The phenomenon of just switching addictions

[Opi_Kid_Rock]

Dear BL Forum,

It happens that whenever I “quit”a particular substance, I just replace it with another. Off opiates, switched to smoking cigarettes. Quit cigarettes and opiates, switched to beer and vaping. What is up with me having a problem being completely sober? I guess the best way I can describe it is that I feel uncomfortable in my own skin. Why? Will this behaviour go away?

 

[Anonymous Dissident]

Dear BL Forum,

It happens that whenever I “quit”a particular substance, I just replace it with another. Off opiates, switched to smoking cigarettes. Quit cigarettes and opiates, switched to beer and vaping. What is up with me having a problem being completely sober? I guess the best way I can describe it is that I feel uncomfortable in my own skin. Why? Will this behaviour go away?

It sounds like some kind of mental disorder is at play. I have PTSD and GAD related to childhood trauma, and I'm more than familiar with the "uncomfortable in my own skin" phenomenon. My anxiety is likely a lifelong problem, but the discomfort with yourself doesn't necessarily have to be. I had to change the way I perceived myself in the context of the aforementioned childhood trauma. This was accomplished with CBT and meditation, though a remarkably challenging but incredible allylescaline trip was the penultimate catalyst for the change in self perception.

Don't expect a psychedelic trip to be a short cut, however, I feel like the years of CBT and meditation was laying the groundwork for the seismic shift in how I perceived myself, changing my viewing myself as a shameful victim to perceiving myself as a tough survivor. That change made all the difference in the world for me. I still have the anxiety, but I now understand that instead of giving up and letting my abuser get the best of me and just giving in, I fought, struggled, and finally succeeded in escaping the hell of shame instead of succumbing to discomfort and despair.

Do you have some kind of underlying mental health issues? It seems worth looking into at a minimum...

Edit: If that's the case and you're not comfortable discussing it publicly, feel free to pm me

 

[xxfreak187xx]

It seems like the perfect example of an addict and I don't mean that to disparage you as I'am the same and noticed this about myself a while back. Idk if the same applies for you but the "uncomfortable in my own skin" feeling for me is mainly due to the length of time and consistant use of mood altering substances which has caused sober living to be not the norm, for a long time I literally did not know how to live sober and when I was first made to be it was like I had to find something to be addicted to (non substance related). Again I don't know if that applies or makes sense for you'r situation.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I had solid sequential addictions to weed, alcohol, smoking, MDMA and benzos and really identified as having an “addictive personality” thanks to too much AA at too young an age.

However after I was prescribed small doses of dexamfetamine I instantly stopped abusing all those other substances - things like weed and alcohol even seemed repugnant to me and I could not stand the thought of consuming them. I only took the minimal dose of benzos required in emergencies even when I had unlimited supply.

Now I only struggle with meth and have no desire to touch any of the other intoxicants that I was earlier addicted to. I can’t explain it but my psych says it is a common pattern for ADD people. Their medication kills drug-lust and fiending for most things - even coffee.



How

 

[NYCityguy]

Throughout my 38 plus years of using recreational drugs I also switched and used a new drug to get off a drug I was stuck on! started with Pot then went to alcohol briefly I found lsd and ran with that for a while I used pot to slow down my lsd use then I ran into opiates which lasted for a while. I wound up using cocaine to get of opiates then I started to cook my cocaine which is freebase or harder than crack. That was a bitch I used meth to get off crack.
I don’t smoke weed or drink or take opiates or do coke anymore. I binge with meth and my true love is lsd

 

[bongdong]

It happens that whenever I “quit”a particular substance, I just replace it with another. Off opiates, switched to smoking cigarettes. Quit cigarettes and opiates, switched to beer and vaping. What is up with me having a problem being completely sober? I guess the best way I can describe it is that I feel uncomfortable in my own skin. Why? Will this behaviour go away?

Sure, one can have a problem with being completly sober. And yes, there is also a chance that it will not go away, unless one addresses the underlying issue, either by resolving it or changing the view on it etc.

I have seen this (substance/addiction substitution) with myself respectively done this too. Well, it's still happening. I know now that my stress levels were rather high since childhood (trauma, abuse, ..), but that's the deceptive thing about youth. The body/mind can navigate almost anything, at least i looks that way from the outside, ..therefore nobody gives a shit. I payed the price later on with chronic illness and after a complete breakdown (involving other life events) i turned to substances to survive, literally. That was my introduction to more 'classic' addiction issues, but looking back, i was heavily compensating before too, only with more healthy coping mechanisms and i was not really aware that there were serious unconscious problems. Now i know more or less what's up, but that alone doesn't change much. I have done a lot to change things, but without much success. So i'm still trying to figure out how to deal with all this, outcome uncertain..

If you don't want to continue to be a slave of this pattern, i guess you will have to find out, understand and address the issues. There are certainly helpful options out there for some problems, but not for others (it seems).

All the best..

 

[Jabberwocky]

It happens that whenever I “quit”a particular substance, I just replace it with another. Off opiates, switched to smoking cigarettes. Quit cigarettes and opiates, switched to beer and vaping. What is up with me having a problem being completely sober? I guess the best way I can describe it is that I feel uncomfortable in my own skin. Why? Will this behaviour go away?

I go through the same exact thing. Sometimes I don't even care if it's an upper, downer or all-arounder (or any combination thereof)... just so long as it makes me feel like anything other than "me".

I struggle with depression, anxiety and OCD. Antidepressants help to a degree but there's no wonder drug, so the urge to self-medicate is strong when I'm having a bad day. I know it's a cliché, but it helps to keep myself busy with things like hobbies and exercise. Hope you feel better.

Peace, Love and Faith,
Dreamflyer