Illumin00bi

On using cannabis occasionally even when quitting alcohol? I'm not a big smoker (maybe once a month), but I think it would help with alcohol cravings. It has helped in the past, but I think some people would agree that it's like swapping one poison for another, while I don't view cannabis as a substance I'd ever use excessively because it's more of a "treat" and just not something that I would ever want to do a lot. I'm just curious what you guys think!

Also, hi I'm new. I'm a college girl who drinks too much and I would like to get sober starting today. I've done self-assessments that told me I'm drinking at harmful levels, but I keep it fairly hidden from family and everyone else (except my friends that I play video games with). Last night I drank a pint of whiskey and a whole bottle of wine for no reason at all and I drink daily, sometimes with a day in between. I will occasionally show up to work after a few shots or a bottle of wine and missed a lot of classes last semester. I don't know if my body is dependent on it at all, but I'm really looking forward to stop having such a groggy mind and nasty feeling the day after. I'm nursing nausea and a headache now.

I'm really worried about this because last summer was where I think everything really started to spiral out of control. My blood pressure dropped way too low and I lost a lot of weight because I wasn't eating anything, just drinking copious amounts of vodka and playing video games. I'm worried that I'll relive that again, and that's why I'm here.

Anyways, I hope I didn't share too much (I apologize if I did). That's a little bit about me and where I'm starting from. If you've read this far, I have one last question! My memory has been awful for awhile now, even on days when I don't drink.. Will I ever get back my memory? Did you get it back?

Thank you

Para

Hi Illumin,
I know the feeling of being groggy and feeling nasty and having nausea. I think that thought is one thought that is keeping me sober at the moment. I don't want to go there. It was only two weeks ago.

I had a friend tell me once when I told him about my drinking, he said to why don't you smoke pot instead of drinking. It'll take the edge off.
I said no. I don't want to swap one drug for another. I know I would chase anything that numbs me and takes my cares away. And also, if I did smoke pot, i may not get addicted, but it could be the gateway back to drinking.

You would like to get your memory back - alcohol and cannabis will just make you lose it more. If I were you, I'd try my very best to steer clear from both.

I wish you the best, you're young and have so much life a head of you!

doggonecarl

I quit drugs, including pot, many years ago but kept drinking because "Alcohol wasn't my problem." Years later, here I am, an alcoholic and addict in recovery.

You want to quit drinking and don't view pot as your problem...

...yet.

I'm in the clean and sober camp. Your brain will thank you later.

tomsteve

pot always led me back to the bottle.
i was just changing addictions for a while.

bigsombrero

NO. Not a good idea, a thousand times no.

I was the same type of person you were - a very ocassional smoker. Upon quitting alcohol I thought that weed would be a good way to make a "soft landing". Wrong. Marijuana quickly fills that hole and becomes your escape. I found myself smoking weed daily after I got sober, and when I ran out I was scrambling for more. I scraped the bottom of every pipe, looked on the floor for stems, I would smoke anything I could if I ran out. The paranoia and listless addiction took hold quickly and it set me back.

Alcoholics are addicts. In early recovery your brain is going to be looking for any crack in the wall to get high - supplying your reward center with marijuana is only going to stunt your growth. Make a clean break, I am now 4 years sober and 3 years sober from marijuana. I wish I wouldn't have gone down the path of smoking weed that first year of recovery, it made everything much harder and painful. Don't do it. Just say no and get used to living clean.

ScottFromWI

Lots of good responses here Illumin00bi. It's also important for all of us to remember that it is against SR forum policies to promote the use of any drug here on the forums.

SoberLife90

A pint of whiskey and a bottle of wine in one sitting doesnt seem harmless. I know for myself I couldn't take marijuana as a treat on special occassions because it alters my mood and I would want to treat myself every day. Your memory can come back, but you need to stop putting alcohol and drugs into it. Just need to get honest with yourself. Do you really want to he nursing hangovers and skipping class?

Anna

I'm glad you recognize that you need to stop drinking. I think the bottom line is that it's hard to stop drinking, but if you substitute something else, you are not dealing with the issues. Stopping drinking is the beginning of the journey. You will also have to deal with underlying issues.

We do not promote the use of any kind of drugs here.

Illumin00bi

I'm seeing a lot of comments kind of insinuating that I'm trying to promote drug use, but I'm not. I was just asking your thoughts on it, so sorry if it came off like I was trying to promote drugs.

Abstaining from everything sounds like the best bet. Thank you for the replies.

Dee74

Welcome

I used marijuana in the same way I used alcohol - to escape, to self medicate, to avoid feelings and responsibilities.

To me it was the same leaky boat on the same old sea of crud.

I was the problem really - I was trying to find things to 'fix' me, to fill a void.

The risk of cross addiction (becoming addicted to something else) is very very high. I went the other way - from mostly a pot smoker to drinking to help keep the edge off quitting pot.

I ended up back full pelt on both. Like I said, I was the problem.

D

AnvilheadII

My memory has been awful for awhile now, even on days when I don't drink.. Will I ever get back my memory? Did you get it back?

i can tell you for sure that pot is a NOT a memory improvement plan!!! it sounds like things are a bit worse than you are fully realizing quite yet....to be so young, isolating, losing a lot of weight, mixing hard liquor and wine, drinking before work, and generally feeling AWFUL.

i'd say your very BEST plan for the very best YOU is to be 100% clean AND sober. no substances of any foreign nature. legal or not. sometimes we have to relinquish the right to "check out" because we can't always find our way back.

immri

Welcome!! I just wanted to say hi and let you know i relate to your posts

I think people are being a bit harsh and dismissive in regards to your question about cannabis- we all mean well but it might have scared me off when I was in your position, so I just wanted to say we're just emphatic because we care. everyone here can be a bit touchy about addiction, we all have lots of strong opinions. I definitely understand the appeal of viewing It as an entirely different thing that could even help stop you drinking, I tried the same myself.
While I never became addicted to weed, it did keep me addicted to feeling 'out of it' which in turn made me return to alcohol.
In my opinion, it's so hard (impossible? Maybe)to break free from one addiction by adding anything else mind altering, not because you'll get addicted to that (although you may) but it will prevent you becoming comfortable in reality, in your own skin, without any substance.

I'm still in school too and I know how hard it is to get sober when everyone's on such a different page, but it's so worth it. Definitely look into what support your school offers, some have great services.

As for memory - definitely improves in time, as long as you're not adding to the harm by still drinking/smoking/doing any drug

Anyway nice to meet you, glad you're here

Illumin00bi

Thank you so much, I needed that. It makes more sense to get clean from everything, and that's what I'm going to do. I appreciate the response, I didn't mean to offend people with that question. Good thing is that I haven't touched marijuana in over a month so it's not something that's even prevelent in my life! It'll be tough being around friends though.. I've been told a lot that "you can't be an alcoholic in college!" and that "it's okay to drink- you're in college!" I'm hardheaded though, so I don't doubt that I can do this.. It's just interesting how drinking can get to this point without realizing! I would do it because I was stressed with school and then because it was fun to play video games with friends and then there just wasn't a reason.

Anyways, thanks again. I understand what everyone is saying.. I do want to point out again that I'm not promoting drug use though. I think that was misinterpreted.

immri

Im sure you didnt offended anyone, and I don't think anyone meant anything other than to help you with their replies, but I know I would have felt uncomfortable with those responses in your position. I think we all forget how hard it is at first, so some of the tough love can come across harsher than intended. I'm glad it makes sense to you though

As for the comments about not being an alcoholic in college, I've got a lot of that too. I stopped before things got too bad, but I eventually kept relapsing because I didn't take it seriously and ended up in and out of hospitals, and I would still get people saying those things. Its good to hear youre prepared to deal with those responses and know how silly they are - I let them get under my skin and thought maybe i wasnt so bad, or that I'd quit after I graduated...then I ended up in and out of hospital like I said. So good on you for already being aware that those responses are stupid.
I find if i'm just firm and say 'i don't drink' or simply (but strongly)decline any drink offers, people tend to respect my choices more. Try not to get into arguments or discussions over if youre an alcoholic or why you're not drinking with people who don't understand - they won't get it, there's no point putting yourself through those conversations and having to deal with their judgement or - worse- encouraging you to drink.

duane1

Count me among those that switched addictions from alcohol to weed. I do feel that weed helped me break away from alcohol, but now I'm still trying to deal with breaking away from weed 4 years later. My advice is to just stay away from it. I used to love it. However, it can do so many negative things to you and it can be just as deceptive as alcohol.

FormerWineGirl

I actually thought when I quit drinking that I would just start smoking more pot, even though I was never really a fan. Thank goodness I found that I liked it even less when I wasn't drinking. Alcohol was always my d.o.c. and pot came nowhere near replicating it for me.

After 21 months sober, I realize how much I enjoy being in my *right* mind. I have no desire to be in an altered state. I also realize that my little experiment very well could have taken hold, and I could just as easily traded one addiction for another.

IvanMike

getting loaded is getting loaded.

Anna and Dee hit the nail square on the head.