Successful, sustained recovery requires two levels of change: awareness and action. Without awareness, the ability to take necessary action is limited. And yet, as essential as awareness is, by itself it is of limited value. During the early to mid-twentieth century, it was not uncommon to treat addiction exclusively with psychoanalysis or other forms of…
“The giant tree grows from a single seed. A journey of a thousand miles starts with the very first step.” Recovery consists of two basic parts: 1) getting “clean” (in the parlance of my twelve-step program)—discontinuing using, becoming abstinent, and halting the vicious obsessive-compulsive circle of active addiction; and 2) staying clean—remaining abstinent by learning…
The human nervous system consists of two main parts, the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The CNS contains the brain and spinal cord. The PNS consists mainly of nerves, long fibers that connect the CNS to every other part of the body so that information can be sent back and…
The inexorable truth the phenomenon of tolerance teaches all addicts is that the longer they use (regardless of the substance), the less of the desired effect they will experience from the same quantity. As human biochemistry adapts to the substance and becomes used to it, it takes more of that substance to produce the same…
As human beings we have a remarkable capacity for dealing with serious events when things hits the fan. It is when difficult, challenging circumstances are perceived as insurmountable—when we find ourselves without the physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual resources to deal effectively with stressful events—that we find ourselves in crisis. A crisis can be any…
At earlier stages of addiction, treating an emerging addiction tends to be easier, less costly, and less disruptive, at later stages when severe adverse effects on major life areas are manifest, more intensive treatment is required. It’s similar to taking care of a serious infection— painful, but necessary to facilitate healing and a return to…
Addiction begins with the mood-changing effects of substances. At first, people often experience positive effects by using drugs to change the way they feel. Through using they feel “good” or “better.” Many drugs of abuse produce distinct feelings of pleasure, some of which are especially striking and powerful. Using helps people temporarily avoid or lessen…
One of the shortcomings of mind- and mood-altering substances is that they always wear off. But the effects don’t just subside, returning one to the baseline state they were in prior to seeking chemical refuge. One of the inexorable dynamics of dope in any form—whether from the street like crack, prescribed by a doctor like…
Maintaining active addiction necessitates a set of defensive maneuvers to evade the natural corrective consequences of cognitive, behavioral, and ethical dissonance as the disease progresses. Addiction is especially insidious in how it convinces those of us who suffer from it that we do not have it. Those who become addicted almost always believe they can…
By themselves, addiction and chronic pain can be debilitating. When brought together, they comprise extremely complicated co-occurring disorders. Addiction is among the most serious public health problems in the United States. In 2010, an estimated 22.1 million persons aged twelve or older were classified with substance dependence or abuse in the past year—8.7 percent of…