I’m not sure I agree with using sobriety drugs to assist in alcholism:
Sobriety drugs trying to carve out niche
Wednesday, September 14, 2005; Posted: 10:44 a.m. EDT (14:44 GMT)
BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) — Above all else, John Bauhs credits a drug for helping him stop drinking — a story line some alcoholics, doctors and drug companies hope will become more common as new treatment options emerge.
Bauhs tried practically everything he could think of to stop during 25 years of drinking but he couldn’t stay sober until a year ago, when he began taking naltrexone — a drug that can block the brain chemicals that make alcoholics feel good after a drink — while also undergoing counseling.
Recovery Drugs
I’ve been in recovery for 16 years. Once I got down to the nitty-gritty, that is finally hitting bottom (only took 20 years or so), finally accepted the fact that I had a drinking problem, it really wasn’t too bad. The quitting drinking part, I mean. I started going to AA, but I didn’t stop drinking immediately. AA did interuppt my drinking, however: instead of getting pie-eyed every night, I only got pie-eyed every other night. That went on for a few weeks until finally, one morning. I woke with my head in the toilet and knew that day was the day.
Turned out, so far anyway, it was. July 19, 1989. I picked up my green chip and started not drinking.
Just to give you an idea about how bad I was, 2 weeks before I quit, I was out drinking having a good ol’ time. I was never one to have one drink and go home. I had to have at least 20 drinks. I was stupidly driving my car thru the city when a cop decided he needed to pull me over. I hit the gas and sped thru the city, intent on my destination, cop hot on my tail, sirens and lights going.
I ignored him.
I made it to the bar. Damn near drove thru the back of the bar too. I got out of the car, this cop was *screaming* at me to stop, and still I made my way into the bar.
Where I promptly handed over my keys to the barmaid, with instructions not to give them back.
One of my smarter moves in my drinking life. The cop, who had every right to arrest me for a number of things, did not arrest me. He did yell at me for about 20 minutes, however. He left the bar, cussing at me. I stayed at the bar and drank some more, finally stumbling home to my house.
How I managed to avoid this cop for 2 weeks is beyond me, but I did. I still drank and drove ~duh! And then quit drinking 2 weeks later.
And guess what? My Officer Friendly started dogging me! I worked late at night, often not arriving home until 2 or 3 am, sometimes later. He would see me driving thru the city and would follow my butt home – right up to my driveway! After 3 weeks of not drinking (couldn’t really call my self sober at the point – still had alcohol as my blood system), I decided to confront him. I arrived home, got out of my car and walked over to his. I asked him if there was anything I could help him with. He informed me that he had his eye on me and was waiting for me to drive drunk.
I disappointed him. He gave up a couple of months later.
For me, it truly wasn’t that difficult once I decided to stop. Of course, I went to at least 3 meetings a day….. during this time I worked my butt off as well. I also had the DT’s for a year. Mildly weird stuff went on: weird enough to know what was going on, but not weird enough that I couldn’t deal. I didn’t go thru the shakes; but I had strange dreams. Constantly. Booze waiting for me in the shower, and other odd places. Or I would wake up from a dead sleep – bolt upright: Where the hell is my car???? And I would have to go look for the car. I did the same thing with money. Or I would wake up with a terrible sense of what did I do last night? It would take a few minutes to recover from this.