Addict To Addict Prejudices

I had a friend ran methadone clinics for years. She used to say that her clients were the "lepers of the Recovery Movement." At the time I thought she was being a little dramatic, but now, I'm not so sure.
Of all the things I write or speak about related to addiction and recovery, the use of medications as recovery aids is the most controversial. No contest.
Despite reams of research and thousands of case histories to the contrary, the responses I get to the most mild of posts about Suboxone or methadone or any of the other meds currently in use, are that these are clearly bad medicines.
They kill addicts, protract withdrawal,  cheat people of the opportunity for "real" recovery, and inevitably lead to relapse.
Ironically, most of these responders identify themselves as recovering addicts.
Yeah, that was a tough one to swallow.
Common sense would suggest that someone who had managed to put their addiction behind them would be the most open to the experiences of others.
Not so.
Users of Suboxone are welcome to attend 12 Step meetings, but not to share, lest someone get the "wrong" idea about recovery. Of course you can keep your mouth shut about your meds and engage in a "don't ask, don't tell" closeted recovery. As if addiction wasn't demeaning enough, it's pretty rough when the place that proselytizes "the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop using" treats you like a 2nd class, well, addict.
An estimated 31 million Americans identify as being in recovery from addictions, and the means by which they have recovered are many and varied. We need a much broader definition of recovery that encompasses and respects all.
Enough of this silly and divisive nonsense about who is and who is not in recovery.

New Years Revolutions!

That's right, Revolutions.

Not a Typo.

2011 is the year when pursuit of maintaining the status quo faded into oblivion because the status just ain't so quo anymore. Treading water is not enough.

We're sinking. We've spent way too much time and energy "accepting the things we cannot change" and not nearly enough showing "the courage to change the things we can." The climate for recovery from addiction in our society sucks. Despite state-of-the-art research yielding incredible results, damn little of it finds its way into actual treatment.

And when it does, it's not the best and the brightest, it's the quickest and the cheapest.

Unless, of course, you have an extra $25,000-$100,000 laying around to pay for one of the "Rolls-Royce" programs where they actually utilize the latest research in their treatment techniques. If you have public insurance, the story is different. You barely see a counselor and you're lucky if your roommate isn't dealing Oxycontin.

And there is only one reason why. Because we allow it to be.

How many people in this country are in recovery right now? Recovering addicts? Alcoholics? Family members? Gamblers? Etc., etc.? Who knows, it's a tough statistic to ascertain. When many people recover in fellowships that stress anonymity as a spiritual foundation, it's safe to say that a statistical researcher is going to be about as welcome as a census-taker at some Red-State outpost of the local militia.

Add to this the real danger for many people of arrest or incarceration if they admit to a drug history, due to our outrageously primitive narcotics laws, and guess what?

You aren't going to come away with any numbers except the ones that identify the individuals most spectacularly unsuccessful at recovery.

So, call for Revolution number one is for recovering people to begin to recognize that if things are going to get any better for the many, many, recovering people in our society, as well as those struggling with addictions, it's up to us to make it to.

We need to start a revolution in how we are defined, identified, treated and regarded by the rest of our society.

And then we demand a place at the table.

Happy New Year!

Keeping it simple on Independence Day

Nothing gives us blogger types a case of ego inflation like a holiday. We think deep thoughts (or think we do) and feel compelled to share them whether you like it or not. So this year, let's keep in simple.

Aside from being our National Birthday, the day on which we set standards for ourselves that continue to challenge us to this day, it is the Summer Holiday. We celebrate with parades, barbecues and fireworks. For people in active addiction, with the exception of the presence of flammable material and explosives, it's pretty much business as usual. For people in Recovery, however, it presents some challenges. As always, on holidays, the everyday rules are suspended and permissions are granted. There 's nothing wrong with that, except that for some in early recovery it presents some unique situations.

Let me break it down:

1. Your Recovery is your own responsibility. Don't assume that anyone understands addiction, especially a bunch of people involved in their own festivities. If it's hard for you to refuse an offer of a drink or a drug, maybe you would do better to go to a meeting than a barbecue.
2. Watch the temptation to tell war stories. I'm not talking Valley Forge, here, I am talking about glorifying binges and other addiction related behaviors. Euphoric Recall is dangerous for recovering people, because it allows the mind to do essentially the same thing that drugs do. Pain is dulled and pleasure is enhanced. The funny story is only funny when divorced from the painful realities surrounding it. The wild, drunken beer run isn't quite so funny once you acknowledge the kids in the back seat. So keep it real.
3. Remember the support available to you. All those numbers in your cell phone? No, not the guy with the Oxycontin connection--you were supposed to get rid of that! The numbers that you got from all those great people at the 12 Step meetings? Now's the time to use them. Phone Therapy has been one of those mainstays of the 12 Step programs from the beginning. A phone call has made the difference between disaster and relief more times than anyone can count. If you think, should I call? Call.
4. Plan B. You know what that means, right? Plan B is what you use when Plan A doesn't work. It's the strategic retreat. It's making sure that you have an open back door and a ride in case the situation turns out to be a lot more difficult than you expected. Remember that a strategic retreat has won many a war. If the going gets tough, the tough get going, right? Plan B is the way you get going alright--right out the door!

That's the short list. Talk to other clean and sober people and you will have 10 ideas for every one presented here. Independence is the freedom to choose. It's self-determination.

Let this be your Independence Day.