AAPJ

One can't go back. Time marches on. This is true for everyone not just folks who struggle with alcohol/drugs. That said I believe that life is better today for me since I no longer sit in my garage drinking alone every day; day after day.

MantaLady

From my experience Gerard I smoked cannabis from being around 19 to 32, if I ever drank in that time I would always overdo it so never really bothered with alcohol at all. Once I split up with my ex partner, had to change all my friends, no longer had access to get weed...I started drinking. Over the following 12 years I drank more and more to cope with life and ended up in rehab. One thing that I learnt at rehab was that a drug is a drug is a drug, doesn't matter what it is but if you are self medicating with anything that chemically alters your brain to cope with life then it's a problem. Whilst your using you are just covering up the real issues and not dealing with the core of the problem. That is just my experience anyhow. For me I know that my life will be much better if I tackle the real issues I have so I can be truly free, live life on life's terms and learn to love myself.

August252015

Just an aside....Gerard, that's a controversial opinion IRL experience for me (not just in AA but recovery circles as a whole). Often it is some version of moderation, which this site is not about. I don't smoke and it is not my business who does, but my own opinion is that intent of use is key and getting loaded is not a universally different thing based on the substance. And anxiety is indeed an issue for many people both with drinking and pot. Also, I hear many people describe just what Manta Lady does.

My two cents.

Carry on as you were all!

Gerard52

I haven't smoked cannabis in over 10 years, but did for 17 years before that. It became unavailable to me when I moved to a new country in 2007.
There was no withdrawal I just stopped.

Looking back, subconsciously my drinking did increase to compensate and that is when I started to drink vodka. Now a days I don't smoke and have no need or desire to start again.

From the point of view of harm reduction many lives may be saved by substitution with a less harmful substance. There are increasing reports and articles of medical marijuana where it is legal being used to treat alcoholism.