~Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st. Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time<br /> to outgrow that serious handicap."<br /> <br /> <br /> ~Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st. Edition, <br /> The Family Afterward, pg. 125~

~Alcoholics Anonymous, 1st. Edition, The Family Afterward, pg. 125~

"We alcoholics are sensitive people. It takes some of us a long time to outgrow that serious handicap." ~Alcoholics Anonymous,...

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Religion is for people who are afraid of Hell; 12-Step programs are for people who’ve been there.

One of my favorite quotes that I’ve heard in the rooms of Recovery goes something like this: “Religion is for people who are afraid of Hell; 12-Step programs are for people who’ve been there.” I’m not sure why this quote comes to my mind today, but it’s at the forefront.<br /> <br /> Another bit that I’m contemplating right now is a very familiar passage from the AA Big Book, read aloud in most meetings: “…If you have decided you want what we have and are willing to go to any lengths to get it…” (emphasis added)<br /> <br /> And still a third thing that’s swimming around in my brain is this: “Pain is the price of admission.”<br /> <br /> As someone who feels that the disease is the disease is the disease, I don’t have any problems with saying “My name is Zach and I’m an alcoholic,” when I’m at an AA meeting, or introducing myself “My name is Zach and I’m an addict,” at NA meetings. At my homegroup, though, where I am most comfortable, I occasionally say this: “My name is Zach and I still suffer from the disease of addiction.” Oddly enough, this feels like the most truthful statement I can make. <br /> <br /> The program teaches us honesty, but I am always conscious of whichever room I am in to be respectful of that particular meeting. After all, I am just like everyone else there; I am not so special as to warrant a specialized introduction. A big part of my Recovery has been getting over myself and letting go of the idea that I am so special and unique. In the rooms, I am an addict and/or an alcoholic, just like everyone else there. It’s not a coincidence that I tend to use that last intro at times when I am not doing so well. <br /> <br /> I’ve heard it said by some that one of the most amazing things the Program has done for them is relieved them of the burden of self. This is mostly true for me as well, but there are days when my sense of self marches to the front and demands it’s ego be stroked: I am special. I am unique. I am different from all of you and I demand respect and special treatment. Ah, Uncle Steve… he tries so hard. If only he could look in the mirror and see the little two-year-old he all too often acts like.<br /> <br /> This disease, the sick insanity it causes in our lives, it never quits. We can treat it through working the Program, but it is always there. Like someone who is diabetic but takes their insulin, or someone who has manic depression who takes psychiatric medication—they don’t stop being diabetic or bipolar, but the damage caused by their diseases can be minimized. The damage caused by the disease of addiction can be minimized, too, but only if we choose to minimize it. Only when we choose to treat our disease, live according to the spiritual principles of the program and by the will of our higher power instead of self-will, does the insanity, chaos, and wreckage begin to stop.<br /> <br /> Many of us have learned the hard way that when we let self-will run our lives, the consequences are disastrous. It’s not called ‘wreckage’ for nothing. We find ourselves in situations we never thought we’d be in, doing things we’d never thought we’d do. And when we are stuck in self-will, our ability to see our part in things, our ability to understand why we are where we are, why we’re doing what we’re doing, how we got there and why we’re stuck, can be almost completely impaired. It takes a crash to shake us out of it, and when the crash comes it is far too often more painful than we ever thought it would be. We have to bottom out. We have to be in so much pain that we become willing to go to any lengths to change. If we're lucky, we can get to a point where we choose to live by the principles of the Program because we don't want to be in that pain anymore.<br /> <br /> The disease is insidious. It sneaks up on us. It disguises itself, cloaks itself, comes on us sometimes rapidly, other times gradually. The gradual times are the worst, because the progression is so slow that we don’t notice it. Everything seems normal, and ‘normal’ can be a real bitch because, as addicts, our sense of normal is horribly warped. When the disease is at the helm, when self-will is running our lives, that’s when we create wreckage. We destroy friendships, hurt loved ones, and hurt ourselves. <br /> <br /> We have to check ourselves constantly. The tenth step can be an invaluable tool. But even without it, we still have others. The spiritual principle of the first step—Honesty—can be all we need. Being honest with ourselves is more often harder than anything else, but we can do it if we choose to. We can ask ourselves the hard questions: why have I chosen to not follow the advice of those who have always given me good advice? Why am I choosing to compromise my principles? What exactly am I afraid of? What am I trying to control?<br /> <br /> Sometimes we aren’t able to be honest with ourselves. We can become locked into the disease; it’s at the helm and we are completely unable to wrest our fingers off the steering wheel of our lives. We then must follow the course through, let our self-will run things until they once again get so bad that we are in so much pain that we again become willing to go to any lengths for our spiritual recovery. We are human beings; we aren’t perfect. Sometimes creating more wreckage is the only way we learn. Sometimes losing things that are precious to us is the only way we are able to clue-in to what we have been doing or how bad our disease is. Sometimes, we have to lose everything before we become willing to let go and make the change and do things differently. Sometimes, we have to experience deep pain before we can be done.<br /> <blockquote>Being 'done' doesn't refer to just using or drinking. We can be done, too, with creating wreckage. We can be done with causing chaos in other peoples' lives. We can be done with losing our jobs, our family, and our friends. <br /> </blockquote>I had a discussion not too long ago with some guys in the program whose time was in the 5-10 year range. They were talking about sponsorship and how you shouldn’t waste your time trying to sponsor newcomers who aren’t willing to follow suggestions. “Help someone who is ready,” they advised. “Find someone who’s done.”

Religion is for people who are afraid of Hell; 12-Step programs are for people who’ve been there.

One of my favorite quotes that I’ve heard in the rooms of Recovery goes something like this: “Religion is for people who are afraid of Hell;...

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When you love someone close to you, sometimes you need to make the tough decisions. When someone you are close to is obviously abusing alcohol or drugs

When you love someone close to you, sometimes you need to make the tough decisions. When someone you are close to is obviously abusing alcohol or drugs, you know that the best thing you can do to help them is to get them into a rehab program. It will be hard for them and perhaps hard for you as well, but you know that this is what you need to do for them to help them before the problem gets worse. <br /> <br /> <br /> The over-consumption of alcohol is currently rated to be the third most preventable type of death in the US today. The problem is that alcohol is readily available in bars, which are extremely easy to find, and alcohol consumption even seems to be glamorized in many of the ads you see in magazines and newspapers. Alcohol in and of itself is not bad or evil, but all people are different, and not all people know when to stop, people have different tolerance levels, and it can be easy to become addicted to without realizing that it has become a major problem.<br /> <br /> <br /> Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is, without a doubt, the most popular self-help group dedicated to alcohol rehabilitation. Many prefer to try a self-help approach to alcohol rehabilitation. People suffering from alcohol abuse are taken care of in dedicated rehab facilities as well as mental health clinics. A major problem with self-help is that the alcoholic will frequently not recognize that they have a problem. Rather, they start self-help techniques out of respect for people who care about them, like a spouse, but unless and until they admit and recognize that they have a problem, the self-help techniques rarely are effective for the long term.<br /> <br /> <br /> In the United States, the number of alcohol rehab facilities exceeds 10,000. The effects of alcohol devastate the lives of many individuals and cause trauma to their families. With alcohol rehab, the longer a person abstains from alcohol, the more likely he or she is able to stay sober. It is easier if the affected person has a “buddy” or someone they are accountable to. Without being accountable to someone, it is just simply far too easy for the alcoholic to go back to their old ways and cloud their reality with the effects of alcohol.<br /> <br /> <br /> Drug addiction is similar to alcohol addiction but can be even more devastating, and can lead to longer term adverse effects if not treated. Popular drugs today include vicodin, oxycontin, valium, Xanax, cocaine, crystal meth, heroin, and many more. Sometimes drug addiction can start with taking prescription medication that was prescribed by your doctor for some type of ailment. But long after your ailment has been resolved, your body has become addicted to the prescription drug, and the user needs more and more of it to pacify the body and avoid the inevitable withdrawal symptoms. Usage of other drugs may start as a “recreational” thing, perhaps being introduced at a party or gathering of friends. But the addictive powers of these drugs are just as devastating.<br /> <br /> <br /> Interestingly enough, the state of Arizona has one of the worst drug problems in the United States. The use of heroin in the US has also increased in recent years, meaning that the drug rehab system now has to work harder than ever before. The use of crack cocaine is Chicago’s biggest drug problem – since the early 1990’s, admissions to Chicago drug rehab centers for the treatment of this drug have more than doubled. <br /> <br /> <br /> Effective treatment is available for both alcohol rehab and drug rehab. Specialized doctors build a complex treatment that includes each patient’s individual needs and problems, in order to succeed the reintegration in the healthy and normal life of the society. The basic principles of the drug addiction treatment start from considering each case a particular and individualized expression of the medical condition. They don’t necessarily receive the adequate treatment to appease their psychotic desires. Alcohol rehab is similar, because each individual person is unique with different levels of being able to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. <br /> <br /> <br /> Speaking openly and honestly with the person about the effects his addiction is having on those around him is often the eye-opener the person needs in order to see clearly enough to accept help. From a medical perspective, addiction can be compared to many other serious medical conditions in that it will require long term treatment, lifestyle changes, medication at times and if not monitored, relapse will occur. It has taken some time but, researchers have come to the conclusion that drug addiction and alcoholism are diseases and like other diseases, are chronic and those afflicted are subject to relapse. <br /> <br /> <br /> Choosing drug rehab or alcohol rehabilitation is a positive step adopted by addicts in reclaiming their normal life. In the beginning, it is important to know that the addiction can be conquered with rehab. The Wellness Enhancement and Longevity Learning (WELL) program incorporates this powerful technique with other pioneering therapies in the their addiction treatment program.

When you love someone close to you, sometimes you need to make the tough decisions. When someone you are close to is obviously abusing alcohol or drugs

When you love someone close to you, sometimes you need to make the tough decisions. When someone you are close to is obviously abusing alcoh...

Read more »