Did you know that addiction is classified in the DSM-5? It’s a mental illness that lives in the brain stem: the same brain stem that serves a critical role in regulating certain involuntary actions of the body, including heartbeat and breathing. Addicts feel that they need their drug of choice (DOC) the same way they…
The Casual Relapse AA meetings provide relapse-prone members with a mnemonic device to give the memory of the venom in one sip sufficient force. AA helps to prevent what the authors of the “Big Book,” or Alcoholics Anonymous (Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, 2001), refer to as a “casual” relapse. This relapse is distinguished by such thoughts as…
As we travel through life, many of us navigate a series of shifts concerning our beliefs in a higher power (or lack thereof), together with our sense of alignment with that power. I suspect this is particularly true for those of us who align ourselves with a Twelve Step orientation to recovery. I particularly like…
“The Book That Started it All“The Original Working Manuscript of AA Read the original unedited version of the 12 Steps. Decipher the five layers of editorial comments in black, green and red pencil page after page which reveal the opinions, debates and discussions that went into creating the Big Book. This rendition includes essays by…
Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation Based on the true story of the tested but enduring bond between Bill and Lois Wilson respective co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon Family Groups. Starring Winona Ryder (“The Age of Innocence”, “Little Women”) and Barry Pepper (“61*”). In 1914, Lois Burnham, a young woman from an affluent family, fell…
excerpted from article in News Report by Benjamin Chambers The original manuscript of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Big Book was published for the first time, along with edits that changed its references to religion, the Washington Post reported on Sept. 22. The first AA manual, called: “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men…
by William L. White, MACounselor, April 2010, 11(2), 10-19. Addiction recovery mutual aid societies have played a significant role in the resolution of severe alcohol and other drug problems throughout the world and have exerted a particularly profound influence on the professional treatment of addiction (Humphreys, 2004; White, 2004). The purpose of this article is to…
I’m sharing Wes’s (Irvine) feeling of being really moved on this occasion. High Watch Farm have always meant a great deal to me. It’s given me a lot, a lot more than I’ve ever given it, and I haven’t been nearly as close to it in recent years as I would wish. To hear the…
Liz Barnes, Special to the Citizenwww.auburnpublic.com Lots of people contributed to finding ways to make treatment for addictions work. It started with treatment for alcohol use long ago and has moved into drugs and behaviors like gambling. Here are a few:Alcoholics Anonymous began in 1935 with a single meeting, blind faith, hope and dedication. Today, there…
NCADD July 2015 Issue Stepping Stones, the home of Bill and Lois Wilson, was designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, in 2012. An unveiling of the marker was held June 6, 2015 in Bedford, NY, and NCADD President/CEO Andy Pucher, was among the invited guests. The unveiling…