Is baclofen the new AA?

[Murphyx]

Is baclofen the new AA?

missyabby1;1065363 wrote: Drama queens, smart arses and down right attention seekers.

Well that just about sums me up to a tee. :H

[beatle]

Is baclofen the new AA?

lol otter and murph.

[Guest]

Is baclofen the new AA?

I was still tarred about, just under two weeks ago. Whilst I admit I was very argumentative, quite a few members have told me privately they felt couldn't post for the same reasons as Missyabby. That the meds section appears to be cliquey and judgemental.

I know I was pretty scary for a while, but part of that was because I too found this place difficult to join in on. I also admit I was allover the place, but this site is full of people who are erratic by the very fact of the nature of their addiction.

We probably have got the cure here but the style of the section could be putting others off. Many told me I might put some off taking baclofen, I happen to know some are put off by the posts of others already established here. I knew this some time ago and did try to warn someone on here about this, but knew I'd just be ignored as a heretic.

This isn't about us as has been pointed out many times to me by you experienced, and convinced members, it's about helping others and saving lives.

If you want to tear me to pieces you can. I'm not bothered about me - but I am bothered about the lurkers who have said more or less the same.

[Otter]

Is baclofen the new AA?

I think the problem is that Baclofen is not a perfect, easy solution. Reading these posts should make people aware of that. Maybe it does not work for you and maybe there are some people who are "resistant" to Baclofen or need something else. Remember, Ameisen only published his book in English less than two years ago and at the time only a handful of people had been treated with it.

But, the point is, if you look at the science behind it, it is not just some fad. People are on this site because Baclofen works and is saving their lives and the lives of others. Families are being repaired. Others come onto this site and cast doubt on that. It makes some (me) feel like they are calling us liars and that we have wasted the thousands of hours we have spent in getting this treatment, researching it, spreading the word about it and trying to help others get well.

Is it the new AA? No. They are diametrically opposed in their approach. AA denies there is a medical cure for alcoholism. The founder of AA, Bob Wilson, later in life, realized that AA did not work and became involved in the study of Vitamin B therapy.

Baclofen changes brain chemistry; AA does not. Baclofen makes you stop craving alcohol; AA does not. Baclofen allows you to resume a normal life; AA requires you to change your life and accept a "higher being" into it. 90% of AA members relapse; 90% of Baclofen users don't.

UK, no one here wants to tear you to pieces. We all want you to get well and if there was any way I could help you, I would. Where else can you go to find people who will say that... and it is not just me saying it. All of us will say the same thing. We all have agendas and views and some of us are more forceful than others and many of us are misunderstood. But the most important thing is that everyone here is here for the same reason, we all want the same thing. If there is something better than Baclofen, or it did not work, the people here who use Baclofen would be the first to say so.

There is a huge amount of "disbelief" about this treatment. I speak to people every day about alcoholism and no one outside this forum has even heard of it so it is great to come here and get support. I would prefer to spend my time engaging in some activity which brings help to people rather than engaging in dialogues and arguments. So many people here are well past the recovery stage, have left the site because they are "cured".

Maybe these frightened lurkers you talk about are just the same sort of skeptics I meet daily. What of it. If they don't, can't understand, then they need to read, listen and learn so they do understand.

[Guest]

Is baclofen the new AA?

Otter;1066175 wrote: I think the problem is that Baclofen is not a perfect, easy solution. Reading these posts should make people aware of that. Maybe it does not work for you and maybe there are some people who are "resistant" to Baclofen or need something else. Remember, Ameisen only published his book in English less than two years ago and at the time only a handful of people had been treated with it.

But, the point is, if you look at the science behind it, it is not just some fad. People are on this site because Baclofen works and is saving their lives and the lives of others. Families are being repaired. Others come onto this site and cast doubt on that. It makes some (me) feel like they are calling us liars and that we have wasted the thousands of hours we have spent in getting this treatment, researching it, spreading the word about it and trying to help others get well.

Is it the new AA? No. They are diametrically opposed in their approach. AA denies there is a medical cure for alcoholism. The founder of AA, Bob Wilson, later in life, realized that AA did not work and became involved in the study of Vitamin B therapy.

Baclofen changes brain chemistry; AA does not. Baclofen makes you stop craving alcohol; AA does not. Baclofen allows you to resume a normal life; AA requires you to change your life and accept a "higher being" into it. 90% of AA members relapse; 90% of Baclofen users don't.

Otter

I do not doubt in any way that Baclofen is not a cure, and I believe 100% that it will work for me as well as others. It isn't a fad and I have not said that at all. I also understand the science behind it. What I am trying to say is that people are put off sharing in this section, by the attitude they feel is displayed here. I will repeat again I do believe baclofen is THE cure, and Missy A did say just as much in her post. Just that she felt she couldn't join in with this section. This isn't about disbelief at all.

Thank you also for telling me "maybe it does not work for you", because I was actually thinking it did rather work for me, and never said anything to the contrary. In fact I had built up a lot of belief and hope in Baclofen for me.

Which is very sad.

I'll also add that I've done a lot of fighting with this for quite a long time, and have struggled with Baclofen but keep on going. Not sure where you got the idea that it might not work for me, or that I am not prepared for a difficult ride. I was contemplating suicide at the start of this week, yet I carried on.

If that isn't evidence enough then I don't know what is.

I have been doubted when I had no doubt in baclofen, I merely posted about people scared to join in here - scared to share what they also believe is a cure.

In passing this on I've had you say people doubt baclofen. I never mentioned doubt about baclofen and the ones I've spoken with do not doubt it at all - they simply don't feel welcomed by this section. I'm only passing on what I see as a great concern since we all want to spread the word. The lurkers believe in it full stop.

I don't need a lecture on doubters.

[beatle]

Is baclofen the new AA?

Thank you for this, Otter.

[Otter]

Is baclofen the new AA?

Hi again,

I am not intending to lecture you. I thought you had given up on Baclofen.

Have you tried Mirtazapine or an SSRI like Fluoxetine? I do not believe Baclofen is the single issue in alcoholism and I believe some people need to deal with a serotonin deficiency syndrome caused by long term drinking.

Sorry to make you feel you are being lectured. I am in a funny mood these days.

Ok, here is a lecture. When you read comments which you think are aimed at you, first, say to yourself, "that person has an issue". Seriously, no one here wants to make you feel bad, we just project our own "issues" onto the boards. I have left this forum several times but come back because it helps me keep going.

Best wishes.

Otter

PS. I'm off to bed now.

[Guest]

Is baclofen the new AA?

Otter

These lurkers are not doubters. They believe in baclofen, just are put off posting here -which I think is a great loss. Otter I had not given up and had certainly not said that. I posted only this morning that I was dosing at 25 mg every 4 hours. I pushed on through a very bad time and here is the link https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ess-48289.html it's post number 4. Yet you simply assume. I'm sorry Otter but I am offended. I kept going, kept taking the pills as everyone says on here yet I'm told I'm a doubter.

I also believe, or did believe whole-heartedly until that was you wrote "does not work for you". Thank you for that, I've pushed on through awful SEs, and even seriously contemplated suicide this week. I had built up a belief it may work, now you say it might not. I understand the science of baclofen completely, and that it was going to cure me. I had even started to realise it might be the reason I was feeling so much better in the last few days, that it does work. This was a thin hope and I didn't realise it could not work, I was simply trying to convince myself. Never considered it might not work. Telling me to read into issues?I was told not to post certain things in front of anxious newbies, advised to deleted posts so that rule should apply to you as as experienced member even more so.

Thanks.

Sometimes all people need is support. I give up because I've done everything I was told on here, I believed and took the pills.

[Otter]

Is baclofen the new AA?

I am sure it works. It just take a lot of tinkering around with. It stops cravings but there is a lot of damage done to one's systems which has to be repaired... Alcohol is a poison and corrodes your body from the inside so you have to persevere with Baclofen, stop drinking and let your body heal.

Best wishes:h

PS. For some reason my last post seems to have skipped back to before your last post. Odd.

[Guest]

Is baclofen the new AA?

Otter;1066185 wrote: I am sure it works. It just take a lot of tinkering around with. It stops cravings but there is a lot of damage done to one's systems which has to be repaired... Alcohol is a poison and corrodes your body from the inside so you have to persevere, stop drinking and let your body heal.

Best wishes:h

PS. For some reason my last post seems to have skipped back to before your last post. Odd.

This was also something I worked out and was tinkering with. All I've got in my head is that it might not work now.

:H

[Otter]

Is baclofen the new AA?

Ukblonde;1066187 wrote: This was also something I worked out and was tinkering with. All I've got in my head is that it might not work now.

:H

It works!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go to bed!

[Guest]

Is baclofen the new AA?

I knew that already, and didn't need your negative comments. You are the one going to bed, not me.

[missyabby1]

Is baclofen the new AA?

Tarred and feathered newbie

So now not only am I an "old bird", a "mosquito in a jar" I am now to be tarred and feathered and the subject of hilarity to some. Me negative?

I came to this site, like most of us , to seek some solace. I rejoice every time I hear of member's successes and my heart goes out to all those who struggle. I read a lot of threads, not only on the meds site but all of them.

Like everybody here, I have suffered immeasurably from addiction.

I call it as I see it and I know there are others here who feel the same ( my message box would attest to this).

I strongly believe in Baclofen and can well imagine the euphoria of having this drug be successful. What I was trying to say initially is that , like AA, there seems to be little support for others who may want to take a different path for the time being . i.e.AA gives support to abstinence only (and has the ability to quietly smirk at others on a different path).

I am feeling very fragile and angry at the moment and the feathers are starting to irritate. By the way Otter, after you have finished tarring and feathering me don't dare tell me to go to bed! How bloody patronising and condescending!

My love and best wishes to everybody here, I am not a negative person at all, in fact, a positive and hopeful individual. I also have a great sense of humour, believe it or not!

By the way, the Campral has been my saviour , although I have had some drinking episodes whilst on this medication , I am quite happy to continue this path for the time being.

[redhead77]

Is baclofen the new AA?

Hmmmmm. Where to start? Firstly, let me say that Missy, whether you are saying what people want to hear, WELCOME. I am truly sorry and disturbed that people may be looking on these forums and seeing cliques, drama queens, ect. I hope everyone reads that and gives it a little bit of thought, I know I have. There may be a great many people out there who don't want to get involved with this meds forum, because they see issues here. Maybe we can keep this in mind when we post or when people tend to only respond to certain people, which does seem like a bit of clique. There are a great many on here who only talk to certain people and then it is all inside dialogue. Or, there are the people who are beaten up or rejected for their opinions or side effects. Hello, high school. I don't think most of us want to go back there, but some of us (myself included), are behaving that way.

But, I still do have some drama queen in me. I'm hoping not too much, but I guess that's a matter of opinion. So, I'm going to let a little bit out, and I know this may annoy some, but I don't care (fyi, the drama isn't nearly as detrimental as the cliques) :l

I lived AA for 10 years. I wasn't the AA member, but a child of a "recovering alcoholic". My mom kept copies of the serenity prayer everywhere. I can recite it like I can the Lord's Prayer. Both have been pounded in my brain. That was just the way it was until I was about 12-13 y/o. That was when my mother started drinking again. She started drinking after AA snubbed her. She started having severe chronic pain and was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Very severe form, had to travel 5 hours at the time to seek treatment, some of which was experimental. Also, started going to a pain clinic, as she could find no relief. AA told her she was trading addictions. Even though she had a medical diagnosis. She stopped going to AA, started drinking, and died 15 years later of alcohol related problems.

For 10 years, I had a normal Mom and a normal life. I love AA for giving me that. The people my mom got close to, were regular people in our lives. They did things like eat dinner with us, watch us when we were kids, you name it. Then it was suggested she stop pain meds or she wouldn't be accepted. She tried. Couldn't even get out of bed she hurt so badly. She made a choice. It was them or pain meds. She may have been addicted I suppose, but she needed them. Had a right to be addicted. Most people get tolerance when on pain meds, even when necessary. Also, interestingly she wasn't allowed to go to AA from the pain clinic perspective. People with substance abuse problems even with a diagnoses were out of the pain clinic. Can't win with alcoholism either way.

I tried 4 AA meetings. That's it. Anonymous is a joke. There is no way that it is anonymous. I had a waitress come up to my family in a restaurant and ask how it was going for me. The rest I kind of believe in. I believe in the serenity prayer. I am an avid Christ lover (not like a fundamental freak, but I pray every day to my God). I actually believe he listens. Lol! It's not the religion that turns me off, it's the rest. The cult like aspect of it. So now I'm finally getting to my point (sorry, I already told you all, I have issues here).

We need to be careful not to shun others, and not give off the feeling to others that we are arrogant, too dramatic (some drama is awesome), or cultish. And I know I'm a little bit a Jesus freak, but truly, I'm not preaching. I'm as guilty as the next guy. Just some thoughts...........

[Guest]

Is baclofen the new AA?

I believe in the Serenity Prayer too Redhead. I also live in a very closed community where I often see members of AA in the street. They only mention AA if it's brought up, and 99% of the time if I don't mention it then they don't and the 1% is only if we are both alone and they think it's appropriate. Many don't want to be recognised too.

I would guess it's only people, individuals who spoil it.