[pinksoil]

I detoxed/went to rehab for seven weeks-- There are lots of rehabs in my area, but I chose to go to treatment 1500 miles away from home. I wanted the opportunity to get clean with as little distraction as possible.

I went to an intensive outpatient program when I got back. I still go there for two groups per week, just not the full four-times-per-week program.

I go to 12-step meetings everyday, and I'm working the steps. Currently working on step 4. I talk with my sponsor on a daily basis. I am in a Big Book study, and I meet with my sponsor in person at least once per week, sometimes more. Even though NA is what technically "fits me," I choose to go to AA because I feel more connected there, and in my area, it's more structured.

I have gone to the same therapist for five years. When I came back from treatment, I couldn't see him because I wasn't working. Tomorrow I'll be resuming weekly therapy.

How did you get clean? How do you stay clean?

Good for you, pinksoil, in what you have been able to accomplish.

I had to stop drinking because of the medication I was taking. I just stopped and have not touched a drop in over 27 years.

Be well.

[Plutarch]

Congrats Pinksoil on being clean!

There are many ways to become clean, as everyone is so different. For me, it took many tries. The final attempt was my biggest effort. I am now officially 1 year clean, although aside from a few slip-ups it is more like a year and half.

To get clean, I left the town I was living in. I used to live in a small town, and so in order to get away from temptation, I had no choice but to leave. I had to rid myself of all temptation. That included the places AND friends I associated with drugs. I started to see a therapist who specialized in addictions. The wait list for rehab was too long (8 months!!) and I couldn't afford a specialized facility. For various reasons I did not want to go to AA or NA meetings. Basically, I took myself out of the place that tempted me. In a sense, drugs are easier than alcohol, because once you move to a new place you have to actively seek out ways of attaining the drugs, whereas with alcohol you can walk into any bar. I was lucky enough to have the support of close friends and family. Overall, the most important thing was my need and want to quit. Over time, the cravings lessened.

Exercise is a great way to speed up the process because a lot of the toxins from drugs and alcohol are stored in fat cells, thus, if you exercise you are killing fat cells ie the toxins.

As far as staying clean is concerned. I did slip up. The key is to not look too much into a slip-up. Mistakes happen. A big issue with relapse is that one slip-up will often throw people right back into the cycle of use. Don't beat yourself up about it. Once is okay, you can use it to learn about what makes you use, so as to prevent it in the future. That really helped me, knowing that one slip-up was not the end of the world, it did not make me a failure, it only made me human.

Basically, to stay clean, I found healthy ways of spending my time. Made new friends who were not into drugs and alcohol. It's not always easy. But you can do it. Make lists of all the bad things drugs/alcohol did to you/friends/family, and whenever you are seriously tempted, go read that list to remind you of why you stopped.

Good luck!

[Flex25]

pick up a sport or hobby

[splitimage]

I think it's important to stay connected to recovery activities and people & to be deadly honest with everyone. I go to two outpatient groups a week that my rehab runs and go to AA several times I week. I also have to really force myself to pick up the phone and talk to people when I want to drink or am in a bad headspace that could lead me to picking up. Because I'm in a rocky headspace at the moment, where my sobriety is vulnerable, I also to to the hospital 2X per week to take my antabuse under supervision. This is a bit humiliating, but it's helping me stay sober as I develop tools to cope with emotions rather than relying on alcohol to escape.

--splitimage

[notz]

Bare bone honesty, working all the steps, step study in addition to Big Book, develop a conscious that's not shame based, keep your side of the street clean, don't pick up, don't pick anything up, ever.

You can do this!

[cocos421]

For me, it was meeting a man that was clean. He never touched drugs. And I really wanted to be with him, so I stayed away. It was easy because I had just moved to a new state and didn't have old friends here to persuade me.
I've been married and clean now for 6 years.
There were some times I would crave it, even years later, so I went to an outpatient program for my drinking and past drug use. It helped. I quit drinking for 2 years. Now I just have 1 or 2 drinks here and there. Not very often.
Good for you on what you are doing. Lots of luck.

[AtreyuFreak]

Umm...idk if this counts, since I never went to rehab or anything...

I stopped drinking after a s*xual assault (sorry if that triggers anyone), my reasoning being that it wouldn't have happened if I were sober. I managed to wean myself off the weed, painkillers, and other miscellaneous pills mostly by cutting myself off from all my old "drug buddies" (any friends who had used with me/supported my habit(s)). When I moved to a new town, I had absolutely NO connections and NO money whatsoever to continue using. That made it...kinda the only choice left. Now I despise the taste of hard liquor and consider my sobriety VERY strong--which is good, because I don't think I'd have been able to follow an AA-like program!

Oh, and of course, my AODA treatment place, which specializes in teenage/young adult addicts. They are AMAZING!!!! All of their counselors are ex-addicts themselves, which is a REALLY helpful thing. I still keep in contact with my counselor cause she's awesome like that. I went there for about 2 years; when I first started, I was the youngest person there. I can honestly say they probably saved my life (considering I was referred there after downing 2 bottles of pills with a bottle of tequila, and I'll bet almost anything that the suicidality/depression was drug-related).

I should mention--I've been sober for over a year and a half now.

[maryjain lockhart]

When I decided2quit coke&meth I moved away. I moved1800miles away where I didn't know anybody except my roommate. And then I told myself how yeah it felt great when I used but coming down was bad. Id ask myself, "If u do this will u feel good2morrow?" And the answers always no. I did move back home after6mos&started using heroin but that's on "my entire story" not here. But asking myself if I would feel good the next day helped a lot. Whenever I would get the urge2use I would say, "yeah u wanna feel good&use but u know its only temporary. What about coming down? Eating? Sleeping? Will u be happy with this decision tomorrow?"
When I went2the methadone clinic they helped me2learn what triggers me2want2use. Then I figured out ways2not use in those situations. IE, when I'm with ppl who I used2party with I wanna use&party with them for old times sake. So I either avoid those ppl or when I DO see them I find other things2do like go eat or see a movie, but NEVER use.
This has worked4me very well&its kept me clean off heroin for over4yrs and I haven't done meth or coke for closer to6yrs. Alcohol, almost8.

[Shangrala]

I pretty much grew up using LSD starting from the age of 14.
Smoked pot for 25 years. Played a little with coke, and any other hard drug. Never heroine, though, (not sure why).

Anyway...I woke one morning in my mid-twenties and simply didn't want to smoke pot anymore.

Started using meth in my late thirties and for about 10 years thereafter. Again, woke one morning not wanting the high anymore.

I consider myself very fortunate that I was able to quit so easily and without any relapses. I've never wanted to use since my last ...some ..10 or so years ago.

Shangrala