Recovery

In Tibet they say there is a lake where, during a particular full moon each year, the seal-like creatures who live there gather fish in their mouths and offer them up to hordes of owls who hover in the trees above, waiting to eat. There is no apparent reason for the seals to offer the [...]

I was at one of those meetings tonight where things just seem to fall into place.  There was hardly anyone there because of a memorial service for Jere, about whom I wrote a few weeks ago.  (I chose not to go; said goodbye already).  The two speakers failed to show as well, so the chair [...]

Some folks may have wondered why I don’t post more to this site.  There are actually several reasons.
It’s especially hard to find high-quality material about addiction and recovery online, and I can’t write everything myself.  (Well, I could, but it would eventually turn into b.s.)   I avoid posting links to commercial sites like treatment [...]

I posted some remarks  about whether or not a person is really in recovery if they’re still using nicotine, on TheSecondRoad.org.  Many people agreed with me, but some were absolutely vehement in their defense of smoking — or of having smoked well after they had ceased using other drugs.  People got so emotional about [...]

Nineteen years ago today, at a few minutes after 4:00 PM, I washed my last Valium® down with my last beer. Shortly thereafter, I walked through the doors of a drug and alcohol treatment center to begin the rest of my life. A couple of days later I had the moment of clarity that was [...]

An interesting take on the issue, even if you don’t completely agree.
The phrase “addiction doesn’t care” is not meant to remind us that addiction casts a long shadow — everyone knows that. Rather, it is supposed to suggest that any individual, no matter who, is vulnerable to the ravages of drugs and alcohol.The same rhetoric [...]

Chris M. writes for The Second Road, a website devoted to recovery from addictions of various kinds, and the man can write! He’s currently in the process of looking for a job that suits his talents. Here’s some of what he has to say about it…
I don’t know what it’s like anywhere else, [...]

Sittin’ here watchin’ th’ rain.  And th’ wind.  And th’ radar — and thinking about how lucky I am to be sober, and able to avoid the drama and bullshit with which I would have surrounded an occasion like Tropical Storm Fay, back in the day.
Of course, it would have been a perfect opportunity to [...]

UCSF News Office - Cocaine addiction linked to voluntary drug use and cellular memory, UCSF study shows
“We know that environmental cues are significant in many addictions, including tobacco and alcohol, and contribute to relapses,” Bonci said. “This study identifies the specific neuronal process involved and helps explain relapse even after rehabilitative therapy or long-term abstinence.”

This, although my second post, is actually the first.  I wanted it to precede the one below, which is a sample of some of what you can expect from the blog.  Sometimes you’ll get original articles, sometimes links to resources, sometimes just stuff I think is interesting or pertinent.
Feel free to comment on all or [...]