Was it a slip?

[NMDemDist2]

i'm asking cuz a woman in our group (coming up on 9 years) got a script from her doc without telling him she was an alkie and has a history of abusing prescriptions.

she took 3 oxycotins one day and admits she was 'looking for that high' then took two more the next day.

so, did she slip or not? an oldtimer in our group claims that the 'singleness of purpose' states that as long as she didn't DRINK she doesn't need to change her sobriety date

your opinion?

7 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	for sure, it's a slip. change sobriety date
	5 (71%)
	no, she can take her AA cake
	0 (0%)
	Cake?? did somebody mention Cake??
	0 (0%)
	it's her call, only she can judge her motives
	2 (29%)
	kittens!
	0 (0%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[neeksgeek]

1. I voted that it is a slip, based on

"history of abusing prescriptions," as well as her own admission that she was "looking for that high."

[NMDemDist2]

2. yeah

since she was hoping 'for some relief' i thought that pointed to motive.

we'll see if she still takes her cake

what pisses me off is that co dependent oldtimer who fed her a line of candy coated BS

[Old Codger]

4. Although

I agree that it is a slip since her intention was for the high I also think it comes under the heading of "personal" honesty, if she is honest she will change her date, if not she will go on denying her problem and continue to be a practicing addict. It is not up to anyone else to decide for her, but if no honesty this time there will be a next time and another and another etc

[NMDemDist2]

11. just an FYI, she crossed her name off the calendar and came clean to the group Tuesday

and she's got a new sponsor and is working hard to change


so it was a worthwhile wake up call I guess.

[Old Codger]

12. Good

Although not really "good" that she lost her sobriety date it is good that she recognized the need to be honest about it and take personal responsibility for her actions.... She greatly improved her chances of continued sobriety....

[NMDemDist2]

13. i think she came to that realization

i'm proud of her and told her so

[Old Codger]

14. she doesn't

Know me and I am nothing special but whenever someone makes this type of decision it makes me warm all over, we all have our own personal stories on these type of missteps and recovery from them.... she made a mistake, most if not all of us have done so, many of us survived it some didn't and that makes me sad, it is a cliche but a real fact also "some will die so that the rest of us can survive" not as I have heard it stated that some MUST die....no one MUST die but some will.

Tell her for me if you have the chance that I and every AA member inclusive are proud of her and wish nothing but the best for her in her path in recovery

[NMDemDist2]

15. i will and she'll cry

it's all good.

i'll see her at the speaker meeting tomorrow and pass on your wishes

[tavalon]

20. That is spectacular

I'm so glad for her. Sure she loses her "number" but she regains a sober life. That is the only number that means anything.

[tavalon]

19. Yeah, I saw it that way

If this program teaches us nothing else, it's that we get and we must take personal responsibility for all of our actions. She gets to take her own inventory and from what she said, it sounds like with a little fearless moral inventory on her part, she would change her sobriety date and get herself to many meetings. But that is her call. The call of the high can sometimes be louder, unfortunately.

[irisblue]

3. pain control v slip

I am sure that the second day pills are a slip, since she was chasing that high. The first day, IF they were taken as prescribed, they were not, from my chair in this room. I don't know what was the motivating factor was in the script being written, was there an fresh injury? A out patient surgical procedure? For sure she's walking a slippery slope, and I gotta wonder if the old timer sees being dry as the same as recovery.
I truly believe there legit needs for pain control, even in addicts. I hope she has contacted her doctor and let them know there was a problem with her using the meds and I really hope she is working with her sponsor to work towards recovery, not just being dry and white knuckling through pain
NDDem, you'vegiven us something to think about, I am interested in hearing others thoughts on this as well.

[Iggo]

5. She took drugs to get high.

Last edited Sun Nov 18, 2012, 10:19 AM - Edit history (1)

She took drugs to get high.

Call it whatever you want, but...

She took drugs to get high.

(EDIT: Being familiar with AAers who smoke a joint then take their cake, I voted the cake option. I, however, go the NA way, where if you were trying to get high, you fucked up. A drug's a drug, baby.)

[irisblue]

6. serious question Iggo

I'm hoping for a new knee in a few months (I'm 55), assuming workers comp agrees. I know when I wake up, there will be a pain pump, if I spend a few days on floor, with nursing and PT to learn how to walk again, there will be meds after. I'm not so sure about bringing them home, where I could be in charge of them. My sponsor and I are discussing how to handle this. Does this count as a slip by you?

[Iggo]

7. That's such a gray area.

When I got seventeen teeth yanked from my head in one day, I got twenty-something shots of numbing agent, and at least one shot of the stuff that makes the walls melt. I only raised my hand when I could feel something. That was the rules, and i stuck to them. As they were finishing up, the dentist says "I'm writing you a scrip for codeine" and even though I couldn't talk, I shook my head and went "unh-unh" and reached into my pocket and pulled out my black and gold multi-year key tag. He said "you sure?" and I nodded. I had to tough it out on ibuprofen. So I enjoyed the ride of the "special shot" knowing it was unasked for, but when it came to my choice, I chose non-narcotic pain meds. It's my position I didn't slip.

But knees and teeth are different. My advice is to be completely honest with your doctors. Tell them you're a recovering addict. And work out between you what's best for your recovery.

[NMDemDist2]

8. IMHO no.

as long as it's medically necessary and overseen by medical personnel it isn't a slip.

if one begs the doc to send them home with more heavy drugs even knowing the pain is manageable with OTC, that's a slip.

I had to take codeine cough syrup with pneumonia, i resisted the doc insisted, hubby doled it out for a week then the rest went down the drain. no slip

if i had refilled the script and 'nipped' it after a tough day, slip

this is my personal experience and belief, YMMV

edit to add, my friend in the OP knew she didn't need the narcotics for the procedure she had that day, but had been planning all week for getting those drugs and how it would be great to 'get some relief'

[cally]

17. I'm very scared of taking pain meds during recovery

I've had two medical procedures---acute ear infection and shingles--where the doctors wrote scripts for pain meds against my "wishes". I knew a part of me wanted those scripts too much for other than pain relief so I went to the HMO pharmacy and asked them to cancel the script so I didn't have access to it ever.

I don't think taking prescribed meds are a slip but I also know myself and that I relapsed once many years ago on prescription pain meds given to me for a legitimate reason. I know that one day I may want/have to take them but I will have someone else administer them to me. So far, I've used non-narcotic pain meds like Naprocin when I have medical issues instead of other type of addictive pain meds. I've been told in the rooms that Vicodin in particular works similarly in our bodies as alcohol and is one of the worst ones for recovering alcoholics to take. I would ask around the rooms and maybe someone could give some advice and which type of pain reliever to ask for. I found other AA members knew much more about this than my own doctors and helped me find meds that I could take when I was having acute pain.

[monkeyofstick]

18. yep...intension

Addict here as well.
No dice from me, intention=using.

No complications in spirituality

[Systemshock212]

9. Not at all comrade!

[NMDemDist2]

10. ahhh isn't that sweet? we got his last post

[Iggo]

16. LOL.

[Rhiannon12866]

21. From my experience, a whole lot of alcoholics are cross addicted

Pills were never my thing, but I know those in recovery that won't even take pain pills if they're injured. One woman I know who had long time sobriety considered it a relapse when she took just one pill. What my sponsor told me is that there's nothing wrong if you take something for a reason and in the correct dose, but if you abuse it, that's a slip.

[busterbrown]

22. Anything wich effects you from the neck up is a slip.a prescription would be o.k. bot Sponsor should

be involved. Been sober a long time and never met anyone who stayed sober while on
oxy. Not even a discussion warranted here.