The internet has exploded with criticism of traditional 12 step programs. The longer the battle ensues, the more personal opinion and emotion trumps logic and objective presentation. As a result, statistics have been abused, studies on A.A. misstated and opinions formed based on a single study rather than a holistic view of research data. So … Read More
Addiction can create big problems in the workplace, costing you money, endangering the lives of employees, and damaging workplace morale. So how do you spot a problem with drugs or alcohol in your workplace? Signs of Addiction in the Workplace Leave and attendance Unexplained or unauthorized absences from work Frequent tardiness Excessive use of sick leave Patterns … Read More
It’s been a long ride for Zohydro ER and its California-based pharmaceutical firm Zogenix, but the journey is nearing an end. Zohydro ER will be the first extended-release, hydrocodone-only painkiller to reach the market, expected in approximately four months. On October 25, the FDA officially approved this highly controversial drug to treat severe chronic pain that is unresponsive to alternative therapies. … Read More
Sponsors and Newcomers: the Heart and Lifeblood of A.A. Is it important to have a sponsor? Wow, absolutely. Absolutely. Sponsorship is an experience that you must not miss. Sponsorship is the heart, the heart of the AA approach to recovery. Everybody in this room knows that the heart is the most vital organ of your … Read More
Question: Is there any safe amount of alcohol a woman can drink while she is pregnant? Are there drinking safety guidelines to follow during pregnancy? Answer: We have no strong research evidence for a threshold of drinking below which there is no harm to the developing child. Although studies consistently show that heavy drinking during … Read More
Last year, it was bath salts. This year, the trending, scary new drug is krokodil (pronounced “crocodile”), a cheap heroin-like drug known to rot the body from the inside out and turn skin green and scaly on the surface. Krokodil is the street version of the synthetic opioid desomorphine. Made from crude products like lighter fluid, … Read More
Addiction is a destructive disease that pulls a person and the people around them down. This obviously effects friends and family, but it also endangers employers and co-workers. Addiction is more prevalent than you think. According to a survey conducted by Hazelden Foundation, more than 60 percent of adults know someone who has gone to … Read More
Question: As a part of heavy partying, people often plan to get drunk. What they don’t plan on is getting alcohol poisoning. For those who drink to excess, however, alcohol poisoning is a real danger. This begs the question “How can you get drunk without getting alcohol poisoning?” Answer: By controlling how much you drink and how fast … Read More
In Part 1 of How to influence an addict to enter treatment, we talked about how to detach ourselves form the problem to become part of the solution. Here, we talk about how you can use your relationship with the addict as leverage during an intervention. If you realize that you’ve been enabling your loved one, then you need to use this … Read More
When you love someone who is struggling, you want to do anything you can to wipe the hurt away. However, we often enable a loved one’s destructive behavior without realizing it because we think we’re helping them. Enabling is facilitating the progression of a problem by protecting others from the consequences of their own actions. That … Read More
