tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.comments2023-10-16T06:31:47.984-07:00New RecoveryMartin Nicolaushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08984388941903679095noreply@blogger.comBlogger308125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-91502828680746260922018-04-29T12:20:03.316-07:002018-04-29T12:20:03.316-07:00To often the law doesn't do anything. This is ...To often the law doesn't do anything. This is a good ending .Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-27103483875031834902018-04-14T21:09:01.725-07:002018-04-14T21:09:01.725-07:00I am a counselor who was greatly harmed by "a...I am a counselor who was greatly harmed by "attack therapy" in rehab in 1983. I was 15 and being abused at home, so this first introduction to "therapy" was horrific. I don't know where the above practitioners are licensed but in my state. This is considered abuse and is illegal. If you must use confrontation, you have no clinical skills.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-37056463846036411202016-02-05T19:02:43.465-08:002016-02-05T19:02:43.465-08:00Aa is not going to change and the courts and schoo...Aa is not going to change and the courts and schools either .nor will our constitution. I believe you are a bunch of retards with to much intellect. Stay sick keep hurting yourself and others and die from this disease. It's so sad and heart breaking to watch people like you still holding on to control and your way.good luck wish u the best.i will pray for youAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12363643905570491942noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-57233407227777183282015-05-14T01:07:12.268-07:002015-05-14T01:07:12.268-07:00There seems to be a disconnect regarding Mel Gibso...There seems to be a disconnect regarding Mel Gibson's participation in AA. You can't just go to meetings--you have to work the program. This means having a sponsor and working the 12-steps. The program is for those who WANT it--not just for those who need it <br /><br />He might also have other underlying issues for which he needs treatment. He is an adult child of an alcoholic father and there may also be abuse issues. Sometimes people need to work through multiple issues through individual programs which are designed to address each issue.<br /><br />I hope he gets this help. He is a very talented and intelligent person; however, he is out of control and will continue to act out until someone savvy-- who really cares about him--confronts him and helps him get ALL the help he needs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-21676853482015751952014-11-18T15:37:34.223-08:002014-11-18T15:37:34.223-08:00"This man did something he regrets, probably ..."This man did something he regrets, probably has been reliving it everyday with a pit in his chest"<br /><br />Oh that poor poor rapist. I'm so sorry to hear about his pain and suffering far in excess of the felony he committed against a human being.<br /><br />No sympathy. He's in jail where he belongs. Most rapists don't stop with one rape.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-40016836188440243432014-09-11T08:26:19.627-07:002014-09-11T08:26:19.627-07:00He shouldn't of made that amends, ones like th...He shouldn't of made that amends, ones like that with no statute of limitations should never be made and you have to give it to your higher power everyday, maybe multiple times a day. If you are not in a 12 step program or are not familiar with one then you will not understand what this man did. You can sit here and take both of their inventories, but that wont make your life better or safer. This man did something he regrets, probably has been reliving it everyday with a pit in his chest. He did this when he was not himself, no active alcoholic is themselves. The man who stood trial was a vastly different man who committed this act, so much changes inside of you when you get sober and even more so when you work the steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. <br /><br />I am sorry that something like this happens more often than people would like to admit to both men and women, I am not defending the act, just that this amend was not carried out properly and his sponsor advised him poorly. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-90535193981507525642014-07-08T11:15:57.158-07:002014-07-08T11:15:57.158-07:00I am shocked at the responses on here!! This women...I am shocked at the responses on here!! This women took her life back and put this piece of garbage in jail where he belongs. To question her idea of forgiveness is ABSURD!!! A lot of these comments are coming from people who have not been raped and sounds like a bunch of AA Assholes. As usual not taking responsibility for there lives. That's AA for ya!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-22751586157450390802014-07-07T13:33:35.231-07:002014-07-07T13:33:35.231-07:00The article featured my father. He has now been &q...The article featured my father. He has now been "smoke free" for 16 years!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12254867470599629817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-77445185100102783292014-06-22T15:57:18.887-07:002014-06-22T15:57:18.887-07:00It's refreshing to hear this. It's not as ...It's refreshing to hear this. It's not as simple as use/don't - it's more a cease of realising the options are broader and about matching client to therapy. Also the therapist is key - there's a difference between confrontation and abusive aggression.<br /><br />I've never had addiction problems but had issues with anxiety. One therapist I had used confrontation therapy on me with no compassion - I could see how it could help some people. But this guy got basic FACTS wrong about my life, tried second guessing my thoughts and was outright nasty. I felt like he was disagreeing with me just to be an asshole. Frankly he shouldn't be allowed be near anyone - again the issue isn't the therapy but him being an idiot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-42676483519422645872014-01-28T11:17:13.969-08:002014-01-28T11:17:13.969-08:00AA isn't religious, but you would never know ...AA isn't religious, but you would never know that from some of the meetings I've attended, or some of the comments of even long time members. AA attempts to get people to be open minded about everything, which is nearly impossible, since even though people might admit they have a drinking or drugging problem, very few nowadays are willing to admit there is anything wrong with their thinking. When the truth is that alcoholism is much more a thinking problem than it is a drinking or drugging problem. If my only problem was I couldn't stop drinking once I started, I really wouldn't have a problem. All I'd have to do is not pick up a drink. My problem, like virtually everyone who ends up in AA, is that I kept picking up a drink anyway. We keep convincing ourselves it will be different this time, despite the fact that it has never been different. The willingness to believe in God, to say "I guess it's possible", is simply being open minded about something, and that's a start. the willingness to believe is far more important than the belief itself. Belief is nothing, just an opinion. If believing in God was a solution, then there are probably thousands of alcoholic catholic priests, and others, out there who wouldn't have a problem. My own opinion is "if you don't believe in God, be willing to doubt everything you think you know and work the rest of the steps". And "if you do believe in God, be willing to doubt everything you think you know, and work the rest of the steps." The steps are about getting as honest as you can be with yourself about yourself, and getting as honest as you can be with other people, about yourself. Sobriety, serenity, forgiveness, unconditional love, acceptance, and spirituality (which is just unselfishness) are the inescapable, unavoidable byproducts of those two things. They are actually very seldom found in AA today, or at least the percentage of those who find them is far smaller than in the early days of AA. Only because people today seldom hit their own bottoms today, they hit the courts or someone else's botttom. In the early days people had tried over and over to quit themselves, and kept ending up in jails and prisons and hospitals. They were willing to say "I just don't trust what i think anymore, just tell me what to do and I'll do it". That is seldom the case today. New AA's today MIGHT be able to admit they have a drinking or drugging problem, but they're sure they don't need those "dumb steps",, or at least not to the degree the program wants them to work them. The result is a drop from 50 - 75% success rate, to a 2 or 3% success rate. And to be honest, all I have to do is look back honestly at myself to be able to understand that stubborn thinking!<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06187286304392655992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-61194073992741716692013-08-01T14:33:40.223-07:002013-08-01T14:33:40.223-07:00I am an experienced and trained mental health coun...I am an experienced and trained mental health counselor. My experience is that there are many clients who need confrontation but only a small subset of these will benefit from it. Confrontation is not for every client. It requires a skilled counselor, a strong trusting relationship, compassion for the client, and the right client. Most counselor should not use it with any clientAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10968443145425208513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-59757267203593741382012-12-09T15:15:41.796-08:002012-12-09T15:15:41.796-08:00Urmm honestly how can anyone be that stupid to thi...Urmm honestly how can anyone be that stupid to think that a substance like that is legal?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-9963858159927027572012-12-06T15:13:59.402-08:002012-12-06T15:13:59.402-08:00my name is Owen Fielding and I work with NET Devic...my name is Owen Fielding and I work with NET Device Corp, delivering NET treatment in the UK and Ireland via the ScotNET treatment model. ScotNET has achieved significant and sustainable success since it was launched in summer, 2010.<br />I would be delighted to provide an update on the progress of NET and the development of ScotNET.<br />Owen Fielding. ofielding@netdevice.netOwen Fieldinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16479007874102418138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-1923247115175690012012-09-17T22:28:30.778-07:002012-09-17T22:28:30.778-07:00I would like to say that this blog really convince...I would like to say that this blog really convinced me, you give me best information! Thanks, very good post.Emmahttp://www.robsranch.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-76112569271546265832012-09-12T09:41:20.787-07:002012-09-12T09:41:20.787-07:00I've always wondered if it was possible to hav...I've always wondered if it was possible to have laser treatment administered for a nicotine addiction. My mother has struggled with a nicotine addiction for years, and we have tried various things to help her work through it. One thing that we haven't tried though, is laser treatment. She just was really hesitant to do it, because the technology was so new. Is the <a href="http://www.rejuvenationwa.com" rel="nofollow">laser treatment</a> safe? Is it effective? Is the treatment itself affordable?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14782007629795339867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-14837558259993388492012-05-21T04:37:02.086-07:002012-05-21T04:37:02.086-07:00When I feel a craving coming on, I just go to bed....When I feel a craving coming on, I just go to bed... and nearly always sleep deeply.<br /><br />I have bipolar problems, so when I CAN'T sleep, I'm nearly always on the manic side... the more manic I get, the less I'm bothered by drugs. Eventually this gets to a state of vehement dislike.<br /><br />I only went on heroin for so long because I was depressed and heroin was the only antidepressant that worked for me. The "official" ones either did nothing (citalopram/Celexa) or made me markedly agitated (Prozac) or switched me to hypomania (mirtazapine/Remeron).<br /><br />Anyway I look back and have nothing to look back on... what a waste of time. I only managed to go weeks on end without any drugtaking on top of my methadone script because I was in such an elevated mood all drugs seemed unnecessary. Now I'm depressed and wading through honey. Heroin here in the UK is crap now. Used to be good, but now it's not even worth bothering with. I tell myself I don't want to do it because I'm bored with it. Nothing to do with it being "bad"... I'm not even willing to entertain that idea...Gledwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09308172310486574510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-26323995109228115032012-03-05T11:26:59.949-08:002012-03-05T11:26:59.949-08:00I am also a therapist/phd, and agree that with som...I am also a therapist/phd, and agree that with some patients, confrontational therapy is an absolute necessity. The key is to know who-what-when and how much, and the use of this requires a very skilled clinician, not someone venting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-75074692756434025322012-01-28T20:07:56.920-08:002012-01-28T20:07:56.920-08:00Confrontational therapy has helped me a great deal...Confrontational therapy has helped me a great deal in dealing with my eating disorder wich I dened for years.<br /><br />At the beginning I was mad with my husband and my therapist. <br /><br />One because my husband signed the forms for me to be submited to hospital treatment, and two because my therapist confronted me with my disorder which I didn't want to see.<br /><br />But after being fully recovered, I am glad to both of them for the help I have received from both parts and I thanks my therapist for the COMFRONTATIONAL THERAPY that SAVED MY LIFE! <br /><br />Today I am ED FREE! Thanks to this approach that very unfortunatelly is not being practice as much these days.<br /><br />COMFRONTATIONAL THERAPY has done for me more than maybe years and years of empathetic and supportive therapy could have done! <br /><br />In confrontational therapy you, the patient, gets to be confronted with all those aspects of your problems that don't want to see. Therapy is hard-work and going to a therapist just to talk doesn't work, you must work hard and get all that out in order to deal with it, otherwise you are waisting your time and the time of your therapist!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-46831943498515750722012-01-28T19:59:02.420-08:002012-01-28T19:59:02.420-08:00I am therapist myself and strongly belive that con...I am therapist myself and strongly belive that confrontational therapy is a MUST when patients do not want to open up to painful thoughts and feelings or have a critical time expressing themselves.<br /><br />I am ALL PRO to CONFRONTATIONAL THERAPY and hope that more clinicians adopt this form of therapy to HELP patients who often denies having an addition or close up to the idea of opening up to explore painful and hurtful feelings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-8604232165569699302012-01-10T20:03:27.395-08:002012-01-10T20:03:27.395-08:00I completely agree that AA is confrontational. I h...I completely agree that AA is confrontational. I have noticed that Miller will usually throw AA a bone like that. I'm sure it's because he knows that the 12 stepping colleagues would have his head and his career if he didn't. I love the way the article ends with reference to harm done and the need to make amends. I guess that makes it clear who he's referring to. It was a great article.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-45809598049480503452011-12-22T07:04:18.153-08:002011-12-22T07:04:18.153-08:00Dear Mr. Nicolaus:
Wanted to let you know that I&...Dear Mr. Nicolaus:<br /><br />Wanted to let you know that I've featured your blog on the "Top Ten Recovery Blogs of 2011" here:<br /><br />http://www.drugabusesolution.com/2011/12/top-ten-recovery-blogs-of-2011<br /><br />Please let me know if you would like any edits or additional information in the blog description.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Fred Grue<br />drugabusesolutions@gmail.comdrugabusesolutionshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16711507140700437614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-45403592551559004582011-07-18T08:14:54.611-07:002011-07-18T08:14:54.611-07:00The thing is, everyone knows smoking is extremely ...The thing is, everyone knows smoking is extremely harmful. But nicotine is ridiculously addictive, hence smokers tend to do whatever it takes to keep smoking. It's not necessarily stupidity that makes people still smoke even after they get COPD and the doctor tells them it's quit or die. Addiction makes us irrational. It makes us rationalize in the craziest ways. It makes people say things like "since I haven't had a cigarette in a month now I can celebrate that with a cig!" "I smoke because I like it!" It's bullshit rationalizations of course. The only thing that's going on is you're craving nicotine. http://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_Index_01.html is an awesome site for understanding the nature of smoking and of course for quitting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-88963871160696317532011-07-11T04:01:28.812-07:002011-07-11T04:01:28.812-07:00Really helpful information u mentioned in your blo...Really helpful information u mentioned in your blog. Thank you for the post.Alcohol poisoning symptomshttp://www.alcohol-poisoning-symptoms.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-39744397438246708352011-06-08T11:55:08.263-07:002011-06-08T11:55:08.263-07:00Well, interesting thing about Afghanistan - the Ta...Well, interesting thing about Afghanistan - the Taliban had virtually eradicated the opium trade there. Within, I believe, as as little as 18 months of the US invasion, the trade was soaring again and is now out of control. There used to be an article in the New York Times archive which reported a French Minister for the Interior (if I recollect properly) who appealed in 2003/4 for some attention to be paid to these facts - but I can't find it at all now. Anyway, after the invasions, drugs flooded the world's drug markets from that point onwards - noticeable increases in drug abuse in Europe for sure - and a vast amount of money is being made by more than just the Afghan war lords or other native people. Google drugs/Afghnaistan it's clear to see the problem is now a colossal global problem. Suggest for background reading Counterpunch's Alexander Cockburn's 'Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and The Press'. Thought-provoking.Miriam Cottonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04962393463071657439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18504038.post-17882408649878425552011-05-24T15:43:40.822-07:002011-05-24T15:43:40.822-07:00The thing is that even "established" sob...The thing is that even "established" sober houses have issues with oversight. Which resident can stay or leave is often dependent on one manager's personal opinion of the resident at any given moment. Also the owners and house managers often fail to live up to 12 step principles themselves and are not really accountable to anyone. Having been part of the MN recovery scene for several years, I have been both a sober house resident, and been close to several house managers. The stories I could tell....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com