# Shuffling between sober/stoned/drunk



## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

I'm trying again to somehow quit alcohol without a huge personality switch... slowly this time. I've cut down tremendously from 24 pack + spirits a week to 1 or 2 6-packs a week, and with some sustainance from legal herbs to help with the alcohol addiction but heh it gets me stoned. When sober though hell I still feel horrible, but this system seems to be maintaining my personality.

I can see myself quitting the herbs easy, but I struggle at the thought of having no alcohol... I'm still waiting for my counsellor to be back but heck. It's not a willpower thing, as I quit cold turkey before. It's my health, it deterioriates without alcohol - lack of appetite and lack of sleep. What to do?


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## Cherry (Sep 23, 2009)

RandomDude said:


> I'm trying again to somehow quit alcohol without a huge personality switch... slowly this time. I've cut down tremendously from 24 pack + spirits a week to 1 or 2 6-packs a week, and with some sustainance from legal herbs to help with the alcohol addiction but heh it gets me stoned. When sober though hell I still feel horrible, but this system seems to be maintaining my personality.
> 
> I can see myself quitting the herbs easy, but I struggle at the thought of having no alcohol... I'm still waiting for my counsellor to be back but heck. It's not a willpower thing, as I quit cold turkey before. It's my health, it deterioriates without alcohol - lack of appetite and lack of sleep. What to do?


Are you able to moderate more? Of course 1-2 six packs a week sounds moderate to me, I can't stop at that... Maybe initially, but I climb back up pretty quickly  Could you just focus on cutting out the drinking first? Worry about the herb later? I personally feel the alcohol is the greater evil here. I've also read studies related to treating alcoholism with pot... Seems promising as abuse of alcohol can lead to a host of medical problems long term. Just my thoughts.


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## trey69 (Dec 29, 2010)

A lot of alcoholics think that cutting back is better than nothing. Actually its far worse. You know yourself better than anyone, its more than likely not something you can handle. Alcohol needs to be out of your life period. 

Perhaps start with doing away with the herb. Then going off the drink. If you feel you can't, then my suggestion is entering a rehab/detox facility. You stated you have a counselor so thats good. You said you have quit cold turkey before, how long ago was that and how long had you been sober before picking the drink up again?


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## trey69 (Dec 29, 2010)

RandomDude said:


> It's my health, it deterioriates without alcohol


This is the alcoholics way of thinking. Its called stinking thinking and you have it. You have convinced yourself you will fall apart or will have health issues due to lack of alcohol. Time to retrain your brain to a more reality based thinking. Alcohol is doing the opposite. Your health IS deterioating because OF alcohol. Perhaps some of what you are experencing without alcohol is actually withdrawals, which can sometimes be quite bad.


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## CallaLily (Jan 13, 2011)

Is your counselor an addiction specialist? If not, it might be a good idea to see about one of those. They need to help you kick the addiction process as a whole. Meaning, you probably have a addictive personality, so there fore its easy for you to gravitate towards another type of addiction once you kick the habit of one. Its like you are always looking for something to fill that void. If alcohol can't then maybe weed will. If weed can't then maybe gambling will, etc. I'm sure you get the idea.


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## KathyBatesel (Apr 26, 2012)

RandomDude said:


> I'm trying again to somehow quit alcohol without a huge personality switch... slowly this time. I've cut down tremendously from 24 pack + spirits a week to 1 or 2 6-packs a week, and with some sustainance from legal herbs to help with the alcohol addiction but heh it gets me stoned. When sober though hell I still feel horrible, but this system seems to be maintaining my personality.
> 
> I can see myself quitting the herbs easy, but I struggle at the thought of having no alcohol... I'm still waiting for my counsellor to be back but heck. It's not a willpower thing, as I quit cold turkey before. It's my health, it deterioriates without alcohol - lack of appetite and lack of sleep. What to do?


As a former addiction counselor, I'm seeing a lot of excuses here. 

How exactly does your health suffer without alcohol? 
You say you're trying not to change your personality... to what? Your real self? You want to keep your addictive personality because you want to protect your addictions. 

It's natural that you suffer at the idea of no alcohol (and no drugs, too). Every addict does feel anxiety at the idea of living without their favorite coping mechanisms. Alcohol has been your friend and helped you a lot along the way. 

However, it has caused you problems, too, and you've recognized this. It might sound logical to say, "If I cut back, I'll be able to use alcohol to keep bringing me the benefits I got from it, while avoiding the problems that happened when I used too much." However, that's not what happens. It just does not work that way. 

To get rid of those problems means you have to learn to cope with your anxieties, fears, depressions, or pain without alcohol. Please get to an AA meeting and ask someone to be your temporary sponsor. They'll do more for you than a counselor will, anyway.


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## Jamison (Feb 10, 2011)

Please make sure if you attend AA and you have a sponsor its a good uplifting positive sponsor. I have known some who are actually bitter and negative, thats not what you need. AA will help to keep you sober, however I'm a firm believer too, that people in 12 step programs need further counseling as well. They need to get to the root of things and learn new coping and communication skills. If you take away the bottle but you're still left with the same poor behavior and negative thought process, then you are likely to relapse. Good luck!


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## tacoma (May 1, 2011)

RD I think you should just continue to moderate yourself down off the booze.

If you find it helps to up the intake of the herb to do this then up the intake of the herb.

If need be the herb will be a lot easier to kick later than the booze.

Good luck!


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## donewithit (Apr 7, 2010)

you really want to stop drinking? 6 months of anabuse..if your doctor wont prescribe you can get it online..it will work..if you drink on it..u have a good shot at death..nice deterant..worked for me.


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## donewithit (Apr 7, 2010)

sorry..antabuse...you can get it online from river pharmacy


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## KathyBatesel (Apr 26, 2012)

Jamison said:


> Please make sure if you attend AA and you have a sponsor its a good uplifting positive sponsor. I have known some who are actually bitter and negative, thats not what you need. AA will help to keep you sober, however I'm a firm believer too, that people in 12 step programs need further counseling as well. They need to get to the root of things and learn new coping and communication skills. If you take away the bottle but you're still left with the same poor behavior and negative thought process, then you are likely to relapse. Good luck!


Completely agree. Did not mean to make it sound like counseling would not be helpful, but realized upon returning it may have sounded that way.


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