1_day@_a_time

I posted this elsewhere but hoped it might further clarify the issue.

Complete & true sobriety means I take nothing, no pills, smoke no dope, & drink nothing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd like to point out a "detail" of my sobriety.

I quit drinking May 4th 2001, but had this "idea" (my own program, developed by me) that I was "sober", yet not clean since I had a marijuana maintainence program going on for 14 months.

I even took a cake in AA at "one year".

The fact is I was not sober as my sponsor (I finally had one by now) pointed out. In recovery, sobriety means taking nothing that effects me from the neck up!

SO I reset my sobriety date to the 4th of July 2002, the first day I was truly sober.

coffeenut

...so, tell us about the next 7 years. I'm sure there is a lot in there that would benefit us.

Astro

Rigorous honesty Thomas, you're a great example.

tommyk

Congrats.

There is a blurry line in AA regarding drug use and sobriety.

Good to see you establish your own boundaries.

getr345

By this logic, would you consider the use of and/or addiction to nicotine and caffeine to be breaks in the continuous maintenance of this true sobriety as you see it? Because in a very definite way, I do. Particularly as it relates to smoking and nicotine addiction. Both are demonstrably addictive mind altering substances. I assume you don't smoke or require caffeine to get grooving in the morning, right?

Believe808

Yes for me my sobriety date of September 25, 2008 means I have not used anything that would affect me from the neck up.

Congratulations on your sober time.

smacked

My sobriety date is absolutely based on that definition as well.

totfit

My definition definately includes smoking tobacco as it is one of the most addictive and harmful substances. I use caffeine and probably always will. I don't abuse it or go on caffeine binges. I don't include abstinence from caffeine in my definition. I will say that I don't know how anyone could call themselves clean if they smoke cigarettes however. This is just the way I look at things. Course if your are strictly AA, then its about alcohol. Personally, I just look at not injesting anything that is physically or mentally harmful to me as being the ticket for a better life.

jamdls

Do taking pain pills, muscle relaxors, anti-depressants, all as prescribed, defer from your 'true sobriety'? I take the above and do not consider it to detract from my sobriety date. I gave up alcohol period.

suki44883

Gee, I thought I was doing pretty good. Thirteen months sobriety, or what I thought was sobriety. No alcohol, but, I smoke cigarettes. I have no plans to quit. Guess I might as well just throw in the towel and start drinking again, too.

Oh yeah...I also take prescribed anti-depressants.

mistycshore

Hi Judy. I'm sure 1_day didn't mean that if he was facing surgery he would either have to decline anesthesia or start over on sobriety time. That would be silly.

My dad had chronic back pain and high blood pressure (alpha-blockers are "above neck" stuff). I can't imagine he would have ever gained sobriety had those conditions not been treated. He had 15 years of sobriety when he died. Another friend I had in AA had 20+ years and Lime's Disease. She took a number of medications that allowed her to get out of bed and into meetings, which is where I met her.

Bamboozle

Sam here, suki. I smoke and I'm on antidepressants.

I guess I haven't been sober for the last three months, then. Maybe I should quit taking my pills and fully embrace the suicidal thoughts that would be sure to come back.

Gypsy Feet

meh, define it how ever works for you. I quit drinking because I am not in control while drunk. Most of the time when I post, I TRY and just say "I quit drinking" rather than I have 6 months sobriety (hence the sig). I do abuse caffeine and it wrecks me some days, but I am pretty sure I won't cross any self imposed ethical lines on coffee. I haven't had any non prescribed toxins in 8 months, because my job drug tests. I take aspirin the minute I feel a headache even thinking about coming on.

and I am totally, hopelessly addicted to ice cream.

mistycshore

Funny how many "One True Ways" there really are.

suki44883

Well, I'm not trying to be a smartass, but geez. My problem was alcohol. I stopped drinking. That was my plan and after 13 months, I feel good about it, too! But if someone brings in a cake that has vanilla extract in it, I'm not going to turn down a piece of cake for that reason. If I eat barbeque that was basted with a sauce that was made with Jack Daniels, I'm not going to consider it a relapse. That's just me. If someone else has qualms about it, then don't do it. But don't tell me that I'm not sober because I ate a piece of cake.

least

I quit drinking but smoke like a chimney and drink a lot of coffee. And am on four different meds for mental illness. But I'm sober, damn it, I don't drink anymore and am happy with that. I'm sober from the one thing that caused me trouble: alcohol. The cigarettes, coffee, and prescribed meds don't cause me problems so don't need to quit them. Just the alcohol.

Complete and true sobriety means many things to many people.

Rusty Zipper

you all know the one about the Horse Thief...

"take the booze out of the horse thief, with no other change on the outlook to life, and reaction to life...

and wad'a ya have?

a non-boozing horse thief"

and yep, i do drink some coffee, and smoke a few Rettes

suki44883

I guess it all depends on what your goal is. My goal was to stop drinking. I didn't intend to solve all the world's problems, or even all of my own. I'm not trying out for the nunnery or the Nobel Peace Prize...I just wanted to stop drinking.

Firehazard

I don't believe that taking anti-depressants, smoking cigarettes, or drinking coffee will A)land me in jail B)wreck the car or C)loose the wife. However, it took me four months without alcohol and honest living to let go of cigarettes and I'm starting to feel uncomfortably edgy with the coffee. I wanted to be absolutely perfect in my sobriety at first and the old timers kindly said "Easy does it" and "first things first" Perfectionism is part of my problem too

smacked

It seems like this thread was started as one person's definition of his own sobriety.. of course there's going to be differences... I haven't read yet that that definition is thought to be imposed on anyone here.