Is It OK to use Alcohol or Other Drugs in Recovery?
A common misconception among some in recovery is that it’s OK to use another substance that wasn’t your “drug of choice” because that substance was never your “thing” so you will be able to use that substance without any problems. But is that true? The short answer is: no. If you use another mood-altering substance other than your “drug of choice” you are not going to be OK. Here are some things to consider.
1. Drugs are drugs
Mood-altering substances, whether alcohol, marijuana, prescription medications used in ways other than prescribed, or illegal drugs (including hallucinogens) all act upon your brain and dopamine levels consistent with the disease of addiction, triggering your brain’s addiction to an altered state of mind. This will eventually, if not immediately, lead to a desire to use more, use something else, or use your drug of choice. In other words, using something other than your drug of choice will still trigger your addicted brain and maintain your addiction.
2. Are safe alternatives really the goal?
If you have an addiction, your brain craves an altered state of mind. It isn’t used to regulating itself but, instead, is used to being acted upon by outside forces (drugs). Believing that a substance is safe relative to your drug of choice is simply your addiction trying to justify continued use. There are no safe alternatives to your drug of choice. In fact, no drug is safe for anyone.
Alcohol isn’t safe – it produces a reduction in good judgement and can lead to intoxication or other drug use while intoxicated. And even one drink increases a person’s risk of cancer and other health problems.
Marijuana isn’t safe – it changes your brain chemistry to make you believe it’s good for you when it’s not. Marijuana is increasingly linked to low satisfaction with life, health problems (lung damage, heart and blood pressure issues, stomach problems, memory issues, low cognitive functioning), and anxiety.
Hallucinogens (like LSD, psilocybin, ketamine, and Ayahuasca/DMT) come with permanent and possibly life-threatening risks as they change required levels of oxygen in your blood, affect your heart, and trigger severe negative emotional effects in over half the people who use them.
And the dangers of drugs like cocaine, meth, heroin, and other stimulants and depressants should go without saying.
Maybe the goal shouldn’t be to figure out how you can still alter your mood with substances while being “safe” – the goal should be to figure out how to alter your mood naturally and live life without altering your mind artificially.
3. Are alcohol or marijuana OK just because they are legal?
As anyone who has had problems will alcohol will tell you, the fact that alcohol is legal doesn’t make it something that is not a problem. Alcohol isn’t legal because it’s OK – it’s legal because making it illegal didn’t work to curb the consequences of using it. The perceived cost of making it illegal became greater than the perceived risk. The same is becoming true for marijuana. And just like it took years for cigarettes to be known as “bad for you,” it will also be years before the dangers of marijuana will become widely accepted. You’re best to take heed and use common sense now rather than waiting until the science catches up with common sense. In short, both alcohol and marijuana are mood-altering substances that are not intended for human consumption, and consuming them will lead to problems. They are drugs and interact with the brain as a drug, leading to tolerance and a craving for more.
4. Drug interactions
Alcohol and marijuana, two of the substances most commonly dismissed as “not a problem,” both interact with medication, blocking the effectiveness of psychiatric medications or creating harmful mental, emotional, or health problems. For example, taking a depressant (like Xanax, Valium, or Klonopin) with alcohol or marijuana can lead to a major depression (slowing down) of your body functioning and can cause drowsiness, memory problems, and reduced brain function. It also increases generalized anxiety. For those taking an antidepressant medication (like Zoloft, Prozac, or Lexapro), alcohol and marijuana make the medication ineffective, leading to complaints that the medication isn’t working. Taking a stimulant (like Adderall or Vyvanse) with alcohol can lead to alcohol poisoning, impaired driving, and a host of health problems (including heart problems and stroke).
5. Are you capable of moderation?
Perhaps you believe that you will be able to use a drug like alcohol or marijuana in moderation. Here are a few things to consider if this is your intent:
What is your purpose for using? Is it because you want to be able to enjoy your time with others who are using? Is it because it’s a way to relax or get to sleep? Do you want to use it to help with anxiety, pain, stress, or unpleasant thoughts or feelings? When you use for these reasons, you are taking away your brain’s ability to deal with these situations in a natural, healthy way and you keep your addiction activated in your brain. Here’s how you can know:
You can ask yourself: “Will one drink be enough? Will an amount so small that I can’t even feel it be enough? Will I really be able to use like a ‘normal’ person?” A normal person who decides to drink does not have more than one drink and does not feel any effect from the alcohol. For those with an addiction, you would say “then what’s the point of drinking?” Exactly. Your brain can’t fathom the purpose of having only one, so you can’t drink like a “normal” person. You may think that you will be able to limit yourself to one – or that you will be able to limit yourself to “just” alcohol or “just marijuana - but you may not be able to. Your addiction will want you to use more or use another substance to get the high it desires. Your brain has a disease that craves an altered state of mind – it’s not something you can control. Complete abstinence from all mood-altering substances is the only remedy.
For the sake of self-awareness, here are things you might hear yourself saying that raise a red flag regarding your ability to limit your use:
If you use the word “just” - as in “I’ll just have a couple of drinks” or “I’ll just smoke before bed”
If you use the word “probably” or “might” – as in “I’ll probably have one drink” or “I might smoke a little now and then”
If you use the word “or” in defining how much you’ll have - as in “I’ll just have one or two drinks” or “I’ll just take a hit or two”
This language subconsciously (or consciously) leaves the door open for you to use more than you may think you will use (or more than you want someone to think you will use). But responsible use in moderation doesn’t work on vague language. Responsible use says “I will have only one drink” or, better yet, “I don’t drink.” Being responsible hinges on being specific. So be prepared to consider:
How big is the glass or bottle I’m drinking from? More than 3 Tablespoons of hard liquor, 12 ounces of beer or seltzer (10 ounces of hard cider), or 5 ounces (about a half cup measure) of wine is too much because it’s more than one drink.
How many is a “couple?” Is it two, or is two/three or the same as a few?
Is “one or two” drinks the same as “no more than two?”
And regarding whether you can safely and responsibly use marijuana, there is no such thing as safe and responsible use of marijuana.
6. Are you really in recovery?
If you are thinking about how to be able to use mood-altering substances safely, it may be right to question whether you are really in recovery. Being in recovery is much more than just being sober or off your drug of choice. Recovery is doing the work of recovering what was lost while you were using: getting back (or getting for the first time) an internal sense of strength (“I can accomplish things”), significance (“I matter”), and security (“I can take good care of myself and make good choices”). It means learning how to navigate life with effective coping strategies for stress, sleep, or pain. It means being able to tolerate emotions and navigate conflict in a healthy way. It means creating healthy relationships. It means pursuing health on every level (physical, financial, mental, emotional, intellectual, spiritual). People who are truly in recovery embrace the idea that substances will never be a part of their life again. So, are you really in recovery, or do you still have some work to do?
When it comes to substance use after recovery, you can do whatever you decide to do. If you have considered all of the previous factors and decide to do it anyway, then you will do it. Should you do it? No. It’s not a good idea. It’s just another risk factor for relapse, and why create another risk factor on purpose?
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