Remarks On The Way We View Alcohol And Drug Use
People use alcohol and drugs for only one reason, to alter their brain chemistry and improve the way they feel. Therefore, without exception, a person who is “under the influence” is suffering from chemically induced abnormal brain function, and is unable accurately to judge her own behavior. That is why [...]

I was just thinking about spirituality…
In a recent conversation, I spoke about what I perceive as the differences between the spiritual life demanded by our program of recovery, and religion.  The guy I was talking to remarked, “Well, I don’t see why we have to have spirituality in the program at all.” I got to thinking about it, and here’s my [...]

Q&A: What is the amount of ethanol in one standard alcoholic drink?
The amount of alcohol in a standard drink varies by country, from 6 grams in Austria to 19.75 grams in Japan. (Japan, as a country, is in serious denial about the extent of their drinking problems. Binge drinking is a sort of national sport.) In the United States, a standard drink — or unit — of [...]

Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious
You’re probably asking yourself, “Why would he think I’d care?” Well, you’d better care. Stress of one kind or another is the number-one cause of relapse. Phys Ed: Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious – Well Blog – NYTimes.com For years, both in popular imagination and in scientific circles, it has been a given that [...]

Want more bang for your bucks? Get your head shrunk.
A review of patient happiness data shows that four months of therapy, which might run you $1,300, increases happiness as much as a $40,000 raise. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091120084613.htm