Category: Self-Help

The most mind-numbing phrase in addiction rhetoric: “out of control”

The addiction treatment and recovery world has created a web of myths and misinformation that leaves troubled people utterly confused. Unfortunately, this confusion also seems to make our substance use problems more extreme and longer lasting. My ongoing goal is to break through this confusion with the facts and logic (my main work in this… Continue reading The most mind-numbing phrase in addiction rhetoric: “out of control”

Your heroin / prescription opioid addict origin story is holding you back. Let it go.

I was at my hometown bus station a few nights ago, in Springfield Massachusetts – the town where I spent the bulk of my time as a heroin “addict.” A young girl – let’s call her Jennifer – started chatting me up, and although she was well put together, I could tell from the look… Continue reading Your heroin / prescription opioid addict origin story is holding you back. Let it go.

Essential Reading List for the Truth about Addiction, Alcohol, and other Drugs

The hysteria and myths about alcohol, other drugs, and addiction runs deep in American culture – and I believe it is causing us to have more problems with alcohol and other drugs. The more people learn the truth, the more we can create a cultural shift that decreases these problems. The following is my study… Continue reading Essential Reading List for the Truth about Addiction, Alcohol, and other Drugs

The myth that alcohol relieves stress

Wanna deal with your “self-medication” based addiction? Try this: recognize the fact that your substance use isn’t medicating anything, that is, that you are taking the wrong medicine. Once you know this, you can stop it. Let’s tackle the issue of stress, a ubiquitous experience that is widely believed to be relieved by alcohol. This… Continue reading The myth that alcohol relieves stress

The key ingredient to a successful quit or reduction of substance use.

There’s nothing worse than white knuckling it while trying to quit or moderate a drug or alcohol habit. Just barely hanging on. Feeling tempted all the time. Resisting urges. Frantically avoiding anywhere you might find temptation – bars, parties, anywhere that you might run into people who use substances. Feeling left out, and generally punished… Continue reading The key ingredient to a successful quit or reduction of substance use.

Successful Moderate Drinking / Substance Use – Who can Moderate, When, and How?

Can I moderate my drinking or drug use? When should I try moderation? How do I moderate my drug and alcohol use? Because of the confusion and misinformation about substance use and addiction in our culture, these are tough questions for which quick answers won’t do. Let’s unpack a few things, and then we can get to… Continue reading Successful Moderate Drinking / Substance Use – Who can Moderate, When, and How?

Choice isn’t shame, but shame is a choice.

I’ve had it with the argument that suggests seeing “addictive” behavior as freely chosen automatically bestows shame upon those who engage in it. It’s usually presented with the request that we “treat addiction as a disease so that people won’t feel ashamed.” This argument is so wrong, but it’s rarely questioned and analyzed with any… Continue reading Choice isn’t shame, but shame is a choice.