HALT Recovery Central's Addiction Blog

What It Was Like

My name is Mark, and I am a real, recovered alcoholic.

I “grew up” (refused to grow up – a spoiled rotten brat) drinking and doing all of the other hippie stuff rock-and-rollers did in the 60’s. I played keyboard in bands and sometimes the only “pay” we’d get for our performances was drunk and otherwise altered.

I got sent to “AA” on court cards and heard some bells going off, but I was far from ready back then. After spending too much of my life in jail from my 10 DUIs and hurting others I decided to get help. In March of 1987, with the help of my loving parents, I checked in to the Betty Ford Clinic.

What Happened?

I managed to stay “sober” for the next 2-1/2 years going to a lot of meetings – sharing the same kind of generally unrelated stuff you hear most people share at most so-called AA meetings. I attended literally thousands of “AA” meetings and had Our Text practically memorized. I have this high I.Q. that has done me little good in life, and when it came to staying sober, I believe it is a major liability. I guess I was too smart to actually do what is says we do. I suppose I thought I was working the program (Not like I do today!) until I put something before it. Only there, and then, was I willing to follow direction from those in whom the problem had been solved and do it the precisely the same way those who wrote the book and others have been doing it for over 70 years.

I stayed for the suggested year required to build a foundation in AA – which is knowing that, and taking AAction like, this is the most important thing in my life, and did the main things I was directed to do, which were:

Work The Program

• Keep It Simple
• Read and re-read The Solution (164 pages)

Get to a lot of meetings and get my hand up to share what I did today to stay sober – the MAIN reason to be at an AA meeting (at first – the ONLY reason to be at one)

What a concept! If someone would have shared this, presuming we could actually hear and DO this, I and others may have recovered long ago. Perhaps many would not have to have died slow miserable deaths, like I had been experiencing, for some of us to stay sober.

To be open and honest, I didn’t like any of it. What I LIKED got me wanting to die and worser. (That is not a typo . . . worser is a word that describes where many of us drank ourselves to.) I DO like the results!!

Lessons Learned

I did the same things I have done for over 12 years (precisely what We of AA do) this morning that are, at the very least, largely responsible for my sobriety and new life. Before my eyes opened I asked God to direct my thinking – asking especially that it be divorced from self pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. I prayed the 3rd, 7th step, and Lord’s Prayers, praying for alcoholics – especially those still suffering. I reviewed the previous 24 hours (in the morning – as directed on page 86 of the original manuscript), got down to the local detox to try to cAArry This MessAAge! •Thy will be done!

H.A.L.T. is an independent 12-Step Substance Abuse Meeting for Alcoholics and Addicts following the format of AA that meets at Noon Monday through Saturday at Solutions, 2975 South Rainbow Blvd. Suite J, Las Vegas, Nevada 89146

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A new resource, Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment: Know What to Ask, will help individuals and families struggling with addiction ask the right questions before choosing a drug treatment program. It was developed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, and is available to the public free online or in hard copy through NIDA’s DrugPubs service (see information below).

“Treatment options can vary considerably, and families often don’t know where to begin,” said NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. “This booklet highlights the treatment components that research has shown are critical for success, to help people make an informed choice during a very stressful time.”

The new publication is based on a NIDA resource describing the principles of drug addiction treatment from a research-based perspective. It recommends five helpful questions people should ask and explains what the research has found to be most effective. Specifically, the booklet explores these themes:

• Is the program’s treatment plan backed by scientific evidence?
• Is it tailored to the individual needs of each patient?
• Does the program assess and adapt treatment as the patient’s needs change?
• How long should the treatment take?
• How do 12 step programs fit into drug addiction treatment?

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2010 an estimated 22.1 million persons aged 12 years or older were classified with substance dependence or abuse in the past year (8.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older). The goal of drug abuse treatment is to stop drug use and help people return to productive functioning in the family, workplace, and community. However, keeping patients in treatment long enough to achieve that goal can be difficult. Finding the right treatment for an individual’s specific needs is critical. This booklet describes available medications and evidence-based behavioral therapies; the need for comprehensive, tailored, and sustained treatment; as well as the reality of relapse and the role of community-level support.

Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment: Know What to Ask can be found online at www.drugabuse.gov/publications/seeking-drug-abuse-treatment. Hard copies can be ordered by calling 1-877-NIDA-NIH (1-877-643-2644) or by going online at http://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov/.

Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment: A Research Based Guide, which is the basis of this new publication,can be found at www.drugabuse.gov/PODAT/PODATIndex.html.

 H.A.L.T. is an independent 12-Step Substance Abuse Meeting for Alcoholics and Addicts following the format of AA that meets at Noon Monday through Saturday at Solutions, 2975 South Rainbow Blvd. Suite J, Las Vegas, Nevada 89146

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From the CDC: New estimates show that binge drinking is a bigger problem than previously thought. More than 38 million US adults binge drink, about 4 times a month, and the largest number of drinks per binge is on average 8. This behavior greatly increases the chances of getting hurt or hurting others due to car crashes, violence, and suicide. Drinking too much, including binge drinking, causes 80,000 deaths in the US each year and, in 2006 cost the economy $223.5 billion. Binge drinking is a problem in all states, even in states with fewer binge drinkers, because they are binging more often and in larger amounts.   Binge drinking means men drinking 5 or more alcoholic drinks within a short period of time or women drinking 4 or more drinks within a short period of time.

Binge drinking is a dangerous and costly public health problem

Binge drinking is a bigger problem than we thought. •Binge drinking is about more than just the number of binge drinkers. The amount and number of times binge drinkers drink are also important to address. ?Age group with most binge drinkers: 18-34 years ?Age group that binge drinks most often: 65+ years ?Income group with most binge drinkers: more than $75,000 ?Income group that binge drinks the most often and drinks most per binge: less than $25,000

• Most alcohol-impaired drivers binge drink.
• Most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent or alcoholics.
• More than half of the alcohol adults drink is while binge drinking.
• More than 90% of the alcohol youth drink is while binge drinking.
• Binge drinking costs everyone.
• Drinking too much, including binge drinking, cost $746 per person, or $1.90 a drink, in the US in 2006. These costs include health care expenses, crime, and lost productivity.
• Binge drinking cost federal, state, and local governments about 62 cents per drink in 2006, while federal and state income from taxes on alcohol totaled only about 12 cents per drink.
• Drinking too much contributes to over 54 different injuries and diseases, including car crashes, violence, and sexually-transmitted diseases.
• The chance of getting sick and dying from alcohol problems increases significantly for those who binge drink more often and drink more when they do.

How many people binge drink? How often? How much? Binge drinking varies from state to state, and estimates of adults who binge drink range from 10.9% in Utah to 25.6% in Wisconsin. Binge drinking is most common in the Midwest, New England, the District of Columbia, Alaska, and Hawaii.

The average largest number of drinks within a short period of time among binge drinkers ranged from 6 drinks in the District of Columbia to 9 drinks in Wisconsin. The largest number of drinks consumed by binge drinkers is highest in the Midwest and southern Mountain states (Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah), and some states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina where binge drinking is less common.

What Can Be Done: Everyone can help prevent binge drinking.

The US Government can:

• Collaborate with states and communities to support effective community strategies to prevent binge drinking strategies such as those recommended by the Community Guide.*
• Assist states and communities in tracking how many people binge drink, how often, and how much they drink when they binge.
• Help states and communities track and understand the laws and regulations that control the marketing and sale of alcohol.
• Collaborate with states and communities to determine whether prevention strategies are working.

States and communities can:  

• Implement effective community strategies to prevent binge drinking such as those recommended by the  Community Guide.*
• Routinely track and report how many people binge drink, how often, and how much they drink when they binge.
• Develop community coalitions that build partnerships among schools, community- and faith-based organizations, law enforcement, health care, and public health agencies to reduce binge drinking.

Doctors, nurses, and other providers can:

• Recognize that drinking too much causes 80,000 deaths in the US each year and contributes to over 54 different injuries and diseases.
• Recognize that most binge drinkers are not alcohol dependent or alcoholics.
• Support effective community strategies to prevent binge drinking such as those recommended by the Community Guide.*
• Screen patients for binge drinking and advise those who do to reduce their use.

More information can be found at jttp://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspsdrin.htm.

People can:

• Choose not to binge drink themselves and help others not to do it.
• Drink in moderation if they do drink. The US Dietary Guidelines on alcohol consumption recommend no more than 1 drink per day for women and no more than 2 drinks per day for men. Pregnant women and underage youth should not drink alcohol.
• Support effective community strategies to prevent binge drinking, such as those recommended by the Community Guide.*
• Support local control of the marketing and sale of alcohol. •Support the minimum legal drinking age of 21.

*The Community Guide recommendations can be found at http://www.thecommunityguide.org/alcohol.

H.A.L.T. is an independent 12-Step Substance Abuse Meeting for Alcoholics and Addicts following the format of AA that meets at Noon Monday through Saturday at Solutions, 2975 South Rainbow Blvd. Suite J, Las Vegas, Nevada 89146

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There were literally thousands of people arrested for DUI over the Christmas-New Year’s holiday period as law enforcement agencies across the nation cracked down on drunken drivers. The arrest is just the beginning of their trouble.

What Are the Consequences of a DUI Arrest?
It does vary from state to state, but all 50 states have passed laws in recent years intended to get tougher on drunken drivers. If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving under the influence, they are in for a long and expensive effort to get their driving privileges returned.
See More About: drunk driving penalties for drunk driving alcohol screening tests

Does a DUI Arrest Mean Forced Alcohol Treatment?
Even with the first drunk driving offense, most states mandate alcohol evaluation, education and treatment for the offender before restoring driving privileges. How does this work? What steps are required?
See More About: drunk driving diagnostic tests treatment for alcoholism

How Does a DUI Conviction Affect Your Insurance?
If you are convicted of drunk driving in most states that means your automobile insurance rates are likely going to go up for at least three years and you will probably be learning at lot about something called SR-22.
See More About: drunk driving auto insurance

What Is a Drunk Driving Sentence Enhancement?
The fines, fees and penalties for driving under the influence are stiff enough without having enhancements added to the sentence. What circumstances can cause penalties to be even greater? How do you know when you will face sentence enhancements?

H.A.L.T. is an independent 12-Step Substance Abuse Meeting for Alcoholics and Addicts following the format of AA that meets at Noon Monday through Saturday at Solutions, 2975 South Rainbow Blvd. Suite J, Las Vegas, Nevada 89146

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