Prescription Drugs & AA
 

I have been in and out of recovery 15 months now.

The first 6 months were easy...I have no idea why.

Since then I have had more slips than a girl's school wardrobe, the last one lasted 3 days after 6 weeks of sobriety after coming out of Detox.
I am sober now but my Doctor said the reason I slipped was because the advice I received from aa members and my sponser was to get off the drugs, "you are not clean and sober" so I came off and within 3 days was drinking, 3 days later back in hospital, I thought I had had it.
My Doctor although a great beliver in aa says that for now I should trust his judgement to get me through this crisis until I am well enough to come off the diaxipan, the xanex and another tablet for depression, like prozac

I am so weak, dazed and confused, (sleep 14 hours a day) I have parted ways with my sponser , he believes that I have zero sobriety until I am free of all mind altering drugs, as do many others in the rooms.....so I have stopped going to aa until I am clean and can hold my head up and say so. Luckily I have some good freinds in the fellowship who understand and have been through the process, so I am not totally alone...just desperatley unhappy, and totaly confused.

Has anyone any advice or experience concerning my predicament

Yours

Womble

I'm not an AAer but here is the link to the pamplet
'The AA member, medications and other drugs' - I believe this is the official position

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...ml#post1798633

Basically: listen to your doctor first.

D

I agree. Listen to your doctor. S/he must think you need to be on these meds for your sanity and peace of mind. And if taking prescription meds as directed makes you 'dirty' then I'm 'dirty' too, and I don't care what anyone says about that. If the meds help you keep from drinking, go for it. I wouldn't listen to anyone telling you that you weren't sober because you were on prescription meds. That's awfully harsh and narrow minded, in my opinion...

Please listen to your dr. and follow his advice.

I am not in AA, but I use antidepressants. Without that medication, I would be far too depressed to care whether I was sober or not.

Getting sober ruined a perfectly good case of depression. :rotfxko

Yea, that's it, unless you have good reason not to.

I would recommend that you continue to go to AA. Treat your alcoholism with the program and get support from the fellowship. Treat your medical issues with the advice of your physician... There may, in fact, be some overlap, but I don't think you should be in the position of defending your medications to anyone... as long as you are using them as directed for the reasons they are prescribed...

If the xanax is making you sleep all the time (?)... talk with your physician.

Mark

people in aa telling you what to do concerning your prescription meds need to butt out. work with your physician on the medication part. aa itself has no opinion on outside issues, so you're really dealing with individuals opinions. trust your doctor and yourself.

Hey I am in AA and the people that are being negative about meds that are prescribed are just wrong. That said, your doctor prescribing you addictive pills for your problems is a dangerous area as an addict you can very easily fall into dangerous territory. After being refused further Valium I bought it illegally and took over 10X my medicated dose. It's just what addicts do, so be careful.

I am clean and sober now nearly 2 months but am still taking anti-depressants as prescribed by my doctor for Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Without these I would certainly relapse. They are not addictive or habit forming and so are safer for addicts to take. My 1st sponsor wouldn't take me through the steps while I was on them but my new one will as giving up drink is enough without having to worry about all of that too. Obviously everyone in the world including AA would say it is best to come off of everything eventually but 1st things 1st. Just keep taking the meds exactly as prescribed, taking them outside of the parameters of what your doctor has said is abusing your sobriety. Be very careful with Benzos, they are more addictive than alcohol.

The people in your AA group shouldn't be judging you, but some will. Just like in life, everyone is different. Stick with people who are supportive but who try to help guide you in a positive direction, and that doesn't include making you feel guilty or like an outsider for following doctor's orders.

Good luck with it

Not many "Drunks" can handle the responsibility of prescription meds. Especially the good ones. Just sayin....

Exactly my problem.

"If one is gonna help me, think what 2 will do".

Damn my alcoholic brain...

Brian

Hi Womble,
no AA sponsor should "play Doctor", parting ways with this person was a smart move. AA is about abstinence from alcohol, the fact that you are using prescription medication to reduce anxiety or any other health issues is non relevant. Every substance we take into our body could be described as having "mind altering qualities" be it nicotine, caffeine, chocolate or even the oxygen in the air we breathe in to survive! Please take your doctors advice about medication, try a different AA group and hopefully a new sponsor and just concentrate on your sobriety at the moment, reduction of other medication may then become possible without a return to alcoholism.

What prescriptions I take and why I use them
is not any of anyones business...AA'ers or not.

That is between me and my doctors....:yup:

Almost everyone I know in AA takes some type
of meds....includeing me.

Abuseing prescritions is a different issue.

Hey Womble,

I'm sorry to hear that your struggles continue. It sounds like you're in a pretty dark and unforgiving place. I wish your sponsor was not so harsh on the line about no outside meds, but each of us interprets the program differently. I know my sponsor here would not allow me to get away with that either. On the other hand, your doctor is telling you you need to take your meds. Buddy, I'd say keep the alcohol with AA, and keep the meds with your doc. I wouldn't talk to AA about the meds at all. Just make sure that your doc knows you have a high probability of abusing the meds, keep her in the light, and let her help you with them. All I ever did with meds was abuse them, they never worked for me. Would you get more acceptance by the group if you were drunk, but off the meds, perhaps that's worth a try. I hope you feel better, I'll keep you in my prayers.

-Lith

The pamphlet that Dee linked really says all that needs to be said. Please note that while the official AA stance is that medication decisions need to be between doctor and patient, there are some serious and problematic warnings contained in that official stance.

I think it is foolish to take the close minded opinion that this is none of anyone's business in AA.

When I invite a sponsor to become part of my life, to guide me spiritually, and to give me honest feedback based on their experience, I am opening the door for their opinions.

The reason I do that is because I want their help to grow spiritually. I want them to show me what I can not see for myself. As an alcoholic, I have a great capacity for justification, rationalization, and mistrust. It is very easy for me to fall into a 'screw everybody, I'll just do what I think is best' attitude when I feel criticism.

The fact is, that benzos, opiates, and other narcotics have proved very problematic for most alcoholics. That pamphlet makes this point clearly. I've known many alkies that have unintentionally back-doored their way right back into active, full blown addiction through the doctor-directed, well-intentioned, proper use of those medications.

Likewise, I know many alcoholics that couldn't get sober until they were willing to give up the sleep aids and anti-anxiety meds.

The reverse is true as well. Many alcoholics have other issues that need treatment and counseling. My point is that an experienced sponsor (not a rigid one that claims universally NO MEDS) can help sort out where somebody is spiritually.

If the intent is to help someone grow into a contented sobriety, there is no threat from medications. Whether they are taken or not. Another thing on the table just like relationships, careers, etc. Let's look at where we are spiritually and see what that indicates, instead of the 'none of your business' approach.

There is nothing to be scared of.

Well put keith...

Very well put keith

I wrote a big ol paragraph........then deleted it.

I was on Effexor prior to AA. I suspected that I'd be on them the rest of my life - made me feel great and that was cool and it's not hard to take a pill. I heard over and over (over time) that I might want to investigate the "spiritual malady" and actually TRY to do something about that. If that didn't work, then go back on the drugs.

Needless to say, my delusional perception of needing anti-depressants was wrong. I needed a connection with a God of my understanding - even though I didn't think that's what I needed. It wasn't until some time later that I was able to see I had been completely wrong in the past.


--Well said Keith.

I'd add to it: "We're only as sick as our secrets."

What the hell? Are you going to a AA meating in a amish community or something? I have met several people in AA that are dual diagnosed. They take meds for a mental health issues, and would not be normal without them.

I think that you need to follow your doctors orders and take whatever he tells you in the amount that you should. If you have a back injury and your getting back spasms, your doctor will probably give you muscle relaxers for it, which is very mind altering. What then? Will your AA group and sponsor tell you that your not sober anymore, and that you should not take your prescription? What whould they really know about recovering from a back injury?

Dune

I'm glad for the members who've feel they can live without meds, but I would not recommend anybody stop taking their medication without first discussing it with their doctor....I played 'Doctor Dee' enough when I was drinking :)

Everyones entitled to a decent quality of life. Some need meds to maintain that, myself included.

As long as we're honest with our doctors about our history, and honest with ourselves about our motives, in my opinion, it's all good.

D

My meds are my business. Honesty with yourself is the most important.