My name is Alli.. and I'm an addict.

[tachybradyRN]

I can't tell you how blessed I feel to have found this forum subcategory. I'm an addict in recovery.. two years on April 6th!.. and a nursing student, and I feel like sometimes I don't have anyone to talk to who REALLY gets where I'm coming from (school/professionally) because obviously, I'm not in a place to really talk with other students or my professors about being a recovering addict. Just wanted to drop by and say hello to everyone else with a 12-step program in his or her life!

[TazziRN, RN]

Welcome, Alli!

[Silverdragon102, BSN]

Welcome, congrats and good luck

[rnmomtobe2010]

I think that your are a brave and wonderful person for posting this. Congratulations and I wish you much success.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Thanks for posting. Good luck in school!!!!

[valkyria, BSN, RN]

i agree, god bless you and one day at a time.

you are not alone and it may not be an "illegal" substance that is our drug of choice. i put "illegal" in quotes because i was born in germany and spent 3 years in holland where there is the famous needle park and drugs and prostitution is legal. so everything is relative. our thing may be food, like i have a love-hate relationship with pistachio hagen daas, or toxic people and those can be the worst addictions of all. you are making great strides and have alot of inner strength and i have a great deal of respect for your struggle and your strength.

[saali]

welcome Alli and good luck with your school life

[*tattooed~princess*]

Hi Family! I'm Hattie and I am an addict. glad to see everyone here to support eachother! "the theraputic value of one addict helping another is without parallel... we feel that our way is practical for one addict can best understand and help another addict" Alli- much like you I find hope on this page! Seeing so many others who share my struggle and have found (or are looking for) a better way! Keep coming back!:heartbeat

[sandygator, BSN, RN]

Alli et al,

Welcome, congrats, and talk anytime you need to!

Sandy

[longhornfan1]

Let me just say......Let the ignorant judge us most harshly. I am too smart to be stupid. You don't have to hit me with a brick to get me to understand addiction. Why are medical professionals held to a different standard when it comes to addiction potential than the community as a whole? Are we also less likely to smoke, drink, over-eat or any other self-abusive behavior that is considered socially more acceptable? And don't get me started on Peer Assistance Programs. Used to be an advocate for them, but one poppy seed muffin and your back in the program for another two years and don't bother paying out of pocket for the MRO to review it. It doesn't matter what MD, PHD, Therapist, Psychiatrist, Chemical Dep Counselor, Treament Center or even Jesus Himself says, if you eat a poppy seed muffin, you are in direct violation of your TPAPN contract and you WILL sign a new 2 year contract, go back into 5 weeks of treatment, restart your work restrictions and do 90 meetings in 90 days.........I don't care if you only had 4 months left on your original 2 year contract, never missed a meeting and did everything you were ever asked. We can hold your career over your head and bring you to tears daily no matter how far into recovery you are. You can be in complete remission (if that is even possible) TPAPN is here to make sure you wind up with a mental condition before we are done with you, even if you never had one to begin with, so shut up, bend over and take it like a man, because that is what nursing, recovery and addiction are all about. Making you feel small and ashamed. Just bitter for now. Maybe I should be an accountant. What sucks is, I am a really good nurse. And I did not relapse. I know it, and God knows it and that is all that really matters.

[Tweety, BSN, RN]

Sorry to hear about your trouble longhornfan. Don't let the bitterness eat you up, you where it will lead. But we're also here to listen is you want to rant, that's o.k. Doing the right thing always prevails in the long run. Hang in there.

[michigooseBSN]

I. also, am sorry for your bitterness., Longhorn. That must feel really awful. I remember midway through my state's 5 year SARP (substance abuse rehab program), complaining to my AA sponsor about some of the requirements that seemed to me to be unnecessarily rigorous since by then I had several years of sobriety. I'll never forget her response. "This is the wreakage of YOUR past and you don't have to do what they say but if you choose not to, they have the right to revoke your license". That was many many years ago but I've never forgotten it. I listened to her, continued to do what was asked of me, including not eating poppyseed rolls (which I love), and after 5 years I was discharged from SARP with a clean record and there is no record of any of this on my license. I did what was needed to clear up the wreakage of my past. I also considered this a part of making amends to patients I might have harmed during my active disease (I did divert drugs). I have no idea who they might be for the most part but this was another active way I could make amends, other than just changing my behavior which I did do, of course. Good luck.