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Can Recovering Drug Addicts Drink Alcohol?

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Can Recovering Drug Addicts Drink Alcohol?

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Author: Justin Mckibben

This is probably one of the most commonly asked questions, which can be met with some pretty conflicting answers. In the recovery community of 12 Step Fellowships there is a pretty consistent belief. Outside of that there are those who agree with that answer, as well as others who have their reservations. So depending on who you ask, you might get a very different and decisive answer or maybe one more ambiguous and open-ended. Can recovering drug addicts drink alcohol?

Can Recovering Drug Addicts Drink Alcohol: What is Alcohol?

Now before we get into cross-addiction or popular opinions, I just want to take a look at something very basic; what is alcohol?

In chemistry, alcohol defines any organic compound containing the bonding of hydroxyl functional group and a saturated carbon atom. This term originally referred to the primary alcohol ethanol- ethyl alcohol- which is the predominant alcohol in alcoholic beverages.

An alcohol beverage is defined as a drink containing a substantial amount of ethanol, a depressant which in low doses can cause:

  • Euphoria
  • Reduced anxiety

In higher doses alcohol can cause:

  • Intoxication/drunkenness
  • Stupor
  • Unconsciousness
  • Alcohol poisoning

Long-term use can lead to:

In short, alcohol is a substance that causes a chemical reaction in the body, which changes the physiology of the individual and can have dramatic effects, both short term and long term.

Can Recovering Drug Addicts Drink Alcohol: What is a Drug?

So, after getting a pretty decent grasp on what the worlds of history and science consider alcohol to actually be, I ask- what is a drug?

The definition of the word “drug” typically defines it as a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body.

Now some would simplify their answer and say that a drug is a mood or mind altering substance. Either way there are a lot of substances that fall into the category of a “drug” regardless of whether or not they are illicit, legal or even controlled. For instance, one can argue that caffeine is a drug. Technically, so is tobacco.

However, when we look at the concept of addiction, we should note two things:

  1. Alcohol is a substance that when consumed can have a physiological impact on the individual. It causes euphoria and relieves anxiety, while also having a strong impact on the body and its functions.
  2. A drug is a substance that has physiological effects and/or is a mind and mood altering substance.

So alcohol, by all intents and purposes, is absolutely a drug. In fact, many experts consider alcohol to be one of the most dangerous drugs there is.

Can Recovering Drug Addicts Drink Alcohol: Cross-Addiction

There is a term that some people use to describe an addict who starts to abuse a different drug than one they have been using. “Cross addiction” is an idea that implies if a person develops a severe substance use disorder/addiction to a substance, that individual has a greatly increased risk of developing a substance use disorder with another substance.

The concept of an increase in the vulnerability to develop another form of substance use disorder during the recovery process from a different substance makes sense in terms of reasoning. If someone who has been addicted to a depressant like heroin is recovering from use, often times substituting with another depressant like alcohol will only create a whole new problem.

It is also consistent with many models of how addiction works. If an individual is unable to make rational choices regarding substance use due to changes that occur in the brain, then of course that irrational thinking would extend to other substances. If substance use disorders have an impact on similar brain pathways, like the reward center that is primarily mediated by the neurotransmitter dopamine, it would reinforce the concept of a neurobiological substrate that is responsible for a vulnerability to developing a cross addiction.

In short, addiction to one substance wires the brain to feed off of other substances that provide dopamine and other chemical reactions, which will create new addictions.

Can Recovering Drug Addicts Drink Alcohol: What is Recovery?

The question finally comes down to the individual’s definition of recovery. What do you believe is a “successful recovery”? If recovery is about letting go of a dependence on substances to live a fulfilled and healthy life after recovering from damage done by drugs, then why would it be a question as to if another substance should be ok to substitute with?

Some people do believe in maintenance through other forms of medication, or self-medication, and that as long as they don’t go back to whatever it was, they are still recovering. It just depends on the perspective. You will have to know yourself. Even if you think heroin is your problem, or prescription drugs or other narcotics, alcohol is another drug that is also incredibly dangerous.

When you look at most 12 Step fellowships and other recovery communities they are very clear on this point; a drug is a drug, and alcohol is a drug.

Another element we have to look at is- what qualifies as “successful recovery” in terms of time? How long are most people able to maintain drinking alcohol after recovering from heroin or other drugs before it becomes an issue? Because some people will claim that they have given up one drug and moved on to drinking alcohol with success… but they might have only been doing it a few months or so. How long does it take to tell if it is just another addiction?

These aren’t all the easiest questions to answer, but one thing should be pretty simple; alcohol is a drug. Alcohol is definitely dangerous, and if someone is trying to break the chains of being dependent on a substance than switching to another is probably the last thing they want to do. At the end of the day, everyone has a different journey. But do not make these decisions without being honest with yourself about the risk you take.

Substituting substances is typically not a sustainable plan of recovery. Real recovery starts with setting a holistic and healing foundation for realm lasting results. If you or someone you love is struggling, please call toll-free now.

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The post Can Recovering Drug Addicts Drink Alcohol? appeared first on Holistic Drug Rehab Blog.


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