Harm Reduction Principles
 

Interesting read. Thanks for the link, DK.

When I was failing at abstinence, I took a similar approach to my chemical dependency. It may be part of the reason I'm still here. I tried to avoid the rebound effect with my relapses, where I would binge because I felt that since I had already let myself down, it didn't matter how much I used.

Message to a SR member on the verge of a relapse:

Some key points in harm reduction:

1. Try to reduce the amount I drank. Instead of buying the 1/2 gallon of vodka, I bought a 12 pack of beer. Also I would eat a big meal too. Normally I would just drink.

2. Reduce the duration of use. I didn't stock up on alcohol so as to not have an ample supply for the next morning.

3. Increase the time between use. I would hold off as long as I could. I found I could put more time between my use than I thought.

4. Continue addiction treatment. Just because I was still using didn't mean I have completely given up on addiction treatment. My goal was abstinence and harm reduction was my means.

I guess i didn't do harm reduction, but i sure do recommend it for others....i mean we have to stay alive long enough to get sober right???? Plus our lives don't have to completely go to sht for us to find sobreity...

It isn't the same as control to me or moderation exclty..i think of those differently...Don't know...just know when my friends aer drunk i want them to stay alive and I don't feel like more concequencses are really the answer for sobriety....crp....i pretty much felt like a worthless human being anyways...

ty doorknob for the post!!!!
 

my iop couselor suggested i try this, because i felt so bad about myseelf when i relaspsed. at 1st is sounded very silly? but have been on this for 2 weeks now, and i am decreasing my alcohlo use, i have scheduled days to be sober, have to be sober for iop and aa 5 times a week.

i would not suggest this for everyone, because we all are addicts, and for alot of people it will not work! but i really want to be sober...........and feel good about myself, that is the hard part, i beat myself up till i do not care what happens?

so....this is working so far, i am drinking less and less and soon hoping for abstainstance? sorry cannot spell or type well lol

peace and happy soberiety to all
love jow:ghug

oops forget to say i am trying harm reduction, sorry

Welcome, Jow! I was hopin' you would post here. :D

ty doorknob for the post!!!!
 

just want to thank you for all the help you gave me!!!!! you are wonderful and i will miss you lots!
peace in sobriety
love jow

In a way I feel I unwittingly followed the route of harm reduction and ended up at abstinence. I tried controlling and all that with my therapist, we worked on issues of self-care, even had a stint at abstinence awhile back, although definitely was not by the book harm reduction. But I have been "working on my drinking" for a long time without stopping. I kept telling everyone I wouldn't stop but I still wanted to work on it. When people even brought up abstinence I about had a hissy fit. I just wasn't ready. That is why I think other models are so important to allow people to get into the game. They can start thinking about drinking as a problem in their life. Two years later and finally I was ready for abstinence and embraced it fully along with recovery. But I would have been like f*** off to anyone in the beginning, especially my therapist, had been like, you have a drinking problem and people with drinking problems have to stop drinking before we can do anything with them. Way too scary.

sfgirl
 

there are few of here that agree harm reduction works........but only for a few us us stubborn people! i would not recomend it for the general public~
if we want to get sober, we have to do what works for us as indivials?

thank you for your post and your honesty!

peace and love in sobriety!
jow:You_Rock_