Getting High on Sobriety!
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 3,550
Getting High on Sobriety!
I've heard it said that the brain contains natural opiates which, gram for gram, are more powerful than morphine. My personal experience with this has been upon awakening from a deep sleep. In the interval between sleep and full consciousness it seems as if I am high on some substance. This is without any alcohol or other medication, for I have been sober for nearly 22 years. It's sort of a warm, fuzzy, contented feeling that all's right with the world.
And then I think back to what happened in my alcoholic days. From what I've read, it's likely that the opioid recepters in my nerve cells atrophied what with having to adapt to all that alcohol, and the various neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin and the like) very likely got all mixed up trying to cope with the situation. This led to increasing tolerance for booze and the growing inability get any "buzz" from drinking, so that I had to drink just to feel normal. After I quit it must have taken years and years to get the stuff in my brain back to normal but now I'm pretty sure, from the buzz I get sometimes when I wake up from a deep sleep, that things may be back functioning pretty well. And, as a bonus, I'm usually very happy. Have darker moods now and then but they don't last. Lots of interests- dogs, books, music.
How come I messed up and didn't figure all this out years ago? I had the "information" but nobody ever got sober from reading books. Sometimes it just takes a kick in the butt and even then a lot of determination and help from others, including a higher power. Well, better late than never, as they say!
Wpainterw
And then I think back to what happened in my alcoholic days. From what I've read, it's likely that the opioid recepters in my nerve cells atrophied what with having to adapt to all that alcohol, and the various neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin and the like) very likely got all mixed up trying to cope with the situation. This led to increasing tolerance for booze and the growing inability get any "buzz" from drinking, so that I had to drink just to feel normal. After I quit it must have taken years and years to get the stuff in my brain back to normal but now I'm pretty sure, from the buzz I get sometimes when I wake up from a deep sleep, that things may be back functioning pretty well. And, as a bonus, I'm usually very happy. Have darker moods now and then but they don't last. Lots of interests- dogs, books, music.
How come I messed up and didn't figure all this out years ago? I had the "information" but nobody ever got sober from reading books. Sometimes it just takes a kick in the butt and even then a lot of determination and help from others, including a higher power. Well, better late than never, as they say!
Wpainterw
Last edited by wpainterw; 09-09-2010 at 02:51 PM. Reason: Inserted a comma
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Hi. Yes, sometimes I will have real mad highs where I will talking to my close family and cracking jokes and stuff and just feel a real mad buzz!! It's really cool and I think you forget how 'high' you can actually feel just on life. The great thing is there is no horrible comedown, just a natural lowering of mood as the joking wears off etc.
A massive problem that i used to have was that I would always look to intensify my moods. So if I was feeling good then i would yearn to drink and take drugs to make me feel even better! I know my recovery is working as I have a nice acceptance of my moods now and accept my natural highs for being natural and accepting them for what they are, rather than yearning to make them even better through drink and drugs.
It certainly takes time to get there. I never thought I would ever be able to write the phrase 'high on life' and accept that. I used to detest that saying and thought people who said that needed to get some booze and drugs down their neck! lol.
Peace
A massive problem that i used to have was that I would always look to intensify my moods. So if I was feeling good then i would yearn to drink and take drugs to make me feel even better! I know my recovery is working as I have a nice acceptance of my moods now and accept my natural highs for being natural and accepting them for what they are, rather than yearning to make them even better through drink and drugs.
It certainly takes time to get there. I never thought I would ever be able to write the phrase 'high on life' and accept that. I used to detest that saying and thought people who said that needed to get some booze and drugs down their neck! lol.
Peace
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