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How long?

Discussion in 'Alcohol' started by Sharol, Apr 12, 2019.

  1. Sharol

    Sharol Member

    How long does it take someone to recover? and How successful is someone who is trying to quit using drugs
  2. True concern

    True concern Community Champion

    It varies,the more you want it,the harder you fight it the better the odds
    deanokat and Dominica like this.
  3. Dominica

    Dominica Author, Writer, Recovery Advocate Community Listener

    @Sharol hey there! thanks for reaching out. it can take different times for each person...and it depends on a lot of factors. would love to know more about you!
    deanokat and True concern like this.
  4. DoxyMom

    DoxyMom Community Champion

    @Sharol hello and welcome. Addiction is a chronic disease that you treat for the rest of your life. You have periods of remission. When you are sober but can relapse. Success depends on the individual. Everyone has a different journey.
    Joshstillclean, deanokat and Dominica like this.
  5. deanokat

    deanokat Community Organizer Community Listener

    @Sharol... Like the others have said, recovery is a different journey for everyone. Nobody gets clean and sober in the exact same way, and nobody gets clean and sober in the exact same time frame. For some, it can take a relatively short amount of time. For others, it can take months or even years. And, like @DoxyMom said, living a clean and sober life is something someone in recovery has to work diligently at for the rest of their life. If you get complacent, relapse is inevitable.

    I'm glad you came here and asked the question. Would you like to share more of your personal story with us? We'd love to hear it.
    Dominica likes this.
  6. cheffy

    cheffy Community Champion

    Another thing to consider is removing any underlying cause that makes the person want the drink/drug to start with (if there is one - sometimes it's not easy to find). I was an alcoholic and was able, ready, and willing to quit, but for all the wrong reasons - narcotics - not a good choice, but it made me want to quit the alcohol. Later on I found that I'm Bi-Polar and have been all my life, and was treated for that - especially the depression - and I met a bunch of people that liked me and could help me, and I found I could quit the narcotics, AND the alcohol. Kind of a crazy way to do it, but it worked (Just to be clear - I'm not suggesting that anyone should move on to narcotics to quit alcohol). It's still not an easy street for me but not being depressed 24/7 really made a difference. I used to drink and take drugs to forget yesterday. Anything to forget yesterday. Now there is almost always a potential yesterday that I want to remember!
  7. Dominica

    Dominica Author, Writer, Recovery Advocate Community Listener

    @cheffy hello! quite the testimony! thanks for sharing. i'm glad you've been able to cut out both narcotics and alcohol.

    having a great support system can be very helpful indeed!!
    Joshstillclean, cheffy and deanokat like this.
  8. deanokat

    deanokat Community Organizer Community Listener

    I'm really happy for you, @cheffy. I'm so glad you were able to get treated for your bipolar disorder and depression. And quit the alcohol and narcotics. Keep making memories you want to cherish!
    Joshstillclean and cheffy like this.