The target audience for “We Agnostics” is relatively easy to define. (aga7ta/Shutterstock) Groups such as AA and NA have many detractors, people who believe that they are religious organizations or even cults. This misconception extends to 12-based treatment centers, who are accused of brainwashing their patients rather than treating a disease. Those who make such…
Every once in a while, we witness heated debates on social media regarding the disease model of addiction. Despite widespread acceptance within the medical community, many view the disease model with absolute disdain. They feel that addiction is a choice, plain and simple. Regardless of the stance they take, many people tend to feel very…
Have you found out that a loved one is addicted to drugs or alcohol? Have you confronted them about their addiction? Perhaps they have refused treatment. Maybe they do not even admit that they have a problem. When a friend or loved one simply does not want help, it can be devastating and incredibly painful…
It is common knowledge that addiction is a tough thing to overcome. It does not matter what the substance or behavior is. Stopping any behavior cold turkey is difficult for anyone. Heroin addiction is no different. Believe it or not, there are some people who kick their opioid addiction all on their own. How can that be,…
Addicts and alcoholics hurt many people. Family, friends, themselves. At least, these are the three we see discussed most often. But there is at least one other person often hurt or betrayed by the actions of an addict or alcoholic. And in some cases, this individual’s well-being may at least partially depend on the addict’s…
It’s June, and we’ve already covered Step Six this month, which means we can move forward to the sixth installment of our monthly series on the Twelve Traditions. Like the five we have covered thus far, the Sixth Tradition pertains less to our individual recovery than it does to the manner in which AA and…
Every so often, you will see us make mention of a spiritual experience, or spiritual awakening. This is a phrase that you hear a lot in recovery. It shows up multiple times in AA literature, as well as in several of our articles. But while we have discussed its meaning on occasion (such as when…
Everyone is guilty of self-medicating at one time or another. After all, to self-medicate is simply to take one’s problems into one’s own hands. If you are feeling down and you decide to eat a few pints of ice cream, you are self-medicating. If you are in pain and you decide to numb yourself with…
“No life skills.” This is a common insult you may occasionally hear thrown around—often behind a person’s back—when they have trouble cooking, cleaning up after themselves, or even socializing with other people. But while people are often judged quite harshly for these shortcomings, the fact of the matter is that many people have never been…
Amethyst Recovery specializes in drug and alcohol addiction, but we sometimes encounter patients who are addicted to other vices as well. We mentioned this a while back, when we covered the topic of sex addiction. But while we may meet the occasional person with addictive sexual tendencies, we seem to encounter patients who suffer from…