Truth...

Deliver me...

from the cowardice of avoiding new truths,

from the laziness of accepting half truths,

from the arrogance of believing I have all truth.

I've searched high and low and cannot find the source for this prayer/aphorism. I'd like to think that it belongs to someone like a great philosopher (Lao Tzu), politician (Gandhi), poet (Eliot) or religious man (St. Francis). But, I haven't got a clue. Regardless, this has been posted in front of my work space at my home and office for many years. It is something I look at continuously and try to practice in my life.

If I dissect this prayer I learn how I might best function in the world. First, I see that I must have the courage to face new truths that arise in my life. One of these in my life right now is the truth that not everyone will see the value of my dissertation research study and clamor aboard as a participant. Not even all the sources for participants I have will see the value in it and help me obtain participants. It is a truth I must not avoid that most people are indifferent to research projects like mine. Second, I see that I must not be lazy when it comes to the truth and accept just anything that someone tells me as being authentic, genuine and real. I've been burned far too many times by false promises in the workplace and even in some personal relationships. I must be vigilant to see falsehood for what it really is. And, third, I see that I must not assume I have all the answers. This is particularly difficult for me right now as I feel I have been arrogant about certain things - my profession, my knowledge base about psychological information, and my knowing what the right thing to do is.

This is all especially true today after learning that a 21 year old former patient of mine died of alcohol poisoning last week. He was a big, brawny and loud young man. He came to my treatment center because of an intervention by his family and stayed for four months of treatment despite threatening to leave every day. He was hurting badly, and in a few private moments when he broke down and cried he would talk about being lonely and sad and feeling lost. But, he hung on to the idea that alcohol was his friend and that when he turned 21 (which he would a few days after his discharge) he was going to get good and drunk and celebrate his emancipation. He did. But, it wasn't but a few months later that his friend, alcohol, bit him in the ass and killed him. As obnoxious as he could be some days, this young man did not deserve to die so early, and many of us will miss him.

The new truth that I seem to learn every day is that I - and every other counselor treating alcohol and drug addiction - is totally powerless over the disease that afflicts the people we treat. There is nothing, absolutely nothing I can do to prevent the inevitable and, the ugly truth is, I often know what that inevitable outcome will be like for many of the patients I have. Sure, there are seemingly hopeless cases who recover, but that is looking more and more like a half truth to me. Many do recover but it is only when they come to grips with some spiritual need within them that they do decide to stop using drugs and get well. Sadly, the truth is that we sometimes know deeply within that some people are not finished with their drinking and drugging careers and they will soon die.

The arrogance I have to fight against is this seeming certainty that I know who will and who will not recover. It's a character defect of mine, but I am not alone. It is a constant battle for the alcohol and drug counselor to remain open to the possibility of change and that some people who look hopeless now might actually be able to overcome relapse pressures and survive the disease. I ask to be delivered from that arrogance every day.

All the best, Roger W.

Another celebrity death...

Actor Corey Haim recently died and speculation immediately started that this long-time addict had succumbed to a drug overdose. I do not know if the coroner's office has made a final ruling as of today, but there has been an arrest in the case and Haim was known to have been involved with illegal prescriptions in the past.

Regardless, this is another case of young people dying too soon from either the direct or indirect effects of drug abuse and dependence. I know of three adolescents who died of overdoses last year. They had been treated where I work. It never gets easy hearing that news. Especially when we know it is a preventable death because we know that treatment works.

A colleague was recently asked if treatment works for young addicted people on CNN's American Morning show. I think his answer goes a long way to again inform people that treatment is not a quick, spin-dry operation of 30 days or so. Treatment takes many forms but certainly one of them is that it can last a while depending on the person's individual needs. Clearly, a fella like Corey Haim had problems that were missed in any of the 15 treatments he had for his disease. Perhaps he could have used more.

All the best, Roger W.

Addiction treatment referral service...

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.