Posted by nolegirl23 on October 4, 2007, at 21:28:12
In reply to HAVE I SCREWED UP MY SOBRIETY, posted by Bellame on September 24, 2007, at 21:17:28
> I hava chemical dependency with benzo's, sedatives, and most prescrition pills. I am almost 6 months clean I recently became sick with nausea, headache and dizziness--not related to drug use as I am clean. So far the tests are negative but I have been precribed meclizine and ativan to help with the dizziness. I am taking it as prescribed until I get a diagnosis. Am I missing up my sobriety by taking the ativan? I am not duing it to get high or low but just some relief from these awful symptoms and it is dr precribed. Please help me to know what to do.
Hi Bellame,
I struggle with the same issue on a daily basis. I am an alcoholic, and I am also active in AA. I have been diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa, Bipolar type II, Panic Disorder and OCD. Because of these mental health issues, I am on several PRESCRIBED medications; one of which is Xanax. When I got involved with AA, I went there so that I could quit drinking, if I kept on drinking the way I was drinking before I got sober than I was going to end up dead or in prison for taking the life of an innocent driver..
A lot of people in AA tell me that I have to stop taking xanax if I really want to get sober. I take xanax as prescribed, I don't get high off of it, and it keeps me from having panic attacks. I have spoken to my sponsor about this at great length, and she agrees that as long as I abstain from alcohol and as long as I am not abusing the xanax, than I am not ruining my sobriety.
The problem with AA is that so many people have so many different opinions on this issue. Some people (like the man who chaired the meeting tonight) believe that you have to be free from ALL mood altering substances. For me that would mean unmanageable anxiety, severe depression, wild mood swings and possible death from my eating disorder. My meds keep me sane, and in order to stay sober I need to stay sane.
So no, I don't think that you are ruining your sobriety if you are taking your meds as prescribed. If you start taking them to get high, than that is a different issue.
Take care!
~S~
poster:nolegirl23
thread:784965
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20070929/msgs/786960.html