Conflict: sobriety vs dope

[peterjones]

It seems to me many drug users want to quit using drugs - yet, they don't. They are caught between conflicting desires, where the one that is most effective at short-term mood repair comes out on top, i.e., drugs. I think this is because the conflict of interest is that sobriety is a long-term project, whereas drug use offers a short-term fix. The short term fix is cheaper than the long term project of sobriety.

Nobody falls in love with sobriety. But it is easy to fall in love with drugs, again and again and again. So if your sober for x days and then slip into doing drugs again, sobriety is over way easier than it took to get there and your back at ground zero.

From a cognitive perspective, I'm thinking that sobriety requires a massive overhaul of the system if your addicted. If someone is not addicted to anything, sobriety doesn't require much (if any) maintenance because nothing is wrong. However, if you are coming fresh off an addiction, sobriety requires a massive initial overhaul of the system because shit is broken. This is what makes it extremely hard to quit doing drugs.

In order to get over drugs, you need to first get through withdrawal, then perform regular maintenance to ensure that the system doesn't collapse back into drug use. Perhaps this is the biggest problem people encounter. Many people realize at some point, either by OD or death or whatever, that they have to stop. And they do, temporarily. But then get collapse back into drug use. Don't let that happen!

Anyways, I'm not sure how that is relevant to anyone - I hope it is to someone. I'm new to this board, trying to find support to kick my bad habits. I feel good that I will from all the posts I've read so far. Sorry if the language of explanation is a bit odd sounding, I'm a cognitive science student.

 

[lman_15]

I can only speak from my personal experience but recovery is a long road and takes a while. I personally didn't see results for 3-4 months after getting clean. Physically and mentally drained during that initial period and there weren't many big life changing events or anything phenomenal, like new amazing job, or all the wreckage of my past disappeared. But, between 4-7 months things have evolved and changed exponentially. I have a great job, I have my family, I have friends who actually care about me, I'm part of the AA program and a respected member in it, I have things like morals, values and philosophical views which I live my life by, I can be friends with someone and expect nothing in return, I no longer hustle, rip and rob, etc. But, it was for me a huge grind literarily white knuckling the shit out of my recovery for the first 3-4 months and beginning the steps, etc. but, for me once I got up to my 4th and 5th step I started seeing changes, doing my 9th more changes, now I'm through and my life is phenomenal. I personally feel like part of it is just white knuckling it till you find something that is supportive of your recovery (for me AA) and then getting heavily involved in that until changes come about.

Recovery is a life long endeavour and takes a long time and is a grind. Being 7 months sober is the biggest accomplishment of my life, but the pay offs for getting clean are endless. I think it really comes down to the thing most addicts/alcoholics struggle with delayed gratification, most people would rather get high now and worry about clean up the mess later, rather than grinding it out and fixing their life which can be incredibly difficult and have pay offs months down the road.

 

[GenericName12]

I agree that recovering from an addiction requires you to overhaul your brain and your life.

While in active addiction you are training your brain to react to every emotion with one solution, drugs. Learning how to cope, learning how to celebrate, learning how to deal with everyday life sober is the real challenge in having a healthy recovery. Anyone can abstain, whether it be for a few months or a few years, but until you reorient your brain and your life you will never be happy.

I also watched a documentary that talked about people who are more impulsive are more likely to be drug addicts, which makes perfect sense. Short term relief is what we seek rather than seeking a long term solution but it is difficult to find a long term solution.. Drugs are short term relief, whether they are your drug of choice or not, all mind altering substances are just short term relief.

I'm happy to be abstinent and on the road to recovery even though I have my fair share of bad fucking days.

 

[peterjones]

You guys seem to be really going strong - that is amazing! I hope all of us keep sober.

 

[itsALLfake]

People with higher IQ's are also more likely to become drug addicts or at least have experience with psychoactive compounds..

It's all about finding the balance between life and fun. Fun that you won't regret at least... And for me, the short-term fix ended up being about $80,000 in the course of 6months, so far I'm 8-months sober, and even with rehab expenses, I'm at about $40,000 staying sober. Getting sober is something that you have to want to do, not what you need to do. No matter how hard life gets while you're active if you don't truly want it, you won't get it.

 

[ad lib]

Getting sober is something that you have to want to do, not what you need to do. No matter how hard life gets while you're active if you don't truly want it, you won't get it.

I had to quote that because that statement is SO true...