Should I Be Dating Another Sober Person?
December 19, 2018Will Coca-Cola and Cannabis Extract Mix?
December 21, 2018The question of sobriety has brought some controversy up to the surface regarding the use of prescription medication. Is someone really sober if they use antidepressants or opioid blockers in their recovery? 12-Step programs are often against using any mind-altering substance of any kind when a person is trying to remain sober. The obvious answer with alcohol and street drugs is pretty clear, but prescription medication is a whole other conundrum.
There will be people who not be honest and abuse their medications while still appearing to remain sober. One of the most common characteristics of substance abusers is trying to continuously get away with their addictive behaviors so they can keep doing what they are doing. If this is the case, then most likely they are not truly sober. Then there are other people who have mental health disorders that need medication to help them function in their day to day life.
Although a sponsor is used to guide someone through their sobriety, this does not mean they have a full knowledge about medical issues that could potentially cause harm to someone without the proper medical supervision. A sponsor should excuse themselves from the relationship before they instruct someone to stop taking medications that could cause them to go insane from weaning off them incorrectly or worse, make them have suicidal tendencies.
In the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous page 133, it states this, “God has abundantly supplied this world with fine doctors, psychologists, and practitioners of various kinds. Do not hesitate to take your health problems to such persons. Most of them give freely of themselves, that their fellows may enjoy sound minds and bodies. Try to remember that though God has wrought miracles among us, we should never belittle a good doctor or psychiatrist. Their services are often indispensable in treating a newcomer and in following his case afterward.”
This merely means that if you need to take any medications that have been prescribed by your doctor, you should weigh out your options to see if there is an alternative that is not mind-altering. You should also make sure you are being rigorously honest with your doctor and with yourself, and not take something that could be the gateway to relapse on something you are already addicted to. See where your motives truly lie with your medication and continue to build from there.
The Kimberly Center offers a variety of recovery programs to cover your every need during our extensive treatment for drugs and alcohol. We offer a unique recovery experience while providing a safe place to practice the principles of recovery that you will need in the real world.
Call us today to get started: 855-4-KCENTER (855-452-3683)