What's a relapse?
mergirl
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 4,161
whew, close call. That sh!t would have freaked me out AND grossed me out, although honestly after 15years off meth if I pick it up again I should just be shot.
I never understood marijuana as a gateway drug. Every stupid drug I ever tried that I thought I wouldn't was either because I was drinking or there was a really hot guy/girl involved.
Pot is not the enemy, ban booze and sexy!! haha
I never understood marijuana as a gateway drug. Every stupid drug I ever tried that I thought I wouldn't was either because I was drinking or there was a really hot guy/girl involved.
Pot is not the enemy, ban booze and sexy!! haha
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 413
Originally Posted by uglyeyes 
I still cook with wine, its sitting right next to me. I never set out to be "sober", I just quit getting drunk. Unfortunately, this means I cant enjoy any alcohol because once I start, all bets are off.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 271
Originally Posted by gneiss
Just wondering what the general opinion is on relapse? What is it?
I think addiction is part of a cluster of disorders that includes obsessive/compulsive disorders, eating disorders (anorexia, chronic over-eating), etc. To expect that there will never be a step backward is as unrealistic for chemical dependence as it is for those other disorders, IMO. Maybe spontaneous and permanent abstention happens in all those disorders, but I suspect that it's very rare. I guess I'm uncomfortable with the norm of pass/fail perception in addiction recovery that is flatly unheard of in closely related conditions. It's not helpful, IMO. A relapse of cancer means something very specific, and it's NOT part of the recovery process - it means tumors are growing. As you've noted, in addiction recovery the word "relapse" is not terribly meaningful.
A lot of the terms that float around recovery are problematic, IMO. Since the existence of those words is not my problem, I don't fret much about defining them.
9/15/08
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: midwest
Posts: 257
@ ugly
I never understood marijuana as a gateway drug.
And the s/a community doesn't seem to either. There is decades of research trying to establish a definitive link between trying pot and turning into a full-blown junkie. Most of it is politically motivated.
While there have been corellations established, causality has never been proven.
I never understood marijuana as a gateway drug.
And the s/a community doesn't seem to either. There is decades of research trying to establish a definitive link between trying pot and turning into a full-blown junkie. Most of it is politically motivated.
While there have been corellations established, causality has never been proven.
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 271
Originally Posted by Overman
@ ugly
I never understood marijuana as a gateway drug.
And the s/a community doesn't seem to either. There is decades of research trying to establish a definitive link between trying pot and turning into a full-blown junkie. Most of it is politically motivated.
I never understood marijuana as a gateway drug.
And the s/a community doesn't seem to either. There is decades of research trying to establish a definitive link between trying pot and turning into a full-blown junkie. Most of it is politically motivated.
mergirl
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 4,161
Stupid doctors. When my gramps dying of cancer, my family hinted to me maybe pot would help him eat. He wasn't a smoker, so I make peanut butter/pot/ritz crackers and broth. Grams calls me later, slightly freaking out "How much marijuana is in this cracker?" "I wanted to see what all the hype was about so I ate one and I feel terrible"
Well, grams liked her scotch at night and was no stranger to mood altering pills, so I wasn't worried. I told her to grab a coke and a bag of chips and watch tv.
I get a call from my mother an hour later yelling "Oh my god your grand mother is in the ER because YOU, get your butt down there.
So I arrive at the ER to hear my grand mother telling doctors that she has indeed eaten marijuana, but that she would never tell them where she got it HAHAHA.
She was fine when it wore off=) I was in deep dog doo for awhile!
Well, grams liked her scotch at night and was no stranger to mood altering pills, so I wasn't worried. I told her to grab a coke and a bag of chips and watch tv.
I get a call from my mother an hour later yelling "Oh my god your grand mother is in the ER because YOU, get your butt down there.
So I arrive at the ER to hear my grand mother telling doctors that she has indeed eaten marijuana, but that she would never tell them where she got it HAHAHA.
She was fine when it wore off=) I was in deep dog doo for awhile!
Member
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 271
I'm sorry you were in deep doo. 
It just amazes me that medical professionals could have somehow (using a lot of imagination, no doubt), concluded that smoking pot resulted in massive internal bleeding in the stomach - not the three-drug chemo cocktail (part of which was delivered by pump over the course of 24 hours) - which is notorious for it - not the stomach tube by which he received any nourishment and most meds and not the disease itself. It was the bad and wicked pot ... aren't they supposed to be the experts!?!
Pot didn't help him eat. He was past that point. It did help him sleep, restfully as opposed to fitfully, It also made him feel better for short spurts of awake time. At that point in time, we took advantage of whatever comfort we could provide.
It just amazes me that medical professionals could have somehow (using a lot of imagination, no doubt), concluded that smoking pot resulted in massive internal bleeding in the stomach - not the three-drug chemo cocktail (part of which was delivered by pump over the course of 24 hours) - which is notorious for it - not the stomach tube by which he received any nourishment and most meds and not the disease itself. It was the bad and wicked pot ... aren't they supposed to be the experts!?!
Pot didn't help him eat. He was past that point. It did help him sleep, restfully as opposed to fitfully, It also made him feel better for short spurts of awake time. At that point in time, we took advantage of whatever comfort we could provide.
Reach Out and Touch Faith
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: On a Sailboat
Posts: 3,871
Originally Posted by soberrecovery.org, Secular Connections
12 Step Programs are off topic for this forum and posts discussing 12 Step Programs will be removed. Please use the Secular 12 Step Forum for positive topics on Secular 12 Step Recovery.
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Oxnard (The Nard), CA, USA.
Posts: 13,886
As concerning a relapse, I go by the medical determination: Basically its the return of symptoms and signs of a disease/disorder after a person in recovery has achieved recovery/sobriety. I'm thinking if the symptoms and signs of drug use pose no harm emotional, physically, and mentally then this is not a matter of abuse/dependence in a medical sense. Rather it could be seen as a course of supervised treatment under a Doctors care.
On the path to self discovery
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Pacific Northwest
Posts: 161
That is a good question indeed and I welcome any constructive comments to my reply.
I drank last week after a little over 5 weeks sober.
The 'relapse' started about 3 days before I 'drank'.
Drank is in quotes because I had 4 sips of a drink with about 3/4 shot of gin in it and poured the rest down the sink.
Im not starting my counting weeks over, Im 6 weeks into recovery with one slip.
Fortunately there was no slope. This was 6 days ago, I havent had the urge to drink, I didnt get drunk, once I felt the buzz I stopped.
Its hard to tell if my tolerance is weaker as I was always a beer drinker.
I drank for relief, Im having a really stressful time, and after 3 days of letting myself get depressed, it was really too late for something healthy.
I did call a friend, but I had already made up my mind before I called, I couldnt log in to SR bc Ive been having computer problems.
I had been coping with my problems (for the the 3 days prior) with pot, food, ativan, and ambien. It was quite obvious to me that I was just replacing the alcohol with these. So at 2am, not able to sleep, I let myself have some alcohol.
To me the 'relapse' had little to do with alcohol, it was about what I was (or wasnt) doing to cope.
And honestly, I have felt much better since it happened, I havent taken any substitutes (pot/food/sleep meds/anxiety meds) since then. And I realize that I need to starting doing something positive to change the situation on day one, not let it build up for 3 days until it feels like a rock that I cant get out from underneath.
I drank last week after a little over 5 weeks sober.
The 'relapse' started about 3 days before I 'drank'.
Drank is in quotes because I had 4 sips of a drink with about 3/4 shot of gin in it and poured the rest down the sink.
Im not starting my counting weeks over, Im 6 weeks into recovery with one slip.
Fortunately there was no slope. This was 6 days ago, I havent had the urge to drink, I didnt get drunk, once I felt the buzz I stopped.
Its hard to tell if my tolerance is weaker as I was always a beer drinker.
I drank for relief, Im having a really stressful time, and after 3 days of letting myself get depressed, it was really too late for something healthy.
I did call a friend, but I had already made up my mind before I called, I couldnt log in to SR bc Ive been having computer problems.
I had been coping with my problems (for the the 3 days prior) with pot, food, ativan, and ambien. It was quite obvious to me that I was just replacing the alcohol with these. So at 2am, not able to sleep, I let myself have some alcohol.
To me the 'relapse' had little to do with alcohol, it was about what I was (or wasnt) doing to cope.
And honestly, I have felt much better since it happened, I havent taken any substitutes (pot/food/sleep meds/anxiety meds) since then. And I realize that I need to starting doing something positive to change the situation on day one, not let it build up for 3 days until it feels like a rock that I cant get out from underneath.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Dallas, Tx
Posts: 2,405
For me, I do not think smoking pot would be a relapse. My problem was with alcohol so if I drank any alcohol for me that would be a relapse but I never had a problem with pot, never really cared for it much either. But if I was somewhere and people were smoking pot and I took a hit I would probably just cough a lot and get the munchies instead of "relapsing" not if the pot led me to drink that would be bad very bad so I'm unlikely to tempt faint now that I think of it but you never know.
9/15/08
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: midwest
Posts: 257
My cousin recently got popped for marijuana possession and paraphenalia. He had a pipe with a tiny bit of pot (under a gram) in the car. Was arrested and taken to jail...treated like a criminal (in Kansas).
Funny thing is, he's close to five years sober from alcohol! Smoking pot is something he only does a few times a year...and his arrest fell on one of those days. Talk about bad luck!
So he was put on probation for a year and forced to undergo alcohol/drug education classes. The PO told him he had a drug problem and that he 'relapsed'...even though he hasn't drank in almost five years and rarely smokes weed!
What do you all think? Was it a 'relapse' because it caused him to have a major legal issue?
(btw, he finished the mandatory classes and paid his fines...and no, he hasn't started drinking again)
Funny thing is, he's close to five years sober from alcohol! Smoking pot is something he only does a few times a year...and his arrest fell on one of those days. Talk about bad luck!
So he was put on probation for a year and forced to undergo alcohol/drug education classes. The PO told him he had a drug problem and that he 'relapsed'...even though he hasn't drank in almost five years and rarely smokes weed!
What do you all think? Was it a 'relapse' because it caused him to have a major legal issue?
(btw, he finished the mandatory classes and paid his fines...and no, he hasn't started drinking again)
Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Htown, baby!
Posts: 384
POs shouldn't be telling people that they have drug problems. Also, just because you get into trouble with the law for possesing drugs does not mean you have a drug problem. The government just hates that people use illegal drugs for fun, so cops punish people for it and make the arrestee feel like a loser by insinuating they're an addict.
Anyway, if any type of drug use constitutes a drug relapse, then what separate the diseased from normal people who use drugs recreationally? Its easy to say you're either sober or not, but millions of people are able to use drugs and alcohol 100% responsibly.
Anyway, if any type of drug use constitutes a drug relapse, then what separate the diseased from normal people who use drugs recreationally? Its easy to say you're either sober or not, but millions of people are able to use drugs and alcohol 100% responsibly.
mergirl
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Paradise
Posts: 4,161
That's the million dollar question. MANY people here on SR believe sober means 100% from everything. Some believe nicotine and caffeine are questionable. Many sober people use prescribed narcs. slippery slippery
When I quit drinking, I did so because after x amount of beers, I am not in control of my decisions. Because I don't know how many x is, I don't drink at all because I refuse to give up my decision making power. So I guess I am not sober, I am just abstaining from alcohol because although I have not done any other substance since I quit (besides copious amounts of caffeine), it has nothing to do with me quitting drinking.
When I quit drinking, I did so because after x amount of beers, I am not in control of my decisions. Because I don't know how many x is, I don't drink at all because I refuse to give up my decision making power. So I guess I am not sober, I am just abstaining from alcohol because although I have not done any other substance since I quit (besides copious amounts of caffeine), it has nothing to do with me quitting drinking.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,355
Just to clarify..LOL
It's not my job to comment on other peoples sobriety - there was no hidden meaning in what I said...
I do believe that to recover I need to abstain from any substance that will bring back that cosy feeling of avoiding reality - for me that can be anything from alcohol to too many pseudoephedrines. Thats's not dogma talking, its experience.
If I was smoking weed or having 'slips' I would end up back at square one with my main DOC, booze. I know that, because I did it, over and over again.
What other people do, or believe, is none of my business - I do however have a interest in what gets presented here, and I reserve the right to put across an opposing view
D
It's not my job to comment on other peoples sobriety - there was no hidden meaning in what I said...
I do believe that to recover I need to abstain from any substance that will bring back that cosy feeling of avoiding reality - for me that can be anything from alcohol to too many pseudoephedrines. Thats's not dogma talking, its experience.
If I was smoking weed or having 'slips' I would end up back at square one with my main DOC, booze. I know that, because I did it, over and over again.
What other people do, or believe, is none of my business - I do however have a interest in what gets presented here, and I reserve the right to put across an opposing view
D
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