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I have some strong, perhaps knee jerk feelings about the idea that addicts can come around to become healthy social drinkers, smokers, etc. I feel like some pr

I have some strong, perhaps knee jerk feelings about the idea that addicts can come around to become healthy social drinkers, smokers, etc. I feel like some probably can, but most probably can't. As someone who had major addiction issues for about a decade and has been clean for 12 years, I have no desire to test those waters, and feel a bit offended at the notion that my life would be better if I figured out how to be a functional user. I have everything to lose and very little to gain.

jkhdigital 5y ago
I know, right? My wife basically never drinks, and she’s doing just fine. I’m really not missing anything by abstaining from alcohol for the rest of my life.
MrStonedOne 5y ago
I have the same but reverse knee jerk feelings towards AA. The entire idea that i should treat something other people can manage as if it were some forbidden fruit just doesn't sit with me. That doesn't mean I've solved any issue, It just means i've figured out a way to avoid it. > and feel a bit offended at the notion that my life would be better if I figured out how to be a functional user. Lets try to reframe that then: given that conventional AA is basically the only game in town, do you think that there are people who have either failed to take to its abstinence only system that might be successful at a different approach or is somebody who flat out refuse to seek help from an AA style system for the reason i laid out, such as myself, who could use access to a different approach?
- locusofself 5y ago
  I actually agree that it's a shame that AA is the only game in town and I think its effectiveness is vastly overestimated. It's also seriously dogmatic about way more than just complete abstinence (I mean it's 12 steps, meetings every week or every day, etc). I prefer to keep my past far in the rear view mirror instead of continually drudging it up. I am just very dubious that people who have shown they have the capacity to fuck up their lives with drinking/drugs, especially for an extended period of time, are going to reprogram themselves successfully to become casual users. I don't know how black and white it is. But I count my lucky stars for the last 12 years of life compared the 10 before that.

jkhdigital 5y ago

I know, right? My wife basically never drinks, and she’s doing just fine. I’m really not missing anything by abstaining from alcohol for the rest of my life.

MrStonedOne 5y ago

I have the same but reverse knee jerk feelings towards AA. The entire idea that i should treat something other people can manage as if it were some forbidden fruit just doesn't sit with me. That doesn't mean I've solved any issue, It just means i've figured out a way to avoid it. > and feel a bit offended at the notion that my life would be better if I figured out how to be a functional user. Lets try to reframe that then: given that conventional AA is basically the only game in town, do you think that there are people who have either failed to take to its abstinence only system that might be successful at a different approach or is somebody who flat out refuse to seek help from an AA style system for the reason i laid out, such as myself, who could use access to a different approach?

locusofself 5y ago
I actually agree that it's a shame that AA is the only game in town and I think its effectiveness is vastly overestimated. It's also seriously dogmatic about way more than just complete abstinence (I mean it's 12 steps, meetings every week or every day, etc). I prefer to keep my past far in the rear view mirror instead of continually drudging it up. I am just very dubious that people who have shown they have the capacity to fuck up their lives with drinking/drugs, especially for an extended period of time, are going to reprogram themselves successfully to become casual users. I don't know how black and white it is. But I count my lucky stars for the last 12 years of life compared the 10 before that.