Alcoholism Support Group
Alcoholism is the continued consumption of alcoholic beverages, even when it is negatively affecting your health, work, relationships and life. If you think alcohol is causing you to lose control, it's time to seek help. Our group is a safe place to vent, check in, get back up if you fall, and reach sobriety.
I am not looking for someone to tell me what to do. I want to know if you have any related experience or feedback. Thank you.
Well I went to a newer AA meeting for me last night. I have this thing that happened near New Years. I took medicine that contained alchohol. I have 3 years clean and sober. Instead of spitting it out I took it as prescribed, 2 teaspoons 3 times a day for a week. It had 18% alcohol. Any questioning that I am alcholic was really tested because I had cravings and using dreams like mad. Anyway I thought a lot about changing my sobriey date because of it, but I didn't, because I was taking medicine not a drink. So I still feel like a fraud for claiming 3 years sober because damnit, I had alcohol in my system medicinally. So I shared about that. It is so hard for me. I wish I spit the stuff out, I thought I could handle it. I am seeing though I consciously took it for the medicine I knew it contained alcohol and I continued to take it, but not for the effects of the alcohol, for the herbs prescribed. Damn. I am still struggling with this. If I changed my sobriety date to reflect this I feel like that is not honest, if I don't change date I feel like that is not honest. I know it's an individual thing. I know some people who are in AA have probably taken Nyquil and not changed their sobriety date, it is a similar thing. I didn't realize this medicine had alcohol until I took it, and I convinced myself it was ok, but part of me thought I should change my date because I swallowed it. Part of me thinks to change my date would mean I was ingesting a drink, and I wasnt. SIGH.
Well I went to a newer AA meeting for me last night. I have this thing that happened near New Years. I took medicine that contained alchohol. I have 3 years clean and sober. Instead of spitting it out I took it as prescribed, 2 teaspoons 3 times a day for a week. It had 18% alcohol. Any questioning that I am alcholic was really tested because I had cravings and using dreams like mad. Anyway I thought a lot about changing my sobriey date because of it, but I didn't, because I was taking medicine not a drink. So I still feel like a fraud for claiming 3 years sober because damnit, I had alcohol in my system medicinally. So I shared about that. It is so hard for me. I wish I spit the stuff out, I thought I could handle it. I am seeing though I consciously took it for the medicine I knew it contained alcohol and I continued to take it, but not for the effects of the alcohol, for the herbs prescribed. Damn. I am still struggling with this. If I changed my sobriety date to reflect this I feel like that is not honest, if I don't change date I feel like that is not honest. I know it's an individual thing. I know some people who are in AA have probably taken Nyquil and not changed their sobriety date, it is a similar thing. I didn't realize this medicine had alcohol until I took it, and I convinced myself it was ok, but part of me thought I should change my date because I swallowed it. Part of me thinks to change my date would mean I was ingesting a drink, and I wasnt. SIGH.
THAT'S what I MEANT!
Why would one consider themselves not SOBER just because they need medications that are NOT being ABUSED!
Thank you! :)
Mt sponsor had to kindly let me know that I wasn't going to be the king of sobriety.
I still beg to differ on that one,,,sincerely LMAO
You are a king and you HAVE to believe that!!!!!!!
I live to help others as I sure can't figure out how to help myself!
WHO knows?
All I know is I spent $100.00 bucks for him to tell me to just "live with it" which I would LOVE to if I only KNEW HOW TO, DUH!
I, too, am insurance-less and it took me 1 YEAR to get my butt in for help cause I'm a cheap skate and he wouldn't even help me OR tell me WHY he wouldn't/couldn't and I'm NOT in the MOOD to Dr. shop.
I FEEL your pain!!!!
All other aspects of my life (apart from clinical depression) I deal with using a spiritual program.
I wouldnt like to give the message that it is ok to take medication because life is not going great.
Sorry if my post was difficult for you Devon, maybe I should have been more sensitive about what I wrote. I guess I am one of the "lucky" ones in that it was alcohol which bought me to the mental hospital and near death, other stuff was a small part of my story. I seem to be ok with the medication but that doesnt mean that my experience means it is ok for other people. We all need to do what is right for us.
I've always avoided Nyquil because of the alcohol content, but I find Robitussin to work just fine.
There were at least 2 occasions where I accidentally sipped my mother's juice and got an unpleasant surprise. I still have my sobriety date because I did not intentionally drink alcohol for a buzz. When I did that I called some AA friends and told on the disease. If I kept it to myself I'd be in a dangerous place...kinda like you're describing.
Alcoholism is a disease that centers in the mind. What you did was no different then the guy in the Big Book that asked for a milk with a shot in it. His reasoning was he was sober because it was in a glass of milk.
That is the mental part of this disease that scares me. I can lie to myself and justify a drink. DENIAL- "Don't even know I am lying".
For me and just for me I can't take a drink, a drug or a substitute ever again. If I do then I have relapsed.
I would grab a white chip and start fresh. There are a million and one excuses why I could get away with it. I need to be rigorously honest or I will drink again.
Doing my 5th step I saw that I had been lying to myself all my life. I had to get honest with me.
To thy own self be true!
You know I never thought I would ingest a medicine with alchohol. I think as soon as it entered my lips, that old denial slipped in that I could probably handle it.
I want to thank you all for the sensitivity because I do feel very vulnerable bringing this up for discussion. It has been hard for me. I don't like being told what to do which is why I said that is not what I was looking for, and thanks to those who shared experience, strength and hope instead of telling me what they think I should do.