Serenity Bound

I was naive, and actually asked my RAD (about a month ago) what the difference was between cocaine & crack.

longview

My ADs "fave" is crack, she tells me. But, pot will do when she can't get the other. Arrrgh.

outtolunch

There is a scene in the movie, "Changing Lanes" where an AA sponsor screams at the Samuel Jackson character " Alcohol is not your DOC. It's chaos".

Limiya

My abf is addicted to Cocaine in powder form. I was going to click alcohol too but didn't see it on the list. I should have clicked on other too. LOL.

Abundance

I didn't even think of alcohol. (thanks for posting it in the thread)..... before I came here - I really didn't understand all the different drugs.

I didn't choose pot either- I have biased views on it. Politically speaking... I think it should be legal more than alcohol being legal! So it too didn't cross my mind.

BayAreaPhoenix

Reading about the Drs., I sure wish mine was still practicing and more like him- he quit because of insurance companies dictating to him how to run his business.

He was not perscription happy - One time I was in so much pain - thought I was having an annuerism or something, headache had been going on a few days and I couldn't sleep so I called him. He said it was a symptom of the flu going around and since the OTC I was trying wasn't working and I wasn't sleeping, he perscribed T4 - I went to pick up my script, and there were 3 or 4 pills in the bottle. He gave me just enough to get me through until the flu was over. I tried one T4, it didn't work, I wasn't about to take another - scared me I might OD (don't laugh, what did I know?). I remember the pills disappeared, but I couldn't imagine where or why - now I know.

My friend who had shoulder surgery had the complete opposite. Told the Dr. she was allergic to vicodin and would only take one or two if pain was unbearable, but no more than that - he said, well you never know... She went to pick up her script and she had 100 vicodin pills! OMG! she thought it was ridiculous.

As a side note, my AH found out about all those pills, went to her a few times for a "bad headache", and when she was out of town and we were taking care of her cat - apparently he took most of them. When she got home, she only had a few left and she couldn't imagine - but suspected and never said anything to me, but after it all came out she told me about her suspicions.

357girl

Same here. =(

suzieq1972

My XAH's DOC was painkillers. Last I heard, before he went to jail, he was shooting cocaine. Who knows. A drug is a drug is a drug....unfortunately.



Sue

Ann

Now see, with all due respect, it's remarks like above that confuse people into thinking that alcohol and pot are really not a big deal. I can tell you first hand that indeed they are and I have know more people who have died directly from alcoholism than all other drugs combined.

Careful what you vote to legalize, it could kill someone you love.

Again, said with respect but just had to put that out there.

Hugs

Abundance

What I meant by that .... is that if anything is going to be legal... I vote for it being pot rather than alcohol.

Addiction starts with abuse... no matter what the doc .. alcohol included - as well as pot. So is cigarette smoking which I am addicted. I understand addiction on that level.

I wrote that bit about pot to explain why I hadn't put it in the poll ...

I didn't mean to come off that I didn't think alcohol was a drug - of course it is!
I grew up with functioning alcoholics - which is why I am used to the chaos and am working in my recovery. Separating myself from what I am used to and feel most comfortable. Now I am visioning myself in serenity and now realizing I have a choice to take a front row seat to addiction/chaos.

So yes- alcohol IS a drug. I didn't put it because it's a substance abuse forum.

itisatruth

My first reaction to the poll and also the discussion about pain meds was to vent at how irresponsible and/or ignorant some of my AH's doctors have been in what I believe to be over prescribing. And while I still believe that to be true, I must always face the fact that my AH's problem is the disease of addiction.

Reasons I need to remember:

When I met AH he was in recovery from meth and had been clean for some time. After he found out our next-door neighbor dealt, it was down hill. I was and still am angry at my "neighbor" (nickname d***head) and cannot accept what he does, but no matter what he did or didn't do, it was my AH's choice to use.

An NA friend of AH's recommended a "pain specialist" for AH's back/neck probs. Before long he was taking obscene amounts of methadone, nodding off, and driving an hour and a half to see this guy. The doctor lost his license and did some jail time for over prescribing.

AH decided he needed help for sleep - even though his sleep patterns had not changed. He got Lunesta. He would take a month's supply in a few days. Scary.

AH went with adult son to a doctor's appointment. Son talked about his social anxiety. My AH left with a prescription for xanax, because of course, he had been feeling anxiety too. Never heard about it before but he had it. Son didn't want the Xanax thankfully.

Bottom line, until AH is ready to deal with his disease and accept he is powerless over *drugs* - no matter what drug - he will have a hard time finding recovery. I hope he's there now.

winnie12

Where's the "anything" option. my AS will basically do anything put in front of him - i know some but not all of what he has used. I would guess that he has tried everything listed but I just dont ask details anymore.

shockozulu

My AM(addicted mom) started with benzos when I was a child. Then later went on to abuse Fiorinal (which ended up my DOC) and later pain pills after her broken hip. She's also used pot and almost any downer she could get her hands on.

A drug is a drug to me.

shockozulu

I believe this. I was active in the movement to get the medical community to pay attention to those in physical pain and also worked with others to help a doctor who had been jailed under antiquated laws for prescribing opiotes to legit patients who where suffering from long term chronic pain. This was before the days of Oxycontin so many people had to receive large doses of MSContin (time release morphine) which for some reason has never had the same abuse rate as Oxys.

Do I regret this at all? Not one bit.

I just hate it when doctors start prescribing any medicine easily without a thorough workup. This is true whether it be serious pain killers, benzos, antidepressants or antibiotics for colds. Prescription medicine is not available over the counter for a reason. Doctor's need to be more responsible for treating the patient before they pull out the prescription pad.

k1a2t3h4r5y6n7

can I vote for "most of the above" ?

gotahavfaith

My AD started with Vicodan, the Percosets, then Oxys. She snorts them. She smokes a little pot. Doesn't drink, has never tried crack. Bought heroin one time with her XABF, but was afraid and threw it out the window. But let me tell you although she doesn't do anything else, when using (back in recovery now a couple of weeks) she will do almost anything to get them.

:praying for all the people out who are loved ones of addicts, and for all the people who struggle with addiction.

Gotahavfaith

111

My brother's DOC is, well...everything! (though he prefers pain killers and heroin.)

livingalie

My ABF's DOC is heroin, though he does have a strong 'taste' for crack. He told me once that he likes both of them and does not have a preference. The only deciding factor in it for him is what is available when he goes on the hunt for it.

It's ironic that soooo many people are talking of opiate addication (pills). When my ABF and I first got together, he was sober - meetings, sponsor, the whole nine. About a month later he had a car accident and was rushed to the hospital. The doctor gave him a script for perccet - I'm shaking my head no the whole time while he's going, "Yeah, thanks doc. This will help with the pain." Not to mention, they shot him full of morphine while he was waiting to be xray-ed. Not a good idea for a recovering heroin addict.

And that hospital visit is what stared his whole relapse again. If the doctor had even looked at me while he was asking if my ABF is allergic to anything - cause I was saying, "Hon, don't you need to let him know something?" - then maybe his relapse wouldn't have been so fierce. Who knows, but docs should talk to the family that's there as well instead of hurrying to empty the ink in their script-writing pens.

NeedingHelp7

wow, painkillers, and crack are tied as the most DOC so far. I wish Dr's could see this now!

Godsgirl

I'm not absolutely sure but from the weight loss, fruity vinegar odor and impulsiveness I think its......... METH