This is About ME

Okay - so you're looking around for information about 'Addiction' '12-step links' 'Recovery' 'Alcoholism' or something of the sort and

BAM

Up comes

"Addiction and Recovery Information Portal"

A BLOG...whoopee.

So you figure it's going to be another one of those WHINY, PERSONAL, single-minded Recovery Blogs from some half-wit IDIOTSTICK in the early stages of Recovery - who just HAS TO TELL PEOPLE how to do things 'cos they've been sober for a whole 90 days and have 3 keychains, a half-dozen 12-Step medallions and the like...

HAHA

WRONG!

That's not what this blog is about at all.

I wanted to make a place where the information is SERIOUS (most of the time) for people who are looking for GOOD INFORMATION about Alcoholism, Addiction, Recovery and other related topics.

So who am I?

I am recovering addict/alcoholic with a mere 3 Years of Clean Time under my belt. I DO NOT contact my sponsor as often as I should, I DO NOT attend enough meetings, I do NOT live a perfect life...

...but I am Clean and Sober, dedicated to my Recovery. I adhere to 12 Step Principles as much as possible.

Also - I DO NOT only contact my sponsor when I feel like I am having a CRISIS!
(I will also contact my sponsor when things are A-okay - and will contact other 'sponsor-like' friends to see HOW THEY ARE DOING! Just for the heck of it!)

I DO NOT just go to meetings when I feel like I am having a CRISIS!
(I drop by sometimes, to see who's there, see who's sharing, see what's up on a damn and freaking GOOD DAY!)

AND

I DO NOT trash other programs that are not AA/12-Step related.
(I really enjoy such literature as Kasl's 16-Step material, various Native Spiritual/Recovery literature, and even some ANTI-12-Step Literature - which keeps me ON GUARD against those who might develop, then pass on to me - heavy 12-Step biases and quirks that don't really belong to 'The Principles' of Recovery.)

It's all good, my friends!

I am a mother, sister, peer, classmate, daughter, auntie, friend, and I am NOT A LOVER because my plant died
(My cat ROX tho' and together we decided we didn't need no wimpy stick-in-the-mud plant...that's what my plant looked like 'bout 5wks after I got the cat - like a li'l stick in mud)

HAHA

Where was I?

I'll start again - I am a mother, sister, peer, classmate, daughter, auntie, friend, ex-wife (LOL thank GAWD), writer, editor, researcher, philosopher, comedian (yes, those two things go together really well - philosophy and comedy woo hoo), cook, recovering addict and.....well face it, sometimes I am a bytch too, but only when I have to be!

And I am many, many other things, too...

You can see WHY I have choosen to support the Hazelden and Alive & Free organizations and use their SERIOUS ARTICLES on this blog instead of professing to know it all and fill this space with ONLY MY IDEAS...

'cos - factually - I am not a very serious person much of the time

And I don't have wonderful ah-hah-providing, fact-based information in my head about recovery, ready to convey at a moment's notice most of the time.

I'm just someone who is checking out PATHWAYS
There are many
Sometimes I can't get OVER the obstacles on certain pathways and I have to look for another ROUTE...the idea of stayin on ONE PATHWAY and FOCUSING on that forever is LUDICROUS - or LUDACRIS, however you wanna play with that...

So I keep a blog, elsewhere, called CLEAN TIME FOR DUMMIES - which is a better indication of my life in Recovery but it doesn't always have the most pertinent or serious topics going on, if you know what I mean.

Anyhow - that's almost enough ABOUT ME

I have more articles to read, more permissions to gain, more work to do.

Oh and by the way - yes, part of the reason I maintain these blogs is because my recovery is ALL ABOUT ME!

:)

Nobody else is going to do my Recovery for me or keep me clean and sober. Writing about Recovery-related topics, reading articles and deciding upon what 'goes on the blogs' is helpful for me in my Recovery.

I'm lucky because when I blog, I get to uncover information in my searches - that a lot of other people just aren't stumbling across.

It's fun

But that's enough About ME!

Achieving Healthy Friendships: A Lifeline To Sobriety

There is an old song that goes "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." While those words work well when sung around a campfire, the reality is that we can't keep each and every friend we make throughout our lives. As we grow more solidly into who we are ultimately becoming, some friendships refashion themselves to accommodate our changes, some friendships have to fade away, and sometimes new and healthier friendships emerge when we let go of a toxic relationship.

"When I was using, it was very clear who my friends were; they were the people I could get high with and the folks who provided the dope," said a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. "Now that I'm sober I realize I never really had any true friends. I learned through AA that friendship takes work and it's not just about me."

Friendship should be treated as a verb--a process of finding out how we want to relate to others and how we want others to relate to us. Friendship takes practice being with other people and learning from our interactions. It is a mutual bond of respect, trust, and vulnerability that encourages healthy growth and acceptance.

For people in recovery from alcoholism, a healthy friendship can be a lifeline to sobriety, just as an unhealthy relationship can be a threat to hard-won abstinence. "It is crucial for recovering people to discern between relationships that are affirming and those that keep them stuck in old roles," said Rosemary Hartman, supervisor of Hazelden's Family Services. "If one friend is in recovery and one isn't, there's a power differential."

People who are chemically dependent themselves often feel threatened when a friend enters recovery, because they may be encouraged to look at their own drug or alcohol use, said Hartman. "They may argue against the person's belief that they have a problem, or pressure them to go to social events or places they know will have drugs or alcohol."

It's often harder for older people in recovery to let go of unhealthy friendships, because friends may have a long history with each other that includes many positive memories, and it's harder in later years to meet new friends, said Hartman. She said recovering people of all ages should ask themselves, "When do I spend time with this person? Have I always used with him or her and do they encourage me to use more? Does this person affirm my efforts to stay sober?"

Hartman said you need to be assertive yet kind, compassionate yet honest with friends, and set new boundaries that honor and insure your abstinence. If your friend cannot support your recovery, you should take a break or end the relationship. "Behave with integrity," she suggests. "Although we can't control how someone else will behave, we are responsible for our own behavior."

Saying goodbye to a friend can be painful, but members of a recovery group can often help because they are also working to maintain healthy relationships in their sobriety. Hartman suggested that, in addition to their regular groups, men and women might benefit from attending an all-male or all-female group where they can meet new friends.

"If you started using at age 14, most of your friendships will be based on using and you'll have little practice on how to make friends," she said. "Recovery groups are safe places to practice new skills. Focus on forming friendships that allow you to be the kind of person you want to be."

Recovery means change, not just for the person who embarks on the recovery journey, but for his or her friends and loved ones, too. Choosing whether to continue a relationship is an important part of recovery, but the better the choices are, the more solid recovery--and friendship--will be.

--Published June 28, 2004




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Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Nicotine Anonymous Offers Steps To A Smoke Free Life

Kelly used cigarettes to literally create a smokescreen between her and other people. "It helped me to stuff my feelings," she recalls, describing many of her relationships at the time as unhealthy.

"This smokescreen prevented me from seeing this clearly and allowed me to hide and be in denial. Instead of examining my feelings in a healthy way, I smoked and stayed in unhealthy situations. This caused me to repeat the same mistakes over and over in my life."

That pattern changed when a friend introduced Kelly to Nicotine Anonymous (NicA). She joined, and today she's well into her second year as a nonsmoker.

NicA is a mutual-help group of people who support each other to live nicotine-free. The group's doors are open to anyone who wants to quit using tobacco products of any form. Also welcome is anyone in a smoking cessation program--including people who use devices such as the nicotine patch to gradually eliminate the craving for this chemical.

The only requirement for joining NicA is the desire to abstain from nicotine. And all that's needed for an NicA meeting is two or more people who are open to change and willing to share their experience with living nicotine-free. There are no dues or membership fees. Groups sustain themselves through voluntary donations.

NicA bases its recovery program on the Twelve Steps as adapted from Alcoholics Anonymous. One way to understand how these Steps work is to relate them to the Serenity Prayer, often used in Twelve Step groups: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

This prayer can be interpreted in a nonsectarian way, for use even by atheists and agnostics. The key is to focus on the principles of acceptance, courage, and wisdom.

To members of NicA, acceptance means knowing that they cannot control the strength of their craving for nicotine. Instead of denying or fighting this craving, they fully admit its physical and psychological power.
Members also learn to deal with craving in ways that do not involve lighting up a cigarette or digging into a can of chewing tobacco. This is the courage to change by choosing a new response--finding ways to live with a craving until it passes.
Of course, this can be hard. So, NicA emphasizes the wisdom of turning to a Higher Power for strength. This can be any source of outside help. For some people, it is the God of a religious tradition. For others, it is simply their NicA group or the example set by a sponsor--a mentor who has longer experience with the program.
Kelly recalls that she was initially turned off by talk of God or a Higher Power. Still, she found enough value in NicA to stay with the program.

"When I feel like I want to smoke or I find myself in the midst of insanity, there are a variety of things I try to do to help myself get through it," Kelly notes. "I try to talk about it with my sponsor, say the Serenity Prayer, read some of the NicA literature ("Our Promises" is my favorite), or go to a meeting."

To learn more, contact Nicotine Anonymous World Services, 419 Main Street, PMB# 370, Huntington Beach, CA 92648. Information is also available by phone at 415-750-0328, by e-mail at info@nicotine-anonymous.org, or at http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org/.

You can find more resources for nicotine-free living during the Great American Smokeout, sponsored by the American Cancer Society (ACS). This annual event takes place Nov. 18 with activities planned at ACS chapters across the country. For more information, call 1-800-ACS-2345. Or go to http://www.cancer.org/ and search on "Great American Smokeout."

--Published November 15, 2004




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Tips For People Who Want To Quit Smoking

There is no one right way to quit smoking. However, people who succeed at quitting consistently do the following things:

1. Set a quit date.

Setting a date too far in the future allows time to talk yourself out of quitting. To increase your odds of success, set a quit date for some time within the next 30 days. This gives you a sense of urgency and still allows time to prepare for the change.

You might find it helpful to choose a date with personal significance -- perhaps your birthday or wedding anniversary. In any case, circle the date on your calendar and commit to making it the start of a smoke-free life. Also announce your decision to friends and family.

2. Create a quit plan.

According to federal guidelines for smoking cessation issued in 2000, people who want to quit smoking should have access to nicotine replacement therapies. These include the nicotine inhaler and nasal spray (available by prescription) and nicotine gum and the nicotine patch (available by prescription and over the counter). In addition, non-nicotine medication such as bupropion, an antidepressant, can ease withdrawal.

Remember that medications deal only with the physical aspects of quitting tobacco. Their main purpose is to reduce the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal so that you can deal with the psychological aspects of nicotine addiction. In fact, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Sept. 11, 2002) suggests that nicotine replacement therapy when used without counseling may be ineffective.

To get psychological support for quitting, sign up for a smoking cessation program or join a support group, such as Nicotine Anonymous. You can also consider residential treatment. Only a few such programs are available, but they can boost quit rates.

Barry McMillen, supervisor of Nicotine Dependency Treatment Services at Hazelden, directs a seven-day residential program for smokers called Your Next Step. "Smoking is an addictive process with daily rituals around tobacco products," said McMillen. "Residential treatment goes beyond nicotine replacement to look at the whole process of tobacco recovery."

Dr. Michael Fiore, director of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, underscores the need to combine medication and psychological support. "Insurance coverage for smoking cessation treatment leads to greater utilization and more people ultimately quitting," said Fiore. He adds that help lines for smokers who want to quit "appear very effective and are a powerful way to reach underserved segments of our society."

3. On your quit day, stick to your plan.

Following these suggestions can help:

Get rid of all items related to smoking-cigarettes, lighters and ash trays.
Drink lots of water and juice.
Eat healthful snacks such as raisins or carrots.
Stay active with exercise, work or hobbies.
Call a friend who's quit smoking or a help line for smokers.
Participate in a smoking cessation class, counseling session, or support group.
Avoid places where people smoke.
4. Keep trying.

Remember that many smokers make several tries before they succeed at quitting. If you're trying to quit and it's not working, then ask for help.

"One of the main things that people who try to quit smoking often do is isolate themselves," said McMillen. "They don't tell anybody what they're doing, and they don't try to get help. HMOs are now taking a more positive look at treatment for nicotine dependence. The bottom line is that if you want to take the opportunity, there is help available."

For help in quitting, contact the American Cancer Society (800-227-2345 or http://www.cancer.org/) to receive a copy of "Set Yourself Free," a pamphlet about quitting smoking. You can also contact the following organizations:

American Heart Association, 800-242-1793, http://www.americanheart.org/
American Lung Association, 800-586-4872, http://www.lungusa.org/
Nicotine Anonymous, 415-750-0328, http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org/
--Published November 18, 2002




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Twelve Steps Apply To Nicotine Addiction

"I started to wake up in the middle of the night to have a cigarette," recalled Barry, a recovering alcoholic. "I could almost set my clock by it. About 2:30 every morning I'd need to wake up and have a cigarette before I'd go back to sleep. That scared me."

This was reason enough to get help for quitting smoking. For Barry, there were two more: His father died of lung cancer, and his brother had a heart attack. Both were heavy smokers.

Despite working successfully with alcoholism, Barry collided with nicotine addiction. Getting rid of that duality can be tough for recovering peoplepartly because nicotine use has been so widely accepted. That's true even in Twelve Step groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous. Case in point: Bill W., cofounder of AA, was a smoker who died of emphysema.

The same Twelve Step principles that help people abstain from alcohol and other drugs can help them abstain from nicotine as well.

Admit powerlessness. People addicted to nicotine show behaviors like those of other addicts: They continue to use the drug despite adverse consequences, and they fail to quit through sheer willpower.

Jeanne E., author of "Twelve Steps for Tobacco Users," a Hazelden pamphlet, recommends that smokers face their failure to manage nicotine use by asking key questions: How many times have I actually tried to quit or reduce smoking and failed? Have I ever avoided nonsmoking people or situations where I couldn't smoke? Have I avoided physical activities because I knew I'd get winded? Have I gone out at odd hours to buy tobacco?

Ask for help. Smokers use an array of tactics to quit on their own, such as imposing an arbitrary limit on the number of cigarettes they smoke per day, buying low-tar products or brands they don't like, and tapering down to meet a projected quitting date.

People who successfully use the Twelve Steps admit that such tactics don't make it. The alternative is opening up to a source of help outside ourselves. The Steps refer to this as a Higher Power, and this term is open to whatever interpretation works for the individual. For some smokers, a Higher Power is God as conceived in their spiritual tradition. For others, the term refers to family members, friends, a smoking cessation program or a Nicotine Anonymous group.

Put personal relationships on a new basis. The Twelve Steps call upon recovering people to take inventorythat is, to see the web of consequences that smoking creates in their lives. To perform this inventory, Jeanne E. recommends asking some further questions: How does smoking affect me, including my health, energy, finances and self-image? How does my smoking affect others? What specific incidents trigger my need to smoke? And what character defects, such as impatience, fuel my need to light up?

When smokers admit the answers to themselves, others and a Higher Power, they gain a powerful inducement to quit nicotine use. They can follow up by making appropriate amends to people they've harmed through their nicotine addiction.

Quit one day at a time. Central to the Twelve Step message is the slogan, "One day at a time." Breaking recovery into 24-hour segments makes quitting manageable.

Nicotine Anonymous, a Twelve Step support group for smokers, offers meetings and literature for people seeking to quit and those in recovery. To learn about an NA meeting closest to you or for more information, contact NA World Services at 415-750-0328 or http://www.nicotine-anonymous.org/. For information on "Twelve Steps for Tobacco Users," call Hazelden Publishing and Educational Services at 800-328-9000.

--February 10, 2003




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Sobriety - High Schools Offer a Program of Learning, Recovery

The writer Anais Nin said that "adolescence is like a cactus." The teenage years are indeed prickly ones, filled with uncomfortable emotions and uncharted terrain as teens enter high school and move self-consciously into young adulthood.

High school presents even more challenges for teens recovering from addiction who struggle to remain clean and sober after treatment. Drugs and alcohol are easy to come by in most schools, and the pressure to use them is often great. According to the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the number of students age 12-17 who received treatment for substance abuse rose 20 percent from 1994-1999, with well over 100,000 young people entering treatment each year.

Studies show that approximately 80 percent of students who return to their former high schools after treatment begin using drugs or alcohol again. "One of the first rules of recovery is that if youre trying to stay clean and sober you have to avoid your old playground and your old playmates," said Andy Finch, director of the Association of Recovery Schools and executive director of Creative Recovery Communities, a nonprofit organization that runs Community High School in Nashville, Tenn.

Community High School is one of 19 high schools nationwide designed to support the recovery of young persons who have either received treatment for their addictions or made a conscious decision to live a sober lifestyle. According to Finch, four more such high schools are set to open in the next two years, and three college programs are currently in operation.

Often called "dry highs, sober highs, or recovery highs," these schools provide what Finch calls a "protective cocoon" that nurtures students recovery as they work to attain their high school diplomas. "Recovery schools are not treatment facilities," emphasized Finch. "Recovery schools are self-contained schools where students receive the full-range of academic services. Students are in school seven hours a day, just like in other schools, and they are expected to exist the other 17 hours a day in the real world."

The difference between recovery schools and traditional high schools is that 100 percent of the students are in recovery, and staff and fellow students are dedicated to supporting all students in their recovery. Every student is expected to work a recovery program, and all students are required to be alcohol- and drug-free. While some schools conduct random urine screens, other schools have students sign a sobriety contract. Anecdotal evidence shows that the relapse rate is substantially lower for students who attend recovery schools after treatment versus those who attend traditional schools. Most recovery schools give students a second chance if they relapse and are honest about it and if they agree to do whatever they need to do to make their recovery program stronger.

Recovery schools are quite small, ranging from six to 70 students. Many of the teachers, counselors, and staff are in recovery themselves or have worked in some recovery setting, and the individual attention a student gets can make the difference between flourishing and failing. However, it is the small student-to-teacher ratio and size of the school that makes it hard to get public funding in the current economy, and funding varies dramatically from state to state. For instance, the Nashville school receives no public subsidies, while other schools, such as the nonprofit Sobriety High in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area, receive about 40 percent of their funding from the state and 60 percent from private donations.

Before the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment recently helped create the Association of Recovery Schools, schools developed on their own, through trial and error, with no blueprint and little guidance from other schools. It is Finchs dream that many more recovery schools will open now that an information and support network has been established and they dont have to start from scratch.

"Every state and most major cities could populate a recovery school, yet 40 states provide no such options," Finch said. "I would like to see schools develop around the country so that students coming out of treatment can easily commute to a school where they can learn life skills they need to maintain their sobriety and discover that being in recovery can actually be fun."

For more information on recovery high schools and colleges, go to the Association of Recovery School Web site at http://www.recoveryschools.org/.

--Published December 30, 2002




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Forgiveness Is The Art Of Releasing Resentment

One day, long after their abusive father died, Kate asked her brother Kevin how he felt about their painful childhood. "I can't condone how we were treated," said Kevin, "but I've finally forgiven dad."

Kate was astonished. "Not me. I'm so consumed with rage and hatred, I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him."

"But don't you see, Katie," Kevin said, hugging his sister, "then dad is still powerful. He's still beating you up. . . ."

Kevin was not telling his sister to simply "forgive and forget." If we forget our personal or our world's history, we risk having cycles of abuse and injustice repeat themselves. "Forgiveness is not forgetting or denying the effects of a wrongdoing, and it is not pardoning or excusing," explained Rokelle Lerner, a psychotherapist speaking at a recent Hazelden Women Healing Conference in Minneapolis. Forgiveness is "the road from resentment to connection," she added, quoting another writer.

The Big Book of "Alcoholics Anonymous" says resentment destroys more alcoholics than anything else because deep resentment leads to futility and unhappiness and shuts us off from the "sunlight of the Spirit." Authentic forgiveness takes time as the hurt party works hard to let go of resentment and the need for retribution, said Lerner. Ideally, the offender will also work hard to earn forgiveness through sincere and generous acts of restitution and repentance--what those in recovery circles call "making amends." But our ability to forgive can't depend on the reactions or actions of another, she said.

As people recovering from addiction often discover, genuine forgiveness is an internal process that can occur with or without anyone else's knowledge or participation. When you practice the art of forgiveness, you may reconnect with another person or community, or you may reconnect with parts of yourself that get shoved aside when bitterness takes over.

Most alcoholics know guilt, shame, remorse, and self-loathing intimately. To rid themselves of those feelings, they come to accept that they are imperfect beings worthy of forgiveness. Understanding that we are more than our transgressions helps us see beyond the transgressions of others.

It is also important to look objectively at a situation to determine what you or other factors (such as illness, personal struggles, etc.) may have played in what occurred. You may then see the problem from the other person's point of view and choose not to be offended, or you may choose to engage in a healthy and respectful dialogue in an attempt to heal the relationship. It is always important to protect yourself. If it is in your own best interests to discontinue the relationship, or if the person with whom you are in conflict is dead, some experts suggest writing an "unsent letter" in which you express your hurt and feelings, yet proclaim your forgiveness. You can even burn the letter as a symbolic act of releasing your resentment.

Kevin discovered that he could forgive his father, yet still be mad at him for abusing his sister and him. As Lerner pointed out, forgiveness can exist simultaneously with anger, just as joy can exist in the midst of grief. Lerner cautioned not to approach forgiveness too quickly or too casually. She said this "cheap forgiveness" is often a gratuitous gift or a compulsive attempt at peacemaking done with no processing of emotion and no coming to terms with the injury. Such forgiveness, she said, is "premature, superficial, and undeserved."

Someone once said that forgiveness is letting go of the idea that you could have had a different past. When we forgive, we surrender the burden of hurts and resentment that so easily weigh us down and keep us from living a full and joyful life.

Healthy forgiveness is not the simple, hasty "I'm sorry" that we were taught to say whenever our parents demanded that response. Real forgiveness is hard and contemplative work that we practice one day at a time, one experience at a time. It is a path to healing and serenity that begins and ends with compassion for ourselves and our feelings. Perhaps rather than "forgive and forget," our new adage should become "forgive and live."

--Published May 31, 2004




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Native American Traditions Blend With AA Principles

Basil Brave Heart's journey of healing began 31 years ago when a Lakota medicine man took him to a sweat lodge, made a circle in the dirt with a stick, then planted the stick in the center of the circle. "He told me, 'This is you in the center, and alcohol walks around you on the outside like the trickster coyote. You chase it up a hill, but it circles around and fools you. Don't let it sneak up on you. Turn around and embrace it so it can become one of your most powerful teachers.'"

Brave Heart says that alcohol has become a prolific teacher whom he can trust to remind him each morning that he must stay sober. Today he is a Lakota Elder and spiritual leader who holds a master's degree in psychology. Using an approach that incorporates western psychology, Twelve Step philosophy, and Native American ritual and ceremony, Brave Heart also works with alcoholics, drug addicts, and persons dealing with post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).

"When I meet a person who is 'way down on the chart,' I first of all tell him my story. I remember in the late '30s watching my father and his friends get drunk. They were the first generation on the reservation, and I think they confused alcohol as a gift from the creator because it seemed like it changed the world. They even called it minniwakan--the Lakota word for "sacred water"--and they'd open a bottle and spill some of it on the ground like an offering. But alcohol doesn't change the world, it only changes the drinker. I think of alcohol as chemical warfare that was used to decimate and weaken us."

Brave Heart was raised on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation and, like many other American Indians, was placed in a boarding school where Indian traditions, beliefs, and values were discouraged. He started drinking as a sophomore because he wanted to "fit in." His drinking accelerated in the military service, where the events he witnessed as a combat soldier in Korea led to PTSD.

After Korea, Brave Heart returned to South Dakota to get a teaching degree, but his drinking got so bad that he lost jobs, got arrested for drunk driving, and contemplated suicide. It was then he met with the medicine man and subsequently entered treatment. "In AA they talk about alcoholism being a powerful, cunning, and baffling disease," he said. "It was another way to say what the medicine man had told me."

This ability to blend the tenets of AA with his ancestral teachings gives Brave Heart a way to communicate with young and old, regardless of their experiences. "I carry the message, show by example and story telling, and listen to the stories of others."

While Brave Heart may not use AA terms like "enabling" or "tough love" with a Lakota grandmother, he'll talk about "waouchila," the Lakota word for compassion, and explain how sometimes the most compassionate thing you can do for a loved one is to let go and trust that a higher power (or the Great Spirit, or Grandfather) will help them surrender to the mystery of healing.

Brave Heart often serves as a spiritual guide (which he likens to being an AA sponsor) for individuals who desire to become clean and sober. "If they want me to guide them, I ask them to prepare for a vision quest by being free from alcohol for one year." A vision quest is a spiritual "time out" where a person goes alone to an isolated place for a number of days to communicate with the creator and rediscover one's authentic self, explained Brave Heart. This agreement is sealed in a sweat lodge, where the person makes a commitment to certain members of the community. Water, earth, air and fire are used to engage all the senses and remind everyone present that they are connected to everything around them, as well as to each other. The sweat lodge symbolizes the womb. "It is a moist, safe, dark, and trusting place where people can bare their souls with confidence, just like at an AA meeting," said Brave Heart.

"I recommend that people do these rituals and ceremonies and also attend AA," said Brave Heart. "Alcohol takes over the whole person. Spirituality is one thing, but you also need others who have been sober for a while to help you understand about the numbing of feelings and relationships."

Ceremony helps you live within yourself; AA helps you live in the world, he explained.

--Published August 23, 2004




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Breaking Through Denial

[Original Title "Breaking through denial is alcoholic's first step in recovery"]
===========================
===========================

Looking in the mirror and accepting what we see can be one of the hardest things we ever do. It's especially hard when the image staring us in the face is painful or doesn't fit with how we want to see ourselves. Sometimes, the truth is so painful that we avoid it at any cost.

Refusing to accept a painful reality that alters the perception of ourselves is a psychological defense called denial. As human beings, we may use denial to protect ourselves from knowledge, insight or awareness that threatens our self-esteem, mental or physical health, or security.

The term "denial" is often used in the chemical dependency field to describe people who deny substance abuse problems. "Denial is the tendency of alcoholics or addicts to either disavow or distort variables associated with their drinking or drug use in spite of evidence to the contrary," said Patricia Owen, PhD, a licensed psychologist for Hazelden in Center City, Minn.

It's a common misconception that all alcoholics and addicts are in denial. In fact, people have various levels of awareness of their chemical use problems and readiness to change behavior. "People may recognize certain facts concerning their use, such as number of arrests or how often they drink," Owen said. "At the same time, they may woefully misperceive the impact their use has had on the people around them, their relationships, how they feel about themselves, or the implications of their drinking history."

Some common statements made by alcoholics who deny their disease include: "I could quit anytime I wanted to." "I'd quit using if people would quit ragging on me." "If you were in my situation, you'd drink, too." Typically, the more severe the addiction, the stronger the denial. This is often baffling and frustrating to family members and others who care about the addicted person.

"If a person doesn't recognize that his or her behavior is creating problems, then he or she wouldn't see the need to change or seek assistance," said Barbara McCrady, PhD, professor of psychololgy and clinical director of the Center for Alcohol Studies at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. "They are also likely to react negatively to people who believe they have a problem."

Also feeding denial is the stigma and shame associated with alcoholism. Unfortunately, much of society still perceives alcoholism as a moral failure.

There are many barriers to overcoming denial. In some cases, the alcoholics behavior may be similar to his or her peers -- it's hard for them to understand that anything is wrong. Other people don't think they can be successful in making changes in their lives, so they refuse to recognize there is a problem.

Chemically dependent people don't have a monopoly on denial. The defense is also employed by many people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and AIDS. People with these diseases may use denial to avoid accepting their mortality, giving up fantasies of control or invincibility, or dramatically changing lifestyles.

An article in the Dec. 14, 1994 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association" notes that "denial may constitute a barrier to the patient's sharing of essential information; it may also interfere with the patient's ability to hear and accept medical advice." Examples of denial include not reporting chest pain or other potentially life-threatening symptoms and denying the impact of chronic or disfiguring illnesses.

It is a myth that harshly confronting a person with the consequences of his or her behavior helps people break through denial. "In most cases, it builds up the defense even more," Owen said. "People fear coming into treatment because of the shame and stigma associated with alcoholism; they fear rejection and confrontation and facing up to their guilt and low self-esteem. A more effective way is to help people learn more about their disease and get support from others who also have the disease."

Family members can help by allowing the chemically dependent loved one to experience the consequences of his or her drinking or drug use. "If someone passes out in the yard -- unless it's a life-threatening situation -- they should be left there," McCrady said. "The person will begin to recognize that there are consequences for his or her actions. If family members give feedback, it should be when the person is sober or straight and it should be expressed in a caring rather than confrontational manner."

--Published February 2, 1998




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Good Reasons Why Young People Should Avoid Alcohol

Adolescence can be a volatile time of life. Young people's physical and emotional states are in flux. They live in a society that places demands on them to "grow up fast."

Add alcohol to this mix and you have the potential for lifelong and life-threatening consequences.

Young people are especially vulnerable to the effects of drinking. They may think that because they're in good health now, drinking won't hurt. But it can have devastating consequences-today and later in life.

You can't ignore the facts. According to the Ninth Special Report to the U.S. Congress on Alcohol and Health, substance abuse may impair adolescents ability to make judgments about sex and contraception, placing them at increased risk for unplanned pregnancy, sexual assault, or becoming infected with a sexually transmitted disease, including HIV/AIDS.

According to a study released in December 1999 by the Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University, teens 14 and younger who use alcohol are twice as likely to have sex than those who don't, and teens 15 and older who drink are seven times likelier to have sexual intercourse and twice as likely to have it with four or more partners than non-drinking teens. What's more, numerous studies have shown that adolescents are more likely to engage in unprotected sex when they drink alcohol than when they do not.

Every year about 3 million teens are infected with a sexually transmitted disease. Among sexually active teens, those who average five or more drinks daily are nearly three times less likely to use condoms, thus placing them at greater risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that fewer than 1 percent of AIDS cases occur in adolescents, whereas persons in their 20s account for 20 percent of all cases. Because of the incubation period between exposure to HIV and the onset of AIDS symptoms (as long as 10 years), the high rate of AIDS among people in their 20s may be a consequence of infection during the teen years.

There are other disturbing numbers. One national study of teenagers found that about half had been drinking and/or using drugs before the act of intercourse that resulted in unintended pregnancy. Each year about one million teenaged girls in this country become pregnant, and 80 percent of those pregnancies are unintended. Alcohol use during pregnancy may result in fetal alcohol syndrome or effect.

Alcohol use is implicated in more incidents of sexual violence than any single drug, according to the CASA study. Alcohol use-by the victim, the perpetrator or both-is implicated in 46 to 75 percent of date rape cases among teens and college students.

The use of alcohol and other drugs is associated with the leading causes of death and injury (such as motor-vehicle crashes, homicides and suicides) among teenagers and young adults. A 16-year-old is still more likely to die from an alcohol-related problem than any other cause.

In addition to the immediate dangers posed by young drinkers, underage alcohol use is a strong predictor of future alcohol abuse. A recent study found that people who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcoholism than those who begin at 21.

April has been designated as Alcohol Awareness Month by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. The theme of this month is preventing underaged drinking, and April 7-9 is Alcohol-Free Weekend. It is a good time for schools and communities to plan programs that encourage young people to avoid alcohol and offer healthy alternatives to drinking. This comes at a good time, since many schools are now busily planning proms, graduation parties and other events.

It's clear that delaying alcohol use is beneficial to the health and development of young people. Increasing awareness of the potential consequences of alcohol use is one piece to helping young people make informed, healthy choices in their lives. Parents can greatly influence those choices by practicing responsible alcohol-use behavior and establishing--and enforcing-clear no-use rules about alcohol.

--Published March 27, 2000




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Parents: Do Not Provide Alcohol To Underage Youth

Spring is a time of great celebration for young people -- spring break, proms and graduations. It's a time when parents are challenged to host the ultimate party for their child. It's a time when many young people expect to use and abuse alcohol at parties.

This expectation puts great pressure on parents to provide alcohol or permit access to it. But the consequences of allowing kids to drink could be disastrous.

A parent provided alcohol for his son and high school friends at a New Year's Eve party. After leaving the party, one intoxicated partygoer was killed and another seriously hurt after their car struck a tree. The parent hosting the party was fined $3,000 for providing alcohol to minors and is facing a wrongful death civil suit. He will regret hosting that party for the rest of his life.

In addition to great risk of injury, the consequences to young people for underage drinking can be severe. To name a few, they include suspension from school and extracurricular activities, revoking one's driver's license, and greatly increased auto insurance rates.

Parents who host parties need to be aware of their responsibilities and the potential problems of providing alcohol to minors. Two myths seem to feed tolerant parental attitudes about alcohol use.

First, some adults, especially the baby boomer parents, don't think of alcohol as a drug. They view it as "better than" using other drugs, said Doug Johnson, the Washington County attorney in Minnesota and former chief of the Juvenile Division for 12 years. "For each kid we send to treatment for drug abuse, we send 100 kids for alcohol abuse. The attitude of parents is, 'I have to keep my kid off drugs, so let them drink.'" Alcohol is an addictive, mood-altering chemical that is potentially more dangerous than any other drug.

The second myth is that drinking by underage kids is safer when done at home. "We need to debunk the logic that parents are protecting their kids by allowing them to drink or providing alcohol in the home," said Kay Provine, prevention specialist at Hazelden. "Parents tell themselves the kids are going to drink anyway, so let's try to control it." But controlling the amount of alcohol and the behaviors of drinkers is virtually impossible. Kids drink to become intoxicated. When this happens young people get out of control -- they become more violent, sexually active, belligerent. They do things that can destroy lives.

The reasons to not provide alcohol are many. First, alcohol consumption for any youth under the age of 21 is illegal in the United States. The only exception to this in Minnesota, for instance, is that a youth may consume alcohol in the home with a parents permission. Laws vary by state, but in Minnesota, providing alcohol to minors is a gross misdemeanor punishable by a $3,000 fine and/or up to one year in prison. A civil suit for damages may result in "parents losing everything they own," added Provine.

In addition, research shows that the earlier young people start drinking, the more likely they are to become clinically diagnosed as alcoholic.

Parents are poor role models if they reinforce the idea that alcohol and other drug use is a necessary and accepted way to entertain at parties. Kids need to know how to have fun without alcohol. Parents need to talk with their children about alcohol before hosting a party. They can be responsible hosts by setting a no-alcohol rule. Provine suggested that parents greet kids at the door, make certain that no uninvited guests are allowed in, check in on the party frequently, and not allow guests to come and go. Parents should never leave the party unattended.

The situation that most frequently results in problems is when parties are held while parents are away for the weekend, said Johnson. The word travels fast about such parties, and before you know it the party is out of control, with hundreds of uninvited guests.

Rules and expectations need to be clearly spelled out with young people before drinking opportunities present themselves. Young people need to be prepared to say no to alcohol in advance of drinking opportunities. Parents need to help them choose parties where there will be no alcohol. Parents need to deliver a clear message: Alcohol and other drug use of any kind is not acceptable.

--Published Feb. 28, 2000




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Changing The Culture of Drinking on College Campuses

At its Web site, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) says the tradition of drinking on college campuses has developed into a culture entrenched in every level of college students' environments. "Customs handed down through generations of college drinkers reinforce students' expectations that alcohol is a necessary ingredient for social success," NIAAA states.
The NIAAA says that these beliefs and the expectations that come with them greatly influence how students view and use alcohol. Keg parties, drunken scenes at sporting events, and weekend get-togethers at bars have become the norm at many colleges. Too often, otherwise sensible young people engage in dangerous drinking activities because of peer pressure that permeates their school environment.

But a custom or tradition is not a predisposition. High school students don't graduate hard-wired to binge drink, so the key is to challenge those longstanding expectations and change the culture of drinking on college campuses. To help do this, the NIAAA established the Task Force on College Drinking, a blue-ribbon panel of college presidents, scientists and students who conducted a comprehensive review of research on college drinking and the effectiveness of methods to prevent it.

Among other things, the Task Force concluded that a change in drinking culture requires intervention at three levels: the individual-student, the entire student body, and the community. Because no two schools are alike, programs must be tailored to address each school's specific alcohol-related problems. The Task Force is confident that this approach can provide schools with techniques that will enable them to realistically assess alcohol-related problems, develop well-documented programs to prevent and reduce the problems, and define measurable outcomes to reflect success or make adjustments.

Data from several national surveys indicate that about four in five college students drink and that about two of every five college students in the past two weeks engaged in binge drinking (defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row for men and four or more in a row for women). As NIAAA points out, at least 1,400 college student deaths a year are linked to alcohol. High-risk drinking also results in serious injuries, assaults, and other health and academic problems. It is a major factor in damage to institutional property. All students (whether they drink or not) and the community feel the ripple effects of campus alcohol problems.

The Task Force acknowledges that changing a culture is no easy matter, and it expresses great empathy for college administrators who seek to implement prevention programs. While interest around prevention efforts is keen and immediate if a student dies as a result of excessive drinking, the drive to make deep changes or explore root causes often wanes after a crisis recedes. It takes time and energy to implement an effective, research-based prevention program, and it is essential that administrators obtain external support from the community, alcohol beverage and hospitality industries, foundations, and other organizations.

One organization that has enjoyed success in the area of alcohol awareness and prevention is the BACCHUS Network, which began in 1975 as a student leadership group at the University of Florida. BACCHUS, which is an acronym for "Boost Alcohol Consciousness Concerning the Health of University Students," focuses on providing peer education. More than 32,000 student leaders and advisors work with over 8 million peers on more than 900 campuses to promote healthy and safe lifestyle decisions about alcohol abuse, tobacco use, illegal drug use, unhealthy sexual practices, and other high-risk behaviors. Through the years, BACCHUS has developed a host of prevention materials, and it offers trainings, hosts conferences, and provides speakers on a variety of topics.

One basic prevention strategy promoted by BACCHUS is the positive social norms approach. By conducting research and surveys about students' attitudes and behaviors, colleges can determine the "true norms" on their campus, such as "most students don't binge when they drink." The next step is to communicate the true norm to students, with the hope that awareness of those norms will change perceptions about alcohol use and encourage students to rethink their decisions about abusing alcohol.

As the NIAAA Task Force emphasizes, the culture of college drinking is counter to the culture of learning. Although there are no easy answers to high-risk college drinking, the Task Force states that: "More educators are acknowledging the existence of a problem. Researchers are discovering new approaches for responding, and communities are becoming aware of their vital role in prevention. Through committed collaborative efforts grounded in research and supported by institutional leadership, the Task Force is convinced that the culture of drinking at U.S. colleges and universities can be changed."

To view the entire Task Force report and recommended strategies for change about college drinking, go to www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov. For information on the BACCHUS Network, visit www.bacchusgamma.org.

--Published April 30, 2007




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Inhalant Use By Young People Is Preventable

When Eric was 14, a friend showed him how to inhale fabric protector. Eric then showed his younger brother and another friend how to do it. "I inhaled chemicals until first my mom caught me inhaling gas and then my dad caught me sniffing leather protector," said Eric. At age 18, Eric is now in treatment for his addiction to alcohol and marijuana.

Inhalants are breathable chemicals that produce a mind-altering effect. They include solvents, paint, glue, fuels, nail polish, hair spray, felt-tip markers, butane, air fresheners, fabric protectors, whipped creme propellant, spray paint and many other chemical products.

Inhaling the vapors, or using a lot over a short period of time, may result in losing touch with one's surroundings, a loss of inhibition, violent behavior, unconsciousness or death. Inhaling highly concentrated amounts of chemicals can lead to heart failure within minutes of sniffing. Severe cardiac arrhythmia is the most common cause of sudden death from inhalants.

Inhalant abuse can cause long-term physical damage to the brain, nerve cells, heart, liver, kidneys, throat, nasal passageways and lungs. Psychological damage can include depression, anxiety, withdrawal, severe mood swings and mental slowness.

Why would anyone inhale such dangerous substances? Children often start chemical use with inhalants because these substances are available, convenient, legal, and they can sober up within minutes. According to Mark Groves, an inhalant prevention specialist, about 1,400 household products sold over the counter at grocery and hardware stores can be inhaled.

Young people, especially those between the ages of 7 and 17, are most likely to abuse inhalants. Twenty one percent of eighth graders have used inhalants at least once in their lifetime, according to the 1997 Monitoring the Future drug-use survey, and 12 percent of eighth graders said they had used inhalants in the past year.

Inhalant use often begins when children learn from friends or an older sibling. If children learn very early that they like a certain smell, something as seemingly harmless as fruit-smelling markers, and even feel good when smelling it, they may continue to inhale that and other substances. Early use of inhalants can indicate problem use later in life and may serve as a gateway drug to other harmful substances.

Because each inhalant has a legitimate use and because it's hard to police the misuse of these chemicals, education seems to be the best means of prevention. Groves suggests that "parents start teaching their children very early, at ages 4 and 5, that these substances are poisons and explain why they are dangerous."

Groves offers tips for parents to prevent inhalant abuse:

Look for teachable moments. When children mention that gas smells good, teach them that gas or other chemicals should never be inhaled.
Don't shut children out by simply saying something is "bad for you." That kind of response often invites indifference, or worse, rebellion.
Educate yourself and then give your children concrete information; talk about dangerous behavior, such as inhalant use, and explain the consequences.
Help your children develop refusal skills, or how they can say no.
Listen to your children; talk with them to learn what pressures they are exposed to and what they are thinking and feeling.
Ask questions of your children and their friends: Where are you going? Who will you be with? Establish firms rules of behavior and set and enforce consequences for unacceptable behavior.
Some signs of inhalant use include chemical smell on breath; chemical stains on skin and clothing; sores around the mouth and nose; runny nose; nose bleeds; headaches and nausea; slurred speech; chronic cough; and sudden changes in mood and behavior. Parents can also watch for empty containers of white-out, plastic bags and butane lighters as signs of potential inhalant abuse. Also, secretive or other unusual behavior by your child and his or her friends may tip off inhalant use.

To receive a copy of a "A Parents' Guide to Preventing Inhalant Abuse" or for more information about inhalant abuse, contact the National Inhalant Prevention Coalition in Austin, Texas, at (800) 269-4237 or visit http://www.inhalants.org/.

--Published March 30, 1998




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).
=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Marijuana: Not the Harmless Drug It Was Once Thought

In the 1960s, John Lennon described smoking marijuana as "just a mild giggle." Today, a similar soft perception -- a misperception -- is contributing to marijuana's renewed popularity among young people.

Marijuana flourished during the '60s and '70s. By 1979, surveys revealed that 15 million Americans were using marijuana at least once a week and that 60 percent of high school seniors had used marijuana at least once. This psychoactive drug, a popular counterculture symbol of the '60s and '70s, steadily decreased in popularity during the 1980s. But today it is still by far the most widely used illicit drug in the United States. In 1985, 28.6 million Americans had used marijuana at least once during the past year compared with 18 million in 1994.

Most alarming has been the recent resurgence of marijuana use among young people. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 1996 Monitoring the Future study, the percentage of 8th graders who reported using marijuana in the last month increased from 3.7 percent in 1992 to 11.3 percent in 1996. For 10th graders, monthly use rates went from 8.1 percent to 20.4 percent.

"Our surveys show a direct correlation between the increased use of marijuana among young people and young peoples attitudes about the drug," said Alan I. Leshner, PhD, former director of NIDA. "As kids perceive marijuana use as less risky, use goes up."

Leshner said it is difficult to explain this disturbing trend. He suggests that a decrease in antidrug messages in the media, an increase in pro-drug messages through the pop culture, and a lack of awareness among parents about marijuana's harmful effects have contributed to the drugs resurgence.

One thing is clear today: Marijuana is not the harmless drug it was once thought. It causes physical and psychological damage, is addictive, and can lead to the use of more powerful mood-altering drugs. Some of marijuana's harmful effects include:

Acute effects. Marijuana's effects vary from person to person, depending on the drug's potency, dosage and method of intake. Marijuana can impair speech, thinking, judgment, short-term memory, coordination and balance. The drug can cause drowsiness, delusions, impaired vision, severe vomiting, headache and dizziness, all hazardous effects to anyone attempting to drive.

Increased potency. Marijuana today is much stronger. The average potency of marijuana, or the THC content (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) that produces the "high," has increased from an average of 1 percent in the 1960s to 3 percent today. Greater availability of even more potent marijuana, up to 15 percent THC, increases the risk of intoxication.

Marijuana dependence. Research confirms that marijuana is addicting. More than 100,000 people who enter addiction treatment each year report marijuana as their primary drug of abuse.

Fetal effects. Long-term studies of children who were exposed prenatally to marijuana indicate a link with impaired intellectual ability. Other studies suggest marijuana may cause symptoms similar to those associated with fetal alcohol syndrome (eg, mental retardation).

Upper respiratory problems, cancer. Heavy and extended use may contribute to ailments such as sore throats, coughs, bronchitis and pneumonia. Marijuana contains about twice as much tar as a tobacco cigarette and has more cancer-causing compounds than cigarettes. Studies show that a person who smokes five joints per week may be taking in as many cancer-causing chemicals as someone who smokes a pack of cigarettes every day.

Heart problems. Because marijuana has been shown to increase heart rate and alter blood pressure, it poses a risk to people suffering from heart conditions.

Lost motivation. Chronic use may lead to a motivational syndrome, a condition marked by loss of drive, energy and motivation and increased passivity.

Problems for young people. Because of the acute effects mentioned above, marijuana use can cause poor performance in academic and athletic activities. Also, there's a strong link between drug use and unsafe sex, a combination that contributes to unwanted pregnancies and the spread of HIV, the virus causing AIDS.

Most troubling is that young people in particular are not getting the message about marijuana. "At the core of our agenda must be a clear and consistent message: Marijuana is illegal, dangerous, unhealthy and wrong," said Leshner.

Two NIDA pamphlets on marijuana -- "Marijuana: Facts for Teens" and "Marijuana: What Parents Need to Know" -- are available by calling the National Clearinghouse on Alcohol and Drug Information at (800) 729-6686.

--Published March 16, 1998




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).

=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~

Spirituality Lies At The Heart Of Every Person, Recovery

A small circle of men listened attentively as their counselor at a mission in St. Paul announced their assignment. Their faces might have belonged to anyone--professionals with post-graduate degrees or homeless individuals who constantly struggle. But they were late-stage, chronic alcoholics, the kind who huddle beneath city bridges in the December cold or who simply revolve through local detox centers and shelters. All were searching for a reason to hope.

A week earlier, the counselor had asked each of them to write a prayer. Everyone managed to come up with something, except one. The counselor asked if he had written something, and the man shook his head and stared dismally at the floor. Years on the street immersed in alcohol and gloom had left him isolated, estranged from everyone, especially a divine power.

Days later, after hours of talking, listening and searching, the group assembled again and the counselor asked the man if he brought his prayer. "Yes," he said, to everyone's surprise. He then recited his prayer:

"Whoever made me, keep me safe."

It was a powerful prayer, strong in its simplicity and in what it revealed about the person who said it. It confirmed that at the core of every human being burns a spirit searching for healing and connection with a source of strength and goodness beyond ones self.

Most chemical dependency treatment programs support the belief that recovery from addiction involves making peace with one's spiritual self. Yet spirituality is an illusive term, essential for becoming whole and human, though extremely difficult to define. The spirit is a vital element of our humanity. Spirit translated from the Latin word spiritus refers to breath. It is basic to human kind.

Spirituality could be called the essence that moves us toward a sense of connectedness with the universe or God, with others, and with our self. Framed as questions, a spiritual journey would ask: Where do I find meaning and purpose in life? How do I bond with others? Who am I?

Treatment professionals have long known that chemical dependency affects every part of a person--physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual.

"The addiction-recovery process is a paradigm of what spirituality is all about," said Damian McElrath, a spiritual care specialist at Hazelden in Center City, Minn. "The addictive personality wages warfare against our true selves. As our good self struggles and succumbs, the addictive self emerges victorious. Recovery is the dying of the addictive self and the development of a new or revitalized human spirit."

The Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous help recovering persons let go of their addictive selves. The program recognizes the spiritual task as cultivating relationships through simplicity, honesty, trust and humility.

It is with spirit that we find strength and identity through community and fellowship with others. We discover power that comes from something larger than our self. We feel a source of wisdom that can guide us as we grow and change.

A spirituality for today could be called a spirituality or companionship--friend accompanying friend, helping, sharing, daring, celebrating, grieving. It invites the deepest forms of human healing. It shatters our illusions of having it "all together," of having control or attaining personal perfection. A spirituality for today says that upon discovering our unique nature, we also find that we are one.

Perhaps when the holiday festivities are over, when the last note has been sung and the last candle burned, the message remaining is as simple as the homeless mans six-word prayer. It is a message of simplicity and humility. To be humble means to be in touch with the earth and all who inhabit it--to be reconciled and made whole.

--Published December 20, 1999




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alive & Free is a health column that provides information to help prevent substance abuse problems and address such problems. It is created by Hazelden, a nonprofit agency based in Center City, Minn., that offers a wide range of information and services on addiction. For more resources, email or call Hazelden at 800-257-7810 (outside the US 651-213-4200).

=============================================
"Copyright © 2003 Hazelden Foundation. All rights reserved."
=============================================
You can access more Articles like this at Hazelden.org

Thank you, Hazelden and Alive&Free for allowing me to use your articles.

T Lewis~~