MedWorm Tags: alcoholism recovery

It Works If You Work It

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 15:16:00 +0100

In shame and despair, I went to my first A.A. meeting. By some minor miracle, I was able to suspend opinion, analysis, judgment, and criticism, and instead to listen and hear. I heard someone say that A.A. works for those who work for it, those who put ACTION into the program. For me, at the time, action consisted of simply showing up at an A.A. meeting and following the suggestions I heard….The first step in the process of ‘coming to believe’ had been taken. AA Came to Believe, page 42 - :Action and PatienceTHE AA TOOLS OF RECOVERYSPIRITUAL AWAKENINGRelapse PreventionAl-Anon 12-Step Recovery Program (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

First 3 steps of AA define the problem & solution

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:02:47 +0100

Image via Wikipedia In 1934, Bill W., cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous, got a call from a former drinking buddy, Ebby T. "Rumor had it that he’d been committed for alcoholic insanity," Bill recalled. "I wondered how he had escaped." In reality, Ebby was two months sober. This disappointed Bill, who wanted to recapture the spirit of their earlier drinking escapades. When Ebby came to visit, Bill pushed a drink across the table. Ebby refused it. "The door opened, and he stood there, fresh-skinned and glowing," Bill recalled. "He was inexplicably different. What had happened?" The answer to that question eventually brought Bill to sobriety, and to the Twelve Steps of AA. Before Bill could formulate the Twelve Steps of AA, he had to make two disco...

Are You A Recovering Alcoholic?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:54:00 +0100

20 Questions; Are You A Recovering Alcoholic?To find out, ask yourself the following questions, and answer them as honestly as you can.Do you find more time for work these days?Has your home life become happier?Do you find that you are less shy with other people?Is the fact that you are not now drinking affecting your reputation positively?Are you waking up in the morning without guilt and remorse?Are your financial difficulties becoming easier to manage?Do you turn to sober companions and a superior environment?Are you now more concerned with your family’s welfare?Has your ambition increased?Do you have a craving to pray and meditate at a definite time daily?Do you feel gratitude when you wake up in the morning?Do you sleep better?Is your efficiency increasing?Is not-drinking affect...

Resolve To Be Thyself

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:21:00 +0100

Resolve to be thyself; and know that who finds himself, loses his misery.–Matthew ArnoldIn recovery from alcoholism, addiction and ACOA our need for approval compels us to try to look good – no matter what’s going on. We imagine that somehow everything will be okay as long as it looks okay. Our hearts may be breaking from fear, disillusionment, and rejection, real or imagined, but we keep smiling so that no one will guess. Why do we do this to ourselves? Is it so hard to turn to a friend and say, “Hey, I’m hurting. I’ve been having a bad time and I need help”? Would the earth tremble if we said it right out, just like that?We’re not likely to get what we don’t ask for. Instead of denying that our knees are shaking, our hands are sweat...

Your First AA Meeting

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 16:25:00 +0100

Practically nobody looks forward to going to their first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.In most cases this is an occasion of extreme shame, dread and despair. The majority of individuals going to AA for the first time are doing so reluctantly, either because they have promised someone else to go or because they have been directed to attend by a judge, an employer, a therapist or an addictions treatment program.Even first timers who "go on their own" are usually in an intensely ambivalent and negative state. Nobody wishes to need the help that is provided by AA, and as a result virtually everyone attending their first meeting wishes that they were someplace else doing something else.It is an act of great courage to walk into an AA meeting for the first time. Many people with severe ...

Harm Reduction and the 12 Steps

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:00:00 +0100

Conclusion: Complementary conceptualizations of harm reduction and 12-step approaches have the potential to broaden the range of options available to people experiencing substance use problems.Posted online on March 11, 2011. (doi:10.3109/10826084.2010.548435) Heather Sophia Lee, Malitta Engstrom, and Scott R. PetersenRelated articlesAA & 12-Step Treatment (twelvestepfacilitation.com)12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative (recoveryissexy.com)Women & the 12 Steps of AA (recoveryissexy.com)The 12 Steps and Catholicism (recoveryissexy.com)Alcohol Use and Unsafe Sex by People with HIV (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com)

Avoiding Relapse

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:31:00 +0100

In some ways, the hardest part of establishing and maintaining long-term recovery from alcoholism or addiction comes when the initial, intensive part of treatment has been completed.To avoid relapse, most recovering people need to be in the warm embrace of loved ones – whether their close, biological family or the new "family" of other recovered people that they can turn to when they feel in danger of relapse.One study identified the five factors that most often contribute to relapse:inability to manage stress or negative emotional statesinterpersonal conflicts with family or othersfailing to stick to the recommendations of doctors and counselorsnegative thinkinglow motivation to changeThese are discussed in the HBO Avoiding Relapse VideoRelated articlesStress Affects Relap...

Last Call for Alcoholism Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 16:36:00 +0100

A recovery book Last Call is the first book, outside of Alcoholics Anonymous’ own publications, to offer an insider’s perspective on how and why AA is the most effective alcoholism treatment program in the world.Using powerful first-person narratives — composites of many individual experiences with the disease and recovery — Hedblom demystifies the meetings, the twelve steps, the Promises, and the sponsors"I knew about drunk, but did not know anything about living sober. I hadn’t really been sober for fifteen years. It wasn’t enough that I stopped drinking. I had to learn how to live."The journey from alcoholic insanity to sobriety — and the pivotal role of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in navigating that transition — is the focus of...

Abraham Lincoln’s Temperance Speech

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 15:58:00 +0100

Image via WikipediaAA adapted some of it’s principles from the Washingtonian SocietyAt the height of its popularity, the Washingtonian Society attracted the attention of many prominent people, not the least of whom was Abraham Lincoln, whose speech delivered to the Springfield Washingtonian Temperance Society in February 1842 has become a classic.He began by praising the society’s success, comparing it to advocates of other approaches who “have no sympathy of feeling or interest with those very persons whom it is their object to convince and persuade.“But when one who has long been known as the victim of intemperance bursts the fetters that have bound him and appears before his neighbors ‘clothed in his right mind,’ a redeemed specimen of long lost humanity, and stands up w...

Helping Others Helps Alcoholics

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:38:00 +0100

Stay on the Road to RecoveryResearcher Pagano Reports Findings in Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, Says Other Chronically Ill Patients May Benefit Too Participating in community service activities and helping others is not just good for the soul; it has a healing effect that helps alcoholics and other addicts become and stay sober.In a review article published in the Volume 29 issue of Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, Maria E. Pagano, PhD, sheds light on the role of helping in addiction recovery, using the program of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a prime example. She cites a growing body of research as supporting evidence.“The research indicates that getting active in service helps alcoholics and other addicts become sober and stay sober, and suggests this approach is applicable to al...

Doctor Bob’s Relief from Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:34:26 +0100

"It is a most wonderful blessing to be relieved of the terrible curse with which I was afflicted. My health is good and I have regained my self-respect and the respect of my colleagues. My home life is ideal and my business is as good as can be expected in these uncertain times."Dr Bob, cofounder of Alcoholics AnonymousFrom the book; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 180. Fourth Edition Alcoholics Anonymous – Big Book 4th EditionA Certain Kind of Faith (recoveryissexy.com)Dr. Bob’s Way coming to Akron (recoveryissexy.com)Abstinence rates in AA (twelvestepfacilitation.com) Share, print or e-mail this articleWhat is Alcoholics Anonymous?The Spirituality of ImperfectionAA Takes it’s First StepsDoctor Bob’s Relief from AlcoholismSister Ignatia – The D...

Alcoholic Brain Shrinkage

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:06:44 +0100

Image via WikipediaImaging and Alcoholism: A Window on the BrainThe processes that initiate and maintain alcoholism are regulated by interactions among nerve cells (i.e., neurons) in the brain. These mechanisms interact with emotional, thinking, and social factors to determine an individual’s response to alcohol consumption.Imaging techniques allow scientists to study the link between brain and behavior with minimal risk to the patient. Using imaging, scientists can watch the brain in action as a person performs intellectual tasks, reacts to the environment, or experiences emotions. Data obtained before, during, and after a person has consumed alcohol can be compared and analyzed. Imaging offers the promise of integrating biomedical, psychosocial, and behavioral aspects of alcoholism...

Getting Active in AA

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:07:23 +0100

This is an extract from the book ‘Living Sober’ by Alcoholics Anonymous.It is very hard just to sit still trying not to do a certain thing, or not even to think about it. It’s much easier to get active and do something else-other than the act we’re trying to avoid.So it is with drinking. Simply trying to avoid a drink (or not think of one), all by itself, doesn’t seem to be enough. The more we think about the drink we’re trying to keep away from, the more it occupies our mind, of course. And that’s no good. It’s better to get busy with something, almost anything, that will use our mind and channel our energy toward health.Thousands of us wondered what we would do, once we stopped drinking, with all that time on our hands. Sure enough, when we did stop, all those hours we ha...

Survey finds that many recover from alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 14:07:22 +0100

More than one-third (35.9 percent) of U.S. adults with alcohol dependence (alcoholism) that began more than one year ago are now in full recovery, according to an article in the current issue of Addiction. The fully recovered individuals show symptoms of neither alcohol dependence nor alcohol abuse and either abstain or drink at levels below those known to increase relapse risk. They include roughly equal proportions ofabstainers (18.2 percent) andlow-risk drinkers (17.7 percent).The analysis is based on data from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).One-quarter (25.0 percent) of individuals with alcohol dependence that began more than one year ago now are dependent,27.3 percent are in partial remission (that is, exhibit some ...

The Nature of Spirituality in Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 15:19:00 +0100

Stories of Spiritual Awakening; The Nature of Spirituality in RecoveryAddiction to substances is considered a medical disease, characterized by the continued use of substances despite significant substance-related problems.The heavy use of substances is often related to, and precipitated by, the individual’s need to improve intolerable emotional states.The utility of drugs for making the individual “feel better” or “feel normal” can lead to regular use. In some cases, regular users become addicted to drug use, a transition that is the result of complex interactions of biological, psychological, and cultural factors.Addiction can lead to the loss of family, friends, work, and home. It is often associated with the development of a set of behaviors and thought patterns that enable t...

Elements of Effective Alcohol Treatment for Adolescents

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 01:55:07 +0100

Nine Elements of Effective Alcohol Treatment for AdolescentsIn evaluating a broad spectrum of treatment programs and approaches, researchers have identified common themes among the treatments that are most effective in helping teens. Drug Strategies, a Washington-based nonprofit research institute that promotes more effective approaches to the nationâ€™s drug problems, found these key elements in an extensive review.http://www.ensuringsolutions.org/resources/resources_show.htm?doc_id=336617&cat_id=989PublisherEnsuring Solutions to Alcohol ProblemsGeorge Washington University Medical CenterWebsite: http://www.ensuringsolutions.org/Random ArticlesCost-Effectiveness of Home Visits for AlcoholismStricter Sobriety Standards for California Health ProfessionalsSPIRITUALITY AND HEALTHAlco...

Passages Through Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:32:00 +0100

A Recovery Book "Abstinence from alcohol and other drugs is only the beginning of sobriety. It’s the ticket to get into the theater, not the movie we are going to see." — Passages Through Recovery One of the most important things we learn in recovery is that there really is a way out of all the misery–if we know which way to go. But abstinence from alcohol and other drugs is just the beginning of our journey, not our destination. And, that journey can be a rough one if we don’t know what lies ahead. Based on the experiences of thousands of recovering men and women, Passages Through Recovery presents an action plan for preventing relapse, on what can help us understand how recovery works and what is needed to move from active...

Sexual Functions in Alcoholic Men

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 15:59:41 +0100

Image via Wikipedia Evaluation of Sexual Functions in Turkish Alcohol-Dependent Males Male alcoholics and men in recovery may suffer the effects of drinking and smoking. A study in 2008 was conducted to evaluate sexual functions of alcoholic men. The study found that; 47% of alcohol-dependent men had their first sexual experience before they were 18 years old, 64.4% had multiple partners, 1.7% experienced a sexually transmitted disease, 7.7% had a chronic disease, and 18.3% had pain during intercourse. 70.3% of participants had a mild erectile dysfunction, and 4.4% had a moderate erectile dysfunction. Predictors of erectile dysfunction in chronic alcohol dependent male were determined as; age of subject, age of onset for alcohol use, duration of alcoholism, and cigarette ...

Recovery Sex

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 14:37:15 +0100

The "Good-Enough Sex" model for couple sexual satisfaction From AA; "Then we have the voices who cry for sex and more sex; who bewail the institution of marriage; who think that most of the troubles of the race are traceable to sex causes. They think we do not have enough of it, or that it isn’t the right kind. They see its significance everywhere. One school would allow man or woman no flavour for their fare and the other would have us all on a straight pepper diet. We want to stay out of this controversy. We do not want to be the arbiter of anyone’s sex conduct. We all have sex problems. We’d hardly be human if we didn’t. What can we do about them? Whatever our ideal turns out to be, we must be willing to grow toward it. Alcoholics Anonymous, p...

Online Community for People in Recovery

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:53:00 +0100

Hazelden: New ‘Sober24′ Online Community for People in Recovery. See full details at Recovery Is Sexy See also A Gentle Path Through the Twelve Steps Understanding Co-Dependency Compulsive Overeater – A Recovery Book - AA and Professional Treatment (Source: Twelve Step Facilitation.com)

Deaf and Hard of Hearing Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:51:00 +0100

Image via Wikipedia Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alcoholics Anonymous 12 Steps Recovery Resources This website has many resources for alcoholics with hearing problems. Click on links below; Links To World Wide Resources For Family & Friends Of Alcoholics Alcoholics Anonymous in American Sign Language (ASL) – 5 volume set 1/2″ – VHS (Note: Only the first 164 pages is available in ASL) Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions in American Sign Language (ASL) – 5 volume set 1/2″-VHS Home page; http://www.dhh12s.com/ - Share, print or e-mail this articleDeaf and Hard of Hearing RecoveryAA & Professional Workers (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

The 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:51:37 +0100

The Three Legacies of AA are: recovery, unity and service. The suggestions for recovery are the Twelve Steps; The suggestions for achieving unity are the Twelve Traditions; The suggestions for service are described in Twelve Concepts for World Service, The AA Service Manual and Alcoholics Anonymous Comes of Age. The relative success of the AA 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 AA 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 AA, and invites people who are new to AA to join the informal Fellowship. The heart of the suggested program of ...

Stress Reduction

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:07:00 +0100

De-stress in 10 Minutes or Less I have used this technique successfully for mild to moderate stress reduction in alcoholism recovery. When stress or anxiety has you feeling tied up in knots, jittery or unable to fall asleep, you can lower your mental tension by using a physical technique-progressive muscle relaxation. This method enables you to lower your body’s stress response and calm your spirits by identifying and releasing tension in your muscles. You can practice progressive muscle relaxation in any quiet space. Sit or lie down (on your back or side) in a comfortable position. But, be warned—if you do progressive muscle relaxation exercises in bed, you may fall asleep before finishing a full cycle! Take off your shoes before beginning. Loosen tight clothing. To use this techn...

Foreplay Before Play

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 17:27:00 +0100

This article discusses an important part of loving your partner. Great sex isn’t just penetration – the build-up is a very important part. In fact most women can’t reach orgasm without it. Foreplay makes the whole thing last much longer and, to be frank, is really rather good. If just the thought of sex is enough to get you raring, slow down a bit – your partner may want to take a little more time. Women generally take longer to become sexually aroused than men; the fire needs to be stoked. Try and keep foreplay going until you both just can’t wait for penetration. Foreplay will increase the chances of orgasm for women and will produce a more intense one for men – so there’s no reason not to do it really, is there? Those erogenous zones are there for a reas...

Recovery Sex

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:38:00 +0100

Does Your Alcoholic Spouse Create Opportunities To Drink?

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:45:44 +0100

Does your alcoholic spouse create opportunities to drink? If you are living with an alcoholic husband, you are well aware of the many excuses he has to drink alcohol. He isn’t fooling anybody, except himself. As a psychiatrist, I hear a lot of complaints from spouses of alcoholics like, “Every time I turn around, he’s drinking”. Many alcoholics hide their drinking, but there are so many “acceptable” reasons in our society for drinking alcohol, it is hardly necessary. Here are 9 typical examples of your alcoholic husband creating opportunities to drink even more (and may be why he is in this “pickle” in the first place): Business dinners (this is a very common excuse) Going to parties Holidays Watching sports (football) Traveling Unwind with...

Alcoholic Spouse? The Epiphany for Sobriety

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:04:40 +0100

Do you have an alcoholic spouse? If you are living with an alcoholic, you are aware of how much denial your alcoholic spouse is in about their disease. No matter how often you bring up their drinking problem, they continue on the same self destructive path. Their choices around drinking are completely irrational. This is called “addiction”. Denial is a major part of the illness. The alcohol dependent brain of your alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife “drives” them to drink to combat alcohol cravings and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. Often an alcoholic spouse will stop drinking alcohol when there is an “event” or epiphany that stops “them” in their tracks. Here are 4 examples of triggers that break through denial: An arrest for a DWI with a ...

3 Changes To Expect With Your Alcoholic Spouse’s Sobriety

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:37:39 +0100

Has your alcoholic spouse only been clean and sober for a few weeks or several months? Are you wondering what you can expect early on in their sobriety? Your alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife is going through major changes with their alcoholism recovery which can be difficult on the family. If you can adjust your expectations, you will not feel as frustrated than if you are expecting everything to improve. Here are 3 changes to expect the first few months of your alcoholic spouse becoming clean and sober: Your alcoholic husband or wife may be irritable and even depressed and anxious off alcohol. There is no alcohol to numb the uncomfortable feelings that drove them to drink in the first place. They are more focused on alcoholism recovery than on repairing the marriage. 12 step program...

Alcoholism Recovery Kidnapping Your Alcoholic Spouse?

Alcoholic Spouse Advanced Help — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:28:46 +0100

Has your alcoholic spouse recently quit drinking alcohol? You have waited so so long for this…. You thought you would get your alcoholic husband or alcoholic wife back, but your partner still seems out of your reach. Does it feel like your alcoholic spouse is now obsessed with their alcoholism recovery instead of alcohol? Does it feel like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has kidnapped your spouse because they are at AA meetings instead of with you? This is very common at the beginning of sobriety. Here are 4 reasons explaining what is going on with your recovering spouse since they quit drinking alcohol: Your alcoholic spouse has been spending their time drinking, thinking about drinking, in pursuit of drinking, and suffering the consequences of drinking. Alcoholism recovery (sobriety) ...

Review of the book ’Alcoholics Anonymous’

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:13:00 +0100

From; The NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE, Vol. 221(15), October 12, 1939. ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS: The story of how more than one hundred men have recovered from alcoholism. 400 pp. New York Works Publishing Co., 1939, $3.50. The psychological aspect of alcoholism taxes the entire skill and intuition of the therapist, and the authors of this book claim that in the long run the ex-alcoholic patient who is properly trained in psychological method is an extremely effective person to bring about the cure of the neurotic alcoholic individual. The first part of the book discusses methods, with particular stress on twelve steps in the recovery program. This program includes the general principles of psychotherapy found in such books as those by Durfee and Peabody. There is, however, an essentially ...

Humbly asked Him to Remove our Shortcomings.

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:19:00 +0100

Step seven of the 12 Step recovery program. "Since this Step so specifically concerns itself with humility, we should pause here to consider what humility is and what the practice of it can mean to us. "Indeed, the attainment of greater humility is the foundation principle of each of A.A.’s Twelve Steps. For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all. Nearly all A.A.’s have found, too, that unless they develop much more of this precious quality than may be required just for sobriety, they still haven’t much chance of becoming truly happy. Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency." Alcoholics Anonymous book; Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 70 See al...

Alcoholics Anonymous and Church Involvement

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:55:00 +0100

This study examines the impact of spirituality and religiousness, and involvement in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) on sobriety among three ethnic groups, African Americans, Caucasians, and Hispanics. Participants (African Americans: n = 253; Hispanics: n = 60, and Caucasians: n = 538) completed survey questionnaires upon entry into public, private, and health maintenance treatment programs. Results indicated that among the three groups, African Americans, who described themselves as more religious, were less likely to substitute church attendance for participation in Alcoholics Anonymous. African Americans reporting high AA attendance at the end of one year, in addition to church attendance, were more likely to report sobriety over the past 30 days than were those African Americans reportin...

Alcoholics have Tried Every Remedy

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 22:33:00 +0100

"We are like men who have lost their legs; they never grow new ones. Neither does there appear to be any kind of treatment which will make alcoholics of our kind like other men. We have tried every imaginable remedy. In some instances there has been brief recovery, followed by a still worse relapse. Physicians who are familiar with alcoholism agree there is no such thing as making a normal drinker out of an alcoholic. Science may yet one day accomplish this, but it hasn’t done so yet." From the chapter "More About Alcoholism" (c) Alcoholics Anonymous Fourth Edition 2001, pgs. 30-31 See also; 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative AA Offers Recovery Not Religion Addictive Thinking – A recovery book - Share, print or e-mail this article (Source:...

AA in Israel

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:53:00 +0100

There are now dozens of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings throughout Israel According to Sy Greenfeld, the first group of Alcoholics Anonymous in Israel was started in 1976 in Tel Aviv by several immigrants from South Africa along with personnel from the United Nations. It was an English-speaking group. For Hebrew-speaking alcoholics in Israel, he says, "there was nothing-no literature, no translations, no other professional help." Greenfeld says that alcoholics were routinely placed in psychiatric hospitals. "There was no other help for them," he explains. Greenfeld joined the Tel Aviv AA group in 1977 and then started a group in the Haifa area with three other people. "Alcoholism hits everyone," Greenfeld said. "Men, women, religious, non-religious, eve...

AA Takes it’s First Steps

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:24:00 +0100

80 Days That Changed The World – from Time Magazine Events and people who "left the vivid air signed with their honor." June 10, 1935 Bill W. and Dr Bob. Bill Wilson, a stockbroker and a drunk from Brooklyn, N.Y., thought he had found the secret of kicking the bottle. But on a business trip to Akron, Ohio, in May he found himself outside a bar, tempted and desperate. In the past, he had fought the urge by talking to other alcoholics, who truly understood his struggle. Through a church group, he found local surgeon Robert Holbrook Smith. Dr. Bob and Bill W., as Alcoholics Anonymous members know them, promised to keep each other sober, following Bill W.’s strategy: a simple set of principles—later refined into 12 steps—that would become the foundation of America’s self-...

AA and Al-anon Comics

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:47:00 +0100

The AA and Al-anon comic books illustrate the process to alcoholism and recovery. Ethan Persoff provides a complete set of the 1968-1974 Al-anon and Alcoholics Anonymous comic strips now available at this website. See also; Tools of Recovery 12 Step Sponsor - - Share, print or e-mail this article Recovery Books, Medallions & DVD's (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Attitudes

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:16:01 +0100

Attitude A common phrase in Alcoholics Anonymous is ‘AA means altering attitudes’. Recovery for all people in 12 Step Fellowships entails the alteration of attitudes. “I am convinced that attitude is the key to success or failure in almost any of life’s endeavours. Your attitude – your perspective, your outlook, how you feel about yourself, how you feel about other people – determines your priorities, your actions, your values. Your attitude determines how you interact with other people and how you interact with yourself.” – Carolyn Warner - The greatest change that I experienced in recovery is my attitudes to many of life’s situations. One of the best books I read and reread in early sobriety was Sobriety and Beyond. I get it out about once a year and...

A Gentle Path Through the Twelve Steps

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 17:42:00 +0100

A Recovery Book – Revised Edition. Pat Carnes offers us exercises, inventories, and guided reflections for those of us facing the daily challenges of attaining or maintaining an alcoholism or addiction-free lifestyle. This revised edition of A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps is a treasure chest, a rich and powerful resource for anyone working a twelve-step program. Carnes is a gifted teacher and leader in the addiction recovery field. Wendy Maltz, M.S.W., Sexual Healing Journey This unique, non-threatening workbook emphasizes common themes at the heart of all Twelve Step fellowships…an especially clear explanation of what "working the program" means. Claudia Black, Ph.D., It Will Happen to Me The revised A Gentle Path through the Twelve Steps ge...

Is Diet Cola Bad for Alcoholics, Addicts?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:05:59 +0100

Conclusion There seems to be a small proportion of people who are sensitive and have side effects from drinking diet colas and eating foods with the sweetener aspartame. Two groups of people who may be sensitive to aspartame, and ethanol in particular, are alcoholics and drug addicts. Indeed anyone who has abused any drug or medication. For these people will have damaged their bodies and especially the liver and kidneys. Some alcoholics / addicts may also have PKU or an inherited sensitivity to phenylalanine. The Cure? The absolute cure is abstinence from all artificial sweeteners. Now this may be hard as most prepared foods contain some artificial sweeteners. You will need to find your own safe level. Detoxification When you stop using aspartame you may experience some acute withdr...

Predictors of Relapse in Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 18:59:45 +0100

Predictors of relapse in 300 Brazilian alcoholic patients: a 6-month follow-up study. Three hundred alcoholic patients were interviewed at hospitalisation and again 3 and 6 months thereafter in Porto Alegre, Brazil. Assessment included mental disorders, a questionnaire focusing on patient relationship with Alcoholics Anonymous groups, and questions about participation in psychotherapy. An analysis was performed to determine predictive variables for relapse or abstinence 6 months after discharge. Findings; Relapse Previous treatment for alcohol dependence and being single proved to be associated with relapse, Abstinence adherence to AA program and meeting attendance, the presence of a comorbid depressive disorder, and probably adherence to psychotherapy could be associated with a...

Recovering People Working in the Recovery Field

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 09:44:30 +0100

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...

Mutual-help Helps

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:03:00 +0100

CONCLUSIONS: Use of mutual-help groups following intensive outpatient SUD treatment appears to be beneficial for many different types of patients and even modest levels of participation may be helpful. Research by Kelly JF, Stout R, Zywiak W, Schneider R. A 3-year study of addiction mutual-help group participation following intensive outpatient treatment. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2006 Aug;30(8):1381-92. Brief-TSF is designed to engage alcoholics in supportive therapy while attending Alcoholics Anonymous. 12 Step Sponsor 12-Step Treatment More Effective than Alternative Alcoholics Anonymous – the Big Book – an Audible MP3 book My First Year in Recovery Recovery Books, Medallions & DVD's (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

5 Friendship Themes from Sex and the City

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 08:06:00 +0100

Friends as Family. Members of 12 Step Fellowships such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-anon and Adult Children of Alcoholics will recognise these themes as being part and parcel of everyday life in recovery. These themes may also be familiar to one of the stars, Kirsten Davis, who is in recovery from alcoholism. An Indiana University press release says; Remember The Breakfast Club and Pretty in Pink? These films illustrate what Maresa Murray calls the "friends as family" concept. Today, television viewers see a myriad of shows with similar themes. Think Sex and the City, Entourage, Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle. "We are currently seeing some of the same themes from 20-25 years ago in families, relationships and media," says Murray. "One ex...

AA UK Web Portal

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 17:56:01 +0100

This Web Site is created and maintained by The General Service Board of Alcoholics Anonymous (Great Britain) Ltd., through The General Service Office of Great Britain. The General Service Office is the national office serving A.A. in the United Kingdom and English speaking meetings in continental Europe. Go to; AA UK Web Portal Sections include; Problems with drinking? General Information Media Information Professional Information Members Area Meetings Lists in UK & English Speaking European Meetings Alcoholics Anonymous (The Big Book online) Region & Local Websites National UK Helpline: 0845 769 7555. Calls charged at local rate See also; 12th Step Works Are Families Affected by Alcoholism? Effects of Gambling Addiction Physical effects of alcohol on women Science of Addiction ...

Abstinence Solves Thinking Problems

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 04:53:10 +0100

Abstinence Resolves Most Brain Cognitive Problems Caused by Drinking A study of alcoholics who have abstained from drinking for between six months and 13 years concludes that sobriety can counteract most of the brain and thinking damage caused by heavy drinking, News Today reported Aug. 29. Researchers looked at a wide range of problem areas for alcoholics, including abstraction/cognitive flexibility, attention, auditory working memory, immediate memory, delayed memory, psychomotor function, reaction time, spatial processing, and verbal skills. They found that all but spatial processing recovered with sustained sobriety, noting that even alcoholics in long-term recovery may have lingering problems with tasks like map-reading or assembling things. “Alcoholics may have periods o...

A Skeptic’s Guide to AA

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 17:44:00 +0100

Undrunk; A Skeptics Guide to AA – A Recovery Book In this unprecedented book, A.J. Adams uses self-deprecating humor, entertaining anecdotes, and frank descriptions to introduce readers to the complete Alcoholics Anonymous ‘undrunk’ lifestyle. Beginning with the story of his first AA meeting, he takes the mystery out what goes on behind closed doors, in order to encourage addicts who are reluctant to get help walk through them. "My eyes wandered around the room, taking in the strange collection of humanity seeking to claim me as a fellow sufferer. If variety is the spice of life, this crowd was the jambalaya of affliction." Adams addresses the journey through detox and treatment, offering his own struggle of coming to terms with his alcoholism. He then presents ...

As A Man Thinketh; Free e-Book

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 15:50:01 +0100

Early and current old time members of Alcoholics Anonymous read and recommended this little book. Its brilliant – I wish I had read it early in recovery myself. This little volume (the result of meditation and experience is not intended as an exhaustive treatise on the much-written-upon subject of the power of thought. It is suggestive rather than explanatory, its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that– “They themselves are makers of themselves” by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage; that mind is the master-weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance, and that, as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weave in enlightenment and happin...

Getting Active in AA

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 30 May 2010 15:00:00 +0100

This is an extract from the book ‘Living Sober’ by Alcoholics Anonymous. It is very hard just to sit still trying not to do a certain thing, or not even to think about it. It’s much easier to get active and do something else-other than the act we’re trying to avoid. So it is with drinking. Simply trying to avoid a drink (or not think of one), all by itself, doesn’t seem to be enough. The more we think about the drink we’re trying to keep away from, the more it occupies our mind, of course. And that’s no good. It’s better to get busy with something, almost anything, that will use our mind and channel our energy toward health. Thousands of us wondered what we would do, once we stopped drinking, with all that time on our hands. Sure enough, when we did stop, all those hours w...

Dr. Bob’s Way coming to Akron

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 23 May 2010 23:44:52 +0100

Dr Bob's home; there are 12 steps from the footpath to the porch Portion of Olive St. will be designated for AA co-founder Each year, thousands travel to Akron to recognize Dr. Bob Smith for co-founding Alcoholics Anonymous. This year, Akron will thank Dr. Bob in a special way — by naming part of a street after him. Akron City Council on Monday voted to designate the section of Olive Street from North Main Street to North Howard Street ”Dr. Bob’s Way.” This section of Olive is on the north end of St. Thomas Hospital, which featured the first hospital specialty unit to treat alcoholism as a medical condition. The street designation will help celebrate the 75th anniversary of AA starting in Akron on June 10. ”I think it’s a good piece of legislation and a ...

Mommy’s Coming Home from Treatment

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:55:42 +0100

Mommy’s Coming Home from Treatment In this sequel to Mommy’s Gone to Treatment, Janey learns to face some of the challenges a family must confront when a parent returns from addiction treatment as the whole family adjusts to a new way of life. With brightly colored illustrations, Mommy’s Coming Home from Treatment addresses these issues children face in easy-to-understand language. Includes a parent guide to help talk with children about addiction and treatment and what happens after a parent or loved one returns from treatment. - Order Today >> Mommy’s Coming Home from Treatment - See also >> Mommy’s Gone to Treatment - Alcoholism, Addiction & Codependency Recovery Bookstore Hazelden Books, DVD's & Medalions (Source: Recovery Is...

Alcoholic Doctor in Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 12 May 2010 21:54:25 +0100

My very first drink loosened my previous, ever present inhibitions. Medical school facilitated my growing reliance on this chemical. Six years later, after qualifying, I found an identity to hide behind, at least during the day. I was the all knowing, devoted, and respected professional, who daily appeared red eyed and trembling. But I was forgiven by supervisors because I worked hard. After all, I was in my house jobs. Then I worked as a casualty officer, on the front line, mistakenly believing that I could cope with the stress, long hours, and unpredictability and daily masking my sensitivity to the extremes of human pain and suffering-until I left work. There was always an excuse to reward myself after a stressful day, such as spending the whole shift in “resus” or informing...

Relapse and the Wounded Healer

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 08 May 2010 15:48:00 +0100

Recovered addicts working in the addiction field: Pitfalls to substance abuse relapse In the 1940s, due to a shortage of professional counselors, combined with the hope of rehabilitation for the addict, there grew a belief that the recovered alcoholic could be trained to enter the field of addiction treatment as a paraprofessional. These early stages of addiction treatment and the emergence of the recovered substance abuser as a counselor fostered a discussion in the role played by the paraprofessional. This discussion subsequently encouraged an accumulation of literature during the early stages of substance abuse treatment in North America, which later began to diminish as the field moved forward towards the twenty-first century. This paper reviews the literature to examine the perceive...

Clancy’s Seven Recovery Questions

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:01:00 +0100

Guilt, Resentment, Fear, Inadequacy, Loneliness: The five areas that seem to cause the most serious problems for people in recovery from alcoholism. Several years ago, Clancy I., was explaining to me that guilt, resentment, fear, feelings of personal inadequacy and loneliness were the five areas that seem to cause the most serious problems for people in recovery. He shared with me seven questions that he uses to help a person start writing and he emphasised that the questions and the writing are not intended to replace A.A.’s Step 4, they just help the person get started. Most of the people who approach Clancy or are referred to him, are very hardcore cases who have tried numerous times and approaches to solve their problems. I have been using these “Seven Questions” with the peo...

10 Alcoholic Myths

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 13:03:17 +0100

Denial The alcoholic denies there is a problem in many statements to themselves and others. I have heard all of these statements and more by people who later decided they were alcoholic. “I’m not a real alcoholic. I haven’t missed a day’s work in five years.” “Real alcoholics lose their jobs, houses and families. That hasn’t happened to me.” “Drinking is part of the culture where I work.” “I only drink because I’m under pressure at work.” “I have a drink to escape from my partner’s nagging.” “It’s not my fault I got into an accident. The other driver was going too fast.” “I’ll stop drinking as soon as I get out of this relationship.” “I’ll be fine...

Positive, Past Memories Help Sobriety

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 04:04:12 +0100

Remembering the good times helps alcoholics stay sober Recovering alcoholics who remember positive experiences in their past may be more successful in managing their addiction. This is the finding of a study by Sarah Davies and Professor Gail Kinman of the University of Bedfordshire that was presented on the 16th April 2010, at the British Psychological Society’s Annual Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon. A hundred and one members of Alcoholics Anonymous (53 per cent male) completed questionnaires that assessed the extent to which they were oriented towards the past, present or future, and whether this orientation was mostly positive or negative. They were also asked about their spiritual experiences, level of abstinence, compulsion to drink and anxiety. The results showed that problem...

Addictive Thinking, Stinking Thinking

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 04:01:09 +0100

Addictive Thinking, 2nd Edition Addictive thought is inherently self-deceptive, yet offers a superficial logic that can be misleading to the addict as well as to the addict’s family members. Abnormal thinking in addiction was originally recognized by members of Alcoholics Anonymous, who coined the term “stinking thinking.” Addictive thinking often appears rational, but only on a superficial level. Addicts, as well as their family members, are easily seduced by the attendant–and erroneous–reasoning process it can foster. In Addictive Thinking, author Abraham Twerski reveals how self-deceptive thought can undermine self-esteem and threaten the sobriety of a recovering individual. This timely revision of the original classic includes updated information and resea...

AA Preamble

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 00:41:41 +0100

The AA Preamble is; A statement which briefly explains the purpose of AA. The preamble is read at the beginning of most AA meetings. Is is based on a portion of the foreword to the first edition of the Big Book. Defining Alcoholics Anonymous Following is the definition of A.A. appearing in the Fellowship’s basic literature and cited frequently at meetings of A.A. groups: The AA Preamble “Alcoholics Anonymous 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 alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for A.A. membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. A.A. is not allied with any sect,...

Acronyms for Spot Inventory

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 09:55:44 +0100

H.A.L.T., S.A.F.E., F.I.N.E. and M.S.G.-B. The emotions of addiction are danger signs or triggers to relapse or addictive behaviour. Enhance your recovery by keeping one or more of these acronyms in mind. - - - H.A.L.T. It is a danger sign when we are feeling Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired. - S.A.F.E It is also dangerous when we are Secretive, involved in anything Abusive (to ourselves or others), out of touch with our Feelings, or feeling Empty. - F.I.N.E. It is dangerous when we are Frustrated, or feeling Insecure, or acting Neurotically, or Emotionally. - M.S.G.-B. Four simple emotions tell us we are in danger Mad (anger) Sad (depression) Glad (over elated) Bad (wanting to do something bad) - These signs warn us that we are heading for (or are already in) our addictive behavi...

Staying Sober

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:10:00 +0100

The fundamental components of staying sober — not using, going to meetings, reaching out, working the Steps, and serving other — are only the beginning of the strategies offered. Day-to-day and moment-to-moment techniques plus program slogans and humor provide newcomers with fresh wisdom for maintaining sobriety. - Order today >> Staying Sober - Alcoholism, Addiction & Codependency Recovery Bookstore Hazelden Books, DVD's & Medalions (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Trouble Becomes an Asset

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:45:00 +0100

“I think that this particular Alcoholics Anonymous General Service Conference (1958) holds promise and has been filled with progress–because it has had trouble. And it has converted that trouble into an asset, into some growth, and into a great promise. “A.A. was born out of trouble, one of the most serious kinds of trouble that can befall an individual, the trouble attendant upon this dark and fatal malady of alcoholism. Every single one of us approached A.A. in trouble, in impossible trouble, in hopeless trouble. And that is why we came. “If this Conference was ruffled, if individuals were deeply disturbed–I say, ‘This is fine.” What parliament, what republic, what democracy has not been disturbed? Friction of opposing viewpoints is the very modu...

A Skeptic’s Guide to AA

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:32:11 +0100

Alcoholics Anonymous ‘undrunk’ lifestyle In this unprecedented book, A.J. Adams uses self-deprecating humor, entertaining anecdotes, and frank descriptions to introduce readers to the complete Alcoholics Anonymous ‘undrunk’ lifestyle. Beginning with the story of his first AA meeting, he takes the mystery out what goes on behind closed doors, in order to encourage addicts who are reluctant to get help walk through them. “My eyes wandered around the room, taking in the strange collection of humanity seeking to claim me as a fellow sufferer. If variety is the spice of life, this crowd was the jambalaya of affliction.” Adams addresses the journey through detox and treatment, offering his own struggle of coming to terms with his alcoholism. He then presents a...

Does AA Lower Alcohol use by Reducing Depression?

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 17:39:00 +0100

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...

Stools and Bottles

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:50:53 +0100

Stools and Bottles uses the concept of a barstool (the seat and three legs) and eight bottles to represent the importance of the first four steps (of the Twelve Steps) of Alcoholics Anonymous. The author began using this concept in a prior book called The Little Red Book and it got so popular that the concept was expanded into its own book. The Stool The author begins the book by talking about the “seat” of the stool. The seat, by itself, is “as useless, incomplete, and undependable as the shaky alcoholic it upholds”. For the seat to function, it needs three legs to uphold it, just like the alcoholic needs the first three steps of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) for support. The author says that the three legs represent the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of recovery for the ...

Alcoholics Anonymous 1939

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:23:14 +0100

The objectives are to bring about extraversion and to provide someone to whom the alcoholic can transfer his dilemma. In a large number of cases, this alcoholic group is now attaining these very objectives because their simple but powerful devices appear to cut deeper than do other methods of treatment because of the following reasons: 1. Because of their alcoholic experiences and successful recoveries they secure a high degree of confidence from the prospects. 2. Because of this initial confidence, identical experience, and the fact that the discussion is pitched on moral and religious grounds, the patient tells his story and makes his self-appraisal with extreme thoroughness and honesty. He stops living alone and finds himself within reach of a fellowship with whom he can discuss his pro...

Brain Recovers from Alcohol Damage

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:04:39 +0100

Recovering brain Brain Has Remarkable Power to Recover from Alcohol Ravages Excessive alcohol use can literally shrink the brain, impairing memory, learning, and organizational skills. But the brain also can recover most if not all of its capabilities when drinking stops, researchers say. The Los Angeles Times reported Jan. 22, that studies and thinking tests were used to track the brain changes in a group of alcoholics as they embarked on the road to sobriety. They found that after just two months of abstinence, the alcoholics’ brain volume increased an average of 1.85 percent, while the communication efficiency of their brain cells rose 20 percent. These chemical changes were matched by improvements in tests of thinking function. Researchers found that the changes only took place a...

Attitudes

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:57:55 +0100

Continued AA Attendance

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 07:56:52 +0100

Serenity If one continues to attend AA one has nearly double chance of finding freedom from alcoholism. Comparison of Past Year Drinking Status – Dropouts and Continuing AA Members Dropouts: Abstinent 33% Low risk drinking 14% High risk drinking 53% Continued AA attendance: Abstinent 62% Low risk drinking 9% High risk drinking 29% low risk drinking = never exceed 4 drinks per day(male) or 3 drinks per day (female) high risk drinking = exceeds 4 drinks per day (male) or 3 drinks per day (female) Research Source: NIAAA 1991-1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES). Data Brief – National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES) Findings on Alcoholics Anonymous Membership by Loran Archer. See also; 12th Step Works Alcoholic, Addictive Behaviors What is...

Mouthwash Could get you Drunk

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 11:35:56 +0100

Alcoholic Mouthwash up to 30% alcohol Alcoholic Mouthwash Could get you Drunk People are drinking alcohol-based mouthwash because it’s now cheaper than regular alcoholic drinks in some parts of Australia. Health workers have warned that they risk serious consequences, even death. Street cleaners lately have been stumbling on scores of empty bottles of a popular mouthwash, which is nearly 30 per cent pure alcohol. And in the space of a few weeks, supermarkets and pharmacists have seen mouth wash sales suddenly go through the roof. “This particular mouthwash has eucalyptus oil in it, which is an essential oil, and it doesn’t take much eucalyptus oil to cause damage, it can cause fits, it can even cause death.” A health worker said in response to the question, “How dangerous...

How Does AA Work – Meetings, Meetings, Meetings

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:01:03 +0100

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 inexpen...

The Stigma of Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 11:43:25 +0100

Ms Marty Mann A FEW THOUGHTS FROM MARTY MANN ON STIGMA Marty Mann was the first women to join Alcoholics Anonymous. After several years of sobriety she started a major influential advocacy agency. “Few among you consider alcoholism a proper subject for open discussion, few among you would willingly label yourself, or a friend or colleague, an alcoholic, and even fewer would be able to recognize alcoholism early, when there is the best chance for recovery. All of this is the result of stigma, a state of mind which we inherited from our Puritan and also our Victorian forebears; a state of mind which is essentially mindless since it overlooks all the things which have been learned; a state of mind which produces public attitudes that are anti-therapeutic to say the least. In bald languag...

A.A.’s FREEDOMS

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:11:16 +0100

My search for freedom had many twists and turns I Craved Freedom First, freedom to drink; later, freedom from drink. The A.A. program of recovery rests on a foundation of free choice. There are no mandates, laws or commandments. A.A.’s spiritual program, as outlined in the Twelve Steps, and by which I am offered even greater freedoms, is only suggested. I can take it or leave it. Sponsorship is offered, not forced, and I come and go as I will. It is these and other freedoms that allow me to recapture the dignity that was crushed by the burden of drink, and which is so dearly needed to support an enduring sobriety. Just for today. See also; 12 Rewards of Recovery Cooking up Recovery Ego Quotes with Narcissistic Tendencies Keep It Simple Related Reading: (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com...

What does Surrender Mean?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:32:00 +0100

The 12 Steps as Ego Deflating Devices For reasons still obscure, the program and the fellowship of AA could cause a surrender which in turn would lead to a period of no drinking. It became ever more apparent that in everyone’s psyche there existed an unconquerable ego which bitterly opposed any thought of defeat. Until that ego was somehow reduced or rendered ineffective, no likelihood of surrender could be anticipated. The Ego is Like Mt Everest - Seemingly indomitable AA, still very much in its infancy [1940], was celebrating a third or fourth anniversary of one of the groups. The speaker immediately preceding me told in detail of the efforts of his local group-which consisted of two men-to get him to dry up and become its third member. After several months of vain efforts on their par...

AA & Professional Workers

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:56:00 +0100

Alcoholics Anonymous has many A.A. members and service committees who are available to provide professionals with information about Alcoholics Anonymous. A.A. has a long history of cooperating but not affiliating with outside organizations and being available to provide A.A. meetings or information about A.A. upon request. For professionals working with people who have special needs there is [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

AA Works & Costs Less

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:57:08 +0100

Reduced Costs for Participants of Alcoholics Anonymous The people in this study had never sought treatment for alcoholism. A comparison was made between those who wished to attend AA and those who were seeking professional outpatient help. At entry to the study AA participants had less education, less income, more adverse effects of alcohol, a higher score [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

AA UK Web Portal

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:48:16 +0100

Abstinence; Best Choice for Alcoholics

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:43:44 +0100

Research proves that abstinence from alcohol is the best choice for alcoholics. (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Brain Damage & Recovery from Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:01:12 +0100

Thinking Impairment and Recovery From Alcoholism Brain damage is a common and potentially severe consequence of long-term, heavy alcohol consumption. Even mild-to-moderate drinking can adversely affect thinking functioning (i.e., mental activities that involve acquiring, storing, retrieving, and using information). Persistent thinking impairment can contribute to poor job performance in adult alcoholics, and can interfere with learning [...] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Effects of Alcohol Worse for Women

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:32:28 +0100

Does alcohol affect women differently? Yes, alcohol affects women differently than men. Women become more impaired than men do after drinking the same amount of alcohol, even when differences in body weight are taken into account. This is because women’s bodies have less water than men’s bodies. Because alcohol mixes with body water, a given amount of alcohol becomes more highly concentrated in a woman’s body than in a man’s. In other words, it would be like dropping the same amount of alcohol into a much smaller pail of water. That is why the recommended drinking limit for women is lower than for men. In addition, chronic alcohol abuse takes a heavier physical toll on women than on men. Alcohol dependence (alcoholism) and related medical problems, such as brain, heart, and liver d...

AA’s FREEDOMS

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:38:58 +0100

Freedom to Fly I craved freedom. First, freedom to drink; later, freedom from drink. The A.A. program of recovery rests on a foundation of free choice. There are no mandates, laws or commandments. A.A.’s spiritual program, as outlined in the Twelve Steps, and by which I am offered even greater freedoms, is only suggested. I can take it or leave it. Sponsorship is offered, not forced, and I come and go as I will. It is these and other freedoms that allow me to recapture the dignity that was crushed by the burden of drink, and which is so dearly needed to support an enduring sobriety. Just for today. See also; THE TWELVE REWARDS OF SOBRIETY What is Mental Health? Related Reading: Share/Save (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Chalk Talk by Father Martin

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:52:35 +0100

The Rev. Joseph C. Martin dies at 84; expert on alcoholism and drug addiction Martin’s lectures and films have been leading tools in recovery programs for more than 40 years. His book ‘Chalk Talks on Alcohol’ was published in 1982 and is still in print. The Rev. Joseph C. Martin, an expert on alcoholism and drug addiction whose lectures and films have been leading tools in recovery programs for more than 40 years, has died. He was 84. Martin, himself a recovering alcoholic, died Monday of heart failure at his home in Havre de Grace, Md., according to an announcement from Father Martin’s Ashley, an addiction treatment center located in Havre de Grace that Martin co-founded 25 years ago. He had been in failing health with heart issues for a number of years. Considered...

15 Year old Alcoholic in AA

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:39 +0100

My Name is Diane and I’m a 15 year old Alcoholic in AA When I first came to Alcoholics Anonymous I couldn’t have been an alcoholic. It was impossible at the age of 14! I had my first drink at the age of six. Being the only girl out of three and being the youngest child, I could get my way. I now believe I was an alcoholic from the first drink, because from then on I set up my life in the alcoholic pattern. I lived in fear of the day, in hatred, in resentments, in a dream world. I would dream I had six closets full of clothes and all the girls were jealous of me. In real life, I was fat, overbearing, and jealous of others. I hated my mother because she would spank me and not let me go without a shirt, like the boys. We moved away from that town just before I entered fourth grade...

A.B.C. of Recovery from Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:10:07 +0100

The ABC’s of Recovery From a portion of Chapter 5 of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. Our description of the alcoholic, the chapter to the agnostic, and our personal adventures before and after make clear three pertinent ideas: a) that we were alcoholic and could not manage our own lives; b) that probably no human power could have relieved our alcoholism; c) that God could and would if He were sought. See also 12-Step Speaker Tape Links The Dry Drunk Spiritual Health Blockages Related Reading: (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Alcoholic ISMS

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:19:11 +0100

This article will discuss the ism’s that keep alcoholics in their addiction. The ISM’S These ism’s are part of normal life, everyone has them to [...] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Excess stress and physical exercise hurts early recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 14:43:12 +0100

Alcoholics should avoid excessive physical and emotional stress during early abstinence.< ?xml:namespace prefix = o /> Researchers have found that an important system (The HPA axis) of the body that regulates stress, hunger and illness is â€œstunnedâ€ during alcoholic drinking. The researchers tested alcoholics in early recovery (less than 12 months) and found that the HPA axis recovers after about 8 weeks. Any stress can trigger an abnormal response but moderate to extreme stress can be dangerous to abstinence and may trigger a relapse. Reference; May 2007 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. Recovery Bloggers comments; The most dangerous time for recovery from alcoholism is the first 3 months. Many do not stay sober in the first 3 months. Some alcohol...

A Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory – OUCH!

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:18:23 +0100

The tricky thing about doing a personal inventory and spotting our faults and wrongs is that we’re liable to do it mercilessly. We are, after all, adult children of alcoholics. The way an adult child of alcoholics approaches the process of a personal inventory is to rip himself or herself to shreds, as if it were an invitation to self-gutting, an opportunity to insult ourselves, really use all of our black-and-white thinking skills to see only the worst in ourselves. More at A Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory – OUCH! The Complete ACOA Sourcebook: Adult Children of Alcoholics at Home, at Work and in Loveby Janet Woititz Read more about this title… Subscribe to Recovery Is Sexy by E-mail (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Life-and-Death Struggle with Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:56:46 +0100

Terry: My Daughter’s Life-and-Death Struggle with Alcoholism by George McGovern Review; A harrowing and heartrending tale of alcoholism., November 21, 2003 By Chadwick H. Saxelid "Bookworm" (Concord, CA United States) Former South Dakota senator, and one time Presidential hopeful, George McGovern relates the sad story of his daughter Terry, who’s alcoholism finally killed her when she passed out in a snowfilled alley outside of a bar one cold December night. With an objective honest insight into both his daughter and the nature of addiction, McGovern tells how him middle daughter grew up and became mired in an inescapable quicksand of addiction. Having recently lost my wife to the ravages of this disease (ironically this book was one of hers and one she quite enjoyed...

Role of AA Sponsors

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:44:00 +0100

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 report; Paul J. P. Whelan, E. Jane Marshall, David M. Ball and Keith Humphreys. The Role of AA Sponsors: A Pilot Study. Alcohol and Alcoholism March 18, 2009 See also; 12 Step Sponsor AA and Treatment Work Better Together Twelve-Step Programs as an Adjunct to Psychotherapy and Psychopharmacology Double Trouble in Recovery for Alcoholics From Denial to Recovery: Counseling Problem Drinkers, Alcoholics, and Their Families (Jossey Bass Social and Behavioral Science Series) Brief-TSF manual US$9.95 Buy Now with Paypal, Visa or Master...

Many Faiths Aid in Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:23:01 +0100

A variety of faith-based groups share a similar mission: to help people recover from alcohol and other drug dependency. Inside Bay Area reported May 20 that religion has been a part of recovery since the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous 71 years ago, but has received a boost under the Bush administration’s "faith-based" funding initiative, which has provided money for church-based addiction programs. Researchers are currently studying the effectiveness of faith-based interventions for alcohol and other drug problems. On the local level, leaders like Judy Schwartz of the Fremont Family Resource Center has made connections with local religious groups and urged clergy to tackle addiction in their ministry. "We’re working with religious institutions to complement non...

Sober for Good

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 12:23:01 +0100

: New Solutions for Drinking Problems — Advice From Those Who Have Succeeded Author: Anne M. Fletcher Sober for Good examines the common threads, as well as the differences, among people who overcame drinking problems in many different ways. While many of them were helped by the familiar twelve-step approach of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), many turned to lesser-known recovery groups for help, many quit entirely on their own, some used individual counseling, while others used creative "eclectic" approaches. This book offers a multitude of recovery options for people struggling with alcohol issues, no matter how minor or severe. Subscribe to Recovery Is Sexy by Email (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Elements of Effective Alcohol Treatment for Adolescents

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 16:13:51 +0100

Nine Elements of Effective Alcohol Treatment for Adolescents In evaluating a broad spectrum of treatment programs and approaches, researchers have identified common themes among the treatments that are most effective in helping teens. Drug Strategies, a Washington-based nonprofit research institute that promotes more effective approaches to the nation’s drug problems, found these key elements in an extensive review. http://www.ensuringsolutions.org/resources/resources_show.htm?doc_id=336617&cat_id=989 Publisher Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems George Washington University Medical Center Website: http://www.ensuringsolutions.org/ 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...

The Spirituality of Imperfection

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:32:44 +0100

I have been sober over 24 years and studied all the usual Alcoholics Anonymous books plus many peripheral books about AA. This book has renewed my quest for my ‘spiritual aims’ in a way that is both satisfying and challenging. I’d recommend it to all who may have been in the program quite a while or may have become moribund with time. These are extracts of reviewer comments on the wonderful book ‘The Spirituality of Imperfection’. Although it reinforces the validity of the 12-step recovery approach, this intelligent and wide-ranging book has an undeniable appeal to anyone with the yearning to understand more deeply the nature of spirituality. It is filled with stories from a variety of cultures, and so many of the tales have stayed with me for weeks now. Some of the points ar...

Youth in Alcoholics Anonymous

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:51:09 +0100

International Conference of Young People in A.A. ICYPAA was founded for the purpose of providing a setting for an annual celebration of sobriety among young people in AA. Since its inception, a growing group of people, who at first would not consider themselves as “young people,” has become regular attendees. The number of young people suffering from alcoholism who turn to AA for help is growing, and ICYPAA helps to carry AA’s message of recovery to alcoholics of all ages. This meeting provides an opportunity for young AA’s from all over the world to come together and share their experience, strength, and hope as members of Alcoholics Anonymous. AA members who attend an ICYPAA return home better prepared to receive young people who come to AA looking for...

Personality Change

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 14:05:30 +0100

“It has often been said of A.A. that we are interested only on alcoholism. That is not true. We have to get over drinking in order to stay alive. But anyone who knows the alcoholic personality by firsthand contact knows that no true alky ever stops drinking permanently without undergoing a profound personality change.” We thought “conditions” drove us to drink, and when we tried to correct these conditions and found that we couldn’t do so to our entire satisfaction, our drinking went out of hand and we became alcoholics. It never occurred to us that we needed to change ourselves to meet conditions, whatever they were. From the Alcoholics Anonymous book; As Bill See’s It. (page 1); Pictured; Bill Wilson, cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous. See also; THE TW...

Language of Letting Go

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:38:47 +0100

The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie (Hazelden Meditation Series) "This is a book of meditations…" Melody Beattie’s book "The Language Of Letting Go" is a tender caring work of art. Gently she speaks to the spirit inside of us and lets us know that it is ok to be ourselves. Something most of us are not use to doing, something we need to be allowed to do. Her words are those of one who has tasted of the emotions that she shares and her advise is like sweet honey to the reader. Sometimes what we need is just someone to say, it’s ok to be you! The author does this and more. A very well written meditation book that will soothe many that read the words between the covers of this work. Recommended! Midwest Book Review, June 10, 2003, By Shirley P...

Self-help groups lower death risk in alcoholics.

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 20:11:52 +0100

Alcoholic deaths were recorded in 28% of alcoholics who did not attend self-help groups, and 2.4% of alcoholics who did attend self-help groups. Researchers in Japan found that only 5 of 208 alcoholics who attended self-help groups had died after 5 years. However, of 167 alcoholics who refused self-help groups 47 had died in the five years. The researchers concluded that, Alcoholics who attended self-help groups differed from those who did not, with regard to mortality experience. Attending a self-help group represented the most important predictor of [survival] for alcoholics. Reference; Ichiro Masudomi, Kunihiro Isse, Makoto Uchiyama, Hirohumi Watanabe, (2004). Self-help groups reduce mortality risk: A 5-year follow-up study of alcoholics in the Tokyo metropolitan area. Psychiatry and Cl...

A Glimpse of Spirituality

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:40:00 +0100

Time after time, while counseling alcoholics and addicts, I am asked to explain the spiritual awakening - a promised result of our journey through the 12-Steps. Encountering this expectant question from an eager newcomer, I most generally smile, raise an eyebrow and find myself inclined to respond, ala Mr. Spock, “Fascinating.” For I, like so many others at the start of recovery, sought to capture the elusive prize, hold it triumphantly in the palm of my intellectual hand, and call it mine. See http://www.anonymousone.com/story49.htm See also; What About This Spiritual Awakening Thing? Alcoholic Grandiosity The Spirituality of Imperfection: Storytelling and the Search for Meaningby Ernest Kurtz, Katherine Ketch...

Anonymous Alcoholics Will Gather in Vladivostok

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 12:24:06 +0100

This public association is a part of the World community of anonymous alcoholics, which was founded in 1935 in the USA VLADIVOSTOK, February 10, vladivostoktimes.com The self-help society of anonymous alcoholics of Vladivostok, Russia “Welcome” celebrates its 15th anniversary, the newspaper “Vladivostok” writes. The celebration of the anniversary and introducing the society will be held on Saturday at noon in the Primorye State Arsenyev museum. Full story at; Vladivostok Times See also; ABC’s of Recovery Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption. THE TWELVE REWARDS OF SOBRIETY Subscribe to Recovery Is Sexy by Email (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Rock Bottom

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:45:04 +0100

AA’s second step: Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. "Why all this insistence that every Alcoholics Anonymous member must hit bottom first? The answer is that few people will sincerely try to practice the A.A. program unless they have hit bottom. For practicing A.A.’s the remaining eleven Steps means the adoption of attitudes and actions that almost no alcoholic who is still drinking can dream of taking. Who wishes to be rigorously honest and tolerant? Who wants to confess his faults to another and make restitution for harm done? Who cares anything about a Higher Power, let alone meditation and prayer?" Alcoholics Anonymous, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, pg. 24 See also; Alcohol Abuse or Alcoholism? Alco...

Alcohol Abuse or Alcoholism?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:16:59 +0100

How do we make the distinction between alcohol abuse and alcoholism? Professor George Vaillant of Harvard felt obliged to study that question, an inclination that resulted in his 1983 landmark work, The Natural History of Alcoholism, revised in 1995. Dr. Vaillant was the motive force behind the Harvard Medical School’s Study of Adult Development, which began in 1940. So what did George Vaillant discover in the longest formal study of drinking behavior ever undertaken in the United States? One of the first observations Vaillant drove home was that the amount of alcohol consumed is NOT a reliable indicator of alcoholism. Not only is “amount of alcohol ingested” an unreliable predictor of alcoholic drinking—so is “frequency of intoxication.” Both...

AA’s Recovery Program

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:23:50 +0100

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 â€œreachingâ€ 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 ...

Recovering People Working in the Recovery Field

Twelve Step Facilitation.com — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:13:44 +0100

At Last The Perfect Relationship!

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:03:58 +0100

Overheard at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, this 12th-step conversation between sponsor and pigeon: "Tom, I’ve spent years and years looking for that ideal relationship. I searched for someone I could trust, and who would trust me. "I dreamed about this person who could love me no matter what, and who could share my deepest secrets. Someone I could admire and respect, and who would admire and respect me in return. "Well, Tom, I finally found that person." "Wow!" said the sponsor. "Congratulations. Do I know this perfect person?" "Yes, it’s me." The listener had to pause and take a breath, because his friend had made a very significant discovery…one that even your beloved author sometimes forgets: We’re our o...

Promises for Beginners

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:06:25 +0100

in Recovery from Alcoholism You will know your full name and address. You will be able to shave yourself, or put on your makeup, whichever pleases you. You will be able to dress and undress yourself. You will know the town, the state, and the country you live in. You will be able to find socks that match, or nylons without runs. You will be able to smoke without burning yourself, your clothes, or the furniture. You will lose the fear of food. You will be able to walk a straight line and pass the drunk driving test. You will spend less time in the bathroom and be able to brush your teeth without gagging You will lose the fear of police cars. You will be able to answer the door without having to look through the peephole. You will realize what a hell of a mess you were, and thank God, or y...

Abstinence is Not the only Goal of Twelve Step Groups

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:41:17 +0100

Abstinence is not the only goal of twelve step groups, but it is the means to an end, which is spiritual growth. One writer described alcoholics as “very deep people; they have the qualities of the mystic, the artist, and the sage”. Jacquelyn Small said that the urge for a life with spiritual meaning is behind the urge to drink, and the recovering alcoholic is in search of another path to wholeness and transcendence. Research Reference; Small, J. (1990). . New York: Bantam Books. Becoming Naturally Therapeutic: A Return To The True Essence Of Helpingby Jacquelyn Small Read more about this title… Subscribe to Recovery Is Sexy by Email (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Alcohol Abstinence Saves Lives

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 10:32:22 +0100

A long-term follow-up study of addiction-treatment graduates found that those who stayed sober a year after treatment were much more likely to be alive 15 years later than those who reverted to drinking, Reuters reported. Researchers led by Christine Timko of the Veterans Affairs Health Care System in Menlo Park, Calif., tracked 628 people who entered addiction treatment, checking on them a year after completing the program and again 15 years later. They found that 68 percent of the clients had died of alcohol-related causes within a decade-and-a-half, that’s a rate 40 percent higher than would have been expected in the general population. Alcoholics who had been abstinent one year after treatment were less likely to have died, as were those who spent eight weeks or more ...

Detox from Alcohol and Smoking Together

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 11:42:26 +0100

New research says that Nicotine patches can enhance thinking among newly recovering alcoholics who smoke Detoxified alcoholics in the early stages of recovery tend to have impaired thinking. Many alcoholics also smoke, and nicotine is known to have enhancing effects on awareness processes. New findings indicate that nicotine patches can enhance thinking function among newly recovering alcoholics who have or do smoke. Results are published in the December issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research. “The majority of newly recovering alcoholics, between 50 and 85 percent, demonstrate significant problems in a wide array of tasks including visual-spatial, perceptual motor, learning and memory, attention/vigilance and abstracting and problem-solving,” said...

The House of Sobriety

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 00:46:23 +0100

(Click to enlarge) Spiritual recovery from alcoholism begins by approaching the House of Sobriety along the path of willingness and entering through the door of surrender. Subscribe to Recovery Is Sexy by Email (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Alcoholism and Fear

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 12:30:38 +0100

This article will discuss the ism’s and associated fears. THE ISM’S These ism’s are part of normal life, everyone has them to varying degrees. Specifically, the ism’s are an attempt to make life bearable, as a way of “interpersonal control and coping.” This is, of course, what we all strive to do on a day-to-day basis, we need these thinking patterns and behaviours to cope, most people seem to be doing alright, while the alcoholic seems to be sinking fast. One of the main ism’s with alcoholism is the ism of fear. FEARS Recovery is mostly about letting go of fear. In fact, fear produces most all my insane moments. Any time I need a reality check, I try to stop and ask myself if there is a fear at the root of what I’m doing. These are the fear demons ...

Healthy Friendships A Lifeline to Sobriety

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 12:23:50 +0100

There is an old song that goes “Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold.” While those words work well when sung around a campfire, the reality is that we can’t keep each and every friend we make throughout our lives. As we grow more solidly into who we are ultimately becoming, some friendships refashion themselves to accommodate our changes, some friendships have to fade away, and sometimes new and healthier friendships emerge when we let go of a toxic relationship. “When I was using, it was very clear who my friends were; they were the people I could get high with and the folks who provided the dope,” said a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. “Now that I’m sober I realize I never really had any true friend...

Alcohol Related Brain Damage

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:10:40 +0100

Acquired brain injury refers to any brain damage that happens after birth. Alcohol is one of the many causes of acquired brain injury. The injury inflicted by alcohol abuse is referred to as alcohol related brain injury (ARBI). More than 2,500 Australians are treated for ARBI every year. Just how much damage is done depends on a number of factors. These include individual differences, as well as the person’s age, gender, nutrition and their overall pattern of alcohol consumption. A person with ARBI might experience problems with memory, thinking abilities and physical coordination. A younger person has a better chance of recovery because of their greater powers of recuperation. However, the effects of alcohol related brain injury can be permanent for many sufferers. ...

Phases of Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:35:57 +0100

Initial Sobriety Surrenders to alcohol – accepts alcoholism Begins humble search for self Restoration of physical health begins Restoration of memory begins Restoration of mental functions begins Begins to practice self-honesty Is pre-occupied with sobriety Growth of open-mindedness Lessening of needless guilt Freely discusses alcohol and its problems Mild depression and anxiety lessens Mental functions are more alert Learning Sobriety Accepts and owns their alcoholism Loss of freedom acknowledged and accepted Alibis replaced by sound reasons for sobriety Social pressures to quit, lessen – threats replaced by encouragement Grandiose behaviour begins to be replaced by the give and take of real personal relations Aggressive behaviour begins to be replaced by willingness to l...

What is Emotional Intelligence?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 09:07:26 +0100

“The capacity for recognising our own feelings and those of others, for motivating ourselves, and for managing emotions well in ourselves and in our relationships.” This is how Daniel Goleman, author of the ground-breaking bestseller “Emotional Intelligence, Why It Can Matter More Than IQ”, defined EI. Emotions are one of the most troubling aspects of substance abuse and recovery. The 4 key elements of Emotional Intelligence recovery are: Self awareness Self management Social awareness Relationship management These can go hand in hand with recovery from alcoholism / addiction / codependency. Download a free workbook at; Tune Up Your Emotional Quotient Subscribe to Recovery Is Sexy by Email (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Alcohol: Self Assessment

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 09:58:25 +0100

Individual drinking habits may be found on a process from responsible drinking through alcohol abuse to alcoholism, or physical dependence. There are many signs that may point to an alcohol problem. Drunkenness on its own or solitary drinking does not necessarily indicate alcoholism. The questionnaire will be meaningful to you only if you are honest with yourself when taking it. The important question is: Is your use of alcohol creating significant negative consequences in your life? Do you sometimes drink heavily after a setback or an argument, or when you receive a poor grade? When you experience trouble or are undergoing stress, do you always drink more heavily than usual? Can you handle more liquor now than you could when you first began drinking? Have you ever awakened the ...

Defenses to Progress in Recovery and Living

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 11:45:23 +0100

Uncomfortable feelings are often denied or covered up because the reality is too much for us or too terrible. When this happens we tend to defend ourselves, our position, our very being, our ego. The ways we hide our feelings are many, and we call them defenses. Each defense prevents us from being known. The following are some examples; Rationalizing - We’ve got a good reason for everything. “I’m angry because they did this or that.” “I drink because of pressure on the job.” The truth is no reason is a good reason to drink or to deny that we have feelings. Justifying - “If that happened to you you’d feel the same-way.” We -believe we have a right to the negative feelings. Projecting - Instead of being honest about our own feeli...

First Priority is to Stay Sober

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 13:18:39 +0100

Maradona has demonstrated that he is willing to go to any lengths to gain sobriety. He has puts off his Asian tour to stay sober Argentine football legend Diego Maradona will postpone his Asian tour, including a match in Vietnam, to continue ongoing treatment for alcoholism, said Argentina’s state news agency Monday. Maradona, 46, was due in Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand next week, but the tour has been postponed until late June after he completes treatment for alcohol abuse, the Telam agency said. The star was released from a Buenos Aires clinic on May 6. A day later, Maradona said in a televised interview that he wanted to take care of himself and "continue living." â€œHe needs time for therapy in order to recover from alcoholism,â€ an Argentine em...

What is recovery?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 11:30:57 +0100

Substance abuse practitioners ask what is recovery?’ More than just abstinence, according to proposed definition Abstinence from alcohol and drugs is just the starting point in defining “recovery” for people with substance abuse disorders, according to a paper in the October issue of the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. According to an initial definition developed by a panel of experts from the Betty Ford Institute, recovery is “a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship.” The panel’s report appears as part of a special section of Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment devoted to Defining and Measuring Recovery. Although “recovery” is widely recognized as the goal of treatment...

Treatment options for alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 06:00:42 +0100

What are the different treatment options for alcohol abuse or alcoholism? There is no "one size fits all" treatment for alcoholism. Instead, there are many different treatments available that depend on the needs of the individual and the severity of the abuse. Treatments might include: Therapy to help understand their behavior and motivation and improve coping skills Medication to relieve withdrawal symptoms and control cravings Self-help and support groups. Treatment can be provided in a variety of settings: Medical facility Residential setting (round-the-clock or half-way "sober living"house) Outpatient Therapy The three most commonly used behavioral treatments for alcoholism are: Motivation enhancement therapy Cognitive-behavioral therapy, and 12-step facilitation...

Questions to ask treatment service

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 10:33:56 +0100

What are some questions to ask in choosing an alcohol treatment program? We recommend asking the following questions when selecting an alcohol treatment program: Does the program accept your insurance? If not, will they work with you on a payment plan or find other means of support for you? Is the program run by state-accredited, licensed and/or trained professionals? Is the facility clean, organized and well-run? Does the program encompass the full range of needs of the individual (medical: including infectious diseases; psychological: including co-occurring mental illness; social; vocational; legal; etc.)? Does the treatment program also address sexual orientation and physical disabilities as well as provide age, gender and culturally appropriate treatment services? Is long-term afterca...

Outpatients V’s Inpatient Treatment for alcohol

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 10:27:00 +0100

This study found that inpatient treatment (a combination of professional treatment and AA) achieved better results for more people than AA alone. Inpatient programs are usually followed up with additional outpatient therapy and participation in AA, or other self-help group. Subscribe to Recovery Is Sexy by Email (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

More About Alcoholism

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:25:46 +0100

"’Suddenly the thought crossed my mind that if I were to put an ounce of whiskey in my milk it couldn’t hurt me on a full stomach. I ordered a whiskey and poured it into the milk. I vaguely sensed that I was not being any too smart, but felt reassured as I was taking the whiskey on a full stomach. The experiment went so well that I ordered another whiskey and poured it into more milk. That didn’t seem to bother me so I tried another.’ "Thus started one more journey to the asylum for Jim." Â© 2001 AAWS, Inc., Fourth Edition; Alcoholics Anonymous, pg. 36 Subscribe to Recovery Is Sexy by Email (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)

Methadone and alcohol abuse donâ€™t mix

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 05:25:56 +0100

Patients on Methadone With Unhealthy Alcohol Use Have Poor Quality of Life Excessive alcohol consumption is prevalent among patients receiving methadone treatment for opioid dependence and may be associated with poor quality of life. In this cross-sectional study of 192 outpatients receiving methadone, researchers in England assessed the association between unhealthy alcohol use (measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT]) and health-related quality of life (measured with the SF-12 Health Survey). Thirty percent of patients had current unhealthy alcohol use (i.e., score of >8 on the AUDIT); 10% did not have current unhealthy alcohol use but reported past alcohol problems. The mean SF-12 score was 56 (a score <67 indicates poor health). Health-related quality ...

Practical Points of Recovery

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 09:36:46 +0100

Ten Practical Points of Recovery In the Big Book of AA members talk of practical attitudes that help in recovery from alcoholism. Some of these are; "…thoroughly followed our path." p.58 line 2. Referring to the â€˜Suggested Program of Recovery’. "…completely give themselves to this program…" p.58 line 3. "…developing…rigorous honesty." p.58 line 9 - instead of denial and lying. "…willing to go to any length…" p.58 line 18. A very pragmatic strategy. "…fearless and thorough…" p.58 line 23. With courage. "…let go absolutely." p.58 line 25. With faith in the fact that millions of people have already done just that. "…asked His protection and care with ...

Are You Alcohol Dependent?

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:35:40 +0100

Alcohol dependence is the most severe alcohol use disorder. People who meet three or more of the following criteria within 1 year are diagnosed with alcohol dependence: Evidence of tolerance Needing to drink more to get intoxicated The effects of alcohol intoxication are reduced with continued use of the same amount of alcohol Symptoms of withdrawal Examples of symptoms include sweating, nausea, vomiting, and anxiety The symptoms must not be due to another medical condition and must cause problems at work or in your personal life Repeatedly drinking more than intended Repeatedly unable to cut down or stop drinking, or a constant desire to do so Spending a lot of time drinking alcohol, recovering from the effects of alcohol, or obtaining alcohol Giving up other important activities for...

Clancy’s Seven Recovery Questions

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 12:41:58 +0100

Guilt, Resentment, Fear, Inadequacy, Loneliness: The five areas that seem to cause the most serious problems for people in recovery. Several years ago, Clancy I., was explaining to me that guilt, resentment, fear, feelings of personal inadequacy and loneliness were the five areas that seem to cause the most serious problems for people in recovery. He shared with me seven questions that he uses to help a person start writing and he emphasised that the questions and the writing are not intended to replace A.A.’s Step 4, they just help the person get started. Most of the people who approach Clancy or are referred to him, are very hardcore cases who have tried numerous times and approaches to solve their problems. I have been using these “Seven Questions” with the people that I sponsor e...

The Simplified Twelve Steps

Recovery Is Sexy.com — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 10:18:24 +0100

We admitted our lives were out of control Accepted that a Higher Power could help us Got my ego out of the way to let it happen Took a hard, honest look at ourselves Told someone the truth Got ready to change Asked a Higher Power to help us change Remembered all the people we hurt Made it right with them wherever we could Continued to stay honest Put our Higher Power in charge every day Tried to live our values and help others After the Alcoholics Anonymous suggested 12-Steps to recovery. The Annotated AA Handbook : A Companion to the Big Bookby Frank Dwyer Read more about this title… Subscribe to Recovery Is Sexy by Email (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com)