MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with '12-step groups'. Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:21:35 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740830&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FC4nu_NVoPqI%2F AA utilization after introduction in outpatient treatment Treatment for alcohol dependence is often provided in outpatient settings, and often includes introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Relatively little is known about subsequent AA utilization. Analyses of survey data collected from 72 clients of an outpatient treatment center introduced to AA revealed that, 6 months following intake, a large portion of the responding sample of 55 were still attending AA meetings. 76% were still attending AA after 6 months. Principal components analysis of self-reports of the frequencies of 12 AA-related behaviors found three dimensions of AA utilization: fellowship or social involvement, meeting attendance and participation, and involvement in bureaucratic functioning and meeting production... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740830 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 10:15:26 +0100 3740830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740832&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FhmYMQNkg5n8%2F   By Mary Cook, MA Whether clients or counselors, students or teachers, we are all imperfect human beings. We are here because we have a yearning to grow. And the strongest motivator for growth is pain. When we are significantly harmed or deprived mentally, emotionally or physically and have no safe people or role models to help us understand and rebound or heal, our mind creates defense mechanisms and coping strategies to hide our real pain and vulnerability. This may serve us well over a short time period, but backfires in a longer time frame. When we become habituated to our means to hide painful reality, we forget our true self behind the fabrications. More at; Anonymous One website See also; TWELVE STEPS TO RECOVERY FROM BURNOUT Emotional Sobriety Share/Save Random Ar... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740832 Sun, 04 Jul 2010 09:44:30 +0100 3740832 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740835&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FlA30b9IHODk%2F Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) The recovery from alcoholism: Twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA is a self-help, volunteer organization begun in the mid-1930s that views alcoholism as a disease, not a defect of will. Its founders, themselves alcoholics, maintained that persons with the disease should completely stop drinking, but they did not concern those who could handle alcohol. This position contrasted with the premises of most temperance advocates, who saw drinking as a moral choice and opposed any alcohol use by anyone. The Twelve Steps embody the wisdom of the founders of AA about pursuing ongoing recovery from alcoholism. The procedure they describe has evolved into one of the most successful programs for helping alcoholics. Many drug treatment programs also have based themselves o... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740835 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 08:58:06 +0100 3740835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3740836&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FVANTRWNfLc0%2F Social network variables in alcoholics anonymous : A literature review Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most commonly used program for substance abuse recovery and one of the few models to demonstrate positive abstinence outcomes. Although little is known regarding the underlying mechanisms that make this program effective, one frequently cited aspect is social support. In order to gain insight into the processes at work in AA, this paper reviewed 24 papers examining the relationship between AA and social network variables. Various types of social support were included in the review such as structural support, functional support, general support, alcohol-specific support, and recovery helping. Overall, this review found that AA involvement is related to a variety of positive qualitative ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3740836 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 08:51:54 +0100 3740836 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3707001&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F1D4C4lEiIL8%2F This study of the everyday ethics of AA members argues that AA’s unique role in the history of popular ethical practices can be traced to several original features. First, AA incorporates elements of the disease model of alcoholism while remaining fundamentally a spiritual programme, thus mapping an important hybrid terrain often ignored by students of medicalisation. Secondly, AA was able to steer away from the political controversies about temperance, prohibition, and control of alcoholic beverages that had made the old temperance movement founder. Thirdly and most importantly, AA uniquely managed to combine the once-in-a-lifetime experience of total transformation that is characteristic of religious conversion with the development of a series of slogans and mental techniques for ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3707001 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 08:24:24 +0100 3707001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3695816&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FwGcjgnP8eZI%2F Women and the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: A Gendered Narrative This paper examines how women “work” the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) from a gendered perspective. Feminist critics of AA have challenged the language of AA’s Twelve Steps, the spiritual nature of the steps, and the male-dominated culture of the Twelve-Step program. This paper offers insight into how women in AA approach, interpret, and utilize the Twelve Steps to recover from alcoholism. Through survey and narrative data, findings suggests that women working AA’s Twelve Steps become empowered and change for the better in spite of the male-dominated culture and language of the Twelve Steps and regardless of the difficulty they may have encountered in completing these steps. In ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3695816 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 06:46:26 +0100 3695816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3672042&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F3tMC2Gcwpe8%2F 12 Step Programs Offer Broad Benefits, Study Says A study of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step oriented self-help programs finds that they can help most people recover from alcoholism, even those who are not religious or have mental-health problems. The Pacific Institute on Research and Education (PIRE) reported that researchers tracked a group of 227 alcoholics over three years and found that those who had attended AA or other self-help programs after treatment had higher rates of abstinence, and drank less if they did relapse. The results cut across gender and religious lines and held regardless of psychiatric history or whether the patient had previously attended AA or other similar programs. "Here’s a widespread, chronic disorder that seems to respond well to an inex... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3672042 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 05:36:45 +0100 3672042 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3672046&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FLeuf2o8UETw%2F Conclusions; The intensive referral intervention was associated with improved 12-step group attendance and involvement and substance use outcomes. To most benefit patients, SUD treatment providers should focus 12-step referral procedures on encouraging broad 12-step group involvement, such as reading 12-step literature, doing service at meetings, and gaining self-identity as a SHG member. Christine Timko and Anna DeBenedetti. A randomized controlled trial of intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups: One-year outcomes. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Volume 90, Issues 2-3, 8 October 2007, Pages 270-279 Brief-TSF trains healthcare workers to maximize these procedures. Random ArticlesAlcoholics Anonymous Program in IndiaTSF Training Popular ArticlesAlcohol Brief Intervention in Primary P... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3672046 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 14:43:24 +0100 3672046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3672049&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F82xe_O6xDY8%2F CONCLUSIONS: Both ICBT and TSF produce improvements in self-efficacy, and these changes are related to substance use outcomes for depressed substance abusers. In TSF, intervention-specific changes in TSA occur during the course of treatment and are related to substance use outcomes. Research; J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2007 Sep;68(5):663-72. Mechanisms of action in integrated cognitive-behavioral treatment versus twelve-step facilitation for substance-dependent adults with comorbid major depression. Glasner-Edwards S, Tate SR, McQuaid JR, Cummins K, Granholm E, Brown SA. Longer AA Attendance Predicts ChangeElderly Tend to Drink Too MuchBuy Brief-TSFMedical students’ knowledge about alcohol and drug problems12 Step Involvement and Peer Helping (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3672049 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:35:40 +0100 3672049 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3603876&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fadolescents-12-step-group-participation%2F Conclusions Results suggest that, similar to findings comparing adult outpatients to inpatients, AA/NA participation is less common among less severe adolescent outpatients. Nonetheless, attendance appears to strengthen and extend the benefits of typical community outpatient treatment. Given the dramatic increase in rates of substance use among same-aged peers in the population at this life-stage, and the relative dearth of abstainers and recovery-specific supports, these resources may provide a concentrated cost-effective social recovery resource for young people. Can 12-step group participation strengthen and extend the benefits of adolescent addiction treatment? A prospective analysis. John F. Kelly, Sarah J. Dow, Julie D. Yeterian and Christopher W. Kahle. Drug and Alcohol Dependence S... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3603876 Wed, 26 May 2010 11:24:02 +0100 3603876 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599744&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FfmLDLqEsrxU%2F Conclusions Results suggest that, similar to findings comparing adult outpatients to inpatients, AA/NA participation is less common among less severe adolescent outpatients. Nonetheless, attendance appears to strengthen and extend the benefits of typical community outpatient treatment. Given the dramatic increase in rates of substance use among same-aged peers in the population at this life-stage, and the relative dearth of abstainers and recovery-specific supports, these resources may provide a concentrated cost-effective social recovery resource for young people. Can 12-step group participation strengthen and extend the benefits of adolescent addiction treatment? A prospective analysis. John F. Kelly, Sarah J. Dow, Julie D. Yeterian and Christopher W. Kahle. Drug and Alcohol Dependence S... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599744 Wed, 26 May 2010 11:24:02 +0100 3599744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599750&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FH2iyZ4VAO8c%2F is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from their addiction. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using cocaine and all other mind-altering substances. There are no dues or fees for membership; we are fully self supporting through our own contributions. We are not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or institution. We do not wish to engage in any controversy and we neither endorse nor oppose any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay free from cocaine and all other mind-altering substances, and to help others achieve the same freedom. We use the Twelve Step Recovery Program, because it has already been proven that the Twelve... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599750 Sat, 22 May 2010 10:02:31 +0100 3599750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599751&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FTHR4XDGYQjk%2F Alcohol Drug Counseling and the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous By Chris Fajardo Alcohol/drug counseling is not the application of general counseling theories and treatment methods adapted to specific alcohol/drug theory and research. The indiscriminate application of these theories and methods is just as ineffective today as ever. The professional field of alcohol and drug counseling was born of the experience of recovering alcoholics and of committed professionals and paraprofessionals. Society has attempted to "treat" or control alcohol and drug problems since recorded history, with notable efforts such as the Washingtonians in 1840 and Prohibition in 1919. The most important development in this century pertaining to the treatment of alcohol and drug problems occurred in 1935... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599751 Fri, 21 May 2010 09:58:41 +0100 3599751 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577633&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FT-pK2_-BZos%2F Alcoholics Anonymous is not organized in the formal or political sense. There are no governing officers, no rules or regulations, no fees or dues. The need for certain services to alcoholics and their families throughout the world has, however, been apparent from the beginning of the Fellowship. Inquiries have to be answered. Literature has to be written, printed, and distributed. Requests for help are followed up. There are two operating bodies: 1. A.A. worldwide services, directed by A.A. World Services, Inc., are centered in the General Service Office in New York City, where 79 workers keep in touch with local groups, with A.A. groups in treatment and correctional facilities, with members and groups overseas, and with the thousands of “outsiders” who turn to A.A. each year ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577633 Tue, 18 May 2010 09:30:12 +0100 3577633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577636&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FFJxWvhugthQ%2F Conclusion This study provides important points of reference for alcohol and drug service workers and community healthcare professionals, casting light on the abstinence process and providing a basis for intervention or rehabilitation services. An ongoing process: A qualitative study of how the alcohol-dependent free themselves of addiction through progressive abstinence Mei-Yu Yeh, Hui-Lian Che and Shu-Mei Wu BMC Psychiatry 2009, 9:76doi:10.1186/1471-244X-9-76. Click file below to download full report. AA in Taiwan.pdf Medical students’ knowledge about alcohol and drug problemsKoreans Drink ExcessivelyAlcohol Brief Intervention in Primary PracticeAA and SpiritualityThe Experiences of Alcohol Dependence (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577636 Fri, 14 May 2010 08:58:47 +0100 3577636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3564204&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fhow-aa-members-get-sober-in-taiwan%2F Conclusion This study provides important points of reference for alcohol and drug service workers and community healthcare professionals, casting light on the abstinence process and providing a basis for intervention or rehabilitation services. An ongoing process: A qualitative study of how the alcohol-dependent free themselves of addiction through progressive abstinence Mei-Yu Yeh, Hui-Lian Che and Shu-Mei Wu BMC Psychiatry 2009, 9:76doi:10.1186/1471-244X-9-76. Click file below to download full report. AA in Taiwan.pdf Medical students’ knowledge about alcohol and drug problemsKoreans Drink ExcessivelyAlcohol Brief Intervention in Primary PracticeAA and SpiritualityThe Experiences of Alcohol Dependence (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3564204 Fri, 14 May 2010 08:58:47 +0100 3564204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577637&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FDT4XIt3VeKA%2F This study (1) assessed attributes that may influence 12-step attendance and affiliation; (2) tested whether 12-step affiliation in the first 3 months posttreatment possessed unique predictive power above that attributable to attendance alone; and (3) examined the extent to which motivation, coping and self-efficacy measured at 3 months mediated the relation between 12-step affiliation and substance use outcome in the ensuing 3 months. Adolescent inpatients (N = 74, 62% female), who were aged 14-18 years (mean [SD] ? 15.9 [1.19] years), were interviewed during treatment and at 3 and 6 months post-discharge. More severely substance-involved youth were more motivated for abstinence and more likely to attend and affiliate with 12-step groups. A high degree of collinearity between 12-step a... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577637 Thu, 13 May 2010 08:47:26 +0100 3577637 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577638&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FSJ3gGT4VMCA%2F CONCLUSION:. The results of the 5-year outcome are modest. More patients coming from distant places and those with health workers in their localities remained completely abstinent suggesting the possible role of the individual’s motivation and the need for continued community support in maintaining sobriety. Research; Kuruvilla PK, Jacob KS. Five-year follow up for sobriety in a cohort of men who had attended an Alcoholics Anonymous programme in India. Natl Med J India. 2007 Sep-Oct;20(5):234-6. See also; Twelve Step Facilitation is designed to support people returning to their community Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Random Articles10 Things Known about AddictionCost-Effectiveness of Home Visits for AlcoholismSelf-help reduces costs and promotes sobrietyI... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577638 Wed, 12 May 2010 08:36:46 +0100 3577638 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3577641&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FnSnVqw4D-fg%2F AA has demonstrated success in steadily increasing membership, with no loss of the proportion of those with over 5 years of sobriety. It has been recognized as effective long-term treatment for alcoholism by psychiatrists and psychoanalysts experienced in treatment of the addictions. The triennial membership surveys of AA have shown stability in A 50% dropout rate within the first 3 months of starting AA. Only 41% of those in the first year will remain in the Fellowship for another year. Roughly equal numbers of those with less than 1 year, 1 to 5 years, and over 5 years of sobriety, with an average length of sobriety of about 4 years. Members having a sponsor (85%) and belonging to a home group (88%). Attendance by members of about three meetings a week, regardless of duration of sobrie... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3577641 Sun, 09 May 2010 08:06:46 +0100 3577641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3547011&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FSJ_WwCuyuAI%2F CONCLUSION: Medical students are knowledge-deficient around key learning objectives in addictions. The deficiencies were in areas of basic knowledge that could be learnt with little difficulty. Research report; Kahan M, Midmer D, Wilson L, Borsoi D. Medical students’ knowledge about alcohol and drug problems: results of the medical council of Canada examination. Subst Abus. 2006 Dec;27(4):1-7. Brief-TSF includes training, as well as other matters, in taking an alcohol inventory and knowledge of Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcohol Brief Intervention in Primary PracticeBuy Brief-TSFElderly Tend to Drink Too MuchLonger AA Attendance Predicts ChangeStricter Sobriety Standards for California Health Professionals (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3547011 Thu, 06 May 2010 07:38:38 +0100 3547011 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3547012&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F3poJiymIxh4%2F This study compares peer helping and 12-step involvement among participants receiving chemical dependency treatment at day hospital (N = 503) and residential (N = 230) programs, and examines relationships between both variables and outcomes. Findings show that residential (vs. day hospital) participants reported significantly more peer helping and 12-step involvement during treatment, and marginally more 12-step involvement at 6 months. Both peer helping and 12-step involvement predicted higher odds of sobriety across follow-ups; helping showed an indirect effect on sobriety via 12-step involvement. Results contribute to the 12-step facilitation literature (TSF); confirm prior results regarding benefits of mutual aid; and highlight methodological issues in helping research. Research report... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3547012 Wed, 05 May 2010 07:32:13 +0100 3547012 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3547013&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FgluO7X5_ONw%2F · A.A.’s 12-Step Recovery Program · Al-Anon Offers New Life · Alcohol and Anxiety · Alcohol Problems Database · Alcoholic Defence Mechanisms · Alcoholics Anonymous and Nursing · An Introduction to Medication for Alcohol Dependence · Anti-Craving Drugs · Binge Drinking & Brain Damage · Brain Damage & Cirrhosis · Brief-TSF Description · Brief-TSF Learning Objectives · Buy Brief-TSF Random ArticlesManaging Addiction as a Chronic ConditionAlcohol use by healthcare professionals.Integrating Primary Medical Care With Addiction TreatmentStrategies for Dealing with Common ProblemsCharacteristics of Children of Alcoholics (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3547013 Tue, 04 May 2010 07:27:33 +0100 3547013 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3547014&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FnS1HbAGx0yg%2F Rinse dirty water Using Imagery and Storytelling to Educate Outpatients about 12-Step Programs and Improve Their Participation in Community-based Programs The longer a patient remains engaged in recovery activities the greater the success of long-term abstinence. Self-help community programs that use the 12-steps such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are known in the addictions field to contribute to sustained abstinence. Connecting patients to 12-step programs in early stages of recovery increases the chance of prolonged involvement. A nurse working in an outpatient substance abuse clinic developed a unique method to inform and educate patients about the 12-step process. A story and image metaphorically describe this journey. The cleaning of a vessel and subsequen... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3547014 Mon, 03 May 2010 07:16:47 +0100 3547014 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3526952&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fimagery-twelve-step-facilitation%2F Rinse dirty water Using Imagery and Storytelling to Educate Outpatients about 12-Step Programs and Improve Their Participation in Community-based Programs The longer a patient remains engaged in recovery activities the greater the success of long-term abstinence. Self-help community programs that use the 12-steps such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) are known in the addictions field to contribute to sustained abstinence. Connecting patients to 12-step programs in early stages of recovery increases the chance of prolonged involvement. A nurse working in an outpatient substance abuse clinic developed a unique method to inform and educate patients about the 12-step process. A story and image metaphorically describe this journey. The cleaning of a vessel and subsequen... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3526952 Mon, 03 May 2010 07:16:47 +0100 3526952 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522825&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FGfTJBtACRLc%2F The twelve-step recovery model of AA: a voluntary mutual help association Alcoholism treatment has evolved to mean professionalized, scientifically based rehabilitation. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is not a treatment method; it is far better understood as a Twelve-Step Recovery Program within a voluntary self-help/mutual aid organization of self-defined alcoholics. The Twelve-Step Recovery Model is elaborated in three sections, patterned on the AA logo (a triangle within a circle): The triangle’s legs represent recovery, service, and unity; The circle represents the reinforcing effect of the three legs upon each other as well as the “technology” of the sharing circle and the fellowship. The first leg of the triangle, recovery, refers to the journey of individuals to abstin... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522825 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 06:49:56 +0100 3522825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522827&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FhyenDfORCLE%2F CONCLUSIONS: Promoting self-help group involvement appears to improve post-treatment outcomes while reducing the costs of continuing care. Even cost offsets that somewhat diminish over the long term can yield substantial savings. Actively promoting self-help group involvement may therefore be a useful clinical practice for helping addicted patients recover in a time of constrained fiscal resources. Humphreys K, Moos RH. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Jan;31(1):64-8. Encouraging posttreatment self-help group involvement to reduce demand for continuing care services: two-year clinical and utilization outcomes. See also; Twelve Step Facilitation Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Random ArticlesIntake Symptomatology and AA ParticipationLesbians’ Process of Recovery f... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522827 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:38:05 +0100 3522827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3522831&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FgDG0Cy-PGuQ%2F AA & 12-Step Treatment AA Assists Alcoholics Avoid Alcohol AA Can Help Most Alcoholics AA Fact File AA’s 12-Step Recovery Program Al-Anon offers new life Alcohol and Anxiety Alcohol Problems Database Alcoholic Defense Mechanisms Alcoholics Anonymous and Nursing Alcoholics Anonymous Program in India Alcoholics can benefit from Al-Anon Alcoholics Have Trouble Identifying Emotions Alcoholism / Addiction Treatment Saves Money Alcoholism in women Alcoholism Treatment in a Nursing Home Altruism helps AA members stay sober An Introduction to Medication for Alcohol Dependence Anti-craving Drugs Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings Binge Drinking & Brain Damage Brain Damage & Cirrhosis Brief Intervention in Emergency Room Effective Brief-TSF Descrip... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3522831 Sat, 24 Apr 2010 05:54:31 +0100 3522831 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479901&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FK2Au62rzF1s%2F Principles of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous Sgt. Bill S., used a one word summary to describe the basic principle (as he saw it) behind each of the 12 Steps, when he was giving talks to military personnel about alcoholism at Lackland in San Antonio, Texas, during the 1950’s and later on in California. In the following, quoted from Sgt. Bill S., ‘On the Military Firing Line in the Alcoholism Treatment Program’, Chapter 18, "Recovery through the Twelve Steps" The twelve steps lead people through a necessary therapeutic sequence involving; insight, surrender, positive goals, introspection, confession, submission humility, amendment, restitution, reorganization, spirituality, and love The 12-Steps and principles are therefore; INSIGHT: We admitted we w... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479901 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:59:13 +0100 3479901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479902&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FFEZTHei8aho%2F This article examines the history of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the goals of the 12 steps, research on AA, and common issues reported by clients about this approach and offers suggestions for addressing these issues. AA was developed by two severe alcoholics in the 1930s in an effort to provide holistic treatment of addictive disorders. Twelve-step programs and the related disease concept of addiction have heavily influenced inpatient and outpatient treatment. The 12-step approach emphasizes a comprehensive approach for the disease of addiction, addressing mental, physical, and spiritual components, and participation in each other’s treatment is critical to sustained sobriety. With intensive work in the program, the 12-step approach offers management of the addictive behavior as well... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479902 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:51:05 +0100 3479902 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479905&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FbxdbGPWJjCw%2F Conclusions: For dually-diagnosed individuals, continued participation in dual recovery self-help groups plays a significant role in the recovery process, particularly in the area of substance use. Implications for Policy, Delivery or Practice: Participation in dual-recovery self-help groups, both during and after formal treatment, should be encouraged as part of an integrated lifelong recovery plan for dually-diagnosed individuals. Research; One-Year Outcomes among Members of a Dual-Recovery Self-Help Program. Laudet A, Magura S, Vogel H, Knight E, Staines G; Abstr Acad Health Serv Res Health Policy Meet. 2000; 17. More at; Double Trouble in Recovery See also; 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative AA and Treatment Work Better Together Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479905 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 03:28:24 +0100 3479905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3479906&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FkW3taFhU3Fo%2F Conclusions: Greater awareness of this resource for mental health and substance misuse fields could enhance practice. Mutual aid groups in psychiatry and substance misuse. Alex Baldacchino;  Woody Caan; Carol Munn-Giddings. Mental Health and Substance Use: dual diagnosis, Volume 1, Issue 2 June 2008 , pages 104 – 117 See also; 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative AA Offers Recovery Not Religion Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by e-Mail           The Self-Help Sourcebook: Finding & Forming Mutual Aid Self-Help Groups Amazon Books; Read more about this title… Share/SaveDouble Trouble in RecoveryAlcohol Brief Intervention in Primary Pr... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3479906 Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:13:12 +0100 3479906 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3437934&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FDv6kR4q59nk%2F This study describes the spiritual experiences, beliefs, and practices of New Zealanders entering intensive treatment for alcohol/ other drug dependence, and seeks to determine factors that influence spirituality in a clinical population. Ninety clients entering three residential treatment programs for alcohol and/or cannabis dependence were interviewed about their spiritual beliefs, behaviors, and experiences, using a broad selection of accepted measures. A number of associations between aspects of spirituality and gender, ethnicity, age, employment, severity of dependence, and depression were found. In particular, the more religiously active participants were less severely alcohol/other drug dependent, and depression was negatively associated with beliefs and activity related to 12-step ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3437934 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 02:08:28 +0100 3437934 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3437935&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FGQFkdlfJjZc%2F   A study of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step oriented self-help programs finds that they can help most people recover from alcoholism, even those who are not religious or have mental-health problems. The Pacific Institute on Research and Education (PIRE) reported that researchers tracked a group of 227 alcoholics over three years and found that those who had attended AA or other self-help programs after treatment had higher rates of abstinence, and drank less if they did relapse. The results cut across gender and religious lines and held regardless of psychiatric history or whether the patient had previously attended AA or other similar programs. “Here’s a widespread, chronic disorder that seems to respond well to an inexpensive resource — mutual-help groups s... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3437935 Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:03:39 +0100 3437935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3437936&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F7X2M2PZuyuY%2F This article reports on follow-up interviews conducted with a representative sample of 722 people who had entered treatment about a year earlier in public and private programs, including publicly-funded social model detoxification and residential programs, and clinical model programs in hospitals and HMO clinics. higher levels of 12-step program involvement during follow-up, which strongly predicted an absence of alcohol problems Social model clients came to treatment with more severe legal and employment problems, whereas those seeking treatment at clinical programs reported more severe family problems. At follow-up, clients at both types of programs reported attending a similar number of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, but social model clients reported going to more Narcotics Anon... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3437936 Tue, 30 Mar 2010 01:58:30 +0100 3437936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3437939&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F6q7CdAJutjI%2F CONCLUSIONS: The data confirm the important relations between per capita consumption measures and suicide mortality rates. Additionally, the results for AA membership rates are consistent with the hypothesis that AA membership can exert beneficial effects observable at the population level. Mann RE, Zalcman RF, Rush BR, Smart RG, Rhodes AE. Can J Psychiatry. 2008 Apr;53(4):243-51. Alcohol factors in suicide mortality rates in Manitoba. see also; 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative AA Offers Recovery Not Religion Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by e-Mail Understanding and Counselling the Alcoholic by Howard J. Clinebell Amazon books; Read more about this title… Share/SaveRandom ArticlesRecover... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3437939 Sun, 28 Mar 2010 01:36:55 +0100 3437939 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3385556&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F4krst9RF1eM%2F facilitates patients’ active participation in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. TSF regards such active involvement as the primary factor responsible for sustained sobriety (recovery) and therefore as the desired outcome of participation in this treatment program. This therapy is grounded in the concept of alcoholism as a spiritual and medical disease. TSF consists of a brief, structured, and manual-driven approach to facilitating early recovery from alcohol abuse/alcoholism and other drug abuse/addiction. It is intended to be implemented on an individual basis in 12 to 15 sessions and is based in behavioral, spiritual, and cognitive principles that form the core of 12-step fellowships such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). It is suitable for problem ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3385556 Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:21:14 +0100 3385556 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370674&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FNYwsLgFAPac%2F Alcohol dependence is a chronic, relapsing bio-behavioral disease mediated by various parts of the brain, including reward systems, memory circuits, and the prefrontal cortex. It is characterized by loss of the ability to drink alcohol in moderation and continued drinking despite negative consequences. The alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a common but not universal diagnostic feature of alcohol dependence. Benzodiazepine assisted detoxification of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome prevents the development of withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens, and makes patients more comfortable, which promotes engagement in treatment. Symptom-triggered dosing, based on a withdrawal rating scale such as the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised, is optimal for minimizing the ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370674 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 22:57:57 +0100 3370674 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370675&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FM-070nxmOqA%2F Conclusions  AA attendance was associated both concurrently and predictively with improved alcohol outcomes. Although AA attendance was associated additionally with subsequent improvements in depression, it did not predict such improvements over and above concurrent alcohol use. AA appears to lead both to improvements in alcohol use and psychological and emotional wellbeing which, in turn, may reinforce further abstinence and recovery-related change. Research; John F. Kelly, Robert L. Stout, Molly Magill, J. Scott Tonigan & Maria E. Pagano, Addiction, Volume 105 Issue 4, Pages 626 – 636 See also Disturbing Denial Strategies for Dealing With Denial Addiction & Recovery Books The Dual Disorders Recovery Book Acceptance and Surrender Related Reading: Share/SaveCos... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370675 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:39:00 +0100 3370675 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3366434&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fdoes-aa-lower-alcohol-use-by-reducing-depression%2F Conclusions  AA attendance was associated both concurrently and predictively with improved alcohol outcomes. Although AA attendance was associated additionally with subsequent improvements in depression, it did not predict such improvements over and above concurrent alcohol use. AA appears to lead both to improvements in alcohol use and psychological and emotional wellbeing which, in turn, may reinforce further abstinence and recovery-related change. Research; John F. Kelly, Robert L. Stout, Molly Magill, J. Scott Tonigan & Maria E. Pagano, Addiction, Volume 105 Issue 4, Pages 626 – 636 See also Disturbing Denial Strategies for Dealing With Denial Addiction & Recovery Books The Dual Disorders Recovery Book Acceptance and Surrender Related Reading: Share/SaveCos... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3366434 Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:39:00 +0100 3366434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370677&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FkXIaRSwPvyA%2F AA and 12 step alcoholism treatment programs The author of this report notes that AA self-help groups are the most commonly accessed component of treatment for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. Additionally, the concepts and approaches of AA have significantly influenced other twelve-step programs in professional treatment. Research has indicated that participation in AA or other 12-step programs results in reductions in substance abuse and also in psychiatric problems, reducing health care costs over time. Section headings in this book chapter include: nature and prevalence of AA; nature and prevalence of 12-step treatment programs; evaluations of community-based AA groups; evaluation research on 12-step oriented professional treatment programs potential future research directio... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370677 Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:36:56 +0100 3370677 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3370678&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2Ff5BcIM7OKIs%2F   We evaluates the gender matching hypothesis in Project MATCH, which states that women will benefit more from Cognitive-Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy (CBT) than from Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF). CBT was expected to address the ancillary problems (e.g., external stressors, negative mood) that are more prevalent among female alcoholics; at the same time, TSF, which would encourage women to attend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, was expected to increase guilt and undermine self-esteem and assertion. Tests of the matching contrasts failed to provide support for the hypothesis in either arm of the trial. Gender did produce significant prognostic effects in analyses of the aftercare arm, with women reporting a higher proportion of abstinent days and fewer drinks per occasion than... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3370678 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:17:59 +0100 3370678 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3350573&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2Fzqfsn0xoK5U%2F Conclusions; Findings support the helper therapy principle and clarify the process of 12-step affiliation. Research report; Sarah E. Zemore, Lee Ann Kaskutas & Lyndsay N. Ammon, In 12-step groups, helping helps the helper. Addiction; March 2004 Peer Support in Action: From Bystanding to Standing By Related Reading: Share/SaveRandom ArticlesQuery Patients About Past Drug ProblemsResearch Support for TSFThe 12-Steps Promote Acceptance of AddictionBrief-TSF ASSESSMENTAsking about drinking (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3350573 Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:28:28 +0100 3350573 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302639&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FtcGQ5nUZ44o%2F A closer look at the role of a spiritual approach in addictions treatment. Twelve Step Programs such as AA play a major role in addictions treatment, and their members are increasingly accepting of psychotherapy and medication. However, many clinicians question the role of an approach defined by these Programs as spiritual. This paper explores the nature, indications, and limitations of a spiritual approach to addiction and the implications for collaboration with mental health professionals. It suggests that Twelve Step Programs not only provide accessible group support and a clear ideology regarding addiction but address individuals’ needs for identity, integrity, an inner life and interdependence within a larger social and moral, or spiritual context. It examines the ways in which... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302639 Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:55:51 +0100 3302639 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302641&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FCyH8aIUsNBE%2F The 1956 General Service Conference of A.A. adopted unanimously the following statement of “A.A.’s Public Information Policy”: In all public relationships, A.A.’s sole objective is to help the still suffering alcoholic. Always mindful of the importance of personal anonymity, we believe this can be done by making known to him, and to those who may be interested in his problem, our own experience as individuals and as a fellowship in learning to live without alcohol. We believe that our experience should be made available freely to all who express sincere interest. We believe further that all our efforts in this field should always reflect our gratitude for the gift of sobriety and our awareness that many outside A.A. are equally concerned with the serious problem o... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302641 Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:40:29 +0100 3302641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302647&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FLtq6bB33DwM%2F The role of 12-step programs and 12-step-oriented treatments for dually diagnosed individuals (DDI) remains unclear. Here are presented the results of a pilot study in a target population of 10 seriously mentally ill patients received an adjunctive modified 12-step facilitation (TSF) therapy emphasizing engagement of DDI in a specialized 12-step program for DDI. Participants significantly increased their 12-step attendance and decreased their substance use during the 12 weeks of treatment. Larger and longer-term studies are needed to assess the efficacy of modified TSF for DDI relative to other treatments, and to determine what forms of TSF are most effective in this population. Research; Bogenschutz MP. Tucker NE Specialized 12-step programs and 12-step facilitation for the dually diag... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302647 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:18:41 +0100 3302647 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3280196&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftsf-for-dual-diagnosis%2F The role of 12-step programs and 12-step-oriented treatments for dually diagnosed individuals (DDI) remains unclear. Here are presented the results of a pilot study in a target population of 10 seriously mentally ill patients received an adjunctive modified 12-step facilitation (TSF) therapy emphasizing engagement of DDI in a specialized 12-step program for DDI. Participants significantly increased their 12-step attendance and decreased their substance use during the 12 weeks of treatment. Larger and longer-term studies are needed to assess the efficacy of modified TSF for DDI relative to other treatments, and to determine what forms of TSF are most effective in this population. Research; Bogenschutz MP. Tucker NE Specialized 12-step programs and 12-step facilitation for the dually diag... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3280196 Tue, 16 Feb 2010 18:18:41 +0100 3280196 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3302648&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FY2xUouVzCas%2F CONCLUSIONS: S/R promotes the use of post-treatment self-regulation skills that, in turn, directly contribute to ongoing 12-step self-help group involvement. Research report; Carrico AW, Gifford EV, Moos RH. Spirituality/religiosity promotes acceptance-based responding and 12-step involvement. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007 Jun 15;89(1):66-73. Epub 2007 Jan 16. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spiritualityby Donald Miller Read more about this title… Related Reading: Share/SaveRandom ArticlesAbstinence Solves Thinking ProblemsAmerican Dental AssociationElderly Tend to Drink Too MuchAA and SpiritualityBrain Damage & Cirrhosis (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3302648 Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:02:49 +0100 3302648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3201900&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FlFfGCE7iHbg%2F Conclusion: Results are consistent with previous studies showing that shorter-term outcomes are likely to be maintained, and that baseline characteristics and treatment factors account less for outcomes over longer terms. Research; Maria C. Bodin & Anders Romelsjö. Predictors of 2-Year Drinking Outcomes in a Swedish Treatment Sample. European Addiction Research 2007;13:136-143 Related Reading: Share/Save (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3201900 Thu, 21 Jan 2010 11:30:11 +0100 3201900 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3201901&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2Fb-Di6vSrMb8%2F A.A. is concerned solely with the personal recovery and continued sobriety of individual alcoholics who turn to the Fellowship for help. Alcoholics Anonymous does not engage in the fields of alcoholism research, medical or psychiatric treatment, education, or propaganda in any form, although members may participate in such activities as individuals. The Fellowship has adopted a policy of “cooperation but not affiliation” with other organizations concerned with the problem of alcoholism. Traditionally, Alcoholics Anonymous does not accept or seek financial support from outside sources, and members preserve personal anonymity in print and broadcast media and otherwise at the public level. A.A. experience has always been made available freely to all who sought it — business... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3201901 Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:04:36 +0100 3201901 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3201905&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FrYom-hwXcNs%2F 2005 Because A.A. has never attempted to keep formal membership lists, it is extremely difficult to obtain completely accurate figures on total membership at any given time. Some local groups are not listed with the General Service Office. Others do not provide membership data, thus are not recorded on the G.S.O. computer records. The membership figures listed below are based on reports to the General Service Office as of January 1, 2005, plus an average allowance for groups that have not reported their membership. Estimated A.A. Membership and Group Information Groups in U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,651 Members in U.S. . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1,190,637 Groups in Canada . . . . . . . . . . .. 4,872 Members in Canada . . . . . . . . . . 95,984 Groups Outside of U.S./Canada . . 45,... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3201905 Sat, 16 Jan 2010 09:50:11 +0100 3201905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153633&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FtkopFm6tewM%2F 7-year trajectories of Alcoholics Anonymous attendance and associations with treatment Although many members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are introduced to AA during treatment, the relationship between treatment and AA attendance over time is unknown. This paper describes four latent classes of AA attendance among 586 dependent alcoholics interviewed by telephone 1, 3, 5 and 7 years after baseline, and models the relationship between treatment exposure and AA attendance in each class. There was; a low AA group (averaging fewer than 5 meetings at most follow-ups), a medium AA group (about 50 meetings a year at each follow-up), a descending AA group (about 150 meetings year 1, then decreasing steeply), and a high AA group (about 200 meetings at 1 year, then decreasing gradually by year 7). ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153633 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:24:59 +0100 3153633 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153636&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FY6XjBU-1asI%2F This study could not separate the motivation inherent in seeking help from the therapeutic effects of help received. However, help seeking—regardless of the patient’s level of readiness—should be encouraged.  Research Reference: Dawson DA, Grant BF, Stinson FS, et al. Estimating the effect of help-seeking on achieving recovery from alcohol dependence. Addiction. 2006;101(6):824–834. Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Related Reading: Share/Save (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153636 Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:51:08 +0100 3153636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3153641&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FachG3wXkFnA%2F Conclusions. The present results suggest that, relative to their more humble counterparts, recovering alcoholics who lack humility (ie., high narcissists) do not have more difficulty surrendering to the idea they are powerless over their drinking problem. However, recovering alcoholics who lack authority-related humility do show a marked lack of faith in the proposition that “God” offers a viable solution to their alcohol problem. Consequently, they are quite reluctant to surrender their willfulness, and thereby accept help from a Higher Power. Given that faith in the existence, availability or efficacy of a Higher Power is difficult for this subsample of individuals, it seems likely that – in the context of 12-step recovery – deficits in humility may serve to in... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3153641 Fri, 01 Jan 2010 04:43:57 +0100 3153641 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3120617&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2F12-step-involvement-and-peer-helping%2F This study compares peer helping and 12-step involvement among participants receiving chemical dependency treatment at day hospital (N = 503) and residential (N = 230) programs, and examines relationships between both variables and outcomes. Findings show that residential (vs. day hospital) participants reported significantly more peer helping and 12-step involvement during treatment, and marginally more 12-step involvement at 6 months. Both peer helping and 12-step involvement predicted higher odds of sobriety across follow-ups; helping showed an indirect effect on sobriety via 12-step involvement. Results contribute to the 12-step facilitation literature (TSF); confirm prior results regarding benefits of mutual aid; and highlight methodological issues in helping research. Research report... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3120617 Sun, 20 Dec 2009 02:53:00 +0100 3120617 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092937&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftwelve-step-facilitation-tsf-reduces-substance-abuse%2F CONCLUSIONS: Both ICBT and TSF produce improvements in self-efficacy, and these changes are related to substance use outcomes for depressed substance abusers. In TSF, intervention-specific changes in TSA occur during the course of treatment and are related to substance use outcomes. Research; J Stud Alcohol Drugs. 2007 Sep;68(5):663-72. Mechanisms of action in integrated cognitive-behavioral treatment versus twelve-step facilitation for substance-dependent adults with comorbid major depression. Glasner-Edwards S, Tate SR, McQuaid JR, Cummins K, Granholm E, Brown SA. Related Reading: Share/Save (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092937 Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:11:00 +0100 3092937 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3092938&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fanalysts-describe-the-aa-recovery-program-as-complex-implicitly-grounded-in-sound-psychological-principles-and-more-sophisticated-than-is-typically-understood%2F The twelve-step recovery model of AA: a voluntary mutual help association Alcoholism treatment has evolved to mean professionalized, scientifically based rehabilitation. Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is not a treatment method; it is far better understood as a Twelve-Step Recovery Program within a voluntary self-help/mutual aid organization of self-defined alcoholics. The Twelve-Step Recovery Model is elaborated in three sections, patterned on the AA logo (a triangle within a circle): The triangle’s legs represent recovery, service, and unity; The circle represents the reinforcing effect of the three legs upon each other as well as the “technology” of the sharing circle and the fellowship. The first leg of the triangle, recovery, refers to the journey of individuals to abstin... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3092938 Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:08:00 +0100 3092938 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3079585&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fbrief-intervention%2F as a Bridge to AA Brief Intervention Is Insufficient for Medical Inpatients With Unhealthy Drinking Data show that brief intervention reduces consumption and consequences among outpatients with unhealthy, but not dependent, alcohol use. To assess whether brief interventions work among medical inpatients with unhealthy drinking,* researchers randomized 341 of such patients to a 30-minute session of motivational counseling in the hospital or to usual care. Most subjects had alcohol dependence, were unemployed during the previous 3 months, used other drugs, and had substantial psychiatric symptoms. Almost half were hospitalized for an alcohol-related medical diagnosis. At 3 months among subjects with alcohol dependence, similar proportions of the intervention and control groups received alco... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3079585 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:29:00 +0100 3079585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2993932&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fnew-zealand%25e2%2580%2599s-spiritual-aspects-in-12-step-treatment%2F This study describes the spiritual experiences, beliefs, and practices of New Zealanders entering intensive treatment for alcohol/ other drug dependence, and seeks to determine factors that influence spirituality in a clinical population. Ninety clients entering three residential treatment programs for alcohol and/or cannabis dependence were interviewed about their spiritual beliefs, behaviors, and experiences, using a broad selection of accepted measures. A number of associations between aspects of spirituality and gender, ethnicity, age, employment, severity of dependence, and depression were found. In particular, the more religiously active participants were less severely alcohol/other drug dependent, and depression was negatively associated with beliefs and activity related to 12-step ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2993932 Sat, 14 Nov 2009 06:42:49 +0100 2993932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842794&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrieftsf.com%2Fcannabis-psychotic-risk%2F Cannabis use and risk of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes Background; Whether cannabis can cause psychotic or affective symptoms that persist beyond transient intoxication is unclear. We systematically reviewed the evidence pertaining to cannabis use and occurrence of psychotic or affective mental health outcomes. Methods; We searched databases from their inception to September, 2006, searched reference lists of studies selected for inclusion, and contacted experts. Studies were included if longitudinal and population based. 35 studies from 4804 references were included. Data extraction and quality assessment were done independently and in duplicate. "we conclude that there is now sufficient evidence to warn young people that using cannabis could increase their risk of d... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842794 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:52:08 +0100 2842794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796797&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FDVIf9_Fx5_o%2F A pilot study of the role of AA sponsors An AA sponsor is a close 1-on-1 collaboration between an older sober member and a relative newcomer to sobriety. Its a two way helping relationship – the... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796797 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:38:00 +0100 2796797 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2790411&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fthe-role-of-aa-sponsors%2F CONCLUSIONS: The roles identified broadly corresponded with the AA literature delineating the duties of a sponsor. This non-random sample of sponsors was highly engaged in AA activity but only had a past history of moderate alcohol dependence. Research; The role of AA sponsors: a pilot study. Whelan PJ, Marshall EJ, Ball DM, Humphreys K. Alcohol Alcohol. 2009 Jul-Aug;44(4):416-22. Epub 2009 Mar 18. See also; 12 Step Sponsor Twelve-Step Programs as an Adjunct to Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. ALCOHOLISM MYTHS Screening for Alcohol Problems The Twelve-Step Facilitation Handbook: A Systematic Approach to Early Recovery from Alcoholism and Addiction by Joseph Nowinski The Twelve Steps Of Alcoholics Anonymous: ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2790411 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:38:00 +0100 2790411 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796798&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F387M4-mmMBg%2F An Evaluation of the Therapeutic Programme Conducted by the Southern Regional Alcohol-Abuse Treatment Centre: Study on the Programme’s Results One Year after Discharge from Inpatient... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796798 Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:16:38 +0100 2796798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796800&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2F2bQfVPmbKqU%2F Early detection, including screening and brief interventions (for nondependent problem drinkers) Comprehensive assessment and individualized treatment plan Care management Individually delivered,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796800 Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:59:53 +0100 2796800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796801&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2Fry4TqJnAL18%2F equals better recovery Is Attendance At Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings After Inpatient Treatment Related To Improved Outcomes? A 6-Month Follow-Up Study Abstract - Aims: This... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796801 Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:50:59 +0100 2796801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796803&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FXMbx3okQO8M%2F Longitudinal model of intake symptomatology, AA participation and outcome: Retrospective study of the project MATCH outpatient and aftercare samples. The present study used data gathered in Project... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796803 Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:57:38 +0100 2796803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2796804&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation%2FwAgT%2F%7E3%2FGnQ3DPnSu5g%2F This article describes a psychological model, based on studies he and his colleagues have conducted, to clarify the operation of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other movements that operate... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2796804 Mon, 07 Sep 2009 09:54:19 +0100 2796804 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2768830&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftreatment-and-aa-attendance%2F 7-year trajectories of Alcoholics Anonymous attendance and associations with treatment Although many members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) are introduced to AA during treatment, the relationship between treatment and AA attendance over time is unknown. This paper describes four latent classes of AA attendance among 586 dependent alcoholics interviewed by telephone 1, 3, 5 and 7 years after baseline, and models the relationship between treatment exposure and AA attendance in each class. There was; a low AA group (averaging fewer than 5 meetings at most follow-ups), a medium AA group (about 50 meetings a year at each follow-up), a descending AA group (about 150 meetings year 1, then decreasing steeply), and a high AA group (about 200 meetings at 1 year, then decreasing gradually by year 7). ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2768830 Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:58:11 +0100 2768830 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2725285&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftwelve-step-facilitation-tsf-works%2F This article discusses the rationale for interventions that facilitate alcohol-dependent patients’ affiliations with AA and related mutual-help organizations (e.g., Narcotics Anonymous [NA]). The article also reviews recent research comparing those interventions with other treatment methods. Research; Professional Interventions That Facilitate 12-Step Self-Help Group Involvement. Journal article by Keith Humphreys; Alcohol Research & Health, Vol. 23, 1999 The Twelve-Step Facilitation Handbook: A Systematic Approach to Early Recovery from Alcoholism and Addiction by Joseph Nowinski See also; Twelve Step Facilitation is designed to support people returning to their community Twelve-Step Programs as an Adjunct to Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology Brief-TSF ca... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2725285 Fri, 21 Aug 2009 13:50:05 +0100 2725285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2667741&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftsf-training-popular-articles%2F · A.A.’s 12-Step Recovery Program · Al-Anon Offers New Life · Alcohol and Anxiety · Alcohol Problems Database · Alcoholic Defence Mechanisms · Alcoholics Anonymous and Nursing · An Introduction to Medication for Alcohol Dependence · Anti-Craving Drugs · Binge Drinking & Brain Damage · Brain Damage & Cirrhosis · Brief-TSF Description · Brief-TSF Learning Objectives · Buy Brief-TSF , Twelve Step Facilitation Most popular Articles December 2007 (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2667741 Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:10:07 +0100 2667741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2654020&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faffiliation-with-aa-predicts-abstinence%2F Conclusion: Results are consistent with previous studies showing that shorter-term outcomes are likely to be maintained, and that baseline characteristics and treatment factors account less for outcomes over longer terms. Research; Maria C. Bodin & Anders Romelsjö. Predictors of 2-Year Drinking Outcomes in a Swedish Treatment Sample. European Addiction Research 2007;13:136-143 Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2654020 Wed, 29 Jul 2009 13:27:01 +0100 2654020 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2233218&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Frole-of-self-help-programs%2F in Brief-TSF Participation in self-help groups is central to Brief-TSF and is regarded as the primary agent of change. Specific objectives within Brief-TSF include attending regular AA meetings, getting and using members’ phone numbers, getting a peer sponsor, and assuming responsibilities within a meeting. Brief-TSF updates by RSS feed - subscribe, free. Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2233218 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 08:43:15 +0100 2233218 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1886468&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fadjunctive-therapy%2F Alcoholism and Brief-TSF Have you ever been frustrated by a patients heavy drinking? Or, is there poor treatment compliance with alcoholism? Health, work or relationships decline while drinking continues? You want to help, and have tried, but are at your wits end. Do you have time to train as an alcohol specialist? If not, Brief Twelve Step Facilitation can help, allowing you to get on with your primary role. BriefTSF is an adjunctive alcoholism intervention The primary aim of Brief Twelve Step Facilitation (Brief-TSF) is to introduce patients to the Twelve Step Fellowship - Alcoholics Anonymous. Then, in a support role, encourage maintenance of AA membership to enable sustained sobriety and rehabilitation. Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twel... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1886468 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:15:15 +0100 1886468 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1856192&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fadjunctive-therapy-with-aa%2F Self-help and other supports bolster treatment success Combining treatment with self-help programs, such as the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program, also improves outcomes, and is more effective than either treatment or self-help participation alone. Attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings is significantly related to post-treatment abstinence. Although mandated AA attendance alone, without treatment, has not been proven effective, one major study showed AA to be as effective as treatment. Research report; Runder the Influence Part 2: Treating Addictions, Reducing Corrections Costs. Katherine Merrow & Richard A. Minard , Jr. February 5, 2003. New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies in association with the Institute for Policy and Social Science Research, University of New H... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1856192 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:15:15 +0100 1856192 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1852685&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-membership%2F 2005 Because A.A. has never attempted to keep formal membership lists, it is extremely difficult to obtain completely accurate figures on total membership at any given time. Some local groups are not listed with the General Service Office. Others do not provide membership data, thus are not recorded on the G.S.O. computer records. The membership figures listed below are based on reports to the General Service Office as of January 1, 2005, plus an average allowance for groups that have not reported their membership. Estimated A.A. Membership and Group Information Groups in U.S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52,651 Members in U.S. . . . . . . . . . . .. . 1,190,637 Groups in Canada . . . . . . . . . . .. 4,872 Members in Canada . . . . . . . . . . 95,984 Groups Outside of U.S./Canada . . 45,... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1852685 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:15:15 +0100 1852685 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1806388&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-fact-fike%2F A Few Basic Facts About AA Alcoholics Anonymous is well-known as an organization for people who want to stop drinking. At the same time, there are some points about A.A. that may be unclear to the general public and even to professionals working to help problem drinkers. Founded in the United States in 1935, when one alcoholic discovered he could stay sober by helping another alcoholic, Alcoholics Anonymous now has more than two million members in some 180 countries. A.A.’s sole purpose is helping people recover from the disease of alcoholism, and it has no affiliation with any other group or organization. Members anywhere in the world can come together to form an A.A. group, of which there are an estimated 106,000 worldwide. Among other facts about Alcoholics Anonymous are: Membership i... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1806388 Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:15:15 +0100 1806388 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1696512&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuboxonetalkzone.com%2F2008%2F08%2F12%2Fwats-dis%2F Sometimes I get comments that seem a bit ‘out there’– Maybe you all can help me out.  Does this message seem ‘legit’ to you?  Yes, of course I know people talk this way… but do people write this way as well?  Y’all chek dis shit OUT! whats up man, i have been taking sub’s 4 about 6 months now….the reson that i have been on thim for so long is cuz i was really off bad when i was useing…it was like 3-4 o.c. 80s a day …so my doc told me i really need to stay on the sub’s for like a year or so ,and i really love being off the shit … but….i really need xanax not to get fucked up. just to calm me down (idc if u know what i’m talking about but i fill on edge all the time ,and cant sleep) i was going to ask my doc. for mybe like a 1mg do... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1696512 Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:40:59 +0100 1696512 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1775636&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftwelve-step-recovery-is-spiritual%2F ity at its best Nancy Kehoe, Ph.D., is a Massachusetts psychologist who for 20 years has trained mental health care providers to tend to the spiritual as well as the psychological needs of their clients. At a Hazelden Women Healing conference in April, Kehoe emphasized that although spirituality and religion can be integrally linked to mental health, the therapeutic community is usually reluctant or ill-equipped to explore these areas with clients — even though doing so could greatly enhance and speed up their recovery. Understanding how people image God or a Higher Power and what role spirituality plays in patients’ lives can give therapists valuable information for diagnosis and treatment, Kehoe said. Mental health professionals can learn much from Alcoholics Anonymous, an or... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1775636 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:13:21 +0100 1775636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773274&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fslips-and-relapses%2F Response to Slips and Relapses Slips and relapses are considered normal and even expected parts of early recovery, as are frequent urges to drink. The 12 step model regards addiction as an illness characterized by compulsion that overwhelms individual willpower. Until the client is solidly connected to a 12 step fellowship, he or she is expected to experience difficulty sustaining sobriety even with the best of intentions. The primary purpose of the review part of the Brief-TSF session is to assess the client’s recovery and to evaluate urges and slips and how the client dealt with them. This material becomes an important context in which the facilitator gradually shapes greater involvement in AA. Typically, a pattern is discerned in slips. For example, it is common for a client to st... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773274 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:13:21 +0100 1773274 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1770663&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftherapeutic-alliance%2F In Brief-TSF, the facilitator is seen as an expert in interpersonal counseling techniques and as knowledgeable in the principles and practicalities of 12 step fellowships. However, in Brief-TSF the facilitator is not regarded as the primary agent of change; rather, it is the 12 step fellowship (AA) that is seen as the agent of change. Accordingly, the Brief-TSF facilitator needs to conceptualize treatment as the product of a collaborative relationship and should assume responsibility for doing the best he or she can to establish that collaborative relationship. However, it is not the facilitator’s goal to breakdown the client’s denial (but simply to disturb denial), or to provide all support needed to stay sober, or to take the client to meetings, and so forth. Even in emergen... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1770663 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:13:21 +0100 1770663 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1764044&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Frole-of-significant-others%2F ROLE OF SIGNIFICANT OTHERS IN TREATMENT Brief-TSF includes a ‘Partner Brief-TSF’ program to be used as adjunctive therapy whenever possible when an alcoholic patient is in a relationship. Partner Brief-TSF can also be applied when the alcoholic is not in treatment. Like other aspects of Brief-TSF, the partner sessions are focused and aim to meet specific goals. Partner Brief-TSF is not intended to be used as brief marital or relationship counseling, although one objective of these sessions is to help the patient(s) assess the impact of alcohol abuse on the relationship. Marital therapy may be briefly discussed, and significant others concerns, frustrations, and grievances are validated, but the facilitator also suggests that intensive relationship counseling (along with other thera... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1764044 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:13:21 +0100 1764044 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1754948&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fstrategies-for-dealing-with-common-problems%2F Strategies for Dealing with Common Clinical Problems Brief-TSF includes information on troubleshooting, which helps the facilitator anticipate and plan for common problems such as lateness, coming to sessions under the influence, and client resistance to new material. Most often these strategies are consistent with AA philosophy and encourage the client to utilize the resources of 12-step fellowships. For example, the client who arrives drunk or high is asked how he or she will "not drink again for the rest of today." Clients are never punished, rejected, or scolded within the Brief-TSF model for drinking, since it is accepted that loss of control is the essence of their illness. However, sessions are cut short if the client is drunk. He or she will be strongly encouraged to call... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1754948 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:13:21 +0100 1754948 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734135&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fstrategies-for-dealing-with-denial%2F , Resistance, or Poor Motivation Strategies for dealing with resistance within the Brief-TSF model all begin with an assumption that the client has an illness that is characterized by loss of control over alcohol or other drug use, which leads him or her to want to resist accepting that loss of control. Though the only viable treatment goal from the Brief-TSF and 12 step perspective is abstinence from all alcohol, it is expected that the client will have a hard time accepting this limitation, as anyone has difficulty accepting limitation. Viewed in this light, resistance is seen as a natural part of the course of early recovery. Indeed, the Brief-TSF facilitator should be suspicious if too little resistance is encountered (a phenomenon known as compliance). Eschers ‘Intersection’... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734135 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:13:21 +0100 1734135 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1729549&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fstrategies-for-dealing-with-crises%2F In Brief-TSF, the facilitator is given specific guidelines for dealing with crises ranging from suicidal ideation to spouse abuse to divorce. As a rule, only psychiatric emergencies and acute intoxication or overdose are grounds for suspending Brief-TSF. Otherwise, crises are assessed and triaged. In many instances the facilitator will direct the client to the resources of 12-step fellowships (including Al-Anon and Alateen for partners and children of clients) as a means of coping with acute stressors. Clients are encouraged to discover how ubiquitous their own problems are among people who have alcohol and how such issues are common topics of discussion at meetings. Indeed, the facilitator may very well be a less useful resource in this regard than the support of fellow recovering per... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1729549 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:13:21 +0100 1729549 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1683152&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fcounselor-characteristics%2F Brief-TSF COUNSELOR CHARACTERISTICS AND TRAINING Educational Requirements Brief-TSF requires considerable clinical skill to implement properly. Issues in implementation include the ability to stay focused, maintain structure within each session, and engage in constructive confrontation. Accordingly, it is recommended that prospective facilitators have counseling experience and/or training. Counselor’s Recovery Status Brief-TSF facilitators need not be in recovery personally. Any serious Brief-TSF facilitator, however, should have read all relevant AA literature that clients will be asked to read and should be familiar with at least AA and Al-Anon meetings from personal experience. In addition, it is not recommended that a facilitator whose own views are unsympathetic to the primary g... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1683152 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 13:13:21 +0100 1683152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1646123&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Flonger-aa-attendance-predicts-change%2F This study examined the predictors of self-efficacy in the year after treatment and 15 years later. A sample of 420 individuals with alcohol use disorders was assessed five times over the course of 16 years. Predictors of self-efficacy at 1 year included improvement from baseline to 1 year in heavy drinking, alcohol-related problems, depression, impulsivity, avoidance coping, social support from friends, and longer duration of participation in mutual-help Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Female gender, more education, less change in substance use problems, and impulsivity during the first year predicted improvement in self-efficacy over 16 years. Clinicians should focus on keeping patients engaged in self-help of AA, addressing depressive symptoms, improving patient’s coping,... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1646123 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:15:11 +0100 1646123 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1508691&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fdouble-trouble-in-recovery%2F Conclusions: For dually-diagnosed individuals, continued participation in dual recovery self-help groups plays a significant role in the recovery process, particularly in the area of substance use. Implications for Policy, Delivery or Practice: Participation in dual-recovery self-help groups, both during and after formal treatment, should be encouraged as part of an integrated lifelong recovery plan for dually-diagnosed individuals. Research; One-Year Outcomes among Members of a Dual-Recovery Self-Help Program. Laudet A, Magura S, Vogel H, Knight E, Staines G; Abstr Acad Health Serv Res Health Policy Meet. 2000; 17. More at; Double Trouble in Recovery See also; 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative AA and Treatment Work Better Together Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1508691 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:05:38 +0100 1508691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1501482&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-and-na-works-for-youth-too%2F This study examined how helpful AA and NA may be for adolescents, finding long-term benefits even though many youth discontinue attendance after time. Results will be published in the August issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. “It is difficult to evaluate the efficacy of mutual-help organizations like AA through randomized controlled experiments because the AA ‘intervention,’ being a community organization based on anonymity, cannot be directly under the control of the researcher in the usual way,” explained John F. Kelly. Yet their popularity and cost-effectiveness cannot be denied, added Kelly. “AA and NA are explicitly focused on abstinence and addiction recovery, they are widely available across most communities, they provide entry to a social network... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1501482 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:05:20 +0100 1501482 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1482109&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2F20-top-posts-at-twelve-step-facilitation%2F Al-Anon Offers New Life AA’s 12-Step Recovery Program Alcoholic Defence Mechanisms Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings Binge Drinking & Brain Damage Brief-TSF Description Characteristics of Children of Alcoholics Counseling and the 12 Steps of AA Counselor Characteristics Craving Reduction Effects of Gambling Addiction How do alcoholics get to AA? Phases of Recovery PTSD and Alcohol Addiction Research Evidence for TSF Slogans for everyday life in AA Symptoms of Alcoholism The Personality Traits of Alcoholics TSF Description What about Partners of Alcoholics? Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by e-Mail           Couple Therapy for Alcoholism: A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Manualby Phylis J. Wakefield, ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1482109 Sun, 01 Jun 2008 14:03:37 +0100 1482109 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1469846&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftwelve-step-facilitation-therapy%2F facilitates patients’ active participation in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. TSF regards such active involvement as the primary factor responsible for sustained sobriety (recovery) and therefore as the desired outcome of participation in this treatment program. This therapy is grounded in the concept of alcoholism as a spiritual and medical disease. TSF consists of a brief, structured, and manual-driven approach to facilitating early recovery from alcohol abuse/alcoholism and other drug abuse/addiction. It is intended to be implemented on an individual basis in 12 to 15 sessions and is based in behavioral, spiritual, and cognitive principles that form the core of 12-step fellowships such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). It is suitable for problem ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1469846 Tue, 27 May 2008 13:08:52 +0100 1469846 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1454571&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fmutual-aid-groups-in-psychiatry-and-substance-misuse%2F Conclusions: Greater awareness of this resource for mental health and substance misuse fields could enhance practice. Mutual aid groups in psychiatry and substance misuse. Alex Baldacchino;  Woody Caan; Carol Munn-Giddings. Mental Health and Substance Use: dual diagnosis, Volume 1, Issue 2 June 2008 , pages 104 - 117 See also; 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative AA Offers Recovery Not Religion Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by e-Mail           The Self-Help Sourcebook: Finding & Forming Mutual Aid Self-Help Groups Amazon Books; Read more about this title… Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1454571 Tue, 20 May 2008 15:13:53 +0100 1454571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1449450&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Falcoholics-anonymous-membership-reduces-suicide-rates%2F CONCLUSIONS: The data confirm the important relations between per capita consumption measures and suicide mortality rates. Additionally, the results for AA membership rates are consistent with the hypothesis that AA membership can exert beneficial effects observable at the population level. Mann RE, Zalcman RF, Rush BR, Smart RG, Rhodes AE. Can J Psychiatry. 2008 Apr;53(4):243-51. Alcohol factors in suicide mortality rates in Manitoba. see also; 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative AA Offers Recovery Not Religion Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by e-Mail   Understanding and Counselling the Alcoholicby Howard J. ClinebellAmazon books; Read more about this title… Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1449450 Sat, 17 May 2008 11:08:09 +0100 1449450 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1391126&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fquality-articles-on-twelve-step-facilitationcom%2F  Al-Anon offers new life AA’s 12-Step Recovery Program Alcohol and Anxiety Alcohol Problems Database Alcoholic Defence Mechanisms Alcoholics Anonymous and Nursing An Introduction to Medication for Alcohol Dependence Anti-craving Drugs Binge Drinking & Brain Damage Brain Damage & Cirrhosis Brief-TSF Description Brief-TSF Learning Objectives Characteristics of Children of Alcoholic Controlled drinking? Counselling and the 12 Steps of AA Counsellor Characteristics Craving Reduction Depression & 12-Step Programs Effects of Gambling Addiction Elderly Substance Abuse Families, Mental Health & Alcohol abuse Female Victims of Child Abuse Five Alcoholism Subtypes Free Training Alcoholism Anti-craving Medications Gender Matching Hypothesis in Alcohol Treatment Healing through ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1391126 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:26:59 +0100 1391126 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1373605&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftop-articles%2F AA & 12-Step Treatment AA Assists Alcoholics Avoid Alcohol AA Can Help Most Alcoholics AA Fact File AA’s 12-Step Recovery Program Al-Anon offers new life Alcohol and Anxiety Alcohol Problems Database Alcoholic Defense Mechanisms Alcoholics Anonymous and Nursing Alcoholics Anonymous Program in India Alcoholics can benefit from Al-Anon Alcoholics Have Trouble Identifying Emotions Alcoholism / Addiction Treatment Saves Money Alcoholism in women Alcoholism Treatment in a Nursing Home Altruism helps AA members stay sober An Introduction to Medication for Alcohol Dependence Anti-craving Drugs Attendance at Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings Binge Drinking & Brain Damage Brain Damage & Cirrhosis Brief Intervention in Emergency Room Effective Brief-TSF Description ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1373605 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:00:01 +0100 1373605 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1329132&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Falcoholics-anonymous-is-self-help%2F , not treatment Alcoholics Anonymous is not really a treatment for alcoholism but a community resource for those wishing to stop drinking. Uncontrolled studies of AA have shown that people who affiliate with AA tend to stop drinking and find that their lives improve in many respects (Emrick et al. 1993). However, evaluating AA alongside professionally delivered interventions presents problems and perhaps should not be done. AA, the original 12 Step program, is not a fixed form of “treatment” and people are free to participate in different ways. Some go a few times and then drop out. Others go more often, but do not actively participate in meetings or “work the program.” It is possible that both dropouts and passive participants gain some benefit from the AA experience, but this has... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1329132 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:25:41 +0100 1329132 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1321164&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-as-adjunctive-therapy-works%2F In this study, the authors describe the results observed in 124 sequentially admitted subjects at various points throughout the course of the first year after their discharge from the Southern Regional Alcohol-Abuse Treatment Centre (CRAS) in Lisbon, Portugal. An inpatient stay at this unit of CRAS lasts for between 5 and 7 weeks and implies that the patient must submit him/herself to a therapeutic model which has been adapted from the Minnesota model which includes attendance at 12 Step Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. At the end of the year under study 44.3% of the patients were still abstinent, 40.3% were consuming alcohol and 15.4% did not reply. 51 patients (41.1% of the initial sample) were still in regular contact with CRAS for further treatment at that point. The variable that was fo... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1321164 Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:48:37 +0100 1321164 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1278039&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fincreases-sobriety-and-reduces-costs%2F CONCLUSIONS: Promoting self-help group involvement appears to improve post-treatment outcomes while reducing the costs of continuing care. Even cost offsets that somewhat diminish over the long term can yield substantial savings. Actively promoting self-help group involvement may therefore be a useful clinical practice for helping addicted patients recover in a time of constrained fiscal resources. Humphreys K, Moos RH. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Jan;31(1):64-8. Encouraging posttreatment self-help group involvement to reduce demand for continuing care services: two-year clinical and utilization outcomes. See also; Twelve Step Facilitation Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Faci... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1278039 Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:42:20 +0100 1278039 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1271875&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Falcoholics-anonymous-program-in-india%2F CONCLUSION:. The results of the 5-year outcome are modest. More patients coming from distant places and those with health workers in their localities remained completely abstinent suggesting the possible role of the individual’s motivation and the need for continued community support in maintaining sobriety. Research; Kuruvilla PK, Jacob KS. Five-year follow up for sobriety in a cohort of men who had attended an Alcoholics Anonymous programme in India. Natl Med J India. 2007 Sep-Oct;20(5):234-6. See also; Twelve Step Facilitation is designed to support people returning to their community Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Step Facilit... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1271875 Sun, 02 Mar 2008 11:22:55 +0100 1271875 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1273688&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=36896&url=http%3A%2F%2Fsuboxonetalkzone.com%2F2008%2F02%2F22%2Finduction-relapse-benzo-questions%2F Some questions about the induction process and my answers: If I try to just take the oxycodone for a period of time prior to meeting with you would that eliminate some of the problems and complications associated with the transition from methadone to suboxone? If I took only oxycodone for 4 days or 6 days might I be able to go directly to suboxone without that withdrawal period? Yes, it is helpful to change from methadone to oxycodone for a stretch of time. Methadone is highly protein-bound, and takes forever to leave the body– I like people to be off methadone for at least 4 days, whereas 24 hours off oxycodone is usually sufficient to avoid precipitating withdrawal with suboxone. There is no way to avoid withdrawal completely, however, as a person must be in a bit of withdrawal at ... Suboxone Talk Zone blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1273688 Fri, 22 Feb 2008 02:08:18 +0100 1273688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1215375&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2F50-most-read-articles-january-08%2F AA & 12-Step Treatment AA Can Help Most Alcoholics Al-Anon offers new life Alcohol and Anxiety Alcoholic Defense Mechanisms Alcoholics Anonymous and Nursing Alcoholism Treatment in a Nursing Home An Introduction to Medication for Alcohol Dependence Anti-craving Drugs Binge Drinking & Brain Damage Brief Intervention in Emergency Room is Effective Brief-TSF Description Characteristics of Children of Alcoholic Common Problems in Recovery Counseling and the 12 Steps of AA COUNSELOR CHARACTERISTICS Craving Reduction Depression & 12-Step Programs Developing Willingness to Change Dropout from 12-step self-help groups Effects of gambling addiction Foetal alcohol disorder linked to crime: Free Training Alcoholism Anti-craving Medication Gender Matching Hypothesis in Alcohol Treatment He... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1215375 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 09:59:21 +0100 1215375 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1155972&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fself-help-reduces-healthcare-demand%2F CONCLUSIONS: Promoting self-help group involvement appears to improve posttreatment outcomes while reducing the costs of continuing care. Even cost offsets that somewhat diminish over the long term can yield substantial savings. Actively promoting self-help group involvement may therefore be a useful clinical practice for helping addicted patients recover in a time of constrained fiscal resources. Humphreys K, Moos RH. Encouraging posttreatment self-help group involvement to reduce demand for continuing care services: two-year clinical and utilization outcomes. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Jan;31(1):64-8. Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1155972 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 14:16:59 +0100 1155972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1147285&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftwelve-step-facilitation-most-popular-articles-december-2007%2F   AA Can Help Most Alcoholics Al-Anon offers new life Alcohol and Anxiety Alcoholic Defense Mechanisms Alcoholics Anonymous and Nursing An Introduction to Medication for Alcoholism Anti-craving Drugs Binge Drinking & Brain Damage Brief Intervention in Emergency Room is Effective Brief-TSF Description Brief-TSF holistic treatment Characteristics of Children of Alcoholic Common Problems in Recovery Counseling and the 12 Steps of AA COUNSELOR CHARACTERISTICS God As We Understood Him Helping Alcoholics Nutritional Therapy in Alcoholic Liver Disease Painkiller abuse Readiness to Change Profiles Recovering Alcoholics Effective in Helping others Recovery through the Twelve Steps Research Evidence for TSF Risky Partners and Domestic Violence Spiritual assessment Stages of an Eating Disor... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1147285 Sun, 13 Jan 2008 15:01:04 +0100 1147285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142505&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Frecovering-people-working-in-the-recovery-field%2F   By Mary Cook, MA Whether clients or counselors, students or teachers, we are all imperfect human beings. We are here because we have a yearning to grow. And the strongest motivator for growth is pain. When we are significantly harmed or deprived mentally, emotionally or physically and have no safe people or role models to help us understand and rebound or heal, our mind creates defense mechanisms and coping strategies to hide our real pain and vulnerability. This may serve us well over a short time period, but backfires in a longer time frame. When we become habituated to our means to hide painful reality, we forget our true self behind the fabrications. More at; Anonymous One website See also; TWELVE STEPS TO RECOVERY FROM BURNOUT Emotional Sobriety Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Bu... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142505 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:13:44 +0100 1142505 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1096696&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fhelping-alcoholics%2F This study could not separate the motivation inherent in seeking help from the therapeutic effects of help received. However, help seeking—regardless of the patient’s level of readiness—should be encouraged.  Research Reference: Dawson DA, Grant BF, Stinson FS, et al. Estimating the effect of help-seeking on achieving recovery from alcohol dependence. Addiction. 2006;101(6):824–834. Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1096696 Sat, 15 Dec 2007 11:08:35 +0100 1096696 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1073217&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fstages-of-an-eating-disorder%2F   Lemberg (1992) proposes a model of development whereby a person moves from voluntary dieting through a number of stages to reach a fully entrenched eating disorder. Stage 1: Normal, voluntary dieting behaviour. Unfortunately dieting behaviours have become the “norm”, with 47% of people in Australia having tried to lose weight in the past twelve months. 68% of fifteen year old girls are dieting at any one time, 8% of these are on a severe diet. While these diets are severe enough to be considered an eating disorder, they are unhealthy and result in rapid weight changes, disrupted metabolism, dehydration, low energy and lack of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Stage 1B: (in Bulimia Nervosa only). The hunger associated with dieting and restriction leads to s... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1073217 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:39:06 +0100 1073217 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1071067&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-and-a-social-model-of-treatment%2F This article reports on follow-up interviews conducted with a representative sample of 722 people who had entered treatment about a year earlier in public and private programs, including publicly-funded social model detoxification and residential programs, and clinical model programs in hospitals and HMO clinics. higher levels of 12-step program involvement during follow-up, which strongly predicted an absence of alcohol problems Social model clients came to treatment with more severe legal and employment problems, whereas those seeking treatment at clinical programs reported more severe family problems. At follow-up, clients at both types of programs reported attending a similar number of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, but social model clients reported going to more Narcotics Anon... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1071067 Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:06:04 +0100 1071067 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1046738&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2F12step-programs-offer-broad-benefits%2F   A study of Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step oriented self-help programs finds that they can help most people recover from alcoholism, even those who are not religious or have mental-health problems. The Pacific Institute on Research and Education (PIRE) reported that researchers tracked a group of 227 alcoholics over three years and found that those who had attended AA or other self-help programs after treatment had higher rates of abstinence, and drank less if they did relapse. The results cut across gender and religious lines and held regardless of psychiatric history or whether the patient had previously attended AA or other similar programs. “Here’s a widespread, chronic disorder that seems to respond well to an inexpensive resource — mutual-help groups s... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1046738 Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:37:59 +0100 1046738 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1045151&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fhumility-and-surrender%2F Conclusions. The present results suggest that, relative to their more humble counterparts, recovering alcoholics who lack humility (ie., high narcissists) do not have more difficulty surrendering to the idea they are powerless over their drinking problem. However, recovering alcoholics who lack authority-related humility do show a marked lack of faith in the proposition that “God” offers a viable solution to their alcohol problem. Consequently, they are quite reluctant to surrender their willfulness, and thereby accept help from a Higher Power. Given that faith in the existence, availability or efficacy of a Higher Power is difficult for this subsample of individuals, it seems likely that - in the context of 12-step recovery - deficits in humility may serve to increase a client’s ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1045151 Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:21:27 +0100 1045151 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=996580&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-utilization-for-outpatients%2F AA utilization after introduction in outpatient treatment Treatment for alcohol dependence is often provided in outpatient settings, and often includes introduction to Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Relatively little is known about subsequent AA utilization. Analyses of survey data collected from 72 clients of an outpatient treatment center introduced to AA revealed that, 6 months following intake, a large portion of the responding sample of 55 were still attending AA meetings. 76% were still attending AA after 6 months. Principal components analysis of self-reports of the frequencies of 12 AA-related behaviors found three dimensions of AA utilization: fellowship or social involvement, meeting attendance and participation, and involvement in bureaucratic functioning and meeting production... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=996580 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:38:47 +0100 996580 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=989798&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fgender-matching-hypothesis-in-alcohol-treatment%2F   We evaluates the gender matching hypothesis in Project MATCH, which states that women will benefit more from Cognitive-Behavioral Coping Skills Therapy (CBT) than from Twelve Step Facilitation (TSF). CBT was expected to address the ancillary problems (e.g., external stressors, negative mood) that are more prevalent among female alcoholics; at the same time, TSF, which would encourage women to attend Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings, was expected to increase guilt and undermine self-esteem and assertion. Tests of the matching contrasts failed to provide support for the hypothesis in either arm of the trial. Gender did produce significant prognostic effects in analyses of the aftercare arm, with women reporting a higher proportion of abstinent days and fewer drinks per occasion than... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=989798 Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:17:39 +0100 989798 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=987206&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fhealing-through-social-and-spiritual-affiliation-2%2F This article describes a psychological model, based on studies he and his colleagues have conducted, to clarify the operation of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and other movements that operate through social and ideologically grounded support and can be characterized as “spiritual recovery movements.” Taken together, the findings from the cited studies make evident that peer-led ideologically oriented self-help programs illustrate the value of combining intense mutual support with the psychology of commitment to a health-related ideology. Although peer-led self-help programs are not among the approaches employed by traditional psychiatrically grounded providers of care, their success underlines their potential value to mental health professionals who can make use of these programs t... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=987206 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 11:03:16 +0100 987206 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=949711&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fteens-and-12-step-attendance%2F This study (1) assessed attributes that may influence 12-step attendance and affiliation; (2) tested whether 12-step affiliation in the first 3 months posttreatment possessed unique predictive power above that attributable to attendance alone; and (3) examined the extent to which motivation, coping and self-efficacy measured at 3 months mediated the relation between 12-step affiliation and substance use outcome in the ensuing 3 months. Adolescent inpatients (N = 74, 62% female), who were aged 14-18 years (mean [SD] ? 15.9 [1.19] years), were interviewed during treatment and at 3 and 6 months post-discharge. More severely substance-involved youth were more motivated for abstinence and more likely to attend and affiliate with 12-step groups. A high degree of collinearity between 12-step a... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=949711 Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:05:00 +0100 949711 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=947988&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fspirituality-valuable-asset-on-road-to-sobriety%2F A researcher studying the influence of spirituality on sobriety encourages recovering alcoholics to nourish their spiritual needs through praying, taking a course in meditation, or simply walking in the woods. “While people’s actual beliefs don’t seem to change during recovery, the extent [to which] they have spiritual experiences and are open to spirituality in their lives does change,” said Elizabeth Robinson, Ph.D., a research assistant professor at the Addiction Research Center at the University of Michigan’s Department of Psychiatry. While anecdotal evidence indicates that spirituality plays a role in alcohol recovery, until recently there were few hard data to prove if and how it impacts sobriety. Now a team of researchers at the University of Michigan A... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=947988 Sat, 13 Oct 2007 09:50:02 +0100 947988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=939852&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Frecovering-alcoholics-effective-in-helping-others%2F A new report shows that people in recovery can help hospitalized alcoholics by encouraging them to quit drinking and enter counseling, Reuters reported June 11. “A recovering alcoholic can help alcoholics who are still suffering from the disease, because the patients relate to them,” said Dr. Richard D. Blondell, an addiction-medicine specialist at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky. “The patients credit the visitor as the main thing that motivated them.” The study included 140 patients who were hospitalized for alcohol-related incidents. One group received standard medical care, a second group received medical care plus a 15-minute intervention by a trained addiction specialist, and the third group received medical care, intervention, and a... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=939852 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:10:43 +0100 939852 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=939851&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fmore-aa-meetings%2F Conclusions: The importance of aftercare has long been acknowledged. Despite this, adequate aftercare services are often lacking. The findings support the role of Alcoholics Anonymous as a useful aftercare resource. Research; Michael Gossop, Jennifer Harris, David Best, Lan-Ho Man, Victoria Manning, Jane Marshall And John Strang, Is Attendance At Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings After Inpatient Treatment Related To Improved Outcomes? A 6-Month Follow-Up Study Alcohol & Alcoholism Vol. 38, No. 5, pp. 421-426, 2003 Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=939851 Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:10:43 +0100 939851 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=933017&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Flongterm-recovery-from-alcoholism-in-aa%2F AA has demonstrated success in steadily increasing membership, with no loss of the proportion of those with over 5 years of sobriety. It has been recognized as effective long-term treatment for alcoholism by psychiatrists and psychoanalysts experienced in treatment of the addictions. The triennial membership surveys of AA have shown stability in A 50% dropout rate within the first 3 months of starting AA. Only 41% of those in the first year will remain in the Fellowship for another year. Roughly equal numbers of those with less than 1 year, 1 to 5 years, and over 5 years of sobriety, with an average length of sobriety of about 4 years. Members having a sponsor (85%) and belonging to a home group (88%). Attendance by members of about three meetings a week, regardless of duration of sobrie... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=933017 Sun, 07 Oct 2007 09:44:23 +0100 933017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=923780&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fspirituality-and-treatment%2F A closer look at the role of a spiritual approach in addictions treatment. Twelve Step Programs such as AA play a major role in addictions treatment, and their members are increasingly accepting of psychotherapy and medication. However, many clinicians question the role of an approach defined by these Programs as spiritual. This paper explores the nature, indications, and limitations of a spiritual approach to addiction and the implications for collaboration with mental health professionals. It suggests that Twelve Step Programs not only provide accessible group support and a clear ideology regarding addiction but address individuals’ needs for identity, integrity, an inner life and interdependence within a larger social and moral, or spiritual context. It examines the ways in which... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=923780 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 10:50:33 +0100 923780 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=918073&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fhow-alcoholics-anonymous-is-changing%2F My own experience By an AA member I first came into contact with Alcoholics Anonymous 20 years ago. I had just been discharged from mental hospital after a suicide attempt and after losing two jobs within a few weeks. AA was the main thing which kept me going over the following months, although I also got help from family, friends, my doctor and my therapist. I have not had an alcoholic drink since my first AA meeting. I have had many problems getting my life together since then, not least with depression. With the benefit of hindsight depression was probably one of the reasons why I drank, but the drinking was more a cause than an effect of my problems. I still attend AA meetings regularly. I do not want to drink again and I still value the support I get in maintaining sobriety, among oth... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=918073 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:13:21 +0100 918073 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=915398&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-attendance-and-abstinence%2F In this study, researchers assessed participation in AA, abstinence, and other alcohol outcomes over 5 years among 349 patients who entered treatment at baseline and attended AA at least once during follow-up. Four patterns of AA attendance emerged: low (mainly during the year following treatment entry); medium (about 60 meetings per year with a slight increase by year 5); high (over 200 meetings per year with a slight decrease by year 5); and declining (almost 200 meetings the year following treatment entry and about 6 meetings in year 5). Abstinence (past 30 days) in year 5 significantly differed across groups: 79 percent of patients with high attendance reported abstinence, followed by 73 percent with medium attendance, 61 percent with declining attendance, and 43 percent with low a... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=915398 Sun, 30 Sep 2007 12:56:21 +0100 915398 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=900930&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fthe-structure-of-aa%2F Alcoholics Anonymous is not organized in the formal or political sense. There are no governing officers, no rules or regulations, no fees or dues. The need for certain services to alcoholics and their families throughout the world has, however, been apparent from the beginning of the Fellowship. Inquiries have to be answered. Literature has to be written, printed, and distributed. Requests for help are followed up. There are two operating bodies: 1. A.A. worldwide services, directed by A.A. World Services, Inc., are centered in the General Service Office in New York City, where 79 workers keep in touch with local groups, with A.A. groups in treatment and correctional facilities, with members and groups overseas, and with the thousands of “outsiders” who turn to A.A. each year for info... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=900930 Tue, 25 Sep 2007 09:32:07 +0100 900930 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=892417&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fthe-psychiatric-management-of-patients-with-alcohol-dependence%2F Alcohol dependence is a chronic, relapsing bio-behavioral disease mediated by various parts of the brain, including reward systems, memory circuits, and the prefrontal cortex. It is characterized by loss of the ability to drink alcohol in moderation and continued drinking despite negative consequences. The alcohol withdrawal syndrome is a common but not universal diagnostic feature of alcohol dependence. Benzodiazepine assisted detoxification of the alcohol withdrawal syndrome prevents the development of withdrawal seizures and delirium tremens, and makes patients more comfortable, which promotes engagement in treatment. Symptom-triggered dosing, based on a withdrawal rating scale such as the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised, is optimal for minimizing the ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=892417 Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:17:32 +0100 892417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=889654&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-assists-alcoholics-avoid-alcohol%2F CONCLUSIONS: Alcoholic inpatients undergoing treatment based on the 12-step treatment of Alcoholics Anonymous (Minnesota model), which includes counseling, and intensive group, individual, and family psychotherapy, show an avoidance for drug-related stimuli and a perception of loss of control over drinking. We suggest that their increased perception of loss of control over drinking produces the avoidance from the drug-related stimuli. Research report; Townshend JM, Duka T. Avoidance of alcohol-related stimuli in alcohol-dependent inpatients. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Aug;31(8):1349-57. The Annotated AA Handbook : A Companion to the Big Bookby Frank Dwyer Read more about this title… Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Fa... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=889654 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:11:26 +0100 889654 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842801&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrieftsf.com%2Feffective-professional-interventions%2F The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has established through years of clinical research the effectiveness of the following interventions to treat alcohol problems. Professional delivery of these interventions follows established protocols that have been published in manual form. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) primarily targets alcohol dependent individuals. It assumes that alcoholism is learned problematic behavior that begins and continues with the patient’s distorted belief that alcohol helps him or her cope with stress. CBT therapists usually try to change how a patient thinks about alcohol, and to assist a patient in identifying stressful situations and alternative ways of coping with these situations. CBT allows patients to establish the goals of treatment. The... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842801 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:44:42 +0100 2842801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=889655&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Factive-ingredients-of-effective-alcohol-treatment%2F Early detection, including screening and brief interventions (for nondependent problem drinkers) Comprehensive assessment and individualized treatment plan Care management Individually delivered, proven professional interventions Contracting with patients Social skills training Medications Specialized services for medical, psychiatric, employment or family problems Continuing care Strong bond with therapist or counselor Longer duration (for alcohol dependent persons) Participation in support groups Strong patient motivation Research Sources: McLellan, T.A. 2002; Miller,W.R. 2002; National Institute on Drug Abuse. 1999; Project MATCH Research Group. 1997. Active participation in a support group can contribute to long-term recovery. Project MATCH and other studies in the 1990s definitively ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=889655 Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:35:10 +0100 889655 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=886336&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fmedical-students-knowledge-about-alcohol-and-drug-problems%2F CONCLUSION: Medical students are knowledge-deficient around key learning objectives in addictions. The deficiencies were in areas of basic knowledge that could be learnt with little difficulty. Research report; Kahan M, Midmer D, Wilson L, Borsoi D. Medical students’ knowledge about alcohol and drug problems: results of the medical council of Canada examination. Subst Abus. 2006 Dec;27(4):1-7. Brief-TSF includes training, as well as other matters, in taking an alcohol inventory and knowledge of Alcoholics Anonymous. Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=886336 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:07:40 +0100 886336 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2842803&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbrieftsf.com%2Fgender-differences-in-aa-treatment%2F CONCLUSION: Compared to men, women with alcohol use disorders were more likely to obtain help and achieve remission. Women tended to benefit more from continued participation in AA and showed greater reductions in depression and avoidance coping than men did. These findings identify specific targets for clinical interventions that appear to be especially beneficial for women and that may also enhance the likelihood of recovery among men. Research; Moos RH, Moos BS, Timko C. Gender, treatment and self-help in remission from alcohol use disorders. Clin Med Res. 2006 Sep;4(3):163-74. Untitled Brief-TSF manual US$9.95; Start learning now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Brief-TSF.com by Email (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2842803 Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:22:05 +0100 2842803 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=883791&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fthe-12-steps-promote-acceptance-of-addiction%2F CONCLUSIONS: S/R promotes the use of post-treatment self-regulation skills that, in turn, directly contribute to ongoing 12-step self-help group involvement. Research report; Carrico AW, Gifford EV, Moos RH. Spirituality/religiosity promotes acceptance-based responding and 12-step involvement. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2007 Jun 15;89(1):66-73. Epub 2007 Jan 16. Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spiritualityby Donald Miller Read more about this title… Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=883791 Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:04:52 +0100 883791 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=880272&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2F12-step-groups-reduce-treatment-costs-and-substance-abuse%2F CONCLUSIONS: Promoting self-help group involvement appears to improve posttreatment outcomes while reducing the costs of continuing care. Even cost offsets that somewhat diminish over the long term can yield substantial savings. Actively promoting self-help group involvement may therefore be a useful clinical practice for helping addicted patients recover in a time of constrained fiscal resources. Humphreys K, Moos RH. Encouraging posttreatment self-help group involvement to reduce demand for continuing care services: two-year clinical and utilization outcomes. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2007 Jan;31(1):64-8. Brief-TSF is designed to encourage 12-Step involvement. Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Ste... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=880272 Tue, 18 Sep 2007 11:30:06 +0100 880272 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=868278&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fintake-symptomatology-and-aa-participation%2F Longitudinal model of intake symptomatology, AA participation and outcome: Retrospective study of the project MATCH outpatient and aftercare samples. The present study used data gathered in Project MATCH to longitudinally assess intake symptomatology, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) participation, and outcome. Three primary constructs were considered: intake symptomatology, engagement in prescribed AA-related activities, and functioning after engagement in AA-related behaviors. The participants were 480 outpatient and 434 aftercare clients who participated in Project MATCH. Similar findings were found for each sample. Intake symptomatology positively predicted AA participation during the first 6 months following treatment. AA participation positively predicted frequency of abstinent days in ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=868278 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 12:11:56 +0100 868278 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=862005&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ffamiies-mental-health-alcohol-abuse%2F Multiple psychiatric disorder risk for families with alcohol dependence First-degree relatives of people dependent on alcohol are not only at increased risk of becoming addicted to alcohol and other drugs such as cocaine, but also of developing psychiatric disorders such as depression and panic disorder, study findings indicate. Noting that alcohol dependence tends to aggregate within families, John Nurnberger (Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA) and colleagues analyzed data from the family collection of the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism to assess whether other psychiatric disorders may be also be more common in families with a history of alcoholism. Data were available for 8296 relatives of people with alcohol dependence and 1654 individuals wit... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=862005 Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:56:31 +0100 862005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=848402&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-diversity%2F Variety of AA Groups Reflects a Diverse Fellowship Alcoholics Anonymous is known for the diversity of its membership, with A.A. members from every walk of life sitting side by side in the approximately 60,000 A.A. groups in the United States and Canada. Over the years, though, professionals-doctors, lawyers, airplane pilots, and others-have established a few A.A. groups for those in their field. Given their common concerns and issues, these members have found A.A. meetings with peers useful. Such groups, which are autonomous along with every other A.A. group, are usually found in large metropolitan areas. They function as any other A.A. meeting. Among their other purposes, these groups can allay the fears of new A.A. members who may feel more comfortable in a meeting of their peers. The pr... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=848402 Fri, 07 Sep 2007 09:52:51 +0100 848402 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=845813&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fal-anon-offers-new-life%2F to families of alcoholics Alcoholism touched every aspect of Brenda’s family life. She lost a father to alcoholism, and her brother developed the disease. She also married a problem drinker. They had a large family, and her husband left the job of parenting to her. "I had out-of-control children at home," she says. "There was no structure–no rules, no bedtime schedules. It was just chaos." Brenda tried to structure the household but found that she couldn’t do it alone. Some of her children developed behavior problems at school and eventually abused alcohol themselves. For nearly a decade, Brenda searched for support. She went to parent meetings at school. She went to marriage counseling. She went to churches and Bible study groups. Finally, a therapis... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=845813 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:48:55 +0100 845813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=845814&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fpeers-help-alcoholics-in-many-ways%2F Social network variables in alcoholics anonymous : A literature review Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the most commonly used program for substance abuse recovery and one of the few models to demonstrate positive abstinence outcomes. Although little is known regarding the underlying mechanisms that make this program effective, one frequently cited aspect is social support. In order to gain insight into the processes at work in AA, this paper reviewed 24 papers examining the relationship between AA and social network variables. Various types of social support were included in the review such as structural support, functional support, general support, alcohol-specific support, and recovery helping. Overall, this review found that AA involvement is related to a variety of positive qualitative ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=845814 Thu, 06 Sep 2007 09:44:59 +0100 845814 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=841812&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Falcoholics-can-benefit-from-al-anon%2F Recovering alcoholics can benefit from Al-Anon R.J. has been clean and sober and an active member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 20 years. He lives the Twelve Step program each day, one day at a time. He attends AA meetings faithfully, reads the literature, meditates, and asks his Higher Power for guidance. He has told his story many times and listened with loving acceptance to the stories of others, as AA members are encouraged to do. He thought nothing about addiction could surprise him at this point in his life and recovery. Then he discovered his 20-year old son had a drug and alcohol problem. "I felt so stupid," he said. "I know this stuff, and it never entered my mind that my son was using. He was the good boy, the one who got straight A’s. He knows I’m a reco... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=841812 Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:44:22 +0100 841812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=841813&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fworking-with-twelve-step-approaches%2F Working with Substance Misusers The 12-step programs are discussed. It is noted that 12-step programs consist of a range of self-help groups, which have their origins in the recovery philosophy of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Minnesota Model is an adaptation of the 12-step program that is used in some specialist treatment settings. There is a lack of knowledge and training regarding 12-step methods among professional groups, and misunderstandings are common. The program does offer a resource which is widely available, free, open to anyone, and that provides support at times when other agencies are unavailable. The approach may be a useful alternative or adjunct to other treatments for some clients. Williams, C. Twelve step approaches. In: T. Petersen and A. McBride, Eds., Working with Substan... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=841813 Wed, 05 Sep 2007 09:44:19 +0100 841813 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=838903&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fasking-about-drinking%2F Bringing Up the Touchy Subject of a Patient’s Drinking Broaching the subject of alcohol with a patient or client who shows signs of a drinking problem can be awkward. Drinkers often feel ashamed of their problem, at the same time that they downplay its seriousness. Directly confronting them may do no more than provoke a flat denial. For these reasons professionals very often steer clear of the matter. But to wait for that patient or client to bring up the subject amounts to giving up on the issue, according to some with first-hand experience in the matter. “In 30 years of practice it almost never happens that someone comes in and announces that they have a problem with alcohol,” says Carvel Taylor-Valentine, a licensed clinical social worker. “Patients would rather that their p... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=838903 Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:45:20 +0100 838903 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=837478&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-fact-fike%2F A Few Basic Facts About AA Alcoholics Anonymous is well-known as an organization for people who want to stop drinking. At the same time, there are some points about A.A. that may be unclear to the general public and even to professionals working to help problem drinkers. Founded in the United States in 1935, when one alcoholic discovered he could stay sober by helping another alcoholic, Alcoholics Anonymous now has more than two million members in some 180 countries. Bill W. and Dr Bob - cofounders of AA A.A.’s sole purpose is helping people recover from the disease of alcoholism, and it has no affiliation with any other group or organization. Members anywhere in the world can come together to form an A.A. group, of which there are an estimated 106,000 worldwide. Among other facts ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=837478 Mon, 03 Sep 2007 10:51:31 +0100 837478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=836899&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faas-12-step-recovery-program%2F The AA Recovery Program The relative success of the A.A. program seems to be due to the fact that an alcoholic who no longer drinks has an exceptional faculty for “reaching” and helping an uncontrolled drinker. In simplest form, the A.A. program operates when a recovered alcoholic passes along the story of his or her own problem drinking, describes the sobriety he or she has found in A.A., and invites the newcomer to join the informal Fellowship. The heart of the suggested program of personal recovery is contained in Twelve Steps describing the experience of the earliest members of the Society: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol - that our lives had become unmanageable. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. Made a decision to turn our... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=836899 Sun, 02 Sep 2007 12:59:06 +0100 836899 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=835522&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fwomen-and-the-twelve-steps-of-aa-2%2F Women and the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous: A Gendered Narrative This paper examines how women “work” the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) from a gendered perspective. Feminist critics of AA have challenged the language of AA’s Twelve Steps, the spiritual nature of the steps, and the male-dominated culture of the Twelve-Step program. This paper offers insight into how women in AA approach, interpret, and utilize the Twelve Steps to recover from alcoholism. Through survey and narrative data, findings suggests that women working AA’s Twelve Steps become empowered and change for the better in spite of the male-dominated culture and language of the Twelve Steps and regardless of the difficulty they may have encountered in completing these steps. In particul... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=835522 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 13:33:53 +0100 835522 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=822744&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Frisk-factors-for-non-remission-of-alcoholism%2F This study identified risk factors for 1-year and 8-year non-remission among initially untreated individuals with alcohol use disorders and examined whether a longer duration of professional treatment or Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) increased the likelihood of remission, moderated the influence of risk factors on remission status and reduced modifiable risk factors. A sample of individuals with alcohol use disorders (N=473) was recruited at alcoholism information and referral centers and detoxification units and was surveyed at baseline and 1 year, 3 years and 8 years later. At each contact, participants completed an inventory that assessed their alcohol-related problems and personal characteristics and their participation in treatment and AA since the last assessment. An 11-item baseline ris... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=822744 Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:37:25 +0100 822744 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=822022&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Ftwelve-step-programs%2F This article examines the history of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), the goals of the 12 steps, research on AA, and common issues reported by clients about this approach and offers suggestions for addressing these issues. AA was developed by two severe alcoholics in the 1930s in an effort to provide holistic treatment of addictive disorders. Twelve-step programs and the related disease concept of addiction have heavily influenced inpatient and outpatient treatment. The 12-step approach emphasizes a comprehensive approach for the disease of addiction, addressing mental, physical, and spiritual components, and participation in each other’s treatment is critical to sustained sobriety. With intensive work in the program, the 12-step approach offers management of the addictive behavior as well... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=822022 Sat, 25 Aug 2007 12:21:55 +0100 822022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=819588&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fdropout-from-12-step-self-help-groups%2F : Prevalence, predictors, and counteracting treatment influences The prevalence, predictors, and treatment-related factors affecting dropout from 12-step self-help groups in the first year following professional substance abuse treatment were assessed in 2,778 male patients. The patients were asked to complete an inventory at baseline, at discharge, and 1 year after discharge. Attendance at 12-step groups either in the 90 days before treatment or during treatment was reported by 91% (2,518). Forty percent had dropped out at the 1-year follow-up. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of having used substances by the time of the 1-year follow-up were almost three times higher for those who had dropped out of 12-step self-help groups than for those who had continued attendance... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=819588 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:14:01 +0100 819588 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=819589&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Freferral-to-12-step-groups%2F Conclusions; The intensive referral intervention was associated with improved 12-step group attendance and involvement and substance use outcomes. To most benefit patients, SUD treatment providers should focus 12-step referral procedures on encouraging broad 12-step group involvement, such as reading 12-step literature, doing service at meetings, and gaining self-identity as a SHG member. Christine Timko and Anna DeBenedetti. A randomized controlled trial of intensive referral to 12-step self-help groups: One-year outcomes. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, Volume 90, Issues 2-3, 8 October 2007, Pages 270-279 Brief-TSF trains healthcare workers to maximize these procedures. Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source:... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=819589 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 11:15:57 +0100 819589 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=819590&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-and-recovery-from-alcoholism%2F Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) The recovery from alcoholism: Twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA is a self-help, volunteer organization begun in the mid-1930s that views alcoholism as a disease, not a defect of will. Its founders, themselves alcoholics, maintained that persons with the disease should completely stop drinking, but they did not concern those who could handle alcohol. This position contrasted with the premises of most temperance advocates, who saw drinking as a moral choice and opposed any alcohol use by anyone. The Twelve Steps embody the wisdom of the founders of AA about pursuing ongoing recovery from alcoholism. The procedure they describe has evolved into one of the most successful programs for helping alcoholics. Many drug treatment programs also have based themselves o... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=819590 Fri, 24 Aug 2007 10:51:30 +0100 819590 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=817665&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fdepression-12-step-programs%2F This study examined the influence of comorbid MDD among patients with SUDs on 12-Step self-help group involvement and its relation to treatment outcome. A total of 2,161 male patients were recruited during inpatient SUD treatment, 110 of whom had a comorbid MDD diagnosis (SUD-MDD) and 2,051 without psychiatric comorbidity (SUD-only). A quasi-experimental, prospective, intact group design was used with assessments completed during treatment, and 1 and 2 years postdischarge. SUD-MDD patients were initially less socially involved in and derived progressively less benefit from 12-Step groups over time compared to the SUD-only group. However, substance use outcomes did not differ by diagnostic cohort. In contrast, despite using substantially more professional outpatient services, the SUDD-MDD c... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=817665 Thu, 23 Aug 2007 12:03:29 +0100 817665 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=815248&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-12-step-treatment%2F AA and 12 step alcoholism treatment programs The author of this report notes that AA self-help groups are the most commonly accessed component of treatment for alcoholism and alcohol-related problems. Additionally, the concepts and approaches of AA have significantly influenced other twelve-step programs in professional treatment. Research has indicated that participation in AA or other 12-step programs results in reductions in substance abuse and also in psychiatric problems, reducing health care costs over time. Section headings in this book chapter include: nature and prevalence of AA; nature and prevalence of 12-step treatment programs; evaluations of community-based AA groups; evaluation research on 12-step oriented professional treatment programs potential future research directio... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=815248 Wed, 22 Aug 2007 12:02:51 +0100 815248 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=814280&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fagent-of-change%2F Brief-TSF Agent of Change The facilitator in the Brief-TSF treatment model is more truly a facilitator of change than an agent of change. The true agent of change (to sustained sobriety) lies in active participation in AA along with the principles set forth in the 12 steps and 12 traditions that guide this fellowship. This is truly adjunctive therapy. Subscribe to updates by RSS feed Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Mastercard Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com) Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=814280 Tue, 21 Aug 2007 14:00:35 +0100 814280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=809664&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Frecovery-through-the-twelve-steps%2F Principles of the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous Sgt. Bill S., used a one word summary to describe the basic principle (as he saw it) behind each of the 12 Steps, when he was giving talks to military personnel about alcoholism at Lackland in San Antonio, Texas, during the 1950’s and later on in California. In the following, quoted from Sgt. Bill S., ‘On the Military Firing Line in the Alcoholism Treatment Program’, Chapter 18, "Recovery through the Twelve Steps" The twelve steps lead people through a necessary therapeutic sequence involving; insight, surrender, positive goals, introspection, confession, submission humility, amendment, restitution, reorganization, spirituality, and love The 12-Steps and principles are therefore; INSIGHT: We admitted we were ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=809664 Mon, 20 Aug 2007 13:17:30 +0100 809664 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=806612&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Faa-utilization%2F After Introduction in Outpatient Treatment. Abstract; Treatment for alcohol dependence is often provided in outpatient settings, and often includes introduction to the 12-Step fellowship Alcoholics Anonymous (AA). Relatively little is known about subsequent AA utilization. Analyses of survey data collected from 72 clients of an outpatient treatment center introduced to AA revealed that, 6 months following intake, a large portion of the responding sample of 55 were still attending AA meetings. Principal components analysis of self-reports of the frequencies of 12 AA-related behaviors found three dimensions of AA utilization: fellowship or social involvement, meeting attendance and participation, and involvement in bureaucratic functioning and meeting production. Results suggest it is imp... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=806612 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 11:30:17 +0100 806612 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=804463&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fattitudes-and-beliefs-about-12-step-groups%2F This study surveyed clients (N = 101) and clinicians (N = 102) in outpatient treatment programs to examine 12-step-related attitudes and to identify potential obstacles to participation. Data collection was conducted between May 2001 and January 2002 in New York City. Both client and clinician samples were primarily African-American and Hispanic; 32% of clients reported substance use in the previous month, with crack and marijuana cited most frequently as the primary drug problem. On average, clinicians had worked in the treatment field for 8 years. Both staff and clients viewed 12-step groups as a helpful recovery resource. Major obstacles to participation centered on motivation and readiness for change and on perceived need for help, rather than on aspects of the 12-step program often ... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=804463 Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:28:09 +0100 804463 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=800116&cid=t_363022_151_f&fid=35805&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftwelvestepfacilitation.com%2Fwhat-about-this-spiritual-awakening-thing%2F The phrase “spiritual awakening,” found in the Twelfth Step and throughout A.A. literature, remains daunting to many beginners. For some, it conjures up a dramatic “conversion” experience - not an appealing idea to an alcoholic just coming off a drunk. To others, beaten down by years of steady drinking, it seems completely out of reach. But for those who persevere, ongoing sobriety almost invariably brings the realization that - in some wonderful and unexpected way - they have indeed experienced a spiritual change. Spirituality, A.A. style, is the result of action. Step Twelve begins, “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these Steps. . .” (italics added), and in the book Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions (page 106), Bill W. describes what happens: “Maybe there... Twelve Step Facilitation.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=800116 Wed, 15 Aug 2007 04:49:42 +0100 800116