Research in 2012 Confirms Assertion in AA Big Book Chapter 7: Work With Other Alcoholics Plays a Plays a Vital Role in Your Recovery. See www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/09/120906181647.htm?, which summarizes a recent research study. AA's basic text, Alcoholics Anonymous, written in 1939, states in Chapter 7, Working with Others, that "... nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics", and that "Helping others is the foundation stone of your recovery." The study referenced here was conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and followed a large number of alcoholics over 10 years of their recovery. The study found that engagement in 12 Step activities, helping others, played a positive role in abstinence and recovery. As always, comments are invited. Jan Williams, 09/10/2012.

From time to time I will present here samples of Addiction Recovery Tips, with a suggested action to take. Here's one about genetics and addiction.

Family History of Addiction Is a Powerful Indicator of Risk for Addiction in Children

If a blood relative in your family, for example, a parent or grandparent, has a drug or alcohol problem, then you may be at serious risk of developing a problem yourself. If you do have such a relative, then it would be a good idea for you to take an honest look at your own drug or alcohol use to figure out whether you are developing a problem. The research is clear that if you have alcoholism or drug addiction in a close blood relative, regardless of whether you live or have lived with that relative, you may be four to six times more at risk to develop an alcohol or drug problem yourself.

Thought for the Day
Genetics explains 30 to 70 percent of alcoholism and addiction, depending upon the substance. A genetic predisposition to develop alcohol or drug addiction does not doom the person to develop addiction. Knowledge of this predisposition allows the person to exercise caution in drug or alcohol use or to even abstain from use. I will research my family history for the presence of alcohol or drug addiction and then take appropriate steps to control my use or seek help if need be.
Jan Edward Williams, 08/27/2012.

Just a short informational post. The drug industry and medical folks are constantly seeking a quick fix for addiction; most well known products of these efforts are drugs used as legal substitutes for heroin or other opiates to maintain the addict in a state of physical dependence (suboxone, methadone). Vaccines are now being investigated as possible treatment interventions for nicotine and cocaine addiction. Science Daily provides a summary of efforts to develop a vaccine for cocaine addiction to block cocaine's effects and to treat cocaine overdoses. Basically what the vaccine would do is to block the effects of cocaine. This approach IS an improvement, in my view, over suboxone and methadone, because the vaccine would not have stimulant effects and would not maintain the addict in a state of physical dependence on cocaine (as suboxone and methadone do for opiate addicts). However, several dangers are apparent in use of a vaccine to treat cocaine addiction. I'll just mention a few. First, the vaccine would only block the effects of cocaine and would not prevent the high from use of other substances such as alcohol, opiates, and marijuana. Secondly, the tendency of addicts on drugs such as methadone, suboxone, and presumably, vaccines, would be to avoid the difficult but essential work of recovery involving cognitive and spiritual changes, separation from the drug culture (people, place, and things), counseling, and attendance of 12 Step meetings, because they will rationalize, "My only problem is cocaine and since I can no longer get high, why do I need to do the recovery work mentioned." As always, comments are invited. Jan Williams, 08/14/2012.

Addictive disease, be it cocaine, heroin, alcohol, gambling, or other addiction, has a powerful grip on those suffering from it. Therefore, recovery from addiction must harness powerful measures to combat the power of addiction. Recovery tools can be lifesaving measures for recovering individuals. The Serenity Prayer is one such powerful recovery tool:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can, and
The wisdom to know the difference.

In my view, the Serenity Prayer, properly interpreted and used, can not only be a tool for addiction recovery but also a tool for ongoing mental health. Here is the way I interpret the Serenity Prayer and try to use it on a daily basis:

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, OTHER PEOPLE AND MANY EVENTS IN MY LIFE,

Grant me the courage to change the things I can, ME AND HOW I REACT TO PEOPLE AND EVENTS IN MY LIFE,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

A recovering individual will face frustration and ultimately relapse by focusing on changing other people and many events in life and should focus on what he/she can change, namely, how he/she reacts to people and life. We always have the ability to address our own thinking (cognitions) and emotional and behavioral reactions to people and events. The folks in Al-Anon have a short phrase that encapsulates some of this: mind your own business. The wisdom comes from daily attempts, with success and failure, to apply the Serenity Prayer tool, from doing so without use of alcohol or other drugs, and from seeking the strength from God, or other source of spiritual strength, to persevere in the task. As always, comments are invited. Jan Williams, 08/04/2012

Do you have a high tolerance for alcohol or other drugs? Are you often the one who takes care of your intoxicated friends even though you drank or used as much as they did? A high tolerance for alcohol or other drugs can be a significant indicator of the potential to develop alcoholism or other drug addiction. Has your physician suggested that you not drink (or use drugs) because of a medical condition, or because you are taking medication that might interact negatively with alcohol? If so, and you continue to drink or use anyway, or maybe stop the medication on Friday or Saturday so you can use, you probably have an unhealthy relationship with the non-prescribed substance. Have you as a result of your alcohol or other drug use ever been unable to remember parts of what happened while using? If these blackouts occur regularly, for example, once a month, they are a significant sign that you have a problem. Is there a history of a drug or alcohol problem in one of your blood relatives? Genetics explains 40 to 60%, or more, of addiction. Take the free screening tests available on this site to see if you may have a problem. Jan Williams, 07/23/2012.