is it ok to play russian roulette? playing with fire is going to bring a burn someplace.....my two cent answer

That's a good one. A lot of people tend to "transfer their addiction" when they quit one thing.

Take away that primary addiction, and often (not always of course) there is another one that pops up. Food, sex, work, gambling, debting, gym...popular ones.

I know a couple of alcoholics who went back out after starting up on pain killers. It could possibly go the other way...but I have no experience to back me up on that.

I have no idea.

I had a friend who was addicted to heroin when she was in her late teens. She kicked it and is able to drink socially.

I can't drink, but I've never had a problem with abuse of pain killers.

Of course these are just anecdotal -- I don't know what it would be like for the person in question. I suspect there might be a greater risk for abuse if you have already had an addiction to another mind altering substance.

NO. Please go to an NA meeting or ALANON and see what they say. Ask anyone who works in the field of addiction.
Mind altering substances, of any kind, with exceptions for those prescribed and *taken* as prescribed are to be avoided by addicts/ alcoholics.

For me personally I can't be sober, smoking pot or taking any other such drugs. And I've never been addicted to anything *but* alcohol.

Thanks for posting this in here bobinmaine. I was just about to post it when I seen you did.

I am the one who posted this and just wanted to see what people thought. I am new to this and was/still am confused about it. I have been to al anon. I don't know just having a hard time understanding this.

I guess I just really need to sit down and talk about my concerns with my husband.

Thanks for all your thoughts

I've met many who have been addicted to one mind altering substance but not others. And many more who have gone from one substance to another. Has he ever had a problem with drinking in the past? If not, he might be fine. But he could also find alcohol replaces his past opiate addiction and that wouldn't be good yeah because it sounds like he's put in a lot of effort to get to 6 months. That's fantastic and perhaps not worth the risk of a few drinks. Sitting down and talking with him sounds like the way to go. Let us know how you go.

From my exp. being around this situation when one changes from there primary problem to something else unless they find recovery first people usually find there way back to the primary preference of add on another addiction.

Curious what is PDA?

I dunno realy.i know ex hetoin addicts who still drink but aint alki.i dont understand quite how that works but id think eventually tbe booze wud get out of hand...

I think there is a switch we turn on in our brains when we become addicted to a mind altering chemical. Then-when another enters we may not initially feel a craving, but we are more susceptable to abuse and addiction across the board. I was an alcoholic for years, took pain pills off and on and never even thought twice about abusing them. Then, for some reason, it clicked that I wanted more.

I just think it is, like someone else mentioned, playing with fire. Once those centers in our brain are reactivated, we are headed down a path which we may not even be consciously aware of.

That said-booze makes our inhibitions low. So even if he were not to abuse it, he may slip and take his drug of choice because his defense are down. Happens ALL the time-drinking leads to relapse of a drug addict.

I wasn't a drug addict. I used drugs in order to stay awake longer to drink. I'm sober today so chances are, I won't get addicted to another substance.

If not for the alcohol, I would not have chosen to use any drugs. They just didn't do for me what the vodka did.

Since I am well versed in alcohol and NOT in addiction issues, I can't help you out on that one Bob. Sorry.

NEVER.....if you're addicted to one substance you potentially are addicted to all. It's the addiction attempting to switch you to another substance to find relief. My answer is "no" alcohol weakens your ability to make good choices and if he were to run into someone he could get pills from he would be off and running again. Lots of addicts switch addictions because they say they never had a problem with one or the other......da, so lets try this one and see what happens. Trust me it's not worth it.

Ali

12 yrs ago I came too understand I was an alcohoic, and I will over use anything that takes me away from all things real.

For gym, PDA is Prescription drug abuse group.

I never abused alcohol for 20 years, stress from job and marital problems triggered a drug addiction. I stopped drugs and thought I could handle alcohol but quickly found that not to be the case because life got much worse instead of better.

I knew I needed help at that point and went through treatment, but that's basicly what I did, was swap one addiction for another.

It happens alot like someone else mentioned, either sex, food, gambling, or any other vice. It seems we addicts feel like we need a chemical crutch instead of the support from one another to help us get over the bumps in the road of life.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this post and I hope the lady will give us an update in the future. I'm sure we are all curious to see which way he goes.

God Bless!

I agree with serenityali, if you have an addiction to one substance you may be addicted to another....or many more. Look at drug addicts, there are several that become addicted to the drugs used to treat their addiction.
I have never had the desire to use drugs but that could be because I know that I have an addiction problem and do not want to add to the list of substances that I abuse.
not a good idea to risk it.