JustasIam

I took my last drink almost 30 years ago and it is a very specific day and experience, clear in detail, recalling all things that lead to that first meeting and the gift of surrender. I have deep friendships and history with my hometown groups even though I don't live there anymore- moved after 20 years of sobriety.

All that said, I have had over the years had 8 experiences of using prescription pain medications for more than they were prescribed for (either not enough real pain to justify or use when pain was not physical) each time it has been limited to a couple of days, has not resulted in escalated use or prescription seeking, and never led to a desire for or use of alcohol . Each time it has been clear that I was in danger and took me back to more meetings and seeking the answer in working the steps and seeking my higher power for the answer to my pain.

My current sponsor wants me to change my AA sobriety date based on these experiences ( I shared a new 5th step ) I feel sad because I have always thought of these incidents as the affairs of a flawed marriage and not a divorce from the program of sobriety. I have prayed about this and that led me here to ask you guys-

When I came to the program I could not not drink- I was beaten I was completely powerless to stop and was physically on the road to dying I believe.

I do not want to use narcotics and it's not an option when I am working the program- no desire...

I welcome your experience in this and your strength and hope. Thank you...

tomsteve

to thine own self be true.

doggonecarl

Since you are in AA, I'll quote the Big Book:

Willingness, honesty and open mindedness are the essentials of recovery. [emphasis mine]

heath480

I see no reason to change your sobriety date.Alcoholics Anonymous is about Alcohol and Alcohol only.

sugarbear1

Purely up to you.

neferkamichael

Here's how I describe myself coping with addiction. 1 year 11 months sober, 9months no crack, quit smoking cigarettes June 5th. I don't see why you should change your sobriety day. 30 years no booze, congratulations.

Dee74

Welcome JustasIam

It's my experience each of us knows deep in your heart what happened, what our motives were and what we think - you're the best judge here

D

NoelleR

Just thought this needed to be said again.....if you were in NA, then yes, one would change one's 'clean' date (NA has 'clean' dates and AA has 'sobriety' dates.

As stated above, AA has 'sobriety' dates, and AA (not me or any other individuals, but AA, the org.) defines sober/sobriety as 'freedom from alcohol'.....period; says NOTHING about drugs.


(o:
NoelleR

Spinach

JustasIam, the truth is so far from a date. Your date thirty years ago is an important badge for you to prove the changes you made and which you proudly own as your own no one else's. Self prescribing pain killers when you were in pain is no big problem , the questions would perhaps not be made if you were prescribed by a Dr.
I guess you know if you took them to be high which would muddy the waters , but at any time you could have walked out to a bottle shop and you didn't.
Keep your identity you wouldn't change your name and expect to feel the same, and whatever you did you have remained sober.
Keep your sober identity and your scruples .Good luck.
John.

wonderfullife

no. you are sober and free of alcohol. embrace that while you confront this new and seperate issue. your sobriety from booze will give you strength. use the tools of AA, but realize that humans (sponsors) can also have flaws. best of luck and congratulations on all those years of sobriety. Even if I take a toke of herb or get caught up in something else, I would never, for one moment, trade in my battle against alcohol. find your thirty year chip and embrace it. For many of us here, I would love to have that time span between me and alcohol. its yours.

edit: I am sorry if this goes against AA. I fully support the program but recognize that humans are humans.

M

Gottalife

I feel the same. Sobriety = freedom from alcohol, is AA's sole concern. And for good reason. I have seen the damage caused when AA members develop a view on outside issues such as medication, about which they have no qualifications.

The fact that you sought a spiritual remedy (step 5) indicates you regard this as a moral or spiritual transgession. I am reminded that we all claim spiritual progress rather than perfection. No one among us has been able to maintain anything like perfect adherence to these principles.

Nothing less than the willfull consumption of alcohol would bring an end to your sobriety.

Lily

It is up to you. I will tell about me though. I have not had a drink in over 11 yrs.

I have 18 months sobriety.

If I swept my pills under the rug this would only give me a license to keep picking them up. I want to live in freedom today and for me getting inebriated on anything is not being honest. Also for me, not running to my HP and running to something that makes me high is not working the program, it is a relaspe.

(I do not however discuss my pill usage relapse at the tables however)

Having said that however, it is entirely up to you. Whatever is going to help your program.

Lily

Gottalife

Lily draws a great distinction in her post. Use of other substances needs to get significantly beyond normal to be called a relapse, and I am not sure you would meet that standard.

For example I know one person who reset her sobriety date because she had been taking legal high party pills daily for the first 4 years of sobriety. At the other extreme I know af an NA member who had significant surgery without painkillers. Can you imagine that? Then there is the marjuana maintenance programme which again involves regular use to the extent it is clearly a substitute for alcohol.

As well there are those on prescribed medication who are unable to handle life without it. Then there is me, a smoker till about 10 years ago. I am convinced that smoking was much more than a chemical addiction by the way. Last night I ate most of a packet of chocolate biscuits which I guess an OA would consider a relapse.
Its not a black and white issue, perhaps common sense has a role here.

wow04

I think this is up to the individual. How do you feel about it? Do you feel you were addicted the pain killers? Maybe that is where you need to start.

I know for me drinking and drugging go hand in hand. If I do one I have to change my date. I attend AA and NA, so maybe that is why I feel the way I do. I use AA to talk about alcohol and NA to talk about drugs.

FredG

I beg to differ, on the AA being about Alcohol and Alcohol only point heath.

Heroin, cocaine, perscription meds, oxy, ethanol, alcohol - ALL drugs, all mood / mind altering, some if taken to excess, and some if taken at all, deadly to an alcoholic.

That being said only the person in sobriety can tell whether they've honestly crossed the line. If I take 2 Tylenol with Codiene for a headache, that to me is OK, If I take 5 because it makes me feel good, different story.

KnowHope

How could I consider myself sober if I were high on drugs? If I broke my sobriety, I don't know how I'd have an intact sobriety date...

jimmy1

ask your sponser

Mo S

i agree with everyone- there is no need to change your sobriety date....you didnt drink. Some sponsors can be very controling tho they mean well. Billl Wilson took LSD to heighten his spiritual program- no one called that a relapse; look it up in the green book Pass It On.

KeepSimple

Everything is only suggested. Its your program.
My experience with "slips" after I finally put together some continuous sobriety:
I took a Valium I found at 8 months sober ("I couldn't sleep...") and my sponsor at the time strongly suggested I change my sobriety date so I did, unhappily because I really didn't want to have to announce as a newcomer at the time and it was only A Valium... It was a good lesson in willingness and humility for me at the time, and honesty. I really actually needed it.
At six years sober I had a migraine headache for two days and took a pill left over from my significant others surgury (without even a second thought-a bit scary, in retrospect)... My justification when telling on myself the next day to my sponsor: I only took one. There was, like, 15 left over!!! I only took one. (They were immediately disposed of after this "incident", BTW.) I really wasn't willing to go spiraling down in my head over it because this is no good for me. My current sponsor asked me how I wanted to handle it. What was going on in my head about it? Was I obsessing? Was I being honest with myself as to why I took it? (Would a "Normie" have done the same thing? I am an alcoholic and, in MY case, I consider drugs alcohol in disguise.) She told me she thought it didn't take away from the recovery I had... but it was very important to check myself and my motives and stay honest.
In the end, she suggested I try to find other AA's who have had similar experience and hear what they had to say, and left it up to me to decide what I needed to do (very unlike my previous sponsor, who, when "Stongly suggested" things, often reminded me people die of this dis-ease all the time...and who was wonderful).
I didn't change my date, and its not a big deal for me. Ive got well over 7 years now and those have been my slips. But I don't know what works for you. Thinking about it now, I don't think it really would have hurt me to change my date this second time... But I'm not sure how it would have served me or anyone else, either... I don't know. We all only really have today anyway. Be true to you. HOW. Sobriety #1 priority.

In and through, and let go

THEOjibway

So what? That just means you can have another addiction. it means your truly not sober? I knew someone who was sober for a few months from alcohol but then he got into weed, his sponsor said it was true for him to change his sobriety date because he was not SOBER.

But it's clearly up to you OP.

Your sponsor can only give advice not tell you what you have to do. Your choice but it still means you weren't sober because you were overusing meds. trading one addiction for another.