Does this speak to the power of one addict talking with another? If we're going to find our way back to each other, we have to understand and know empathy, because empathy's the antidote to shame. If you put shame in a Petri dish, it needs three things to grow exponentially: secrecy, silence and judgment. … Continue reading Sentences to ponder
Category: Mutual Aid
12-step involvement and continuous abstinence at 2 years
More support for twelve step facilitation and sober housing: Participants who were categorically involved in 12-step activities were significantly more likely to maintain continuous abstinence at 2 years compared with those who were less involved, predicting a greater likelihood of complete abstinence than summary scores of involvement. In addition, participants in the Oxford House condition … Continue reading 12-step involvement and continuous abstinence at 2 years
Dry run
Recovery lessons from training for a marathon: I had set myself up for marathon success: I had a cohort of supporters, I followed the training rules, I hydrated for fear of splitting headaches, I had my guilt-inducing early morning car pool in place, and I had faith in the coaches. And yet, when it came … Continue reading Dry run
Twelve-Step attendance trajectories over 7 years among adolescents
More evidence for the benefits of 12 step facilitation for adolescents: Results of multivariate logistic GEE models indicated that adolescents with continued 12-Step attendance had better outcomes over time, whereas those in the early but not continued group had no different long-term outcomes compared to those in the low/no attendance group. A problem, of course, … Continue reading Twelve-Step attendance trajectories over 7 years among adolescents
Everyone, from Yale to jail
Greater Good has a nice piece on the benefits of helping others in addiction recovery: In recent years, a growing body of research has found that helping others brings measurable physical and psychological benefits to the helper. Building on this work, Pagano is exploring the particular and sometimes surprising benefits of altruism for people battling alcoholism and … Continue reading Everyone, from Yale to jail
Identity and addiction
The White Noise had a post on identity and addiction. The blogger ends up expressing some discomfort with the way many recovering addicts make their addiction and recovery so central to their identity: I have mixed feelings on AA. I believe in camaraderie and community in times of strain and crisis. I believe in cultivating the … Continue reading Identity and addiction
Ex-addicts staying sober through sport
Awesome. A very cool tribe within the recovering community. More than 4,700 people have participated in Phoenix, which Scott Strode started in 2007. Most join the group because they've struggled with drug or alcohol addiction. "Life should be better once you get sober," said Strode, 38. "(We want to) help people build a new life, … Continue reading Ex-addicts staying sober through sport
A Rabbi’s Teachings on Recovery Find a Wide Audience
The New York Times has a profile of Rabbi Shais Taub, who offers culturally specific recovery support to the Jewish community.
Top Posts of 2011 #9 – The second ‘A’ in AA
Am I the only one who is really underwhelmed with these recent pieces on whether anonymity in AA has been rendered quaint? To me, they seem to fundamentally misunderstand AA's anonymity. There's plenty of room within AA's traditions for activism and public education, AA members are just advised not to identify themselves as AA members in the media, avoid … Continue reading Top Posts of 2011 #9 – The second ‘A’ in AA
Top Posts of 2011 #10 – How AA and NA work
Here is a summary of the knowledge presented at last year's conference on AA and NA: The preponderance of evidence supports the causal pathway that AA attendance leads to abstinence (Kaskutas, Zemore). 12-Step affiliation significantly enhances the odds of sustaining abstinence for multiple years among polysubstance-dependent individuals (Laudet). 12-Step involvement yields benefits above and beyond meeting attendance (Kaskutas, … Continue reading Top Posts of 2011 #10 – How AA and NA work
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