Clipmarks | JohnWaterman's alcohol and addiction collection

Top 100 Overcoming Addiction Blogs

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:14:45 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: If CM is roughly representative of the general populations in wealthy western economies, this clip should be relevant and hopefully helpful to between a quarter and a third of us who have or are recovering from addiction(s), and to virtually all of us who have a loved one so beset by affliction.

Clip Source: onlinenursepractitionerschools.com

Top 100 Overcoming Addiction Blogs

1. My Way Out: Roberta Jewell is the author of a book of the same title and her blog is a multi-faceted approach to treat alcohol addiction. Treatments, drugs, and other addiction related topics are discussed.

3. Depression Marathon: Etta is a health professional who was diagnosed with depression in addition to her battles with addiction. Learn how she uses exercise, her dog, and more to deal with life’s daily struggles.

19. A Heroin Addict’s Blog: Gledwood believes that not all junkies are purse-snatching, grandmother-killing psychos and keeps this blog to prove that. Get updates on daily life, progress, and more.

Best Blogs of Those who Have an Addict in the Family

Best Sex Addict Blog

Go beyond drugs and alcohol to those who are addicted to pornography and internet sex. Graphic language and depictions are used.

Best Addiction Treatment Blogs

Best Overcoming Addictions Podcasts and Videos

Best Specialty Blogs and Sites for Overcoming Addiction

Tags: addiction

Alcoholics Anonymous Not As Helpful as Secular Alternatives

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 06:44:57 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: friendlyatheist.com

I’ve written about the topic before: Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12-step programs which require participants to submit to a higher power (PDF).

You would think that, because AA is so famously known and its program so widely used, it would at least be effective… right?

New research says otherwise.

So what works better than AA’s 12 steps?

secular psychotherapy. Because of the enduring popularity of AA and similar programs that involve a spiritual component, Miller and his team expected the patients in the spiritual group to do better than those in the secular group. They were wrong — at least in the short term

it took longer to see improvement among those in the spiritual group

those who received spiritual guidance reported being significantly more anxious and depressed after four months than those who got secular help

Simply put, programs without God/superstition worked better than programs with God/superstition.

God seems to just make the problems worse.

Christmas and alcohol

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:56:41 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: Be careful folks.
While enjoying your Christmas cheer please don't forget that alcohol is a dangerous, addictive drug that destroys families and individuals. Drink responsibly (or not at all). No one is immune.

Clip Source: www.drinkaware.co.uk

Surviving the festive season

From drinks at the office do, right up to the alcohol-laden big day, the festive season can feel like one long raid on the Christmas spirits and leave you feeling less than festive.

Making the most of your office Christmas party

Drinkaware's tips for a memorable evening for all the right reasons.

How much is too much?

Exactly how much is 'too much' on a night out – or in? And how do you know if the amount you drink is harming your health?

Alcohol and your health

Download PDF

Alcohol, mental health and wellbeing

Download PDF

Alcohol and your liver

Download PDF

John Lee Hooker - One bourbon, one scotch, one beer.

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 12:42:10 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Drug Has Potential To Prevent Alcoholics From Relapsing

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:56:56 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

An experimental drug that blocks the euphoric feelings associated with drinking may prevent alcoholics from relapsing

some people's brains become sensitized as a result of chronic exposure to alcohol. This change in the brain does not subside after people quit drinking. So when they begin consuming alcohol again, "they get a bigger jolt

Alcohol consumption causes the body to release a substance known as "corticotrophin-releasing factor" or CRF. It activates receptors in the brain

a brain receptor called CRF1 appears to be involved in this heightened pleasure sensation

took normal mice with the CRF1 receptor and exposed them to chronic doses of alcohol. Before testing for the euphoric response, the researchers gave the mice an experimental drug called CP 154,526

which prevents CRF from reaching the brain receptor. This group of mice also did not experience the heightened reaction.

particularly applicable to stress-induced relapse

CRF1 receptor also triggers the body's response to stress

Tree Shrew Likes its Beer

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 09:12:06 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

Even the most ardent beer fans would have trouble subsisting on their favorite brew day in and out, but scientists have just discovered that the pentailed treeshrew lives off a frothy, fermented nectar that smells like beer and has its same alcohol content

But are the treeshrews forever tipsy?

we do not rule out psychopharmacological effects induced by alcohol.

video surveillance

imbibers included the gray tree rat, the Malayan wood rat, the chestnut rat, the slow loris and the pentailed treeshrew

big-eyed treeshrews would have a 36 percent chance of being drunk, by human standards, on any given night

Clip Source: dsc.discovery.com

extremely high concentrations of a compound

ethyl glucuronide

the end product of a chemical process that gets rid of alcohol

from the body

In humans, only a negligible amount of the consumed alcohol is detoxified via this pathway

humans and most other modern primates either weren't exposed to it as much, or lost the beer-guzzling adaptations as the years went on

Addiction, recovery and self-hate

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:30:36 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: mysoberlife.com

[Video]

This Sober Life

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:18:41 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: I don't miss asking, "Did I say that?"
I don't miss crying on train tracks,
don't miss not knowing where to start,
don't miss questioning, "Am I falling apart?"
I don't miss counting prescription pills,
don't miss wondering, "Would this jump kill?"
I don't miss being angry and not knowing why,
don't miss yelling up to God, "Just let me die!"
I don't miss not sleeping night after night,
don't miss not having an appetite.
I don't miss puking and I sure don't miss quitting,
I figure by now you get the point that I'm setting.

Clip Source: www.thissoberlife.com

What I Miss
From "This Sober Life"

When I look at everything in
black and white
I might be missing some things
but I figure I did this right.
So what if I miss laughing with all my friends
or miss feeling like I fit in.
I might miss staying up until night turns into day
and I might miss cold beers on sunny days.
I miss rum and I miss schnapps
but I also miss Derek and I don't miss cops.
I don't miss courts and I don't miss cells,
don't miss feeling like killing my self.
I sure don't miss crying in bed all night,
don't miss worrying about paying fines,
don't miss hangovers or morning regret,
don't miss calling, saying, "Bail me out dad."
Even though I miss not worrying about my life
or not having to wonder, "Am I doing this right?"

Excessive Drinking And Relapse Rapidly Cut In New Approach

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:35:04 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

Boosting the level of a specific brain protein quickly cut excessive drinkingof alcohol in a new animal study, and also prevented relapse

In addition, the treatment did not block other "pleasure-seeking behaviors

Interference with these normal behaviors has been a problem with drugs developed for alcoholism treatment

increased levels of this brain protein, known as GDNF, cut down alcohol consumption

also pinpointed the brain site where GDNF acts to control drinking

Alcoholism is a devastating and costly psychiatric disease with enormous socioeconomic impact

There is a tremendous need for therapies to treat alcohol abuse

only three drugs are currently approved to treat excessive drinking, and all have serious limitations

set out to test the actions of GDNF in a brain site known as the Ventral Tegmental Area, or VTA, a region of the brain thought to be strongly involved in drug-seeking behavior

now studying whether any FDA-approved drugs might stimulate GDNF activity in the brain

Relapse prevention therapy

Wed, 28 May 2008 22:30:14 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: Well it's working for me

Clip Source: www.apa.org

techniques include helping patients recognize their high-risk situations, rehearse strategies for dealing with those situations, self-monitor substance use and deal with cravings--including externalizing them and "surfing" the wave of the urge. It focuses on "lifestyle balance" with the understanding that when the external demands and activities in a person's life (the "shoulds") outweigh pleasurable activities (the "wants"), there's a greater risk the person will indulge in the behavior

helps the person deal with a "lapse,"

keep the feelings of self-blame and uncontrollability from causing the "lapse" to inflate into a "relapse" to former levels of substance use

has actually had mixed results

intriguing for the effects it does show

when people do relapse, "they are able to have shorter relapses and recover sooner.

better than other therapies for maintaining a lower relapse rate at a later point, one year or more after treatment

they get better at it

a real success story

Rational Recovery - No "Higher Power" necessary

Sun, 11 May 2008 08:18:04 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: substance-abuse-recovery.suite101.com

1. Admit you have a problem. You do not have to admit to being powerless over alcohol. You do have to admit that you have a problem and that you want to change

2. Determine your allies as soon as you make the decision to quit. Who is in your life that will support you in your decision? Surround yourself with the people in your life that will assist you in your decision to quit

3. Make a commitment. Don't be afraid to imagine yourself sober for the rest of your life. It is true that you take one day at a time

You also need to have emotional acceptance that it is a good thing that you will not ever be drinking again

4. Avoid the labels. It is not necessary to announce to everyone that you are an alcoholic, or a recovering alcoholic. Share your victories with your allies

Know that you do not have a disease, and you are not sick-

it's o.k. to simply say, "no thank you

Avoid situations that will lead to being pressured for a drink

Spend time with your allies

Be gentle with yourself

Alcohol abuse changes the brain at a molecular level

Sun, 04 May 2008 10:22:07 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

An analysis of brain tissue samples from chronic alcoholics reveals changes that occur at the molecular level in alcohol abuse -- and suggests a potential treatment target

a protein known as beta-catenin that is involved in cell signaling and development is found at higher levels in the brains of chronic alcoholics compared to people of the same age with no history of alcoholism

identified a protein that may be a cause of alcohol dependence and tolerance, suggesting the possibility of developing a drug to inhibit the molecule and treat the disease

microarray analyses

explore the idea that the complex behavioral, psychological, emotional and brain changes associated with alcoholism are likely due to how networks of proteins respond to chronic and excessive alcohol intake

If the change happens early, it may explain how the brain adapts

If it shows up later, it could be from the toxic effects of alcohol. We need to further define its role

Why People Engage In Risky Behavior While Intoxicated

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:42:06 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

New brain imaging research published this week shows that, after consuming alcohol, social drinkers had decreased sensitivity in brain regions involved in detecting threats, and increased activity in brain regions involved in reward

he first human brain imaging study of alcohol's effect on the response of neuronal circuits to threatening stimuli

The key finding of this study is that after alcohol exposure, threat-detecting brain circuits can't tell the difference between a threatening and non-threatening social stimulus

Comparing brain activity, Gilman's team found that when participants received the placebo infusion, fearful facial expressions spurred greater activity than neutral expressions in the amygdala, insula, and parahippocampal gyrus--brain regions involved in fear and avoidance--as well as in the brain's visual system. However, these regions showed no increased brain activity when the participants were intoxicated.

Change

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:30:39 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.lifecoachsolutions.co.uk

To begin to make a decision to change something in our life we all have to go through the following cycle.

Clip Source: www.skysite.org

Allegory of Change

BY PORTIA NELSON

I walk,down the street
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in
I am lost.......I am helpless
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

2.
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I am in the same place,but,
It isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in..........it's a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.

I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.

I walk down another street.

My treatment

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:34:49 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: second session today

Clip Source: www.turning-point.co.uk

At Turning Point we pride ourselves on turning lives around in a trully person centred way

People are not placed in a pre-existing service and expected to adjust but rather the service adjusts to them

Clip Source: www.stalbanscsp.org.uk

structured day programmes

Clip Source: www.patient.co.uk

Cognitive behaviour therapy - CBT

CBT has been shown to help people with various condition

certain anxiety disorders including phobias, panic attacks and panic disorder

depression

drug or alcohol abuse

a practical therapy which focuses on particular problems and aims to overcome them

sometimes used alone, and sometimes used in addition to medication

one type of psychotherapy ('talking treatment'). Unlike other types of psychotherapy it does not involve 'talking freely', or dwell on events in your past

not a 'lie on the couch and tell all' type of therapy

tends to deal with the 'here and now'

aims to find solutions to how to change your current thoughts and behaviours so that you can function better in the future

has a structure, is problem-focused and practical.

Clipmarks | JohnWaterman's alcohol and addiction collection

Top 100 Overcoming Addiction Blogs

Top 100 Overcoming Addiction Blogs

Alcoholics Anonymous Not As Helpful as Secular Alternatives

Christmas and alcohol

John Lee Hooker - One bourbon, one scotch, one beer.

Drug Has Potential To Prevent Alcoholics From Relapsing

Tree Shrew Likes its Beer

Addiction, recovery and self-hate

This Sober Life

What I Miss From "This Sober Life"

Excessive Drinking And Relapse Rapidly Cut In New Approach

Relapse prevention therapy

Rational Recovery - No "Higher Power" necessary

Alcohol abuse changes the brain at a molecular level

Why People Engage In Risky Behavior While Intoxicated

Change

My treatment

Cognitive behaviour therapy - CBT

What I Miss
From "This Sober Life"