Addiction and Recovery Articles

In the immortal words of John Lennon, another year is over and a new one's just begun. Isn't it interesting how we, as a society, agree that this is the time to give ourselves and our lives a complete and total new makeover? We have decided that at this time of the year we will revisit the year we're leaving behind ...

I believe that every person on this planet, without exception, uses at least one addictive behavior designed to distract them from having to deal with difficult feelings and painful situations. As controversial as that statement may be for some people, I stand by it. THE MOST COMMON "COMFORT ZONES"

Anyone who has been around 12-Step programs for any length of time has inevitably heard the old saying "Denial is more than a river in Egypt." Indeed, when it comes to addictive behaviors of any sort, denial is definitely a whole lot more than a slogan. It is often the underlying dynamic that keeps an addiction ...

The term "codependency" can mean different things to different people. Over the years, a number of authors have offered a variety of definitions for this difficult dynamic that seems to affect more people than we can imagine. My definition is a very simple one: "codependency" occurs when we put other people's needs ...

Have you ever wondered about the impact of your thoughts? By now, most people have either seen the movie The Secret or have heard about it. By showing a number of different situations and how people respond to them, The Secret teaches that we are creating our lives with every thought we have, every second of the day ...

Most of us are aware that we want to be treated with respect by other people. You probably find yourself becoming upset, angry or hurt when someone acts in a disrespectful way toward you, because it feels as if that person does not value you enough to treat you well. SELF-RESPECT: WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?

I'm not at all shy to admit I was a regular pot smoker for over 7 years of my life. I smoked almost everyday because I enjoyed it. It was something that eased my mind and gave me a sense of relaxation. Over time however, I began to see that everything I thought I enjoyed about it was only an illusion. I was giving my power away to smoking weed. I thought I couldn't be happy, creative, or not stressed out without it. It became my "umbrella" so to speak. My protection and esca

What Is Codependencyr Codependency is a learned behavior that refers to an obsessive need for affection, attention and affirmation. It is also known as “relationship addiction” because; this relationship based on emotional dependency is the other side of the coin of emotionally destructive and abusive.r

“One ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them. One Ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them. In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

When you walk into a 12-Step meeting, one of the first things you may see is a sign that says, “We Care.” Though short and seemingly insignificant, this message highlights one of the components of 12-Step recovery that makes the program so effective: empathy. What Is Empathy? In its broadest sense, empathy is central to what it means to be fully human. It allows us to tune into how someone else is feeling and gives us insights into the thoughts, emotions and behaviors of other people.

Dysfunctional relationships are relationships that create more emotional turmoil than satisfaction. Relationships are part of the human experience. But what happens if one or both partners have never been involved in a happy relationship, or had one modeled for them as a child? Chances are they ...

Methamphetamine is much different from regular amphetamine pills. Without going into a chemistry lesson, meth is simply a more refined or condensed form of amphetamine. It is much more powerful than what some people might think of as diet pills or speed. It produces both an intense feeling of energy and strong euphoric pleasure at the same time. Some of the intensity depends on how quickly it gets into the system. This drug in pill form, taken orally, is slow to produce this effect. Injecting it or smoking it is a completely different experience.

Over the past few years, I have examined the effectiveness of Alcoholics Anonymous and a lively discussion has followed these posts. AA is a group that many have very strong feelings about - both positive and negative. For some, AA has been a life-saver and allowed them to manage their addictions, while for others, the experience has not been as positive, and, in fact, has been quite horrible.

Often when I teach alcohol awareness classes clients query me , "Is drinking really that bad for me?" This article will talk about some of the main physical benefits of abstaining from alcohol, and then will discuss the mental and psychological advantages of quitting boozing.

Drug smuggling operations can rely on willing or unwilling couriers. In either case, the transport possibilities are seemingly limitless. Cartels and small-time transporters alike are driven by the high profitability of the drug trade and they will go to any length necessary to accomplish their goals. Here are some of the most widely-used methods of drug transport. -Willing Couriers- People willingly transport drugs from one country to another every day. Their methods range f

As many people in recovery have probably heard, (and often ignored or debated) it is detrimental to early recovery to become involved in romantic relationships. This article will discuss some of the reasoning behind the often-proposed suggestion “no relationships for the first year.” Perhaps ...

Where is the line between support and enabling? Support means you’re doing something because someone can’t do for themselves -- caring for a two-year-old, or preparing meals for your elderly grandmother, for instance. Enabling is giving assistance that makes it easier for someone to continue on the wrong track -- like paying credit-card bills for a shopaholic, making excuses for work absences caused by drunkenness, or supporting a person who uses drugs.

There are very fuzzy boundaries between helping and enabling. If you’re enabling, you think that you’re helping, but what you’re doing is anything but helpful. Here's some information so that you don't confuse the two. Helping When you help someone you are doing something that they cannot do for themselves -- but here’s where the line gets blurred. Ex: If I ask you to help me by mailing my letter, the nice thing would be to do it.

According to Patrick Carnes, there are 11 sexual addiction behavior types. This information is important when when working with sexually addictive or codependents or co-addicts of sex addicts. As you will see, sex addiction comes in many forms and types. Anything from the lone web surfer who spends 5 hours a night looking at pornography, to the patron of a prostitute, to the exhibitionist (man in the raincoat), the voyeur, and others. Sexual Addiction Behavioral Types 1. Fantasy Sex - Sexually charged fantasies, relationships, and situations

Whenever I have used the word cure in speaking about alcoholics or addicts in the presence of people who work in substance abuse treatment, they’ve cut me off in mid-sentence, as if I had uttered an obscenity. “There’s no such thing! Alcoholism and addiction are forever!” I was told again and again.nnSome therapists actually feel threatened when they hear me speak of a cure, and they become quite aggressive. They constantly hold up that basic precept of Alcoholics Ano

Understanding the Role of Values Values are intended to help you lay a solid foundation for permanent change. This three part series is focused on the single most important aspect of your recovery: your values. Specifically, your ability to recognize, develop and use your values in practical ways. Values: What Are They?

Often when people come to one of my alcohol awareness classes, they know that they need to stop drinking alcohol. But they don’t know exactly how they should stop. Here are some tips that you might find useful: 1. Don’t hang around people who are drinkers or who might tempt you to drink. 2. Don't go to places where you might be tempted to drink. Don't go to the tave s where you used to drink and don't hang out with people who might pressure you to drink.

Despite a rather exhaustive search of the literature and Internet, there is a scarcity of information comparing Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulator (CES) devices to one another in terms of mechanism of action or efficacy. While Cranial Electrotherapy devices may have markedly different waveforms, they all seem to have similar benefits for as of yet scientifically unclear reasons.

Computers are a very important part of our life. One can say that, playing computer games, surfing the internet, chatting with friends, social networking etc. are regular activities a person may perform every time he or she logins. Sometimes the above mentioned activities can become an obsession that gives us an unhealthy emotional attachment. Computer addiction can occur before we know it. Valuable hours spend surfing and playing games can affect our daily lifestyle as a per

Relationships are the heart and soul of our society. If our relationships with others were to disappear, most of us would feel all meaning slipping away from our lives. Our husbands, our wives, our children, our parents and extended family, our co-workers and our friends help to create what we become in life. We are a social species. Relationships unfortunately can falter. And when your relationship with your life partner is faltering, you need to act decisively.

Purple Drink Promethazine and Codeine containing cough syrup abuse has become popular in certain circles, especially in Houston and the South. Mixed with soft drinks and soda, it is drank and taken in high doses creating a euphoric effect that can "slow" people down. This relatively new phenomenon of abuse is different from over-the-counter cough syrups such as Robitussin DM which contains dextromethorphan. The promethazine and codeine cough syrups are available only by prescription, but as with many drugs, people are finding legal and illegal ways to find it. A Potent Combination

Many people are deciding, for various reasons, that they should give up drinking alcohol. Tea is becoming increasingly popular as a substitute due to the natural health benefits that it provides. Like the fact that all wines come from grapes, all teas come from the Camellia Sinensis plant or a genus of this plant. There are however six different types in total- white, yellow, green, oolong, black and pu-er. These are all made from the same bush but depending on where it in th

I am going to share 4 defense mechanisms that are frequently used by people in addiction to justify or substantiate their drug or alcohol use. I’m sure you have heard of some of these—you might have even heard of all of them. I hope to share some insights you may not have considered before.

I have seen first-hand how prescription drugs can improve the lives of people with mental illness. I have also seen how their use can backfire. In fact, sometimes drugs do the opposite of the intended effect. Even when prescribed correctly anti-depressants may intensify the symptoms of depression and increase suicide risk.

There are many ways people with addictions avoid accountability. Here is the first of several articles discussing these tactics. These tactics are what addicts and alcoholics use to to take the focus off them and continue doing what their addiction wants them to do. These tactics are used by our addiction to keep us trapped and a slave to substances and behaviors that are ruining our lives. We must learn about them and how to stop using them. If you recognize something in yourself in these tactics then you can learn how to stop using them to avoid accountability.

Codes of ethics and standards of practice are set forth by professional associations such as the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). Such codes define principles of ethical behavior required by the profession. Additionally, treatment centers such as the Hazelden Foundation defines requirements for employees designed to ensure consistent ethical behavior across the organization (Hazelden.org).

All people to some extent have a narcissistic personality, in that they are self-interested and want to secure well being, love and success for themselves. These are the defining factors of a person who has a healthy self-esteem and wants to progress in life. There are however, great differences between ‘normal’ narcissistic tendencies and the ‘pathological’ narcissistic tendencies which define an individual with narcissistic personality disorder. Another way to descr

It is widely understood in the treatment field that addiction is a chronic brain disease, but it takes time for the associated stereotypes and stigma to fade. A common misconception is that all addicts are tragically flawed individuals who can’t hold down a job or support their families.

A frequently asked questio I hear is "What is the difference between neurofeedback and biofeedback?" The term biofeedback is a general term used to describe feedback training for the body. However, most people refer to peripheral biofeedback or EMG biofeedback as simply biofeedback. EMG biofeedback is the process of ...

Relapse prevention is an ongoing requirement to maintain recovery. Some will say that you will get to a place in recovery where you don’t need to “work at it” anymore—that it becomes automatic. I have known a few people who seemed to put down their drug or behavior of choice—what they were addicted to and they didn’t appear to struggle with addiction again. But, that is not my experience with addiction. I have worked with hundreds of alcoholics and addicts over the years who also were not able to “put it down” so easily.

Being married to a functioning alcoholic can cause many problems in a family. Tens of thousands of families in North America alone are struggling with this issue. A drinking problem can begin in many ways. For some people it begins with social drinking. Social drinking can gradually deteriorate into alcohol abuse and eventually into alcohol dependence. The drinking became a habit and the habit became alcohol dependence or alcoholism. It matters not whether the alcohol is in the form of beer, wine or hard liquor. Alcohol is alcohol in any shape or form.

Yeah, when he hits bottom he'll be ready. A user has to hit bottom before he will change. Sooner or later she will hit bottom. Then she'll be ready to get some help. Raise the Bottom. This whole idea of "hitting bottom" is out of date. Some people will wait years-even decades-for their friend to reach this mythical point in their alcohol and drug use. But why wait for them to "hit bottom"? Why not help them by raising their bottom? There are ways to encourage someone to reach for help much earlier.

Life is full of events that lead to personal distress. And stress can build upon stress which can lead to marriage problems. If one of you drinks to reduce stress, in time the drinking itself causes stress and becomes a major roadblock to solutions. Quite naturally, you look around to see what’s causing your distress and the only person there is your spouse, so you instinctively blame him or her for upsetting you. Blaming your spouse is a gut reaction that escalates marriage problems, because it generates resentment and alienation. It is the Achilles’ heel of an intimate relationship.r

Alcoholism, drug abuse and eating disorders are often misunderstood. These diseases include a soul-sickness. The people in the grips of these afflictions are spiritually ill, too. The illness can even spread to family members and friends. The recovery process has produced countless untold ...

According to the most recent statistics, the divorce rate, often quoted (even by this author in psychology classes) as 50% of marriages, is actually closer to the low 40 percentile. (Divorce Rate: It's Not as High as You Think, By Dan Hurley, The New York Times, April 19, 2005). But that does not negate the fact that the United States has the highest divorce rate in the world per capita. The fact that so many American marriages end in divorce leads to the question is marriage an outdated institution? I think the answer is dependent on some of your personal variables.

I look back on my own life through breakups, low-self esteem and depression and can clearly say that I used alcohol as a crutch. I understand now that I learned this concept of sadness equaling alcohol from movie, tv and our culture in general. I now have accepted that stress, trauma, and depression will always be there and it's okay to have bad days as these are natural parts of life. I had trained my brain to think drinking alcohol would make me feel happy again.

It goes without saying that choosing to enter treatment or a Twelve Step program presents a unique set of challenges. One that many people do not anticipate is the experience of entering a culture in which people communicate. For men especially, this can be an unfamiliar and uncomfortable experience. But this is also the beginning of the most rewarding journey they will ever take: a man’s journey through the Twelve Steps.

Sometimes emotions make the life difficult even make it unbearable for some people. On the other hand, the life without emotions is tasteless, because, emotions give us experience of pleasure.

Many believe that people just use drugs to get high. It turns out that there are several reasons why people start to use drugs. The first reason obviously is to experience intense pleasure: people want to feel that rush so they start to experiment with drugs to experience it. But there are other reasons as well. Many people start to use drugs because they want to feel better; they want to get rid of negative feelings – what we call negative affect – things like depression, anxiety, agitation, and anger. They use drugs to ameliorate those feelings.

Smuggling drugs in body cavities is the stuff of movies and urban legends. Countless movies, television shows, films and books have been created about this subject, and in many cases the subject matter is either glorified or made to appear comical. But while some audiences may find humor in the comical situations inserting and extracting a kilo of cocaine from a rectum, stomach cavity or vagina may entail, the fact of the matter is that the people who place these drugs in the

I recently received an e-mail from a woman who believes her husband is a functioning alcoholic. Joan (alias) recently took the Alcoholism Test and then emailed me. Although a few details are changed or left out for privacy reasons, Joan began with: "I was researching functional alcoholism and came across your site. I took the Alcoholism Test to determine if my husband would be considered a functioning alcoholic. I have not yet spoken with anyone about this, but just researched Al-Anon and plan on attending a meeting . . . " Joan went on to make the following points:r

Here are some qualities to look for in a sponsor. I have set the standard high since this is a very important relationship for you and your recovery. You may not be able to find someone with all the qualities I suggest due to many factors including the size of your town, number of people who attend your meetings and others. So, like I said I am setting the standard high due to the importance of a sponsor—you want the best person to help you, don’t you? But, you may not be able to find someone exactly fitting my suggestions. Don’t worry too much about that.

Alcoholics Anonymous & “The Mother of A.A.” Anne Ripley Smith, Wife of Dr. Bob Dick B. © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved Part Three: Key Teachings in “Anne Smith’s journal” on Steps 5 – 9 Materials Sources The best source of information about Anne Ripley Smith, wife of Alcoholics Anonymous Cofounder Dr. Bob can be found in Dick B. Anne Smith’s journal 1933-1939: A.A.’s Principles of Success, 3rd ed. (Kihei, HI: Paradise Research Publications, Inc., 1998); ISBN 1-88580

Home Our Team About Usrn Services Staff Sites Addiction Services Articles Networking Trainings Location Contact The Emergence of Female Sex Addiction: Understanding Gender Differencesr Ross Rosenberg, M.Ed., LCPC, CADC Clinical Care Consultantsr Arlington Heights, IL 60004 www.ClinicalCareConsultants.comr

Giving hope to someone who needs it, whether their situation be a desperate one or simply a need for inspiration is perhaps the most important gift one can give, as well as in many ways being the most difficult thing to help instigate. It is often easier to give a false sense of hope than a real sense of hope, and this is often done as a reaction to a difficult situation that people find it difficult to cope with.

Drugs are presented to every teenager at one point or another. No matter what the discussions at home have been, no matter what a “good boy or girl” that your kid really is, the curiosity of what drugs are about will likely grab him or her at some point in time because here is what the trend today is:

Getting up early, going to bed late, playing coach, cook, housemaid, financial expert, chauffer, grocery shopper, appointment keeper, bath giver, homework helper, and nurse is just what moms are expected to do. These are mom’s roles and these don’t have any relation to what she does at work, her role as a wife, daughter, sister, and friend. Time for her is seems to always fall short. She has a lot of duties and there just are not enough hours in the day.

“Everybody must get stoned” – Bob Dylan, Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35 Bob Dylan is one of the most popular Western musicians of the 1960s, and has been a songwriter and performer for more tha 50 years. He has more than thirty studio albums and 50 singles to his name, among them Blowin' in the Wind and The Times They Are a-Changin'. Even though his popularity in modern times is not at the same level as it was earlier, he has recently published an album and given a live performan

Will You Use this Key Step to Change your Life? Commitment is one key to losing weight, getting in shape, learning a new skill, finding your soul mate, getting a better job, learning a new language, running a marathon, going back to school, drinking less, spending time with your kids or communicating better with your partner. Commitment gets things going. You may be one of those people who can commit to personal change and follow through just like the women in the weight-loss adds on TV. If so, congratulations! But, for the rest of us, it's not always that easy.

As a counselor for both classroom and online alcohol awareness classes, I have learned from my students their new affinity for mixing alcoholic beverages with caffinated energy drinks such as Red Bull. since I stopped drinking alcohol before energy drinks came into existence, I wanted to understand how this combination has become so popular. If You Swallow This, You'll Swallow Anything

This is the second post in the series of tactics used by addicts and alcoholics to avoid accountability. Accountability is necessary for all of us. People in recovery need to do everything in their power to remain accountable—this will help them deal with temptations and triggers when they come up. Continuing where we left off at number 4.

I started this article as a reply to a question related to these two articles: * Tactics Used to Avoid Accountability 1 * Tactics Used to Avoid Accountability 2 There are more tactics coming in the near future. Here is the Question. "So when we notice these things in a loved one or friend, what is the best way to approach it?" That is a great question that probably has a million different answers since even though addicts and alcoholics share a lot of similar behaviors, we are all unique in some ways that will change how you should approach them.

People really don’t know what A Day in the Life of an SEO Pro really consists of. Well, I’m here to tell you. This is how it starts: 5:30am Get up and turn on the computer. Grab a cup of joe while it downloads my emails. A SEO business is never closed, even though I checked my email last night at 2:00am, there are still over 30 new ones (not including spam!) – mostly from customers. So I spend the next hour replying to emails and deleting spam.

Here are ten common situations that are very dangerous to a person in recovery. Recognizing these dangers will help you avoid a possible problem in the future.

Myth #1: Drug addiction is voluntary behavior. A person starts out as an occasional drug user, and that is a voluntary decision. But as times passes, something happens, and that person goes from being a voluntary drug user to being a compulsive drug user. Why? Because over time, continued use of addictive drugs changes your brain -- at times in dramatic, toxic ways, at others in more subtle ways, but virtually always in ways that result in compulsive and even uncontrollable drug use. Myth #2: More than anything else, drug addiction is a character flaw.

If you live with an alcoholic you will almost certainly feel shame. Some people will experience it to a very high level others less so but almost everyone who lives with an alcoholic experiences it to some degree. You will probably feel anxious that people will discover your secret, that they will judge you and, inevitably, will find you unacceptable to be around decent people. Seeing it written down like that it probably seems stupid. How could anyone feel that.

Often when I teach alcohol education classes I like to ask my students, "Have you sensed whether alcohol is affects your mood?" I hope to address how alcohol and drinking can have a great impact on your mood. I'll also show you some real world examples of the way alcoholic beverages play a pivotal role in your mood.

I would like you imagine you have arrived to very beautiful pool in the middle of the forest. Maybe when you are next to the pool, it’s morning, or afte oon and or evening. If at any time, you look at very nice flowers next to the pool. I would like you focus your attention on a shrub red roses. When you look carefully at these roses, you see the red color of each rose is different from another. As you are walking alongside the pool you see different flowers. With seeing each flower, the pool and flowers are becoming clearer…and clearer…r

Drug and alcohol addiction recovery is a process, and a process that continues for life. Unfortunately, because no one is ever "cured" completely from the temptations of addiction, relapse is too often a part of the recovery process. A drug or alcohol relapse does not mean the end of recovery, it's merely a stage in the journey that needs to be effectively dealt with. Although relapse can be emotionally difficult on both the recovering addict and the family, relapse should never mean an acceptance of failure.

The answer: "It depends on the person's brain." However, almost for certain at some point in a complete series of neurofeedback sessions a person who is recovering from addiction will benefit from receiving the alpha-theta protocol. The evidenced-based symptom-oriented evaluation will suggest alpha-theta training as a ...

As a counselor for both in class and online alcohol awareness classes my students and I often discuss the possible ways a person can drink socially without becoming intoxicated. Of course the answer is simple, have one drink and make sure you are well hydrated, well rested and well fed. But the question remains, are there other ways a person can delay or diminish the effects of alcohol?

It is estimated that about three-quarters of the population drink alcohol. Of this number, about 10% will find that their alcohol consumption leads to serious problems involving their health, work, finances, and relationships with family and friends. When a person uses alcohol despite apparent harm to their health and well-being, it is called alcohol abuse (or dependence), or alcoholism. Men are five times more likely than women to develop alcoholism. However, the incidence of alcoholism among women has increased in the past 30 years. Causes of Alcoholism In Men

People addicted to alcohol drink compulsively and often claim to have an addictive personality. It is a convenient myth. I heard of a dentist who approached his dental work with compulsive attention to detail. His crowns had to fit perfectly. He was fanatical about bite adjustment and his workspace cleanliness was impeccable--all things I like to see in a dentist, because I do not like pain . . . or recalls.

To stop face picking the first thing that you need to address is your issues with perfectionism when trying to stop picking. When You think to stop face picking you think of picking acne or compulsive pimple popping. Sometimes you start face picking at stuff that is not noticeable or is not there at all. It seems like people today pick because they think that they need to look like perfectly sculpted statues and have completely smooth skin. This is a good example of the way in which our subconscious mind can push us into anxiety, stress and physical problems such as face picking.

Addiction is a dark and lonely place and the barriers that hinder it are plentiful. It is easy to fall prey to it but you play hell trying to get out. Overcoming an addiction is never going to be anything short of difficult because it grabs ahold of people when they are weak and broken and it lies to them, promising everything will be just fine. The process is swift and before long life is fast forwarded to an ugly quest for survival.

When a loved one is addicted to alcohol, it puts massive strain on the people that love them the most. Family members will often feel angry and resentful towards the individual for what they have done during the time they were addicted, which is understandable. However, once their loved one has completed a stint in alcohol treatment, it’s now solely up to the recovering alcoholic to make amends for what they have done.

A lot of conflicting emotions surface when you think you notice alcoholic behavior in someone you love. In fact, it is emotional when you realize that you may have a problem with alcohol yourself. It takes a big person to look in the mirror and honestly assess whether alcohol is becoming a problem in your own life, but it is equally as difficult to look at someone you love and think that they may have a problem. The first step to getting through this is to educate yourself on

Holistic Drug & Alcohol Rehab Centers take many different approaches to treating drug addiction, as there are drugs. The holistic drug detox philosophy involves the transformation of the total person, as opposed to only dealing with the symptom, which is the addiction. Underlying the addiction is an assumption that the individual has lost or is missing a component of life.

When a person decides to get sober the idea of staying sober can be overwhelming. The fear of relapse looms large. A quick review of the literature suggests that the success rate is relatively small when compared to the number of people who attempt to find sobriety. According to a 2003 study, the Caron Foundation documented that nearly 50-90% of people relapse within the first year after treatment or involvement in a 12-step program. Precursors to relapse can include anger, f

I have worked with several hundred alcoholics and addicts since 1989 when I first worked in this field. In all that time I have come to the conclusion that one of the most dangerous things that leads to relapse is fantasies of “controlled use.” I have talked with addicts of all shapes and sizes, men, women, all ages, and all races and I have observed a consistent theme with the vast majority.

Silkworth: The Little Doctor Who Loved Drunks A Contemporary Perspective Dick B. © 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved An Introductory Look at Silkworth as One of A.A.’s “Co-founders” William Duncan Silkworth, Jr., was born in Brooklyn on July 22, 1873. His family remembers him as a deeply spiritual man, not interested in any particular denomination. But he was, they said, a devout Christian. For many years, he attended Shoemaker’s Calvary Episcopal Church in New York. He

Whether you’re stuck in alcoholism or drug addiction, there is a way to permanently overcome your addiction. I know you’ve tried and tried to stop, but end up relapsing again and again. What will it take to finally get you over your addiction and into the abundant life? Here are three biblical principles to help you get out of whatever personal problems you’re going through and on the road to achieving the life of your dreams. Have you noticed that almost all of our problem

Alcoholics Anonymous History and a Relationship with God By Dick B. © 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved Moving from Being “in Recovery” to Having “Recovered” Would you like to recover from alcoholism and addiction? Do you believe that God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, can relieve you of those problems? According to the fourth edition of Alcoholics Anonymous--known affectionately withi A.A. as the “Big Book”--an effective way to recover from alcoholism is to

The most widely used and statistically proven treatments for drug addiction are called “evidence-based” therapies because of their rigorous testing and government approval. These therapies include one-on-one counseling sessions, peer-group discussions, and family therapy. However, there are other highly successful drug addiction treatments which rehab clinicians across the country use every day to treat their patients. One of these methods is known as reality-based therap

Identifying Teen Drug Abuse Parental and peer drug abuse are regarded as as among the more common variables influencing a teen's decision concerning substance use. The age at which teenagers start to consume alcohol is lowering, with 25% of adolescents beginning to drink prior to 13 years of age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some teens are more susceptible to acquiring drug-related disorders. This involves youths with one or more of the followi

Most of us have been fooled by the industry to believe that nicotine addiction is the problem that needs to be overcome in order to be successful. Drug companies are making a fortune with their gum, pills, and patches which do nothing more than make a prolonged withdrawal from nicotine. The truth is, that nicotine withdrawal lasts a maximum of 48-72 hours, and is only characterized by headache, some irritability, difficulty concentrating, and mild depression.nnWhat you are re

What is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)? Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a condition in which a person has an unstable mood, disrupted cognitive processes, and problems with behavioral or impulse control. BPD is more common, affecting 2 percent of adults, mostly young women. If you have borderline personality disorder, don't get discouraged. Because, treatments for BPD have improved in recent years and most people with BPD can live happy. What are the symptoms of BPD? • Intense but short episodes of anxiety or depression • Suicidal behaviorr

For more than 25 years, scientists have been hard at work formulating vaccines for nicotine, cocaine and other addictions. Growing recognition of addiction as a brain disease has spurred renewed interest in medical solutions such as vaccines.

Isolation is often thought of in physical terms, as being a process where people physically remove themselves from other people and live apart, either from society or from family and friends and other people. Isolation is sometimes thought of as a good thing, often in the context of someone who lives apart from other people in a spiritual or religious context, such as a hermit or a monk. Isolation is quite often confused inadvertently, with the idea of people living with a measure of solitude or separateness from other people.

Figuring out the truth of your justifications for your drinking is crucial to eliminating your denial. These are often asked by my alcohol class students when they take my alcohol awareness classes. Myth #1: I can cease drinking anytime I want to.

What is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop following a traumatic event that some people saw or lived through it. Traumatic events that can lead to PTSD include: • War • Natural disasters • Car crashes • Unexpected death of a loved one • Rape • Assault • Sexual or physical abuse Symptoms Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are three main types of symptoms: 1. Intrusive memories 2. Avoidance and numbing 3. Increased anxiety and emotional arousal Symptoms of intrusive memories • Flashbacksr

The Salvation Army: an A.A. Sourcer Article One Dick B. © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved It took many years of research before I was able to find and discuss the many strong links between the Salvation Army and Alcoholics Anonymous. And the links were of several different types: - The Salvation Army work with drunks and derelicts is legendary, and very successful as well. My introduction to their work first came through the pages of Harold Begbie, Twice Born Men (NY:

When Is One Drink, One Drink Too Many? A growing number of individuals in our society are being born with, or have developed, an inability to tolerate alcohol. If, for genetic reasons, an individual lacks the natural enzymes and chemicals necessary to metabolize (break down) any food substance, then proper digestion, assimilation and the excretion of poisonous wastes does not occur, causing harmful affects to the mind, body, and the emotions.

By Melanie Solomon http://www.aanottheonlyway.com The product is copyright © by Melanie Solomon. No part of this product may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any other means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written consent of the copyright holder, unless it is kept written, in its entirety, along with the author's biography. This product is supplied for information purposes only and, as experienced in this subject matter as the contributor is, the material herein does not constitute professional advice.

We normally associate alcoholism with increased tolerance to alcohol. Alcoholics often are able to drink a great deal before the usual symptoms of intoxication kick in — slurred speech, falling asleep, getting loud, poor balance, and poor judgment which could lead to and accident or a DUI charge. However, there are exceptions. Some functioning alcoholics do indeed show signs of intoxication with as little as a single drink. There are at least two different reasons why this might happen.

Did you know there is danger in doing well in recovery? This comes as a surprise to many people in recovery. So, you are probably wondering how doing well in recovery could possibly lead to problems. Here are some situations for you to consider: Many people stop doing everything the program says to do when they begin to feel they are doing well. The 12 Step program works when people work the program. But, when you stop working the program the program stops working. Some examples include: -Not going to meetings as often.rn-Not going to meetings at all.r

A.A., the “Higher Powers,” and the New Thought Compromise Dick B. © 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved My Search for the Curious Nonsense “gods” Floating Around Recovery Talk As many know by now, my searches for the history of A.A. began when a young man told me when I was three years sober that A.A. had come from the Bible. I told him I had never heard such a thing in the thousand or more meetings I had attended, but he told me to read A.A.’s own DR. BOB and the Good Old

To cure illness and suffering, we need to know the underlying CAUSE. Practitioners are often content to work with and remove the symptoms alone. Unfortunately these symptoms will eventually reactivate within the individual until the route cause of the illness has been dealt with, mentally, emotionally and physically. Joel Goldsmith, a famous spiritual healer in the 50s, founder of “The Infinite Way” movement wrote, “Unless there is a change of consciousness, there will be a re occurrence of the disorder.” (i)

Recently a reader left a question on my site about the symptoms of neuropathy. Her question was, "What is alcoholic neuropathy? I have heard the term and am interested in understanding it." She went on to add the comment, "It is just amazing when you read the comments from other people, and it is like they are just describing the events of your own life." Alcoholic Neuropathy: Symptoms

For many people, bringing up the subject of drugs is difficult. Your teens may try to dodge the discussion, and you yourself may feel unsure about how to proceed. To boost your chances for a productive conversation, take some time to think through the issues you want to discuss before you talk with your parents or teen. Also, think about how you might react and respond to questions and feeling. When You Talk About Drugs - Tell your parent or teen that you love them and that you are worried that he/she might be using drugs or alcohol.

There is a solution to the madness of alcoholism and addiction; a solution that will restore sanity and health, repair relationships and rebuild finances. The solution will have different components for different people but the key to the solution is personal responsibility. If you can, for even one minute, accept 100% responsibility for the state of your affairs, you can start down your path to recovery in this very same moment. By accepting the responsibility for the havoc

There’s new hope in the treatment of alcoholism, heroin, and other opiate addictions with positive results occurring for drug abusers, entering into inpatient drug rehab, which combine administration of the pharmaceutical Naltrazone Hydrocholoride, along with an overall addiction treatment protocol. Unfortunately, this pharmaceutical has not proven to be effective in blocking the addictive properties of cocaine, crack or in non-opiate based addictions.

Is 2013 the year that you are finally serious about your recovery or are you just talking to hear yourself talk? Sure, you may have gotten clean but what are your intentions to make sure you stay that way? Are you prepared to fight the toughest battle you will likely ever face? To stay clean you have to do everything in your power, literally pull out all of the artillery to manage relapse. Relapse prevention is the most important step in recovery. Relapse prevention can be a bit time consuming but it doesn’t have to be difficult. The simpler that it is the better your chances of success are.

The Flame of Love Byr Payam Ghassemlou Ph.D. On a daily basis, many of us spend a lot of time thinking about our life challenges. We think about all sorts of difficult situations, like financial problems, and make ourselves believe we can’t handle them. Catastrophic thinking about our lives bombards us with anxiety and contributes to our feeling of insecurity.

Have you ever felt the effects of peer pressure? If you answered no to this question you obviously have lived on an island your entire life without ever having had human interaction! As a counselor for both in class and online drug awareness classes, I often discuss the nature and power of peer pressure with my students. This article will examine peer pressure from the point of view of my minor in possession (PIP) students only. There will be a subsequent article where my students over the age of 21 reminisce on peer pressure.

In the 1950s and 60s most adults in North America smoked cigarettes or other tobacco products. We thought nothing of it. However, increasing research evidence of tobacco health risks began to overpower the tobacco industry’s portrayal of smoking as safe and cool. As the evidence mounted, increasing numbers of people quit smoking or never started. The voices of those wanting smoke-free workplaces and restaurants got louder than the chorus of smokers shouting, “It is my inalienable right to smoke whenever and wherever I want to.”

One of the most famous phrases surrounding alcoholism is that “denial is the first sign.” Of course that is absolute hooey because there are millions of people who abstain completely from alcohol who would deny being an alcoholic. But the facts are the facts. First fact, life-long teetotalers never are accused of being an alcoholic. For many years I have been sober and yet when accused of being an alcoholic, there is no denying that fact. Once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic!

Bill W., Dr. Bob, and the Cure of Alcoholism: “The Rest of the Story” A Four-Video Project Proposal by Dick B. and Ken B. © 2013 Anonymous. All rights reserved Key points: 1. A.A. claimed an overall 75% success rate for its early days [Alcoholics Anonymous, 4th ed., “Foreword to Second Edition,” xx]. And the third A.A. group in the world founded in Cleveland on May 11, 1939, claimed a documented 93% success rate during its first three years (May 1939 to June 1942) [DR. BOB

Get to know as many of your teen's friends as you can. Knowing his friends will help you tabs on his life and may help keep him out of trouble. If he and his friends hangs out at your house, introduce yourself and ask a question or two. If they don't hang out there, find ways to meet them, offer rides to and from events, have them over for dinner, etc. Stay alert to changes in his social circle, too. (When teens switch, it sometimes means trouble.) And if something doesn't seem right to you, act on it. If you don't like your teen's friends, figure out why.

A.A.-Step 10: Teachings of Dr. Bob's Wife Anne Smith Dick B., © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved We have recently covered Steps One through Nine of the Alcoholics Anonymous suggested steps for recovery. We did so by pointing out the applicable remarks on those topics by Anne Ripley Smith, wife of A.A. cofounder Dr. Bob, "Mother of A.A." as Bill Wilson called her, and one of the founders of Akron Number One--the first Alcoholics Anonymous group. The primary source for th

Addiction is a disease that affects spouses and children as dramatically as addicts themselves. When people get sober, they often set out to right the wrongs they’ve done to their children. And though children of addicts are at greater risk for emotional problems and addiction than other children, there are steps parents in recovery can take to minimize these risks. Through education and a conscious effort to develop the tools for positive parenting, we can become the parents we want to be rather than the parents we had.

If you are about to be admitted into alcohol addiction treatment, then it’s important to know how to get the most out of your stay in rehab. This article will provide you with the best alcohol addiction treatment tips, which can help you make it a success. Go Small, Not Big Ever hear the phrase ‘Rome wasn't built in a day?’ Telling yourself that 'from this day on, I want to remain sober' can seem a bit tough at first. Try to achieve things within your reach. For example, you know you’re not allowed to drink alcohol, so think about what you can do to stay busy.

Do you have a loved one that is addicted to alcohol? If your answer was ‘yes’, you have now made a positive step in helping them overcome their alcohol addiction. In this article, we’ll tell you how to help an alcoholic and also provide you with some guidelines on what treatment is best for your loved one. But first, let’s define alcohol addiction. What is Alcohol Addiction?

A random poll among newly sober clients, recovery counselors, and people who have achieved years of clean time would probably produce a varying consensus about the most pressing need for successful recovery. Most respondents, however, would likely agree that relapse is often an indicator of stress. The process of recovery, like the process of grief, is fluid and dynamic. Exploring relapse before it happens is a good way to identify potential problems so you can be prepared f

I would like you to imagine that you are on a forest path and you are walking to a pool which is in the middle of the forest. Look at the trees on both sides of the road. Do you see the leaves of trees green or do you see them black and white? What about the trunks of the trees? Do you see them brown? Do you feel the coolness of the air on your face? Or is the weather humid? With each step you take, the leaves and trunks of the trees, and all the flowers and plants are becoming clearer…and clearer... As you see more and more clearly, your body is becoming more and more relaxed…r

1. Attend a long-term rehab program – If at all possible, a longer-term (more than 30 days) drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility will often provide a solid foundation to work with that includes counseling and education about addiction and staying sober. 2. Have some type of support group – many people choose to attend meetings, but this doesn’t have to be the case. The support can come from family, co-workers, teammates, clergy, and of course staff at the inpatient drug rehab that was attended.

Ok, so what do I do about it? Here we go and lets get right down to it! Mental Chatter versus Emotions Victim Behavior is associated with many emotions, Shame is probably the most prevalent. Feeling overwhelmed is another. Feeling shame and being overwhelmed isn't particularly useful-nso let's divide and conquer by breaking this down into 5 bite-size steps: Summary Step one- Identify your dysfunctional characteristics -- habitual (recurring), problematic behaviors. Step tw

The “Golden Rule”of the Helping Professions An Excerpt from “The Human Magnet Syndrome – Why We Love People Who Hurt Us.” By Ross Rosenberg, M.Ed., LCPC, CADC

If you think that addiction only happens to teenagers, the unemployed or simply to people different from yourself, perhaps people that are less intelligent, less fortunate or less wealthy - think again. What if I told you that addiction can and does happen to top business executives, doctors, lawyers or even mothers who stay at home and look after their kids?

Alcoholism, like other forms of addiction, is a condition that can progressively worsen. The progression tends to fall into a series of 3 to 4 "steps" with particular behaviors inherent to each. Understanding the characteristics of each of these stages of alcoholism is important for a person to successfully assist an alcoholic recover. In the first stage, the alcoholic physically and psychologically starts to develop a resistance to alcohol's intoxicating effects. When the dr

Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function. Different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of Bipolar are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. But there is good news: Bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

Is someone in your family addicted to alcohol? If that’s the case, then it’s important to know the damage it can cause if no immediate action is taken. Alcohol addiction is often called a ‘family disease’ as the harmful effects of it do not only affect the alcoholic, but also the people closest to them. When a loved one’s alcohol addiction is left to flourish, it can cause serious damage to family life and in some cases, the consequences of it can be irreparable. If it’s a husband or wife is suffering with an alcohol addiction, it can put serious strain on a marriage.

10 Tips to Stay Sober 1. GET HELP! How many times have you said " I'm done, I'm never using again, I mean it this time, No more, It's not worth it" etc.. etc.. and when you said it u REALLY meant it? Your not the only one! We all do it; including me! Even with the best intentions I always failed. I swore up and down I was never going to use again and I really MEANT IT! I hated who I was and the things I was doing. Even with the most sincere desire to change I failed time afte

In the article Relax and Recover Part 1, I whole heartedly endorsed the 12 step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. And I think that deserves repeating. Both the Big book of AA and the basic text of NA outline a clear path to recovery that has helped millions of people worldwide achieve sobriety. As the coordinator of a treatment program it has been my experience that those who follow the suggestions outlined in the book, obtain and utilize a sponsor, work all 12 steps, and attend meetings regularly, greatly increase their chances of a successful recovery.

America’s New Drug Problem: Snorting ‘Bath Salts’ I saw this headline on Foxnews.com this morning (01/24/2011) and thought the same as many of you probably did: “What will they think of next?” As the article states: “….these are not your average bath salts that you pour into the bathtub to soak in after a long, hard day to relax -- these so-called bath salts are intended to be snorted, smoked or injected – and users are getting high off of them.”

A person is said to have physical opioid dependence if they have high 'tolerance' of opioids, meaning they need more of the opioid to get the desired effect. Opioid withdrawal symptoms occur when the substance is stopped. Most patients who seek treatment for opioid addiction also have some degree of physical dependence. However, physical opioid dependence alone is not sufficient to make a diagnosis of addiction. A person can be physically dependent - like a cancer patient might be when prescribed opioids for severe pain - and not be addicted.

What is great about being American? What do we have that people all over the world, including here in the good old USA cherish? In one word, the answer is freedom!

A.A. History Studies with “Conference-approved” Foundations Dick B. © 2012 Anonymous. All rights reserved The Problem with a Clear-cut Solution Fear has often ruled in the minds of those who understand the importance in their recovery of studying, learning, and applying the highly effective techniques of the early A.A. Society. Time and again, someone has mentioned a piece of literature, only to hear someone else claim it is forbidden because it is not “A.A. General Servic

A.A. History Brief: The Bible in the Big Book By Dick B. Copyright 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved Dr. Robert H. Smith was the cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. He is affectionately called “Dr. Bob” by many AAs. Dr. Bob had much to say about the Bible in his talks with and to the more tha 5,000 alcoholics he helped in Akron, where A.A. was founded. Perhaps the most important thing he said about Alcoholics Anonymous and the Bible was that the basic ideas for the Twelve

Is your habit of drinking alcoholic interfering with various areas of your life? Is your significant other threatening to leave you if you do not get help? Is your child scared of you? Perhaps you have gotten fired from your job or received a ste warning from the manager. It is when problems begin to arise as a result from you being drunk that lets you know when you have a drinking problem.

Why do so few people receive driving under the influence violations (DUIs) for marijuana? Statistics show how many people are smoking and using marijuana these days. In 14 states, including the District of Columbia, weed is legal for "medical" purposes. The entire idea of marijuana's medicinal value is subject for another article. Today we want to discuss the epidemic of using marijuana and operating a motor vehicle. As a counselor for both in-class and online drug classes I can tell you there are a lot of people out there who smoke pot and drive.

Old School A.A. and Old School A.A. Groups Todayr Dick B. © 2011 Anonymous. All rights reservedr Reflections and Suggestions about Pioneer A.A. that Could Help You! Utilize "Old School A.A." Approaches Todayr There is no real substitute today for beginning with one-on-one sponsorship, fellowship, and witnessingr Right now, just about anyone can join a group, attend a conference, take a class, buy tapes, and study some materials on Pioneer A.A.'s biblical roots and program. Bu

Sam has been charged with impaired driving twice. He drinks every weekend and he drinks a lot. His wife and other family members report that his personality changes when he drinks and he becomes mean. The next day he can’t remember much of what happened when he was drinking.

Not a perfect ten? Don’t beat yourself up. Being perfect is an impossible goal. Humans can never be perfect but there's nothing wrong with self improvement. We all have things that we would like to change about ourselves. However, in the quest for perfection we can get blindsided by our faults. We can get so wrapped up in them that we can become obsessed. When we have anxiety about our failures, we are unable to learn from our experiences.

If you want to know how to stop drinking – there are a few things you need to do. But first you need to understand that if you have a serious drinking problem – there is a big difference between stopping - and staying stopped. With a bit of will power, almost anyone can stop drinking for a short period of time – but it’s maintaining that, that is the hard part. And that’s the part most people struggle with. So how to stop drinking comes in two main parts.

The success of community based substance abuse treatment programs is based, according to Dr. Darryl Inaba, on the fact that they are uniquely able to provide care and support that is sensitive to culture, gender and place. As one of the original founders of San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury Free Clinics, Inc., Dr. Inaba has a long history with treatment programs that "come from the street" and so was greatly impressed with what he saw during a recent visit to Los Angeles based

I think one of the main reasons people relapse is they stop working their program of recovery. In my years as an addictions counselor I have heard it over and over again when I ask what led up to a relapse…”I quit working the program.” There are many ways you can quit working the program. We are all different and what leads to relapse might be different. At least, the details are different, but, there are some definite consistent themes. I am going to list them here. See if you can relate to any of these.

For family and friends of drug and/or alcohol addicted individuals, addressing addiction is one of the most difficult aspects of seeking substance abuse treatment. Often, drug and alcohol addiction has built a destructive cycle over a time to the point where daily family involvement actually enables the addicted individual. Family members frequently do not know how to bring up the issue of addiction therapy, and opt to ignore the problem for fear of pushing their loved one away during a confrontation or intervention.

The serenity prayer has a special place for many people, aside from its actual or little meaning, it has become something of a mantra for members of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 step fellowships.

12-step programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are tradition based programs and have been proven to work. Part of the glue that keeps these programs effective is sponsorship. In AA and in NA, people are required to seek sponsors. A sponsor is a mentor and someone that has a good amount of familiarity in the 12 steps, recovery, and in sobriety itself. Sponsors use this knowledge to assist those with less experience or one that is new to recovery.

What is self control? Self control is the ability to control one's feelings, emotions, impulses, and reactions. Effects of self control are seen everywhere, you can see it in the wealth of the people, winners medals, good habits, strong relationships, a beautiful music, magnificent buildings, and the personal mastery in any fields. Emerson once said, “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” We could paraphrase that by saying nothing great was ever accomplished without self control.r

Overcoming Alcoholism and Drug Addictionr Joining in Support, Not Splitting in Departure By Dick B. Copyright 2012 Anonymous. All rights reserved Some Comments and Some Questions Introduction and Three Approaches It would be naïve to think that there are only three ways—mutually exclusive ways—to overcome alcoholism and addiction. Why? All three of these three ways have fathered strong failure rates, particularly as they are seemingly and frequently viewed today. Regrett

Jackie asked me how many drinks could her husband have in a day before she should worry. She says he drinks three or four beers in the evening on work nights and a lot more on weekends when he doesn't have to go to work the next day. She thinks he may be a functioning alcoholic. Kevin worries that his wife's three or four glasses of wine in the evening could be the beginning of alcoholism. Alcoholism runs in her family.

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER – Introduction to “Interactive Tapping” An Overview of Cathryn’s Taylor's Seven Layer Inner Child/EFT Tapping Sequences-r

Whether it’s a job interview, an examination or even sport, for most things in life, the key component to doing well is preparation and when it comes to alcohol treatment, it’s no different. If you or a loved one is addicted to alcohol and have just decided that getting professional help is the only way that you will get better, you may have just made one of the most important decisions of your life.

Overheard at meetings and treatment rooms are stories of how clients report that there's nothing to do now that they're sober or how they feel like they won't have any friends once they get sober. While I can certainly understand the concern, there are a lot of people engaged in a full life who are either sober or who don't drink but have a life committed to health. It makes a lot of sense to me that finding something to do would be difficult as the focus of the using person

Inspired by the popularity of the movies, ‘The Secret’ and What The Bleep,’ which reveal the Laws of the Universe to the adult within you - Cathryn Taylor invites you to take this process one step further. She encourages you to share this ancient wisdom with your Divine Inner ...

In modern day usage, self-help really refers to a process conce ing people's own personal development or self growth. The good side of this is that it leads to people trying to become aware of who and what they are, and pursuing avenues that can help them become more rounded and happy people.

One time in a land far away a client asked me if I could help her save her 15-year marriage. Her husband was threatening to leave her, was stonewalling and was generally emotionally cold, but she said he was willing to see me. I worked with him for several months, and they stayed together. However, one day a year later as I was preparing to leave the community, she approached me, very troubled. This is what she said: “You’ve turned my husband into everything I ever wanted in a husband. But I don’t want to be with him.”

Everything about heroin has changed full throttle during the past fifty years or so. The mid 1960’s saw a surge of illegal heroin being smuggled into the US and by 1970 there were close to a million heroin addicts in the US alone. Much of this was blamed on Vietnam, the Corsican gangsters, and the French Connection that allowed for easy smuggling.

It seems like prescription medications are getting stronger and more addictive all the time. One of the few things I have not been addicted to I nevertheless understand the mind of an addict and the body and mind can be tempted easily into addiction. But are there people out there who cannot exist on a current cocktail of the most high-powered pain killers on the planet? Drug companies are working to develop a pure, more powerful version of the nation’s second most-abused medicine, which worries me that it could spur a new wave of abuse.

Lately you’ve been finding yourself stewing about how you’ll handle your last child leaving home, and you need to talk with your husband about it. You start to tell him what you’re feeling, but his eyes glaze over and he tunes you out. You wonder how it came to this and if it’s fixable? You used to be able to talk about anything. Just to be clear, I should point out that I hear this almost as often from men as from women. Wives tune out their husbands too…

Recognizing an existential vacuum, the drug abuser experiences unhappiness and, as a maladaptive response, turns to drugs or alcohol for relief of emotional pain. In the tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), it is through the recounting of life stories that the addict learns how to interpret their past in a way that gives meaning to the past and hope for the future. From a phenomenological perspective, the past is relived, interpreted and created in the present experience of an AA meeting, and becomes a model for creation of the future.

Anger is a normal healthy emotion, albeit a negative one. We all have anger issues at one time or another. When you experience anger, it is your body trying to tell you something is wrong, that “something is rotten in Denmark.” But what? Not understanding your body’s message can lead to accusing your spouse of making you angry, or alte atively, stuffing the anger to avoid a fight. Either approach ultimately leads to reduced communication, distancing and alienation from your partner.

The question of motivation is one that has become much more widely asked with the rapid growth of the self-development industry over the last few years. The question tends to be asked in two different ways. Firstly, people are asked or told how they can motivate themselves in numerous different ways. Secondly, people are told how they can be motivated or inspired by other people, either directly or indirectly.

If I Wanted to Leave Alcoholics Anonymous. . . Dick B. © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved First of all, I don’t! But let’s just say: (1) That I’m thinking of drinking. (2) That I’m really not “willing to go to any lengths” to prevent that from happening. (3) That I’m beginning to prefer my former friends, former ideas, former hangouts, and former brand of gin. (4) That I’m developing a resentment against A.A., against the people in A.A., against the meetings of A.A., ag

The Real Time Lines —Two of Them—That Marked the Beginning of A.A. March 12, 2012 Akron Events September 1931 Russell Firestone gets saved and healed of alcoholism with the help of Rev. Samuel Shoemaker on the train back to Akron from the 50th triennial General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church—a General Convention of the Episcopal Church—held in Denver, Colorado, September 16-30, 1931. October 1931 through January 1933 Russell and his friend James D. Newton t

THE BASICS – “Where it all begins!” In the last decade an explosion has occurred. The Laws of the Universe – the laws of attraction – the laws of abundance are now being made available to the masses. An electrical current is running through the planet as a plethora of information reaches the mainstream in a new way. Workshops offered by Esther Hicks who brings forth the group of Light Beings called ABRAHAM and J.Z. Knight who channels a being referred to as RAMTHA are being attended by the thousands.

When people talk about abandonment, or fear of abandonment, they often feel it is something that either happened to them, or what happens to other people in childhood, often without a really clear sense of what it might mean. There is some truth in this interpretation of abandonment, but its long-term effects, as well as its initial impact can have a much more powerful impact on people than they realise.

It’s not easy to be free of drug addiction. There are many treatment options available for drug addiction including medication and psychological therapies. There are rehabilitation centers to help addicts get out of their addiction. The recovery process does not end as the treatment is completed. An addict needs to stay away from drugs and build his resistance towards it to prevent relapses. Another step of full recovery starts after treatment or rehabilitation program is ove

Often when potential students contact me looking for an alcohol awareness class, they aren’t sure the length of course they should enroll in. Our alcohol awareness classes, for example, come in 8 hour, 16 hour and 24 hour lengths. These are also called our Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 classes. How to choose the right class

When you have a suspicion your teen is doing drugs, what do you do? First, learn as much as you can. Check out all of SelfGrowth.com for information on drug and alcohol use by teens. Know that there is help available for you and your child. In most communities, you can get help from your pediatrician, nurse, or other health care provider, a counselor at your child's school, or your faith community.

Anyone in recovery desires several things. You want to remain free of the drug you had been using and you want to alleviate the negative physical and emotional conditions that were created by that addiction. Hopefully, you also want to lead a healthier life in general. In order to move along a new path in life in which you are becoming and staying healthier, you must not only stay free of your previous substance abuse, but you should live in a more wholesome manner, one that

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR MOST EFFECTIVE DRUG OR ALCOHOL TREATMENT PROGRAM (A Chapter from “AA Not the Only Way” By Melanie Solomon http://www.aanottheonlyway.com Note: This is NOT a free product. You do not have the right to give it away or sell it without proper written consent from the author. The product is copyright © by Melanie Solomon. No part of this product may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any other means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written consent of the copyright holder.

Quote “ Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city." - George Burns ? Holiday stress, is difficult enough, but if you have dysfunctional family members, the daily ‘holiday reminders’ can really be upsetting. We’re bombarded with images and songs that tell us that the holidays, should be peaceful and happy – everyone gathered around the dinner table – filled with love and good cheer. If you come from a family like that you’re lucky, but most of us do not.

Many people question whether drug rehab can work for patients who attend clinics against their wills. Rehab specialists have developed a number of highly effective treatment methods for drug addiction, but most of these methods rely heavily on the cooperation of patients themselves. The lifestyle changes necessary for lasting sobriety require personal breakthroughs and self-reflection – neither of which is possible with non-cooperative patients. Still, thousands of drug add

As a substance abuse counselor I have worked with many clients who were on the fence about their addiction. They would have some issues in their life that made then think they were addicted but they would also have some reasons why they couldn't be addicted. I have found it helpful to explore various ways to help them get off the fence and let go of any possibility that they might not be addicted. Denial is expected in alcoholics and addicts. I have met many Jack Whinery, homesteader, repairing fence whi...professionals that complained about a client in denial.

Self Respect is the ability to maintain dignity in the face of stress, rejection, criticism, or any activity that can erode one’s value systems. In a world of imposing immensity and persistent change, the forces that can strike at anyone's value systems can be extreme, unprecedented, and persistent. Yet, we cannot contain or control those exte al events. There is no special stress that will always threaten every person. What threatens is the difference between what is imposed

Not everyone who drinks regularly is an alcoholic or has a drinking problem. But substance abuse is a major problem within the older population. It is not always obvious, because many older adults drink in private rather than in bars. Because our culture generally identifies problems with alcohol as a moral issue, it can be difficult to have a productive conversation that supports discussion and healing. Here is some important information about alcoholism, risk factors for co

There is a third critical factor to bear in mind when questioning the functioning of a so-called “functioning alcoholic.” The first factor to consider was whether the alcoholic is functioning generally in life, or just in one aspect of life, like his job. The second factor was whether the alcoholic is achieving his potential and pursuing his dreams, not just getting by. The third factor has to with how long the “functioning,” at whatever level, can last in the presence of alcohol abuse.

Physicians who treat opioid addiction also have the option of utilizing 'medication-assisted treatment', and the most common medications used in the treatment of opioid dependence today are methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine (Suboxone).

Have you ever felt you were giving too much to others? taking on their problems or allowing them to dump their problems on you? Is it hard for you to say no or tell another person how you are feeling without guilt or shame? These may be signs that your boundaries are fuzzy and could benefit from being worked on. So what are boundaries and how do they help us? How do we start to say no without being afraid of rejection or anger?

Alcoholism and drug addiction are two maladies that have severely afflicted scores of people across the globe. Now, whether these two should be categorized under diseases like cancer or heart disease is a debate that seems to rage on and create great controversy. The medical community today generally seem to support the view that addictions should be classified as a disease, as they meet the criteria that are necessary to term it as such. These criteria are: 1. Primary 2. Progressive 3. Chronic 4. Fatal

ADHD is neither a “new” mental health problem nor is it a disorder created for the purpose of personal gain or financial profit by pharmaceutical companies, the mental health field, or by the media. It is a very real behavioral and medical disorder that affects millions of people nationwide. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents. According to research sponsored by NIMH, estimated the number of children with ADHD to be between 3% - 5% of the population.

These articles were published as a column in “L. A. Health” under the title, “A Hypnotherapist’s Casebook.” No. 1. Hypnotherapy for healing. A little over six years ago I was between jobs. I had been working in Psychiatric Hospitals and other institutions, as an Admissions Counselor, Chemical Dependency Counselor, Case manager and Discharge Planner.

As drinking and driving becomes less tolerated, many communities have volunteer programs, as well as paid services, to get people home safely if they’ve been drinking and shouldn’t drive. Their existence is a reminder that parties, family gatherings, weddings and other celebrations push up alcohol consumption.

Video game or Internet addiction is a controversial idea, unlike like other behavioral addictions, which does not have definite remedies of cure. The enactment of video game habits as addiction is another area of controversy. Many experts still lay down to the thought and deny video game habit to be a major disorder or a serious addiction. Also, not to forget, Internet addiction counts under similar symptoms and circumstances. While video gaming research is showing some distu

Learning how to deal with extreme emotions such as anxiety, anger, fear, sadness, and many more, is very important in preventing relapse. Here is an excerpt from my book Handling Stress and Anxiety.

When it comes to addiction people cannot help themselves from creating this silent rating scale in their mind, like he’s just an alcoholic, she does too many prescription pills, and he is junkie because he does heroin. It is this kind of judging that creates the stigma that has created an almost permanent barrier for addiction recovery today.

A child living at a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory is exposed to immediate dangers and to the ongoing effects of chemical contamination. In addition, the child may be subjected to fires and explosions, abuse and neglect, a hazardous lifestyle (including the presence of firearms), social problems, and other risks. Chemical Contaminationrnr

The biggest problem with addiction recovery is that there are so many people that have failed one or more times. This causes those to become discouraged when in reality it never was their fault that they were not successful. There are millions of addicts hooked on drugs or alcohol and unfortunately only a small, actually very small, number seek professional treatment and very often the treatment is substandard at best.

Anxiety disorders are serious medical illnesses that affect approximately 19 millio American adults. These disorders fill people's lives with overwhelming anxiety and fear. Unlike the relatively mild, brief anxiety caused by a stressful event such as a business presentation or a first date, AD is chronic, relentless, and can grow progressively worse if not treated. Anxiety Disorder And Alcohol Abuse

People around the world have used opium for thousands of years. Texts from the first civilizations in Sumer and Mesopotamia describe its frequent use, and archaeologists have even found that ancient peoples devoted entire sections of their cities to its use. Although most people today only understand its recreational use, the drug has also been used for medicinal and even spiritual purposes. However, most modern people use opium for either recreational or pharmaceutical purpo

Many people who have been involved in any type of personal growth or self development work and have subsequently sensed a real change in their inner world, will often forget the real difficulty and fear involved in doing any type of work that necessitates change.

Long-term sobriety requires personal engagement in your recovery. Real engagement goes beyond just attending meetings or calling your sponsor. Engaged recovery requires that you constantly learn new, concrete skills which support long-term sobriety. When I think of concrete skills that support recovery, several things come to mind: Resilience - This generally refers to a person’s ability to cope with adversity, or the ability to bounce back from problems and setbacks. Resear

20 Exte al Assets for Developing a Healthy Teenager Who is Alcohol and Drug Free “40 percent of those who started drinking at age 13 or younger developed alcohol dependence later in life. Ten percent of teens who began drinking after the age of 17 developed dependence.” “Teens that drink are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than teens who never consume alcohol.”

Have you ever had the experience of sharing your life challenges or problems with an empathic listener who gave you his or her undivided attention? A kind of listener who did not judge you and really cared about what you had to say. Someone who was not quick to give you advice and solutions but was interested to hear how you felt about your life challenges. When I recall my experiences of feeling heard and deeply understood by someone I know how much the experience helped me to cope with whatever I was dealing with at the time.

Waking From The Dream The Process And Practice Of Reclaiming Our Spiritual Identity “A Course In Miracles” Perspective “Yet the Bible says that a deep sleep fell upo Adam, And nowhere is there reference to his waking up.” rn(ACIM T.C2.I.3.6) Older Souls

When you or your loved one decide to make the important step toward seeking drug or alcohol treatment, the next critical step in the recovery process is determining the level of appropriate care by receiving a professional addiction assessment. This is the first intake procedure to evaluate the extent of addiction as it determines the type and level of treatment a patient needs.

Many people will hear the word boundaries and immediately think that it only applies to someone who works in or understands the world of therapy or counselling. In fact healthy boundaries are something that hopefully will be developed in most families with kids, and are essential for any children or growing adolescents to have in order to feel an inner sense of security that allows them to grow.

Addiction has been referred to as a disease of mind, body and spirit. The role and affect of mind and body are relatively self evident, whereas the spiritual dimension seems more difficult to conceptualize.

The law of Sobriety takes the principles of the Law of Attraction and puts them to work for the specific purpose - to help individual’s recover from their addictions, whatever that addiction might be including alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, food, co-dependency, love, and or shopping. However, in order to understand the Law of Sobriety, you need to understand The Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction states your life is related to your thoughts – both conscious and unconsciously – those thoughts we put out into the universe.

“Success is the attainment of a worthy Goal or ideal” Earl Nightingale. Recovery begins at the onset of abstinence from the individual’s drug of choice. Successful recovery is the attainment of a worthy goal or ideal. There are two phases of the recovery process, ...

Alcohol has historically, and continues to, hold a fairly important part in social engagements and bonding for many people all around the world. Drinking socially or moderately consuming alcohol for many is considered to pleasurable and perceived to reduce stress and anxiety. However, it's also known that alcohol consumption - especially when consumed in excess - is often linked to a number of negative outcomes: as a risk factor for diseases and health impacts; crime; road in

Gestalt Theory states that “Change happens when one becomes who he really is, not when he tries to become what he is not” (Beisser, p. 77, 1970). This principle of change implies that in the process of maturation an individual introjects familial and societal attitudes and beliefs about himself that may eventually interfere with healthy organismic self-regulation. Messages (Gremlins) such as: “You’ll never amount to anything,” “You are just like your father,” â€

Seven years ago I was asked by a friend if I was "religious and if I believed in God?" As a (formerly) practicing agnostic I quickly answered:"no." However, I defended myself by explaining that I lived my life according to universal principals of "right and wrong." Because I believed that our deeds create a lasting effect on the world, I felt confident in my everlasting future. In other words, I wasn't worried about there being a heaven or not. I told my friend that when I die, I am banking on knowing that my impact on the world will be ever lasting.

1. Trying to control your alcohol or drug intake - If you're really an addict and not someone who has made a lifestyle choice, then controlling your use of alcohol or drugs is completely impossible. Some addicts try, and fail, at this for many years until they finally realise it can't be done. The very nature of addiction means that it is impossible to control your use of a particular substance once the first drink or drug is down the hatch.

No one will argue that there is an unfortunate increase in prescription pill abuse and especially prescription pain killers, otherwise known as opioids. Some say that doctors are too quick to write the prescriptions and others will say that more people need to become educated on the proper disposal of these medications when they are either expired or no longer being used. Regardless of what has caused this near epidemic number of addicts there is another group that is suffering from the wrath of this problem.

As a drug counselor, I receive many questions. This next one is typical: Q: I think my spouse may be addicted to his pain medication. He had knee replacement surgery several months ago and has gone back to work, but says he still needs to take pain pills. I think he is actually taking more now than he did right after the surgery. I'm not sure about all of this, and I don't know what or how to say something. His dad is a recovering alcoholic.

Levels of anger and stress has increased hugely in recent times, especially in large urban areas and cities, resulting in increased tension and instability in many people's lives. The effects of anger can be seen very clearly in many domestic or work situation you care to imagine. Anger as an emotion has always been with people. What perhaps is new is a perception that it needs to be dealt with, and that often dealing with a level of anger is acutely necessary for people to have any type of internal stability or peace of mind.

rnhttp://www.addictsfriend.com/tara-m---me-and-my-recovery.php rnby: Tara M. Me And My Recovery rn rnThe last week has been a very busy week. The school semester is winding down, and finals are here. The pressure I put on myself is so great, today I hold myself to a higher standard. And it is because of who I once was and where I’ve been. ......Yesterday I was reminded of these things as I drove down the street. I saw someone carrying all their stuff and looking lost. Not k

Can you read your partner’s mind? Of course not! Neither can your partner read your mind. But this is what you may have come to expect of each other if you grew up in a movie-script, hearing phrases like: “Love is never having to say you are sorry.” Or perhaps you learned as a child that: “You should not have to tell someone what you are feeling or what you need if they love you”

Back in the 1960’s, the Woodstock era, psychedelic drug use was pretty common for the younger generation, who are today’s baby boomers. New studies now reveal that today’s young people might be just as likely to use psychedelic drugs. These drugs are known to stimulate the brain receptors causing extreme emotion, hallucinations, and sensory distortions.

Can Addiction Be Cured? In today’s world, most addiction treatment professionals view addiction as an incurable disease, which can only be managed and controlled using ongoing aftercare programs. In other words, every addict will always be a recovering addict, and cannot hope to become a former, or cured, addict. Bill Wilson, founding father of Alcoholics Anonymous, told a different story. In regards to a conversation with his friend, Ebbie, Bill wrote the following -r

This is the sort of question that people will instinctively answer yes to, without really taking a moment to consider the real implication of what the question is asking, and why it is particularly important to any notion of personal development or self growth. At some level people think of other people as being different or separate from themselves.

Prescription Painkiller Addiction: The Problem There are many people in the United States with a painkiller addiction .According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2009 there were 7 million abusers of prescription drugs. The majority of this abuse was from prescriptions. Teens typically obtain these prescriptions from family or friends. The number of fatal prescription drug poisonings has more than tripled since 1999. In 2003, 10% of 12th graders reported using Vicod

There is a growing body of research focused on the dynamics of addiction within the context of family relationships. Drinking parents have profound and lasting effects on their children's physical, social, and psychological development. Children of alcoholic parents are twice as likely as those with non-alcoholic parents to experience inadequate supervision, neglect, physical abuse, and imprisonment . Offspring of drinkers are more impulsive, less likely to delay gratification, and prone to aggression and hyperactivity.

I wrote this comment in response to a writer who raved against addicts for not being held to some standard of getting better, and my take on his article was he was frustrated with the addicts for relapsing in such high numbers, which is true -- and is outrageously expensive. I think there is another reason for all the relapsing, however, and that yes I agree, something needs to be done about it. Anyhow, the comment was too long to be accepted so here it is: Dear XYZ:r

Healing Challenges In Relationships

As a counselor both in class and online alcohol awareness classes I always discuss how many alcoholic beverages and what blood alcohol concentration (BAC) each of my students had when they were arrested. It is important for people to realize how alcohol affects their mind and their body and to understand what is happening as they drink and continue to drink. Maintaining a conscious reminder of the how alcohol affects your body could mean the difference between life and death!

My passion in looking at men and trauma comes primarily from my personal experience as a young boy, first growing up in a violent alcoholic home and then having to deal with the impact of that trauma long into my thirties — and long into my sobriety. I still have vivid memories sitting on the top stair outside of my parents’ bedroom, hearing my mother screaming and crying as I was trying to get up the nerve to open the door or bang on it, once they/he had finally gotten smart enough to lock it.

Among the many nightmares that parents encounter is catching your adolescent child has been drinking. This might have happened when you smell vodka on their breath after coming home from an activity with friends Or perhaps it's actually catching them drinking at a party, or in your house. Sometimes another mother or father will phone you telling they caught your teenager drinking with theirs. It could even be the nightmare situation where you are notified by the police who have captured your kids drinking, or even worse drinkingand driving.

In order to cease an addiction such as smoking, drinking or using drugs, a person needs to go through foreseeable stages of change. Following on from Prochaska and DiClemente’s founding research in 1982, these stages of change have been extensively scientifically validated. It is unusual for a person to able to cease their addiction successfully after only passing through these stages once. In most cases there are a number of attempts at change before ceasing for good. Like

Are you asking yourself ‘when is alcohol treatment needed?’ The fact that you are asking this question indicates that there could be a problem at hand. In this article, we’ll tell you how you to determine when alcohol treatment is needed. Knowing the Signs and Symptoms of Alcohol Addiction It’s quite common for an alcoholic to see the damage that their drinking is causing to their health and well being, yet they still will deny that there’s a problem present.

Group therapy is complementary to, but distinct from participation in Twelve Step groups. Through the group process, growth is facilitated, isolation is reduced, and the concept of sobriety as an interpersonal experience is fostered. Indeed, group therapy is frequently considered the treatment of choice for addiction, allowing for positive peer interactions, improvement in communication skills, mutual support, confrontation of ego defenses and an overall substitution of the euphoric state of intoxication with the elation of the group.

Why is it so important to enter into an inpatient drug rehab rather than an outpatient? For one, the alcoholic or drug addict will be committed to staying for the duration of the rehab program and not be able to use drugs or alcohol. Also there is no outside environmental condition like drug dealers, drug friends, or relationship problems that will enter into the person who is receiving treatment. These issues are generally why outpatient is not effective. Not to mention duri

It is well-known that trauma and addiction are closely linked. Years of clinical research have demonstrated that many individuals who struggle with addiction report exposure to trauma during the course of their lives. It is not uncommon for those dealing with addictions to have experienced any of the following: prolonged physical, emotional or sexual abuse during childhood, adolescence and/or adulthood; profound neglect; long-term exposure to violence, war or terrorism; and the chronic long-term health problems associated with these things.

A substance abuse evaluation is an assessment of an individual to disce whether the drugs or alcohol use is a problem in the person’s life. There are basically three general categories of using drugs, which are social use, abuse and addiction.r

Recovery from a sports related injury is 50% physical and 50% psychological. If an athletic does the physical rehabilitation, and fails to do the psychological rehabilitation, he will not return to his prior level of performance. In fact, his performance will decrease, and his chance of re-injury escalates. Careers have been shortened, teams have lost games, and athletes have failed to play at their potential because athletes have not done the appropriate psychological recovery.

When you free-associate with the concept of creativity, what arises? Perhaps what you connect to involves turning ideas into reality and plumbing the depths of imagination. Perhaps you think of particular artistic mediums, or of ways of being that entail risk taking, and exploration. For some, creativity is a soulful expression of self in whatever way fully reflects that person’s essence. Humanistic psychologist Abraham Maslow asked, “The key question isn’t ‘what fosters creativity?’ but it is why in God’s name isn’t everyone creative?

Members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) generally assert that their use of alcohol is out of control and that even one drink is too many. AA espouses total abstinence from alcohol for life. But is it possible for a person who has abused alcohol to gradually cut back on their use of alcohol and reach a point where they can handle a drink or two without losing control? There are many who say that tapering off alcohol is indeed possible and has been accomplished by many people. Is

Personal development is a linear progression where we are always striving to better our self. We begin life vulnerable and dependent on our caregivers. We progress to become independent and strike out at the world on our own. As we mature further, we realize that we cannot take on the world alone and learn to become interdependent working in harmony with those around us. The goal of development is to reach a state of interdependence, where we are self aware enough to understand that there is strength in developing strong relations with those around us.

I was recently invited to speak at an event in the same small Virginia town where I started my recovery journey and had the chance to be with some of the people with whom I first got sober 17 years ago. There were the guys I called the Fantastic Four: my first sponsor, my first best friend in sobriety, the man who taught me how to say “Hi” to other people, and the man who had what I wanted. And there were the incredible women—especially Mama T and all the adopted grandmas.

In Greek mythology Narcissus was a handsome, proud man who disdained those who loved him. He fell in love with his own beautiful reflection in a pool, and because he couldn’t stop looking at it, he starved to death. Narcissists have a great deal of resistance to change, basically because they cannot see a need for changing perfection. Narcissism is the epitome of insight-free self-centeredness. In the modern world the “Narcissistic Personality Disorder” represents the extreme end of the continuum of narcissism…

You both enjoyed a drink when you were first married. But unlike your drinking, his has increased over time. In fact it has become an integral part of everyday living for him. It has become a familiar part of your life too, because you worry about what is happening to him and to your marriage. For present purposes I will limit my comments to home life.

Self-improvement has become something of a mantra and a watchword for a vast industry that has grown up around it in the last 30 perhaps 40 years. A lot of the self-improvement industry has flourished in the last 10 or 15 years with the growth of the Internet. Perhaps an inevitable consequence of the growth of the web, has been a freedom for people to peddle whatever wares they like online, alongside a lot of highly reputable and good sources of information.

To first understand opioid addiction, you must first understand what opioids are. The term opioid refers to any drug or chemical that attaches (like a key fits into a lock) to sites in the brain called opioid receptors. The human body makes its own opioids (called endorphins) but the opioids we are conce ed with when we talk about opioid addiction are those that are manufactured in a laboratory or made by plants. For instance, morphine and codeine are found in the extract (the opium) of seeds from the poppy plant, and this opium is processed into heroin.

Most of the men I’ve talked to over the years in the journey through recovery can identify some point in their lives when they realized it was not okay to express certain feelings or behaviors, especially if those feelings showed weakness, vulnerability or sensitivity. Crying above all was strictly discouraged. They also learned—sometimes through everyday interactions with other men but frequently because of abuse or traumatic experiences—that the only appropriate way to express things like fear, hurt, rejection or sadness was through the conduit of anger and violence.

How can you tell if your child is using drugs? It is difficult because changes in mood or attitudes, unusual temper outbursts, changes in sleeping habits, changes in hobbies or other interests are common in teens. These changes often signal that something troubling is going on and may involve alcohol or drugs.

Determining the right time for drug and alcohol treatment is different for each person. Some individuals will go and get help as soon as they feel like they're developing a problem. Others seek treatment when they feel they're becoming dependent on drugs or alcohol to cope with life. Still, others will have to hit rock bottom before they become willing to get help. Many people fall somewhere in the middle. The problem with addictions is every one is different. Each person has their own set of circumstances that's unique to them, and that makes it difficult to judge their situation.

As someone who has spent the last 20 years trying to help people recover from alcoholism and other drug addictions, I whole heartedly support the 12 step programs of AA and NA. They are the best and most successful support groups out there for those in recovery. If utilized on a regular basis AA and NA can greatly decrease the chances of relapse and vastly improve the quality of life for the addicted person. In this article however I’d like to discuss some other important things that can be done as well.

The concoctions of chemicals being used to create the deadly mixtures being used to create illegal drugs will astonish most people. Not only are the chemicals dangerous but the amount of each chemical that is added to illegal drugs drastically varies depending on who is mixing the combination. ...

A.A.: How to Study, Understand, & Take the 12 Steps by Dick B. © 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved FIRST THINGS FIRST: The Bible; Dr. William D. Silkworth (“The little doctor who loved drunks”); William James (The Varieties of Religious Experience); Anne Smith (and her personal journal which she kept betwee 1933 and 1939); The Oxford Group (also known as “A First Century Christian Fellowship”); andr Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, Jr. KEEP IT SIMPLE: To learn about those key

Can you see the two faces in this picture? To view this Face and the other "Cloud-Layers of Ego" illustration in this article Click the following Link: http://www.peakrecovery.com/two%20faces.pdfrnr

What do you think it is going to take in order for rational thinking people to finally speak out in huge numbers? How much more do we need to see? How many more stories to we need to hear before we can comfortably speak the simple truth that pornography is the master exploiter of our world and has created a moral epidemic?

For years and years cocaine was one of the most dreaded drugs. It was labeled as highly addictive and then along came crack cocaine and that was placed in a league of its own, one that was extremely lethal. Maybe it is the hype surrounding the surge in prescription opiate addiction but it seems that the talk about cocaine has been reduced to a low roar. Does this mean that fewer people are abusing cocaine? The answer to that question is no. Are there less people that are addicted to cocaine now? No.

We admitted that we were powerless over alcohol and that our lives had become unmanageable. --"Step One, AA 12-Steps After many years in recovery, I know that I must not forget this one principle: "I will always be an addict. --Joe Herzanek Whether you are a fan of twelve-step programs or not, the first step an attendee will hear offers a great deal of wisdom. The alcoholic/addict should never venture into the world without remembering the important bit of knowledge that Step One provides: Chemically dependent people will not ever be able to gain control over their substance use.

It seems like each generation has a different trend that they follow when it comes to drugs and alcohol. One year drinking alcohol is on the rise and the in thing to do but two years later the majority of kids are smoking marijuana. Never has the US been faced with the illogical dangers that are present today. There is no proof or evidence that indicates today’s teens are in big trouble except for what has been witnessed thus far.

Personal Myth Byr Payam Ghassemlou Ph.D.

It is an unfortunate fact of life that many people rely on alcohol to unwind after a busy day at work or after the children have gone to bed. Some people find themselves unable to relax without having an alcoholic drink or 2. Other people may eventually find that those 1 or 2 glasses of wine have developed into a bottle or 2 of wine, or that their drinking is no longer just restricted to the evening.

 What should you do if you discover you're drinking too much? 

The

If you haven't heard of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) 12 Step Program, you are a rare individual. AA started the 12 Step Program in 1935. The 12 steps collectively make up the methodological approach developed for fighting alcoholism, as well as other addictive behavior patterns. Dr. Bob Smith, or simply Dr. Bob, and Bill Wilson, or simply Bill W., founded AA in Akron, Ohio. Why are the shortened names included? They help emphasize that in Alcoholics Anonymous anonymity is as

When many people hear the word spiritual or spirituality, or any word associated with religion or spiritual terminology they immediately assume that the underlying idea or rationale behind it is that of becoming a good or a better person than they were before. To many if not most people, this is not a very attractive option for a number of reasons, most typically because they fear it involves giving up on a number of behaviours or goals in life that they believe are important to them, and they do not believe would be compatible with being a better or good person.

Often when I teach an alcohol class I tell my students to think about their drinking. I want them to think about going beyond their historical drinking patterns, but study how it affects their mood and happiness. Have you become more unhappy since your consumption of alcohol has increased? Are You Happy Now?

The Christian Recovery Movement Today—Growing or Going? By Dick B. 2011 Anonymous. All rights reserved Consider the Origins In two of our recent books, Dr. Bob of Alcoholics Anonymous and The Conversion of Bill W., we covered the seemingly-forgotten-yet-very-important origins of Alcoholics Anonymous in five groups of people and organizations, primarily of the mid-to-late 19th century. Though critics of A.A., within and without, have often sidetracked discussions of origin

Drug abuse - if you knew what your life would end up looking like as a drug addict, I’m sure you’d never start. So here are some of the traps I’ve seen. Trap #1 – You’re hooked before you know it. Some drugs instantly hook you, while others slowly pull you in. You want to fit in. You want to be accepted by your new friends. So you take the drugs when they’re offered. After all, doing it just once won’t hurt! How could having all these good feelings be so bad? Trap #2 – You

Aphrodite’s story begins with a violent birth with absent parents and a castrated father. We can conjecture that her violent birth contributed to her cruelty and vindictiveness in which she used her beauty as a channel for her aggression. In her compulsive search to transcend the pain of her aloneness, she seeks pleasure and beauty through a sensory driven reality devoid of morality. We could say that Aphrodite, like all of us, was expelled from the paradisical harmony of the womb/ocean and into a world where she is left to face the difficult and frightening realization of her aloneness.

Many laypeople still cling to the misconception that addiction is a choice. Even those who understand the neurological basis of this disease are often prejudiced against addicts, treating them as if they were lazy or weak of will. While people may choose to use drugs in the first place, the development of addiction involves uncontrollable changes in brain chemistry. When people use a drug for the first time, their brains respond with large releases of dopamine – a neurotran

Quite recently there was television footage of a politician surrounded by his advisers, listening to a voter telling him what she thought about a particular subject. The commentary was about how this politician had been listening to this woman, and was designed to show him in a more human light in paying attention to and listening to what people were telling him.

“Yet the Bible says that a deep sleep fell upo Adam, And nowhere is there reference to his waking up.” rn(ACIM T.C2.I.3.6) Older Souls An older soul, who understands the real purpose of our time here is to awaken or reclaim our Spiritual Identity as soon as possible, will often choose more difficult, painful and challenging life circumstances, relationships and lessons. The more supportive the environment in the world, parents, partners, careers, finances, etc., the greater will be the belief, trust and attachment to the material world for support and security.

The challenging goals challenge our current abilities and to achieve these goals requires more creativity and effort than other goals. The challenging goal has two great advantages for individual and organizations. The first advantage, the challenging goal creates our motivation and the second advantage that unlocks our potential. Motivationr

Starting a new job can be exciting. You still feel the honor associated with being chosen (which in this economy has become more selective) and you are optimistic about the journey ahead. During your interview, you asked exceptional questions about benefits, salary, future opportunities, and even about your job description. You have decided that you are prepared to deliver your best and know that you are a great fit for this position.

Before recovery, we were driven by a hundred forms of self-centered fear. During steps 6 and 7, we began to release some of these character defects, but some habits are hard to break. Like feeding into our fears. But when we can pause and work our program of recovery, we remember that we are ...

Addiction is a devastating condition that no one wants to find themselves dealing with. Who says as a child that when they grow up they want to be an addict? nnIt sneaks up on you before you know it and can wreak havoc on your life and that of your loved ones. It can seem hopeless when you are in the depths of the disease but I'm here to prove to you it's not. nnYou can overcome your addiction. nnYou are not doomed to an unhealthy life and believe it or not, addiction can be

When addictions expert Scott Gallagher visited as a school speaker, he asked teens he worked with to list their top “addictions”. Learn more about what they said and how Scott’s program helps kids eliminate and prevent addictions - everything from bullying to video games. More than that Scott teaches practical ways to replace bad habits with healthy ones. By Scott Gallagher 1. Junk Foodrn2. Internet/Computer Usern3. Marijuana and/or Hashrn4. Alcoholrn5. Tobaccorn6. Suga

Perhaps no drug has invited as much heated debate and ferocious argument as marijuana. Marijuana has been a source of fierce pro and against positions mainly because it is considered by many to be the least harmful of drugs; and whether or not marijuana addiction is an actual threat is debated as often. Effects of marijuana: Marijuana is harmful because it is a drug like any other, even if it is the least harmful. More importantly, it is considered a "gateway drug", in that t

Sobriety is a lot more than not picking up a drink or chasing that drug. It is a constant process of preventing relapse. The reason that the process is constant is because there are certain factors and obstacles that cannot be avoided and only stand to complicate the process of recovery. This makes recognizing triggers that much more important. Recognizing will help to avert the problems associated with triggers and relapse.

Check out this quick list of alcoholism facts. I'm sure you'll be surprised at some of the items in this list. Alcoholism cuts across gender, race, and nationality. Learning about the disease and how to protect yourself from it is essential.rnHere are the ten facts on alcoholism you should know (at least in my opinion). The Top Ten Facts on Alcoholism: 1. For most adults, moderate drinking is considered to be - up to two drinks per day for men and one drink per day for women.

What can a person do to help a loved one who really needs to be in recovery? Can you afford to pay for an inpatient program? What are the options during these stressful times? Treatment providers across the country are feeling the effects of our weakened and unstable economy as well.

Do you need to WANT to get well for treatment to work? We have all heard the line… “You can’t force someone into treatment, they have to want to get well for it to work”. I must say, I wholeheartedly disagree and I believe this fallacy has lead to devastating consequences for people who really needed help.r

Holiday survival? You better believe it!! With the holidays round the corner, most of us find ourselves searching survival skills. About two to three weeks into the season we feel we are ready to collapse. Thanksgiving, Christmas – even if you celebrate nothing, you end up involved in the hype: Shopping, parties, buying gifts, cooking, gift wrapping, writing, mailing or e-mailing cards, baking, planning and a whole lot of deadlines cause big stress – not good for anyone with addictive behavior.

What comes to your mind when you think of an alcoholic and drug addict? Do you immediately envision a person on the side of the street, begging for change and holding a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag? Do you envision a person in a crack house shooting up drugs and sleeping under a bridge? If these are the images that first pop in your head, then you have been watching far too much television. There are over 21 million people in the United States who have alcohol and/or drug addictions.

Where Did A.A. Come From? Dick B. © 2010 Anonymous. All rights reserved. The Variety of Stories I’ll venture a guess: When most of us come into the rooms of A.A., we probably don’t hear, or learn, or even care where A.A. came from. Lots of us are sick, confused, frightened, and more worried about our problems than we are about how A.A. began. There are some other hindrances. Some like to say that A.A. has no teachers. In general, this is true today though there are notable

Prescription drug abuse, which I term medical drug addiction, like all addictions including alcoholism, (addiction to ethyl alcohol), though more widely recognized nowadays, is still not widely understood. And of course, combining the abuse of prescription drugs, (obtained legally or not), with “street drugs”, maybe adding alcohol to the mix, though highly dangerous is commonplace too.

The conscious awareness that we are ill and lack health, happiness and energy does not necessarily mean that we are ready, willing and able, at an unconscious level, to ask for and receive the health, energy and life changes that our Healing would bring about. Many individuals more safely manipulate, through their lack of energy and illness, the love, attention and support they desire and, in addition, protect themselves from any responsibility, failure and the expectation of others.

Developing skills to manage your emotional states is crucial if you want to develop long-term sobriety. While the initial phase of recovery is often met with a 'Pink Cloud' or Honeymoon period, it is very likely that once the newness of recovery wears off the newly sober addict or alcoholic will encounter depression, mood swings, confusion, memory loss and an inability to regulate their emotions due to brain chemistry that has yet find Homeostasis. In this article I offer con

Drug and alcohol abuse is much more common now than it was in the past. When illegal drugs first surfaced in the 1960s and 70s, drug use was completely unheard of in the social settings, and when the casual users became addicts, there was no help or solutions for them. As the use of drugs and alcohol became more popular in the clubs and on the streets, there was a greater need to find rehabilitation and recovery centers. They were typically mainly in established hospitals unt

Drug addiction rates are climbing faster than ever in the United States. Despite the federal government’s massive War on Drugs, millions of citizens continue to use and abuse billions of dollars’ worth of controlled substances every year. Some of the most commonly abused drugs include marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines. Prescription drugs such as Oxycontin and Fentanyl are also frequently diverted to street dealers for illicit distribution and consumption. M

As you contemplate entering a committed relationship, the greater your neediness, or his, the more likely codependency, dysfunction and disappointment will follow. Focus on what you want, not on what you need. I once knew a woman who as a teen dated a man in his twenties. He had a strong need to get married and the teen wasn’t ready. The pressure to fulfill his need increased until one day he lay down on the railway tracks with a train coming. He’d rather die than be without her. She caved. Use your imagination as to where that marriage went.

Yes. Most experts in the medical and scientific community agree that alcoholism is a disease. The American Medical Association identified alcohol as a physical disease and condition in 1956. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcoholism is like any other disease. It is chronic, symptomatic and has a predictable pattern or course. The chances for developing alcoholism can be influenced by both genetics and lifestyle. Alcoholics experience an o

The false message that alcoholism and drug addictions are incurable diseases has been forced upo Americans for so long that most people stopped believing there is a way out. Many addiction treatment programs and traditional recovery support groups have even resorted to telling addicts they expect them to relapse. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies pay big money in marketing and lobbying to get their drugs prescribed to addicts in hopes of treating the symptoms for a lifetime. Sound grim?

That is the question. When you talk to some people they will tell you it is. Even if you only try it once or twice and don’t get addicted there are some dangers. Did you know? By 1995, less than 10% of Ecstasy that you could get your hands on was pure MDMA. When a user takes Ecstasy they are taking a mix of a wide variety of drugs and often toxic substances. Bottom line: you don’t know what is in that pill. Another danger is that if you are taking Ecstasy then to feel the

Who would have thought that my meanderings over “What is Addiction” in my last blog would lead me to an Ezine article by Melanie Solomon, July 11, 2010 and her amazing book AA-Not the Only Way — Your One Stop Resource Guide to 12-Step Alternatives–Second Edition? In it she cites many statistics based on government research and other reputable institutions that validated my experience working in the treatment field for 30 years. I felt happy for my clients gratified gi

This article will be important to remember as you gather this holiday season with the men you know and love. It is not a festive topic, which I would prefer, but it is a topic that has been filling my thoughts as of late. The Penn State scandal weighs heavy on my heart and my being having effects on those around you, or yourself.

With all the various psychological theories that have over time dissolved, the newest addition is making its way to universities and private practices country wide. This upcoming treatment uses Buddhism and yoga as a basis and according to several studies, appears to work. This type of therapy helps to keep patients focused on their bodies and breathing. They are instructed to give no consideration to their thoughts and to be alone in the moment. Stefan Hoffman, who is a psyc

It is generally believed that love addiction is not as serious as other types of addictions like drugs, gambling or sex. And it might be true; however, love addiction can be easily compared to emotional disorders and obsessions that may often lead to a crime (i.e. a crime of passion). Suicides, murders, rapes and domestic violence have their roots in this addiction. The gravity of love addiction should not be underestimated. Intimacy evolves over time, loving relationships de

Addiction is a terrible thing. I can guarantee you not one person ever begins to take a substance or drug with the hope that they become addicted. Care to argue? Would you agree that addiction to prescription medication is reaching epidemic proportions? Would you agree that addiction to prescription painkillers is rampant?r

How alcoholism effects your health can be quite severe. The health issues associated to alcoholism can range from anemia, to more serious problems like blood clotting, liver poisoning, and heart conditions. Alcoholism increases the risk of cancer in the esophagus, liver, mouth and pancreas. It can cause both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. Alcohol can lead to liver disease, kidney disease, and heart disease. If the alcoholic continues to drink over long periods of time, they

Alcoholism and depression often go hand in hand and there is good reason for this as we will see later. Firstly, though we should take a look at some of the basic depression symptoms: Eating disorder Sleep disturbance Decreased interest and pleasure in one's daily activities Feelings of guilt or worthlessness Low energy, fatigue Difficulty concentrating or thinking It's amazing to see how similar the depression symptoms are when compared to those of alcoholism. When alcohol d

Suboxone Cost vs Addiction Cost Let's face it, it takes a lot of money to pay for addiction treatments. But you really have to look at the true addiction cost: all the problems drug use causes, vs. the Suboxone ® cost. The financial cost of Suboxone ® is high. Frequently the financial burden is carried by the patient alone since many insurance companies do not cover the medication. Many are providing some coverage for the doctor visit. The cost of treatment needs to be weig

Many of us grew up with the belief that to worry is to love. Those we love most may be in real trouble, and we realize that there is very little we can do to improve the situation. So we worry because we love. Unfortunately, worrying is really nothing more than the active practice of not taking action. Our fear may lead to depression. When we feel out of control we maintain our depressed moods by telling ourselves that by worrying at least we are doing something.

Substance abuse is a very complex problem, which is characterized by uncontrolled drug craving, irrational and anti social behavior. Drug abuse for most of the time will have devastating consequences on the mental and physical health of a person. Although substance abuse begins as part of unpaid act but very soon the abuser loses his grip over the situation and becomes completely dependent on it. Since drug abuse can affect brain function, it can create havoc in one’s life.

Inpatient drug rehab facilities across the United States help thousands of addicts achieve lasting sobriety each year. However, a condition called Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome – or PAWS – threatens the recoveries of most people who go through inpatient drug rehab. PAWS sets in immediately after the withdrawal of detoxification subsides, and its symptoms often keep patients from effectively engaging their therapies. Thankfully, most clinics now make PAWS mitigation a top

Alcohol is one of the oldest substances to be abused by human beings. It pre-dates writing and the wheel (which we see by the fact that preliterate societies without the wheel had ways of brewing alcoholic beverages). The human fascination with alcohol is thousands of years old. It may not be possible to determine exactly how old, but we can safely assume that we're talking about several millennia (this is in no way meant to be disparaging towards those communities who do not

Mutual support can be a double-edged sword. Joining a support group can lead to renewal, likening it to pressing the REFRESH button on life. However, a support group can also keep you stuck pressing the REPLAY button and hearing the same thing over and over. The picture of your life can get out of focus.

Drug rehab programs across the country have helped thousands of addicts achieve lasting recoveries. Through advances in psychology and neuroscience, addiction specialists have developed a wide variety of highly effective drug rehab treatments. Addicts from every walk of life now stand a fighting chance against this crippling disease. However, successful treatment still relies on the hard work and personal sacrifices of rehab patients themselves. Addicts must often make diffic

In the mind of a workaholic, the life seems only to work, work and work. They have more enthusiasm and strong physical stamina to work late every day. What is the difference between workaholics and hard workers? Hard workers usually increase their work rhythm of a particular time, such as during the deadline, preparing presentations and making year-end reports. After that time-period elapsed, the work rhythm is back to normal. Workaholics have a consistent high work rhythm. W

Understanding more about drug screens is could be a pretty involved process. If you are being tested or having someone go through a screening process, the following information you will helpful.A chain of custody is required by the laboratory which will perform the actual testing. This means that the sample is required to be monitored during all aspects of the collection and testing. This necessitates a witness be present to observe the client providing the specimen and to en

With summer coming to an end, and days getting shorter seasonal affective disorder will begin creeping around the corner. Seasonal affective disorder occurs when the days get shorter, and the weather becomes colder. Symptoms often include depressed mood, fatigue, social withdrawal, increased desire for sleep, and changes in appetite. Changes are typically slow to occur and often people don’t realize that they are being affected. They may feel like it’s just a ‘winter funk’ and will pass with time.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is gaining support for his proposal for mandatory treatment for non-violent drug offenders. Drug rehab in New Jersey will be a forced alternative for those convicted of non-violent drug offenses. The state of New Jersey could very well become a testing ground for drug treatment, if Governor Chris Christie gets his wish. In recent months, Gov. Christie has conducted several town hall meetings and has voiced his support for mandatory treatment

Just because a drug is legal does not mean that you cannot abuse it or develop a dependency to it. Take a look at the millions of people dependent on prescription drugs and alcohol – which both are legal - and you, will understand. The legalization of marijuana does not change the fact that chronic, long-term use can lead to abuse and dependency. What the Numbers Say According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), nearly 10 percent of people who use marijuana will

Fortune cookies are true…so I now believe. Two days before our Friday December 2008 wedding, Korrel (now my wife) ate at a Chinese restaurant, where she received a fortune cookie that read: "A lifetime of happiness lies ahead of you." The next day, on Thursday, she went out for Chinese again and her fortune cookie read: “The coming Friday will be an exciting time for you." Was this a coincidence or was a specific message brought by the Universe to my lovely bride-to-be?

First off, let me be clear I am not talking about living outside society’s rules and expectations. If you shoplift, run a grow-op, drink and drive, smoke in the presence of others or abuse your family, there will always be people telling you how to live; there is no age limit… Growing up

In the U.S. more tha 4 million people struggle with crystal meth abuse or addiction and as many as 12 million reports to have tried it at least once. With nearly 500 tons of the drug produced each year, the drug is readily available, but at what cost? Although there had been a short decline in the number of people admitted to hospital emergency departments, the decline was largely due to an increase in federal restrictions on the sale of items used to make crystal meth. Howe

The average adult sleeps 7.5 to 8 hours every night. Although the function of sleep is unknown, abundant evidence demonstrates that lack of sleep can have serious consequences, including increased risk of depressive disorders, impaired breathing, and heart disease. In addition, excessive ...

In the early 1900s when drug and alcohol addictions were first studied, they were thought to be simply a result of moral failure and a lack of willpower. Today, many scientific studies have brought about a new train of thought. Most organizations that deal with additions now acknowledge that there are many more factors that can fuel an addiction. According to NIDA, the National Institute of Drug Abuse in America, addiction is a disease that affects behavior as well as the bra

When a person struggles with drinking or drug abuse there are many routes to take in order to find recovery. Typically a person will try to exhaust the least restrictive environments first, such as attending a 12-Step program, seeking therapy or trying to quit on their own. However it is often the case that a more restrictive environment is needed and that’s when you may decide to choose an inpatient program like rehab. There are many things to consider in choosing a treatment program, and here are 6 tips to get you started.

Whenever a miracle occurs in our life or the lives of others, it demonstrates that the physical laws that seem to govern us, our beliefs, and what we perceive as real, are not the Truth. Miracles demonstrate that we are governed by a Truth that can heal and move us far beyond our limited ...

When a doctor prescribes a medication, patients rarely think twice about taking it. Prescription drugs are legal and provided by a physician who presumably has expertise in their field. For the most part, this system functions as it should. The doctor knows which medications and which doses are most effective, and the patient reaps the benefits that prescription drugs can provide.

FORGIVENESS “A Course In Miracles” says that learning forgiveness is our only function here. One of its most beautiful passages on this topic reads. “The holiest of all the spots on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love.”(T.26-IX-6) It is very ...

It is actually possible to become addicted to negative emotions. When you get into a pattern of thinking that causes certain emotions, those emotions in turn feed the negative thinking patterns that created them in the first place. When people feel empty inside, they tend to fill the gap with anything, including negative emotions. After a while, it becomes a pattern. Negative thoughts cause negative emotions and negative emotions cause negative thoughts. When you do this con

The Life And Death Of Joe Rowley. The funny thing is, I didn’t know Joe that well. He was only an acquaintance really, a drinking acquaintance, not a close friend of mine by any stretch of the imagination. A ship that passed in the drink and drug soaked long dark night of my soul. So why was it that when I heard of his death, six thousand miles away, and more than a sober year or two after our last contact, that I was moved to tears?