ok well, i hope someone has time to reply

thanks

I am not yet addicted to cocaine. I am however addicted to alcohol and other substances, and I am in recovery now for more than four years. Most of my friends are addicted to coke, and they have shared the following with me on the matter--

You may find reliable resources and information you seek at http://www.na.org/ .

You asked a question which only you can answer. Do you want to kick (quit)? Do you think you are addicted? Do you want to quit? Have you ever tried to quit? Have you ever asked for help to quit?

You said:

"...I have the money for it, it doesn't keep me from doing my job, I have lots of friends, and good grief at least I feel good."

That doesn't sound like "I want to quit."

Cocaine has one redeeming value for the addict, it doesn't take years to destroy its user. Very soon you will trade all your money and more for it; you will trade your job for it; you will trade and even sell your friends for it; but you will not trade the coke for anything--even food and shelter. You will not be able to sleep or think, and if you DO sleep, you will awaken with a fear so great and so indescribable that you will wish for the end. You will have come to the jumping off point.

If you are dealing, you probably know someone who has come to that jumping off point, but you will have no compassion for that person, and you will not yet see yourself in that person.

So..., I think you already know the answer to your question.

Why don't you try to answer some harder questions. Are you ready to lose: your job, your friends, your money, your home, your car, all that you possess? When coke has robbed you of all your pleasure, and your best day is one on which you are afraid to live and scared to die, will you scream "I want to quit, but I can't?"

Without help will you finally end up dead, locked up, or insane?

Anybody...? Can anybody answer these questions from experience? Speak up! You may have something to share which will help to save Jennyo's life!

If you want to quit, I will try to find someplace for you to go and someone for you to talk to. Leave me a private message if you want me to try. In the meantime, if you are having a crisis call 911 or your local crisis hotline. If you want help quitting, you may need to go to a hospital or detoxification facility, where you can get medical care to help you through withdrawal and provide you with a "safe" environment.

One more thing.... All the knowledge in the world is CRAP..., until you are ready and willing to quit.

Do you want to quit?

Your friend,

Jim R

I personally have never suffered from any addiction more than sugar...... but I really feel for you and wanted to help. I understand you wanted to stay out of clinics, so many people's first stop on their way out, is the liquor store or their dealer. Basically I just heard everyone saying that the only thing they heard in therapy was don't do it.

So I looked into some natural ways of kicking the habit, and here is what I found online. I read this article about a program called Bridging the Gaps. They have a few clinics around America and very good success rate.

BTW this article, written by Lisa Marshall, also mentioned this... "Most addiction experts agree that talk therapy and 12-step programs—considered the gold standard for addiction treatment for decades—are a necessary component of a successful recovery. But in and of themselves, such methods have not proven terribly effective. Between 70 and 85 percent of addicts completing such programs will relapse within six to 12 months, studies show. Meanwhile, some alternative clinics that incorporate both physiological and psychological approaches boast six-month sobriety rates as high as 85 percent."

Lisa's research on Bridging the Gaps, says that, "The Proven Program to Fight Alcoholism With Nutrition (Ballantine, 1997) sparked many people to open clinics based on her Health Recovery Center in Minneapolis. One published study conducted there found that 85 percent of clients had remained sober six months after treatment. After three and a half years, 74 percent were still sober."

Ok so listen if you are really interested in doing this, Bridging the Gaps sounds like the way to go.

Here are the Alternative Treatment Resources.

InnerBalance Health Center

2362 E. Prospect Rd., Suite B

Fort Collins, CO 80525

877.900.QUIT

www.innerbalancehealthcenter.com

Bridging the Gaps Inc.

423 W. Cork St.

Winchester, VA 22601

540.535.1111

www.bridgingthegaps.com

Health Recovery Center

3255 Hennepin Ave. South

Minneapolis, MN 55408

612.827.7800

www.healthrecovery.com

Cri-Help Inc.

11027 Burbank Blvd.

North Hollywood, CA 91601

818.985.8323.

www.cri-help.org

Good Luck to you Jenno2 AND anyone else out there interested in Alternative Treatment.

Thanks, but I still have no idea what I did.

Consternated,

Jim

Hang in there, you'll get the hang of it. But so you feel better, yesterday there was a problem on the site, where every time you would post it would say server error, when in reality it had already posted. Now if you went back and tried to submit it again then that would cause a double entry, so, that might have been the cause.

Good luck

First of all! Way to be, wanting to work on your health....a change of scenery!

Two words for you (Mindful Recovery) check it out at your local book store. On my web site are some more alternative ways (drug free) to free your being from addictions. Some books that helped me. I bought them at my local book store.

I went to detox, hospital, treatment for over 3 months (full details on my profile) under web site (don't worry I am not selling anything) Just sharing my story.I managed to kick the cocaine, heroine, prescriptions, smokes, booze all of it!

Became involved heavily in community, singing, song writting poetry and non profits but alas....learned about how un fair political red tape is and the patriarchal hierarchy works. Was not prepared on how to deal with it so I ran to the old escape. Just the cocaine this time...some coolers on the side.

So here I be, in a relapse. (But mindful about it)! I like the word empowerment! Are there any empowerment groups related to addictions around you?I don't follow any programmes (did that for over 20 years)in and out of them but they are written mostly for men and not up dated to today's standards. Haveing said that though, if that gives you strength than do more of it! No groups Jen or lables for me unless there is empowerment in the title. Lables such as once and addict always an addict does not sit well with me. I will just always have a knowledgeable choice as to the option of using. To those who have not tried drugs as a pain relief. It is never about the drugs. It is the belief systems we learned from child hood and our own defenses. How to cope, how to just let allow relax trust and be? By just being?There are no miracles, only the knowing and connecting to your being and voice inside. It starts with the breath

Chia

Namaste'

http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/mar2004/nida-01.htm