Hi everyone,

I'm posting this as a favor to my friends over at 12 Angels, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people in early recovery to get jobs and foster entrepreneurship. Check out the links below, and please take the surveys! I'll have a new blog up at the beginning of this week about educational consulting.

-Mike

Are you or have you ever been in a 12 step program to help you overcome your alcoholism or addictions? Would you be willing to help other recovering alcoholics or addicts reintegrate into the professional world by spending just 3-5 minutes of your time? If you answered “yes” to both of those questions, then now is your opportunity to make a difference by participating in a completely anonymous survey to help design a revolutionary online application for the benefit of the recovery community.

12 Angels is a nonprofit organization that fosters social entrepreneurship in the recovery community. The organization’s goal is to create and implement programs that will counteract the economic damage caused by alcoholism and addiction.

Thank you for your willingness to participate in our survey. Please complete only one of the two surveys presented below. Select the one you feel most accurately fits your background and experience.

Survey 1 - Sponsor: If you are, or have been, a sponsor in a 12 step program:

Survey 2 - Sponsee: If you are, or have been, a sponsee (but never a sponsor) in a 12 step program:

The Addiction Cure?

While watching CNN over the weekend, I couldn't help but notice repeated ads from Passages Malibu marketing "The Addiction Cure." Curious, I browsed the website and also Amazon for the book "The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure." I couldn't help but wonder if this was detrimental to the recovery process that we've worked so long and hard to develop in this country. With a blatant disregard to the 12-step model and the disease concept, it seems as though the two founders are trying a completely different approach. Now, don't get me wrong-- I haven't read the book, nor have I visited the center itself. They may be doing great work there; the problem is, how do people continue their recovery when they leave a place that does 60+ individual sessions a month? My personal experience, and the experience of many others I know in recovery, show that a combination of individual therapy, 12-step work, and service are the keys to better living. I have trouble believing that one could be "cured" of alcoholism.

On the other hand, what if they have it right and the rest of us are wrong? Or is this another "easier, softer way?" Only time will tell. For now, I just hope they aren't doing more damage than good.

Here's a video of Chris Prentess, the founder of Passages.



For a different viewpoint, here's a video of Father Martin's "chalk talk."



Let me know what you think!

Here's something funny.

As always, find me on LinkedIn or Twitter. See you tomorrow.

Ritalin: The new cocaine?

Recently, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and Addiction published a study which shows that Ritalin produces similar effects on the brain as cocaine. Not really shocking, considering the high level of Ritalin abuse we've started to hear about in the last couple of years. I can remember in college when people would trade medications and use Ritalin either to stay up late to study, or to get nice and speedy before going out. The fact that it's taken almost 10 years since that time for a study to come out is a shame. Here's a quote from the lead researcher, Yong Kim: "Methylphenidate, which is thought to be a fairly innocuous compound, can have structural and biochemical effects in some regions of the brain that can be even greater than those of cocaine." Just another sneaky way to get addicted, if you ask me. Basically, this proves to me that we need to keep a better watch on what medications we give to our children, and especially if they show signs of abuse or addiction, make sure to put solutions in the hands of the parents who need them.

Here's a report from Fox News in Atlanta on students using Ritalin as a "brain steroid." Interesting stuff.




For something fun, click here.

As always, find me on Twitter and LinkedIn. See you tomorrow.

Continuing Care

The Hazelden Foundation published a study in December regarding results of a research project about the importance of continuing care (you can find the study here.) The study shows a marked improvement when individuals in treatment follow their aftercare recommendation (specifically, this study is around outpatient and 12-step meetings). The basic underlying fact, and my experience, is this: the more engaged we can keep clients for the first year, the easier it is for them to achieve, or at least get on the road to, a successful recovery. If they go out on their own, are detached from their initial peer group and/or treatment center, and don't follow the recommended aftercare plan, their chances of success are slim. We, as an industry, need to do a better job recommending and enforcing aftercare recommendations; too many people are still under the impression that a person can go to treatment for 28 days and be "fixed." Once again, another stigma we have to break through!

Here's a PSA ad I found interesting and hadn't seen before:



Here's my favorite Super Bowl commercial from last night:




Here's something entertaining. Click here for some amazing art. Or here.

As always, find me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Thanks!