What...Me Sober?

So, how much do addictions cost us?

Bill — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:08:22 +0000

…studies compiled by various government health agencies show that the five most-chronicled “hard” addictions — alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling and eating disorders — are what society truly pays for. Those maladies cost taxpayers and businesses $590 billion annually, primarily in lost productivity and government-assisted medical treatment. That’s about 5% of the national debt. And it [...]

Boosting Medical Students’ Training in Drug Abuse

Bill — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:55:41 +0000

Boosting Medical Students’ Training in Drug Abuse – Health Blog – WSJ Today, the National Institute on Drug Abuse jumped into the fray, announcing new teaching tools designed to help doctors-in-training — medical students and residents — learn about assessing and treating patients with abuse problems, including tobacco, prescription drugs and illicit substances. How about alcohol, the [...]

Sex addiction rehab

Bill — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:03:37 +0000

Sex addiction rehab – like that of ESPN’s Steve Phillips – can provide help for serial cheaters A beautiful family, financial security, an enviable career – in other words, the seemingly perfect life. Yet for high-profile men like actor David Duchovny and fired ESPN analyst Steve Phillips, an addiction to sex ended in a highly publicized [...]

“Undrunk” Is A Really Good Read…however…

Bill — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:23:02 +0000

I’m just finishing Undrunk – A Skeptic’s Guide to AA, by A. J. Adams (Hazelden, 2009). Undrunk may be the most lucid explanation of what AA is (and is not), how it functions and “how it works” that I’ve ever read, including all of the AA-Approved literature. It is at once a primer for [...]

Q&A: Does drinking 6-8 units of alcohol a night make me an alcoholic?

Bill — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:59:36 +0000

The whole question: I drink 6-8 units* every night, but if I start feeling even slightly fuzzy I stop drinking. Last time I got drunk was 3 and half years ago, so am I alcoholic? Most people would feel a buzz after less alcohol than that, so you have already developed a tolerance to the drug – [...]

Q&A: Is it harder for a smoker to give up smoking than for an alcoholic to give up drinking, and are the two comparable at all?

Bill — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:36:05 +0000

It is obvious to those of us who have worked in the addiction field, especially we who are in recovery ourselves, that the degree of desire is a key factor in recovery from any addiction. To put it simply, people who truly want to stop have an easier time of it than those who are [...]

Farmville: An addiction worth cultivating?

Bill — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:47:40 +0000

Farmville: An addiction worth cultivating? — Courant.com For weeks now, Farmville the popular and excessively addictive Facebook game everyone’s talking about has been demanding my attention. But not because I’m playing it. In fact, based on what I’ve learned, I’m going to do everything in my power to avoid playing it….

Q&A — Do Buddhists Drink Alcohol?

Bill — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:06:15 +0000

When lay Buddhists “take refuge,” the Buddhist equivalent of confirmation, bar mitzvah, and similar ceremonies affirming one’s belief, they agree to attempt to live in conformity with the Five Precepts. (Some sects have eight, ten and even more, but the minimum is five.) These precepts can be, and have been, translated in many ways in the [...]

Editorial: Who needs drug courts?

Bill — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 00:37:26 +0000

Editorial: Who needs drug courts? | Philadelphia Inquirer | 10/17/2009 The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers conducted the two-year study that says drug courts too often suck up a community’s drug-treatment funds to use on nonviolent criminals like Britt Reid, who may have their own resources to deal with their addictions. Meanwhile, other defendants, including men [...]

What is worse for you, cigarettes or cigars?

Bill — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:34:21 +0000

In terms of cancer, cigars tend to produce cancer of the digestive system — stomach, intestines, colon — more often than cigarettes, which cause more lung cancer due to more inhalation. Both cause cancers of the mouth, throat and esophagus. In those respects they are more or less equal. The big difference is that cigarettes also [...]