Codependence is often associated with spouses/partners of addicts/alcoholics. However, since this is a blog site devoted to substance dependency with a particular emphasis on the health professions (a vocation particularly susceptible to codependence), I will confine my remarks to codependence...
It is worth discussing this concept again, this time viewed as a welcome contrast to the Dry Drunk Syndrome (see previous Blog). Generally, addicts/alcoholics in good Recovery identify themselves as being “recovering”, not “recovered”. Recovery is never really completed. It...
I’ve always found the term “Dry Drunk” to be somewhat demeaning and derogatory. But it is commonly used in the rooms of A.A./N.A. Therefore, it is worth understanding its meanings and broader implications and applications. Essentially, the term refers to...
My addictionist often asks me at my appointments whether I have Hope. Hope is a vital component in any healthy Recovery. It is essential for recovering addicts/alcoholics. Hope (as opposed to Faith) is something that agnostics/atheists in Recovery can practice...
The sponsor-sponsee system of Alcoholics Anonymous/ Narcotics Anonymous may be viewed as a special example of a boundary (see blog 40) both for the sponsee and the sponsor. The sponsee should be able to find in a sponsor a guide...
Boundaries are often sorely lacking in alcoholics/addicts. Nor do boundaries develop effortlessly or automatically in early Recovery. They must be worked on diligently with the help of a sponsor and the Steps. Rather than attempt to define what boundaries are,...
What are ‘Abstinence’ and ‘Recovery’? A word about abstinence: abstinence, for the recovering alcoholic/addict, is simply not using alcohol or drugs. It is absolutely necessary and indispensable for achieving Recovery, but it is not Recovery itself. Recovery may be seen...
Alcoholism/addiction affects the family adversely, but the family in many cases can also positively influence the Recovery of the addict/alcoholic. For many years, family members were discouraged from getting directly involved in the patient’s Recovery. This traditional approach has gradually...
Some addicts/alcoholics in Recovery may never accept the concepts of “Powerlessness and “Higher Power”. The spiritual/religious connotations of the Twelve Steps put some people off. (As previously stated, however, the concept of a Higher Power need not be a supernatural...
The Disease Model of addiction/alcoholism has many advantages. I am going to focus on two of these advantages in this blog: 1) the Disease Model’s association with A.A. and 2) its recognition by the courts. The Disease Model is espoused...
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