Alcohol

[ashley6]

I'm just looking for some insight for all of you in recovery. I still see my counselor once every two weeks, and she is just pretty against me drinking in recovery. She says it doesn't mean I'll be an alcoholic, I just need to be careful. I have friends who are a part of AA and who say you aren't sober unless you're free from all substances...not in a judgmental way, just when I ask about it. I have a difficult time because I feel like having a few here and there could be bad for me. For me, I know I'm an adderall/ stimulant addict, and that will never change. With that being said, I have a couple drinks, and I'm done. I just have a sense of guilt sometimes when I do, I guess because of what I hear from others. What are your opinions on this? I know I've had this discussion on here before, but I don't remember where it is

[sky]

we're not necessarily in AA or NA, and those people might feel it's best for them to remain completely substance free... if alcohol isn't an issue for you, ie. you can have alcohol in the house and not feel it call to you, you can have a few and be done, you don't drink daily or to escape or to drown your sorrows, etc. then I think it's perfectly fine. It's not fine if you feel bad about it or feel like it's somehow messing up your life and getting in the way of your achievements. We may all have our own demons besides adderall- for me it cigs and weed. Those two I think get in the way of me living the life I want to lead. I fell off the wagon recently too and have been smoking again and smoking the teeny little bit of weed I have and I hate it! but alcohol I can take or leave- and I too like having a beer or two if I feel like it, and the three don't go hand in hand necessarily. So while some might think cigs are ok and feel no guilt smoking them, for me they're no good and I hate that I am smoking again, and I keep taking my packs and putting them under the faucet and throwing them away, and then the next night going to the gas station and buying another pack.... and I hate it! So that's where the problem lies. The guilt and depression that I feel. That's worse than the actual smoking. Same with drinking- if you don't feel bad and it isn't a problem, then it's not a problem.

[quit-once]

"....free from all substances..." could lead to a pretty heavy guilt trip for just about everybody if we take it litterally. Not to get all lawyer-esque but how one person defines a substance is vastly different from another's definition of that term. I come from a culture that defines coffee as a "substance".

Responsible use does not equal abuse or addiction.

If you have had issues with alcohol in your past then you should not be drinking. I enjoy an alcohol buzz every now and then, and I have developed a liking for a glass of wine with a meal, sometimes. I got a DUI 30 years ago and there have been times when I was drinking daily, but not getting drunk. I have never felt like i HAD to quit drinking. Bottom line is that I am aware of my alcohol vulnerability and I must be very careful not to over consume in quantity or frequency. Is there such a term as "mindful drinking"? No, that sounds like an oxymoron.

Like you, Ashley, I am a stimulant addict who does not have the option of using them ever again because I know it will lead to a full blown relapse. But unless that line into addiction has been crossed with any given substance, then all options are still on the table. I have a caffeine addiction, but it is one I can live with because, so far, coffee and redbull have not ruined my life. I also have a weed addiction (but not a daily habit) that I am still coming to terms with as well.

[Cassie]

By that logic you should feel guilty about taking klonopin too, because that's also a mind altering substance that people can get addicted to. Do you? If not, I don't see why you would feel guilty for being an occasional social drinker. My husband and I each have a beer or glass of wine when we get home from work. One drink a day actually has health benefits. I don't feel guilty about having a beer or two because I don't have a problem with alcohol. I don't have a problem with alcohol because I don't like getting drunk and having hangovers.It's as simple as that.

[Cat]

You would know if you had a drinking problem, just like you knew when your adderall use crossed over into addiction. If you are just having few drinks here and there, or even a glass of wine every day, and it's not dictating your behavior or affecting other areas of your life, there's no problem. The rest is just semantics. Is your ultimate goal to be "sober" in the purest sense of the word, or to be free and recovered from your stimulant addiction? I guess if you are worried about making compromised decisions about taking adderall because you've had too much to drink, that would be a reason to consider not drinking.

[Krax]

I agree with the responsive posts. For me, I never had a problem with alcohal until I was using Ritalin at which time I craved it to come down off the stimulant, and could drink alot more then I could before. Now, as before I took ritalin, if I drink a beer or two I just get sleepy and am done with it. I might have the desire but not the craving, which is very different.

[ashley6]

Great responses from all of you. This guilt has been weighing heavy on me, and I feel relieved hearing from all of you. I think I worry too much about what others define as recovery. This is my recovery, and if I ever thought it was risking my adderall recovery, I wouldn't drink, but I just, like a lot of you can't even compare the 2. Cassie, good point on the klonopin. Thank you all for great insight!

[BeHereNow]

I really like everyone's responses!

Ashley it doesn't sound like you have a drinking problem. If you are capable of having just a couple drinks then being done, and you're not binge drinking, I think you are probably fine. (One of the characteristics of alcoholism is loss of control, so that a couple drinks just gets you started).

"According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [NIAAA], men may be at risk for alcohol-related problems if their alcohol consumption exceeds 14 standard drinks per week or 4 drinks per day, and women may be at risk if they have more than 7 standard drinks per week or 3 drinks per day."

https://en.wikipedia...wiki/Alcoholism

For people with addictive personalities, I think there is a higher risk of losing control when it comes to substances and that's probably why some people go for full sobriety. It's pretty common to switch out one addiction for another (I hear that massive coffee consumption is pretty common among recovering alcoholics, for example.)

We can control it somewhat and pick and choose. But most people who have battled addiction have addiction-prone personalities. I know I have one, so for me, even though I can pick and choose, I know I need to be more careful than other people around me.

I think it depends on your life goals. What kind of life do you want to live? Do you want the kind of sobriety that doesn't include any substances whatsoever? Or are you OK with light and controlled substance use? Its 100% up to you.

I will add: I drink the way you do, carefully, socially, not daily, have a couple then stop. But I recently quit drinking entirely for around 5 weeks. It was finals time and without adderall, I figured I needed every last little bit of mental power I had. I am AMAZED by the mental clarity and energy!! After a few days alcohol-free, I was feeling sharp and able to focus in a way I hadn't since before adderall. I was running 3-4x a week and working hard and had almost endless amounts of energy. Better than any supplement! I wasn't ready to do that earlier in my recovery, but it was good for me at this time and I'll probably keep it up. After this, I think that not drinking is probably helpful during adderall recovery.

[lea]

This topic is very timely for me right now because I have been in a somewhat transitional state (moving) and going out for drinks after work with "the boys" pretty much every night for the past month and a half. This has always been an option and always will be but usually something I only do on holidays and special occasions. I find myself doing it lately just to distract myself from the stress of moving which is pretty stressful for a shitload of reasons. I've never been into drinking and only drink beer or wine. Usually when we go out I have 2 or 3 glasses of wine but for me that's a lot, especially every night. It definitely affects my mood the next day making me very depressed and low energy. Every day I say I'm going to stop but every day as work winds down I start thinking about having a glass of wine and now the guys are always including me in "the plans" as if it's a given.

I've tried to just have one glass of wine but I always want more. I know I need to stop and never, EVER thought I would be saying this about freakin' wine ... So the idea of cutting it out all-together (along with supplements which I've already stopped taking) and throwing running into the mix sounds amazing. Mental clarity is all I want! I wish I would get addicted to running...

[BeHereNow]

It definitely affects my mood the next day making me very depressed and low energy.

... So the idea of cutting it out all-together (along with supplements which I've already stopped taking) and throwing running into the mix sounds amazing. Mental clarity is all I want! I wish I would get addicted to running...

Me too Lea, about the mood thing. That's part of why I took that break. It made a HUGE difference in my sense of well being! Improved my sleep quality, motivation levels, sense of well being-- seriously, everything (haha except my social life.) I was shocked that a little moderate drinking could have such a major impact....

p.s. and btw you totally CAN cultivate a running addiction! Just try it a little! All the cool kids are doing it!

[FALCON]

ashley6

Its OK baby you have are permission to have a couple of drinks social drinking and getting fucked up drunk are two deference things . I still enjoy my two jack Daniels

at the club on Saturday night. Every thing in moderation is the key have fun your not dead yet.

FALCON

[LILTEX41]

Ashley, girl don't even front on this! I've been around enough alcoholics/addicts in my life to know one as I'm one. You are not one of us! Be HAPPY and REJOICE. I get rather nervous even thinking about the idea of drinking again. I would LOVE to drink again, but I don't trust myself that I could control it. I just fear I'd fall back into all my old habits and ruin all the progress I've made. Anyhow, the fact that you're questioning it is a great thing though. You're doing great!

[Motivation_Follows_Action]

I'm going to sound like a broken record, but you and your doc should be more worried about the smoking than the alcohol or klonopin. Only one of those three things will kill you.

Now do you feel guilty enough to quit? I hope so - that was the intention.

[Krax]

Very true

[ashley6]

MFA,

That's true, and you're right. To be honest with you, I don't know how I will give up smoking. Smoking kills, ages you and is just plain gross. I'd like to give the ecig a shot.

[Cassie]

MFA,

That's true, and you're right. To be honest with you, I don't know how I will give up smoking. Smoking kills, ages you and is just plain gross. I'd like to give the ecig a shot.

My husband quit with the patch. He is a big proponent of that method. I have another friend who used Chantix. He said it gave him weird dreams but that he didn't want to smoke at all while taking it.

[Krax]

Ashley have you tried wellbutrin

[Motivation_Follows_Action]

Yep, Wellbutrin made me quit smoking. Just lost the desire. Hardly even noticed I missed it.

[ldmcniel]

I don't think the alcohol should be a problem, if you are not using it to dull your emotions. I think I mentioned before that I have never been addicted to any other substance before Adderall. I was addicted to the feeling "normal", only that is NOT my normal. I see a lot of people saying Adderall made them smoke more. I never had the urge to smoke while on it. I actually quit smoking years ago cold turkey and it wasn't hard. I don't drink, or do any other drugs besides my prescription Xanax, Lexapro and Wellbutrin. I guess my point is, if you don't have an addictive personality, drinking should be fine. Sorry for the rambling, my ADHD is back in full force since quitting Adderall. I don't mind though, it's better then the boring Zombie person. Normal people don't act like emotionless zombies do they? .

[mrobz]

I can relate, the entire time I was clean in NA, I wasn't supposed to drink and really didn't often. But, I am in college and that was very hard sometimes, so I would only have 3/4 but I am 225 lbs...I guess it's more of a habitual thing, don't make it a habit and it won't become a problem.

[mrobz]

Yeah the smoking I am glad I quit..and adderall makes you want to smoke one every 2 minutes I know the feeling.

[Greg]

I wonder about this too. But I still drink because part of me thinks the alcohol and adderall are such opposite feelings and I'm just not addicted to the alcohol feeling. I am much more concerned about the over the counter stimulants than alcohol. I still drink when I want to drink. I don't feel it's a big deal. I do feel more guilty about the red bulls and pre workout stuff...in my mind I have always justified it as the adderall addict is a little different than the NA or AA addict, and so alcohol is okay for me. But yeah, I understand why the concern, it is a very hard set, non negotiable rule in NA that if I remember correctly is reinforced in every meeting.

[quit-once]

Alcoholics in general tend to be hard-set, non-negotiable people so I can see why they take this approach. I think that as long as a substance is not a regulated, scheduled DRUG it is OK to consume. As my recovery has progressed, I find I need that extra boost less and less with more time away from adderall. In the beginning I was taking a GNC supplement with loads of caffeine and carnitine as an adderall replacement, in addition to 5 hour energy and coffee and iced tea. It satisified my pill-popping craving and helped to wean me away from the habit of taking a pill every few hours. Many, many people go through their entire lives addicted to caffeine and it does not seem to harm them unless they have another aggrevating medical condition- like high blood pressure.