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Is drug and alcohol addiction just a bad habit? Or is it a disease?
Addiction & Recovery | Last Active: Apr 25 12:00pm | Replies (80)Comment receiving replies
@diverdown1 I believe there is no bad way to quit. There are some better than others, but, every day sober is a great day. So any way a person remains sober is a great way! Cognitive reframing, or formatting, happens when we change our story from, "Im not addicted" to "I can stop this obsession simply because I choose to". The identity shift happens when we stop identifying as a drinker/alcoholic/addict. When we identify as a person who used to drink, we enforce in our own mind, AND in the minds of others. We are treated differently and we begin to act appropriately. Agency reinforcement or strengthening comes as we continue to follow through on what we convince ourselves of. If, you are convinced you are an alcoholic for life, then truly this is what you will be. If you are convinced that only through your higher power or your program you remain sober, then this what will keep you sober. Its all what you convince yourself of. I decided I wasnt going to remain in my wheelchair. Nobody but myself told me I would be there forever. In order to get free of it I knew I had to quit drinking. I now walk 12000 to 20000 steps daily. Its 12 noon now and I have 14900 today. Not only do I live by the phrase Motion is Medicine but I also live by Believe in yourself. This approach worked with meth, cigarettes, weed and alcohol. Im still working on smartmouthatitus. I applaud you on your time sober!!
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Well said Trooper. I have been sober for 15 plus years now and feel great at 71.
There is no one "right" way to get and stay sober. I'm an atheist and an AA member. I made that clear to the three guys I sponsor. We work steps 1,4,5,8,9, and 12. For us, that's enough. We all believe there is something that ties all the mysteries of the universe together, but we don't dwell on what we don't/can't undertand.
We dwell on living.
Joe
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@trooperdogg1960 That is great that you put all that down! I understand what you are saying and I believe that there is truth in it. Everything is subjective, so it is difficult to know what another person deals with. I do identify with a person that used to drink and use drugs. I have been in rehab 4 times since the age of 14 years old. I tried many times to put down the substances. Each time I relapsed, it got worse and worse until I finally surrendered to what I believe to be the power of the Universe. I did go to AA because it was the only thing I knew to do at the time and I received what I needed from the people as well as the program which is to get me to take myself out of myself and realize that I am neither god, nor the center of the Universe. I still live by the principles of what I learned in the 12 step program. As a person who started using at such a young age, I had no idea how to function sober. Everything was ALWAYS about me. I learned to try and help other people, not to receive anything back (at least I try) but to just be of service, whether that is opening a door for someone, letting someone out in traffic, or picking up a friend on meth at a hotel and calling 911. I am so glad you are moving. I can relate to that as well. I got sick with Covid, twice in 2022. It passed and then several months later, I was struck down with something awful. I was so sick and no one, even the doctors knew what was wrong. They knew it was something with my immune system. After 4 years of this and a lot of research, I know it is long COVID. Talk about people looking at you different. There are people that do not believe it is real. It is VERY REAL. I used to run every morning with my dogs, lifted weights and was the strongest and healthiest I have ever been due to being sober and exercise. Now, it is all different. I have fatigue, malaise (even doing small things), tinnitus, joint pain, brain fog, muscle aches, heart races, headaches and these symptoms are different each day, except for the fatigue. I have my own theories about autoimmune issues and trauma that I won't go into here. I appreciate your honesty and sharing here. Beautiful pic. I am sharing one I took off a boat in the Caribbean.