What Is the Best Alcohol Treatment?
There are three myths about alcohol treatment, according to some of the foremost researchers in the area, led by psychologist William R. Miller (Handbook of Alcoholism Treatment Approaches: Effective Alternatives, 3rd edition, edited by Hester & Miller, published in 2003 by Allyn & Bacon). The first myth, and possibly the worst, is that there is one and […]
Can You Trust Your Own Judgment in Addiction Recovery?
Addiction recovery requires accomplishing several tasks, including: Build and maintain motivation Connect with others Identify and develop alternative coping methods Reduce resentment about changing Identify, understand and cope with craving Build a new, balanced life Lead a life that is purposeful, meaningful, and happy Stay alert for problems and follow through all the way Making […]
Could an ‘Intervention’ Have Helped Michael Jackson?
Within hours of Michael Jackson’s overdose, many asked, could an “intervention” have saved him, by persuading him to seek alcohol and drug rehab? Because it came out in the press that Jackson had actually experienced two interventions, the immediate answer to this question would appear to be that intervention was not helpful, at least to […]
Guiding Principles of Recovery
Working Definition of Recovery: Recovery from alcohol and drug problems is a process of change through which an individual achieves abstinence and improved health, wellness, and quality of life. Guiding Principles of Recovery: There are many pathways to recovery: Individuals are unique, with specific needs, strengths, goals, health attitudes, behaviors, and expectations for recovery. Pathways […]
The Roots of Drug Abuse
Perception vs. Reality Generalities about people tend to be either trite or misleading. To risk one anyway, I have acquired the impression that all the people I have worked with, in addiction treatment for severe and persistent drug use, regard the drug (or drugs) as their most dependable and effective source of soothing (calming, relaxing, good feeling, […]
Can Drinking and Drugging Improve My Social Life?
Yes, but…let’s discuss how drugs and alcohol can actually have a beneficial effect on your social life (or at least appear to). In the second section let’s discuss why drug and alcohol use can still be a bad idea for you. How Drinking and Drugging Can Help Your Social Life One of the most frequent […]
How to Cope with Painful Feelings
Why We Cope: No one complains about feeling happy! But we don’t want to have other, painful feelings. When these feelings arise, one way to respond to them is to drink or drug. One set of painful feelings can be broadly labeled fear or anxiety: ”Drugs and/or alcohol helped me cope with feelings like anxiety, tension, fear, stress, […]
What is Denial?
Denial is one aspect of resistance to change. In regards to addiction, it involves denying or minimizing the existence or seriousness of addiction problems. Unfortunately, within the field of traditional (12-step) addiction treatment, the belief is that “addiction is a disease and denial is its symptom.” From the traditional perspective, it is also believed that […]
Addiction as Mismanaged Desire
How Does Addiction Develop? Addiction develops when desire goes unchecked. Desire is a fundamental aspect of human life, and learning to manage desire is part of normal human development. Overcoming addiction is a special case of managing desire. Overcoming addiction is managing desire ‘writ large.’ You might also be interested in: Drugs Don’t Cause Addiction Satisfying Desires I leave […]
The Relationship Between Addiction and Habit
What is Addiction? Let’s define addiction as repeated involvement with anything, despite excessive costs, because of craving. That sounds similar to habit, which is also repeated involvement with something. What are the differences and similarities between addiction and habit? Let’s start with some examples of what appears to be an addiction. A college freshman ends up in […]