instant Gratification" i could 'use' to satisfy a self centered obsession.
How other people chose to continue playing into their disease or surrender to the God of their understanding is up to them.
How other people chose to continue playing into their disease or surrender to the God of their understanding is up to them.
Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: scotland
Posts: 1,493
clean and sober to me is free from booze and the same as you martin any mind altering substance.i went out alot when i was younger and took alot of party drugs.i had some great times and i was never addicted to these drugs.these days i live in the spiritual solution and do not need to take anything mind altering and choose not to.i would not consider myself sober if i did this,even though booze was my problem.today it isnt!
Charmie in my youth I smoked a lot of dope, what stopped me from continuing to the point where I could not stop smoking dope was drinking. When I quit smoking dope it was mainly fear, in Va. one could get 5 years hard time for a single jay, back then the worse I could get drinking were all misdemeanors, Drunk in Public, Underage drinking, or a DUI. Back then even a DUI was not a big deal as long as one did not hurt or kill some one, heck in some circles I was in it was kind of a right of passage.
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxnard (The Nard), CA, USA.
Posts: 13,691
I may be 4 years clean but I believe I have to abstain from alcohol in order to live a wholesome life. I also know what I don't want to do is judge others and then label them with some nasty classification. Sure, there lifestyles of people I don't want for myself but I would rather have empathy for them than contempt.
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