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.
When I went through a 3 month relapse prevention group counseling, there was a young woman in her 20's who worked as a bar tender. She was convinced she could continue to do that line of work and not drink.
So one day, the counselors decided to do a little role \playing. We were her customers and we were buying her drinks and encouraging her to take a sip. She just couldn't handle the pressure. It was all she needed to know that she could no longer bar tend.
I bumped into her at an AA meeting and she was now waiting tables in a restaurant that did not serve alcohol. It was in a local tourist area near a lake. She was an avide pot smoker and she thought that was ok. She hadn't had a drink since before the group therapy and was quite proud of herself, yet she thought it was ok to smoke pot.
I thought about that and I was thinking nearly everyone in AA smokes cigarettes but maybe the difference is that pot is illegal although they are trying to pass a law in this state to legalize pot. It is already used for medical purposes after having been decriminalized. So it's probably just a matter of time.
The state is hard up for money anyway so I am sure they will be thinking of a new taxing source.
I was just wondering what your thoughts are on this and I miss Nemo for this question. Some who says they are sober, are they REALLY sober?
Comments please?
So one day, the counselors decided to do a little role \playing. We were her customers and we were buying her drinks and encouraging her to take a sip. She just couldn't handle the pressure. It was all she needed to know that she could no longer bar tend.
I bumped into her at an AA meeting and she was now waiting tables in a restaurant that did not serve alcohol. It was in a local tourist area near a lake. She was an avide pot smoker and she thought that was ok. She hadn't had a drink since before the group therapy and was quite proud of herself, yet she thought it was ok to smoke pot.
I thought about that and I was thinking nearly everyone in AA smokes cigarettes but maybe the difference is that pot is illegal although they are trying to pass a law in this state to legalize pot. It is already used for medical purposes after having been decriminalized. So it's probably just a matter of time.
The state is hard up for money anyway so I am sure they will be thinking of a new taxing source.
I was just wondering what your thoughts are on this and I miss Nemo for this question. Some who says they are sober, are they REALLY sober?
Comments please?
In some ways they are the same:
They all are addictive, mind altering, and cause physical damage.
Since they are all mind altering, I can see why some would think that you are not sober if you ingest mind altering drugs for recreational or non prescribed use, and all three fit that bill.
Or you can view it that if you are an alcoholic, then you are sober when you stop drinking, and pot and cigarette use are okay.
So while cig 's are wildly unhealthy and frankly I find them disgusting.....I do believe you can be sober...as in free of mind altering chemicals....and smoke. Pot...no.
Just my opinion as a non smoker of anything......
Also for me cigarettes are different as they don't mind alter in the same way as the active ingredients in pot. Though I probably think that in part because I still smoke after a long term sober! Yes stickywick, I know they are disgusting!! :)
At the end of the day though we all have a quality of life, way of being that is what we want and acceptable to us and if someone wants to smoke pot then I have no right to judge them for it. If someone wants to smoke pot and still consider themselves sober then who am I to tell them they are not.
I would urge caution though. I have seen an awful lot of people fail to stay sober whilst using other mind altering substances.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEnaTVKWg74
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFv6udgGe7I
I wouldnt consider myself sober if I smoked a joint...
I suppose one could smoke pot socially, as in once in awhile, without any serious consequences, just like normal drinkers can have a drink or two and leave it at that. I was a HUGE pothead -- loved it -- but I also know I used it to replace alcohol when drinking wasn't convenient. I doubt I could use pot today without waking up my preference to "anything but reality." I'm not willing to risk it anyway.
Still, I have to admit, there are days when I do long for a quick chemical fix to take me away from the responsibilities of life, even if only for a few hours, and pot is what comes to mind even before drinking. For that, rather than thinking about one drink leading to the next, I think about it in terms of time frames. 5 wasted hours today, 8 tomorrow, etc. One episode, if you will, leads to the next. I don't want to go there again either, and I'm pretty sure if I light up, that' where I'll end up. No thanks.
The legality of it is irrelevant. People got just as drunk during Prohibition.