Dilworth Center's Blog

Inpatient or Outpatient Treatment: What’s Best for You?

2012-02-28T11:47:00.002-08:00

Thirty years ago, most people who went to alcoholism and drug addiction treatment attended inpatient programs. The standard length of care was 28 days. Everyone simply went to inpatient treatment and attended Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings upon discharge. Today, we have many more choices. For example:

· Detoxification, either inpatient or ambulatory, is indicated for the safety of some patients.

· Initial inpatient stays may vary in length and are often coupled with extended inpatient care or intensive outpatient treatment over the course of several months.

· Intensive outpatient treatment is a more appropriate place to begin treatment for some, as opposed to inpatient treatment.

· Outpatient treatment may follow intensive outpatient treatment.

· Continuing care treatment may follow outpatient treatment.

· Medications may be indicated for some patients.

· Relapse prevention.

· Individual counseling.

· Attendance at AA or NA meetings.

Whew!

Although it’s nice to have to have so many choices, the average consumer of these services may be easily confused. For example, some people may not understand when intensive outpatient treatment is indicated, as opposed to inpatient treatment.

I usually advise people to start with a comprehensive, chemical dependency assessment. People are different, and situations are different. What works for one person, may not necessarily work for another. Assessments are designed to determine the best recommendations for each individual.

At the Dilworth Center, we conduct assessments Mondays through Fridays. We assess adults, young adults and adolescents. We also meet with families to help them begin to help their family members who may be struggling with addiction.

For more information on assessments or other services offered by the Dilworth Center, contact us at 704-372-6969, or visit us on the web at www.dilworthcenter.org.

Treatment Works - Alcoholics and Addicts Do Recover

2012-02-07T06:27:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately, there are many misperceptions about alcoholism and drug addiction continuing to circulate in our society. I am frequently asked to comment on the following misunderstood beliefs.

“Once an alcoholic or addict, always an alcoholic or addict.”

Although alcoholism and drug addiction are chronic diseases, people get well every day. Alcoholics and addicts can stop drinking and using and live healthy and productive lives. The good news is that treatment works. Recent Dilworth Center surveys indicate that 70% of adults completing treatment for substance dependence are clean and sober 12 months following treatment completion.

“You can’t help and alcoholic or addict unless they want help.”

Typically, chemically dependent people do not go to treatment because they want to stop drinking and using. They go to treatment because the pain of recovery has become less than the pain of continuing to drink or use. Family members can play significant roles in helping motivate people towards treatment and recovery. By allowing alcoholics and addicts the privilege of experiencing the consequences of their drinking and using, incentives can be created to enter treatment. For example, parents might tell their teenage children that unless they go to treatment, they will no longer have access to a car, cell phone or computer. The teens then enter treatment not because they want to get well, but because of the leverage the parents created.

“Treatment only works if you want it.”

Most people do not enter treatment because they want to be there. They may be willing to be there, but they do not want to be there. Thankfully, willingness is usually all it takes to successfully begin treatment and recovery. Our experience has been that there is no difference in the success rates between people entering treatment completely voluntarily, and those entering treatment under some form of pressure or leverage. Most people come to their senses while they are in treatment, not before they enter treatment. A goal of treatment is to help patients begin to understand how their substance use has negatively impacted their lives. Because of their denial systems, many people are unaware of the reality of their problems until properly explored during the treatment process.

At the Dilworth Center, our counselors frequently meet with family members to assist them in understanding how they can help chemically dependent family members who may not want help. For more information, contact us at 704-372-6969 or by visiting us on the web at www.dilworthcenter.org.

Teen Parties Can Be Fun and Safe

2012-02-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

There have been many recent stories in the news involving teens drinking alcohol or using drugs at adult supervised parties. Some have had tragic consequences. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/01/31/2973789/millbrook-students-legally-drunk.html

Parents and children may have different understandings of what goes on at the parties children attend. A national survey on underage drinking recently found a wide gap between parents and teens when it comes this subject:

• One-third of teens and nearly half of 17-year-olds attend house parties where parents are present and teens are drinking, smoking marijuana, or using cocaine or other illicit drugs.

• 80 percent of parents believe alcohol or marijuana are not available at parties their teens attend. But 50 percent of teens say they attend parties where alcohol and drugs are accessible.

• 98 percent of parents say they are present at parties their teenage children host at home, but 33 percent of teens report that parents are rarely or never at parties they have attended.

• 99 percent of parents say they're unwilling to serve alcohol at their teen's party, but 28 percent of teenagers report they've been at parties where parents are present and teens are drinking.

• By the time a teen turns 17, nearly half (46 percent) will have gone to a party where teens were drinking alcohol, smoking pot or using cocaine or other drugs with a parent in the house.

• Girls 12 to 17 are at equal or higher risk for substance abuse than boys of the same age.*

Parents should carefully consider house rules regarding parties attended by their children. There is no substitute for networking with other parents in creating safe and fun environments for parties and other gatherings.

For information about teen treatment for substance dependence, contact the Dilworth Center at 704-372-6969 or visit us on the web at www.dilworthcenter.org.

*SOURCE: The National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. The center interviewed a random sample of 1,297 people 12 to 17 (591 boys, 706 girls) across the country, and 562 parents, 84 percent of whom are parents of those surveyed.

Elements of Effective Adolescent and Young Adult Chemical Dependency Treatment Programs

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

I am frequently asked what are the components of a good adolescent treatment program. Although this is not a comprehensive list, it is a good start.

Common Philosophy of Care – Treatment Team Members need to practice treatment from a common belief system. A clear understanding of the disease of chemical dependency is critical for the success of any program.

The 12 Steps - The overall program that works the best for the most is the 12 Step, mutual-help group model. 12 Step programs simply have no equal and should be included in all professional, chemical dependency treatment programs.

Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) Meetings – AA and NA meetings are where alcoholics and addicts go to learn how to apply the 12 Steps to their lives and to gain support in doing so. Many successful adolescent and young adult treatment programs require daily meeting attendance.

Clear Limit Setting and Predictable Consequences – The job of the treatment team is to set limits of patient behavior. Adolescents and young adult patients often attempt to test these limits. Rules should be made with the understanding that they may be broken. When they are broken, the patients should be allowed the privilege of experiencing the consequences of their actions. Place the responsibility of the behavior where it belongs, squarely on the shoulders of the patient. They might try to blame you for their troubles. Do not buy into it. They chose to break the rules, therefore they chose to experience the consequences of breaking those rules. All staff members need to be consistent in allowing patients to experience consequences. Chemically dependent patients may attempt to divide and conquer. They will go from staff member to staff member looking for someone that will allow them to have their way.

Group Therapy – Small group therapy is where most of the change in patients takes place. Groups tend to be a more effective change agent than individual counseling, in part because of the power of positive peer pressure. Also, it is harder to con a group of your peers than it is to con a single counselor. Ideally, groups should be limited to 8 persons or less and meet at least three times weekly.

Disease Education – Educational classes should be provided for patients in order to raise awareness of the addiction and recovery process. Common topics included, but should not be limited to the following.

· The Disease of Chemical Dependency

· The Progression of the Disease in Adolescents, Young Adults and Their Families

· Denial

· The 12 Steps

· Sponsorship

· The Grief Cycle

· HIV/AIDS

Measurable and Visible Progress and Achievements – A patient’s progress should be measurable and visible. For example, advancement through the 12 Steps should be a group activity requiring the approval of the group in order to advance. Level systems have proven effective for many adolescent and young adult treatment programs in developing an atmosphere of positive peer pressure.

Book Study and Step Study – Formalized group study of the books “Alcoholics Anonymous” and “Narcotics Anonymous” will familiarize patients with literature commonly studied in AA or NA meetings. This practice will not only increase knowledge of recovery, it will assist in helping patients to fit in more comfortably with groups in the community.

Leisure Activities and Friendships – Adolescents and young adults have a need to have fun. Recovery is not a veil of tears and need not be presented as such. Staff members need to strategize as to how patients can have fun and remain clean and sober. For example, young people’s AA and NA groups often have dances and conventions young people find attractive. The more attractive recovery is to people, the more likely they are to remain in recovery.

Experiential Learning – Adolescents and young adults often learn better by doing something as opposed to simply learning about it in the classroom. For example teamwork exercises illustrate, through behavior, why relying on others is an element for success.

Counselor and Team Member Wellness – All team members having patient contact need to take care of themselves. Working with patients can be stressful. You need to understand what we have power over, and what we do not have power over.

Counselor and Team Member Competence – Working with chemically dependent adolescents and young adults requires a high level of skill and competence. Staff members need to be well educated about chemical dependency and its treatment. A clear understanding of recovery through the 12 Steps is essential. Counselors should be experts in conducting group therapy. Additionally, the importance of staff members working their own recovery program cannot be over-emphasized. Recovering staff should attend AA or NA. Everyone else should attend Al-Anon or Nar-Anon. In short, you cannot teach what you do not know.

For more information about treatment services offered by the Dilworth Center, please contact us at 704-372-6969 or visit us on the web at www.dilworthcenter.org.

Denial

2011-12-09T07:26:00.000-08:00

The following blog entry was written by Wallace Godfrey, former counselor at the Dilworth Center. Wallace died last year, but not before leaving a lasting impression on all of us who had worked with him through the years. I had the pleasure of working with Wallace for 25 years. His favorite topic was denial. He gave lectures to patients on the topic throughout his 30 year career. I thought it fitting to share it with you today.

DENIAL BY WALLACE GODFREY

“THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO HELP YOU BETTER UNDERSTAND AND IDENTIFY THE CHIEF CHARACTERISTIC OF THE DISEASE OF ADDICTION, THE PHENOMENON OF DENIAL.

DENIAL IS A DEFENSE MECHANISM BY WHICH CHEMICALLY DEPENDENT PERSONS INSULATE THEMSELVES FROM THE HARSH REALITY OF THEIR ACTUAL CONDITION. OF ALL MAJOR SYMPTOMS OF THE DISEASE OF CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY, NO OTHER HARBORS MORE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES THAN DOES DENIAL; THE CRUEL TWISTER OF REALITY.

AS THE DISEASE PROGRESSES, SO DOES THE DENIAL, GROWING EVER DEEPER INTO ALCOHOLICS’ SUBCONSCIOUS MIND. DENIAL OPERATES MOSTLY FROM A SUBCONSCIOUS LEVEL. THE AFFECTED ARE NOT ALWAYS AWARE OF ITS EXISTENCE UNLESS CONFRONTED REPEATEDLY WITH THE RATIONALIZATIONS AND UNTRUTHS THAT ARE SO EVIDENT TO OTHERS.

DENIAL IS A VERY MYSTERIOUS FACTOR IN ALCOHOLISM AND OTHER TYPES OF ADDICTION. IT IS RECOGNIZED BY FEW AND UNDERSTOOD BY EVEN FEWER, IT IS THE MEANS BY WHICH THE ADDICTION PERPETUATES ITSELF. ITS VERY “LIFE” DEPENDS ON IT. WITHOUT DENIAL, THE ADDICTION COULD NOT GO ON UNTREATED; FOR ALCOHOLICS AND ADDICTS WOULD THEN BE FORCED TO HONESTLY FACE UP TO THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF THEIR ADDICTION AND SEEK HELP IN DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

MANY CARING PEOPLE, EVEN SOME PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE NOT KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE DENIAL SYSTEM, OFTEN MISTAKE ITS MANIFESTATIONS FOR OUTRIGHT CONSCIOUS DISHONESTY AND LYING ON ADDICTS’ PART. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE. THE PROGRESSION OF THEIR ILLNESS, COUPLED WITH THE EVER WIDENING CHASM BETWEEN ADDICTS AND REALITY SOON LOCKS THEM INTO AN INCREASINGLY DESTRUCTIVE PATTERN OF DELUSION AND DENIAL. BEFORE ANY MEANINGFUL TREATMENT CAN BEGIN FOR THE CHEMICALLY DEPENDENT PERSON, CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE DENIAL MUST BE OVERCOME AND DEALT WITH.

Is Marijuana Addictive?

2011-11-10T13:53:00.000-08:00

Is marijuana addictive? This is a very simply question and one I hear frequently, particularly from parents of drug using teenagers. Many of these parents are surprised, and sometime skeptical, when I tell them that pot clearly is addictive. They will often respond by saying that you cannot become “physically hooked” on pot. “It’s not like heroin”, they say. These perceptions are common and typically represent basic misunderstandings about addiction.

The truth is that addiction comes in people, not drugs. Addiction is a brain disorder, not a physical dependency upon a particular substance. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44147493/ns/health-addictions/t/addiction-now-defined-brain-disorder-not-behavior-issue/#.Trw5S_Sa8Y0 . The brains of alcoholics and addicts respond differently to mood-altering drugs than normal brains. Think allergy. If someone has an allergic response to peanuts, it’s the allergy that is the problem, not the peanuts. Most people can eat peanuts without harm. But for the person who’s allergic, peanuts are deadly.

For alcoholics and addicts, their allergy manifests itself in an obsession and compulsion to re-experience intoxication. This obsession and compulsion is beyond their ability to control with willpower alone. Asking an alcoholic or addict to “just say no” is like asking someone with clinical depression to “just cheer up.”

Marijuana addiction is common. It is estimated that one in five 12th graders have tried marijuana within the past month. http://www.drugabuse.gov/tib/marijuana.html Of those who use marijuana regularly (three times a month or more), as many as one in five will become addicted. Teens with a natural family history of addiction may be twice as likely to develop marijuana addiction as other teens.

The only way to accurately determine if a person is addicted to marijuana is to complete a comprehensive, substance dependence assessment. When we assess teens at the Dilworth Center, we typically spend two hours with the parents and another two hours with the patient. An array of factors needs to be carefully examined to determine if the criteria for dependence are met. For more information about substance dependence assessments, contact the Dilworth Center at 704-372-6969 or visit us at www.dilworthcenter.org.

Prescription Drug Use Deaths

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

New research indicates that deaths associated with prescription pain pills have quadrupled over the past decade. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/11/01/prescription-drug-deaths-skyrocket/ Most of these deaths are from opiates typically prescribed for pain relief. In 2007, there were more overdose deaths from prescription opioids than from heroin and cocaine combined. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/prescription-painkiller-overdose-deaths-rise/story?id=14858375#.TrQP9fSa8Y1

The most commonly abused opioids by the patient population at the Dilworth Center are hydrocodone and OxyContin. OxyContin is a time-released tablet, designed to be absorbed slowly over 12 hours. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0000589/ Abusers typically crush the tablets to circumvent the time-released mechanism, thus releasing the entire dose immediately. An 80mg OxyContin tablet when released immediately is equivalent to 120mg of hydrocodone or, in other words, 12-24 hydrocodone tablets. It’s easy to begin to see how this can easily lead to overdoses.

Young people are using prescription opioids in increasing numbers. They do not tend to equate these commonly abused tablets to drugs like heroin or morphine. Because OxyContin is swallowed rather than injected, many people interpret their use as less risky or more socially acceptable. The fact is that prescription opioids are entirely similar to heroin. Many heroin addicts actually prefer the prescription opioids. They always know exactly what they are getting, as opposed to the unknown dosages of the street drugs.

A result is that opioid dependence is on the rise, as are the overdoses associated with their use. The good news is that treatment programs work. Given the opportunity, opioid addicts recover in equal numbers to those addicted to other substances. For more information regarding treatment services, contact the Dilworth Center at 704-372-6969 or by visiting us on the web at www.dilworthcenter.org.

Another Death from Alcoholism

2011-10-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse's blood alcohol content was 0.4 at the time of her death. At that level, death is not uncommon. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/26/amy-winehouse-dead-singer-alcohol_n_1032344.html

Using Synthetic Pot - A Dangerous Gamble

2011-10-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

The use of synthetic cannabinoids (Spice, K2) remains popular by teens and adults alike. The Navy recently decided to kick out 64 sailors, mostly for the use of these drugs.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/10/20/navy-to-kick-out-64-sailors-from-fleet-for-drug-use/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+foxnews%2Fnational+%28Internal+-+US+Latest+-+Text%29

A significant point to remember is that synthetic cannabinoids are research chemicals. There is no data available on their effects on humans. Adverse reactions, dosages and interactions with other chemicals remain a mystery. Furthermore, there are hundreds of these drugs, including but not limited to, JWH-017, 018, 019, 073, 081, 200, 250, CP-47, 55, 497, 940, HU-210, WIN-55, CB-25, 52. The list goes on and on.

It is safe to assume that when you purchase these “herbal blends” in shops or over the internet, you never know what you might get. There is no way to confirm what you are actually purchasing or using. Some of these compounds have never been tested on humans. Others may have ten or more compounds in each product. Some may have nothing at all. It’s a clear and present gamble, and the user is the guinea pig.

Young people are using these drugs in high numbers in part because they have been legal (now they are not), they think they cannot be detected in drug screens (which they can) and because they are easily obtainable (which they still are, at least over the internet). Many users equate synthetic pot to natural pot. They assume the fake stuff is identical to the real stuff, which it clearly is not.

North Carolina has responded to the proliferation of these research chemicals by passing sweeping legislation (NC HB 12) forbidding their sale and possession as of September 2011. North Carolina’s law is widely considered to be the most comprehensive in the nation. The United Kingdom is actually considering modeling their laws after North Carolina’s laws.

North Carolina is to be commended for taking the bold steps necessary to outlaw these potentially dangerous substances on such a wide-scale. Parents and educators should educate themselves about these and other research chemicals if we are to help those users in trouble. The Dilworth Center is taking a leading role in this issue by offering education opportunities for Charlotte-area professionals regarding these and other research chemicals. Our workshop last month on this topic was filled with a waiting list.

For more information in workshops offered by the Dilworth Center please visit http://www.dilworthcenter.org/events.htm.

A Word of Thanks

2011-10-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week, the Dilworth Center hosted our Second Annual Leadership Luncheon at the City Club in uptown Charlotte. The luncheon raised money to support the Dilworth Center’s adult, young adult and adolescent treatment programs. In an effort to make treatment accessible for more people, our Board of Directors made a decision many years ago to charge patients less than the actual cost of providing care. The difference is made up with contributions from individuals, organizations and foundations.

Our Leadership Luncheon was sponsored by the following organizations and individuals:

Platinum Sponsors

· Carolina Premier Bank

· Charlotte Pipe and Foundry

· Lowes’ Corporation

· Moore & Van Allen

· Rinehart Wealth Management

· Steelfab

Gold Sponsors

· Alan Lewis

· Carolinas Healthcare System

· Coca-Cola

· Cummins Atlantic

· Ernst & Young

· Keith Corporation

· Smarter Systems

Silver Sponsors

· Citizens South Bank

· Steve B. Smith & Co.

Bronze Sponsors

· Carroll Financial

· Martin & Harrill Insurance

· Robert Stephens

· Shannon McFayden

· Wally Kooiman

Friends of the Dilworth Center

· National Gypsum

· Roberta B Bowman

Additionally, Krispy Kreme supplied their yummy doughnuts for the event!

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of our sponsors. Their generous contributions will enable more people to seek treatment and recovery than would otherwise be possible. The Dilworth Center is pleased to have so many people share our vision of providing affordable and effective treatment for citizens of Charlotte and the surrounding North and South Carolina regions.

Am I really an alcoholic?

2011-10-10T05:40:00.001-07:00

Dear Reader,

My name is Christopher E. Lord and I am a psychiatrist specializing in addiction treatment, and I have the pleasure of regularly collaborating with the staff of the Dilworth Center. I was invited to write a blog entry for the Dilworth Center’s new website, “on anything” I wanted to write about.

I decided to write about a question that everyone who presents for treatment ponders either openly to a group or silently to themselves- “Am I really an alcoholic?”

The answer is actually critical to their recovery, since adopting the identity of an individual with a drug and/or alcohol problem is an essential component of durable, long-lasting recovery. Adoption of the identity of a “sober alcoholic” or “recovering addict” helps to organize many aspects of a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors- for example shunning places where alcohol and other drugs are easily accessible while learning sober living skills and forging new and healthy relationships not based on immediate need-fulfillment and dishonesty.

But what gets in the way of establishing this identity?

Many things actually, chief among them is the illness itself which impairs insight, prompting the sufferer to repeatedly attempt to maintain control of their substance use when control of substance use is reliably unpredictable.

Another thing that prevents the process of establishing this new identity is, curiously enough, recent alcohol and drug research!

Research over the last several years regarding the long-term course of alcoholism in particular has expanded our understanding of this disorder. Previous studies about alcoholism have focused on a narrow subset of the population- the portion of the population with severe functional impairment and receiving treatment. Our experience with patients in this grouping are the reason we as treatment providers describe alcoholism (and by extension addiction to other substances) as a “chronic, relapsing disorder”.

But what about this new research? Much of it has been done over the last decade, and instead of focusing just on the individuals with severe functional impairment in some sort of treatment, this research involves a large random sampling of the US population. What it revealed to us there may be sub-types of the alcohol-dependent (alcohol-addicted) population that experience a milder form of the illness who have symptoms that resolve without any intervention. This group tends to baffle treatment providers and treatment seekers, because both groups are left to ponder the question of whether or not they are truly an alcohol dependent (alcohol addicted) individual.

Well, my answer to those who wonder is this- if your symptoms are severe enough to warrant intervention with treatment, you belong in the camp of the alcohol-dependent or alcohol addicted population, who indeed have the “chronic, relapsing” course. I do encounter the group who may indeed have the self-limited course, but I tend to meet them during their treatment for a separate mental health concern (such as Major Depression or an anxiety disorder) and discover their substance use is a remote part of their past and not part of the presenting difficulties.

The core features of the alcohol dependent (alcohol addicted) individual who has the severe form of the illness characterized by the “chronic/relapsing” course are all the symptoms that demonstrate a loss of control of their substance use- namely the failure to maintain limits on their substance use and the reliably unpredictable outcomes when substances are used. These characteristics more than any are the most descriptive in terms of identifying who has the severe type of the disorder, and therefore also the individuals who would benefit most from the adoption of a drug and alcohol free identity as “sober alcoholic” or “recovering addict”.

Unfortunately, it is also this population who has the most difficult time wrestling with this question. If what you have read raises more questions, we are happy to help you with this. If there is more interest, perhaps future entries could address these questions or concerns.

Sincerest best wishes to you and yours,

Christopher E Lord, MD

The Miracle of Recovery

2011-10-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

The recent death of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs has resulted in an avalanche of media attention and rightfully so. Jobs was a visionary and a pathfinder. Not only did he have the vision to create all of his iconic gadgets, he had the ability to deliver those devices to grateful consumers in staggering numbers. My favorite statement so far in attempting to describe Job’s style and job performance comes from the writings of Jack Kerouac.

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

Today is my recovery anniversary. Once again, I am offered the opportunity to reflect and give thanks to those who came before me. Had it not been for the old-timers and their unyielding patience and support, I would not be here today. As it stands now, I have a beautiful family, a great job and countless friends. I am truly blessed.

All of this makes me think about how it must have been for Bill W. and Dr. Bob when they founded Alcoholics Anonymous. Their own desperation clearly played a part in outlining the principles which would later become the 12 Steps. But there was more to it than that. Somehow, they had the insight to understand that they had stumbled onto a miraculous cure for alcoholism. Furthermore, they had the perfect vehicle to move this miracle into the mainstream, through the AA fellowship. The only requirement for membership was a desire to stop drinking.

Making AA available for everyone with a desire to stop drinking could not have been an easy task. Were Bill and Bob not considered misfits and rebels, the round pegs in the square holes? Were they not occasionally vilified and thought to be crazy? Did they not, at least at some point, begin to believe that AA could change the world? All of these things were indeed true.

M. Scott Peck, the American psychiatrist and author had this to say about AA taken from his book, “The Road Less Traveled”.

“Thus I believe the greatest positive event of the twentieth century occurred in Akron, Ohio, on June 10, 1935, when Bill W. and Dr. Bob convened the first AA meeting. It was not only the beginning of the self-help movement and the beginning of the integration of science and spirituality at a grass-roots level, but also the beginning of the community movement.
That is the other reason why I think of addiction as the sacred disease. When my AA friends and I get together, we often come to conclude that, very probably, God deliberately created the disorder of alcoholism in order to create alcoholics, in order that these alcoholics might create AA, and thereby spearhead the community movement which is going to be the salvation not only of alcoholics and addicts but of us all.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Scott_Peck

Some people have described Wilson and Smith as the greatest social architects of the 20^th century, perhaps not unlike Steve Jobs being one of the greatest technology architects of the 20^th century. With the passing of such influential pathfinders, those of us in recovery may take this opportunity to begin to understand just how fortunate the rest of us are to be able to so easily take advantage of the abundant fruits of their tireless labors.

Need a meeting? Look one up on your iPhone.

Welcome to our Blog!

2011-10-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Dilworth Center's Blog. Our Staff will work hard to post topics of interest to help better our understanding of alcoholism, addiction and recovery. Tell all your friends and don't be afraid to speak up. We need all of your input to make this a meaningful and informative resource.