Addictive Behavior

DRUG-USE STAGES

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Drug use can be viewed as a series of developmental stages: initiation, escalation, maintenance, discontinuation (sometimes including relapse), and recovery.  Some clients go from one stage to another, others do not. Some relapse many times, whereas others bypass relapse altogether. INITIATION Drug experimentation typically begins during adolescence, in social settings during middle or high school. Teens rarely [...]

Decide to Make a Change

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

Admitting that you have a drug problem isn’t easy. It takes courage and strength to face up to addiction. When you’re bogged down in drug abuse and drug addiction, sobriety may seem like an impossible goal. But recovery is not out of reach. For many people struggling with addiction, the biggest and toughest step toward [...]

Trauma and Addictive Behavior: Treating both

Monday, June 15th, 2009

There is an interconnection of trauma and addictive behavior, often becoming an unending cycle. Emotional and psychological pain so often lead to self-medicating, which leads to more pain, and inevitably more self-medicating, and so on. The research connecting trauma and addiction, provides support for the specialized trauma therapy in addition to 12 step addiction treatment.

Alcholics Anonymous: Big Book Promise of Recovery

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

On Page 98 of the Big Book, “Burn the idea into the consciousness of every man [and woman] that he [she] can get well regardless of anyone. The only condition is that he [she] trust in God and clean house.” (1939) Regardless of conditions…Anyone can get well!!! Big words and a Big Promise from the [...]