Alcoholism/Addiction Resources

Every day a handful of people visit this site. Where they come from I dont know. However, I assume they have an interest in the subject of Recovery or else why would they be here. If you will notice there is nothing for sale on this site. I dont want anything from you. On occaison I recommend stuff I feel is helpful. The B.O.N.D. website can be helpful. I have also provided a link to Dick B. website because I think his research on early AA can be helpful. I also want to recommend 2 tapes on the subject of addiction that are worth listening too.1)Addiction to Drugs,Sex, and Alcohol2) Alcoholism and Drug AddictionThese tapes are available at www.fhu.com

Does Alcohol/addiction treatement work? (The Emperor has no clothes)

Does Alcohol/addiction treatment work?

For a very long time I have realized that Alcohol/Addiction treatment industries methods do not work (see my blog entitled The Dark Ages of Addiction Treatment) . Many will doubt this, especially treatment professionals. For the most part people become addicted to something esle (like meetings). This is not to say there isnt a cure for Alcoholism/addiction. There is a rare Church here and there that helps people find what they need: There are some links on this website to some of them.Here is a brief excerpt from article about whether threatment works:The question is why has the public been told treatment does work? Why are studies cited that allegedly "prove" that treatment works? It all comes down to interpretation of the facts. Such proclamations of treatment success are common among biased researchers with personal agendas. In fact, these non-scientific proclamations are so common and so ludicrous that the scientific community is now publishing articles ridiculing these reports. I direct your attention to An Invitation to Debate: How to have a high success rate in treatment: advice for evaluators of alcoholism programs by William R. Miller (Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico) and Martha Sanchez-Craig (Addiction Research Foundation, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This article appeared in Addiction (1996) 91(6), 779-785. The abstract reads as follows: "Two seasoned alcohol treatment researchers offer tongue-in-cheek advice to novice program evaluators faced with increasing pressure to show high success rates. Based on published examples, they advise: (1) choose only good prognosis cases to evaluate; (2) keep follow-up periods as short as possible; (3) avoid control and comparison groups; (4) choose measures carefully; (5) focus only on alcohol outcomes; (6) use liberal definitions of success; (7) rely on self-reporting and (8) always declare victory regardless of finding." While Miller and Sanchez-Craig's humor is not lost to us, the tragic truth they expose is not humorous. Alcoholics and drug addicts are dying everyday because of studies that are published proclaiming treatment works when, in fact, everyone in the treatment industry with any ability to be objective knows that it doesn't.You can view the full article at:www.archivesinternational.org/AI/Historyarticles/pdf/treatmentd.pdf

And to be clear about this whole matter I am NOT saying that their is not a treatment that works. I AM saying that the modern Alcohol/Addict treatment industry hasnt found it.

The Dark Ages of Alcoholism/Addiction Treatment

The Dark Ages of Alcoholism/Addiction Treatment
I wrote the following article in response to the artcle "Alcoholism is a characte disorder" which appeared in the Seattle Post Intelligencer. For whatever reason, they decided not to run it. But since I spent a good 1/2 hour writing it, I thought I would at leat post it here. It sort of sums up in 600 words many of the things I have said before.*****************************************************************************

The Dark Ages of Alcoholism/Addiction Treatment

As a long time time AA member (29 years), I read Byron Holocomb’s article “Alcoholism is a character disorder” and Lee Somerstiens related article,“Alcoholism rips through all of society”.Somerstien has described what I call the AA “Party Line” . For 50 years “Alcoholism Activists” have promoted the idea that Alcoholism is a “Disease”. Most prominent was Marty Mann, an early AA . Mann founded the National Council on Alcoholism, through which she “educated” the general public about alcoholism and shaped the modern alcoholism movement .The treatment industry and AA in general have uncritically accepted the idea that alcoholism is a “disease”. What is less well known is that one of the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous, Dr.Robert Smith, did not believe that alcoholism is a disease:

“Doc dwelt on the idea that this was an illness, but Doc was pretty frank with me. …..He pointed out that probably it was moral or spiritual illness, than it was a physical one”*

We live in the dark ages of Alcoholism/addiction treatment. We have spawned a whole treatment industry that falsely believes and promulgates the “disease concept”.But if not a disease or a genetic defect then what is alcoholism? What causes it?After all, it must have a cause.Most treatment professionals would say it is “genetic”,possibly an allergy, or,more honestly, that they don’t know what causes it.To understand the cause it is necessary to understand why the alcoholic drinks. Although he may say it is because he “likes” to drink,that is a lesser truth. The greater truth is he “likes” it because it relieves the pain of conscience.Researchers are beginning to find some clues about this, and it has to do with what is commonly called post traumatic stress syndrome.**

The post-traumatic stress field generally considers drug abuse and alcoholism to be symptoms of stress caused by the underlying post-traumatic stress condition.One form of post traumatic stress disorder is child abuse. Health Canada describes one of the consequences of child abuse to be : “chronic substance abuse/dependence”.***

Alice Miller PHD has this to say about Alcoholism and child abuse:“ Disassociated from the original cause, their feelings of anger, helplessness, despair, longing, anxiety, and pain will find expression in destructive acts against others…. or against themselves (drug addiction, alcoholism)****

People with PTSD are more likely than others with similar backgrounds to have alcohol use disorders both before and after being diagnosed with PTSD, and people with alcohol use disorders often also have PTSD.*****

Sixty to eighty percent of Vietnam veterans seeking PTSD treatment have alcohol use disorders.******

Now you may be thinking, “Maybe that’s true of some , but not everybody was abused ”. And that is true. But my experience is that most alcoholics have been traumatized in varying fashions and degrees. The thing they all have in common is that have hated as a result of trauma.Let me say it plainly and simply. Hate and resentment is the root of alcoholism. And, yes, forgiveness is the cure. And that is an issue of character.

Ted W.*P.219, The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, 3rd edition.**Etiotropic Trauma Management by Jesse Collins*** The Consequences of Child Maltreatment: A Reference Guide for Health Practitioners . A Reference Guide for Health Practitioners was prepared by Jeff Latimer for the Family Violence Prevention Unit, Health Canada.****“The Newly Recognized,shattering effects of Child Abuse,By Alice Miller*****National Center for PTSD Fact Sheet****** Ibid.

Alcoholism and Drug addiction are not diseases!!!!!

"Is the disease model of alcoholism scientific? No. Simply calling behavior a disease process does not make it one, even if doing so assists in creating sobriety. Is the treatment policy based on bad science? Yes. Is there any chance that this attitude will change in the near future? Bloody unlikely". JEFFREY A. SCHALER-Silver Spring-The writer was chairman of the Montgomery County Drug Abuse Advisory Council.

“The debate over the disease concept of addiction is not a meaningless intellectual exercise, for any framework for understanding AOD problems exerts a profound influence on the lives of individuals, families, social institutions and communities”- By William L. White,M.A. , Counselor: The magazine for Addiction Professionals.

When AA co-founder Bill Wilson was asked in 1960 about AA's position on the disease concept, he offered the following response:"We have never called alcoholism a disease because, technically speaking, it is not a disease entity. For example, there is no such thing as heart disease. Instead, there are many separate heart ailments, or combinations of them. It is something like that with alcoholism. Therefore, we did not wish to get in wrong with the medical profession by pronouncing alcoholism a disease entity. Therefore, we always called it an illness, or a malady - a far safer term for us to use."************************************************************************************

WhyAlcoholism and Addiction are not diseases

I am a long time member (20+ years of sobriety) of Alcoholics Anonymous And Narcotics Anonymous. I have read all the AA and NA approved literature regarding these addictions being a disease. Most members of Anonymous programs are indoctrinated with the idea they have a disease almost from the start. Considering the lost confused state they are in ,it is no wonder most accept the idea uncritically. It is also true that most drinkers and drug addicts do not believe they have a disease when they are using. But is this idea true? And is it helpful or harmful. Their have been books wriiten on this subject , most notably "The Useful Lie" by William Playfair which is worth reading. The truth of the matter is that there is no scientific proof that addictions are a disease, although many assert that there is. Stanton Peel (author of Diseasing of America ) has reviewed most of the scientific evidence and it is clear to the objective observer there is no scientific proof that addictions are diseases. The purpose of this short essay is not to argue the point and it is recommended the sincere seeker read Peeles work if he wants to review the so-called evidence. Belief in a lie can effect behavior. If a person truly believes he has a disease which triggers an allergy then he may indeed not drink or use drugs. It is also true if a person is hypnotized into believing he is a Rooster, he will crow like a Rooster. Why is this idea so appealing? First of all, the alcoholic/addict does not know what is wrong with him and this is an explanation. It is alsoappealing to the Alcoholic because most alcoholics/and addicts have done terrible things. The idea of having a disease is appealing. I have on occasion heard people in meetings say they were relieved to "find out"they had a disease and that they were "sick" people not bad people. It is easier for a proud, wrong person to admit there is something wrong with his body than admit there is something wrong with his soul. And that is what is wrong with the disease concept. The alcoholic/addict is a sinner in need of repentance. He needs to see his prideful, resentful,angry, disobedient sinful nature, and feel the attendent pain. This Godly pain is what the scripture refers to in the beatitudes "Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted".Belief in a lie does not save,Belief in the tuth does. Think of it, the entire "treatment"industry in the United States is based on a lie.

Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free-Jesus Christ.Copyright-

http://Christianrecovery.blogspot.com

The Newly Recognized Shattering effects of Child Abuse

The Newly Recognized, Shattering Effects of Child AbuseThere are a few people who understand how devastating the effects of childhood abuse are. Alice Miller is one of them. Also read the article "Hate: The root of addictions" on this site to get a sense of how devastating childhood abuse is.


http://www.ongoingsupport.org.uk/ALICE%20MILLER%20ARTICLE.htm

How to read the Bible

There are better writers than me out there , and when I find a good one I'll place a link to the site. Bob Just has written an article entitled "Overcoming Bible Trauma". Here is a link to the article below:

http://www.wnd.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=37976


Personally, I think he should have entitled it "How to read the Bible" because he does a good job of giving some guidance in that area. Im sure I couldnt write anything as good on the subject so why try when its already been done?


My hope is that if you are one of those AA's who have only read the Big Book or an NA who has read only The Basic Text that maybe Mr. Justs article might stimulate you to read something else. You might also check out the link to Dick B's site and his book, "The Good Book and The Big Book.": www.dickb.com

Betty Ford Center Condones Perversion

Betty Ford Center Accepts Perversion


How sick is the modern recovery industry? Very sick. I have written rather extensively about how Alcoholics Anonymous has become accepting of the homosexual lifestyle (See articles ‘Has Alcoholics Anonymous Lost its Way” and “The Betrayal of Alcoholics Anonymous”.
In summary, Alcoholics Anonymous has disowned its Christian roots and is completely accepting of homosexuality. Those who speak against it are called “haters” or “Bigots”.

But what about other treatment programs? The Betty Ford Center is one of the nations leading addiction treatment centers, established by former first lady Betty Ford. What do they tell homosexuals with alcohol or drug problems who come to them for help? Do they tell them its wrong? Do they tell them to repent and give their lives to God?

I thought I would find out. I sent the follwing e-mail to the admissions department of the Betty Ford Center.


I noticed on your website that your program is "gender specific" in that males apparently stay in a male dormitory and females with females. My question is whether you accept Gay men into some program. Your program appears to be 12 step and somewhat spiritual in nature. I have to ask if you are accepting of gays and their lifestyle if they are seeking recovery.
Thank You
And here is an excerpt from the response I received:



Dear Ted:

Thank you for your inquiry.

I believe you will find the Betty Ford Center very accepting of any lifestyle. The Coachella Valley is a very gay friendly community, as is our staff. We expect each individual to focus on the spiritual and therapeutic aspects of their treatment, and strive to make the facility as safe and healing as possible.



******************************************************

Unfortunately, the e-mail does not explain how a person can focus on the spiritual aspects of their recovery and be in complete denial about the sinfulness of their homosexuality. It also does not explain how the Betty Ford Center can be so disconnected from reality and still help people.

It is clear from Holy Scripture that homosexuality is a sin. And it is not hate to say this or encourage homosexuals to repent of their lifestyle.
As I said the modern alcohol/addiction treatment industry is very very sick.They are the blind leaders of the blind that Jesus warned about.


There is absolutely no way a person or group can have authentic spirituality and be accepting and condoning of the perversion of homosexuality. Society has become more accepting of so called “gays” the last 25 years and the corruption has spread like a cancer to many organizations, even including some apostate Churches, The Betty Ford Center , and Alcoholics Anonymous.


If your looking for help, The Betty Ford Center is one place I would stay away from. And if you have a problem with this post it is because you yourself aren’t quite right in the head either.

Recovery from Homosexuality

Christian Recovery is more than just recovery from alcohol and drugs. Really its about recovery from sin or redemption from sin. One of the major complaints I have about Alcoholics Anonymous (and Narcotics Anonymous) is their acceptance and subtle approval of the homosexual life style. That is just plain wrong. The links I have can send you to to Christian Organizations that can help you come out of the homosexual life style also.

I recently read Linda Carters Powerful Testimony " A new Life". If you have a problem in that area (or are just interested) you can read her testimony at her website. Here is the website as well as an open letter from her:




www.restorationministriesofmobile.org


FORMER HOMOSEXUALS URGE BLACK GAYS
AND LESBIANS TO "COME HOME"
Group releases open letter aimed at introducing alternatives
to people of color with same sex attractions


Atlanta - Asserting that America's black gay and lesbian community needs to come home to God, members of a group of African American former homosexuals today released an national open letter asking black gays to realize their need for God.
Rev. DL Foster, an Atlanta area pastor who is Founder and President of the group "Powerful Change" said, "Our hearts are broken for so many men and women who like we were, are floundering in a sea of unwanted same sex issues. We wanted them to know that there's hope and a choice to have freedom from a way of life which is wreaking havoc on their community."
Statistics show that HIV/AIDS, depression, suicide attempts and substance abuse among gay and lesbian people of color are at a crisis level. Black gay leaders are openly asking all quarters of the black community to help save lives. Citing those reasons and more as an unquestionable need for their help, former homosexuals decided to offer their support to "gay and lesbian brothers and sisters in the wilderness."
"The message of Christ was one of truthful compassion. We cannot, with good Christian conscience stand by silently, when we see so many who are hurting and broken." said Foster. "The solution begins by acknowledging that when you are in over your head, you need God's help. In times of trouble, our community has always called on God to deliver us. That's at the core of our message to the black gay and lesbian community."
Linda Carter of Mobile, AL and a leader in the group said, "Because of our like experiences in dealing with sexuality in context with ethnicity, we felt we could best speak to this crisis. Who could walk away from such a letter of love and support?"
The letter, entitled "Coming Home: An Open Letter to the Black Gay and Lesbian Community", is being released nationwide to highlight the ministry options available to people of color who choose to change. Featured are books and web resources by black former homosexuals including Gospel Music superstar Donnie McClurkin's book "Eternal Victim, Eternal Victor." Representing a diverse group of former homosexuals, parents of gay children, medical and educational professionals and other concerned Christians, the letter's co-signers insist they are united in their message of hope and redemption.
The document also issues a challenge to the black community's most important resource, the church. "We take this opportunity to call on every African American church to stop contributing to the anguish and suffering of sexually confused men and women and begin promoting healing through the ministry of reconciliation.", it says.
The Letter was released to symbolically coincide with "Juneteenth", a day of freedom from slavery, which thousands of Black Americans across the country celebrate. Likewise, the co-signers of the letter urge the black gay and lesbian community to escape the maze of confusion on same gender sexuality and find the peace and security promised by Christ to all those who would come to him.
Powerful Change is a nonbinding national fellowship of African American-led ministries to the sexually broken. Formed in 2001, it continues to grow as a voice of reason, equality and truth to the sexually dispossessed

An open letter to the General Service Office of AA

I sent off them following letter to the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous this morning. It will be interesting to see their reply. It usually takes a couple of months to get a response.



5/2/2005

General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous
475 Riverside Drive
New York, NY 10115



I would like clarification of an issue that has come up in our area.
We have a small AA group and it is listed in the area directory.Our meeting is open to alcoholics and it is listed in the area directory.
Some of our members are believers in Jesus Christ and ,of course, speak freely about their faith in the meeting. But I want to make it clear the meeting is open to all and that we believe in the general principles of the 12 steps. There is no requirement of a particular belief to attend.
The only trouble is that someone in the Central office of our area has said they don’t want Jesus Christ being mentioned at meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous. This seems rather strange to me since any study of AA literature reveals the Christian origin of the steps.
My question then is this:

Is our group entitled to all rights of any AA group including to have our meeting listed in directories? Can we be excluded solely for the reason we allow free speech and people to profess their faith in Jesus Christ?


Sincerely,

Ted W.