Addict?

Although it's Alcoholics Anonymous, and not Narcotics Anonymous, a lot of people introduce themselves as an alcoholic and an addict. I was thinking about it the other day, should I introduce myself that way? Can it be true that I'm an addict as well?

I think when I was 18 NA would have been the way to go. I was definitely an addict then. I would smoke or snort anything I could get my hands on. Thank God I never turned to shooting up, but I've done every drug that was available up until 1998. If it was there, I probably did it. And like booze, I always overdid it. I couldn't stop with one joint, or one line. I had to have as many as I could before it was time to go, wherever I was going.

My mom always told me that if I smoked pot she would know. So I came home one time super stoned and looked her right in the face to say good night. She said good night back, and I went upstairs to my room, giggling to myself. "She has no clue," I thought, and she didn't. Of course, she was so far into her own brain at the time that I think if I came home with a third eye she wouldn't have noticed.

During my drinking career I stopped smoking pot. I just didn't like it anymore. But man did I love coke and other people's prescription drugs. Emily would give me her Adderall, which is like legal coke, and I would stay up for days. When Michael went to Mexico for a bachelor party he got me some of my own, and I think took it whenever I felt like I just needed a boost. Plus, you can't really get drunk while taking it.

So am I an addict? I think I'm addicted to any substance I can get my hands on, including drugs, booze, food, cigarettes, diet Coke, running, etc. But I feel like I can barely call myself an alcoholic. I never had the experiences some have had. See next post....