Do you have to believe in God to recover from an addiction? My answer is: "No, you do not", but I suggest that your chances of developing and maintaining a long term mentally healthy, balanced, and serene recovery will be enhanced if you are willing to seek a source of spiritual strength. I do not intend, at least right now, to talk about recovery approaches that deliberately avoid helping addicts, alcoholics, or those with other addictions, to seek spiritual strength for their recovery. Nor do I address here those new to recovery who take the position that they know all about God, theology, and organized religion and do not need to work on the spiritual aspects of recovery. For this discussion, I will just talk a little about how to benefit from 12 Step Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Al-Anon (12 Step Program for those in a relationship with an alcoholic), Nar-Anon (addict), and other such programs, even if you have had, or still have, a problem with organized religion and God.

In my experience anyone can find recovery support in the 12 Step programs, if he or she is willing to have an open mind and is willing to seek a source of spiritual strength, or, as phrased in 12 Step circles, a higher power, or God as you may understand him. It is vital to success in 12 Step programs that the new person put to one side any negative experiences and thoughts about organized religion; indeed, prior negative experiences do not have to be an obstacle to spiritual recovery in the 12 Step programs. You need only approach 12 Step meetings as a place to learn practical tools, including spiritual tools, to stay away from the first drink or drug one day at a time. or to avoid, one day at a time, trying to control another person's behavior (Al-Anon or Nar-Anon). The best mind set or way of thinking for the newcomer to have is one of a student who seeks to find information that he/she can relate to, not looking for information that he/she cannot relate to; that is, to seek to compare in, not out. After attending, say, ten or so 12 Step meetings with an open mind, you should have had the awesome experience of hearing real people share real feelings that you can relate to, maybe even hearing a part of your own story. The ability to relate to stories, experiences, feelings, in 12 Step meetings is in my view a spiritual experience that is the essence of spiritual recovery. In my personal journey in 12 Step recovery, I was intellectually opposed to anything I heard in meetings that even remotely sounded like God or religion. That intellectual position almost resulted in my death through drinking. At some point, I was able to really hear and relate to (and get chills of recognition) when listening to real people sharing from the heart. Being able to connect through the sharing in 12 Step meetings can be the gateway to finding a source of spiritual strength. I invite comments from others about their experiences with spirituality in recovery. Jan Williams, 01/18/12.

Another short informational note: A new study (2012) of 5,000 smokers has found that light marijuana use (say, one joint per day over a seven year period) did not cause damage to lung function, while smoking tobacco did. The study suggested that heavy marijuana smoking might cause lung damage over time. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120110163444.htm. I have a copy of the reprint of the study if anyone wishes it. This information in no way is any endorsement of marijuans use by anyone, and, of course, does not change the risks of marijuana use by anyone in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction. Jan Williams 01/10/12.

Just a short informational note: ScienceDaily reported recently that a study in the Journal of Glaucoma found that cocaine use was associated with increased risk of glaucoma (an eye disorder that can, untreated, result in blindness) that may occur in such users in their fifties rather than seventies when the eye disorder commonly appears. So, those with a history of cocaine (and amphetamine) use should have their eyes checked often for glaucoma: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110929122934.htm. Jan Williams 01/10/12.

Happy New Year to everyone. However, I do not really pay a lot of attention to the new year thing. Regardless of whether the year is 2012, or 1977 when I began my recovery journey, I still have only this one day to live, to stay sober, and to try to be a loving person. One of the benefits of viewing life one day at a time in recovery is that each day can be a new beginning, a new opportunity for spiritual growth. So, happy new day of recovery!  01/03/12

Do I Realy Have to Be Grateful to Stay Sober? My answer is: "Yes, eventually." In my first year or so, I used to get nauseated and angry when the topic of gratitude would come up, as it inevitably would during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I especially fumed when people would say they are grateful to be an alcoholic or addict. My main point for this posting is that in early recovery it is normal to be ungrateful at times and that you can stay sober even though thoroughly fed up with all the gratitude you hear about at 12 Step meetings at this time of year. Just don't pick up a drink or drug and try to find a glimmer of thankfulness when you go to bed at night that you haven't picked up today. Eventually, if you stay clean and sober, and work the 12 Steps, you will find that you have much to be grateful for, though I have not yet said that I am grateful to be an alcoholic/addict--too many people were hurt by me during my addiction. Jan Williams, 12/22/11.