Addiction Check-In Thread

OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

CryojenX wrote: OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

What are you at war with, the social media sites or the problems you encounter on those social media sites?

CryojenX wrote: OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

The first question I'd ask is, are you really friends with these people? If yes, you could send them all messages saying 'I'm leaving Facebook, here is my email.' If they're really you're friends they'll understand and contact you away from Facebook. When I quit Facebook I soon found out who my friends were.

With the other accounts, I'd work out what they are and see if there's a way to untie them.

Jamie Stick wrote: What are you at war with, the social media sites or the problems you encounter on those social media sites?

The sites themselves, so much of my time and energy ends up being wasted by inconsequential things rather than actually connecting with my friends.

Edan wrote: The first question I'd ask is, are you really friends with these people? If yes, you could send them all messages saying 'I'm leaving Facebook, here is my email.' If they're really you're friends they'll understand and contact you away from Facebook. When I quit Facebook I soon found out who my friends were.

With the other accounts, I'd work out what they are and see if there's a way to untie them.

That's the thing, aside from all the awesome Jedi I've added recently (most of whom I already know from here), I've left FB in the past and given friends email/IM yadda yadda etc. and it's been the same old story. I've gotten rid of as many of the connected accounts as I can, and will have to accept that some things on the internet are just effectively "forever", but Facebook is that last sticking point that's really getting to me.

CryojenX wrote: OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

What would Jesus do?

Whyte Horse wrote:

CryojenX wrote: OK, I don't know if this really counts or not, but I can't get away from social media. Honestly, all I need are a few basic sites like TotJO of GFC, but I have friends on facebook who simply won't keep in touch in any other manner. I want to be free of it, but I don't know how to get out, especially when I know there are other sites I have accounts with that are tied to my Facebook or Twitter or G+ account. It's overwhelming, stressful, and making me ill.

What would Jesus do?

I would not be the person to ask that question, LOL.

CryojenX wrote: The sites themselves, so much of my time and energy ends up being wasted by inconsequential things rather than actually connecting with my friends.

That's the thing, aside from all the awesome Jedi I've added recently (most of whom I already know from here), I've left FB in the past and given friends email/IM yadda yadda etc. and it's been the same old story. I've gotten rid of as many of the connected accounts as I can, and will have to accept that some things on the internet are just effectively "forever", but Facebook is that last sticking point that's really getting to me.

I'm sorry if my questions seem basic or impudent, but what keeps you going to back to Facebook? You've identified that it's harmful to you at this juncture in your life, what about it keeps you from cutting it out of your life?

I ask that same question every day when I order a pizza.

My mindfulness books have taught me a couple of things: 1. repeated addictive patterns are comforting. So, even when we don't want something, we go back to it because it reminds us of "home". "home" is eating a large pizza alone. "home" is scouring Reddit for the latest stupid comment. "home" can even be running marathons. 2. Addictions are chemical in that these comforting repeated actions are "guaranteed" sources of dopamine and other feel-good hormones.

Sometimes... it just being clearly bad for you isn't enough. Something else lies beneath the surface. Stepping outside the self through meditation gradually increases the emotional space between our minds and our choices. Eventually, we can make another choice without it being hormonally and emotionally charged. But, it takes a lot of work and a lot of dedication. And, it helps to speak to a professional and a spiritual counselor.

Connor L. wrote: I ask that same question every day when I order a pizza.

My mindfulness books have taught me a couple of things: 1. repeated addictive patterns are comforting. So, even when we don't want something, we go back to it because it reminds us of "home". "home" is eating a large pizza alone. "home" is scouring Reddit for the latest stupid comment. "home" can even be running marathons. 2. Addictions are chemical in that these comforting repeated actions are "guaranteed" sources of dopamine and other feel-good hormones.

Sometimes... it just being clearly bad for you isn't enough. Something else lies beneath the surface. Stepping outside the self through meditation gradually increases the emotional space between our minds and our choices. Eventually, we can make another choice without it being hormonally and emotionally charged. But, it takes a lot of work and a lot of dedication. And, it helps to speak to a professional and a spiritual counselor.

No disputing this, I was actually thinking about the other half of the battle.

In my quit smoking program, we often talk about how one cannot quit unless they are wholly committed to it. If one doesn't believe they can quit, then they won't be able to.

I did it last night. I not only closed my social media accounts (the ones I had access to at any rate), but I also deleted the passwords from lastpass and blocked out Facebook in my hosts file. I'm committed this time, I refuse to be sucked back in. Thanks everyone.

Okay, I'm tapering myself off of a "GI cocktail" mixture that I had been prescribed a long time ago for my gastrointestinal issues. I never it had phenobarbital in it for IBS (which was actually the least of my complaints), and so am going through a very difficult period of barbituate withdrawal, and would just like to appeal for healing support, prayer, whatever it is each of you do in order to help me weather this difficult storm. Thank you.

I am once again quitting soda and pretty much anything caffeinated.

I did cold turkey once and that worked but was a major stress on me mentally and physically. A year later when I "fell off the wagon" I tried to ween myself off to reduce the effects of withdrawal but I had no plan. If you fail to plan you plan to fail. This time I have a six week plan to slowly ween myself off.

2 weeks of only getting soda/caffeine Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and one weekend day.
2 weeks of only getting soda/caffeine Tuesday, Thursday, and one weekend day.
2 weeks of only getting soda/caffeine Wednesday and one weekend day.

Then I should be good. I might do a week of just one weekend day. We'll see how it goes. But now I have a plan and schedule.

I will be free of chemical dependence!

I am now to the one day a week time in my above plan. I am finally feeling the effects of withdrawal. A persistent headache, fatigue, and enough irritability to take on an alligator if it looked at me wrong. To make it worse I know that I can make it all better by just walking down that hall and getting a gloriously green Mt. Dew. I haven't had any since Thursday and I'm not scheduled to have another until Wednesday. I'm also craving sugary things like I never have before. Being surrounded by Halloween candy isn't making that easy. I can be strong though. I will make it.

I'm being overly dramatic, I know, but at times it feels like I'm trying to beat a heroin addiction instead of just caffeine. :laugh:

I suppose this can be metaphorically seen as an addiction. I've been struggling with an eating disorder for the past 5-ish years, which has nearly put me into the hospital. Purging, restriction, and excessive exercise were all parts, and it seemed like if I pruned down one aspect, the other two would just get stronger. I'm finally getting it under control, but it's difficult to tell if I'm eating healthy or starving myself, or if I'm exercising enough vs. exercising too much.

Hi. It's been a very long time (two years), since I've been a part of the Temple in any meaningful way. Back then I was journaling often and even wrote a couple of sermons (under my previous name CryojenX), but things started taking a turn south with my depression and anxiety, and I sort of fell away into a lot of bad habits and off the path. At the time I was depended on doctor prescribed diazepam, and had been for years, well two years later I still am; that's going to change.

I realize that a lot of my health problems are due to migraines, fibromyalgia, and plain old deconditioning. But I also recognize the benzo is poisoning me, and I just began my taper this morning. The withdrawal effects will be horribly unpleasant, so I'll need friends and support now more than ever. An absolute best case scenario has me off of the stuff in no less than nine and a half months; even after that is done there will still most likely be protracted withdrawals symptoms afterward as it takes time for my neurons to heal - that only happens once completely clean.

So I'll probably be going through very rough time for a while, but I could not think of a better community of people to share it with, all I ask is a little patience and understanding. Force bless you all.

Welcome back, hope you stay around!

Fell off “the wagon” last year and had to start over again. Been clean for over a year now though, so I’m happy with how I’m doing now.

Don’t smoke crack, kids. That stuff takes over before you realize it.

As I'm connecting with community and discussing the topic of benzo tapering, I'm seeing that it's taking some individuals as long as two years to finish their taper. I suppose in one way this shouldn't come as a surprise, as our bodies and circumstances are all different, but at the same time, it kind of makes me wonder if the Ashton Manual could use an update. I'm not sure if the tapering schedules there are necessarily realistic; of course I'll take it as best I can, but I have to admit to a certain amount of trepidation about the idea that this experience could last for that long.

The only way I'm going to get through this is taking it one day at a time, and not focusing on the overall time-table, lest I become disheartened about the whole endeavor.

I wish you the best of luck, and a speedy recovery! I kicked benzos cold turkey and it felt like I was dying. Fight!


May the force give you strength!

-Jesse

MrCharple wrote: I wish you the best of luck, and a speedy recovery! I kicked benzos cold turkey and it felt like I was dying. Fight!


May the force give you strength!

-Jesse

Ouch! My sympathies; if you survived cold-turkey, then surely I can bear a slow taper. Thanks for the inspiration.

Force guide thee.