The statistics speak for themselves; according to the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health 88,000 people die from alcohol related causes annually, making Alcohol the fourth leading cause of death in the United States alone. As a culture, we seem to underplay the pervasiveness of people who suffer or die from alcohol related

A little of my STEP 1: once I start using, I can’t stop or control my using. Using controls me. As a result, my life becomes garbage. I’m totally focused on getting & using my substance of choice, coming down when I can’t get more, scheming and planning how to get more – but more

Despite my white knuckling, I have somehow managed to get fourteen months free of drinking and drugging under my belt. I went to rehab not knowing anything about A.A or that it would even be a part of my treatment. I still remember my first meeting and the relief I felt at not being alone

In 1971, two events occurred that changed my life forever:  I got married and I became a typesetter. There was also a third event simmering away under the radar that hadn’t quiet manifested, but was waiting to explode.  It will become evident what that event was later in the story. In those days, typesetting was

I came into recovery in 1988.  I was miserable, broken, and lonely.  I was pretty much friendless and hopeless.  I felt like I was dropped onto this planet from another universe and didn’t belong there or here. I was smoking a lot of pot, sniffing speed, and drinking until I passed out every night. I

“…why shouldn’t we laugh? We have recovered, and have been given the power to help others…”  p. 132 Alcoholics Anonymous Big Book Many people think that giving up drugs and alcohol are a sure pathway to becoming some old boring fuddy duddy with no friends, no fun and no laughter in their lives. The truth however,

  After the alcohol and drugs are gone, what’s next? The path of recovery, followed closely with the gifts of sobriety may seem like a hard sell at first. I remember that very day, when I was being asked to choose between the comforts and certainty of active addiction, or choose the great uncertainty of

April has been designated as Alcohol Awareness Month by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (http://www.ncadd.org/). The primary goals of this program are to make us aware of the dangers of alcohol use disorder (AUD), to help those who already suffer from AUD to recognize the problems being caused by excessive alcohol

Read part I of Ricks Story here Read part II of Ricks Story here Read part III of Ricks Story here       Each time that I left Portland, thinking that was the last time being with Joseph alive, something would happen were he would be just fine and go out to Burger King

Read the previous two parts of Ricks story here My sons moved to Portland, Oregon and wanted to come and visit me up in Olympia. After getting over the tidal wave of emotions, I said sure. They arrived a week later in an over loaded Hyundai, with two of their friends. Through the process of elimination,