Addiction & Recovery - Meet others & come say hi

Hello @johnwhitfield
I'm glad that you shared about your involvement in ACOA. Adult Children of Alcoholics. There is another similar group, ACA, Adult Children Anonymous, which is open to anyone raised in a dysfunctional home (whether alcoholic or not). Is the group you attend a 12-step group or does it offer a different format?

Here is a website with information on these groups:
https://adultchildren.org/

Here is a little bit of my story. I had gone through a difficult time divorce, the suicide of my son, and chemotherapy for a year. It was 3 years in a row. It took me a while to get my feet back on the ground. I started back to work as an A&D counselor. Big fish in a small pond. I played hard and worked hard. I got grandiose and complacent with my recovery program. Big mistake! It started out using pain pills then move to alcohol. Deadly disease! Very long damaging relapse. My health was affected but I did keep trying to recover..Everybody abandoned me. My family and wife for years. I was referred to a little bit different treatment center. So by the grace of God and my past knowing what to do so I got sober. Now very attentive to my recovery program and support. The relapse was total hell. I really enjoy a sober life and I enjoyed it before my relapse. Three big motivators not hurting wife anymore did not want to live in hell anymore and the big one I remember how much I enjoyed a sober life. Very grateful for life and sobriety! I am a laid back old hippie!

Hi @johnwhitfield

I'm so glad that you posted about your recovery process. What you revealed about addiction/recovery/relapse and recovery is a great example that a relapse does not have to last a lifetime. I'm so pleased that you were able to pick up the pieces of your life and continue on in a sober lifestyle.

If you could, please share with us what you do in order to remain sober. For example, what physical, spiritual and/or social activities help you?

What is the difference between dependence and addiction?

Excellent question. Anyone with a good scientifically based answer?

Hi, @helenfrances - this is an excerpt from a Mayo Clinic article featuring a Q&A with an anesthesiologist for a trauma professionals enewsletter. This response relates directly to your question on dependence versus addiction:

Q: Is there a difference between physical dependence and addiction?
A: Yes. Physical dependence on an opioid occurs in humans and in lab animals. It happens when a patient has received opioids for approximately five days or more and develops withdrawal symptoms — such as tachycardia, goose flesh, diarrhea or diaphoresis — when the drug is withdrawn.

It is very different from addiction, which is drastic behavior an individual exhibits to obtain opioids, such as stealing medications, buying street drugs to treat pain or engaging in risky behavior in exchange for drugs.

The whole article has information that might be of interest on the opioid epidemic from the point of view of a pain specialist https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/trauma/news/treating-pain-responsibly-in-the-midst-of-an-opioid-epidemic/mqc-20438006.

Thank you, Lisa, for differentiating
dependence from addiction.

Hi, @zeph317 - thinking of you today. Wondering how you are doing and how your recovery is going lately?

Was wondering if anyone on this board has quit xanax by tapering. I quit alcohol and smoking 35 years ago but I have used 2mg of xanax daily for about twenty years originally for sleep. It is now no help at all for sleep but i know it's not safe going cold turkey. In the last six weeks I have tapered about 15-20% by cutting off bits with a single edge razor. want to go forward and quit completely. anyone with similar experience? Thank You

Hi, @jimk849 - you might check out this discussion on going off of alprazolam (Xanax):
Groups>Depression & Anxiety> Going off of Xanax https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/going-off-of-xanax/