*My friend Jennifer 8. Lee reports that New York State will be combining its substance abuse and gambling addiction hotlines. The move is further proof that the addiction field is increasingly equating “process addictions”—gambling, sex, compulsive overeating—with alcoholism and drug addiction. (And that many gamblers also abuse substances.)
*Jim Atkinson writes a brilliant essay about faith and the recovery process.
*Does alcohol aid sexual performance? The Aussies think so.
*In Belmont, California, it’s now illegal to smoke in your own apartment.
*President Obama’s half-brother is arrested in Kenya for marijuana possession (all of one joint).
*Drug addiction is skyrocketing in Afghanistan.
*Iowa’s success in shutting down methamphetamine labs has led to a 24 percent overall drop in drug offenders sent to prison.
*One addict who will be going to prison is British teenager Leon Ramsden, who, after a three-day drug and drinking binge, fatally stabbed a man at a bar. Earlier that night, Ramsden posted on his Facebook page that he felt ”like killin some1.”
I found your book to be a real page turner and hope it becomes a best seller.
I was attracted to your book because I am trying to do the same kind of thing in my film (i.e., follow several addicts), but my film will have a bias and objective. Bias: addiction is at best misunderstood, at worst, addicts are mistreated, persecuted by our social systems, but must take responsibility for managing their disorder; Objective: define addiction as a chronic progressive mid brain disease that is expressed by impulsive/compulsive behaviors that the cognitive/frontal lobe cannot override–the brain has been hijacked–and without treatment, medical management and continued care the addict will eventually wind up in jail or dead.
The film (can’t decide whether to call it THE ADDICTION REVOLUTION or ADDICTION BY ANY NAME…A Revolution), will “out” addiction by hearing from addicts and those who love and care about them (Al Anonics like me), show that “jail therapy” alone doesn’t work, and make the case that rampant untreated addiction has created both a public health and safety crisis in this country and the issue is not new, but is an epidemic and continuing to grow. Not sure if this film will show the “price” we all pay for this metastatic scourge, may do that in a follow up film.
I have been producing alcohol and drug prevention videos for 20 years(for middle, high school and college freshmen) and have watched the “problem” grow to where it is today. I am dedicating the remainder of my professional career to this issue. I’m attacking from both professional (education) and personal (mother of a 27 year old heroin addict and grateful Al Anon member) perspectives. I’m in no rush.
I am so heartened after reading America Anonymous that maybe, just maybe America is indeed ready to begin looking at addiction as a bad disease/disorder that, like diabetes, attacks otherwise good people.