Without that fateful day, Christmas Eve at midnight Mass, December 24, 1992 when my world came crashing down, I would not have gained my independence from drugs and alcohol. I still tried to pull myself together after that event, but could not do it for more than a couple weeks. It was all over. I stopped using drugs and alcohol on January 23, 1992; and that was the day I claim to independence for my life.

I wish with all my heart that those of you who ventured into recovery and are on the path to sobriety; continue on your path. For those who are struggling to maintain a consistent life free of alcohol and drugs, please realize that you have the ability to get clean and sober. Keep trying.

At least being independent of drugs and alcohol we have a shot at this thing called life and happiness. Still being a slave to addiction there’s absolutely no chance at a fulfilling life.

I wish everyone all the best on their journey toward independence and fruitful drug and alcohol addiction free living.

• Recovery Coaches: What Exactly Does A Recovery Coach Do? There has been mention of recovery coaches or sobriety coaches in the press recently, particularly for people of means and affluence. I think the idea of having a [tag-tec]recovery coach[/tag-tec] has a certain appeal, a nice ring to it. What exactly do they do? What don’t they do? Oddly enough,......
• Dangers of Cough Medicine Abuse: Robo-Tripping Robo tripping and cough medicine abuse is a growing problem. According to a recent NIDA study involving 48,000 students, of the ten most common drugs being abused by those in 12th grade, at least seven are either available over the counter or else they are prescribed. Hardly surprising perhaps, but......

• Google Messes Up Valentines Logo Happy Valentines Day From "Googe!" Check out the logo mistake by Google for Valentine's Day....
• Link roundup: Quilt's almost done edition I've mentioned before off and on that my wife is an excellent quilter. She blogs about blocks here and we have a few of her patterns up on eBay. She's been working on her first contest entry for a couple of months now, and she'll submit it on Monday. I've......

Kusnacht-Zurich
Seestrasse 228
January 30, 1961

Mr. William G. Wilson
Alcoholics Anonymous
Box 459 Grand Central Station
New York 17, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Wilson,

Your letter has been very welcome indeed.

I had no news from Roland H. anymore and often wondered what has been his fate. Our conversation which he had adequately reported to you had an aspect of which he did not know. The reason, that I could not tell him everything, was that those days I had to be exceedingly careful of what I said. I had found out that I was misunderstood in every possible way. Thus I was very careful when I talked to Roland H. But what I really thought about, was the result of many experiences with men of his kind.

His craving for alcohol was the equivalent on a low level of the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness, expressed in medieval language: the union with God.1

How could one formulate such an insight in a language that is not misunderstood in our days?
The only right and legitimate way to such an experience is, that it happens to you in reality and it can only happen to you when you walk on a path, which leads you to a higher understanding. You might be led to that goal by an act of grace or through a personal and honest contact with friends, or through a higher education of the mind beyond the confines of mere rationalism. I see from your letter that Roland H. has chosen the second way, which was, under the circumstances, obviously the best one.

I am strongly convinced that the evil principle prevailing in this world, leads the unrecognized spiritual need into perdition, if it is not counteracted either by a real religious insight or by the protective wall of human community. An ordinary man, not protected by an action from above and isolated in society cannot resist the power of evil, which is called very aptly the Devil. But the use of such words arouse so many mistakes that one can only keep aloof from them as much as possible.

These are the reasons why I could not give a full and sufficient explanation to Roland H. but I am risking it with you because I conclude from your very decent and honest letter, that you have acquired a point of view above the misleading platitudes, one usually hears about alcoholism.

You see, Alcohol in Latin is “spiritus” and you use the same word for the highest religious experience as well as for the most depraving poison. The helpful formula therefore is: spiritus contra spiritum.

Thanking you again for your kind letter.

I remain yours sincerely,

C.G. Jung

1″As the hart parteth after the water brooks, so
parteth my soul after thee, O God.” (Psalm 42:1)

• The Famous Letter From Carl Jung To Bill Wilson, Founder Of Alcoholics Anonymous The thing that I find amazing about this letter from Carl Jung to Bill Wilson concerning spirituality and alcoholism, is that Bill Wilson was nearing the end of his life and felt a need to express to Carl Jung how profoundly he was affected by his views....
• Relapse Prevention: Common Causes Of Drug And Alcohol Relapse In The Phases Of Recovery Despite the best of intentions, a large number of people entering addiction recovery will [tag-self]relapse[/tag-self]. Addiction recovery can be looked at as having 3 phases, each with its goals and growth opportunities. In each phase there are certain dangers present that need to be identified and planned for. Let’s......

• Review of The Ultimate New York Body Plan The author of this diet is already quite well known thanks to the ABC series, Extreme Makeover. David Hirsch has quite a reputation as being the go-to guy when you want to lose weight and celebrities swear by his plans. This online book/site received its fare share of hype and......
• Eating Paper to Lose Weight Back in junior high school I was a typical fat kid. Uncomfortable in my own skin, I took the joke a science teacher once told and tried eating paper to lose weight. Now this isn't a case of pica or some other eating disorder, I only tried it for a......

There are two major challenges concerning dishonesty that must be met and overcome in order to enter into a healthy recovery.

1. The dishonesty and lying has to stop. Unfortunately, for many people, this has become a habit. This behavior needs to be ‘unlearned’and the habit broken.

2. We must also overcome the fear of the consequences of once again being truthful

Being dishonest can easily become the standard of action, or way of life for most alcoholics or addicts. We deceive ourselves and we lied to others. We lie about how much we used, and how often we used.  We hid our feelings and emotions, or became distant from our relationships, perhaps not in all areas, but certainly in terms of our substance use.

We lied about where we went and what we had been doing. It’s a way of staking our claim to our right to continue drinking or using drugs. The lies, self deception, and self delusions were created for the for the purpose of allowing us to continue to use. Somehow we needed it all to make sense.

Sometimes it was not even our intention to deceive. But it is simply that our thought processes had become so clouded and confused and distorted, that our sense of reality was way off base and we no longer made sense.

Many people have discovered that there is a tendency to continue to be untruthful it just doesn’t go away when your substance abuse stops.

Technorati Tags: clean-and-sober, honesty, sober

• Bad Relationships: Resolving The Top 5 Causes Of Bad Relationships This article on [tag-self]bad relationships[/tag-self] by Margaret Paul is one of the best I have found. In my opinion, there are 2 things people active in their addiction or entering early addiction recovery need help with are: feelings and emotions, and relationships.Many people in early recovery seek marriage relationship advice......
• Men and Addiction - Why and How Gender-Specific Treatment Works By Allan Lyme Challenging belief systems: what is it like to be male? Mens treatment for alcohol and chemical dependency traditionally has relied on a confrontational approach. In searching for a way to help more men achieve and maintain recovery while staying focused on the time honored 12 Step philosophy,......

• Does Your Copy Have Personality? Guest Post by Michel Fortin Some people like hypey copy, while others prefer newsy copy. Some people like long, others prefer short. Some people drama, stories and testimonials… Others data, statistics and facts. Does it all matter? Absolutely. What makes one style of copy more favorable than another? Why does......
• Get Your Ex Back After Breaking Up Relationships can be an untamed beast at the best of times but after a break up things can turn ugly very fast. The holy "mutual breakup"is rare and for most the heartbreak when a partner leaves is too much to take. Don't fear, hope is not lost to get your......

While there are announcements every few years that there is a new treatment in the works which will allow people to drink while eliminating the chance for addiction; as you know it’s not available yet, if indeed it ever will be.

Controlled drinking dates back to the 1930s. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous mentions it, saying essentially “The great delusion of every alcoholic is that one day he can drink again like a gentleman”.  Personally, I haven’t seen anything yet that can prevent alcohol or drug problems other than abstinence.

However, research continues into controlled drinking – but most of this research suffers from flawed methodology and reporting.  The results are also usually not reported quite as they are by the press; you can’t blame them, it does make a great story. The truth here is that no long term studies have shown controlled drinking to work for alcoholics. Now, of course those who are not dependent on alcohol can indeed cut down; but were are talking here about those who are genuinely addicted to alcohol.

If you have become dependent on alcohol, you cannot, repeat, cannot go back to simply drinking in moderation. Chemical dependency rewires your brain – you cannot simply use controlled drinking.

The myth of controlled drinking rests largely on the anecdotes about alcoholics who have managed to exercise the willpower necessary to stop drinking for a while. The reasoning is that if I can stop drinking for a month, then I can quit anytime and don’t have a drinking problem. Then these alcoholics go right back to drinking, convinced that they do not have a drinking problem. Believe me, when they stop, they’re just counting down to when they can start drinking again.

Another thing I hear (which makes me crazy, every time) is that if you aren’t ready to quit just yet, try cutting down and then quit altogether. As an addiction therapist, I know this doesn’t work. It’s like a doctor telling someone who just attempted suicide to try jumping off of a smaller building next time and work their way down.

It seems there is no escaping the fact that controlled drinking is nothing more than a myth which leads many alcoholics to delude themselves a little longer. If you want to quit using, the only way is to quit using.

• 5 Symptoms That Indicate You Have An Addiction By Nicky Pilkington [tag-tec]Addictions[/tag-tec] are most commonly associated with drug and alcohol addiction, however the truth is millions of people suffer from all kinds of addictions. Some of these addictions are related to some form of chemical dependency such as alcohol, controlled substances and even prescription medicines. Other addictions are......
• Addiction, A Disease:Brain Biology Q's And A's That Are Easily Understandable. Part 2 of 3 Moyers: So why doesn't the brain get addicted to broccoli? Hyman: The simple answer is that broccoli doesn't have chemicals in it which short-circuit the system and provide abnormally elevated rewards. Because what people who use cocaine or amphetamine discover is that they can circumvent all of the work......

• The Illusion of Credit Card Rewards Programs Credit card rewards programs are popular with card users. Many personal finance sites and bloggers devote considerable attention to evaluating the merits of different credit cards that reward users based on spending levels. In the case of some bloggers, those evaluations rise to the level of outright promotion because of......
• How to Cope with Spending Addiction What Is Spending Addiction? Indiana has a great resource on spending addiction. Here's how they describe it: People who "shop 'till they drop" and run their credit cards up to the limit often have a shopping addiction. They believe that if they shop they will feel better. Compulsive shopping and......

• Drug Addiction and Alcoholism: Relapse Prevention Addictive behaviors do have special characteristics related to the social environments in which they originate....
• Older Adults Discover Drug Addiction Through Non-Related Hospital Admission Drug addiction among older adults is a significant problem that may go undiscovered for quite some time. Older adults are often on several prescription medications, and may not be taking them according to prescribed protocol....

Craig Ferguson speaks on his past problems as an alcoholic and why he will not ridicule Britney Spears and her shaved head crisis. Must watch! … CBS Craig Ferguson late show speak heart Britney Spears shaved head alcoholic ridicule

Overcoming Drug and Alcohol Addiction - Curry and Wandzilak

Complete video at: fora.tv Co-authors Constance Curry and Kristina Wandzilak discuss the struggles with drug and alcohol addiction at the heart of their book, “The Lost Years: Surviving a Mother and Daughter’s Worst Nightmare.” —– Constance Curry and Kristina Wandzilak talk about “The Lost Years: Surviving a Mother and Daughter’s Worst Nightmare.” This riveting memoir of survival and transformation reveals the true story of a daughter’s decline into alcohol and drug addiction …

NPR: Share Your Stories of Addiction

Today, I work for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in St. Louis. Nothing makes me feel better than seeing someone get help, achieve their potential and become the person they were meant to be. ~ Dan Duncan …

Breakingthecycles.com - Changing the Conversations » Blog Archive …

It brings a new perspective to alcoholsim that I have never encountered. Jasmine Says: March 3rd, 2009 at 5:47 pm. Hi. It’s late but I wanted to ask a quick question: Do you recommend alternative treatments for depression if it persists …

Causes of Alcoholism| Etiology of Alcoholism| Factors leading to …

Personality factors. - Many alcohol and drug users appear to have some degree of an underlying personality disorder. A number of them possess self-indulgent tendencies or sense of inferiority which makes them incapable to face stresses …

• How Women Become Addicted by Cindy Mcalpin How do women become addicted? Lets start with history. For over a hundred years in this country, women and girls have been encouraged to self-medicate for emotional and physical symptoms of the hormonal cycle, which were labeled hysteria in the nineteenth century. In fact, physicians regularly prescribed......
• Marijuana: Just The Truth, A Marijuana Education Video Marijuana studies have shown that the regular use of marijuana may play a role in cancer and problems of the respiratory, immune and reproductive systems. Heavy marijuana use can affect hormones in both males and females. The Truth About Marijuana / Anti-Marijuana Educational Video The National Household Survey on Drug......

• Know The Causes of Cancer and Prevent Cancer Cause of Cancer There has been a theory as to the main cause of cancer and how to prevent cancer that Dr. Otto H. Warbug won the Nobel Peace Prize for in 1931. There are many secondary causes for cancer. More than any other disease. This is why there is......
• How much mercury would you like with your dinner, sir? So, perusing the web this morning I came across GotMercury.org , a website that has a calculator to see just how much mercury is in the fish you eat. Lovely! You enter in your weight, the seafood type, and the amount of seafood you will eat during a week and......

2.    I recognize no power as great as I am; nor any person as smart as I am, and if you don’t like it, come outside. 

3.    I made a decision to run my life and everyone else’s life suit only me, and I pity those who get in my way. 

4.    I made a searching and thorough inventory of every one other than myself, and find them woefully lacking in all respects; and I never hesitate to tell them so. 

5.    I admitted to no one, including God and myself, that there could possibly be anything wrong with me or my actions. 

6.    I went to extreme efforts to protect and increase my defects of character and I did a little drinking besides. 

7.    I continued my obnoxious and arrogant air of asking no one for anything, my Big Eye was for telling, not asking. 

8.    I kept a complete list of all persons who had harmed me, either real or imaginary, and swore to get even with them all. 

9.    I got even where possible, except when to do so might injure me. 

10.    I continued to bitch and whine about everything to everyone and, when I was right, promptly reminded them. 

11.    I sought through scheming and conniving to materially improve myself, at the expense of my fellow man.  I never hesitate, when the opportunity presents itself to bring disaster and misery to anyone who happens across my path. 

12.    Having had a complete moral, physical, financial and spiritual breakdown, all of my remaining effort was directed toward dragging those near me and dear to me down to the same depths of despair.  And I did a little drinking too.

Technorati Tags: 12 step variation, 12-steps

• Drug And Alcohol Treatment Locator Free all inclusive drug and alcohol treatment locator....
• Call in to Recovey Radio Live 2-4pm Every Saturday 1-888-sober56 I met a lady recently who would have any man reaching to straighten his tie, sucking his gut and puffing out his chest. Little did I know I had met 'Dangerous Deb'. I know I am going to get a big eyeroll for that comment, oh well. She uses radio......

• The True Meaning Of Bushs Press Conference. So after hearing and then reading the transcript of President Bush's press conference on February 14th, I decided to I wanted to explain what he really meant. You see, Bush loves to talk, as evidenced by his complete control of the English language. So some people might not fully understand......
• Review: Choices Meant for Gods by Sandy Lender Choices Meant for Gods is a fantasy adventure romance, the first of three parts. Medieval overtones color the epic tale following a young twenty-year old heroine. Her name is Amanda Chariss. She has long auburn tresses, violet eyes, and holds the Geasa’n, the natural ability to perform magic. Chariss......

How to Get a Resistant Alcoholic Or Drug Abuser In Treatment

By Mike Shery

There are compelling reasons why people become addicted to alcohol and drugs. Psychological factors are extremely powerful. The addicts conscious and unconscious cravings become the dominant software programs that run his self-destructive life.

Our brain as reflected in the day -to-day experiences of our mind is everything. Because of disorders in our brain or the way we think, the psychiatric implications of drug abuse are omnipresent, and can cause major dysfunctions in the life of the one who is addicted-and his family.

The psychological scripting or indirect hypnosis which determines the quality of the addicts lives is well known. To illustrate, if one is the child of a substance abuser it is likely that, as he grows, he will rapidly justify the use of these substances to himself and REALLY think that it is OK!

In some unintentional way, the addict has been programmed by his parents to think that since it is OK for them, it must be OK for him. He is, in effect complying with the suggestions of this powerful indirect hypnosis.

Mind-altering drugs and alcohol have a compelling, gradual, silent and insidious effect on ones brain and, consequently, the way the addict perceives his life. It is life-changing and becomes a serious brain, mind, perception and behavior problem.

Ones brain can get so accustomed to depending on these chemicals that over time it actually “talks” itself into needing them, producing various extremely compelling withdrawal symptoms in order to get the addict to feed its self-defeating and toxic cravings. The feelings and perceptions of reality created by his chemically-fed brain literally changes his reality.

Contrary to reality, his cravings and use are viewed by him as legitimate, in his control and actually life-enhancing. This addict fights treatment and feels misunderstood and unappreciated.

So what is required to overcome the psychological causes of drug and alcohol dependence on one who is in denial or refuses treatment? The answer: Getting help from a psychological counselor or interventionist; it is a tried and tested method.

Since, the addict in denial will resist any attempt to engage him in treatment, the professional help of an expert interventionist is a MUST! The professional interventionist can make it possible for the treatment-resistant addict to successfully overcome his denial of harm that has occurred to himself and his family.

Talking to a counselor or psychologist who specializes in the use of clinical interventions is a good start to finding ways to get the resistant addict to overcome his addiction. There are many excellent intervention specialists available to the families and significant others of treatment-resistant substance abusers.

The best of these will be licensed in the practice of psychology or substance abuse counseling. Even though the resistant addict will not go into a rehabilitation facility on his own, rehab facilities can be quite effective.

There, they learn how to live life without the use of mind-altering substances. The purpose of interventions is to get substance abusers out of their denial and show them the ways in which their disease is affecting the people they love the most and then, most importantly, to get them into a rehab center right away!

The goal of a professionally-led family confrontation or intervention in the home would be to break down his resistance so he will enter inpatient treatment, not tomorrow or the next day, but, immediately!

Doesn’t the drug or alcohol abuser have to want help? No, the abuser does not have to want help, however the most successful interventions occur when there have been significant destructive consequences resulting from the persons drinking or using.

These consequences are then used to show the abuser the ways in which his life has become out of control and unmanageable. Cost? It is true that inpatient treatment and the intervention itself can be expensive.

However, while the intervention itself must be paid for out-of-pocket, most alcohol and drug abuse patients will find that their health insurance will cover a substantial portion of their inpatient and treatment expenses. Do these interventions work?

It is believed an intervention has a 90-95% success rate when done under the guidance and supervision of a licensed specialist with the help of the family and friends who are close to the individual needing the intervention. They can be very successful because, although drugs and alcohol have taken over a persons life, it is still very painful for the abuser to be confronted with his/her abusive behavior and the pain it has caused to his loved ones.

A substance-abuse intervention is a last-ditch attempt by family members and friends, often in the home setting and under the guidance of a professional counselor or psychologist, to help a treatment-resistant chemically dependent person get help for his/her problem. The good news is that these interventions are often successful and can get the initially resistant patient into a drug and alcohol treatment program immediately.

With the help of a specialist and loved ones, the intervention process can be the beginning of a new life for the addict and those close to him.

Dr Shery is in Cary, IL, near Algonquin, Crystal Lake, Marengo and Lake-in-the-Hills. He’s an expert psychologist and interventionist. Call 1 847 275 8236 and make an appt or  learn more about counseling at: http://www.carypsychology.com

• 10 Realities Of Effective Drug Addiction Treatment I was searching the internet for a good article on [tag-tec]drug addiction treatment[/tag-tec] and became upset. There is a tremendous amount of misinformation on addiction out there. Please, please, please, be aware of your sources and use some caution. What follows is a well written article on drug addiction treatment,......
• Principles And Types of Addiction Treatment In drug addiction treatment, different methods of behavior therapy are often used. Some drug addiction specialists promote the use of various types of medications. In many cases, having a unique blend of behavior therapy and medication therapy can be quite effective....

• How to Eat Out Without Feeling Guilty If you are having trouble finding ways to eat out with your friends or family while you are on a diet, you don't have to resort to becoming a hermit. Eating out is not something that you want to do every day, but occasionally, it can serve as an important......
• Using Key Personal Time Management With Sell College Text Books And How To Make Money On The Internet We can find people all over the world looking to make more money whether it be from working within their small work from home businesses or working in a small and medium enterprise; whatever the case may be we will always find that the amount of attention that is give......

In addition to substance use addictions such as alcoholism, prescription pill, and controlled substances, there are process addictions. These addictions are related to compulsive behavior such as shopping, gambling, and disordered eating. Being active in addiction not only hurts the user, but also those associated with them such as friends and family. This raises questions. What is addiction? How does it start in when? It is hard to discern when a pattern of behavior moves into addiction?

It is a mystery why some can use drugs or alcohol and not become addicted, while others cannot avoid it. Victims of addiction have lost the ability to control or stop their user behaviors. Addiction is possible for everyone despite ethnic, social or economic status.

There is not a standard addict profile. There is no poster child. Despite a lot of study researchers cannot agree on the causes or cures for addiction. A real hard part of addictive behaviors and addiction to measure is the emotional impact on self and others. Getting relief from uncomfortably emotions is a prime motivator for engaging in addictive behaviors. The irony is that using generates more negative emotions that require more relief.

While addiction manifests itself in different people in different ways, here are the most common signs and symptoms of addiction:

Symptom 1 - Unable to meet responsibilities of relationships or at home, school or work.

Symptom 2 - Compulsive preoccupation, meaning one spends a great deal of time thinking about the substance or behavior

Symptom 3 - Has tried but failed to stop using the substance or end the behavior. Things spin out of control.

Symptom 4 - Engages in the behavior or substance use knowing it is dangerous or in dangerous situations such as driving.

Symptom 5 - Because of the addiction, one stops activities or hobbies that were fun or enjoyable.

Symptom 6 - There is a need to increase the amount and frequency of the behavior or substance to achieve the desired felling or affect.

Symptom 7 - Ones life has become centered around the addiction, isolation from others occurs.

Talk to somebody if any of the above symptoms are occurring. Everyone agrees that addiction is a progressive disease. Left untreated, it will get worse.

There is more information available here on addiction treatment.

• A Guide To Alcoholism Do you know the four common symptoms of alcoholism?...
• Dangerous Relapse Thinking In Addiction Recovery When a person has a drug or alcohol relapse, I think a very fair question to ask is "What were you thinking?" Oddly enough when you edit the 'blah, blah, blah' of the individual explanation or rationalization, it comes down to some really basic addictive thinking errors....

• How to Stay Fit Past Middle Age As people age it can become more difficult to stay fit, especially if your life keeps you very busy. Many empty-nesters quickly find that once they are no longer chasing the children around, those extra pounds pile up all too quickly. Perhaps this is what Tough Money Love before he......
• Weight Loss Tip They Really Worked For Me! The Weight Loss Tips The fat burning procedures can be very uncomplicated as long as the suitable dieting and practicing methods are applied. Keep in mind; every person has a different body type and so different ways to lose weight should be followed. Procedures or methods that work for other......

• Absolutely Amazing... Ok, shoot me. I felt like having some fun today This has nothing to do with addiction. I just happen to catch my favorite guitarist, Tommy Emmanuel (check out his version of "Over The Rainbow" on YouTube). on a guest appearance on the Today show. Something awesome happened as he......
• The Real Insanity Of The Disease Of Addiction Fr Martin recently passed away, but his contribution to the  the understanding of addiction is amazing. Here is a cut of him explaning the insanity of the disease as it was really meant in Alcoholics Anonymous and by Bill Wilson. "Relapse" by Father Joseph C. Martin In this series of......

1. Profound narcissism. They are often self-centered and self-absorbed.

2. Extreme grandiosity. Mostly image – addicts “front strength”, but are actually weak with low self-esteem.

3. Manipulation and lying. Con games, stealing, cheating – the whole gamut.

4. Impulsiveness. Like lightning they move from impulse to action, bypassing the weighing of possible consequences to self or others.

5. Extreme risk taking. Crime, overdose, HIV infection, Hepatitis C, etc.,

6. Externalizing of blame. It’s always someone else’s fault, never there own.

7. Isolation. They retreat into a world filled with secrets, shame and guilt.

8. Passivity. At times, they collapse into inaction, awaiting the rescue by others.

Sound like anyone you know? (or better yet, someone you once knew?)

• A Powerful Relapse Prevention Tool: Open In Case Of Emergency This simple but powerful [tag-self]relapse prevention[/tag-self] tool requires just a bit of preparation. Write yourself a letter that details the positive experiences you've had in recovery. Take a look at how your relationships have improved, whether you're self-esteem is improved, and your physical and mental health. Detail your goals visions......
• 7 Tips For Spirituality, Making A Connection 7 tips for improving your spiritual connection....

• What is Body Mass Index? Every now and again, I like go back to the basics. This is one such post. I often don't believe that body mass index is a great measurement system. Body mass index is a measurement used by the medical community to determine healthy body weight. It is the standard used......
• We Are At The Beginning of a New Age and With It A New Reality We have to reframe the experience that we are undergoing now if we are to thrive within it - and yes, we can. It is not easy to tell a drug addict or an alcoholic that his quality of life would be so much better if he did without that......

by Bill Urell

There is an old adage that states quitting drug and alcohol use is easy, staying quit is the hard part. I’m not sure if I agree with the easy part, but it is a fact that many people have difficulty maintaining abstinence from drug and alcohol use and suffer a relapse. There are certain attitudes and behaviors that can be developed that will decrease the likelihood of returning to drug and alcohol use.

Here is a list of the top five sobriety tools:

1. Motivation level - maintaining abstinence from mood altering drugs is definitely doable, but in most cases difficult. In order to achieve difficult goals it makes sense that the motivation has to be very high. People who rank their sobriety as a number one priority often have better results than those who put maintaining recovery on their ‘to do’ list. There should be an absolute commitment not to drinker drug ‘no matter what’.

2. Handling cravings - as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, thoughts and cravings of using drugs or alcohol will occur to anyone in recovery. The skill that needs to be developed is to stop these thoughts and cravings from becoming an actual using incident. The good news here is that cravings generally decrease in frequency and intensity over time. It helps to have a concrete plan of action in place prior to the occurrence of the craving for using thought.

3. Coping skills - often people in early recovery rely on coping skills that were developed to protect their drug and alcohol abuse. This might include becoming isolated and pushing people away, becoming dishonest in cheating, or becoming self-centered in the extreme. In other cases coping skills are either undeveloped, or underutilized. Some examples of life skills that may need some work are the ability to communicate, basic social skills, knowing how to develop and maintain interpersonal or intimate relationships.

4. Identifying, owning, and processing emotions - there is often stated rule in relapse prevention that advises people in recovery to avoid “people, places, and things” that could be dangerous to the recovery. In reality, is may not be the situations or triggers that are more dangerous, but our rather our inability to handle the emotions that these things generate. Our actions are often generated by our feelings.

5. Self-esteem and self-confidence - if a person does not have the self-confidence in their ability to remain abstinent, certainly undercuts the motivation to keep working at it. If a person does not start feeling better about themselves in recovery and gain self-esteem, then the idea of returning to drug and alcohol use can become very attractive. There needs to be some internal reward for going through all the effort of maintaining sobriety.

Relapse back into drug and alcohol use happens with alarming frequency for great number of people. It is therefore only prudent to develop plans that decrease the possibility of relapse. However, relapse not a part of the recovery process, many people stopped using drugs in our overall never to return to it. In my experience, however, these people have put a great deal of proactive planning into use. They have made recovery their number one priority and have been ferocious in their commitment.

Technorati Tags: Addiction, Addiction-Treatment, relapse, Relapse Prevention

• Drug And Alcohol Relapse Prevention: 3 Symptoms Of Relapse And 3 Solutions Are you falling victim to any of these relapse symptoms? Find out if you are and what to do about it by reading further. Many people in addiction recovery relapse. Quite often the relapse symptoms are identifiable before returning to drug or alcohol use. There are many, many signs and......
• Relapse Prevention Blogs Here are a few relapse [tag-tec]prevention resources[/tag-tec]. 17 Drug and Alcohol Relapse Prevention Triggers Though we may wish it weren't so, addiction is a disease that we must constantly remain aware of throughout our entire lives. Channel: Health & Fitness Tags: relapse prevention drug relapse alcohol relapse substance abuse. Addiction......

• Avoiding the Typical Snowboarding Injuries [caption id="attachment_160" align="alignleft" width="160" caption="Free Fall"][/caption] Any active sport like snowboarding or skiing carries a certain amount of risk. After all, if you're going to expose yourself to new challenges and fun adventures, there has to be even a slight amount of danger if the element of adventure is going......
• Travel The World, Work Hard, Find A Good Stock Broker: The Carnivals I finally got a chance to sit down on this rainy night to point out a few of the articles I've read and covered this week. Personal Financial Articles The Digerati Life wonders out loud: Zecco or TradeKing? Which online stock brokerage account is for you? Since I wrote this......

Have you really thought about it? Boredom is a feeling that life is very dull, that nothing is going on, everything is monotonous, not exciting, and very tiring.

Sometimes a vacuum is created when we stop hanging around people, places, and situations that used to occupy so much of our time; all those things related to drinking and drugging. In trying to do the right thing by avoiding them we end up with huge blocks of time with absolutely nothing to do.

Boredom simply means that nothing new is going on. The danger here is that one nothing new is going on, a natural inclination for addicts and alcoholics is to start thinking about stimulation and thrill seeking. And we all know something that works very well and very quickly, a return to drinking and drugging. There is a solution to avoid this deadly trap.

You must take action for yourself. Get off the couch or out of bed and start finding some new activities.

Put yourself in the position of being able to meet new people. This can be as easy as sticking out your hand and saying “Hi my name is…”

Actually do something you’ve been thinking about for a long time. Go scuba diving, sky diving, take the class at the local school.

Get interested in other people, extend interest or a helping hand to others. One of the best ways to get out of your own head is to start helping another person, they get the help they need and you feel good about yourself and giving it.

The key to overcoming boredom is to take action. Don’t just sit around and wait for things to happen, make them happen. The thought is just a thought nothing really happens until we take some action. Don’t let boredom become a dangerous drug and alcohol relapse trigger for you.

Technorati Tags: boredom, relapse, relapse trigger

• Drug And Alcohol Use Test - Podcast - Do I Have A Drug Abuse Problem? This [tag-self]drug and alcohol[/tag-self] test is 18 yes or no questions. It is not a scientifically valid instument, but is provided to give an idea of indicators that some areas may need to be examined. For a Transcript and to follow along with the podcast click on drug and alcohol......
• A Review of The Complete Guide to Affordable Drug and Alcohol Rehab Important Notice:The day after I posted this review the book was pulled down. I am hoping it is for revision and will soon be available agian. I will post an update when this happens One factor that frequently prevents people from seeking treatment is cost.This review of The Complete......

• Win Ex Back Without Mind Games Unfortunately, theories abound for how to win ex back after you've been dumped. Most of them involve playing mind games with your ex. But, if you play around with her mind just to get back with her, you'll be starting your relationship over on unstable ground. This is no way......
• The Truth About Potty Training Before the widespread availability of disposable diapers, the vast majority of children were potty trained prior to their first birthday. It wasn't until the 1950s and 60s in the United States when people started waiting until after the first year, with the idea that the child would be fully trained......

1. Relapse is not uncommon following drug and alcohol addiction treatment.

The frequency with which relapse can occur following treatment is the bad news, the good news is relapse need not be a part of anyone’s addiction recovery. It is not mandatory that you have one or two slips or a full-blown relapse in order to achieve lasting abstinence and sobriety. However, relapse happens with her frequency that cannot and should not be ignored. Provisions should always be made for an action plan if relapse does occur.

2. [Tag-tec}Relapse[/tag-tec] is most certainly preventable.

It can be arguably stated that the most common cause of relapse is complacency. It is very important for someone in recovery to be monitoring their thoughts, feelings, urges, and actions at all times. It has been shown that being active in a 12 step program, and/or extended professional treatment at some level increases positive outcomes, and helps against relapse. Both sobriety and addiction treatment should be seen as an ongoing process and not an event with a definitive beginning and end. You never quite graduate.

3. Relapse is fairly predictable.

That statement may come as a surprise to some people. However, there are distinct signs and symptoms of one who is engaged in the relapse process. Unfortunately, the early stages of relapse are not noticeable to the person in recovery themselves, but they are apparent to those surrounding them. In easily remembered danger gauge is the acronym H.A.L.T. this stands for being hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. On a professional level, work should be done in identifying patients’ individual external relapse triggers and cues, as well as emotional triggers. It can be a little more complex than simply avoiding “people, places, and things”.

Technorati Tags: alcohol relapse, drug relapse, relapse, Relapse Prevention

• Drug And Alcohol Relapse Prevention: Neglecting These Five Key Issues Can Lead To Relapse Maintaining sobriety from drug and alcohol use is a proactive process; certain skills and attitudes need to be developed and utilized. by Bill Urell There is an old adage that states quitting drug and alcohol use is easy, staying quit is the hard part. I'm not sure if I agree......
• Relapse Prevention: Common Causes Of Drug And Alcohol Relapse In The Phases Of Recovery Despite the best of intentions, a large number of people entering addiction recovery will [tag-self]relapse[/tag-self]. Addiction recovery can be looked at as having 3 phases, each with its goals and growth opportunities. In each phase there are certain dangers present that need to be identified and planned for. Let’s......

• I have good news, and bad news ... John Anderson, a brilliant mathematician and one of my favorite professors at college, had quite a way with words as well. On one of my papers I made a silly algebra error (I think it was equating the sum of the squares with the square of the sum) and he......
• Rip-Off Techniques Used Against You When Buying a New Car The competition in the automotive sales market is fierce. In any major market, you’ll easily be able to find 50 car lots that you can go to and come home with a new vehicle. Increased competition seems like it would be a good thing. Prices have been driven down severely,......

“Gratitude” by Father Joseph C. Martin

The 12th Step, “having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we try to carry this message to the alcoholic and to practice these

Technorati Tags: father joseph c martin, gratitude

• Step Four Video In A Series Of 12 Step Program Videos: Addiction Recovery Here is the next in the series Of 12 step Videos: Step 4 video....
• Can You Handle Anger And Resentments In Addiction Recovery? -podcast- Anger and resentments are severe relapse triggers for anyone in addiction recovery. 12 Step programs refer to unresolved resentments as being the number one cause of relapse....

• The 12 Days of Christmas - Personal Finance Style 2008 Last year the M-Network started something that we decided to make our own holiday tradition: The Twelve Days of Christmas - Personal Finance Style.  Following the theme of the original song, we each wrote about different aspects of personal finance one for each of the 12 days. This is......
• Leadership Development 101--Strength of Self Mastery The 12 steps required to achieve the strength of self mastery. These 12 steps will help you achieve success while working from home in your home based business....