Category Archives: 12-step stuff

Want to know why we say “No relationships for a year?”

Posted on July 28, 2010 by Bill

Want to know why relationships are the number one cause of relapse? Of course you don’t.  But here’s the reason, anyway: …love is comparable to a drug  addiction: It activates the parts of the brain associated with motivation, reward and … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-Step Programs, 12-step stuff, Relationships, addiction, addiction education, addiction treatment, alcohol abuse, alcoholism, sex addiction | 1 Comment

Relationship Withdrawal

Posted on July 9, 2010 by Bill

Why Breaking Up Hurts: Similar to Addiction, Says Study – TIME Say you’re a college student who was recently dumped by the person you thought was the One. You’re moping around campus in your I’ve-given-up sweatpants and eating crappy comfort … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-Step Programs, 12-step stuff, Relationships, Teens, addiction, codependency, family | 2 Comments

Bill Wilson’s Gospel

Posted on July 3, 2010 by Bill

Op-Ed Columnist — NYTimes.com On Dec. 14, 1934, a failed stockbroker named Bill Wilson was struggling with alcoholism at a New York City detox center. It was his fourth stay at the center and nothing had worked. This time, he … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-Step Programs, 12-step stuff, Change, Hallucinogens, Mental Health, People, addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol abuse, alcoholism, meetings, recovery | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Guinevere Gets Sober

Posted on April 27, 2010 by Bill

Cool blog. Check it out: http://guineveregetssober.com/

Posted in 12-step stuff, addiction, addiction education, alcoholism | Leave a comment

A Letter To A Recovering Friend

Posted on April 11, 2010 by Bill

(Unnamed website) looks interesting, and I’m glad that you are getting something out of it. Please understand that my remarks are not specific toward (unnamed website).  I don’t know enough about it to judge. I’m not sure that I’ve ever … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-Step Programs, 12-step stuff, Change, Denial, Drug Abuse, Growth, addiction, addiction treatment, alcohol abuse, alcoholism, recovery, spirit | Leave a comment

Stinkin’ Thinkin’ and other less-odious thoughts

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Bill

I was with a group of folks this evening who were discussing the fact that alcoholism is as much a problem of the mind as of the body.  Yes, it is a disease — recognized as such by the AMA … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-Step Programs, 12-step stuff, Growth, Mental Health, Psychology, addiction, alcoholism, meditation, recovery | Leave a comment

Q&A: Do you believe an addict can become addicted to the recovery center or support group they use?

Posted on March 16, 2010 by Bill

In a word, “No.”  That said, let me go on to what I know can happen. Getting clean and sober is a life-changing experience, in the literal sense: we are successful only if we give up the world that we … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-Step Programs, 12-step stuff, Change, Treatment, addiction, addiction education, addiction treatment, alcoholism, co-deps, codependency, living, meetings, recovery | 1 Comment

The February Grapevine Is Out

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Bill

AA Grapevine Current Issue

Posted in 12-step stuff, alcoholism, recovery | Tagged | Leave a comment

(She’s) Just Curried

Posted on January 24, 2010 by Bill

“The sun finally shone in Southern California……and like they say without the rain, there can’t be rainbows.They were a tough couple of days earlier this week. Raining outside, raining tears on the inside. Bewildered. Why was I feeling so sad? … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-step stuff, Depression, Growth, alcoholism, meetings, recovery | Leave a comment

I heard a gal tell a judge in court she was clean and sober, and he said she was clean but not sober. What does that mean? What is the difference between clean and/or clean and sober?

Posted on January 23, 2010 by Bill

We are clean when the drugs (including alcohol, which is just another drug) are no longer in our system.  But there is a whole lot more to sobriety than simply being drug-free.  I sometimes tell people that I’ve been clean … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-step stuff, Growth, Questions, addiction, alcoholism, health, recovery | Tagged | 2 Comments

Stuck On The Bridge?

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Bill

“…There is a mountain of difference between worshiping the Big Book and adopting the Twelve Step design for living that is its message. You may have experienced with folks so focused on THE BOOK and THE INVENTORY that they never … Continue reading →

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Hosting an Addict or Alcoholic

Posted on December 22, 2009 by Bill

Social occasions that involve people in recovery—especially early recovery—can pose some perplexing problems for the hosts. On one hand, a host who is aware of a guest’s need to avoid mood-altering substances may wish to do what is possible to … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-step stuff, Education, addiction, addiction education, alcoholism, codependency, family, living, recovery | Tagged | Leave a comment

What do cross addiction and cross dependence mean?

Posted on December 11, 2009 by Bill

All addictions work in the same parts of the brain, by modifying or imitating the production of neurotransmitters that cause pleasant feelings. This is as true of shopping addiction as it is of heroin. Thus, people who have taught themselves … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-step stuff, Drug Abuse, Eating Disorders, Gambling, Questions, addiction, addiction education, addiction treatment, alcohol abuse, alcoholism, sex addiction | Tagged , | Leave a comment

How long does it take to recover after you quit smoking?

Posted on December 6, 2009 by Bill

Most people find that they are reasonably comfortable after a couple of months.  It is the readjustment of your brain to living without foreign stimulation that takes a long time. Experts believe that it never completely recovers, because a very … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-step stuff, Denial, addiction, addiction education, smoking | Leave a comment

Romancing the Stoned

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Bill

I was at a meeting this evening that bothered me a lot.  Several of the members, most of them relative newcomers, including a couple with only two or three months, commented in their sharing about what kinds of wine they … Continue reading →

Posted in 12-step stuff, Denial, addiction, alcoholism, meetings, recovery | Leave a comment