Posts in category Interview

Smokeless Tobacco Addiction: an Interview with Greg of KillTheCan

Jul11
2011 3 Comments Written by Kay Ehni

AllTreatment conducted an interview with Greg, co-founder of KillTheCan.org -http://www.killthecan.org/- a website dedicated to helping people quit smokeless tobacco. KillTheCan has a quitter community with a membership of over 8,000, 2 blogs, a live chat, social media presence (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook), and just launched a similar site focusing on smokers called WhackThePack – http://www.whackthepack.com/. Greg himself is 1,814 days free from Kodiak smokeless tobacco.

AllTreatment: What are some common misconceptions about smokeless tobacco?

Greg: There’s quite a bit of mis-information out there about dip/chew/snuff.

#1 is that it’s “safer” than smoking. It’s not. While there are certainly more deaths attributed to smoking, that’s partially due to the fact that there are MORE smokers out there. I can’t tell you how many times people tell me that they’ve gotten hooked on smokeless in order to quit smoking. The product contains nicotine which is a deadly and HIGHLY addictive drug.

#2 is that it’s not as addictive as smoking. That’s simply not the case. A can of dip contains the same amount of nicotine as 3 PACKS of cigarettes. I was a can+ per day Kodiak user so I was essentially a 3-4 pack per day smoker (from a nicotine perspective). No WONDER it’s so difficult to quit dipping.

READ MORE »

Share/Bookmark
Posted in News, Nicotine Addiction

Internet Addiction Symptoms and Treatment: An Interview with Dr. Kimberly Young

Jun13
2011 1 Comment Written by Kay Ehni

Dr. Kimberly Young is a licensed psychologist and professor at St. Bonaventure University who  founded the Center for Internet Addiction in 1995. She has written numerous books and articles on the subject, and has spoken about Internet addiction at various universities and conferences around the world. AllTreatment asked Dr. Young a few questions about the symptoms and treatment involved in addictive Internet usage.

AllTreatment: How can someone determine when their Internet usage has become addictive? Is it possible to recognize signs in a friend or loved one?

Dr. Kimberly Young

Dr. Young: Yes, there is a list of eight signs based upon psychiatric criteria to diagnose or determine if someone is addicted. Meeting five or more meets the baseline.

1. Do you feel preoccupied with the Internet (think about previous on-line activity or anticipate next on-line session)?

2. Do you feel the need to use the Internet with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve satisfaction?

3. Have you repeatedly made unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop Internet use?

4. Do you feel restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop Internet use?

5. Do you stay on-line longer than originally intended?

6. Have you jeopardized or risked the loss of significant relationship, job, educational or career opportunity because of the Internet?

7. Have you lied to family members, therapist, or others to conceal the extent of involvement with the Internet?

8. Do you uses the Internet as a way of escaping from problems or of relieving a dysphoric mood (e.g., feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, depression)?

Note: These criteria excerpted from: Internet Addiction: Symptoms, Evaluation, and Treatment by Dr. Kimberly Young. The full article can be found at http://www.netaddiction.com/articles/symptoms.pdf

AT: What is it about Internet usage that lends itself to addictive behavior? Are individuals with Internet addiction generally prone to other addictive behaviors?

DY: The anonymity of cyberspace is a big factor. Using the Internet is personal, private, and feels anonymous so when we have someone who is stressed, depressed, or anxious, using the Internet becomes a form of escape, like any other addiction.

AT: It seems that awareness of Internet addiction is out of step with its prevalence. Do you have a sense of why this may be?

DY: Yes, I have sensed this since 1995 when I first began to study the issue of Internet addiction.  Not sure why this is but mainly I believe it is because the Internet is such a productive tool.  It is hard to imagine someone becoming addicted to it in the same way we talk about drugs and alcohol. It can happen, as we know and many cases have been documented, yet there is still such a push to have people use the technology that it is difficult to look at the addictive qualities of the technology with the same investment we look at drug treatment. In other countries such as China and Korea this is not the case. They have been leaders in the treatment field.

AT: What forms of treatment tend to be most effective for Internet addiction?

DY: The common practice is cognitive behavioral techniques to examine Internet behavior and maladaptive thoughts that lead to addictive thinking (rationalizing that the Internet is not addictive, justifying need to engage in cybersex, gaming, gambling online, etc.)

AT: The Internet is used for so many reasons (school, work, etc) that sometimes it seems impossible to avoid. If someone is experiencing symptoms of Internet addiction, how could they go about managing these demands without fueling addictive behavior?

DY: The training or treatment I provide focuses on time management – it is a clear behavioral modification program to manage online behavior. This is the best way to learn or relearn how to use the computer. The creates a positive work-life balance so the person uses it without abusing it. The idea of treatment is controlled or moderated use.  If you look under ARTICLES on our site you will see one that outlines in detail treatment of Internet addiction and how to manage online time using cognitive behavioral therapy, which is primarily what I use, and it does seem to work well with this patient population.

—

Share/Bookmark
Posted in Addiction Stories, News

Eating Disorders and Recovery: an Interview with Carrie of Moves ‘N Munchies

Jun09
2011 4 Comments Written by Kay Ehni

 

While most of us have heard of eating disorders, we often aren’t aware of the deep internal struggle they produce—or the steps necessary to finally regain control of one’s life. I interviewed Carrie of Moves ‘n Munchies, a blog about healthy eating, exercise, and personal wellness, who very generously agreed to share some of her experiences with disordered eating and recovery.

AllTreatment: Hello! Could you tell us a little bit about yourself and when your experiences with disordered eating began?

Carrie: Hi! I’m Carrie and I blog at Moves ‘N Munchies! I struggled with an eating disorder for 5 1/2 years (anorexia nervosa and bulimia) as well as depression. My eating disorder began when I was 11 years old due to the changes going on in my life and body as well as a very low self esteem. I began ‘dieting’ and eventually got to an extremely low weight. The doctors warned my parents that I could die within a week if I didn’t eat. I was sent to an outpatient treatment center because I was too young for inpatient care. I gained the weight back, but never received psychological help, therefore I struggled for five years on my own and during those five years I developed bulimia. My weight went up and down, but I was too embarrassed to tell my parents about my struggles. I eventually lost a lot of weight again and went to another outpatient treatment center. I got the help I really needed and worked extremely hard to finally conquer the ED as I was so sick of it.

AT: Being self-conscious about one’s body and weight is unfortunately commonplace in our society. How did you recognize that you had extended beyond “normal” worrying into disordered eating?

Carrie: Unfortunately, I did not recognize that my actions or thinking was abnormal. It wasn’t until other people intervened that I then got treatment and my mind shifted. When you have an ED you legitimately do not see your body as it really is nor do you think your eating habits are odd especially because being underweight screws with your brain so it doesn’t function properly. The ED mind controls you and takes over you to make you think that what really isn’t normal, somehow is for you. The problem with EDs is exactly that…you don’t realize you are doing wrong most of the time until someone has told you or diagnosed you. And even then you may not accept it.

AT: Eating disorders have been shown to produce endorphins in the brain, which are the same chemicals produced when engaging in any addictive behavior (drugs, gambling, etc.) In what ways do you feel an eating disorder is addictive?

Carrie: An eating disorder is extremely addictive. Starving yourself and being hungry gets you on a high. It distracts you from the problems in your life so that they don’t matter; as long as you keep starving yourself and losing weight, everything will be okay. Once you lose a pound, you get really excited…that feeling then pushes you to lose another and then another. Once you see that you can lose weight or that you are skipping a meal, you want to do more. You feel so accomplished that you want to see how much further you can take it…that’s when things go too far and the problems kick in. Unlike people who can lose weight and then stop at a healthy weight, people with EDs don’t stop…they get addicted to losing weight and being hungry.

AT: What kind of treatment did you seek for your eating disorder, and what do you think was particularly helpful to your recovery?

Carrie: The first time I developed my ED I received outpatient care. I would see a nutritionist a couple times a week where she would weigh me and put me on a meal plan to gain a certain amount of weight per week. The second time around I received a nutritionist, a therapist and a family therapist. I saw them every week apart from the family therapist who my family and I saw every few weeks. Having a therapist the second time around really helped me deal with the psychological problems I had. It was during the second round of treatment that I really pushed myself to get rid of the ED…. full recovery came from me and me wanting to change.

AT: Can you think of one thing in particular that you wish you had known that would have aided your recovery or helped you find treatment sooner?

Carrie: Yes! I wish I had been told more firmly the medical repercussions one can get from an ED. For example…I delayed my puberty and didn’t get my period until a lot later, which thinned my bones to where I have a severe case of osteopenia, almost osteoporosis. Luckily I still have until I’m 30 years old to rebuild my bones, but if I were older I would have osteoporosis forever.

AT: Are there any misconceptions about eating disorders that you’d like to straighten out?

Carrie: Yes! People with EDs cannot ‘just eat’…there are two sides to them. One side is telling them they need to eat because people are telling them to and the other is the ED telling them they are going to be fat and fail at life if they eat. It is a constant battle between the two minds inside your head. Another thing is that people with EDs should not be looked down upon. It is a disease, not a choice. They are not crazy or weird…they are ill just like any other person out there dealing with an illness.

—

Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and advice with us, Carrie. I know that your courage in conquering your ED will be inspirational to those who worry that recovery is impossible.

Share/Bookmark
Posted in Addiction Stories

Interview with Rod Colvin on Prescription Drug Addiction

Mar28
2011 Leave a Comment Written by S. Cody Barrus

Addiction to prescription drugs has been a part of American culture for years, yet this issue is seldom addressed as seriously as illegal drug abuse.  With so many addictive prescription drugs on the market, many with adverse effects to users, and by extension, their families and loved ones, we decided it was time to learn more about this addiction.

Rod Colvin

So, we talked to Rod Colvin, the author of Overcoming Prescription Drug Addiction (visit his website: Prescription Drug Addiction), who took the time to answer a few of our questions about prescription drug abuse. READ MORE »

Share/Bookmark
Tagged

Interview with the Recovery Rabbi

Feb28
2011 Leave a Comment Written by S. Cody Barrus
Yisrael PinsonRabbi Yisrael Pinson runs the web site Jewish Recovery, as well his personal blog Recovery Rabbi.  Using these tools, as well as the Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House, located in West Bloomfield, MI, he reaches out to the recovering Jewish community, where he is “dedicated to helping Jewish recovering addicts with their spiritual needs.”
Says Rabbi Pinson, “I started Jewish Recovery to reach out to Jewish Addicts around the world with fresh content that speaks specifically about the concept of Judaism & Recovery as a unit.”

We asked him about his various programs, about the 12 steps, and about the strength those in recovery gain through familiar community and shared faith.

AllTreatment: Your services are fairly unique because you focus so much on spirituality.  Why is this?  What advantages does this approach have over other methods which may disregard this aspect of recovery?

Rabbi Pinson: The most effective programs to address all addictions are 12-step based programs, which are essentially spiritual in nature. It allows for the person to not only recover from a specific addiction, but also to change their lives around, and live more thoughtfully. By infusing the spirituality of the 12 steps with the ancient teachings of the Torah, we empower recovering addicts to continue growing in their spiritual quest.

AT: In what other ways, beyond spiritual help, do you help those in recovery, or do you focus souly on the spiritual aspect of recovery?

RP: Locally, through the Friendship House, and globally through the feedback option on Jewish Recovery, as well as my presence on Facebook and Twitter, I help addicts find the right resources for their recovery. I help people find the right rehabilitation center for their loved ones, as well as connect them with others in their area who have successfully recovered from a similar addiction.

AT: You seem to have a thriving Jewish community around you and your work, “[a] place for Jewish recovering addicts to meet, communicate and support each other in their recovery”.  How does this sense of community, shared faith and support effect the recovering addict?

RP: As many studies have shown, recovering addicts have a better chance of long term sobriety when they recover within their original communities and culture. By helping create Jewish Recovery Communities both online and in cities across the world, we are creating a welcoming places for the newcomer to feel accepted and empowered.Viewpoints: Emotional Sobriety

AT: You are also the Director of the Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House.  How have you been able to share what you have learned here and spread it amongst those who connect with you online?

RP: Our most popular program here, is our weekly Dinner & Learn, where we… eat! and spend some time studying recovery material in the lens on the teaching of Judaism and Kabbalah. Throughout the years we have studied the 12 steps, the “must”s of the Big Book, the Twelve & Twelve, the stories of the Big Book, and now G0d of our Understanding. Those classes are recorded and them uploaded to Jewish Recovery and RecoveryRabbi.org where recovering addicts around the world can listen and download the classes.

AT: Thank you for taking the time take part in this interview.  Do you have any last thought’s before we close?
RP: As a Rabbi, I am trained to teach and talk. In recovery I finally learned to listen and learn…
—
S. Cody Barrus
Managing Editor
Share/Bookmark
Posted in Treatment centers

Interview with C-P of Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Help

Feb22
2011 2 Comments Written by Adrienne Hurst

We interviewed C-P, creator of the addiction help site Alcoholism-and-Drug-Addiction-Help.com. His website provides information, advice, and resources for alcoholics and drug addicts–as well as their families and friends–to educate themselves and find help.

AllTreatment: How did Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Help come about?

C-P: I just wanted to create an outlet that could help others better understand the nature of addiction and how to go about trying to overcome it successfully. For many, addiction is still largely misunderstood and carries a certain negative social stigma, which prevents people from getting the help the need. But thanks to the internet these days you can learn a lot in the safety of your own home, and hopefully the more people get properly informed and educated that way, the more they’ll be willing to take action and ask for help.

AllTreatment: You have given a great deal of advice to recovering addicts and their friends/families. What separates an addict from a non-addict? In other words, how does a drug or alcohol user know that they’ve become addicted?

http://bit.ly/fIdX58

C-P: The way I simplify it is when your drinking or using drugs starts becoming a problem for you. In other words, when your emotional, spiritual, personal life, relationships, job etc. start becoming affected due to your drinking/drug using, you know you’ve got a problem that you need to do something about. And that’s ultimately all that matters. Sometimes people get stuck on labels and what really does/doesn’t define addiction, but if your drinking or drug using is starting to cause problems for you and you can’t moderate or control it, then your problem is serious enough to get help for.

AllTreatment: What prevents alcoholics and drug addicts from receiving the help they need? How can they overcome these setbacks?

C-P: Denial remains the biggest obstacle. Many think they can control it and so refuse to acknowledge their problem fully. But moderation/control just doesn’t work for someone pre-disposed toward addiction. I also think that because alcoholism/drug addiction do still carry such a negative stigma, many people are too ashamed or embarrassed to admit they have a problem, which prevents them from getting the help they need.

Step number one in recovery is always acknowledging you have a problem. Until you do that, you won’t be willing to ask for help. There is no shame in struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction, so the sooner a person admits to their problem and gets the appropriate help, the better.

AllTreatment: What are some important things for addicts to keep in mind during recovery?

C-P: Recovery doesn’t just happen. It takes work and commitment. Those who stay sober and become healthy and happy individuals are inevitably those who have worked hard at changing themselves and their self-destructive tendencies. The rewards that a life of recovery brings are well worth it, but it takes hard work to achieve that.

AllTreatment: Oftentimes family members and close friends must suffer the negative consequences of an addict’s actions. How can they cope? How does the role of the family factor into an addict’s recovery?

http://bit.ly/gEG7Fi

C-P: They have to remember that they can’t control or cure the addict – so putting in boundaries in place and learning to detach from the choices the addict makes are crucial. And then make sure the addict is held fully accountable for the choices he makes and that he experiences all consequences that come with his choosing to a live a life of addiction, no matter how bad. If he’s allowed to fall and in doing so reaches his bottom, he’ll hopefully reach the point where he’s open to receiving help.

AllTreatment: How are alcoholism and drug addiction prevented?

C-P: I don’t think you can prevent them to be honest. Education obviously plays a huge role, especially the role of parents in making their children aware of the dangers of addiction. But you can still do all the right things in terms of parenting and educating, and people will still get addicted. There are just too many causes and variables at play, many of which no one can control.

AllTreatment: What are some of the most important/interesting things that you have learned through maintaining Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Help?

C-P: Just how many people are affected by alcoholism and drug addiction, whether it be personally or through a loved one. The scope of the problem is massive. But the only way to tackle these problems is head-on. Nothing changes if nothing changes – so educating oneself, while a crucial step, solves nothing. You have to take action before anything will change, and unfortunately too many people stay stuck between having all the info and knowing what to do – and then actually going out and doing it.

AllTreatment: If you could give one piece of advice to anyone struggling with an addiction, what would it be?

C-P: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are loads of people out there ready and waiting to help you. Addiction can be overcome and no matter how bad things are for you right now, know that you can turn things around. So don’t wait, act now.

For more information, visit Alcoholism-and-Drug-Addiction-Help.com.

Share/Bookmark
Posted in Addiction Resources, Addiction Stories

The Last Chance Texaco – Interview

Feb21
2011 Leave a Comment Written by S. Cody Barrus

Chris has struggled with Crystal Meth since his 20’s, but I can’t tell his story as well as he can, so i suggest you read it here now he is four years sober.  He runs the blog The Last Chance Texaco where he details his daily struggle, and speaks on just about all topics related to his addiction including recovery, relationships, and forgiveness.  It is likely the best blog on this subject I have found in my research, so I asked him if he would be willing to be interviewed and he consented, and what followed was a honest, open, even penitrating discussion on Chris, his background, the AA program, etc.


AllTreatment: Chris, you have quiet a story, which our readers can find in full here, but for the sake of this interview, can you briefly tell us about yourself:

Chris: Well, I guess I’m not what most people’s image of an addict is. I grew up in a small town. I come from a large, religious family. My childhood was happy. My dad is a Ph.D. engineer and I had a stay-at-home mom. I was close to my grandparents. I was active in things like scouting and Junior Achievement. In 6th grade my plan was to go to Marquette and become a dentist. If I had remained faithful to the religion I grew up in I probably never would have discovered drugs, but that just isn’t how things work out for most of us who have that thing, that little defect that addiction stems from. Life got difficult in high school. I was pretty sure I was the only gay kid in my high school. I had a contentious relationship with my step-father. I started smoking a great deal of pot and by the middle of my senior year I dropped out of school and ran away from home. It wasn’t all down hill from there. There were times when my life kind of worked right. But basically it was a 20 year slide into hell. My personal hell was much lower than it needed to be, but it made for some pretty interesting experience.

AT: Where you are with your recovery?

Chris: I just celebrated the 4th anniversary of my sobriety date. That doesn’t sound like much to someone who isn’t an addict and it probably sounds like forever to someone who is. Between 1984 and 2007 I made 6 earnest attempts at getting sober and the most I ever put together was two and a half years. Two and a half years sober and completely miserable. Now it has been 4 years. Sometimes I’m surprised that I’m still sober, and sometimes it feels like the most natural thing in the world, but I am always profoundly grateful for it.

AT: What you are trying to accomplish through your website?

Chris: National Geographic called my town “America’s most remote urban area”. It is a bubble. I didn’t really know anyone who was getting clean. I didn’t actually believe it was possible. I thought that people who were addicted to crystal meth were doomed. Everything I read said that we had a ridiculously high relapse rate over the first year. I also knew that some of what I was experiencing getting clean was going to be different because of the relationship between crystal meth and sex. I didn’t know a single gay person who was sober from or even interested in getting off methamphetamine. I was also pretty clear that I wasn’t going to be able to get clean by myself. I really was just desperate to hear the story of someone whose experience was much like my own who got free from this addiction. Well, back in 2007 if you searched for the term “crystal meth recovery” you seriously got recipes for making the stuff, some blog rants by people who loved the stuff, some news articles about it. If you added “personal stories” to the search there was even less, and I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that there wasn’t anyone bleeding their experience into a blog somewhere. I just really thought someone should. Someone should be sharing their experience, day by day, of what getting off that stuff is like. Maybe it would just be futile. Maybe, if they actually stayed sober, it might give someone hope. I was looking for hope and I couldn’t find it outside myself, so I decided to share my own experience, as honestly as I could and from the place where I was.

AT: Where did you get the name The Last Chance Texaco, because it’s brilliant?

Chris: Thank you. Actually when I started writing the name was MethedUp. About 9 months into recovery though the name was so irrelevant that I needed to abandon it. My story wasn’t about being methed (or messed) up anymore. It was really about getting whatever it was that I needed to make the journey successfully. Lots of people call 12 step groups “the last house on the block.” I always thought of it as the Last Chance Texaco. Actually it is an image from my childhood. Lots of the families I grew up around had cabins in Island Park, Idaho and the gas station there on Highway 20 happens to be the Last Chance Texaco. I wasn’t aware until months after I started writing that it is also a Ricky Lee Jones song, but the lyrics of that song are right on target for the idea I was trying to communicate. One line I especially love is “It’s your last chance to trust the man with the star.” A perfect metaphor for a Higher Power.

AT: Your struggle is one shared by many in the addiction community, a struggle that those who have not dealt with addiction may not entirely understand, especially in terms of relapse.  Relapse is very common, and an ever lurking threat, one which you yourself have succumb to, and yet here you are four years sober.  How have you dealt with this threat, and how do you maintain your strength against it?  How do you deal with the temptation of relapse in the moment, when it is hardest to reason?
Chris: I remember very clearly what it was like before. Not just the good stuff, and lets be honest, there was good stuff. Sometimes it was fun. Otherwise I wouldn’t have been doing it. But I remember the bad stuff too. I have never let that get too far away from me. And I have go
tten really good at recognizing when my thinking isn’t quite right. I think of myself primarily as a crystal meth addict so it would be very easy for me to think that a beer would be fine on a hot day. Or wouldn’t it be nice to just smoke half a joint and take a hot bath and get a really good night’s sleep. Well as an addict I know that I can never safely use any of those mind or mood altering drugs safely. I know that the thought “have a beer” is an INSANE idea.

I don’t actually believe that I have any “strength against it” to maintain. Fig

hting it is being attached to it. Letting it go is much easier. Now when I have that “one beer” or “half a joint” idea I know that it means that something is not quite right with me and that I need to pull my focus back in on the tools that helped me get sober in the first place.

AT: You seem wholly invested in the 12 steps program.  Why does it work so well, and would you recommend it for others who are suffering from addiction?

Chris: There are a lot of ways to recover. I only know that because I have seen it for myself. I tried many of them and while they worked for others they didn’t work for me. I even tried 12 step recovery before and never got “the miracle” they kept telling me was going to happen if I stuck around. When I came back in 2007 I did not believe that it would work. Actually I was quite certain that it wouldn’t, but what else was I going to do? My grandfather used to say “You can’t lead ‘em where you ain’t goin’.” Well I didn’t need to be blazing a trail on my own. I needed to be on a path with others who were trying to get to the same place. 12 step programs were the only place that I found where I felt that I was with people and we were all on a path together. I think that is why it works. I think the main thing is the fellowship. That along with a few simple tools for seeing oneself more clearly. Sponsorship has been really important to me as well. Finding someone whom I feel safe about being completely honest with has been incredible.

I would absolutely recommend it, but with a proviso. Sitting in meetings is not recovery. I first had to be convinced to my core that I was an addict and then I had to be convinced that this might work for me. I always suggest that people read the book Alcoholics Anonymous, especially the chapters More About Alcoholism, The Chapter to the Agnostic, and the personal stories. If you’re an addict then obviously substitute your drug for the word alcohol but read those things. If after reading those you aren’t convinced that you are one of us or that this can work for you then either read it all again or throw the book away. If you have an honest desire to get sober you can and if you want it to this path can work for you. It is that simple.

AT: What would you say was the most important step you had to make in terms of recovery (not necessarily referring to the 12 steps, but not discounting them either)?

Chris: The phrase 12 steppers use is “fully concede to our innermost selves”. I hung on to the idea that maybe it would be different for a long, long time. I don’t know how to tell someone how to do that but that is at the heart of willingness. I think that in this life each of us gets a few seconds of pure grace, places where we can, if we are willing to, walk away from where we are and into a new world and a new life. For me that window of grace exists at the intersection of opportunity and willingness. There were many times when I had the opportunity to go to meetings but I didn’t have the willingness to go to any length to recover. The single most important step I took was to kick the window open when I saw it and keep on walking forward.

AT: Your story is vast, at times heart breaking, at times inspiring, but I was especially surprised by how well written it is.  Have you written a book?  If not you should.

Chris: Oh, thanks. Hopefully it is unique enough to be interesting and universal enough to be helpful to a broad audience. I love to write but writing that self consciously is, well, it has it’s place. You know what I’d really love to do is write television. When I realized how much I would hate being a dentist, writing became my dream job.

AT: Any last thoughts regarding your personal struggle or addiction which you think might help others in the recovery community?

Chris: I am really grateful that AA didn’t kick me out; that they meant it when they said keep coming back, because that is the only thing I did right.

—
S. Cody Barrus
Managing Editor
Share/Bookmark
Posted in Addiction Stories - Tagged , ,

Drinking Diaries – An Interview

Feb21
2011 Leave a Comment Written by S. Cody Barrus
Drinking Diaries – From Celebration to Revelation is a forum where women can come together to share experiences involving alcohol in an open, inviting and fun atmosphere.  Run by Caren Osten Gerszberg and Leah Odze Epstein, both writers who are currently working on a book together, the site is not geared towards struggling alcoholics, thought they are welcome there too.  Rather, it is a place where women can discuss drinking in any and all situations, from college parties to celebrations, to that glass of wine at the end of the day.  We interviewed Caren and Leah about their site, and here’s what they had to say:

AllTreatment: This is a very interesting concept in that you don’t seem to necessarily condemn or condone drinking, rather your attitude seems to be ‘it is what it is, so let’s talk about it’.  Would you say this is accurate?  What inspired this concept?

Drinking Diaries: We don’t believe that all drinking is bad. There is a spectrum of experiences, ranging from joy to anguish, and for some, it can be both. We created Drinking Diaries as a forum for women to tell their stories—we’re not here to judge but to listen and share.

AT: One thing your site does very well is create that warm and open atmosphere where women can share their thoughts, their stories, without being judged.  You not only encourage stories related to alcohol, but also the struggle against it, or the stigma associated with those who simply choose not to drink.  What would you say this atmosphere achieves?

DD: The open, nonjudgmental atmosphere has allowed contributors and readers—from alcoholics and abstainers to mothers and college kids—to co-exist and express themselves freely. Often times, when someone hears that we have a blog about women and alcohol, they immediately assume it’s for problem drinkers. While we want everyone to feel comfortable on our blog, we feature stories of celebration and culture as much as those of struggle and regret.

AT: You connect with many people affected in some way by drinking. How often do people come to you looking for help or solace from their own drinking or the addictive or destructive behavior of a loved one?  How do you help these people (through community, resources, advice, etc.)?

DD: We have a tab on the blog’s menu called “Resources & Related Reads” where we offer websites, blogs, and a variety of books related to drinking. We don’t consider ourselves counselors or experts on addiction, but rather an open forum for the subject.

AT: On your site, you say, “Drinking is one of those hot-button topics. Ask anyone you know to scratch the surface and she will find a drinking story.”  What’s your drinking story?

DD: You probably don’t have enough space for the full stories, but in a nutshell…

Caren: When I was growing up, my French-born mother sipped wine freely and daily. Drinking was part of her culture, and a seemingly harmless one. But later in her life, my mother started using wine as a way to numb herself from emotional scars from her childhood. Like my mother once did, I enjoy drinking wine with meals, surrounded by family and friends. I don’t think I have a drinking problem. But it’s my personality to grapple with the question, praying that I don’t ever abuse it.

Leah: I grew up in an alcoholic home. My mother stopped drinking when I was 9, and attended AA meetings for years. As a result, I was a teetotaler until my senior year of high school, when I allowed myself one beer, on graduation night. Since then, my drinking has run the gamut: in college and in my twenties, I was a binge drinker. Now, I love a good glass of wine—no hard alcohol for me. No matter how much or little I drink, I will always approach alcohol with caution. There’s always that little bit of fear. It’s a pleasure I savor in moderation, but that relationship has been hard-won.

Final Thoughts: Our blog has been a labor of love, which we hope is providing both service and enjoyment to our readers. We are currently working on a book, which we hope will do more of the same.

—
S. Cody Barrus
Managing Editor
Share/Bookmark
Posted in Addiction Stories, Alcohol Addiction

Interview with Stephen Wallace of SADD

Feb16
2011 2 Comments Written by Adrienne Hurst

We interviewed Stephen Wallace, national chairman of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). Wallace shared his thoughts and knowledge regarding underage drinking and the U.S. drinking age law.

AllTreatment: Can you briefly explain who SADD are and what you do for the organization?

Wallace: SADD is the nation’s preeminent peer-to-peer education, prevention, and activism organization focusing on such issues as underage drinking, other drug use, driving, violence, and teen suicide.  I serve SADD as its board chairman and chief executive officer, a volunteer position, overseeing the general operation of the organization in conjunction with its executive director. I also serve as the primary media spokesperson for SADD and run its research programs.

AllTreatment: What are SADDs main goals and beliefs?

Wallace: SADD’s goals are to provide the best information and resources available to young people as they work to educate their peers and keep them safe.

AllTreatment: While underage drinking rates have declined over the years, the problem is clearly still rampant in the United States.

Wallace: According to SADD’s Teen Today research, 63 percent of middle and high school students say they have used alcohol. That is a problem indeed.  But the silver lining is that it also means that 37 percent of middle and high school students have never used alcohol at all. That is a large number and we need to do a better job of getting the word out to kids that there is a healthy, robust peer group out there having a great time without using alcohol or other drugs. Also:

  • The younger a child is when he or she starts to drink, the higher the chances he or she will have alcohol-related problems later in life.
  • Alcohol use by teens affects still-developing cognitive abilities and impairs memory
and learning.
  • Teens that drink are more likely to commit or be the victim of violence (including sexual assault) and to experience depression and suicidal thoughts.
  • Alcohol-related automobile crashes kill thousands of teens each year and injure millions more.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markturner/2438413091/i

Although alcohol consumption is often perceived as less of a concern among anti-drug efforts, underage drinking clearly remains a substantial threat. Indeed, it has been estimated that the annual cost to be $53 billion in losses from traffic deaths, violent crime, and other destructive behavior . . . to say nothing of the damage to mental health, school performance, and relationships with parents and peers. It is past time to reconcile the forces of indifference and indulgence that perpetuate underage drinking with the urgent need to protect children.

AllTreatment: What factors lead teens to start drinking?

Wallace: The factors teens consider when making such decisions change in number and relative importance depending on the age of the child and the decision to be made. The factors regularly cited by teens include:

  • Mental states (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress, boredom, curiosity);
  • Personal goals (e.g., to feel grown up, to fit in, to take risks);
  • Potential outcomes (e.g., Are others doing it? What are the chances of getting caught? What are the potential consequences?); and,
  • Significant people (e.g., parents, friends, siblings, clergy).

AllTreatment: The United States has the highest minimum drinking age the world: 21. What is your stance on this age limit? Do you support it, or feel that it should be lowered–or even raised?

Wallace: Well, the science would suggest raising it might be a good idea, but there is nothing in the literature or the science that suggests lowering the minimum legal drinking age would be a good idea. In fact, the 21 law has been credited with lowering crash death rates among young people by 60 percent.

AllTreatment: Do you believe that such a high age standard for alcohol consumption helps or hurts American youth?

Wallace: No, I don’t.

AllTreatment: As you know, the European drinking model is the idea that parents should teach their children how to drink responsibly by allowing them to drink in moderation at home before reaching the age of 21. Do you agree or disagree with this model? If so, why? If not, how is it detrimental to young peoples drinking habits?

Wallace: In fact, every single European country (except Turkey, which probably has to do with religious influence) with a lower drinking age than the United States has a higher rate of intoxication by youth than do we.  Secondly, Teens Today research reveals that kids whose parents “teach” them to drink at home, or otherwise allow alcohol consumption in the home are overwhelmingly more likely to go off and drink with their friends.

AllTreatment: Finally, how do you propose we solve the issues of underage alcohol consumption and teenage binge drinking?

http://www.behance.net/

Wallace: A recent report from the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine of the National Academies (Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility) sounds the alarm on an epidemic of underage drinking in America. In the spirit of “it takes a village,” it also serves up a strategy suggesting the participation of most all segments of society. From parents and pubs, to cops and congressmen, everybody has a role to play. As well they should. Teens Today research from SADD and Liberty Mutual Group points to some startling facts about youth and alcohol.

  • Drinking increases significantly between the 6th and 7th grades.
  • The average age for teens to start drinking is thirteen years old.
  • By 12th grade, more than three in four teens are drinking.

Perhaps most significant, the report suggests an array of youth-oriented interventions aimed not just at increasing self-esteem or decreasing peer pressure, but also at activities that educate, intervene and enforce. Making those activities effective, however, requires a close examination of the factors that influence young people to drink in the first place.

Not surprisingly, some teens say they drink to have fun, to fit in, or just to do what their classmates seem to be doing. But engaging in destructive behaviors is not just about “having a good time.” Many teens, particularly older ones, drink to escape problems. Left unaddressed, those problems can pose a significant risk to healthy social and emotional development. So too does a lack of experience in solving them.

The data also indicate other key drivers of decisions about alcohol, including depression, anxiety, stress, and boredom; a desire to feel grown up and to take risks; a fear of getting caught; and the influence of parents, friends, and siblings.

There are practical approaches adults can take to reduce the likelihood that young people will turn to alcohol.

  • Monitor their emotional health – and intervene at signs of trouble. Anxiety, and its close cousin depression, correlates highly with alcohol use. So does boredom … so find things for teens to do that both stimulate and challenge.
  • Help them achieve their goals. Teens want to be successful, to grow up and to take risks. Channel that risk-taking toward activities that enhance healthy socialization with peers and positive feelings about themselves. Also, take time to point out ways in which alcohol use can interfere with success in academics and athletics.
  • Establish (and enforce) consequences for bad behavior. Young people need clear boundaries and appreciate adults who care enough to patrol them.
  • Encourage relationships with good role models, be they adult, teen or child. According to Teens Today research, 6th – 12th graders report parents, close friends, and other family members are most influential in their decisions not to drink.

For more information on underage drinking prevention and to get involved with SADD, visit http://www.sadd.org/.

Share/Bookmark
Posted in Alcohol Addiction

E Cigarettes According to Professor Brad Rodu

Jan25
2011 11 Comments Written by S. Cody Barrus

As E Cigarettes become a more prevalent alternative to smoking, we sought out expert in the field of tobacco products Brad Rodu, to shed some light on the matter. As well as being a well qualified expert in his feild, Brad runs Tobacco Truth, an interesting blog based on scientific studies and facts who’s mission statment is: “Helping smokers avoid risks is a legitimate goal of tobacco control. But the movement has morphed into an anti-tobacco crusade intent on demonizing both tobacco users and the industry supplying them. This blog examines and comments on the scientific foundation for tobacco policies and fallacies.”

[Note: Information provided in this interview, as well as all interviews, provided by AllTreatment.com, are provided for information purposes only. AllTreatment does not necessarily agree or disagree with the opinions stated below, but we do believe in having a well informed public through qualified experts.]

AllTreatment: Could you briefly explain who you are and what you do?

Brad Rodu: I am a professor of medicine and hold an endowed chair in tobacco harm reduction research at the University of Louisville. For the past fifteen years, I have conducted research on tobacco harm reduction, involving permanent nicotine maintenance with safer tobacco products by smokers who are unable or unwilling to quit smoking with conventional cessation methods that require abstinence. My research is supported by unrestricted grants from tobacco manufacturers to the University of Louisville and by the Kentucky Research Challenge Trust Fund. I have not conducted research on e-cigarettes, but I draw my conclusions from published literature and my knowledge research related to nicotine addiction, tobacco use and associated health risks.

AT: E Cigarettes have been on the rise as of late, often championed by the manufacturers as the best way to quit smoking. However, on the other end of the spectrum are those who believe e cigarettes should be banned entirely. As a professional in the field, what is your view on E Cigarettes?

BR: I believe that e-cigarettes are a viable alternative for smokers who wish to reduce the health risks from smoking but who are unable or unwilling to abstain from all nicotine and tobacco. There is absolutely no doubt that inhaling a vapor containing water, nicotine, propylene glycol and flavorings is vastly safer than inhaling the smoke from a burning tobacco product, which contains thousands of toxic agents. The fact that we do not have proof that these products are absolutely safe is not a sufficient reason to ban them.

AT: Are they a viable alternative for smoking without the risks, or do they have their own dangers associated with them?

BR: Using e-cigarettes is vastly safer than smoking but has not proven to be risk-free.

AT: The price of E Cigarettes seems to vary widely, from $6-$12 on up to $60 or higher. Without much other data, this makes me skeptical of the regulation process. Do you believe E Cigarettes are properly regulated?

BR: A federal judge and an appellate court have found that the 2009 Tobacco Act, which gave the FDA regulatory authority over tobacco, allows the FDA to regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products. However, the FDA has tried to regulate e-cigarettes as drug-delivery devices, which would require their removal from the market until manufacturers conduct medical studies documenting safety and efficacy according to pharmaceutical-based standards.

The FDA strategy is counterproductive; it delays appropriate FDA action to establish manufacturing and quality control standards, enforce a sales ban to children, and provide a sound regulated environment providing smokers with safer alternatives.

AT: Any last thoughts on E Cigarettes which the general public may not know?

BR: It is clear that the majority of smokers, their friends and their relatives are not aware that many tobacco products that are just as satisfying as cigarettes but vastly safer. This includes a range of smokeless tobacco products, including pellets, mini-pouches, e-cigarettes and more. The public is being denied this information by government officials and nongovernmental organizations that have abandoned the health and welfare of smokers in pursuit of a senseless and unnecessary war against all tobacco and nicotine products.

[For more info on e cigarettes, be sure to check out our interview with Dr. Mathew Mintz]

—
S. Cody Barrus
Managing Editor
Share/Bookmark
Posted in Digital Drugs, Nicotine Addiction
« Older Entries
join our mailing list
* indicates required

Sobriety Calculator



Copyright AllTreatment.com 2011