(See Part 1 of our sober holidays tips.) For people in recovery, the holidays can be tough. Seeing family, visiting old friends, having unfulfilled expectations, maybe missing a loved one you lost this year — it can all lead to tension and sadness, as well as thoughts of using.
~ Recovery pioneer Houston S. died 50 years ago this week. Houston launched Addicts Anonymous in 1947, and was also sponsor to Dr. John Mooney, founder of Willingway Hospital and Dr. Al Mooney’s father.
Chris B. allowed us to share his email about Houston. ~
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Your counselor, doctor, or treatment center may refer you to a specific AA contact or group. If not, there are several ways to find a meeting.
Don’t miss our updated list of sober holiday tips.
For people in recovery, the holidays can be tough. 
Seeing family, visiting old friends, having unfulfilled expectations, maybe missing a loved one you lost this year — it can all lead to tension and sadness, as well as thoughts of using. Plus, temptation seems to be everywhere…
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...
An integral part of the second edition of The Recovery Book is the Recovery Zone System(TM). We are now putting the finishing touches on it, and want to share it. A brief explanation is below.
(UPDATE February 2015: Here is a pdf copy of the The-Recovery-Zone-System chart, including references to the relevant book chapters.)
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The Recovery Zone System (TM)
Over many years of treating alcoholics and addicts, Dr. Al saw that two issues were messing up recovery for many people:
Both of these situations, he saw, all too often led to a downward spiral that put people at high risk of relapse. So he developed the Recovery … Read more...
