Comments on: An Experiment with Caffeine Addiction http://www.spiritualriver.com/an-experiment-with-addiction-and-relapse/ Non-traditional recovery from addiction Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:15:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Patrick http://www.spiritualriver.com/an-experiment-with-addiction-and-relapse/comment-page-1/#comment-41743 Patrick Tue, 22 Sep 2009 02:05:53 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/?p=1082#comment-41743 Well thanks for the kind words there, Lauren I am going to do an update on the caffeine addiction thing very soon, but I am holding off because it is....evolving on me. I recently made a HUGE change to my diet and I have stopped eating processed foods, taking my sodium intake down to about 1,000mg per day. (I have high blood pressure). For some reason this has reduced my caffeine intake considerably, and I might just quit it again altogether. Was not expecting this "twist" in things and I'm not sure what to do at this point. Will keep everyone posted though! (Now I see what my real addiction was all along....eating junk like Twinkies and Ho Ho's!) Well thanks for the kind words there, Lauren

I am going to do an update on the caffeine addiction thing very soon, but I am holding off because it is….evolving on me. I recently made a HUGE change to my diet and I have stopped eating processed foods, taking my sodium intake down to about 1,000mg per day. (I have high blood pressure). For some reason this has reduced my caffeine intake considerably, and I might just quit it again altogether.

Was not expecting this “twist” in things and I’m not sure what to do at this point. Will keep everyone posted though!

(Now I see what my real addiction was all along….eating junk like Twinkies and Ho Ho’s!)

]]> By: Lauren http://www.spiritualriver.com/an-experiment-with-addiction-and-relapse/comment-page-1/#comment-41740 Lauren Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:50:29 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/?p=1082#comment-41740 Amen brotha! I want to focus on the hope. I don't always; but our trials develop our strength of character, which bring out endurance and hope in us. I am a recovering addict; I use caffiene on a daily basis (in very small amounts). I'm not yet sure my 'prognosis' on my own personal use. I suppose it won't be a black or white thing *hard for me to grasp*...I'm sure it will grow and change and evolve for us, just as we are. Everlovin gray! Have a blessed and precious day. May you continue walking your path. Amen brotha! I want to focus on the hope. I don’t always; but our trials develop our strength of character, which bring out endurance and hope in us. I am a recovering addict; I use caffiene on a daily basis (in very small amounts). I’m not yet sure my ‘prognosis’ on my own personal use. I suppose it won’t be a black or white thing *hard for me to grasp*…I’m sure it will grow and change and evolve for us, just as we are. Everlovin gray! Have a blessed and precious day. May you continue walking your path.

]]> By: Patrick http://www.spiritualriver.com/an-experiment-with-addiction-and-relapse/comment-page-1/#comment-40516 Patrick Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:54:15 +0000 http://www.spiritualriver.com/?p=1082#comment-40516 Well hello there mister AntiAA/NA. You sound like you are pretty worked up there over the 12 step program. I have learned over the last year or so to let it be, and not be so riled up one way or the other. AA works for some and that is great, but the majority do not stay to find out. AA census data covering several decades shows that almost 80 percent of people who go to an AA meeting will leave the program within one year and never return. That is nothing against AA, the program is great and believe it or not there are some incredibly deep thinkers in AA and NA. I know because I went to meetings for a year and I also have several friends in the fellowships. I just don't "work the program," instead I work my own program of holistic recovery and personal growth. Whatever. I know all about the bad statistics and how AA could even be construed to have an overall negative affect and so on. I have read all the websites, spent hours over on the Orange papers and he is a deep thinker as well. But I am not so sharply for or against AA anymore. It just is. And it is OK and it does help people. I have one friend in particular who is like an absolute personal growth machine who constantly helps others...and he is hard core AA. So whatever. Let go of your judgments and your anger for a moment. Do what works for you. If you want to help others in recovery, then reach out to them and preach what works for you. That is what I do and what I preach is not AA. But I have seen that it is not an either/or thing. Your anger is blocking you from being on a calm and rational and helpful path. The statistics are....difficult to deal with. Yes they are probably more true than false but I have seen the real stats because I have worked in a drug rehab for 4 years plus. I see the people go out and come back, over and over again. 90 percent relapse? Yeah you could say that. It is grim. But there is hope. Why are you not focusing on the hope? Well hello there mister AntiAA/NA. You sound like you are pretty worked up there over the 12 step program. I have learned over the last year or so to let it be, and not be so riled up one way or the other. AA works for some and that is great, but the majority do not stay to find out. AA census data covering several decades shows that almost 80 percent of people who go to an AA meeting will leave the program within one year and never return.

That is nothing against AA, the program is great and believe it or not there are some incredibly deep thinkers in AA and NA. I know because I went to meetings for a year and I also have several friends in the fellowships. I just don’t “work the program,” instead I work my own program of holistic recovery and personal growth. Whatever.

I know all about the bad statistics and how AA could even be construed to have an overall negative affect and so on. I have read all the websites, spent hours over on the Orange papers and he is a deep thinker as well. But I am not so sharply for or against AA anymore. It just is. And it is OK and it does help people. I have one friend in particular who is like an absolute personal growth machine who constantly helps others…and he is hard core AA. So whatever. Let go of your judgments and your anger for a moment. Do what works for you. If you want to help others in recovery, then reach out to them and preach what works for you. That is what I do and what I preach is not AA. But I have seen that it is not an either/or thing. Your anger is blocking you from being on a calm and rational and helpful path.

The statistics are….difficult to deal with. Yes they are probably more true than false but I have seen the real stats because I have worked in a drug rehab for 4 years plus. I see the people go out and come back, over and over again. 90 percent relapse? Yeah you could say that. It is grim.

But there is hope. Why are you not focusing on the hope?

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