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At the most basic level, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a large network of small groups who use the 12 steps as a guide to overcome alcoholism and live sober, happy lives. There seems to be a lot of mystery around what Alcoholics Anonymous is, what it isn’t, and how AA works. While movies, books, and […]

Drug addiction is a complex brain disease; the primary symptom of drug addiction is a compulsive, harmful use of drugs in spite of the social, health, and economic consequences. People with a substance use disorder (SUD), the American Psychiatric Association's updated term for describing drug addiction, continue to use alcohol or drugs because they have […]

Getting a sponsor in AA is one of the great unwritten rules of recovery. The funny thing about unwritten rules, most people abide by them more than formal rules. In Alcoholics Anonymous, one of the keys to sobriety through the 12 steps is the unwritten rule: Get a sponsor. Unwritten rules are funny things. In baseball, […]

With the legalization of marijuana coming to fruition in another 2 states (Michigan and Illinois), 11 states plus Washington D.C. have now legalized adult use of marijuana. More and more states and their constituents are voting to legalize weed, in part because many argue that smoking herb is less addictive (and safer) than alcohol. Is […]

Ayahuasca is a strong psychoactive mixture that has been used for centuries by indigenous tribes of the Amazon rain forest. More recently, people all over the world have sought out the potent brew to spur healing from past traumas, addictions, depression, anxieties, and other mental health issues. After performing a quick Google search, you'll find […]

If you've ever come down with a bad cough or even bronchitis, you've found yourself in a doctor's office. Each breath you take with trepidation because inhaling too fast or too long might bring another coughing fit that feels like your lungs and chest muscles are pulling apart. Plainly put, you're in pain. One of […]

Recently there has been a spate of serious lung complications related to vaping with e-cigarettes. The cases have been all over the news and continue to occur. I found a post about the matter on the CDC website from October 3rd. It provides statistics and information for the public, healthcare providers, and government health departments. […]

The third step of the anonymous fellowships is “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.” When I first got out of treatment and was going to meetings on my own, I had a couple of different sponsors. I wasn’t actually trying to […]

Almost all types of drugs have the potential to become addictive. Once a user has become addicted, quitting can feel impossible. One of the most deterring things that often keeps a user from quitting the substance to which they are addicted, is the avoidance of experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are often intense, uncomfortable, and […]

The “war on drugs” is a term that we have all heard and are familiar with. It has become synonymous with U.S. drug policy and has a convoluted past. This war has had unintended consequences and the motives behind it are at times, questionable. Where The War On Drugs Started President Richard Nixon coined the […]