melody196365

I guess for some people addictions go hand in hand and in order to clean my act up I had to stop all of them in order to really be clean. When I stopped drinking I thought I could keep smoking pot to get by and started taking codeine to numb the pain...those two things had to go too. I was becoming dependant on them too. I have been clean of drugs of any sort for only two years...and with friends like mine that was hard until I stopped associating with those friends whom I could not be in the same room with when I saw them as a clean and sober person...I felt bad for them...I did not want to judge them so I walked away from being subjected to the new insight I now had of what they looked like OH MY golly did I look like that??....I felt out of place around them and I could not hold my tongue about the difference I now saw. So now I spend a vast majority of time alone getting to know the woman I have become and enjoying my own company without any fear of being alone. I have found a new found enjoyment on doing things for me not everyone else. I don't feel lonely but I do crave conversation so this is my answer to that dilemma I talk to those whom don't know me whom don't know the woman that I was but here you do know me I was you at some point I was where some of you are or were. I am happy so happy to be able to share with you all it is like a new way of expression because I know you people also have seen through my eyes and I am grateful to be a part of this site thank you for being here thank you for caring to read my thoughts my worries and my energy.

24hrsAday

Welcome to SR melody!

Skye2

zeppodog

Welcome, keep it up. Life does look a lot brighter when your brain isn't fogged up by drugs and alcohol.

KateL

Welcome Melody. It's a wonderful site

ClearMind

There's an interesting type of perspective on alcoholism called Harm Reduction (you can google it, there's a podcast as well). It talks about substituting alcohol cravings with marijuana. In theory, it's technically a less harmful drug than alcohol of course, and the results of the study were generally positive, meaning replacing alcohol consumption with marijuana does work for some people. However, that being said, it may not address the issue at hand, and that is the root of your addiction. It's generally accepted that the best way to recover from an addiction is to rid yourselves of all harmful substances (drugs, including alcohol), rather than replace it with a lesser one. The Harm Reduction study, I believe, was tested on people who have tried everything else to quit alcohol consumption but they just couldn't stick with it in the end, and this was their final resort.

melody196365

yes I totally agree tis true what they say whats right for some may not be right for others. I can fully comprhend that as when I see others beginning down a path I know only too well the result may not be the same it may actually work for them ...but also I see a negative result being the end reult as swapping one addiction for another is not solving as you say the main issue at hand the underlying reason behind why you do what you do...I will read that piece of literature thankyou.

Dee74

There's actually all kinds of harm reduction models.

For me this one wouldn't work - I destroyed myself as completely on pot as I did on alcohol later.

Like Melody suggested, the problem was me, not the drugs - I had a void in me I was trying to fill...until I realised that and accepted it, I got nowhere really.

D

Thepatman

Welcome to SR!

I second Dee for I too could never numb the pain enough. The root cause once treated and healed will allow a person to live a sober life all around.