clean bill of health;
normal blood pressure,
low cholesterol,
ideal weight,
indigestion free.
mental & emotional status
calm,
reasonable,
contented,
secure,
rational
A large part of the reward of continued recovery.
each element happening slowly but steadily.
who do I thank?
God, AA, sponsor, rehab, Prospect House, Deb, prayer, service...?
All the above are responsible for putting together the puzzle
that my recovery consists of.
I had to share these heartfelt words from my friend Sandi...
Dark
Often the missing element of some folks in sobriety...maturity.
Sure it's been 99 years since their last drink, but are they long-winded
when sharing, selfish with emotions or mean-spirited?
Too often I encounter old timers who wear their sobriety like a badge
to display and wield power. In my eyes neither sober nor mature.
I still give kudos to anyone who can stay substance free, provided
they maintain some semblance of humility.
While growing up isn't always as much fun as acting out, it is
essential and rewarding to truly show the newcomer the
benefits of continued recovery.
Take Time:
Take time to think-
It is the source of all power.
Take time to read-
It is the fountain of wisdom.
Take time to play-
It is the source of perpetual youth.
Take time to be quiet-
It is the opportunity to seek God.
Take time to be aware-
It is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to love and be loved-
It is God’s greatest gift.
Take time to laugh-
It is the music of the soul.
Take time to be friendly-
It is the road to happiness.
Take time to dream-
It is what the future is made of.
Take time to pray-
It is the greatest power on earth.
Take time to give-
It is too short a day to be selfish.
Take time to work-
It is the price of success.
There is a time for everything. . . .[Ecclesiastes 3:1-8]Bible
Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.
So true, and not always to do.
Perception is a crucial element of how we deal
with life's everyday challenges.
It takes a discerning eye to realize the good things in our lives
we overlook on a daily basis.
If not for the clouds and rain can we really appreciate the sun?
Still the most elusive facet of recovery.
In the rooms I see dozens of folks who continue to show up,
profess to work the steps, pray and help others.
The behaviors I witness concerning petty gossip, dishonesty
with employers, spouses and friends, belie the words I hear.
It reminds me of church-goers who attend services once a week,
yet treat their fellow man poorly the other 6 days.
Not very spiritual or mature.
We all hear of the importance of honesty in the program; but it
has to apply to all our affairs, not just the ones we are comfortable with.
It's not always the easier way, but it is essential to continued growth
in recovery
I think every alky-addict has some king baby traits.
There is the emotional growth stunting, selfishness,
immaturity and insecurity.
Of course the world centers around us; we want what
we can't have, and want it now.
Since alcohol or drugs are a comfort and companion,
we are very resistant to giving them up.
No matter how destructive and isolating addiction gets,
we are the last to see or feel it.
The dishonest and sneaky habits we used are similar
to childish behaviors from early on to get our own way.
King baby feels immune to the accountability and
responsibility of acting their age.
lastly KB resorts to acting out by crying or screaming
to get their wants heard.
If we are painstaking about this phase of our development, we will be amazed before we are half way through. We are going to know a new freedom and a new happiness. We will not regret the past nor wish to shut the door on it. We will comprehend the word serenity and we will know peace. No matter how far down the scale we have gone, we will see how our experience can benefit others. That feeling of uselessness and selfpity will disappear. We will lose interest in selfish things and gain interest in our fellows. Self-seeking will slip away. Our whole attitude and outlook upon life will change. Fear of people and of economic insecurity will leave us. We will intuitively know how to handle situations which used to baffle us. We will suddenly realize that God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.
Are these extravagant promises? We think not. They are being fulfilled among us—sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. They will always materialize if we work for them.
from Addiction Science Network;
What is drug addiction? Considerable confusion exists regarding the nature of addiction. The most common misunderstanding is that addiction refers to a state of physical dependence on a drug whereby discontinuing drug intake produces a withdrawal syndrome consisting of various somatic disturbances. Addiction is better defined as a behavioral syndrome where drug procurement and use seem to dominate the individual’s motivation and where the normal constraints on behavior are largely ineffective. This condition may or may not be accompanied by the development of physical dependence on the drug. This condition has also been described as a "psychological" addiction (thus distinguishing it from physical dependence archaically termed "physical" addiction), but confusion is minimized by using the term addiction to refer to the behavioral syndrome described above and the term physical dependence to refer to the condition associated with somatic withdrawal reactions. The distinguishing feature of the condition commonly referred to as addiction is the ability of the drug to dominate the individual’s behavior, regardless of whether physical dependence is also produced by the drug.
good explanation of the nature of addiction.
there are many misconceptions about the malady.
be wary of well-meaning old timers, who insist you
can pray away addiction.
a very informative article about the disease concept, and how
it may contribute to relapse.
it is refreshing to read a new outlook on an outmoded concept.
I have always been skeptical about the whole disease model.
Viewing alcoholism as a disease may contribute to relapse.
Recovery programs have long promoted the "disease model" of alcoholism--the idea that some people have a medical condition that does not allow them to drink without losing control. One alcohol-abuse expert has found that belief in this model may actually hamper efforts to quit drinking.
William Miller, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of New Mexico and a researcher at its Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (CASAA), studied 122 people enrolled in the center to find out what predicted relapse into alcohol use. Negative mood, intense and frequent cravings, and lack of motivation to change all qualified--but one of the strongest predictors was whether people thought of alcoholism as an illness.
It may not be belief in the disease model that causes relapse, says Miller, but the reverse: people who find abstinence difficult to maintain may take comfort in attributing their lapses to an illness they can't control. Although research supports the idea of an inherited vulnerability to alcoholism, Miller contends that the "the disease model, in the way that Americans usually think about it, is not scientifically validated."
At CASAA, excessive drinking is viewed as a learned behavior that can be changed, especially by improving coping and social skills. In Miller's study, for example, the number of negative life events an alcoholic experienced was less important to his prognosis than how he dealt with them: active coping styles and positive thinking were associated with staying sober, while the tendency to avoid or ignore problems was linked to a return to the bottle.
some good info from Stanton Peele on the principle
of harm reduction as it relates to addiction.
latest celeb caught driving drunk is Richie Sambora.
Peele writes;
Like most current substance abusers, Sambora has been exposed to Alcoholics Anonymous and its abstinence uber alles philosophy. Last year, he entered rehab, and he has announced that he is continuing alcohol treatment.
As Sanbora's case illustrates, however, few people exposed to such treatment actually then abstain forever. George Vaillant, Harvard psychiatrist and AA board member, discovered when following up Cambridge Hospital patients he treated using the twelve steps, including mandatory AA attendance, that 95 percent relapsed.
(Nothing daunted, Dr. Vaillant continues to flack AA and the religiously-oriented steps. At a conference in Vancouver where we were both presented with lifetime achievement awards, I asked George publicly what he thought of harm reduction. He declined to answer.)
the article goes on to explain examples of harm reduction, such as the needle exchange
