That's an interesting question.  This is my experience.  I'm a recovering alcoholic of 15 yrs.  I was instantly hooked on the effects of booze and pretty much boozed most of my life away.  Ten years into my recovery I was given vicodin for eye surgery.  I don't recally even realizing it made me feel good, only that it made me sleepy.  Two years later I had a second eye surgery and this time I was aware of the euphoric effects of the vicodin.  I was then on a roll and I deliberately sought out and took vicodin for that euphoric feeling.  I stayed at 1 5mg tablet a day for years before my dosage began to escalate.  When I got sober of booze, I also gave up pot at the same time.  Last year I thought I wanted to try pot again and so I bought some and tried it and I hated it.  Go figure, I used to love the stuff.  I don't know if being an addict for one substance means you'll be an addict for another.  I'm not addicted to my Xanax.  I only take it occassionally.

An analogy that seems apt to me is to look at the condition (I read that "disease") of addiction as being similar to a fire.

Once a fire has been started, it will burn anything flammable with which it comes into contact.  If there's no fire you can safetly put paper, wood, gasoline or whatever at a spot -- those things don't start burning.  But if there is a fire, it doesn't matter how the fire got started, the new thing starts burning even if it's different that the material by which the fire started.  

For me it would seem the major difference between a fire and my disease if that while a fire can be put out completely, there is always at least a hot ember of my addiction buried within me that can reignite into active addiction if it's given ANY fuel.

There was a time when I thought alcohol was was my only problem.  If/when I drank there was no telling what would happen.  After a long struggle I gave it up.  Then about 9 years later I was introduced to hydrocodone subsequent to a serious injury.  Surprise!  In short order I became a RAGING hydro addict and became willing to add just about anything to the mix in order to feed the flame.

I suppose the one thing that's not correct about what I said above is that there's more than a hidden ember that smolders when someone puts out addiction. It's more like all the logs of the former fire just sit and wait, getting drier and more ready to BURST into a greater fire if a spark is ever available.  Even after long periods of complete abstinence people don't seem to start over at they level they did when they first started way back when.  They don't even resume where they left off.  Instead, they seem (as I did) to start off worse than ever and VERY QUICKLY move to where they would have been if the use/drinking had continued without interruption.  I've been told that "the disease progresses whether you use/drink or not" and my experience confirmed that for me.

I agree. As this is sorta my 'specialty area' professionally (go figure), I can say there is no, single answer as they things can't be tested in clinical trials as it would be unethical SO we are left with 'case examples' from which we can only look at 'Co-OCCURANCE' and can't say that one thing causes another, etc.

It does seem that most of us becomne easily addicted tomany things--not everything, to be sure, but usually more than one thing. I was 2 1/2 yrs sober and got completely blind-sighted by the Vikes, didn't even occur to me that this was in the same 'problem area', especially since my drinking had become so bad, gross and obvious and here I was on Vikes seemingly able to function MORE and BETTER (vs drunk in bed in vomit--not to be too gross).

The reality is, speaking only for myself, I use things to escape my feelings. I use them for effect. Not a galss of wine tomake a dinner complete. Not a Vike for legit pain (anymore) I used them for the EFFECTS and, for me, this constitutes a problem!!

Most of us that have found our way to opiate abuse regardless of the "subtance of choice" realizes we are using them for effect.

Once that happens it's just a simple matter of time and some head sense that makes you realize that initial dosage to feel the same is useless...therefore, we need more and more, subsequently can do less with more, feel like ****... anyone with a sense of life know it's eating away at us and crippling life in itself.  We all start to feel bad...albeit more pills, to lessen whatever.. depression, anxiety, alertness... because sometimes more "feel good" pills are not available.  Thankfully I never did visit the neighborhood street pharmacy... my love of spending money wouldn't ever let me pay $4-7 bucks a pill, I'd much rather buy a shoe... LOL

It is my firm belief that no one is capable of giving up any of this until they themselves have had enough of what I call the pill-go-round, or whatever the drug of choice is.

All the reasoning, sound advice, counseling, common sense, doesn't matter until every fiber of the person who has to make the decision comes to grips with removal of the substance just to make life a little bit better.

W/D is tough...I wouldn't want to go through it again anywhere too soon... and sometimes the PAW is a bit more than I want it to be... my anxiety levels go through the roof.  Today I'm fine, Tuesday I would have traded my life in on a newer model...but didn't pick up.

I decided to C/T with a brand new script unopened... I guess I have my own form of pyhcosis..the thoughts of not having them in the house would have driven me over the top... I would not have been able to do it.   Asking for trouble.. maybe... so far so good.   Since I cleaned up my usage...for some unbeknown to me reason, I've had a need to organize and clean and purge every tiny little detail in my home as well.  I found my little stashes of pills in evening purses, my wallet, under the bed, closets, pockets of jackets not worn since summer.. I really fine tooth combed my house to clean up everything.  It's amazing to me how many pills I had stored up "just in case" that I truly didn't remember were there.   Some of this **** of course are now in the trash... but my original 'script is still here... I can't face getting rid of that yet...maybe in a while but right now they are still here.

Like you I counsel...but not addiction based clients... that's a whole other story in itself.

My point is... ppl are here...they are here for the same reason I came in...in such a frenzy...they need help.  Not everyone here is clean... not everyone is in W/D... but I know that everyone who is here came in to seek help.   Again, ever fiber of me knows... no one can let go before they are earnestly ready...I leaned on a lot of these good ppl for the first two weeks ... I stay to try to help...giving away is part of the deal, it helps to keep what we've earned.

The other day...whether or not he/she realizes it... Catuf saved me from picking up the bottle, that was after 5 weeks of nothing.   I really do 'get' the pills/drugs are dormant...they are nothing ... until we decide to give them life.  I just keep thinking... I have the power not to enable that pill...the min...I think I have the power to take just one... I give all my power away to the pill.

After I was off the pills for a week... I did go to Drs..and told her... she told me... she had wished I would have confided in her...she would have helped me.   I know full well a taper would have been slow torture... I admire and respect people who can truly manage with a taper... it would have served me no purpose at all.   I don't have that kind of will power...for some ... as I said... I admire them for killing the beast slowly...

Keeps me sane
and Just sharing some thoughts

Gip

I agree with a lot of what is said.  You have to get to a point where your sick and tired of being sick and tired.  The real you pops thru for a minute.  Used to be bulimic. I stood at the toilet one day and said self this is ****** up and quit just like that.  But there are time when out of the clear blue sky I get an urge.  This for me is like smelling smoke.  I stop and examine wheres the fire and try to put it out.  The same with my meds.  There are some nights I'd take one if I had it but I stop and examine where is this need coming from.  I believe that until you can stop and examine what it's (the need to disappear) really about you just keep buying a ticket.

Yeah, when I went to rehab, under the theory (with which I agree) that relapse begins WAY BEFORE we pick up, they helped me identify 'early' 'mid' and 'late' indicators. Although it's never too late to abort a relapse, they identified my bulimia as a late sign ... "If you find yourself throwing up, you have missed a lot of signs and you need to get concerned QUICK". It's some times helpful to try to think of it this way as it helps me rememebr that 'using' doesn't just happen all of a sudden out of the blue--it comes on with warnings and that i canbe prepared, vigilant and have 'tools in place' for wehn they do.