Whats your definition of being clean??

[avisg]

I think alot of people have there own definition .What is yours ?

****  feel free to debate it  if you choose just do not use this post to bash others feelings. Posts of that nature will be removed ***

[refusingbondage]

To me "CLEAN" is 100% free and clear of any substance your addicted to.  

If your an opiate addict, clean is 100% clean of opiates.

If your an alchololic, clean is 100% clean of alcohol.  

If your both, then .. well you get it.

[avisg]

Mine is being off all MIND ALTERING chemicals including alcohol .With the expression of being needed for serious medical reasons when taking it as directed with serious safety measures in place .

[avisg]

exception LOL

[GA Guy]

Living each day without the influence of mind altering chemicals. That means that even though my drug of choice is oxycodone, I stay away from alcohol, benzos, and other mind altering substances.

[Ali1226172]

I think being clean is getting off your drug of choice even if that means using maintence drugs to help with withdrawal through doctors care.  I consider myself clean even though I am weening off suboxone.  I wouldn't say I'm a hundred percent drug free but, for me this is a HUGE step being able to get off 3-4 roxies a day that I got off the street.  I do realize suboxone is still an opiate and hope to be off ALL OPIATES very soon.  However, I still consider myself "in the process of getting a hundred percent clean, and clean off my drug of choice" :)
And I agree I think everyone will have a different answer to this question...
I personally believe that everyone has there own methods of getting clean, and most of us will use alternative drugs although the way.  However, we must always be working toward the end goal of being 100% drug free :)

I'm interested to hear peoples views on this

[rue10]

I believe it's being clean of any mood alterating substance that you have a problem or potential problem with.  For me I knew opiates were a "potential problem" before they became a real problem....however, my addict disposition chose to ignore it.

Thanks for the post....

[vicki595]

Not taking mind altering drugs/substances is clean,to me.  Drinking lots of water and taking a load of vitamins a day is sqeaky clean.

V.

[Jebs317]

To me....being clean is feeling like I used before taking that first pill.  It means smiling because I'm happy.....not because I have a full bottle of pills.  It means doing the laundry and errands because it needs to be done.....not because I'm popping pills and have endless energy.  
Clean to me means that I haven't done anything today that I have to feel guilty about.

[narla]

For me being clean is 100% free of opiates and alcohol my DOC,I still take medication for depression,anxiety and panic attacks-zoloft only as prescribed by my doctor.

Denise

[kc156]

For me it is being completely off opiates, I still enjoy a few beers after work.
                                                                                                                           karl

[krissy30]

6 or 7 seven years ago I thought I was clean being on Methadone....Boy was I wrong, as soon as I was trying to wean off it, I relapsed...Opiates are very tricky buggers! Now I know I wasn't clean.  

Please don't get me wrong, many of us need help (methadone, suboxone) to get clean, but they should only be used for the least amount of time possible.  Because, and I stress this, your brain's chemicals will only start to reproduce the proper levels of chemicals when you are totally free of all drugs.....Of course as others said, there are exceptions....like after major surgery....well you get my point...

[Htownnofrown]

To me, being clean means abstaining from all mind altering substances. My problem was opiates and weed but you wont see me drinking or using other scrips either. Being clean is choosing not to change my state of mind.

Being clean isn't everything, though. I need to be in RECOVERY in order to be living life as God intended. There's no point, (to me) to be free of drugs and still engaging in addict behavior. That means I have to live in the will of my higher power and do my best to make the next right choice. When I do this, I find that I have no need to use drugs or alcohol for whatever reason.

[stilltrying1965]

To not be dependant on any drug what so ever. I think there,s a differance if you take pain meds for chronic pain as long as you are taking as prescribed and not taking extras.So this is my opinion ofbeing clean good post Avis ,,,,,,james
What confuses me is alcohol were do we define an alcoholic i know some ppl that have two beers a night some that only drink to socialise and some binge drink When do we know when we are alcoholics ?

[GA Guy]

If you're an addict James, then alcohol is not a good idea. It plays on the same receptors in the brain that opiates do. You may not become an alcoholic, but it will lead you back to your drug of choice.

[10356]

I can answer that one james.. when it has a negative impact on your life our consumes your thoughts.. for me being clean is not using drugs.. unfortunately for me this also means alcohol although I have had a glass of wine here and there.. I know I should not but there it is.. lesa

[stilltrying1965]

Thank you for your answers just asked out of curiosity I am not a drinker drugs were always what got me. I do have a drink but onle x mas birthdays ect but when i do i tend to bing drink, Hence the bear with the sore head. So i choose not to drink,,,,,,James
P S dont get me wrong have a glass of wine or a beer as long as you are in control . Thank you for clearing that up Letakos & Ga guy

[salsinator]

For me, being clean is definitely being free of your drug of choice and not using, but I also consider alcohol as a mind altering substance that - being an addict - would be very easy to abuse, so I have chosen to not drink as well. So, I am completely free of all mind altering substances.  

[avisg]

I don't believe an addict can take  any mood altering substances without at some point ending up abusing it .So no I don't believe you can socially drink .Or take a benzo for panic addicts .At some point I will end up abusing them .I wont put myself or my family threw that they don't deserve and neither do I

[salsinator]

I agree Avis - I have been there and done that.  Anything mind altering  that I have ever touched - alcohol, benzos, pot, opiates, and meth......I have abused them all - so - I stay as far away from them and anyone who uses them!  Good post.

[GA Guy]

I'll also say something Avisg and I have talked about....those people here with significant clean time (1 year or longer) will tell you that they all abstain from ALL mood altering CHEMICALS....including alcohol. Like I've told many people, if you can be arrested for being impaired while driving and taking (or drinking) it, then you don't need to be ingesting it.

[avisg]

GA is right Talk to the members with significant clean time and ask them whether they use any mood altering symptoms .

[Htownnofrown]

I'll have a year on May 5th and I haven't put any mind altering substances in my body since May 4th of last year. It's just not worth it to me to risk what I have for a "drink or two". I put that in quotations because I never really want a drink or two once I have that drink or two. I want more and more so while a drink may sound nice after a long day, I know once I have that first drink I'll want more and I don't ever want to feel another craving since I haven't felt that feeling in about 9 months.

[ang_811]

I thought I was clean since haven't touched a pill n almost 2 years since I've been on methadone and now weening off of suboxone. Up until I tried to get off of the methadone and had the worst wds I ever experienced. Then I realized I was back at square one. That's when I realized I wasn't drug free after all. So to me it is also having no mind altering substances in ur body.

[troubleinohio]

avis- i take xanax for panic attacks (as you know), do you feel that I am not clean? I dont abuse them, never have. I dont overuse, misuse. they dont get me high. They take away my debilitating and horrifying panic attacks so that i can breathe again. When i have my panic attacks, I cant breathe, my heart feels like its going to explode, I CHOKE- i literally feel like my throat closes shut and I cant even swallow the spit in my mouth let alone breathe through it. They are horrifying. BTW i went to my PCP today after that long debate about him cutting me off it, i had a long talk with him and by the end of my appt he apologized for scaring me so bad and for threatening to cut me off. he gave me a new RX for it with 2 refills. I was never so relieved!  Anyways, does this make me "not clean"? Ive been off vicodin for about 280 days now.
PS he ordered a ton fo bloodwork for me since Ive been a long time anemic and to check my thyroid since my sugar is crashing bad lately (had a 41 which is super low/scary)