Hey I just got sober again recently and have been going to meetings, but I’m having a tough time with it. I was wondering if any of you have experienced longterm sobriety w/o a 12 step support group and would like to tell me about it. Just to clarify, I don’t mean that you haven’t done dope for a month, but you smoke weed and drink all the time. Or that your abstaining from drugs atm, but your miserable all the time. I guess I’m looking for someone who did hard drugs, i.e. meth, heroin, or crack, AND has been sober at least a year, and feels like they live a somewhat fulfilling life (at least most of the time, no one is perfect). I would love to here a little bit about what that looks like for you.
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H&R Moderators: streaM Freak
Anyone have experience w/ longterm sobriety without AA/NA??
- Thread starter Zapgunn
- Start date
w0w0mg
Bluelighter
I asked the same question in another thread -
The feed back I got was: YES. It is in fact possible.
I think some people need more of a "crutch" than others when it comes to staying sober.
I am not into NA/AA meetings due to some of my social anxiety issues.
I think it is possible - I was sober 11 months without any sort of 12 Step meetings.
But to each is own - Some people can do it, some people can not.
Cheers mate.
The feed back I got was: YES. It is in fact possible.
I think some people need more of a "crutch" than others when it comes to staying sober.
I am not into NA/AA meetings due to some of my social anxiety issues.
I think it is possible - I was sober 11 months without any sort of 12 Step meetings.
But to each is own - Some people can do it, some people can not.
Cheers mate.
THECATINTHEHAT
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2005
- Messages
- 8,186
I was an IV crack and heroin user. Not at a year yet but I'm at 9 months clean of benzos/crack/smack. I have a drink (literally one or two) a couple of times a month and I'll smoke a joint if it's around but it's not regular (I would actually like to sample cannabis a little more than I do). I have a good job that I'm just about to be promoted in, a successful relationship, and I would say I'm about as happy and self assured as I've ever been. Things aren't perfect but I'm very happy with the way things are going at the moment and more than anything else it isn't a painful experience being drug free it's enjoyable.
What was it?
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2010
- Messages
- 581
I've heard of people do it solo or with SMART recovery. You could google and see if you've got SMART meetings in your area. Science-driven and relaxed atmoshpere.
Did you/do you do anything to get sober/stay sober? Therapy, support group, or medication? Or did you just decide to quit one day and than everything went back to normal? Just curious...
CfZrx
Bluelighter
I try new things. Getting clean it was therapist and meetings. Then it was exercise. Then work. Next school. Always keep pushing deeper into meditation and yoga imho
Captain.Heroin
Bluelight Crew
I haven't used heroin, cocaine/crack, meth, or any other hard drugs for over 1 year. I don't go to NA/AA etc.
Word. I’m new to posting on BL, but have been lurking for quite some time and have enjoyed many of your posts. I’d love to here how you did it! If you’ve already explained it before in previous threads, you should link me to one.
Also, on a completely unrelated note, I love a lot of the noise and drone music you talk about in threads
Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
I had a friend who abused a number of stuff, weed, pills, alcohol. He gave up cold turkey but still continues to smoke cigarettes and consumes too many energy drinks. I guess everyone needs a vice.
As for me I booze too much....Still need to work on that.
As for me I booze too much....Still need to work on that.
I know I usually reference benzos and booze on this site, but when I was a teenager I abused pain pills pretty hard for a while - primarily oxy, Percocet, and hydrocodone. I would throw stadol into the mix whenever I could get my hands on it. Went on to other drugs as well (weed, coke) and ended my run with benzos and booze. I have now been sober for two years, and don't go to the meetings. I have a few friends that used to do heroin, and they did Smart Recovery and have been sober for several years.
I think if you are able to address the underlying issues that motivate you to use you have a much greater chance for sobriety and happiness - imo. My axiety coupled with OCD and lack of self confidence drive me to use. Once I started addressing those issues the compulsion to get high/drunk started going away. Today, life isn't perfect but it's better than it was. I'm also more equipped to deal with it and have "appropriate" reactions to stress in lieu of getting blackout drunk or ODing when something doesn't go my way lol.
I think if you are able to address the underlying issues that motivate you to use you have a much greater chance for sobriety and happiness - imo. My axiety coupled with OCD and lack of self confidence drive me to use. Once I started addressing those issues the compulsion to get high/drunk started going away. Today, life isn't perfect but it's better than it was. I'm also more equipped to deal with it and have "appropriate" reactions to stress in lieu of getting blackout drunk or ODing when something doesn't go my way lol.
szuko000
Bluelight Crew
Same, sans the meth cant stop something you've never done! I think groups are great for those who draw strength from others and it gives people connection and a place to "report into" for some of us that alone will keep us clean. For myself personally, I absolutely love myself and who I am, i dont really gain a benefit from interacting with others in regards to my treatment other then trying to give them strength through my stories. I think there is a subset of people who possess enough "internal locus of control" that gain almost 0 benefit from groups. The methadone clinic I go to has mandatory groups each month to get medicated, i choose the acupuncture and mediation ones because those benefit me the most as I get a chance to try to clear my mind with no distractions, something i love doing.
So yes it is possible but you must understand who you are and how you get strength. We are all different and the idea that an addict NEEDS outside help is a dated idea. I personally would have resented the clinic if they mandated me to do things i didnt want to do. I need full control of my recovery because no one can do my life like i do, i am 100% unique and thus can not adhere to normal ideas... at least thats what i said to my counselor and I will be off on 03/08/16 as thats when my dose goes to 3mg on my taper
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WantToBeFree72
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2015
- Messages
- 30
I know it's not much but I'm 83 days sober without the use of na or aa. For me telling my family, friends and doctor was a turning point. Addiction is so lonely, as I'm sure a lot of us know. Not saying it's been a breeze but creating that support system in people I already know really helped and makes me feel more accountable. This forum was amazing during acute withdrawals and when I have cravings. If you really really want to quit and are completely ready it can totally done.
szuko000
Bluelight Crew
I honestly view this place as my form of NA/AA because the whole point of communities like that is "strength through shared experiences" and that is exactly what i do here. I like trying to help people and both my g/f and myself managed to get up to 90mg of methadone and down (she off for 30 days tomorrow, myself at 16mg going down) in 11 and 16 months respectively.
We never did a group that wasnt mandated and we only did the meditation and acupuncture groups. The best thing i feel anyone can do for themselves is to accept that they do need help but more importantly that they need a "leg up" and not an elevator, that is to say we can all get clean ourselves if we have someone giving us a push but we need to do it ourselves to feel the victory of the climb. If you get to the top of Everest by a helicopter, you can get the view but you do not fully appreciate the scenery until you almost died on the climb. Hell my g/f was told she couldnt taper because she "wasnt ready" but because they couldnt tell her no she kept requesting dosage adjustments until she was down to 3mg and they had an emergency meeting regarding her status.
I have been clean before but I was still very much in the hard drug live style and my g/f was a daily IV user even when i was clean for a year (off subs) and I was smoking crack. Only upon my relapse did the lessons and life style change stick and become who i am. Its funny because I now know what someone who fully accepted sobriety looks like, i can see a definite tangible and probably measurable, in some regard, changes in both her and myself. Like looking at myself 1.5 years ago when i was "clean" and off dope I had not accepted that as my new life. I want to believe my younger brother, who just did a year bid in a super max, finally accepted his sobriety too. Hes grown up a lot and changed a lot but it seems more superficial to me somehow. Like hes almost there hes done everything but there is a piece missing to make him fully accepting of it probably comes with full assimilation, hes only 2 weeks out. He feels he needs meeting to keep his sobriety and I will undoubtedly attend them with him as I have no problem with them I just get all of my "meetings" here, through reading and sharing experiences.
In short I think it depends on who you are and how social you are. I am an introvert and get a lot of social stimulation from doing this (posting) even if no one reads it i get the benefit of saying it. Some people need to do that in front of others I dont. Its like my meditating, i can sit there and organize my thoughts for hours all by myself, others need to run those by people or do a discussion, I have gotten use to talking to myself so thats how I recover in a sense. Of course I still need a "leg up" from loved ones because otherwise i couldnt reach the goal but once i had it in my hands i wouldnt let it go
We never did a group that wasnt mandated and we only did the meditation and acupuncture groups. The best thing i feel anyone can do for themselves is to accept that they do need help but more importantly that they need a "leg up" and not an elevator, that is to say we can all get clean ourselves if we have someone giving us a push but we need to do it ourselves to feel the victory of the climb. If you get to the top of Everest by a helicopter, you can get the view but you do not fully appreciate the scenery until you almost died on the climb. Hell my g/f was told she couldnt taper because she "wasnt ready" but because they couldnt tell her no she kept requesting dosage adjustments until she was down to 3mg and they had an emergency meeting regarding her status.
I have been clean before but I was still very much in the hard drug live style and my g/f was a daily IV user even when i was clean for a year (off subs) and I was smoking crack. Only upon my relapse did the lessons and life style change stick and become who i am. Its funny because I now know what someone who fully accepted sobriety looks like, i can see a definite tangible and probably measurable, in some regard, changes in both her and myself. Like looking at myself 1.5 years ago when i was "clean" and off dope I had not accepted that as my new life. I want to believe my younger brother, who just did a year bid in a super max, finally accepted his sobriety too. Hes grown up a lot and changed a lot but it seems more superficial to me somehow. Like hes almost there hes done everything but there is a piece missing to make him fully accepting of it probably comes with full assimilation, hes only 2 weeks out. He feels he needs meeting to keep his sobriety and I will undoubtedly attend them with him as I have no problem with them I just get all of my "meetings" here, through reading and sharing experiences.
In short I think it depends on who you are and how social you are. I am an introvert and get a lot of social stimulation from doing this (posting) even if no one reads it i get the benefit of saying it. Some people need to do that in front of others I dont. Its like my meditating, i can sit there and organize my thoughts for hours all by myself, others need to run those by people or do a discussion, I have gotten use to talking to myself so thats how I recover in a sense. Of course I still need a "leg up" from loved ones because otherwise i couldnt reach the goal but once i had it in my hands i wouldnt let it go