Thoughts on smoking pot while quitting drinking?
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: San Diego, ca
Posts: 128
Thoughts on smoking pot while quitting drinking?
Just curious to hear some thoughts on smoking weed while quitting drinking. It doesn't make me want to booze and doesn't impact my life negatively and I think it may help take the edge off of quitting alcohol. What have been your experienced with this if any?
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,442
I think the key phrase there is 'not an addict', mama.
There kinds of threads are always very contentious - lets all please not forget this is a recovery site, and this is the newcomers forum.
Erik, it would be a bad idea for me.
I wrecked my life as completely on pot as I did on alcohol later.
It was all about escaping reality and running away. It was the same behaviours, different drug....not to mention being stoned lowered my inhibitions and I would drink away (or vice versa later on)
In the end I could get addicted to anything - it was way more a me problem than anything else.
D
There kinds of threads are always very contentious - lets all please not forget this is a recovery site, and this is the newcomers forum.
Erik, it would be a bad idea for me.
I wrecked my life as completely on pot as I did on alcohol later.
It was all about escaping reality and running away. It was the same behaviours, different drug....not to mention being stoned lowered my inhibitions and I would drink away (or vice versa later on)
In the end I could get addicted to anything - it was way more a me problem than anything else.
D
voices ca**y
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: St. Paul Minnesota
Posts: 4,360
I must admit I thought I might try it if it became legal. Then I found this talking about Whitney Houston.
Whitney: No.
Houston reported attending several rehab facilities in the past few years, where she would have learned that she would need to abstain from both drugs AND alcohol in order to be sober and to maintain long term recovery. The message that Houston gave viewers in this interview is that if you are a drug addict, then you do not need to abstain from other mood altering drugs such as alcohol (with the exception of medications that are taken AS PRESCRIBED by a medical professional). She appears to justify drinking "now and then" because alcohol "wasn't an issue" for her. However, it is known within the addiction treatment and recovery world that in order to be truly sober, a drug addict would also need to abstain from alcohol—even if they did not consider themselves an alcoholic. The same applies for sober alcoholics who report that they do not have a problem with marijuana—it should be understood that sobriety will involve abstaining from marijuana as well.
You may ask, what is the rationale for this sobriety criteria?
1. Addicts and alcoholics often return to their drug of choice when they are not fully sober: For example, a cocaine addict reports not having a problem with alcohol, drinks "occasionally" and abstains from cocaine. Drinking alcohol lowers inhibitions, and this greatly increases and almost guarantees a higher chance of turning back to using his or her drug of choice—in this case cocaine. The same applies for the alcoholic who quits drinking but smokes marijuana because they report that they do not have a problem with it. While high on marijuana, judgment is impaired and inhibitions are reduced, therefore leading him or her closer to or to the point of relapse.
2. Alcoholics and drug addicts may become addicted to a substance that they were not originally addicted to: If a Vicodin (pain medication) addict abstains from that drug and reports "not" having an alcohol problem but occasionally drinks alcohol, he or she may develop an alcohol problem. Addicts or alcoholics turn to outside substances to fix internal problems and also have addictive tendencies physiologically and psychologically. Therefore, to use alcohol or drugs that they claim "not" to have a problem with, opens the door to developing a new addiction.
3. True recovery from addiction involves learning to live life without drugs and alcohol: Alcoholics and drug addicts wreak havoc in their lives and those of their loved ones. Therefore, why would they take a chance that they may relapse or start a new addiction? Only an addict would even want to take that chance. Recovery is the process of an alcoholic or drug addict finding physical, psychological and spiritual balance in their lives without the use of mind altering substances (with the exception of medications that are taken AS PRESCRIBED by a medical professional) and by living their lives consciously. Alcohol and drugs are an escape that prevent the alcoholic or addict from learning to appropriately cope with life stressors and to tolerate pain and discomfort without trying to escape.
So the following questions remain: Why would Whitney Houston, after all of the pain, embarrassment, damage and danger that her addiction has caused her and her loved ones, consider going to "bars" in the future and choose to drink alcohol? What message is she sending to all of the sober or active alcoholics and drug addicts who saw that show? These are questions that she should honestly ask herself. In addition, assuming that she has some form of ongoing treatment team and/or recovery program should be addressing with her. Maybe because Houston was able to remain somewhat "functioning" despite her drug addiction due to her financial status, she did not hit a bottom low enough to take her recovery seriously.
Whitney: No.
Houston reported attending several rehab facilities in the past few years, where she would have learned that she would need to abstain from both drugs AND alcohol in order to be sober and to maintain long term recovery. The message that Houston gave viewers in this interview is that if you are a drug addict, then you do not need to abstain from other mood altering drugs such as alcohol (with the exception of medications that are taken AS PRESCRIBED by a medical professional). She appears to justify drinking "now and then" because alcohol "wasn't an issue" for her. However, it is known within the addiction treatment and recovery world that in order to be truly sober, a drug addict would also need to abstain from alcohol—even if they did not consider themselves an alcoholic. The same applies for sober alcoholics who report that they do not have a problem with marijuana—it should be understood that sobriety will involve abstaining from marijuana as well.
You may ask, what is the rationale for this sobriety criteria?
1. Addicts and alcoholics often return to their drug of choice when they are not fully sober: For example, a cocaine addict reports not having a problem with alcohol, drinks "occasionally" and abstains from cocaine. Drinking alcohol lowers inhibitions, and this greatly increases and almost guarantees a higher chance of turning back to using his or her drug of choice—in this case cocaine. The same applies for the alcoholic who quits drinking but smokes marijuana because they report that they do not have a problem with it. While high on marijuana, judgment is impaired and inhibitions are reduced, therefore leading him or her closer to or to the point of relapse.
2. Alcoholics and drug addicts may become addicted to a substance that they were not originally addicted to: If a Vicodin (pain medication) addict abstains from that drug and reports "not" having an alcohol problem but occasionally drinks alcohol, he or she may develop an alcohol problem. Addicts or alcoholics turn to outside substances to fix internal problems and also have addictive tendencies physiologically and psychologically. Therefore, to use alcohol or drugs that they claim "not" to have a problem with, opens the door to developing a new addiction.
3. True recovery from addiction involves learning to live life without drugs and alcohol: Alcoholics and drug addicts wreak havoc in their lives and those of their loved ones. Therefore, why would they take a chance that they may relapse or start a new addiction? Only an addict would even want to take that chance. Recovery is the process of an alcoholic or drug addict finding physical, psychological and spiritual balance in their lives without the use of mind altering substances (with the exception of medications that are taken AS PRESCRIBED by a medical professional) and by living their lives consciously. Alcohol and drugs are an escape that prevent the alcoholic or addict from learning to appropriately cope with life stressors and to tolerate pain and discomfort without trying to escape.
So the following questions remain: Why would Whitney Houston, after all of the pain, embarrassment, damage and danger that her addiction has caused her and her loved ones, consider going to "bars" in the future and choose to drink alcohol? What message is she sending to all of the sober or active alcoholics and drug addicts who saw that show? These are questions that she should honestly ask herself. In addition, assuming that she has some form of ongoing treatment team and/or recovery program should be addressing with her. Maybe because Houston was able to remain somewhat "functioning" despite her drug addiction due to her financial status, she did not hit a bottom low enough to take her recovery seriously.
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Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Nottingham (UK)
Posts: 2,690
I'm lucky in that I only have tried it twice and hated it.
Those were the days though, when all you had to worry about, was 'is it grass or weed'.. these days you never know WHAT is mixed in with it!!
I would give that one a miss to be honest
Those were the days though, when all you had to worry about, was 'is it grass or weed'.. these days you never know WHAT is mixed in with it!!
I would give that one a miss to be honest
Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Lakeside, Ca
Posts: 10,208
Originally Posted by Erik1980 
smoking weed while quitting drinking.
What have been your experienced with this if any?
thus in time it will take a combination of booze and pot
to get me where I think I need to be
way out there is where I end up in time
much smoking with much drinking mixed with a few other things
what has worked best for my long term sobriety is
total abstinence
MM
Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 227
I guess my mom uses it and eats it...she uses it to help her relax to go to sleep. Not to get high. The few times I've tried it were the same way. T tended to induce panic attacks with me, but I never used it to get high, just to help me sleep. I guess that's why I would feel comfortable with it if it didn't make me panic!
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Mid-Atlantic USA
Posts: 2,441
Gave up pot a long time ago. I never really liked the high; most of the time it made me paranoid, so stopping wasn't a big deal. Personally, I think if you're going to stay sober, stopping pot is probably a good idea.
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Southern Oregon U.S.
Posts: 1,023
I have read that it activates similar receptors in the brain as alcohol and that for your brain to heal you have to be sober, at least I think I read that, can't remember cuz I smoked too much pot in my day:-) There's a good article on PAWS by a great guy if you google PAWS digital dharma. I think you'll find it there, again too much pot can't remember... Catch my drift?
quat
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: terra (mostly)firma
Posts: 4,823
It sounded like a good idea to me. I had decided to quit drinking , that time was about 2 yrs ago. After a few days of living with the 'edge', I figured I get some pot, hadn't smoked dope in long time, though I used to smoke daily years before. It wasn't long before the lowered inhibitions lead me back to drinking and then I continued both for a about a year. Then I decided that I should stop smoking and I did, but the drinking had escalated to match the real 'buzz' of both.
This was all before I found out about AVRT , but when I look back at that time now I see I was giving my AV the ammo needed to drink again. So in my experience , it didn't help.
This was all before I found out about AVRT , but when I look back at that time now I see I was giving my AV the ammo needed to drink again. So in my experience , it didn't help.
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Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Eastern Shore of Maryland
Posts: 486
I sat on the sofa stoned on pot for several years. Then I sat on ten sofa drunk for decades. Now that I no longer smoke pot or drink, I spend less time on the sofa and more time living life. For me, alcohol and pot accomplished the same thing and I cannot use either and be the person I want to be.
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 3,777
Given the nature of this forum, I think that most of the people here are going to say that the use of Marijuana is only trading one addiction for another. Marijuana is not my DOC and so I have no desire to really use the stuff. It has always made me feel less than optimal. I have pondered the idea of using a Marijuana salve for relief from my back issue. I then questioned a bunch of people about it and if i would end up being loaded off the stuff; Yes, they all replied. So, I am not quick to go this route. People do use it for non-high related purposes; Cancer, Aids, and other non life threatening diseases and issues to gain pain relief. I am all for an herbal approach rather than a synthetic approach to healing. That being said, you may be wanting to replace and escape. Maintaining your mind space of clarity is of great importance.
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