Tag: success

  • How to Give Up Giving Up – The Lexicon of success

    When I was facing eighteen years in prison for a string of felonies long enough to make an organized crime boss proud, I made a decision that would alter the course of my life forever: I was going to change. It’s not that I had a problem making decisions for myself before that time. I…

  • 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…

  • Better rehab services – Addiction research at work

    Fact: Addiction treatment success rates are often lower than 20% ! Addiction research shows that quarterly follow-ups may help us improve success by offering continuous support and recognizing problems earlier. Addiction is a chronic disease What do you do when you are sick? Typically, you would go to the doctor, get some treatment and expect…

  • Beyond my addiction: Allowing myself to be proud of my achievements

    This is a more personal post than I’m used to writing, but I think the thoughts in it are shared by many addicts, so I’d like to share it. I originally posted it on my personal blog: It’s sad, but for the most part, I focus on the things I haven’t yet done and not…

  • 10,000 strong and counting!!!

    We’re glad to report that allaboutaddiction.com has just crossed the 10,000 visitors threshold!!! I want to thank all of our readers, subscribers (see our feed!), and contributors for making this blog as successful as it’s been. Next up, 50,000!

  • UCLA students speaking out about drug use… kind of.

    A recent article in UCLA’s daily newspaper presented the stories of two current students who left behind a life of drug use and petty drug dealing to focus on more long-term priorities, namely school. The students, who used pseudonyms for obvious reasons, show us once again that it is possible to turn around a lifestyle…