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Letter from Dr. Carl Jung to Bill Wilson

July 1st, 2009 · No Comments

This is the letter to the founder of AA or Alcoholics Anonymous that illustrated the psychologists belief that spirituality wad an integral part of addiction recovery.

Kusnacht-Zurich
Seestrasse 228
January 30, 1961

Mr. William G. Wilson
Alcoholics Anonymous
Box 459 Grand Central Station
New York 17, N.Y.

Dear Mr. Wilson,

Your letter has been very welcome indeed.

I had no news from Roland H. anymore and often wondered what has been his fate. Our conversation which he had adequately reported to you had an aspect of which he did not know. The reason, that I could not tell him everything, was that those days I had to be exceedingly careful of what I said. I had found out that I was misunderstood in every possible way. Thus I was very careful when I talked to Roland H. But what I really thought about, was the result of many experiences with men of his kind.

His craving for alcohol was the equivalent on a low level of the spiritual thirst of our being for wholeness, expressed in medieval language: the union with God.1

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Honesty In Getting Clean And Sober

June 26th, 2009 · No Comments

“There’s a lot of talk about the importance of being honest in all our affairs and relationships. I really don’t know where to start it’s been so long since I’ve been honest it’s almost easier to lie.”

There are two major challenges concerning dishonesty that must be met and overcome in order to enter into a healthy recovery.

1. The dishonesty and lying has to stop. Unfortunately, for many people, this has become a habit. This behavior needs to be ‘unlearned’and the habit broken.

2. We must also overcome the fear of the consequences of once again being truthful

Being dishonest can easily become the standard of action, or way of life for most alcoholics or addicts. We deceive ourselves and we lied to others. We lie about how much we used, and how often we used.  We hid our feelings and emotions, or became distant from our relationships, perhaps not in all areas, but certainly in terms of our substance use.

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Controlled Drinking For The Alcoholic: A Myth

June 24th, 2009 · 2 Comments

The idea of controlled drinking has been getting a lot of press as of late; it seems to resurface every few years in a different form.

While there are announcements every few years that there is a new treatment in the works which will allow people to drink while eliminating the chance for addiction; as you know it’s not available yet, if indeed it ever will be.

Controlled drinking dates back to the 1930s. The Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous mentions it, saying essentially “The great delusion of every alcoholic is that one day he can drink again like a gentleman”.  Personally, I haven’t seen anything yet that can prevent alcohol or drug problems other than abstinence.

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Drug Addiction Video

June 15th, 2009 · 3 Comments

This drug addiction video is part of a textbook supplement on abnormal psychology. Some stories of how it is using.

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A Couple Of My Favorite Alcoholism Videos

June 9th, 2009 · 1 Comment

Here are 2 of my favorite videos. In the first, Craig Ferguson Speaks From The Heart about his own trials with alcoholism. He speaks of a couple years ago when the Hollywood Brat Pack and LA rehabs were dominating the news. The second video deal with the issue of “letting Go With Love” and how it sometime has to be done. A great video for loved one of alcoholics.

Craig Ferguson speaks on his past problems as an alcoholic and why he will not ridicule Britney Spears and her shaved head crisis. Must watch! … CBS Craig Ferguson late show speak heart Britney Spears shaved head alcoholic ridicule

Overcoming Drug and Alcohol Addiction - Curry and Wandzilak

Complete video at: fora.tv Co-authors Constance Curry and Kristina Wandzilak discuss the struggles with drug and alcohol addiction at the heart of their book, “The Lost Years: Surviving a Mother and Daughter’s Worst Nightmare.” —– Constance Curry and Kristina Wandzilak talk about “The Lost Years: Surviving a Mother and Daughter’s Worst Nightmare.” This riveting memoir of survival and transformation reveals the true story of a daughter’s decline into alcohol and drug addiction …

NPR: Share Your Stories of Addiction

Today, I work for the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse in St. Louis. Nothing makes me feel better than seeing someone get help, achieve their potential and become the person they were meant to be. ~ Dan Duncan …

Breakingthecycles.com - Changing the Conversations » Blog Archive …

It brings a new perspective to alcoholsim that I have never encountered. Jasmine Says: March 3rd, 2009 at 5:47 pm. Hi. It’s late but I wanted to ask a quick question: Do you recommend alternative treatments for depression if it persists …

Causes of Alcoholism| Etiology of Alcoholism| Factors leading to …

Personality factors. - Many alcohol and drug users appear to have some degree of an underlying personality disorder. A number of them possess self-indulgent tendencies or sense of inferiority which makes them incapable to face stresses …

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The Opposite Of The 12 Steps - Anything Sound Familiar?

June 2nd, 2009 · No Comments

1.    I declare my complete control over alcohol and everything else; and further declare that my life is in perfect order. 

2.    I recognize no power as great as I am; nor any person as smart as I am, and if you don’t like it, come outside. 

3.    I made a decision to run my life and everyone else’s life suit only me, and I pity those who get in my way. 

4.    I made a searching and thorough inventory of every one other than myself, and find them woefully lacking in all respects; and I never hesitate to tell them so. 

5.    I admitted to no one, including God and myself, that there could possibly be anything wrong with me or my actions. 

6.    I went to extreme efforts to protect and increase my defects of character and I did a little drinking besides. 

7.    I continued my obnoxious and arrogant air of asking no one for anything, my Big Eye was for telling, not asking. 

8.    I kept a complete list of all persons who had harmed me, either real or imaginary, and swore to get even with them all. 

9.    I got even where possible, except when to do so might injure me. 

10.    I continued to bitch and whine about everything to everyone and, when I was right, promptly reminded them. 

11.    I sought through scheming and conniving to materially improve myself, at the expense of my fellow man.  I never hesitate, when the opportunity presents itself to bring disaster and misery to anyone who happens across my path. 

12.    Having had a complete moral, physical, financial and spiritual breakdown, all of my remaining effort was directed toward dragging those near me and dear to me down to the same depths of despair.  And I did a little drinking too.

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Getting A Loved One Into Treatment: When They Don’t Want To Go

June 1st, 2009 · 7 Comments

I was searching the Internet for some ideas on getting people into addiction treatment And found the following article.

How to Get a Resistant Alcoholic Or Drug Abuser In Treatment

By Mike Shery

There are compelling reasons why people become addicted to alcohol and drugs. Psychological factors are extremely powerful. The addicts conscious and unconscious cravings become the dominant software programs that run his self-destructive life.

Our brain as reflected in the day -to-day experiences of our mind is everything. Because of disorders in our brain or the way we think, the psychiatric implications of drug abuse are omnipresent, and can cause major dysfunctions in the life of the one who is addicted-and his family.

The psychological scripting or indirect hypnosis which determines the quality of the addicts lives is well known. To illustrate, if one is the child of a substance abuser it is likely that, as he grows, he will rapidly justify the use of these substances to himself and REALLY think that it is OK!

In some unintentional way, the addict has been programmed by his parents to think that since it is OK for them, it must be OK for him. He is, in effect complying with the suggestions of this powerful indirect hypnosis.

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Addiction And Addictive Behavior: 7 Signs Trouble Is Developing

May 24th, 2009 · 2 Comments

Addiction is a much broader topic than dependence on alcohol or drugs.

In addition to substance use addictions such as alcoholism, prescription pill, and controlled substances, there are process addictions. These addictions are related to compulsive behavior such as shopping, gambling, and disordered eating. Being active in addiction not only hurts the user, but also those associated with them such as friends and family. This raises questions. What is addiction? How does it start in when? It is hard to discern when a pattern of behavior moves into addiction?

It is a mystery why some can use drugs or alcohol and not become addicted, while others cannot avoid it. Victims of addiction have lost the ability to control or stop their user behaviors. Addiction is possible for everyone despite ethnic, social or economic status.

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Picture This In Grand Central Station NYC

May 18th, 2009 · 3 Comments

Hey, if this doesn’t bring a smile to your face, I give up:

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Traits Of Addicts And Alcoholics

May 17th, 2009 · No Comments

This came floating through my email, I’m not sure of the source. It was anonymous. I wonder if someone was directing this at me?

 

1. Profound narcissism. They are often self-centered and self-absorbed.

2. Extreme grandiosity. Mostly image – addicts “front strength”, but are actually weak with low self-esteem.

3. Manipulation and lying. Con games, stealing, cheating – the whole gamut.

4. Impulsiveness. Like lightning they move from impulse to action, bypassing the weighing of possible consequences to self or others.

5. Extreme risk taking. Crime, overdose, HIV infection, Hepatitis C, etc.,

6. Externalizing of blame. It’s always someone else’s fault, never there own.

7. Isolation. They retreat into a world filled with secrets, shame and guilt.

8. Passivity. At times, they collapse into inaction, awaiting the rescue by others.

 

Sound like anyone you know? (or better yet, someone you once knew?)

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