Keys To Recovery Interview
I was delighted to be asked and honored to take part in one of the excellent “The Hope Interviews” with Steve Jones for the recovery newspaper “Keys to Recovey”
Social Anxiety and Peer Helping in Adolescent Addiction Treatment
In treatment, youths with social anxiety disorder (SAD) may avoid participating in therapeutic activities with risk of negative peer appraisal. Peer-helping is a low-intensity, social activity in the 12-step program associated with greater abstinence among treatment-seeking adults. This study (1), hot off the press as published May 2015, examined the […]
How Religious are 12 Step Groups?
A criticism often laid against 12 step recovery is that it is too God-centred or religious-based in their program orientation? Something I personally have not experienced in the years I have attended AA, NA and Al Anon. Are there any studies on this either way, to shed so light […]
The Benefits of Helping Others
Part 2 The helper therapy principle (HTP) observes the helper’s health benefits derived from helping another with a shared malady. The HTP is embodied by the program of Alcoholics Anonymous as a method to diminish egocentrism as a root cause of addiction. This article reviews recent evidence of the HTP in […]
Carrying this Message to the Wider World?
Part 1 “Helping others in the program of AA has forged a therapy based on the kinship of common suffering…” Here we cite and use excerpts to show how helping others helps us in recovery and how the wider world can and has benefited from a similar approach. […]
Self Compassion Eases the Distress at the Heart of Addiction
I can change my brain and behaviour via neuroplasticity by behaving differently towards myself! Here we look at one study on self compassion in relation to those who have alcohol use disorders. It will be a first in a series of blogs about the role of the heart […]
Does Science Show What 12 Steps Know (part 1)?
How It Works Here we address a question I have asked myself many times – why does AA and other 12 step fellowships seem to have a better understanding of the alcoholic/addict and offer better treatment of them than that suggested by the findings and conclusions of scientific […]
Guest Blog – “Staying in Action” Part 3
“Staying in Action” Part 3 by alcoholicsguide In this third part of our blog on the gambling addicts version of “dry drunk” we look at further “symptoms” of this. We hasten to add that a good 12 step program would soon iron out most of these emotional and behavourial […]
Reducing Impulsivity via 12 Step Mutual Aid Group Affiliation
AA helps to reduce Impulsivity by alcoholicsguide One constant in studies on addiction and in alcoholism, in particular is the fundamental role played by impulsivity in these disorders. It is seen to be present in early use but appears to be more distress based (i.e. more negative urgency based) […]
Prolonged Abstinence and Changes in Alcoholic Personality?
Guest Blog Measuring the “Psychic” Change by alcoholicsguide Prolonged Abstinence and Changes in Alcoholic Personality? When I came into AA I remember hearing the words “the need for a psychic change” which was the product of a spiritual awakening (as […]
Inside The Alcoholic Brain 
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