This go around I’ve been sober a week and a half. I was sober once upon a time 2+ years and going back to my positive strategies…
now
I have been dealing with Chronic Pain from my cervial spine for 10yrs. Real stuff (injections , surgeries and all that). The pain I was on was intense. MANY MANY times I decided to drink and not take my Rxs. Sometimes I would mix Rx with booze, but generally not.
So I am in pain tonight. Meds NOT WORKING. I got cravings pretty high. I am not going to drink tonight. I realize how easy it would be. Just vocalizing an intense trigger.
Though I don’t comprehend the severity of your pain as mine isn’t as severe, but I can relate to some degree.
I have spinal stenosis, degenerative disk disease, bulging disks, and arthritis in my lower back at 38 years old.
My alcoholism started as a way to cope with the pain and stress of my landscaping business. There were days I couldn’t stand up strait, or get a shock in my back where I would just fall down. Not to mention the back spasms once every two weeks.
Luckily, I made the decision to get out of the business, and that helped tremendously. But I’m always in some sort of pain, though not nearly as severe.
Keep fighting, what I realized now was it helped the pain in the moment, the withdrawl symptoms actually intensified what pain I had the following day.
For me I maintain on a daily basis thru my higher power that I am 100% powerless over alcohol and weed. Once I start drinking and smoking weed I can’t stop! So as long as remember my powerlessness over these I won’t drink and smoke. Sometimes my chronic pain that comes from a serious blood disorder is really over bearing so I have to break my 24hrs up into minutes and hours and make some fone calls for support. It’s not easy by far on some days but it sure worth it !!!
Goose. we sound like kindred spirits when it comes to pain and booze. One thing I KNOW is that I was making a conscious choice to skip my meds (mostly Lyrica) and self medicating. I had been doing it for so long the efficacy of the booze failed and I wasn’t letting the meds do what had to be done.
I had a cervical fusion on Oct 5 and the first 3 weeks sucked. I went back to the booze for a short time before admitting I wasn’t giving the healing a chance. I am 34 days into abstention and am consciously letting my mind and body heal.
ive bing drank for 2 decades. not looking too far ahead but am letting myself heal.
Luckily, my doctor is trying to keep me from surgery as long as possible. So far I’ve done pretty good in managing my pain. Lots of stretching, and not over doing physical activities that could cause a problem.
I say that, and the last two days I’ve been working on converting a kitchen closet into a pantry. Now starting to hurt, probably a 6-7 out of 10. We’ll see if I get smart enough to call it quits for the day.
I did the same thing though, skipped taking meds such as prescription anti inflammation meds and flexeral in order to self medicated.
