I fully agree... I have that pattern too... smoking to avoid that strange fog that comes after the (binge) eating... not fun at all.

Half an hour of "fun" that costs a lot of suffering...

Yes, it's simply NOT worth it ! I can create different fun WITHOUT such negative consequences. The reason I developed an addiction to it is because when I started , I was only 19 and I loved the high AND I never felt the ****** comedown for years. But by the time I recognized it had changed, I had already turned it into my only crutch to avoid the things or to "just have some entertainment by myself ". But I'm committed to reclaiming my "original" self from this giant lie that Life is better with that first toke.

Yes, that's a big lie. Life feels better for about 15 minutes. But life is the same actually. It's just a buzz, nothing more.

When I restarted smoking after 5-6 years sober, I came to realize the fog lasts for about 5 days. When we are smoking daily we can't feel that. So it's 15-30 minutes of buzz against DAYS of fog and some bitterness. It's a crappy deal.

Sobriety is the real deal.

Brazilian and happycampers, I was just reading your exchange from this morning and I totally get what you are saying. Right now for me the key to not drinking is to just remember how I don't want to feel. For me the urge to drink always is strongest when I get home from work and I'm just looking for that bit of relaxation that comes with the first few sips of wine. Those first few sips were always nice, but the problem is that the first drink turns off the switch that tells me not to drink too much. So then I drink too much and feel lousy. I now have realized (after how many years?) that it is the first drink that leads to me feeling lousy. Sure, there was also a half hour of good feeling that I got from the first few sips of wine, but on balance it's not too hard for me to remember that I really don't want that first drink. Once I make that decision my life as a whole is so much more enjoyable! I feel 100% better since I decided to quit. Seriously I do.

Anyway, I loved reading the discussion between you two, brazilian and happycampers. I think you are both on a great path.

Thank you StraightAhead - that's why SR is so fabulous. It's people like us sharing our experiences and learning from each other. Can I ask how long you've stopped drinking ? How is it going now?

We all are in a great path. Just have to stick with it forever, one day at a time.

We already know the truth... can't take it back.

I quit on February 10. It's been going really well so far. I'm finished with alcohol. It was kind of hard at first, but frankly the benefits have been so great that I feel stupid for not having quit sooner. I had been wanting to quit for a long time, but was worried about all those stupid things that people worry about, like "What will my friends say?" (answer: they don't really care), "What if I can't quit?" (answer: I can, and need not have worried about it), etc. I finally realized that there was no reason to be drinking, and there are so many reasons not to drink. Since I quit I feel 100% better and I'm just so happy that I made the decision. I'm really committed to it.

I should probably say that I had not gotten to the point where I was physically addicted to alcohol. But there were plenty of nights when I drank more than a full bottle of wine. There were many, many mornings when I woke up with a hangover, which I hated. There were also some nights when I woke up feeling sick to my stomach and threw up for hours from having drunk too much. So I do feel that my trajectory was headed in the direction of total addiction. I count myself very lucky to have quit before I got myself into a crisis mode or did serious damage to my body.

I'm really glad to have found SR. I don't know why I started posting on this thread which is really about pot, not alcohol. I think I responded to brazilian's honesty and angst at a time when I needed to reach out. Whether it's pot or wine, we are all looking for some relief from our daily pain and anxiety, so I think they are more or less the same thing. Not so easy to give up... But so worth it!

Stay strong, brothers!

Awesome, my friend... just awesome.

Pot or alcohol, it's really the same thing... the same pattern... the same suffering.... and the same solution: quitting for good.

I'm so glad you are in this thread, thank you very much, Straight.

Day 26.


After 17 days of antibiotics, I'm still sick.

Today is the third day without antibiotics and I am already getting worse. Have to wait the tests results, including a CT scan, to see what will happen.

Glad I'm sober, but could use some health here :(

Day 7

Brazilian, sorry to hear you're still feeling crappy. Do you think it's related to detoxing still ? It's really great your on top of it though with a doctor - smart move ! I hope you find some relief soon.
StraightAhead, you're doing awesome - coming up to a month ! Congratulations and you sound really good. We can all do this together and cheer each other on. I KNOW we can reclaim our authenic selves again and live more peacefully and joyously from that space! Well, off to get some work done - have a great day everyone and I'll check in tonight.

Do be careful with the antibiotics. You don't want to take too many of those. They can have a boomerang effect on you, and actually can compromise your immune system. Also, many ailments are viral in nature and don't respond to antibiotics, so in those cases there is really no reason to be taking them anyway.

I'm not a doctor, so I guess I should not be dispensing advice about prescription drugs, but I know from personal experience that sometimes doctors just keep prescribing more and stronger antibiotics when they don't know what else to do. Hopefully your doctor isn't doing that!

I hope you will feel better very soon, brazilian!

Happy, I don't think it's directly related to the detoxing process. But in a broader plan, everything is conected... is a web of cause and effect that is difficult to fully understand... either way I'm reaping what I planted.


Straight, you are completely right. Doctors prescribe steroids and antibiotics like it is not a big deal, but it is. Luckly I found a reasonable doctor, he didn't prescribe any more drugs until the tests results come up. So I ended the second cicle of antibiotics (from the other doctor), and that's it for now. But I can feel I'm getting worse again. I'm afraid I'll have 2 hard weeks ahead (the time I need to complete all tests and wait for its results). Wish me luck.

Thanks for all the attention, guys.

Today I sat in a table with alcohol and said no... there was some pressure for me to hold a glass only to make a toast and I refused... in fact I became angry and almost told them to go f### themselves.

After that I was offered marijuana and also said no. No pressure, it was smooth, I just said "no thanks, I quit", and that was it.

WOW !!! That IS Awesome, Brazilian ! I want you to pat yourself on the back for me, will you? You definitely deserve it ! Must have been a great feeling afterwards, seeing that you could it - I'm so happy for you, Brazilian. What a great day !

Annoying how some people don't seem to 'get it' when you tell them you've stooped drinking, isn't it? Very well done for standing your ground though! With that attitude, you will do very well in your recovery :)

Hey, Matty, I see you've been clean of pot for over seven months ! Congratulations, man !
Can you tell us a bit about your experience since you've been clean ? How has been for you ? I always love to hear from those who are further down the path than myself - helps me to my own better. Thank you for anything you're willing to share. I see you have Eckhart's quote at the bottom - I LOVE Eckhart - I listen to him five days out of seven. I'm plugged into his ET TV and love it !

Hey happycampers :) I'm more than happy to share my experience of being seven months pot free :) I'll start by saying pot wasn't my main addiction and I've put so much focus on overcoming my alcoholism that sometimes it overshadows the pot . BUT, I have to say, I did at one stage have a very intense liking for marijuana, especially when I stopped drinking for a while when I would get really in to cannabis culture and smoking everyday.

As you can imagine, this was a bad idea as I would soon become addicted to smoking weed every night and it would make me depressed and irritable when I wasn't smoking.

So basically, I cannot quit alcohol without also quitting cannabis - for good.

In the last seven months without pot I have noticed my thinking is much clearer, I have less social anxiety and I am generally less paranoid about things and more rational. I enjoyed the effect of pot and how it made me see another side to reality and think more deeply, but now I have stopped I can take what I gained from pot and move on in my new sober, rational frame of mind without having to smoke it every night.

It gets a lot easier after a while and soon you will find you won't think about pot much . Remember that your sober perspective is the best one there is. You've smoked weed, you've had the experience, now move on with a sober mind. Someone once said about weed "when you've got the message, hang up the phone". And it's so true. You'll soon find you really don't need pot in your life, because life is wonderful enough as it is without you needing pot to show you that.

I hope this all made sense, I'm very tired and my brain isn't really working properly, but good luck and keep us updated on how you're doing!

"You'll soon find you really don't need pot in your life, because life is wonderful enough as it is without you needing pot to show you that"

I found pot actually robbed me of enjoying the simple, beautiful moments throughout the day. I was too dull to recognize the beauty in them. I'd become obsessive with certain useless, repetitive thoughts about the future and not Be Present - just lost in my head. But each day has many wonderful moments if I remain Awake and connected to Now. with a Clear mind. Here's to another clear-headed day !
Day 8

Yeah you're right. Pot makes you completely lost in your thoughts sometimes and takes you out of the present moment. It's much better to live in the present as anxieties about the future and regrets about the past are illusory. The only thing that actually exists is this moment, so live it, breathe it, love it :)

Day 27.