Posted by Sparrow on 7th July 2008
Alcoholics Anonymous and Nursing; Lessons in Holism and Spiritual Care.
Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) is a worldwide, 2 million-member organization that has assisted countless alcoholics to achieve sobriety through a spiritual program of recovery from alcoholism.
Based on spiritual principles known as the “Twelve Steps” and “Twelve Traditions,” AA has provided a model for other recovery programs such as
- Narcotics Anonymous (NA),
- Gamblers Anonymous (GA), and
- Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous (SLAA).
- Al-anon
- Adult Children of Alcoholics
Recovery in AA appears to involve a process of self-transcendence.
In recent years, nursing scholars have increasingly explored the concepts of self-transcendence and spirituality as they apply to nursing theory and practice.
This article explores the roots and spiritual dimensions of 12-step recovery programs. It further explores the ways in which theoretical and clinical knowledge about the delivery of spiritual care interventions may be gained from an understanding of AA’s spiritual approach to recovery.
Alcoholics Anonymous and Nursing; Lessons in Holism and Spiritual Care. Eileen M. McGee, J Holist Nurs 2000; 18; 11.
Brief-TSF can assist patients cease alcohol consumption.
Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email
Posted in Adult Children of Addiction, Al-anon, Alcohol, Alcoholics Anon, Alcoholism, Brief-TSF, Gamblers Anon, Narcotics Anon | 1 Comment »
Posted by Sparrow on 18th June 2008
Drug commonly used for alcoholism craving curbs urges of pathological gamblers
A drug commonly used to treat alcohol addiction has a similar effect on pathological gamblers – it curbs the urge to gamble and participate in gambling-related behavior, according to a new research at the University of Minnesota.
Seventy-seven people participated in the double-blind, placebo controlled study. Fifty-eight men and women took 50, 100, or 150 milligrams of naltrexone every day for 18 weeks.
- Forty percent of the 49 participants who took the drug and completed the study, quit gambling for at least one month.
- Their urge to gamble also significantly dropped in intensity and frequency.
The other 19 participants took a placebo. But, only 10.5 percent of those who took the placebo were able to abstain from gambling.
Study participants were aged 18 to 75 and reported gambling for 6 to 32 hours each week.
Dosage did not have an impact on the results, naltrexone was generally well tolerated, and men and women reported similar results.
“This is good news for people who have a gambling problem,” said Jon Grant, M.D., J.D., M.P.H., a University of Minnesota associate professor of psychiatry and principal investigator of the study. “This is the first time people have a proven medication that can help them get their behavior under control.”
The research is published in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Compulsive gamblers are unable to control their behavior, and the habit often becomes a detriment in their lives, Grant said. He estimates between 1 to 3 percent of the population has a gambling problem.
While the drug is not a cure for gambling, Grant said it offers hope to many who are suffering from addiction. He also said the drug would most likely work best in combination with individual therapy.
“Medication can be helpful, but people with gambling addiction often have multiple other issues that should be addressed through therapy,” he said.
See also;
Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email
Posted in Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Disease of addiction, Gamblers Anon, Gambling, Loss of control, Medication, Research, Stages of Change, Symptoms of addiction | No Comments »
Posted by Sparrow on 1st June 2008
 |
Couple Therapy for Alcoholism: A Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment Manual
by Phylis J. Wakefield, Rebecca E. Williams, Elizabeth B. Yost, Kathleen M. Patterson
Read more about this title… |
Subscribe to Twelve Step Facilitation by Email
Posted in 12-Step Groups, Addiction, Adult Children of Addiction, Al-anon, Alcohol, Alcoholics Anon, Alcoholism, Blogroll, Brief-TSF, Disease of addiction, Drugs, Family, Gamblers Anon, Gambling, Medication, Narcotics Anon, Recovery, Relapse prevention, Research, Spirituality, Stages of Change, Symptoms of addiction, TSF, Women, Youth | No Comments »
