I'm usually not one to attempt to dramatize the effects of drinking or using drugs on the average person. I believe strongly in Step One of the 12 Step programs that says we must admit to ourselves that we are powerless over the drug and that our life is unmanageable before much progress can be made in lifelong recovery. So, ordinarily, I will let them decide for themselves whether or not their drinking or drug use is causing them serious enough problems for them to stop using. Everyone hits their own bottom when it comes to drug use or alcoholism.
But, there is a way to intervene into someone's life and help them come to that realization sooner rather than later. In recovery we call that raising the bottom for someone so they do not have to fall as far as they could. Such is the spirit behind a video I caught recently published by the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service which is a central telephone system that will connect people to treatment services in their area or throughout the United States. The video is designed to help someone detect if they - or someone they know or love - has a drinking problem. Some parts of it are a bit corny and over the top, but the spirit is good and worthwhile watching...
Alcoholism is a preventable disease of the brain. Just because someone can't see straight when they are "blind drunk", or walk straight when they are "tipsy" does not mean it is an eye disease or a leg disease. It's a brain disease. Millions of Americans have this disease and, were it any other disease known to mankind, there would be outrage at the number of people who suffer from it. Efforts to help people detect the signs and symptoms of the disease ought to be applauded.
If you or someone you know has this brain disease, call the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Routing Service at 800-662-4357. When I called the other day to do a test run of the phone number for this blog, I found a friendly young man at the service who directed me to two treatment programs in my city. It doesn't get any simpler than that.
Showing posts with label alcoholism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alcoholism. Show all posts
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Sunday, February 28, 2010
I ran across something in my files I had not seen in a while and thought you'd like to watch it. In 2007, the late night TV host, Craig Ferguson did a remarkable thing: He spoke from his heart. Now, speaking emotionally about anything is a big deal for celebrities on TV, but it was really blockbuster material when it ran on late night TV because Ferguson was talking about something very, very personal to him...his alcoholism. Yes, Ferguson is in recovery (because he broke his own anonymity with this clip I feel less compunction about me breaking it). It's a great, personal statement for a man who makes his living by picking on the foibles of his fellow man or woman to step forward and talk about his own demons and how he is recovering from them. So, sit back and watch for a few minutes as someone does a Tenth Step right on late night TV!
All the best, Roger
All the best, Roger
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Ramblings of the Mind...Buddhism
How quickly the time passes! I've heard from a number of friends who have seen The Happy Hour and they've passed along some wonderful good wishes for the site. Hopefully they will join in with the fun of sharing in some cyber-fellowship about recovery.
I'd like to add some Ramblings of My Mind from time to time as short ways to communicate some ideas about recovery, review a book, share thoughts and feelings, or just ramble on.
I can start things off by telling you about a book I just finished reading. As most of you know, I'm in a Ph.D. program in Psychology at Capella University, and I'm doing some advance research on my dissertation. I picked up an interesting book 12 Steps on Buddha's Path: Bill, Buddha, and We
and couldn't put it down. Laura S. is the author and her use of this pseudonym immediately attracted me to a book about recovery from addictive disease. It's not often that you find a book written by someone in recovery who uses a pseudonym, so I thought this would be a candid look inside the author's mind and heart about recovery. It was.
The 12 Step program of Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous are often regarded as being similar to Buddhist teachings. Sometimes this puts people off because they feel that this ancient, Eastern spirituality is too far out for their tastes. I have found that this is largely because people don't take the time to investigate about Buddhism and how it might relate to their life. For those in recovery, this book offers an inside look not only into how the 12 Steps relate to Buddhism, but also how they can bring fresh eyes to the 12 Steps of recovery.
Laura starts out by giving the reader a quick overview of each of the 12 Steps. This is a good look at what she went through on the journey of her own recovery that started out in the basement of a church in New York City. There, after a failed suicide attempt, 33-year-old Laura found herself in a strange world of recovery after years of decline due to alcohol. She had been a remarkably successful business woman who thought herself invincible and certainly a person above the rank and file of the recovering people she found in that church basement of her first AA meeting. She complained to a sponsor she had found at that meeting (a person who is a spiritual guide through the program) that she had nothing in common with those people and the sponsor told her she was right...they knew how to stop drinking and she didn't! From that moment on, as difficult as some times became, Laura stayed in the AA rooms and managed to not drink.
Strangers loved her back to life, she says, and those strangers also introduced her to the world of spirituality based on Buddhist principles. As Laura tells it, there are Four Noble Truths in Buddism, and they guide the recovering person through the suffering that active alcoholism causes. The First Noble Truth is that the nature of our existence is how stress, dissatisfaction, discomfort and impatience is a part of everyday life and can cause suffering. The Second Noble Truth is that the cause of this suffering is the desire we often have that things be different than they are. The Third Noble Truth is that the end of suffering is letting go of the craving to have things different. And, the Fourth Noble Truth is that the way to end suffering is to follow The Eight Fold Path...wise understanding, wise thought, wise speech, wide livelihood, wise effort, wise mindfulness and wise concentration.
This small space doesn't permit a full explanation of the Truths or how they relate to the 12 Steps, yet there is a real connection that is so clear that some claim Bill W. and Dr. Bob took some of the principles from Buddist teachings. I can't verify that, but certainly, drinking and drugging cause suffering, and that suffering is generally caused by the craving to either possess extreme pleasure or remove some kind of pain.
This book describes the basic idea of recovery based on living by principles, not personalities, and that recovery is available to anyone who makes an attempt to change the focus of their life. Buddhism certainly would represent a major change in focus for most people who seek to make change in their life. Laura S. claims - and I think she's right on here - that the promises from Alcoholics Annonymous list in the Big Book are not only compatible with Buddist teachings, but they are the logical consequence of a life lived to its fullest according to healthy principles.
12 Steps on Buddha's Path is a good, easy and short read. I recommend it to anyone who wants to expand their spiritual horizon.
Roger W.
I'd like to add some Ramblings of My Mind from time to time as short ways to communicate some ideas about recovery, review a book, share thoughts and feelings, or just ramble on.
I can start things off by telling you about a book I just finished reading. As most of you know, I'm in a Ph.D. program in Psychology at Capella University, and I'm doing some advance research on my dissertation. I picked up an interesting book 12 Steps on Buddha's Path: Bill, Buddha, and We
and couldn't put it down. Laura S. is the author and her use of this pseudonym immediately attracted me to a book about recovery from addictive disease. It's not often that you find a book written by someone in recovery who uses a pseudonym, so I thought this would be a candid look inside the author's mind and heart about recovery. It was.The 12 Step program of Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous are often regarded as being similar to Buddhist teachings. Sometimes this puts people off because they feel that this ancient, Eastern spirituality is too far out for their tastes. I have found that this is largely because people don't take the time to investigate about Buddhism and how it might relate to their life. For those in recovery, this book offers an inside look not only into how the 12 Steps relate to Buddhism, but also how they can bring fresh eyes to the 12 Steps of recovery.
Laura starts out by giving the reader a quick overview of each of the 12 Steps. This is a good look at what she went through on the journey of her own recovery that started out in the basement of a church in New York City. There, after a failed suicide attempt, 33-year-old Laura found herself in a strange world of recovery after years of decline due to alcohol. She had been a remarkably successful business woman who thought herself invincible and certainly a person above the rank and file of the recovering people she found in that church basement of her first AA meeting. She complained to a sponsor she had found at that meeting (a person who is a spiritual guide through the program) that she had nothing in common with those people and the sponsor told her she was right...they knew how to stop drinking and she didn't! From that moment on, as difficult as some times became, Laura stayed in the AA rooms and managed to not drink.
Strangers loved her back to life, she says, and those strangers also introduced her to the world of spirituality based on Buddhist principles. As Laura tells it, there are Four Noble Truths in Buddism, and they guide the recovering person through the suffering that active alcoholism causes. The First Noble Truth is that the nature of our existence is how stress, dissatisfaction, discomfort and impatience is a part of everyday life and can cause suffering. The Second Noble Truth is that the cause of this suffering is the desire we often have that things be different than they are. The Third Noble Truth is that the end of suffering is letting go of the craving to have things different. And, the Fourth Noble Truth is that the way to end suffering is to follow The Eight Fold Path...wise understanding, wise thought, wise speech, wide livelihood, wise effort, wise mindfulness and wise concentration.
This small space doesn't permit a full explanation of the Truths or how they relate to the 12 Steps, yet there is a real connection that is so clear that some claim Bill W. and Dr. Bob took some of the principles from Buddist teachings. I can't verify that, but certainly, drinking and drugging cause suffering, and that suffering is generally caused by the craving to either possess extreme pleasure or remove some kind of pain.
This book describes the basic idea of recovery based on living by principles, not personalities, and that recovery is available to anyone who makes an attempt to change the focus of their life. Buddhism certainly would represent a major change in focus for most people who seek to make change in their life. Laura S. claims - and I think she's right on here - that the promises from Alcoholics Annonymous list in the Big Book are not only compatible with Buddist teachings, but they are the logical consequence of a life lived to its fullest according to healthy principles.
12 Steps on Buddha's Path is a good, easy and short read. I recommend it to anyone who wants to expand their spiritual horizon.
Roger W.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome to the newest blog on the Internet, The Happy Hour.
I've taken the name from the popular process many people go through in the early evening when they stop by their favorite pub and have a drink before going home.
Obviously, in this case, it's designed as a tongue-in-cheek attempt to capitalize on the irony of having what will be a blog devoted to recovery from alcoholism and other drugs named after this past time.
It's my hope that the writings here will help those who are struggling with the addictive nature of drinking alcohol to excess or uncontrollably taking drugs come to believe that there is hope for lifelong recovery.
Much of what will be written here is personal reflection on a life of 21 years drinking and drugging and 22 years of recovery from the insanity of drinking and drugging. I will offer up some of the personal testimony about my experience, strength and hope. And, I will try to entice some of my recovering friends to do the same.
Most of all, I want this to be an interactive blog. Like most of recovery, it is a "we" effort in which all of us who are interested in recovery join with one another to celebrate serenity and the reprieve we have from the tyranny of alcohol and drug abuse.
May you who read here always find stimulating stories and commentary about recovery and come to these pages with Honesty, Openmindedness and Willingness.
Let's enjoy the new happy hour in our lives!
All the best, Roger
I've taken the name from the popular process many people go through in the early evening when they stop by their favorite pub and have a drink before going home.
Obviously, in this case, it's designed as a tongue-in-cheek attempt to capitalize on the irony of having what will be a blog devoted to recovery from alcoholism and other drugs named after this past time.
It's my hope that the writings here will help those who are struggling with the addictive nature of drinking alcohol to excess or uncontrollably taking drugs come to believe that there is hope for lifelong recovery.
Much of what will be written here is personal reflection on a life of 21 years drinking and drugging and 22 years of recovery from the insanity of drinking and drugging. I will offer up some of the personal testimony about my experience, strength and hope. And, I will try to entice some of my recovering friends to do the same.
Most of all, I want this to be an interactive blog. Like most of recovery, it is a "we" effort in which all of us who are interested in recovery join with one another to celebrate serenity and the reprieve we have from the tyranny of alcohol and drug abuse.
May you who read here always find stimulating stories and commentary about recovery and come to these pages with Honesty, Openmindedness and Willingness.
Let's enjoy the new happy hour in our lives!
All the best, Roger
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