What Addicts Need

I have been clean for ten years thanks to the program of Narcotics Anonymos. I believe, from my own experience and observing many others, that a true addict who tries to get clean without the help of other addicts is in deep trouble. Because "the theroputic value of one addict helping another is without parralel". I see a lot of misconceptions in this article about NA and AA and Twelve Step recovery in general. In NA we have liturature which talks about the need to take medication at times. And it all comes down to that we are not Doctors and those things are better left to Doctors. There are a small minority of people who think you cannot be in recovery if taking a "mental medication, or on pain relief due to a medical condition. I always tell them they need to check thier opinion against our liturature which tells a different story. Nowhere in Annie Fuller's story did she talk about going to meetings. I know for myself when people come back after a relapse they are welcomed with open arms and hugs. We do not consider them a failure for relapsing, we consider them a miricle for being able to come back. Well, enough outta me.
An Addict named Kevin

Jeneen Interlandi seems to have a real bias against Alcoholics Anonymous. She describes AA as a "treatment," using quotation marks in a manner that belittles that notion that AA is of any value to addicts and alcoholics. And she quotes only one person, an AA hardliner, who says that drugs are not for him--with the suggestion that this member's personal preference is somehow representative of others' experience in AA.

She might just as easily have cited an AA member like me. After 26 grueling years of self-medicating with cocaine, methamphetamine, and alcohol, i got sober during a five-month stay in 1993 at McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. I have stayed, sober, however, through a combination of AA, psychopharmacogical medications that treat my post-traumatic stress and acute-anxiety disorders, and individual and group therapy. No one in AA has ever suggested that because I depend on doctor-prescribed medications I am not truly sober. If someone did, I would ignore him or her, because the first thing i learned about AA when I started going to meetings is that while everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, no one is entitled to impose it on anyone else.

The beauty of AA in my particular mix of psychological and physical aids is that I benefit from the support and camaraderie of a group of like-minded and -experienced people any time I choose to tap into that resource.. Do try to keep an open mind about Alcoholics Anonymous. It is a valuable tool in many addicts' and alcoholics' arsenals.

Besides the medications/"vaccines" that the article mentions for addiction, many conventional meds are effective in curbing cravings, at least for alcohol. A physician can prescribe these "off-label". These include:

1. Dynacirc (Isradipine), a calcium-channel blocker for high blood pressure
2. Zofran (Ondansetron), an anti-nausea med
3. Topamax (Topiramate), an epilepsy med

You will probably have to shop around for a physician who is familiar with these medications actions against alcoholism, and who is willing to prescribe them to you for that purpose. There must certainly be additional meds that I can't recall. I hope this helps.

As a psychologist working with substance abusers it is clear to me that the ultimate solution lies in the "demand" side versus the failed and bankrupt "war on drugs." For a long time I have thought that a vaccine or similar solution is the way to go. However, the writer of the articile offers a typical "reductionist" solution where addiction can be "cured" by a biological agent. This simplistic approach has always failed in the mental health approach. Anyone active in the substance abuse field is well aware of the lifestyle issues, including manipulation, deceit, and socialization pattern of addicts. Many heroin addcits that I have worked with have co-morbid Bipolar Disorder or other major mental health problems. Crack addicts from disadvantaged neighborhoods have a crushing set of social factors that have acted in concert to generate addiction. There there are abuse issues-the sexual and physical abuse of women, child abuse, family disruption. A pill or a vaccine is a start, and I applaud the efforts of the scientists to develop them. AA and NA work for some but not for others. Their mantra that if the program does not work for someone that must be incapable of being honest or a defective person is nonsense. AA tradition says that AA has no opinion outside of AA matters. The issue of scientific breakthoughs are outside their scope, just as medication for addicts who also have Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder. Ultimately, it is a "program" that an addict will need for sobriety. I welcome the new biological approaches. AA and NA should welcome them as well. This is not about "territory" but sobriety. There is simply no one size fits all cure all for something as complex and multidetermined as addiction.

And the fastest growing addiction that lays below the surface and hasn't yet made a blip on anyone's radar is the addiction of compulsive gambling. The most devastating of all addictions. The most expensive addiction.
The addiction that takes only months to destroy an entire family. Let me know if you want all of the valid data for a future article. TN, UT, HI are the only 3 states where government didn't get scammed into believing casino revenue was good for the people, the city and the answer to their messed up budgets at the state level. Peace.

I myself am a methadone patient (MMT ) and have had total, uninterupted clean time for almost a decade now, and no matter how hard I try, how honest I always am with any and ALL doctors, I am treated like I was still actively using, even with all the years of negative drug screens under my belt, it makes NO difference. The people that put us down, judge us, and accuse us of being weak or just plain lazy are people who have NO RIGHT to comment on such an issue cause you don't have a CLUE what you are talking about!!!!! WALK IN MY SHOES, SEE WHAT I HAVE SEEN AND HOW LOW LIFE CAN GET SOOO FAST , THEN TALK TO US..UNTIL THEN TRY AND TALK ABOUT STUFF THAT YOU MAY ACTUALLY KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT!!!!

I myself am a methadone patient (MMT ) and have had total, uninterupted clean time for almost a decade now, and no matter how hard I try, how honest I always am with any and ALL doctors, I am treated like I was still actively using, even with all the years of negative drug screens under my belt, it makes NO difference. The people that put us down, judge us, and accuse us of being weak or just plain lazy are people who have NO RIGHT to comment on such an issue cause you don't have a CLUE what you are talking about!!!!! WALK IN MY SHOES, SEE WHAT I HAVE SEEN AND HOW LOW LIFE CAN GET SOOO FAST , THEN TALK TO US..UNTIL THEN TRY AND TALK ABOUT STUFF THAT YOU MAY ACTUALLY KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT!!!!

I would like to know on which planet Steven Paul, lead researcher for Eli Lilly, lives that the stigma attatched to depression has been taken care of by the development of Prozac. We have certainly made progress in this area, but we still have a long way to go. Having the dual diagnosis of major depression and addiction makes me extremely vulnerable to labels such as, "crazy", "stupid" and even "lazy"! This is sad and unfortunate because I have accomplished some amazing things in spite of my illness and I believe I am quite intelligent. No pill can take the stigma of mental illness away and we cannot expect this miracle with addicts and alcoholics, either. I would love to see more education for and empathy from the general population, but it will take work on all of our parts for this to happen.

I would like to know what planet Steven Paul (Lead researcher for Eli Lilly) is living on that he thinks Prozac put an end to the stigma of depression. Having suffered from major depression and addiction for many years, I find that the stigma of both illnesses is alive and well in this country. Being "emotionally ill" still causes people to talk, sometimes openly, sometimes under their breath about all of us "crazy people". I would love to see this change and I think education about mental illnesses and addiction has made a difference, I think we still have far to go in this arena today.

The last sentence of my post below was supposed to read, "Again, I can't explain why, but at some point I simply decided that I had had it with the whole business -- that enough was simply enough."

I've noticed that articles like this come out once a year or so. My reaction to them is always something like, "Well, it's sure a nice idea, but...lotsa luck." This article has an interesting twist in that the central idea of much of it seems to be, "People will FINALLY come to view alcoholism/addiction as a disease as soon as we invent a pill for it." Um, OK. Again, I'll believe it when I see it.

I had my last drink of alcohol in July of 2004. In the 18 months preceding that, I had been actively seeking treatment for my alcoholism. I knew that AA involved praying, God, smoking, talking at length about oneself, and people I wasn't sure I wanted to be around. It also seemed to me that if alcoholism was indeed a disease, then I'd be better off seeking help from the medical community.

While I was still able (meaning, before I lost my job and my health insurance due to my drinking), I went to pretty much every variety of health-care person that was accessible to me. They all said essentially one thing: "Stop drinking, go to AA." Never was there any mention from any of these people about Campral or Naltrexone, dopamine receptors or GABA, "delayed discounting", not even Antabuse.

A little baffled, I shrugged and began to attend AA meetings. Their effect on me and my emotional state with respect to my drinking ranged from none at all, to a marked increase in the depth and degree of my despair.

After months of attending AA meetings, stopping drinking entirely still didn't seem and had never seemed a reasonable or realistic option. Finally, I agreed to enter a "treatment center", it being obvious to me at the time that AA wasn't "working", and that I needed "treatment", not AA.

I then discovered what a "treatment center" really was -- a place where they throw you in with a dozen or so other nitwits and shove AA down your throat. After surviving 30 days at what I came to refer to as "jail lite", I left, and six weeks later I was drinking again, with increased fervor and urgency.

At that point, with my job and health insurance long gone, the question of whether I could find "medical treatment" for my "disease" was rendered academic. The only treatment for my alcoholism, I felt, was more alcohol, and I nearly died.

After a period of some months, I found myself in another "jail lite" facility. Again, AA was force-fed. Nowhere was there any mention of anything else described in the article. I spent the first few months of my "recovery" waiting to die.

I can't explain how it came to pass that I'm sitting here typing this today. My best guess is that I'm simply lucky. I do attend four to five AA meetings a week, and as much as I would love to profess that "the Program" is the reason I'm sober, it would be a half-truth at best. Again, I can't explain why, but at some point I simply decided that I h

As a geneticist I can show you that approximately 95% of addicted people have a genetic "starter" gene.
We are working to "disable" the starter gene so the addiction process does not begin. The addiction gene includes food, tabacco, drugs, alcohol, sex and possibly the rush of "dare devils". We are closing in on it, but now we are into ethics - are all new babies tested for this gene and vaccinated if they carry it? Can we vaccinate all new borns in hope of eliminating the disease? Imagine 100 years from now a world of people who are not addicted to food, drugs, tobacco, alcohol . . . can you imagine it? Try

The conclusion, "but there's hope that science may some day help put that power within the reach of anyone who needs it." has already been reallized. The science you seek is Christian Science which for over one hundred years has provided healings for every one of the items mentioned in this Newsweek article. You may find for yourself verified testomonies of complete heallings without the use of drugs or surgery at any local Christian Science Reading Room, or on line at SPIRITUALITY.COM. The power of the mind is infinite. when we do not limit it to merely material methods.
Jim Champaigne
Elkhart, Indiana

Great article! I post as both an addict - 20 years clean - and as one dealing with addiction of a spouse. Her DOC is Methamphetamine and has been for almost 2 decades. After living in her 'life' for several years, extensive observation, review of countless articles and board postings and years of trial and error I have found some interesting key points concerning Methamphetamine recovery. I hope this can help someone...

First I found that there is no simple recipe for a 'cure'. Each individual is unique in so many different ways that any 'cure' must be tailor-made. Some of these statements are appropriate for the masses some specific to my situation - but who knows - they might work for you too.

Second. I've found/experienced that most Methamphetamine addicts and recovering addicts when asked/observed say/show that there are no to minimal physical withdrawl symptoms when the drug is stopped cold turkey. No DT's, sweats, shaking, except diarhea.

Third. The greatest WD symptom is the cravings which are mental. This, in my situation, is best handled with sleep, alternative activities such as cooking, writing, etc.

Fourth. The absolute greatest most important factor is to change the surroundings, people, and places that were associated with the drug procurement and use. In my case the cell phone, little black book - EVERYTHING! Had to go. Don't just pack it away - destroy these things so that they never can enter the picture. Also realize that a complete restructuring of the social life has to occur.

Fifth. Realize that a choice has to be made to begin recovery and that each day - or hour - a choice to use or not has to be made.

I hope this helps someone and comments are more than welcome.

On AA/NA. Since so many have commented on these programs. I know of many that have benefitted from the programs and I know of many who use the programs to procure and sell any DOC particularly those who are made to go by court order. In my spouses case the meetings made her 'jones' or crave more when hearing and talking about drugs and were therefore not useful.

Good Luck and God Speed! GHamilton, MEd.

I think these new drugs sound amazing. I am a recovering alcoholic and cocaine abuser sober now 7 years. I went to A.A. for the first 2 years and learned alot. I think it is a wonderful organization that works wonders for many people. But it usually totally consumes peoples lives. In what I have seen from my own experiance people become obsessed with A.A I personally have been told that I really wasnt sober because i was taking the anti depressant paxil. but dugs consumed our lives before, so i guess the program would naturally consume once you became sober. The last 5 years on my own I have done fine, alone sober on my paxil!

In the article ???What Addicts Need,??? Newsweek reports inaccurately that "Twelve-Step programs traditionally discourage members from using any psychoactive substances, on the ground that addicts will simply trade one dependency for another." This is simply not true.

The General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous (the oldest and largest ???twelve-step program???) addresses the subject of ???psychoactive substances??? very specifically in a pamphlet titled ???The A.A. Member ??? Medications & Other Drugs.???

The pamphlet acknowledges that alcoholics run risks when they choose to take some prescription drugs, particularly sedatives. But it goes on to state specifically ???It becomes clear that just as it is wrong to enable or support any alcoholic to become readdicted to any drug, it???s equally wrong to deprive any alcoholic of medication which can alleviate or control other disabling physical and/or emotional problems.??? (p. 13)

The pamphlet has been A.A. approved since 1984. It seems to me that the article???s factual inaccuracy could have been corrected before publication by a simple phone call or search online.

Tom Sklar-Blake

The best resource on the web for drug rehab and detox is LoveRays.com
I've had much success through them with the teens.