Psychological Addiction To Alcohol

After a serious alcohol induced illness I have never touched it again, 3 years completely dry. I have no physical craving but still seek in my life the 'feel good' that came from booze. I seek that buzz in other unharmful things or activities but it never seems to reach that 10 out 10 feeling that booze gave me. Consequently I believe I'm still addicted to the effect of alcohol. Do others have this problem, or understand mine? Does anyone know others in the same position who have used naltrexone for this situation? My life is trouble and generally stress free and I'm very fortunate so it's not life doing this. I'd really like to find a doctor or psychologist that has worked with this situation using naltrexone to treat it. Would really appreciate any information on practitioners please.

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Gardengirl, it sounds like you have the disease (or disorder) of addiction. Commendations for 3 years dry! Addiction to alcohol or any substance will usually re-assert itself in other forms such as food, sex, co-dependence, etc., so it is a good idea to have some program of recovery so you do not have to look outside yourself in order to feel whole. It is possible, I can say from experience, to get rid of the cravings. You might try one of the 12-step programs, for instance. If nothing else, you will find support and camaraderie.

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I’ve been going to a mental health facility and a lot of the girls are on vivitrol. Which takes your cravings away. They say it works very well but it is very expensive for the injections. They inject you once a month. but if you are on Medicaid or have insurance then they will pay for them. Good luck

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Hello Gardengirl, I guess it all depends on how you look at the situation. I myself would not consider me to be an alcoholic or even hooked on it to where I would think I need the help, but I have used alcohol to allow me to have lots of fun at social gathering and functions. Well just about a week ago at a family gathering I had less to drink than normal, I ended up taking two shots of vodka. within maybe 30 minutes I blacked out. It was just so weird how my body was still moving and I was still able to speak but I was really lost and I was saying things that I probably should not have been saying. Not only was I not able to remember anything that happens that day but those two shots had me sick for two whole days. I am a wife, mom, and grandmother. So not only did I embarrass myself but my family as well. I decided to make the decision on my own to not pick up another bottle of vodka for many reasons including my health. Now I still try and figure out other ways to have fun and enjoy myself, but I have to take full ownership of what I've done to not only my family but to myself as well. I am very grateful to hear your story and others and also share mines. As females our bodies go through a great deal in life, mind you I do suffer from gout and also bad ulcers, which neither one ever bothers me and I refuse to let it start. I think God spoke out to me by saying "you are 42 years old, LET IT GO" I want to be able to see my grandkids grow up and with being said I have to make sacrifices. I will continue to pray for you and others who are trying to sacrifice and seek good help. God Bless and good luck with everything

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I can relate, I think many people in my area do the same thing. Happy hour, half price burger. My doc is anti-alcohol, and said I shouldn't have more than 6 drinks in a week. He prescribed acomprosate, which I understand works like Chantix on smokers....having quit smoking, i know it can work.....Trouble is the side effects. I googled them and decided not to take it due to: ED, insomnia, weight gain/loss. The Bystolic he gave me for blood pressure has similar effects already. Besides, I've drunk more than this when I was younger.

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Allison (# 1) --

please try AA (alcoholics anonymous) to help with the cravings to "feel good" via drugs...alcohol or otherwise, before you rely on medication to help. You have the symptoms we alcoholics have. I've been sober37 years and my life is much better after attending AA meetings and working with a sponsor.

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Snooky (# 3) --

Thank you yes I go to meetings regularly But I don’t take vivitrol, I take Suboxone and I would not be clean today if it weren’t for that. Thank you for sharing I appreciate the help.

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CDC (# 2) --

You are not going to want to read this, but you are an alcoholic. You have gout, ulcers and you blacked out. All three mean you need to drink alcohol and you've been drinking a long time. I'm going one step more and tell you that just stopping vodka will not stop the blackouts. There will come a day, when the first drink you take will make you blackout. I encourage you to stop drinking all alcohol. There are medications that will help you stop.

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Sorry I feel stupid! I did not know that naltrexone is vivitrol! And I have gone to AAA and NA meetings since 2007 and they were the only thing that kept me sober at that time. I ended up moving to Florida and left my Meetings and my tools to stay sober and ended up relapsing in 2013. Since I was on stronger drugs like opiates I ended up going into the hospital with the septic hip and they had to cut out most of my hip. They started me on methadone and then prescribe me Suboxone when I left the hospital after six weeks. I’ve been on Suboxone sense and I don’t crave drugs like I used to. Also it helps my pain because I am disabled now and I deal with a lot of pain in my hip and neck and back. But if you don’t deal with pain I would suggest the vivid t I deal with a lot of pain in my hip neck and back. But if you don’t deal with pain I would suggest the vivitrol. One day at a time!

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Re: CDC (# 3)

Gardengirl, I have never had alcohol but I have interacted with many that have. You are the first person that talked about a buzz that needs to be replaced. Alcohol is a depressant that removes inhibitions so the freedom that one gets-freedom to act stupid, freedom for sexual expression etc is a misplaced buzz.

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Contrave is really helping me. The combination of Wellbutin for depression and naltexone is the key. Yes, it does make me sleepy, but the help with alcohol craving mentally and physically is well worth it for me.

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Very sad that this seems to be so prevalent? Having just watched a documentary on Amy Winehouse I understand that you can be the smartest, most talented person ever and still get sucked into this awful craving for getting high. I love to feel this way but realize it's harming me and try to stop thinking about it. Meanwhile, in order to feel a high, instead of taking meds, possibly get involved in working out, running, any aerobic exercise instead. The serotonin you derive from pushing your body will possibly compensate for the very harmful booze and pills.

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beach girl (# 9) --

I have heard of taking both of those before but when I wanted to stop smoking I took Zyban which is the same thing as well butyrin and I had severe heart palpitations and felt like I was going to pass out kind of similar to speed is the way I felt. Everybody’s body is made differently so it is worth it to try different things one thing doesn’t work try something else. What has really helped me is going to AA And NA meetings. Once I stopped going to meetings I relapsed not long after.

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Re: Deborah (# 7)

Thank you! But I stopped it altogether. It may seem like a need but it’s not, again when it comes to the affect of my family. The Ulcers I have been having since a young age and I’m now 42. Yes it does flare up due to alcohol and certain foods and the gout is something I know I picked up from drinking alcohol. But I do know my risk so letting it go altogether is the best thing for me. I’m not perfect so yes things can possibly change but right now I’m basing it on prayers and so far I don’t even think about it. But I do enjoy seeing the different posts on here and being able to pray and comment with everyone. But I thank you for your thoughts

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CDC (# 12) --

Very good news that you stopped drinking alcohol. ??

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It's a good news. Can you please share the tactics to rid out from bad habit?

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I am a former clinical psychologist. I changed careers after my marriage to a Montana cattle rancher in 2006. We both work and manage a beef cattle operation. That said, I worked very minimally with those presenting with alcohol abuse or alcohol dependency. Those presenting with alcohol disorders fall into the province of treatment by an addiction counselor, not a psychologist.

I am aware that in the mid to late 1990's naltrexone was considered a useful adjunct for the treatment of alcohol dependency (abuse) along with counseling and support groups. Naltrexone is one of four FDA approved medications for the treatment of alcoholism. The efficacy of oral naltrexone was unclear to me in patients as I had no direct role in their treatment. I was on a forensic team that did court evaluations where alcohol was a factor in whatever brought the inmates to us. The evaluees' alcohol disorder was almost always a secondary diagnosis (axis II).

Mood disorders, personality disorders, and formal thought disorders were usually the primary diagnosis in these people. Naltrexone remains an option to be considered in a comprehensive treatment program but must be prescribed by an MD. A lot of substance abuse treatment centers have nobody on staff with prescriptive authority but I understand this is changing due to the ACA. I would encourage anybody with an alcohol use disorder to have a complete physical before any treatment and to discuss medication assisted therapy with the medical doctor.

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Maricica S (# 15) --

I remember one patient who "fell off the wagon"went to a distant ranch to work, was alcohol free the whole time, returned to the city and resumed his drinking.Totally psychological .
James

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Re: Ben Zo Franklin (# 1)

That's was good .the way you answered that ...hi all my name is Chris and true member of a the AA and na of the west coast of bc Canada...I have done all the foot to report back to the world my finding as there ain't many that have answers but I will give you a general information of the facts only .and tell ya my experience in the world ......drugs and alcohol 17 to 29 and then recovery an att temp then hospital and a separation of family and then small stint days only ...and out of the physic I made a decision no more ..leaving the ward to detox and then a place to rent and a friend that's doing the same thing to meetings every day and started looking for work ...ok this is what I found .....my way meetings every day no body around with drugs of any kind ..make sure to get a check up and make a decision .I no all drugs are drugs so the important thing is only do drugs of any kind when you can't live without it and that's all drugs it a bandage other wise the feelings of them all will go away but we have to get a program to keep us taking in the information that will help at the end a psychological veiw because the mind is the problem you cant just let the computer go with a bug removeal so deleteing the imformation as you can so shut down the computer and reboot then start replaceing it with clean and new information to live with clean thought and people only that encourage you and a program .a clean life you can't do it a lone and get focused on the life a head some people have never being down this journey and to live and learn clean you will be in a place in your life and head that can't be explained till your there but your life will become the greated one thing you will ever do and you never seen the world the way you will see it ..you change and always for the better and it never being anyone that has regretted...being clean ...it's time to go and get what you won't people and my secret is any dream you want you can have ?all will be fine ........?take only your drugs that will keep health and you a live and drink only healthy ...to some up drugs are taken to help only so don't take for fun .and stop drinking find na or AA get a direction .new friends live the program and findly enjoy life .you can do it but we don't pick it up you can't get stoned or drunk ....thanks all never thought that I could live and be the happiest person on Earth ..to live life every day to the fullest but clean up means .no bandage plan .it has to end now ........good luck

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if you want my IMHO :) Have you ever heard the terms; white knuckling, dry drunk, or precontemplation before. if you have not then I highly recommend talking someone that does understand the process.

God bless you ...

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You are not stupid; most likely mislead. During the pilot program for invega something or another, they were using the drug to treat addiction, gamling, and me! No, that nurse does not like me :)

Yes, they wanted to poke me in the butt with a drug that prevents gambling; so i says what are the odds that this drug will work. "We have no idea"; they where using the drug as a "profolactic". this basically means that it will cause erectile dysfunction...

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Re: Marginot (# 9)

According to my notes that I can still read; alcohol can activate the GABA-A/delta subunit. Basically alcohol is a anesthesia which may lead to the presumption that it effects Mu pain receptors. I honestly don't know the difference.

Is it taken for pain, anxiety, euphoria, addiction..?

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