Can a recovering addict/alcoholic be a social drinker?

Question

I talked to an old friend after not having contact for about 3 years. He was considered an alcoholic and drug addict by the age of 14, he was court ordered to attend AA and NA he was in several diversion classes and incarcerated in the rehab section of the county jail when busted for Possession of a controlled substance. I talked to him the other day and he was drunk. I was concerned because of his past, I ask him about his drinking habits now and he said yeah I like to kick back every now and then with a beer and a bowl. I suppose my question is how appropriate is it for a “recovering” alcoholic/drug addict to be a social drinker and pot smoker?

Answer 1

No, he cannot. He is no longer in recovery if he's using and drinking. If he's an addict and an alcoholic, he can never use or drink again in even the smallest quantity. If he has relapsed, he will be a raging victim of his disease very quickly.

Answer 2

In a word - NO. Once an alcoholic always an alcoholic. Once a Drug Addict, always a drug addict. They can be clean and sober, yes, but they are still who they are. One drink is too much, then 100 is not enough. The reason they have the problem in the first place is because they THINK that they are handling it when they are not.
If you care for this person, do not accept ANY use of those things, or a relapse is imminent. It sounds like it may already be too late.
****An alcoholic who gets drunk is not a recovering alcoholic - he's just an alcoholic.

Answer 3

Your old bud is not a recovering anything; he is still an alcoholic and drug addict. He is not a social drinker, he's a drunk. He is not an occasional pot smoker, he's a pot head. Until he quits everything, he never recover.

Answer 4

There is no social drinker/pot user when they are an addict. All it does it put them back where they were before they went and dried out. How sad, too, that so many fall prey to this kind of thing. You can bet he does this regularly because there isn't anyway he is going to do it socially every now and then. What a sad way to live ~ just throw your life away like this.

Answer 5

they can for a while i suppose, but eventually, it becomes more than social drinking..when a alcoholic says "i now am just a social drinker", what he is really saying is, "I FELL OFF THE WAGON"...but saying that would make the person look weak, so they don't say that.. also pot is a much less taxing drug than booze is, it is not physically addicting so the affect on the addict is minimal compared to drinking..what i guess i'm trying to say is that if your friend is a drunkard, it would be better to only rely on pot to be a crutch than using booze..apples and oranges really.

Answer 6

I think a recovering alcoholic/drug addict using is a slippery slope back into dependency. Alcoholics don't start out addicted but the addictions happens over time. Your friend is on a slow downward spiral back into their addictions.

Answer 7

Your friend is not recovering. An alcoholic can not be a social drinker.

Answer 8

He will be a recovering addict for the rest of his life and because of his usage, his future is probably not too bright either

Answer 9

No, they have no control over themselves, which is why they became alcoholics to begin with. One drink is all that is necessary for many to "fall off the wagon" , and start drinking again.

Answer 10

there is no such thing as social drinking or drugging for a recovering addict. your friend will be right back where he started..and probably is already. he is in denial... or insulting your intelligence. .