4 results for tag: Providence Substance Abuse
How Iceland Got Teens to Say No to Drugs – The Icelandic Model
I become excited and inspired when I see concepts, ideas, and methods that I use in my work validated by international scientists and authors. The two articles that I have included excerpts from offer alternative ideas about the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. From my experience, combining these two perspectives is the core of my work, supporting and facilitating shifting patterns, behaviors, obsessions, and addictions.
I typically integrate these three principles/methods for shifting unwanted patterns and behaviors.
- Exercises supporting the discovery and understanding of our patterns and thinking.
- Explore what we feel connected to, or the lack of connection, to people, animals, friends, family, and our environment. Create a plan to improve and expand our connections. (Read Johann Hari's views on addiction and connection at the bottom of this post.).
- Brainstorm interests, passions, and activities that we have either enjoyed in our past or present or would like to explore, including creative expressions, physical activity, opportunities to connect with the natural world, or anything that inspires or stimulates us. We follow the brainstorming process by implementing some of these interests and activities into our lives before or during launching into facilitating the shift in the unwanted behaviors. In short, let's find out what will inspire and stimulate you to replace the patterns, behaviors, and addictions that are problematic. (This parallels the process Harvey Milkman researched in the U.S. and implemented in Iceland, discussed in the main article focusing on teens and addiction.)
Being Sober – Alcoholism Is About Pain; Not Drinking Too Much
Getting and staying sober is a monumental task. It takes an incredible amount of effort and commitment, especially in the beginning. Getting sober isn't the goal, though. The goal is to become at minimum a decent human being, if not an exceptional one. Somehow our culture has created this illusional that staying sober is the destination, it's not even close. Getting sober is the springboard to something better. Staying sober is not the goal; getting married isn't the goal of a relationship. The goal for both alcoholics and marriages is to be healthy and balanced and live your best life with solid, sustainable relationships that support love, connection, and respect.
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... A Sober and Healthy Life
I remember in the late 80s and early 90s when AA, NA, and all of the 12-step programs first began to gain mainstream popularity and support. At the time, there was almost a sense of hysteria about alcoholics and addicts finding a "new" method to create a sober and healthy life. In a matter of just a few years, there were registered 164 different 12-step programs based on the structure and foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous. Soon after that, the very popular book Codependent No More by Melody Beattie became a bestseller, and it seemed as if everybody was claiming they were now codependent or somebody in their life was codependent. Codependency was all the rage. It is funny to think that pretty much everybody was claiming somebody or themselves to be either an alcoholic, addict, or codependent as if these were goals to achieve in life.
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Can Watching Football Teach Me About Recovery?
There is an addiction treatment method for recovering alcoholics and addicts called Recovery Dynamics. It was created by a practical, wise old alcoholic with some of the best professionals in the field of recovery. Recovery Dynamics uses the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as a modality for treatment, not just as an afterthought. There are many excellent exercises in the manual; this is one of my favorites for working with groups of addicts and alcoholics....
