Alcohol is A drug PERIOD!

Hi , my name is Matt and i’m an alcoholic. I spent way to many years of my life either drowning in a drink or walking down the street shaking with my hair sticking up looking for one. I currently have two years and some change sober and work in the addiction field as a Certified recovery specialist . One thing i’ve been hearing more and more from the people i tey and help throughout the day is that their “just drinking” . I am told "well I am just drinking now " , “im drinking but atleast i’m not shooting dope anymore!” Etc.

Sadly, so many young people believe that alcohol, whether its because of the availability, legality or it being socially acceptable, is either not a problem in recovery or even worse not a “drug” at all. And the results are always the same with mindset. Either the person becomes completely dependent on yhe alcohol as I did myself, or end up thinking “well bring drunk feels good but i know what high i really want!” And in an already disinhibited state end up using their drug of choice and relapsing. One thing that i was always a sucker for was the “i can have just one or two drinks and be fine " , i might even get it off a few times ! I remember one time even going to play pool and making it the whole night without a drink ! Man I said to myself " see !! I got this now !” And with in a week i would go right back to how i drank before with the same disasterous results.

Addiction is called cunning and baffling for a reason my friends. I find one of the most insidious aspects of the disease of addiction is that it will actually trick a person into thinking their “ok” , that i can drink everyday but i’m not smoking coke or shooting dope so i’m fine, and before you know it those people are right back in detox if their lucky and dead if their not. Not to mention than bring alcohol dependent is a literal hell on earth and if you heard opiate detox is bad wait to you experience alcohol detox. To me it feels coming off opiates and benzos at the same time while bring completely mentally insane to the point of seeing, feeling,smelling,hearing things that aren’t there. Its having the worst dope sickness ever losing your mind as well. And lets not forget the tonic-clonic seizures that come with it and the pure shock of withdrawal that can actually kill you leave you in a coma or vegetative state for life, or wet brain dimensia. Such wonderful things to look forward too right ?

Fellow recovering friends, i hope your all doing well snd finding your way in recovery. Although theres way to many crappy days i can honestly say that my worst day in recovery is better than my best days drinking and drugging on the streets. And if your one of those folks that see alcohol as s substitute and that if you just drink youll be ok, please think it all the way through and believe me when i say your just a ticki ng time bomb. Alcohol is a drug period… anytime you some alcohol and get that feeling try snd picture it having a skull and cross bones on it and labelled Aresenic… thanks for letting me share !

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I think a large part of the problem is that it’s not only socially acceptable - it’s socially encouraged! Their marketing strategies hinge on the fact that this is a social behavior. Now that it’s summertime I feel like every other ad I see (or hear) is for some drink. And I don’t even have cable television! One brand is making it seem healthy (and social). Another brand is straight up saying “this is how you make friends.” It’s disgusting.

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Welcome matt, this community is wonderful. I have to agree with you that alcohol is a drug. I used to think that I wasn’t addicted to pain pills because the doc prescribed them to me, what I wasn’t thinking was I was getting them elsewhere and either way it is illegal and it is an addiction.

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Oh without a doubt ! Your absolutely right , I saw an ad the other day about vitamin and electrolyte infused alcoholic WATER !! I just had to laugh. And you also have noticed the loads of different beverages aiming at the health and weight concious demographics the same way many companies make a high proof , dead cheap beer or liquor aimed at the poor and stick rappers and such on the bottles and in ads. I always found it hysterical that in some commercials they show like two socially awkward guys sitting around looking miserable, so one guy pops open a , i dunno, smirnoff ice or mikes or bud and POOF their surrounded by an instant party with everyone dancing and ofcourse then the three bikini clad vickys models have to catwalk over to them and hug them like “hiiiii guys” lmao … they dont tell you that if you keep it up youll end up in a world of hell. Can you imagine if commercials where honest? Lol i just got a great thread idea !

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Thanks for the welcome ! And yah i went through the pain pill experiment as well. Was rx’d all sorts of high potency medicine after i developed severe stomach and intestine issues from my drinking. Yah, i said the same thing " but but the dr gave them to me!" Lmao didnt end well

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I bet it didn’t, I can only imagine. I turned to alcohol after the first time of getting clean. That didn’t end very well. Lol good luck, we are here for you any time you need it

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Thank you @MattE1030

It is crazy how warped our perceptions can become and how long it takes to reset them to appropriate levels.

Also, the alcohol water kills me! Seriously?!?

But I was completely ignorant to the facts about alcohol until it was a problem for me. Most just don’t know and the marketing works on unsuspecting minds! So crazy once you’re educated and see it for what it is.

Thanks for sharing.

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