The article that follows is an excerpt from my book, A Rational Workbook for Recovery From Addictions – Second Edition. After I lay a foundation of understanding for a client that includes Albert Ellis’ ABCs, I begin applying cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) skills and techniques to help a client make changes in feelings and behaviors. One [...]

The Law of Sobriety takes the principles of the Law of Attraction and puts them to work for the specific purpose of helping individuals recover from their addictions, whatever that addiction might be, including alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, food, co-dependency, love or shopping. However, in order to understand the Law of Sobriety, you need to [...]

By making her struggle with alcoholism public, Betty Ford transformed the image of a drug-abusing alcoholic. In doing so, she became a strong, memorable voice in removing the stigma associated with alcoholism and other drug addiction and the hope of treatment, especially for women.
When she announced in 1978 that she was seeking treatment for alcoholism [...]

I am a family medicine doctor with a specialty in Addiction Medicine and I am a clinical research physician. I spend the vast majority of my clinical life thinking about and working to help people not die from the self administration of intoxicating substances. To be sure, the dramatic and devastating nature of alcohol, stimulant [...]

During my professional career, I have held deeply to the belief that all people have the capacity for positive change. I see the role of the substance abuse and mental health counselor as integral to helping clients progress toward positive change. I have been doing workshops for the past 20+ years for counselors, teaching them [...]

The treatment world has begun to adopt mindfulness as a tool more and more in the last few years, and, while it is certainly invaluable for recovery, it is also important to understand mindfulness within its proper context. Mindfulness meditation, which comes out of the Buddhist tradition, has some obvious uses and benefits for the [...]

In the first two articles in this series, I presented the first six of the nine pillars facilitating one’s shift from Addiction to Resilience. The first three focus on relationship and begin at the heart of resilience: one’s relationship with himself. The next two are one’s relationship with others, and then relationship with something greater. [...]

An Interview with Writer William Borchert
A story of Lois W.’s life and the roots of ALANON, When Love Is Not Enough is scheduled to air as a Hallmark Hall of Fame Presentation on the CBS Network on Sunday, April 25 at 9 p.m. EST.
More than three years in the making, the movie is based on [...]

As a disease, addiction is treated medically, mentally and psychologically, all within the context of social rehabilitation. Recovering people often say it is an “allergy of the body and an obsession of the mind.” Emphasis is placed on absolute abstinence and strict adherence to a program of recovery. While all of this is true, an [...]

Part II: Organismic Balance and Mastery
Resilience is a state highlighted by the ability to recover from stress and to optimally deal with the challenges that life delivers. In Part I of this article, we noted the mechanisms by which the addict’s difficulty managing stress results in a greater vulnerability to relapse (Sideroff, 2009). The developmental [...]

This is the story of my ch . . . ch . . . changes, which took me from insanity to clarity, from egocentricity to altruism, from alcoholism to activism. These changes have marked an evolution in what I want from this life. I am what I want. What I seek to consume, possess, and [...]

The holidays are a time of heightened reality. A time to reaffirm bonds of friendship and family. The general merriment of the season can make what we have in our lives resonate wonderfully with a sense of abundance and plenty, but it can also highlight what feels missing or never had a chance to be.
Holidays [...]