-
Shame on me – Stigma and addiction in treatment
I keep hearing that back in the old days of addiction treatment, shame was the main motivating factor used by rehab counselors. Everyone admits that it proved to be a horrible motivator. It simply didn’t work! With all the advances in research into addiction, that must have changed, right? I don’t think so. I see…
-
Recovery from addiction: Stigma and many obstacles, but no excuses!
Many of the people in my life nowadays forget that I’m an ex-convict. Still, I get daily reminders that the “ex” part of convict doesn’t carry much weight. I also know that I have it easy because I have a Ph.D. after my name. For many others in recovery, things are even harder. Still, when…
-
About Addiction: Alcohol, drugs, and bipolar disorder
Have any questions about different drugs or alcohol? We bet you do and we’re glad to see you back at All About Addiction ! You should browse our content and check out the information on alcohol, heroin, marijuana. It is a great source for a quick 30 minute information session. “Traditional” Drugs BBC– A man in England was…
-
Biology versus Choice: Is a simple explanation of addiction enough?
At the recent Addictions conference, held in D.C. and sponsored by Elsevier, a well known academic publishing house, I got myself into one of those long debates with a fellow addiction researcher. The question we were debating was whether addiction is primarily biological or if it is mostly a matter of personal choice. We ran…
-
Addiction stigma – Making addiction recovery, and addiction treatment entry, even harder
When people think about drug addicts, they often bring-up the negative stereotypical hippie, or homeless, image that movies, television, and much of our daily experience has left us with. Its usually not a successful business man, doctor, or lawyer that comes to mind. This is an issue because many addicts attempt to disassociate themselves from…
-
Is anonymity the final shame frontier in addiction?
I’m a drug addict and a sex addict, and as far as I’m concerned, staying anonymous let’s me remain buried in shame, and a double life, that keeps me always one step ahead of those close to me. Did I say too much? Did I give away my secrets? None of those questions matter when…
-
Top down + Music = Loving life – 3 steps for remembering what’s important
In my opinion, the purpose of all this stuff about recovery from addiction is about loving your life again. Let’s face it, if addictive behavior continued to be enjoyable, few of us would look to end it. But the reality is that what seemed like fun at first become the bane of our existence, driving…
-
The hopeful side of my addiction – Drug use is not always a dead end street
I was sitting around with some friends last night talking about old times over dinner. I think it’s sad that the most commonly seen face of addiction and of drug use in general is that of failure. We see it on the news, in the tabloids, and it seems to seep into our minds. I…