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[–] • 3 pts

I see it as basically the same. Most people who do hard drugs are doing them for the same reasons people drink alcoholically. I know a few people in AA who fully qualify for NA, but it all started with alcohol and they like the AA program better.

Honestly, as long as you're not talking about treating the detox/withdrawal of something, addiction is addiction in my book.

[–] • 2 pts

I mean, I think almost all addiction stems from underlying emotional/mental damage the human has.

Maybe not opiates/opioids when they are over-prescribed in the case of severe pain, but most of us have something fucked up going on a little deeper down.

I was more wondering about the difference in terms of people's choice in drugs/alcohol.

I talked with one of my therapists at rehab, she was an Opiate user, and I am an Alcohol user, and we were talking about Naltrexone, which is a drug that can be used to help both Alcohol and Opiate addiction. It works by blocking the same receptor, which is apparently used by both alcohol and opiates.

I just found it interesting that it was the same receptor that was blocked. And that despite being an alcoholic, I have done opiates in the past. And when I did them, I was always like, "Cool, that was fun". But I never felt a need to seek them out or ever do them again.

And she kind of felt the same way about drinking.

We all obviously have addictive traits and underlying bullshit, but what makes a person choose one drug over another?

[–] [deleted] • 1 pt

I guess science isn't quite sure how naloxone works in alcoholics but they do know it ruins the euphoria and pleasure of drinking. It's funny Theo: talk about addiction, you ask the billion dollar question "what makes us addicts?" Whatever it is can be triggered by literally anything that activates those brain centers or receptors or chemicals of pleasure. From balloons to serial murder our brains can addict to anything. Kind of scary when you think about it.

[–] • 1 pt

I think for a lot of people, what they end up hooked on has more to do with who they end up around than anything. People looking to escape tend to find the first available option. Maybe that leads to new sets of people and new sets of substances, but you get the point.

I'd heard that about that common receptor, but I never did any digging into it. Interesting. I'd definitely be willing to believe that we're each more or less susceptible to addiction to different substances depending on genetics or whatnot, and I'd love to know more on that, but I think ultimately people find an escape that works for them and go with it until it's a problem anyway. Regardless of weather it was easy or hard to become physically addicted.

[–] • 2 pts

She also told me some very strange things about her personal opiate addiction.

Like her addiction did basically the opposite of what it does to most users.

It made her into an excellent student and more productive person.

Which makes me suspect that she had more of a mood disorder than any sort of pain.

I just think it is good to think about exactly what people are using the drugs/alcohol specifically for.

I know that I use alcohol for anxiety, and the general desire not to think too much.

[–] • 2 pts

You talking about political forums in general?

[–] • 3 pts

This is a sub about alcoholism, but I think it could apply to politics as well.

[–] • 1 pt

The same. Didn't you just say you were too poor to eat the other day? I think I found your cause.

[–] • 1 pt

Thanks for judging me, but no you did not find the cause.

I have relapsed into drinking because the pain of existence is slightly too hard to bare, but I am only spending ~$16.00 a week on a handle of rot-gut whiskey.

My old job evaporating because it was extremely dependent on the buying and selling of houses, which is not happening because of increased interest rates, debt taken on from going to rehab, and taking a new job that significantly increased my transportation expenses are the major issues, although energy bills don't help.

I know you mean to be helpful, and I know that my alcoholism isn't helpful, but just understand that I am not going out to the bar, or buying nice beer or liquor.

I'm buying shitty whiskey because if I get home from work and think too much all I think about is suicide.

[–] • 1 pt

Husband tried to drink Vietnam out of existence and it didn't work.

[–] • 1 pt

Yes, it is tough love. I watched a family member do the same thing to themselves for similar reasons. Fight for yourself because no one else can do it for you. Being better starts from what you put inside of yourself. If you put shit into your body, expect shitty feelings and shitty thoughts. You are a white man Theo, so my expectations are for you to do the white things.

[–] • 0 pt

Would you like to know how I actually feel?

[–] • 1 pt

They all start the same way with the same mindset. But the drug you choose effects how it manifests. i.e Crack isn’t physically addicting like alcohol or opiates, but once you’re in its grip, lots of money needs to be spent in short succession to keep the ride going. But after the bender is over, the same shame is there, there is still regrets, though maybe a little differently focused. The point is that each other’s methods and affinity for one substance may not be relatable, but being unable to control yourself is shared

[–] • 1 pt

our

Is there a mouse in your pocket?

[–] • 1 pt (edited )

Very similar. I've known plenty of people where it overlaps. I used to judge the hard stuff addicts. I'd be like, "Well I might be a drunk, but at least I'm not on ____. How does that even happen? Who thinks picking that up at all is a good idea?"

Since I got sober several years back I realized a lot of them were self medicating just like me. For whatever reason their situation just presented a different option than booze and the addiction took hold just like mine.

Makes me feel grateful I didn't have a friend or circumstances or whatever that presented me hard drugs at a vulneranle point in my life. Booze wrecked my life enough. If I'd picked up harder stuff I'm sure I'd be dead.

[–] • 0 pt

What helped you get sober?

[–] • 1 pt

I think I've talked about it in this sub before. I reached a point where I knew it was no longer, "I've got to get this under control, " but, "I've got to never drink again." That was the biggest step. Accepting that there was for me no more days of, "Well I've had a rough week, I'm just gonna have a few drinks tonight to get through it, but I'm not getting blackout and I'm not gonna drink again for at least a week or so." Thar always led to a terrible bender. I had to accept that it was zero zero alcohol for me.

Then after i did it still took a while to get there. But every day i would spend a few minutes throughout my day thinking of all the bad that came from my drinking, really trying to relive painful or embarrassing moments in my mind that drinking brought and telling myself, "remember that alcohol will do this to you." And after a while when the urge for a drink came the first thing that came to mind were those bad memories I'd replayed to myself and it made it so much easier to say no.

Eventually I did it do much that it became not only easy to say no the idea of having a drink physically repulsed me.

[–] [deleted] • 1 pt (edited )

I personally don't see any difference in certain types of addictions- including food addiction, other than the availability and the actual need of the addicting substance. I think being a food addict would be the worst addiction one could have because you literally need food to survive. You can't go more than a few days without eating (maybe a couple weeks, I don't know) before the body starts shutting down. We don't need addicting drugs the way we need food and water, but our bodies habituate to their presence as much as we habituate to the actual behavior of ingesting that substance. Smokers that quit will act out the act of smoking without a cigarette. I remember seeing my alcoholic father lift a non-existent glass one day...