A sober look at sober living homes. If contemplating going to one or referring someone to one be sure to take a good look at the home. Check out this article in The Fix.
http://www.thefix.com/content/sober-living-wars
Sober living homes coming under scrutiny in Costa Mesa. Often these facilities are not welcome in the neighborhood. It’s operating a business in a residential zone. We’ll see what the city does.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mesa-665250-law-city.html
SMART recovery publishes a newsletter quarterly. Get it here for free:
Click to access summer-2015-news-and-views.pdf
SMART Recovery reaches 1,500 meetings. Important milestone. SMART by nature grows slowly because of the facilitator training process. Still lags far behind 12 step but we are growing.
http://www.prlog.org/12469383-1500th-smart-recovery-meeting-opens-as-fast-growth-rate-continues.html
The annual SMART Recovery conference is coming up in September.
http://www.smartrecovery.org/cinci2015/
I poached this article from the Huffington Post Science page. Some simple questions to ask if you or someone you know may be having an alcohol problem. I think you can swap out alcohol for most other drug or behavior problems.
Signs Of Alcoholism
Abuse: The regular use of a substance that leads to serious psychological and/or physical disability, is shown by one or more of these symptoms during the same year:
1) Not Meeting Responsibilities
Repeated substance use to the point of not being able to meet responsibilities — not performing well at work, being suspended from school, being repeatedly late or absent from required duties, or neglecting household tasks.
2) Involving Risk
Repeated substance use when there is risk involved, like operating equipment or driving a car while under the influence.
3) Difficulties With The Law
Repeated difficulties with the law related to substance use — being arrested for physical aggression or drunk driving, for instance.
4) Personal Or Social Difficulties
Insisting on using the substance regardless of continued or repeated personal or social difficulties because of it, verbal or physical aggression with a loved one, or frequent arguments about the substance use.
Dependence: Symptoms of alcohol dependence, a physical need to drink, are identified as three or more of the following within the same year:
1) Needing greater amounts of alcohol to satisfy cravings.
2) Using the substance longer than planned or more frequently and in greater amounts.
3) An inability to reduce use, despite a sincere wish to do so.
4) Going through withdrawal when not using alcohol, with symptoms such as tremors, restlessness, and agitation.
5) Taking a substance or a similar one to avoid the effects of withdrawal.
6) Spending a significant amount of time trying to acquire the substance.
7) Spending less time at work or on other activities because of substance use; a person may completely abandon previously enjoyable activities.
8) Continuing to drink despite being aware that alcohol is causing psychological or physical difficulties.
Stephen Gilman, MD, an addiction specialist in New York City, helps determine the severity of alcohol addiction by asking the following questions: (Questions to patients or to friends or family.)
1) Does he/she frequently say inappropriate things?
2) Is his/her speech slurred?
3) Does he/she miss work?
4) Is his/her balance off when they walk?
5) Has he/she gotten in trouble with the law, for example, with drinking and driving?
6) Is he having health issues related to alcohol addiction, such as heartburn, liver problems, high blood pressure, or insomnia?
CAGE Questionnaire. if the answer to two or more of the four CAGE questions is yes, it is likely you have a problem.
C stands for cut-down: Do you ever feel that you should cut down on your drinking?
A stands for annoyed: Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
G stands for guilty: Have you ever felt guilty about your drinking?
E stands for eye-opener: Have you ever had to drink as soon as you wake up to steady your nerves or get over a hangover?
Another HuffPo article in Science section questions the validity of Porn Addiction.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/30/porn-addiction-_n_7696448.html