If you’ve been in recovery for many years, your attitude towards holidays has probably changed a lot since your first years sober. At first maybe you worried about how to just get through the holidays sober. But now, with so many sober turkeys under your belt, you’re the one giving the advice. Sure, you still have … Read More
Alcoholism: A Three-Fold Disease I once heard someone say in a meeting, “Alcoholism is a three-fold disease: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.” And for newbies in recovery, that pretty much sums up how we feel about the disease of addiction—especially at this time of year. Why? Because holidays are a mixed bag of conflicting emotions and desires. … Read More
Of the 23 million Americans struggling with alcohol or drug problems, only about 10% receive treatment right now. In the state of California, almost 3 million people aged 12 and over need, but are not receiving, alcohol and other drug treatment. Although certain stigmas and associations motivate many to bypass treatment, about a quarter of these 23 … Read More
So you’ve seen the video, What Does the Fox Say, right? After my friends started talking about it, I decided I needed more information. Where would I go—except to YouTube, my secret best friend that has saved me from looking like an ancient relic if I ask dumb questions of my music-savvy children? What I saw … Read More
Methadone maintenance treatment, often used for treating addiction to heroin and other opiates, is often criticized as an ineffective therapy that just replaces one addiction with another. Methadone is certainly a safer alternative to heroin or other street drugs, but using it without understanding its intended purpose can acutally perpetuate a cycle of abuse and addiction. What Methadone is not … Read More
In the Arms of the Devil The devil had taken over my beautiful son. Robert was living about 10 minutes from my house but we would never see him. Of course he would never want me over due to his addiction. The devil had taken over my beautiful son. His father and I knew he … Read More
“Only a lunatic—a masochistic lunatic—would make booze a regular part of his life.” –Stephen King One of the most common reasons for refusing treatment is work responsibilities. For many, going to treatment is a sacrifice that is too great, too humiliating or too scary. But for Stephen King, sobriety was more important than everything else, even … Read More
The internet has exploded with criticism of traditional 12 step programs. The longer the battle ensues, the more personal opinion and emotion trumps logic and objective presentation. As a result, statistics have been abused, studies on A.A. misstated and opinions formed based on a single study rather than a holistic view of research data. So … Read More
Addiction can create big problems in the workplace, costing you money, endangering the lives of employees, and damaging workplace morale. So how do you spot a problem with drugs or alcohol in your workplace? Signs of Addiction in the Workplace Leave and attendance Unexplained or unauthorized absences from work Frequent tardiness Excessive use of sick leave Patterns … Read More
It’s been a long ride for Zohydro ER and its California-based pharmaceutical firm Zogenix, but the journey is nearing an end. Zohydro ER will be the first extended-release, hydrocodone-only painkiller to reach the market, expected in approximately four months. On October 25, the FDA officially approved this highly controversial drug to treat severe chronic pain that is unresponsive to alternative therapies. … Read More
