do you still drink alcohol/smoke marijuana

brozen · July 3rd, 2011, 15:35

hi, im new to forums and have been meditating for about 4-6 months on and off (mainly on).

sorry if 'drug' talk is not accepted

i have found that since starting meditation i have been drinking less, ( i was never really a fan of drinking) but now i enjoy having a maximum of 2 beers and keeping in a normal state of mind.
and havent smoked in several months. i prefer marijuana to alcohol any day, and in the past i had always liked the notion of being high 24/7 and living life that way, although since meditation that has completley changed. i am happy to live mindfully. i dont think id quit smoking but have no real desire for it anymore.

am just wondering has this happened for a lot of people since starting meditation. has anyone quit ALTOGETHER? has anyone been alcoholic and used meditation as a way of quitting?

also does anyone have things like food addictions, gaming, shopping etc that have decreased over time.

would just like to know what meditation is capable of doing so i can use EXAMPLES when describing benefits to non meditators.

Mr Monkey · July 4th, 2011, 12:25

Hi Brozen,

This forum is pretty liberal in discussion content, the following links maybe some food for thought:

Marijuana

Alcohol

Benefits

There is probably a better link for the benefits for meditation, but this one lists a few as a start.

Paul

brozen · July 4th, 2011, 14:23

thanks again.

i have discovered the search bar, from now on, only truly mind bending questions from me.
haha

Panthau · July 5th, 2011, 21:24

I guess its with all things in live - balance is the key, even with meditation. Drugs (as meditation can be!) are an easy way to avoid feelings. So the key is, to discover the feelings that lead into an unhealthy lifestyle, and free them. For you it seems, something like that has happened - in one way or another. Good for you! :-)

Edwin · July 6th, 2011, 14:37

I still like most alcoholic drinks

I do have more responsability than before I started meditation, and drink until I feel the effects of alcohol coming up, and stop there. Most drinks just taste very well, and that is the reason I like them, I am not after the effects of alcohol on my body.

peaceandkarma · July 18th, 2011, 03:08

I've had a few problems with drink, so I've give it up. If I give meditation up, I get problems which make me want to turn to drink. While some people need a drink a day to relax, my vice is meditation as it keeps me sane.

MetaCognition · July 19th, 2011, 05:59

Drugs are bad, mmmkay.

But for real, as someone who has abused drugs ranging from weed to crack to heroin to LSD to DMT, their lessons are limited and their addictive qualities are alluring to an ego that wants to feel numb (or that wants to trick itself into thinking its not numb via psychedelics).

If you want to cut loose every once in awhile, it seems to work for some, but it has never worked for me.

pollyanna · July 19th, 2011, 16:07

Originally Posted by brozen

also does anyone have things like food addictions, gaming, shopping etc that have decreased over time.

would just like to know what meditation is capable of doing so i can use EXAMPLES when describing benefits to non meditators.

Hi Brozen,

here is a really inspiring post about alcohol from a lovely lady called Beth:-

My true confession

While I was looking for a couple of posts for you I found an old thread which I had started back in 2008 - there are some lovely people in there and it was lovely to re-visit a number of interesting things I had forgotten which happened through meditation:-

LF just keeps on working!

One last thing (which may seem minor) but not to me. Do you ever have a meal that is so delicious, you just eat a bit/lot too much? I know I have done this in the past sometimes and regretted it after

This is something I never ever do now and haven't done for approximately 3 years. I really enjoy what food I do eat, when I need to eat, but I know exactly when I have had enough - even if it's only one last forkful, I leave it. I hope you enjoy the posts and they are of help, with much peace and joy

brozen · July 19th, 2011, 20:58

I guess as panthau and others suggested; that balance is the key when it comes to unnecessary things.

to Meta, I'd think cutting loose is a bad reason to use drugs, kind of a quick fix with not so great consequences. Hard to think of any good reason to use drugs other than for escape, exploration. Perhaps exploration isn't so bad.

And Pollyanna, thanks for the links. I took a lot more out of your 'minor' example though lol. That is kind of what I was looking for. 3 years without even overeating in small ways is impressive. It's one thing to give up alcohol after abusing and having it cause major consequence in your life. But to be mindfull and disciplined enough to stop such small everyday things is quite a challenge. I look forward to the day where I am perfectly content eating the most basic type and amount of food that is necessary. No extra sugar/flavouring/preservitives and all that extra junk that clouds the eating experience.

thanks everyone

MetaCognition · July 20th, 2011, 00:53

Yeah, it starts out as exploration, and it (often) leads to addiction/dependence. This dependence does not have to play out with death or withdrawals or anything like that, but rather a dependence on a substance to provide insight or whatever. I cant lie, some drug experiences did open me up, but anything beyond a few times of usage was just addiction and mental hedonism playing out. The answers are already around you.

Which is why I refer back to my statement of cutting loose. It is nice to have a few beers with some friends every now and again. But if you want to explore your mind, stay away from drugs. I and many of my friends tried that route and found that we already had what we were looking for, and many of them are now either complete drug addicts or are going nowhere in their lives.

Take it for what its worth and good luck to you.