Busting Addiction and Its Myths

Q: Is Alcoholics Anonymous, aka AA, a proven recovery method? A: The scientific evidence, based on research conducted by the Recovery Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, emphatically proves that it is a cost-effective, evidence-based treatment that stands the test of time. AA is made effective by its members’ active involvement in their own...

In this podcast, we discuss the Four Agreements, a Buddhist-inspired way of thinking that can readily apply to anyone who aspires to live a spiritual life, free of the self-imposed burdens of addiction or alcoholism. We discuss the Four Agreements as follows: The First agreement: Be impeccable with your words. Second agreement: Don’t take anything personally. Third agreement: Don’t make assumption...

In this podcast, we discuss the power of toxic shame and its effect on the children in the family, including an addict or alcoholic. We learn that: Shame is known as a master emotion, overpowering ordinary, healthy feelings such as sadness or joy. Toxic shame is a debilitating feeling of worthlessness and self-loathing that can last a lifetime. There are multiple causes of it, mostly inflicted by...

In this podcast, we discuss the power of living in the now, of living in the moment as a means of attaining peace of mind for anyone living with the stress of an addict or alcoholic in the family. We discuss the following: Think about this day as the most important day of your life. Realise that a wandering mind is essentially an unhappy mind. Ancient traditions that taught mindfulness were on to...

In this podcast, we discuss the ripple effect of addiction on the family. We discuss the following: Hitting bottom is a family affair. Everything is not just fine. Addiction is not a choice. Detachment and inaction are two different things.

In this podcast, we continue to explode the myths surrounding addiction. Example myths include: The shame and social disapproval associated with addiction. Stereotypes that perpetuate the myth. Addiction only happens to certain kinds of people.  Addiction is a choice. Kids should just say NO.

In this podcast, we do a quick Q&A on the myths of addiction and address other questions posed by our readers and listeners. These questions revolve around: The myth that addiction is a question of moral character. Why some people refuse to get help. Whether treatment works. Why people think that AA is a cult.

This podcast, is a story about a man named Tim and it demonstrates the power of perseverance. We learn that: Tim overcame a suicide attempt on the eve of his admission of powerlessness over his addiction. He saw his Stage 4 cancer lifted by the miracle of modern medicine, and his own determination to heal. Although he was high school dropout, he went on to earn a Master’s degree at the age of 62....

In this podcast, we discuss the deadly consequences of addiction and alcoholism: We learn that: Alcoholism and addiction are incurable and progressive, and often fatal if ignored. There is a serious undercounting of the societal costs in life and injury due to alcoholism, while there is better data on drug abuse effects. It is rare that an alcoholic or addict can successfully get and stay clean an...

In this podcast, we discuss new ways of thinking and behavior that help with moving the alcoholic/addict toward treatment. We learn that: Family members need to unlearn their conditioned way of reacting to their beloved alcoholic or addict. The new way asks the family member to take a softer approach which will disarm the conflict. The approach is called CRAFT – Community Reinforcement and Family...

In this podcast, we discuss the impossibility of escaping the here and now. We learn that: 1. It’s common for people to be constantly thinking about something other than the reality of the present. 2. There is a huge difference between planning for the future and living there.  3. There is ultimately much joy in living in the moment regardless of a person’s circumstances, but it takes commitment a...

In this podcast, we examine why the truth is so elusive for family members of alcoholics and addicts. We discuss how people who have an addict or alcoholic in the family: 1.   Deny the very existence of the disease. 2.   Become too ashamed to admit the truth to themselves. 3.   Ultimately need to confront the truth in order to heal.

You’ve probably heard the term “enabler”. It’s one that’s often charged with judgment and stigma. That’s because one feels accused of aiding and abetting addictive behaviour and it doesn’t feel at all fair because you do what you do out of love. More than a role, enabling is a dynamic that arises in specific scenarios. People who engage in enabling behaviour behaviours aren’t the “bad guy”, but th...

Love has this wonderful ripple effect, emanating its warmth and power from you to your family and well beyond, and it seems miraculous in its infinite ability to heal. Think for a moment about unconditional love: loving someone regardless of what they look like, what they do for a living, how much money they have, or whether or not they are doing what you want or expect them to do. This kind of to...

When you are talking to a full-blown alcoholic or addict or one who is both - and the list of cross-addicted people is growing – you might not be too surprised to learn that they speak an entirely different language than you do. An example: an addict is confronted by his mum who says that he has a big problem. The addict doesn’t hear that. He thinks to himself that his mum is the problem because s...

A well-known actress, comedienne and TV producer was once asked what made the essential difference in her highly successful life. For those old enough to remember Lucille Ball, she answered as follows:  “All my young life, I was told I was a no-good show-off. My self-esteem hovered just above zero, until I was told by a good friend that my first job was to learn to love myself first and everything...

It’s never too late to act, whether your loved one is now at the stage where an intervention is necessary, or you have a younger child who might fall prey to an addictive disorder and want to keep that kid safe. But you are not sure how. Shatterproof is an organisation 100% dedicated to preventing addiction, providing greater access to treatment, and educating the public and public officials on th...

A friend said to me the other day that she feels like everything we do is becoming pathological. We eat a lot, so we’re a candidate for Overeaters Anonymous. We have sex with more than one person, we should join Sex Addicts Anonymous. We got drunk, so we should join AA. If I choose to call an addiction “repetitive behaviour that causes you and those affected by your behaviour major harm, and you c...

There is still little understanding of the power of the substance fentanyl. Let’s start with some inconvenient facts. Drug overdoses claim more lives than breast cancer, gun violence or car accidents. Combined. They are the #1 cause of accidental death in the United States. According to the CDC, there were over 109,000 fatal overdoses in the 12-month period ending March 2022 (the latest data avail...

Very recently, my ex-fiancé called me in a panic and sobbed that her son, my stepson really, was a raging addict and she didn’t know what to do. He and his wife have a two-year-old son who deserves better, while my stepson – let’s call him Jimmy – is snorting and smoking and injecting who knows what. He’s applied for a medical discharge due to joint disabilities, and it is apparent that he got add...

It can happen at any time. The bell might ring, the alarm might sound, the light might flash any time of day or night. We might be half asleep or we might have our shoulder to the wheel, pushing with all our might. Awakenings happen all the time, to people all over this earth. For the purposes of this discussion, awakenings are of two types. The Dad says: “Oh my God, my son is an alcoholic.” Or th...

You would be amazed at the negative self-talk I hear when the family of a drug abuser or alcoholic starts answering pointed questions. “Do you feel as if “this” is your fault?” Most say that they feel at least partly to blame “if only…” which suggests that they believed that they had any control over the trajectory of the disease, that if they had done “something” they might have saved their preci...

Whether we like it or not, we are all susceptible to co-dependency - the need to control another person in our life. In this podcast, we offer the following insights on the various aspects of co-dependency, especially important when addressing what happens in families who are experiencing addiction at home. Signs of a sick relationship I highly recommend the book by Melodie Beatty called Co-depend...

Whether we like it or not, we are all susceptible to co-dependency - the need to control another person in our life. In this podcast, we offer the following insights on the various aspects of co-dependency, especially important when addressing what happens in families who are experiencing addiction at home. You can't will this away Our Western culture has us believing that we are the masters...

Whether we like it or not, we are all susceptible to co-dependency - the need to control another person in our life. In this podcast, we offer the following insights on the various aspects of co-dependency, especially important when addressing what happens in families who are experiencing addiction at home. No one is immune No one in the family is immune from the effects of addiction or alcoholism...