Examples of harm caused by AA and NA meeting attendance and 12-step based treatment: A young woman stopped her antidepressant after attending AA meetings for a few months. The reason? Her sponsor told her to stop taking her medication because she was not “clean”. Despite a few years in intensive psychotherapy, this young woman’s depression had never really improved. She eventually started taking an antidepressant for her illness, and within
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) -Treatment With A Dark Side-Part II
It has been my experience that the biological treatment of addiction (medication) is frequently at odds with 12-step based treatment (AA and NA). I have seen, heard, or read about patients who were told to not start medication, or to stop their medication. Why were they told to stop? “Because you are not clean, or you are not sober, if you take medication”. Who are these people telling someone addicted
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) – Treatment With A Dark Side – Part I
I acknowledge that Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and Narcotics Anonymous (NA), which are based on the 12-steps, do help some people to obtain abstinence. However, the longer that I am in practice, I have been convinced that attending AA and NA meetings cause some people to relapse, or even overdose and die. The same holds true for outpatient and inpatient treatment centers that are strictly based on the 12-steps. However, it
Dr. Kloda Discusses Suboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone) Treatment on the Dr. Steve Show
There is a disturbing trend going on that you may have heard about. People wanting to feel more energized, more upbeat, and less stressed out from their busy lives. They start their morning with a cup of coffee and a prescription narcotic pain killer call oxycodone. Well, soon they find themselves addicted, and with a much more serious problem. Joining me now is doctor Stuart Kloda. He is an Addiction
Baclofen for Alcohol Addiction
Online PR News – 10-April-2014 –Baclofen is a medication that can be used for the treatment of addiction to alcohol. It is a medication that has actually been around for a long time. It is a muscle relaxant that is used to treat severe muscle spasticity. “Baclofen can be a miracle drug for some people who are addicted to alcohol.” Baclofen mainly works at the GABA-B receptor. This causes muscular relaxation. It also
Alcoholics Anonymous – Part IV
What happens at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting after the introductions? Next, the group is usually opened to general discussion. Many groups do not have speakers for every meeting, so the whole meeting is general discussion. Usually there will a topic such as “surrender”, “acceptance”, “cravings”. There is usually a leader of the group who will call on people to speak who raise their hands. Group members will also “share” in
Alcoholics Anonymous – Part III
A typical AA meeting lasts sixty to ninety minutes. People come in, maybe get a cup of coffee, and sit down. Meetings often start with a prayer, commonly the Serenity Prayer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Prayer). Frequently readings from the Big Book are next, usually that part of Chapter five titled “How It Works” (http://www.step12.com/aa-how-it-works.html). Sometimes, the 12 traditions, which I will talk about later, are read. Often, there will be a “go-around” where
Alcoholics Anonymous – Part II
As can be seen, the 12 steps talk quite a bit about “God” or a “Higher Power.” This is a real turn-off to many people, especially for many alcoholics who feel that God or organized religion has always been against them. This is even recognized in the Big Book (the textbook of AA) in a chapter titled, “We Agnostics.” However, everybody gets to bring their own individual belief about a
Alcoholics Anonymous – Part I
Alcoholics Anonymous (“AA”), is one type of recovery treatment. There are other types of recovery treatments that are effective as well. For the next few blog posts, I will discuss Alcoholics Anonymous. AA is based on the following 12 steps: 1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 3. Made
The Definition of Recovery
Some people in the addiction community do not consider a person with opiate or opioid addiction to be in recovery if he or she is on methadone or Suboxone. It is unfortunate that this dogmatic and dated line of thinking is still employed by some who provide addiction treatment. When a patient starts taking methadone or Suboxone, he or she goes from the destructive use of an opioid to a