Sobriety dates post here

[Spare Chaynge]

Hey please post your sobriety date... from ALL drugs and alcohol. If swim used a 12 step program and if swimmer worked the 12 steps.

Also if you did not use a 12 step please briefly explain how you did this and your sobirety date..
swim wants this mainly to be a sobriety date page so he can look and who has longest and use this to considering the advice you are giving... swim likes to know how long what you are advising has worked for you.


SWIMS
Jan, 11, 2008
from everything
drug of choice opiates,benzos,marijuana,alcohol

Reputation Comments on this post:

excellent post

[chillinwill]

SWIM's sobriety date is April 16th, 2008 from everything. His DOC's were opiates(mainly heroin), coke/crack, alcohol, weed, and MDMA

SWIM is currently only attending 1 NA meeting a week and is not working the steps at this point

[moda00]

Swim's doesn't know her date but she thinks it is around April or May 2006 when she got clean from everything (heroin and cocaine were the main addiction problems, but she also quit using alcohol and other drugs at this time). She dislikes the philosophy of counting sober days because for her, relapses were learning experiences and part of recovery, and having to re-set her sober date and feel like she was starting from scratch just didn't match up with the inner truth of her own recovery process. Swim had two relapses, but honestly they were learning experiences and simply showed her that she no longer needed heroin, nor wanted to be involved with it.

After one year sober she decided to resume use and experimentation with some drugs. She doesn't use alcohol or marijuana simply because she doesn't feel they are worth using for her, and obviously won't touch heroin or cocaine, but has enjoyed occasional (around once every one-two months) psychedelic experiences for spiritual growth and to learn new things- both "traditional" ones like LSD and psilocybin mushrooms, and also some experimentation with newer chemical compounds like 2c-b, 2c-e, and cp55,940. She also enjoys MDMA and benzodiazepines once in awhile but again makes sure not to overindulge. She is currently pregnant so has not and will not be consuming any substances for quite some time.

She has gone from broke, jobless, and hurting all her friends and family, as well as herself, to being enrolled in school, working with kids, taking care of her finances and repaying her debts, and pregnant with her first child. Swim is very happy with where she has come from and is amazed by the changes recovery has brought about. She does consider herself to be in recovery, and believes that periods of sobriety interspersed with periods of occasional use will be the norm for her, although pregnancy and parenting may change the frequency of any future psychedelic ventures, as her assessment of risk has changed since her pregnancy. She also realizes she must be vigilant of addiction, but at the same time she knows that her addiction was her whole life, not just an addiction to a substance, but a pattern of thinking, feeling, and doing which reinforced all her fears and uncertainties and anger at the world. Now that she is at peace with herself and her surroundings, she feels no need for destructive use of substances, and is quite happy while sober. Overall, swim feels her recovery was a spiritual and psychological healing as much as it was simply getting off the addictive drugs.

She was in inpatient and outpatient a bunch, as well as tried some 12-step programs but was never really into it and didn't find it helpful (although she did give it a fair shot). Her recovery came about from getting on methadone, which she sees as the catalyst that allowed her to get off the drugs and get physically and mentally stable and clear-headed- and then reevaluating her life and future from within- taking control of herself, eliminating bad habits and situations from her life, and putting positive things in their place. Enrolling in college, music, reading, friendships, family, pets, traveling, journaling, and yoga have been a tremendous help. She also utilized individual and group therapy and still does. Swim finds that external help/counseling is extremely useful during the process of inner change- but that the help should be an adjunct to one's inner journey and tailored to meet your needs, rather than the AA philosophy of giving up your needs and beliefs to follow their doctrine.

So, if this makes a difference to you, her longest period of total sobriety in the past two plus years was around one year (give or take a few weeks), followed by a period of sporadic use (mind you, she would use alone, and does not associate with using friends or acquaintances), and is now about three months abstinent again.

Sorry for the long response, hope this answers the question somewhat

Reputation Comments on this post:

great, informative post

[Spare Chaynge]

swim is guessing that there is not a lot of sobriety on this web site.. either that or the sober members have not posted or seen this thread.. Or maybe have not been active in the last couple of days.. bummer.

[newgrower]

Don't know if swim should post anything here but date since last use of heroin or coke is around October 1996. Stopping heroin and coke was swim's only goal. Swim was completely clean of all drugs for about a year.

Swim never did a 12 step program because he never could get past the religious aspect - even when they say use any higher power, for a complete nontheist its difficult along with the admitting of no control. Also swim didn't like the idea of never being allow another joint or beer. It works for lots of people and swims happy for them, just wasn't for swim.

Swim just stayed away from bad influences and found more important things in his life to concentrate on.

But swiy might not want to listen to swim since he does have several substances he still uses but when checking the dsm abuse criteria, swim doesn't currently doesn't currently abuse any of his substances.

Reputation Comments on this post:

swim totally wants people like swiy on swims thread

[Fight Club]

NIK's sobriety date is July 22, 2007 from all substances. NIK was a heavy IV cocaine user, and a moderate social drinker, although he rarely mixed the two.

NIK currently attends 3-5 AA meetings a week, and attends an NA meeting or two when he feels like it. He attends a weekly Big Book meeting, works the steps, and is a quarterly speaker at the rehab he "graduated" from in April 2006. He continues to maintain regular contact with the people he met there and who maintain strong programs.

Like Moda00, NIK believes that sobriety date is only one indicator of a successful program. It's no secret that people with long-term sobriety can and do relapse, so your own personal yardstick is the best measure available. A few general rules seem to help him stay on track, however:

1. Stay connected
2. Go to meetings and share regularly
3. Volunteer and try to help others
4. Get a sponsor, and follow his / her advice
5. Talk to someone before you go out, and not after
6. Keep no secrets

NIK doesn't meditate as often as he would like to, and seldom prays; but he knows it helps when he does.

FC

[KS1982]

Hi!
This is my 1st post so please be nice!
I have not used for about 6 1/2 years (Heroin & Crack)
I truly believe that if I hadn't have had my 3 kids then I wouldn't have done it nor would I still be here today.
I don't attend any NA meetings.
I stopped using with the help of Subutex (Bupronorphine) - not sure how 2 spell it!
Well done to all those that have managed to quit!!!

Kel. x

[Spare Chaynge]

Hey welcome to the recovery section in the drug forum... To avoid self incrimination we use swim(some one who is not me) instead of I or me.

[infekt]

June 25th 2008. From everything (heroin was swim's drug of choice), except kava.

[qlduser]

swiy are correct not much sobriety goin on......... swim has had no morphine since 15 aug ..... swim has also had no tobacco since june swim has joints and benzos . benzos will be next to go.

[Lobsang]

6 and 1/2 years for everything. I don't even drink caffeine. And my life is the worst it has ever been. And I used to go to NA and AA. I think it might have helped. But then I stopped because it was the same old shit over and over and over and over and over. But I think it is a good program if you need the support. At least for a couple of years.

[ai]

Feb 12th, 2008

[hippie_lain]

swim has 6 months sober! swim has had much victory and is now helping others and loves it =)

[chillinwill]

Originally Posted by hippie_lain

swim has 6 months sober! swim has had much victory and is now helping others and loves it =)

congrats on 6 months! that's a big step towards the path of recovery....keep up the good work!