And All Other Mind-Altering Drugs

Sunday, 21 February 2010 23:51

STEP ONE: We admitted we were powerless over cocaine and all other mind-altering substances — that our lives had become unmanageable.

TRADITION THREE: The only requirement for C.A. membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances.

Many people come to Cocaine Anonymous thinking one of two things: "I rarely (or never) even used cocaine. I don't think I belong here," or "What exactly does the 'and all other mind-altering substances' part mean? I came to Cocaine Anonymous because cocaine had become a problem in my life."

Those of us who have been C.A. members for a while have heard questions and statements like this before; perhaps the words were even our own. Over time, virtually every single one of us has realized that our real problem is not cocaine or any specific drug, it is the disease of addiction.

Some of us never even used cocaine. Some of us used a variety of drugs, and for others it was combining cocaine with alcohol and/or other drugs that got us into trouble and made our lives miserable. Many of us rode drug roller coasters; there were drugs to come down with, drugs to go up with, and drugs to mellow out with.

During those times we attempted to regain control we found that any substitution or new combination inevitably created the same result. It was hard to stop and easy to get started. Experience after experience revealed that substitution was no cure. If our bodies were not absolutely free of drugs and alcohol, the obsession to use more of something was always lurking.

For example, imagine that you have just run out of one drug and cannot get any more. What would you use for a substitute? Alcohol for heroin, methamphetamine for cocaine, prescriptions for whatever, vice-versa – the list could go on and on and it really wouldn't matter. The point is that addicts like us soon find ourselves unable to stop using the substitute. Whatever drug we use, the problem of not being able to stop resurfaces, often bigger than before.

At some point we finally realize that we cannot control our use of any mind-altering substances. The problem isn't the drug of choice; the problem is the disease of addiction. With its Third Tradition and all-inclusive First Step, Cocaine Anonymous welcomes anyone with a drug or alcohol problem and offers a solution.

ALCOHOL AND MARIJUANA

Marijuana is a potent drug, and alcohol is a mind-altering chemical in liquid form. Many people don't realize that these are no different from any other drugs regarding the potential to get us into trouble. One drink is never enough; just as one puff, hit, fix, bump, pill or snort is never enough. We are masters at combining and substituting one drug with another to get high.

Has getting drunk or loaded ever been the unintentional result of “just” one drink or “just” a beer? Have you ever experienced the consequences of impaired judgment or decision-making ability as a direct result of smoking “just” a little pot? Did one of anything ever lead to two or three or more of something harder or stronger?

Many of us never thought that alcohol and/or marijuana were part of our problem, but upon honest examination and working the Steps, we usually find a need to re-evaluate that notion.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

The use of prescription drugs may be medically necessary at times. However, old patterns of thinking influenced by the presence of a mind-altering substance in our system can soon have us convinced that we need to take it more frequently than prescribed. An informed prescribing physician, placing our medication in control of someone we can trust, and honest communication with a sponsor or another recovering addict can be helpful in preventing abuse.

Our bodies and minds don't know the difference between drugs used for legitimate reasons and drugs used for recreational pleasure. It’s a sound practice to enlist the support of all of our physicians and/or mental health care professionals in continuing on the path to recovery. Abruptly stopping the use of tranquilizers, antidepressants or other prescription drugs can be dangerous and even deadly, and should only be done under the guidance of an informed physician.

OVER-THE-COUNTER AND COMMONLY USED LEGAL DRUGS

Over-the-counter and other legal drugs (such as cough syrups or pain relievers that contain alcohol and/or codeine, diet pills that act as stimulants, and antihistamines that act as depressants) can be just as big of a problem for us as street drugs. We suggest that you become a label reader. There are many products on the market that can be dangerous to an addict who has the potential to abuse just about any mind-altering chemical.

Uninformed addicts can be a hazard to themselves and others. We encourage you to ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions regarding medications. Be honest with your sponsor about what drugs you take or are prescribed to you.

Remember, we’re powerless over cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. Step One is a beginning, but be sure to move forward. A spiritual awakening as the result of working all Twelve Steps is the solution to the problem of addiction.

SO WHAT DOES “AND ALL OTHER MIND-ALTERING SUBSTANCES” MEAN?

It means that it is the collective experience of the members of Cocaine Anonymous that addiction is a problem not limited to any one substance. It means that C.A.'s Twelve Steps are not drug-specific, and that Cocaine Anonymous is not a drug-specific fellowship. It means that it doesn't matter to us if you drank or what type of drugs you used; if you have a desire to stop, you are welcome here!

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Cocaine Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others recover from their addiction. The best way to reach someone is to speak to them on a common level The members of C.A. are all recovering addicts who maintain their individual sobriety...

Who Is a Cocaine Addict?

Some of us can answer without hesitation, "I am!" Others aren't so sure. Cocaine Anonymous believes that no one can decide for another whether he or she is addicted. One thing is sure, though; every single one of us has denied being an addict. For months, for years, we who now freely admit that we are...

Welcome to Cocaine Anonymous!

We are all here for the same reason - our inability to stop using cocaine. The first step towards solving any problem is understanding the problem. The Problem The Problem, as we see it, consists of an obsession of the mind and a compulsion of the body. The obsession is a continued and irresistible thought...

This section describes one method for taking the Twelve Steps of Cocaine Anonymous. To help us work the Twelve Steps, Cocaine Anonymous uses a text entitled Alcoholics Anonymous, commonly referred to as "the Big Book." When studying this text, some of us find it useful to substitute the word "cocaine" for "alcohol" and the word "using" for "drinking," although...

There comes a time when the cocaine stops working--a time when the coke, the other drugs, and all the madness become unbearable. By then, you just can't stop, so you manage to score and somehow survive and keep on using because, although it's killing you, cocaine has become the most important thing in your life. If you somehow, some way, get a break...

As a newcomer, you may have thought or said, "What's this talk about God? I came here to stop using cocaine, not to join a new religion." Don't feel alone. Many of us were put off with the talk about God when we first came to meetings. It is easy enough to confuse the word spirituality with religion. As it relates to God, Cocaine Anonymous is a spiritual program,...

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Here are some tips to help you stay clean and sober... Take the 12 Steps of Cocaine Anonymous. Go to 90 meetings in 90 days. Don't use between meetings. Don't drink or use no matter what. Throw away all your drug paraphernalia. Get a sponsor. Call your sponsor every day. Avoid people, places and things that you associate with drug use. Don't deal drugs. Get phone numbers and use them. If no one is home, and you're in trouble, call the Hotline. Be...

Why Sponsorship? By this time you may have gone to meetings and heard lots of talk about working the Steps, a power greater than ourselves and getting a sponsor. You may also have become aware that Cocaine Anonymous is based on the Twelve...

" ... we aren't a glum lot. If newcomers could see no joy or fun in our existence, they wouldn't want it. We absolutely insist on enjoying life." 1 One of the most surprising things a newcomer may hear at a C.A. meeting is the sound of laughter. How is it possible that the same people who probably started drinking or using drugs in the pursuit of a good time are now having an even better time without mind-altering substances? At first out of necessity, and then from an honest desire to be open to new experiences,...

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"At first it was fun. Then it reached the point where every time I used, I had chest pains and my heart beat would go crazy; and yet I couldn't stop." "There I lay in the hospital, almost dead from an overdose. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest and yet all I could think about was getting another hit." "I couldn't stop until my whole paycheck was gone. I promised myself that next week it would be different -- 'I'll only do one' -- but one turned into two, two turned into three, and...

STEP ONE: We admitted we were powerless over cocaine and all other mind-altering substances — that our lives had become unmanageable. TRADITION THREE: The only requirement for C.A. membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. Many people come to Cocaine Anonymous thinking one of two things: "I rarely (or never) even used cocaine. I don't think I belong here," or "What exactly does the 'and all other mind-altering substances' part mean? I came to Cocaine Anonymous...

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Hope, Faith and Courage: Stories from the Fellowship of Cocaine Anonymous was first published in 1994. As its title suggests, this powerful collection of stories delivers the message of recovery as it has been experienced by members of our fellowship, in their own words. The following excerpt from Hope, Faith and Courage is often read at meetings of Cocaine Anonymous: Reaching Out I made it into this Program because someone else worked their Twelfth Step on me. Someone passed it on to me. Someone was...

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Unity is a common bond that transcends all differences. We've discovered no matter how different our circumstances or the paths that brought us here, we all suffer from the same disease: addiction. We admitted our lack of power and accepted that we could not recover alone. The strength and direction of our recovery is found in our unity. We are people who might never have mixed. Addiction and recovery are the threads that bind us. We relate to such feelings as grandiosity, insecurity, jealousy, and false pride and...

Every C.A. group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions. Where does the money in the basket go? You are like many of us when we first came into the rooms of Cocaine Anonymous — we put our money into the basket and then we saw that one person who we thought was the boss or president of C.A. take the money and put it into an envelope or into his or her pocket or pocketbook. At first, this did not seem to be a big deal; then, we came to a point at which we wondered what happened to...

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In the ancient world, when children were discovered to be deaf, they were often disowned and left to die or fend for themselves. Currently, six to ten percent of the United States' general population are deaf or hard of hearing. Of that number, ten percent are addicts and/or alcoholics (approximately 2 million). Without access to a program of recovery, this very large group of people are again, left to die or fend for themselves. Cocaine Anonymous' preamble states that "our primary purpose...