Category Archives: Alcoholism

Recovery Zone ReCheck – New in The Recovery Book

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The Recovery Zone ReCheck is a simple relapse prevention plan.

In every Recovery Zone, at all times, you will be at some risk of relapse, often when you least expect it. The Recovery Zone ReCheck helps you avoid relapses by regularly taking stock of your life.

Once a month or so, use the three Recovery Zone ReCheck questions to assess your life. They will help you see when changes are coming up—relationships, work, health, medication and so on—that could trigger a relapse. These changes can be almost anything: dental procedure, divorce, getting a raise, having a baby, moving to a new town.

When you spot such road blocks, you move back a Zone or two, brush up on the guidelines of that Zone, re-commit to sobriety, and re-focus on recovery. See pages 18-21 in The Recovery Book for all the details.

The Recovery Book

What is Addiction? What is Alcoholism?

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Addiction is a disease of the brain. It is not due to a moral failure or a lack of willpower. It doesn’t happen because someone is a “bad” person. It is a chronic disease, just like diabetes or high blood pressure.

The first time a person takes drugs it is by choice. But over time, with continued use, the drugs “hijack” the reward system in the brain, as well as causing other changes. These  changes affect a person’s ability to make good choices and control their behavior.

In time, they are addicted: they have strong cravings for drugs and compulsively seek out more, even when they know there could be devastating consequences, such as going to jail or dying.

The picture is similar with “alcohol use disorders.” In the early days, alcohol use is optional. But over time, it becomes more important, there are strong cravings for a drink, and … Read more...