I know in my heart that I'm an alcoholic, drug addict; I have a home group; I go to 12 Step meetings every day; I stay away from slippery people, places, and things; I am in contact every day with my higher power or other source of spiritual strength; I have a therapist. So, why do I need to get a sponsor in AA or NA? My answer is that you don't have to get a sponsor, but, respecting the power of addiction as I do, I strongly suggest that you do. There are a number of reasons for getting a sponsor; I'll just name a few. The 12 Steps of AA and NA are the backbone of recovery, but are difficult to work on your own: a sponsor can be the newcomer's guide through the 12 Steps. In addition, taking the emotional risk to ask a member of AA or NA to be your sponsor is an important investment in your recovery. Asking for help is not easy for any of us, but doing so is another sign of recognizing the power of addiction. As always, I invite comments on this post. Jan Williams, 05/06/2012.

Another brief informational note. A recent study in the Journal of Molecular Psychiatry (Ersche, KD, et al. (2012). Cocaine dependence: a fast track for brain aging? Molecular Psychiatry, doi:10.1038/mp.2012.31) concluded that cocaine users lost brain volume at double the rate of non-cocaine users, especially in the area of the brain relating to attention, decision-making, and memory and self-regulation. Similar losses in brain volume occur in persons drinking alcoholically. At least in the case of alcoholics there is research showing an increase in brain volume in recovery after abstaining from alcohol use for significant time periods. I have not seen research showing similar gains in brain volume for persons in recovery from cocaine dependence. Has anyone else seen such research? As always, I invite comments on this post. Jan Williams, 04/26/2012.

Just a brief informational note. ScienceDaily, April 17, 2012, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120417102604.htm, summarized research findings about emotional maturity of individuals who drink problematically: "When more than 400 25-year-old adults were interviewed, some showed signs of alcohol use problems, but their problems didn't correlate to self-reported feelings of immaturity. When surveyed again four years later at age 29 and then again at age 35, subjects expressed different sentiments: individuals who showed signs of alcohol abuse or dependence also self-reported feeling immature for their age." In addiction recovery circles, it has been common knowledge for at least 35 years (my recovery span) that when an individual begins addictive use of alcohol or other drugs, his/her emotional maturity ceases. Most alcoholics and drug addicts tend to drink or drug to deal with all feelings, good, bad, or indifferent (boredom), thereby hindering emotional growth. Most of us recovering people learn to grow up spiritually and emotionally in recovery. As always, comments are invited. Jan Williams, 04/18/2012.

In my early recovery from alcohol and other sedative addiction I struggled with the spiritual aspects of recovery in the 12 Step Programs. In fact, I relapsed a number of times because of a lack of willingness to be open to seeking a power greater than myself. Finally, I was given what I call the gift of willingness to pray daily to a spiritual source of strength that I did not believe in, abstain from drug or alcohol use, attend 12 Step meetings and work the 12 Steps. Over time, doing the simple things I mentioned resulted in a deep awareness that I was going to be OK regardless of the realities of life around me. For over 34 years, this spiritual strength has sustained me during the good and the bad events of life. In the past month, I have had some serious medical problems that explain why I have not posted here in a while. As a result of chest pain I was hospitalized twice, had five stents put in blood vessels in my heart, and had three cardiac catheterizations. These experiences were frightening and stressful, but resulted in much prayer by me, my family, friends in recovery, and those so-called earth people not in recovery whose prayers are as powerful as any. My point in all of this is that, though frightened and stressed, the spiritual strength that I had found in those early days of recovery, continued to sustain me through the past thirty days of medical problems. Indeed, my relationship to my source of spiritual strength, God, has as a result of these events become stronger, and I am still here living life one day at a time. So, I conclude, as I have many times in my recovery, that painful, traumatic experiences can become opportunities for spiritual growth. As always, I invite comments on this post. Jan Williams, 04/8/2012.

This topic was triggered by a recent study reviewing research literature from the sixties and seventies about use of LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) to treat alcoholism (see http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/
2012/03/120308224524.htm?.

The pharmaceutical industry is constantly seeking to find a quick fix for addiction that involves taking a medication rather than doing the difficult work of addressing the physical, emotional/mental, and spiritual aspects of recovery. Thus, there is research in progress right now to find drugs (extended release stimulants) to use as maintenance treatments for cocaine and amphetamine addiction. In the past marijuana, ketamine (Special K), and LSD have been researched as treatments for alcoholism. And, of course, methadone and suboxone (buprenorphine and an opiate antagonist) are currently considered by some to be the treatment of choice  for prescription and street opiate addiction. I'll admit a bias up front regarding this topic. I have a problem with using drugs that themselves have addictive properties to treat addiction, such as use of methadone and suboxone that are taken by the addicted person instead of illicit or pharmaceutical opiates. I invite comments pro and con on this topic. Jan Williams, 03/11/2012.