It has been estimated that there are 23 and a half million persons in the U.S. recovering from some form of a problem with alcohol or other drugs, but there is still a stigma associated with addiction and little accurate knowledge by the general public about recovery and the benefits thereof. The results of the first nationwide survey of persons in recovery may go a long way toward educating the public, including recovering individuals, about recovery and its benefits. Here are the key findings of the survey as listed in the report's executive summary:

KEY FINDINGS

• On average, participants had been in active addiction for 18 years and entered recovery at age 36. Over half had been in recovery for 10 years or longer at the time of the survey.
• Survey findings document the many heavy costs of addiction to the individual and to the nation in terms of finances, physical and mental health, family functioning, employment, and legal involvement. For example, two thirds of respondents reported having experienced untreated mental health problems, half had been fired or suspended once or more from jobs, half had been arrested at least once, and a third had been incarcerated at least once.
• Recovery from alcohol and drug problems is associated with dramatic improvements in all areas of life: healthier/better financial and family life, higher civic engagement, dramatic decreases in public health and safety risks, and significant increases in employment and work. Following are specific findings comparing recovery experiences with active addiction:

– Paying bills on time and paying back personal debt doubled.
– Fifty percent more people pay taxes in recovery than when they are in active addiction.
– Planning for the future (e.g., saving for retirement) increases nearly threefold.
– Involvement in domestic violence (as victim or perpetrator) decreases dramatically.
– Participation in family activities increases by 50%.
– Volunteering in the community increases nearly threefold.
– Voting increases significantly.
– Frequent utilization of costly emergency room departments decreases tenfold.
– The percentage of uninsured decreases by half.
– Reports of untreated emotional/mental health problems decrease over fourfold.
– Involvement in illegal acts and involvement with the criminal justice system (e.g., arrests, incarceration, DWIs) decreases about tenfold.
– Steady employment increases by over 50%.
– Twice as many people further their education or training.
– Twice as many people start their own businesses.

It is my hope that the results of this survey find widespread publicity. It provides at least some data to support largely anecdotal information that recovery from addiction happens and is worth it. As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, 05/21/2013.

A recent research study in the Journal, Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, summarized in ScienceDaily for May 18, 2013, showed that abstinent alcoholics, as they grow older, who are current smokers of cigarettes, had poorer results on tests of thinking, memory, and the like. The researchers compared the neurocognitive functioning of four groups of participants: never-smoking healthy individuals or "controls" (39); and one-month abstinent, treatment-seeking alcoholic individuals, who were never-smokers (30), former-smokers (21) and active-smokers (68). The cognitive abilities studied included cognitive efficiency, executive functions (judgment), fine motor skills, general intelligence, learning and memory, processing speed, visuospatial functions (ability to visualize), and working memory. Here are the findings:

The researchers found that, at one month of abstinence, actively smoking alcoholic individuals had greater-than-normal age effects on measures of learning, memory, processing speed, reasoning and problem-solving, and fine motor skills. Alcoholic never-smokers and former-smokers showed equivalent changes on all measures with increasing age as the never-smoking controls. These results, per the study, indicate the combination of alcoholism and active chronic smoking was related to an abnormal decline in multiple cognitive functions with increasing age. The authors of the study said that, at one month of abstinence, actively smoking alcoholic individuals had greater-than-normal age effects on measures of learning, memory, processing speed, reasoning and problem-solving, and fine motor skills. Alcoholic never-smokers and former-smokers showed equivalent changes on all measures with increasing age as the never-smoking controls. These results, per the study, indicate the combination of alcohol dependence and active chronic smoking was related to an abnormal decline in multiple cognitive functions with increasing age.
Smoking and alcohol use, and the adverse health effects from chronic use thereof, are considered "modifiable health risks", meaning they can be addressed through abstinence. Clearly, this research adds additional reasons for the abstinent alcoholic to stop smoking. As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, 05/20/2013.

Five Myths about Addiction that Undermine Recovery
In Psychology Today for May 14, 2013, David Sack, a board certified addiction psychiatrist, reported that 5 myths about addiction, well known to those of us in the addiction field, still remain and lead to negative stereotypes about persons with addictive disease, poor treatment, irrational, punitive laws, and adverse effects on the addicted individuals themselves. The five myths, with a brief explanation, are:

1) Addicts are bad people who deserve to be punished.
"Driven by changes in the brain brought on by prolonged drug use, they lie, cheat and steal to maintain their habit. But good people do bad things, and sick people need treatment – not punishment – to get better.";

2) Addiction is a choice.
"Brain imaging studies show that differences in the brain are both a cause and effect of addiction. Long before drugs enter the picture, there are neurobiological differences in people who become addicted compared to those who do not become addicted. Once an individual starts using drugs, prolonged drug use changes the structure and function of the brain, making it difficult to control impulses, feel pleasure from natural rewards like sex or food, and focus on anything other than getting and using drugs.";

3) People usually get addicted to one type of substance.
"Polysubstance abuse – the use of three or more classes of substances – is the norm, not the exception.";

4) People who get addicted to prescription drugs are different from people who get addicted to illegal drugs.
"Because medications like Vicodin, Xanax and Adderall can be prescribed by a doctor, are relatively safe when used as prescribed, and are already sitting in most people’s medicine cabinets, there is a widespread misconception that they are safer than street drugs. They are not. When a person takes a prescription medication in a larger dose or more often than intended or for a condition they do not have, it affects the same areas of the brain as illicit drugs and poses the same risk of addiction."; and

5) Treatment should put addicts in their place.
"Even though the leading authorities on addiction agree that addiction is a chronic disease similar to heart disease, diabetes and cancer, addicts are still treated as second-class citizens. Many treatment centers believe confrontational, shame-based methods are necessary to motivate addicts. Quite the contrary. In addition to contributing to the stigma of addiction and deterring people from seeking treatment, research shows that shame is a strong predictor of relapse."
As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, 05/15/2013.

Here is a recovery tip for those new to 12 Step meetings such as AA, NA, Al-Anon, or Nar-Anon. The best way to prepare yourself for attending your first Twelve Step meeting is to have an open mind, setting aside any negative ideas you may have about these groups. Remember that AA or NA, or other 12 Step meetings, are run by their members who are not professional therapists but individuals from all walks of life, with varying amounts of education, who attend meetings to help themselves and others to stay away from alcohol or other drugs. Also know that members of these self-help groups consider newcomers not to be people who have to prove themselves before they are accepted, but as "the most important people at the meetings." Recovering alcoholics and addicts who have been clean and sober for a period of time truly welcome the opportunity to help persons new to recovery because, as it is often said in AA and NA, "in order to keep my sobriety, I have to give it away" (by helping the new person). As always, comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, 05/13/2013.

In the research pipeline are vaccines to help treat individuals with heroin, amphetamine, cocaine, and nicotine addiction. The goal of the vaccine is to prevent the drug from reaching the brain thereby blocking the desired high. The most recent efforts involved a rat study in which, ScienceDaily reported on May 06, 2013, a heroin vaccine successfully blocked the effects of heroin in heroin addicted rats, with the result that the rats who had been detoxed from heroin and were then reintroduced to the drug did not resume taking the heroin in a compulsive fashion as is the usual case with addiction. As I have stated here, I am leery of quick fixes for addiction. Comments are invited. Jan Edward Williams, 05/07/2013.