Anyone have a real recovery from addiction?

And by "real recovery" I mean a non-abstinence based.

Just curious if such a thing ever happens.

if you mean once having a problem and now don't? I once was a hardcore drunk for several years, was sober for 13 and now drink on occasion. I don't feel now that I really was an alcoholic though, I feel I was selfmedicating my mental illness. though I do have addictive tendancies.

Thank you so much! I feel like this is me as well. I have addictive tendencies and same tendency to self medicate, but I have also had a long period of sobriety. I don't want to drink and be an alcoholic by any means, but this not drinking gets very isolating.

Did it just happen naturally for you, or do you have rules about it (like no alcohol in the house, or only on weekends etc)? Did you wait until you had seen some progress on the mental stuff?

I used meth for two years (smoked meth), once went two weeks without a shower, and now at three years clean I have a job and i'm a cyclist. I am involved in the Narcotics Anonymous program, and was enrolled in an outpatient program for two years.

Jamie, That is awesome! Addiction is a hard demon overcome, but I am so glad to hear that you have found an escape. I've never used meth but from what I hear it is one of the most addictive things out there. Now that you have escaped death really, I'm sure you are a much stronger and more tolerant person. I hope it adds some extra gratitude and joy to your life knowing what could have been and what you yourself have battled back from. Congrats!

U mentioned u were curious...re real recovery. I have been sober for over 25 years and got out of the debating society many, many years ago! Happy joyous and free!

Hello, Petra5ed. I quit drinking in 1982 and smoking in 1998. Remission, not recovery, best describes my current status. I dare not drink or smoke for fear I will not stop.

I wish you well.

Total abstinence is the only way I know.

I think that total abstinence is part of the cure. I think that you have to realize that addiction is not an issue onto itself (unless you were born addicted or forcibly drugged) and it is indicative of an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. For me it was issues with depression that constantly led to relapse, regardless of how many days sober I had.

It's certainly possible but not probable. If you fixed why you were addicted in the first place I think it's very possible. Most people will tell you you can never go back to it again but they are just giving sound advice. The risk-rewards are too far apart to take the chance in my opinion. My advice is to not risk it. If you truly fixed why you needed to escape reality you should have no desire to return to a false happiness.

yes...

FOREWORD TO FIRST EDITION

This is the Foreword as it appeared in the first
printing of the first edition in 1939.

WE, OF Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. For them, we hope these pages will prove so convincing that no further authentication will be necessary. We think this account of our experiences will help everyone to better understand the alcoholic. Many do not comprehend that the alcoholic is a very sick person. And besides, we are sure that our way of living has its advantages for all.

http://whytehouse.com/big_book_searc...word=recovered

Recovered but still abstinent. The OP asked non abstinence. Like can you go back to it in moderation without it being a problem.

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Actually after 17 years total abstinence I have done it with pot. 1/8 lasted me 9 months and now I am out and probably won't get any more for at least two months. Risky for me though and I have to be careful. I may just stop.

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I abused drugs.
I lost my boyfriend because of it.
My best friend said she hates me.
I almost died because I intoxicated and stopped to breath.
I damaged my brain and now it's hard to concentrate, to study, to remember etc. Sometimes I forget words and moves I know.
I had several panic attacks after abusing drugs and when I had abstinence I wanted to kill myself without any reason.
I didn't react to driving cars and I think I would be dead if my friend didn't hold me and didn't lead me to home but she did it, she saved me. I don't remember anything.

I started to hate drugs, I have so many reasons to hate it.
The only thing I'm still addicted to is benzos. I want to be free from this addiction too.

I take alcohol once a week but I have always hated drinking because my parents were alcoholics and it's disgusting for me, sometimes I want to kill myself when I'm drunk.

The first reason why I hated/hate to be addicted is that other people don't like me or get hurt because of me. My mother led me to suicide because of her drinking, my boyfriend left me because of my drug abuse.

Abuse of alcohol is disgusting for me esspecially when I see that people who I love do this, it kills me and I know that it kills them if I do it.

I don't think that my post is useful, I just wanted to share my thoughts, experience and say how horrible it can be.

I don't know how to be completely free from all of this, abstinence scares me.

Well for this alcoholic one drink is too many and a thousand not enough. For me abstinence if the keystone to my sobriety. Like I can't have the cake and eat it too.

Like Madisgram, total abstinence is key for me.

I was addicted for many years to coke, pot, alcohol ect you get the picture. I have been clean from drugs for5 years now. I still will have a social drink every now and again. But my limit is 2 and I stick to it. I know firsthand what a struggle it is to get over... I wish you the best. hope this helps.

I consider myself to be recovered from my addiction--it took many years of sobriety for me to get to this point. I no longer have urges and I no longer want to drink. It's nice to be free. I don't drink now because of my psych meds and brain issues--even if I was not on meds and had no brain dysfunction I don't think I'd drink because it just does not sound good to me.

I am not sure about this "real recovery". I have been clean for almost 9years. My drug of choice was heroin but I would use anything and everything available. I could never just use a little bit of heroin I don't really think it's that type of drug. I mean you catch a habit and then have to have it to keep from being ill. Now alcohol may be different for some I can't speak on that because I never really cared for alcohol. For me abstinence is the only way to keep me off of heroin.

My grandpa is an alcoholic. It's what broke up his first two marriages. Apparently when I was born my mom put down the ultimatum that he quit or never see his granddaughter. He didn't have a drink for 26 years. Then at a family reunion he decided he wanted a beer. We were all quite worried where it would lead but he had A beer. It's now been 38 years and he's never fallen off the wagon but will have a beer or a shot about twice a year at special occasions. He does have rules about no alcohol in the house and when we visit we limit what we bring just in case.

The downside is that it has set a bad precedent for the rest of the family. My mom's side of the family is full of alcoholics. I can't count the number of family members that have quit then decided well one won't hurt me. Look at F he can handle it. So far no one else in the family have been able to handle doing what my grandpa does.

We talked about it once and I asked if it was hard for him to have just one. He told me that it felt like an itch that would just about drive him mad. But he said just getting to have one scratched it a little and I was his motivation to not drink more than one. He said if he had more than one he wouldn't stop and he doesn't ever want me to see him like that. From what I've heard he's a complete jerk when he's drunk.