Lessons from the recovery experience for research and practice Recovery is a ubiquitous concept but remains poorly understood and ill-defined, hindering the development of assessment tools necessary to evaluate treatment effectiveness. This study (1) examines recovery definitions and experiences among persons who self-identify as ‘in recovery. Recovery, however, […]
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 […]
In early recovery I did not have a clue what emotions I was experiencing. I was not able to identify, label or process them. As a result of his failure to process emotions I seemed to be constantly distressed and and, as we seen in previous blogs, this […]
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) […]
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 […]
In the first in a series of blogs we discuss the topic of why does the solution to one’s alcoholism and addiction require a spiritual recovery. This is a much asked question within academic research, although the health benefits of meditation are well known and life styles incorporating […]
Processing the Past via the actions steps, 4-12! by alcoholicsguide How The Alcoholics Anonymous’ program of action helps with emotional dysregulation. A Personal Perspective In this blog I will attempt to explain how the 12 steps of AA, principally the action steps 4 through to 12, have not only connected […]
Euphoria re-experienced not simply recalled. It appears that negative affect (emotions, mood, anxiety) can automatically prompt thoughts of alcohol or drugs (1) and that the neural circuitries of affect, reward, memory and attention are taken over or ‘hijacked’ in the addiction cycle and often prompted into activation by […]
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