Mrs. Marty Mann – Helping Alcoholics
Mrs. Marty Mann – the first woman member of AA – dedicated her life to helping alcoholics. As I mentioned in a previous post, I am reading an excellent biography on Mrs. Marty Mann, written by Sally Brown and David R. Brown, titled Mrs. Marty Mann, The First Lady of Alcoholics Anonymous. This a fascinating…
Read MoreMrs. Marty Mann – First Woman to Join AA
A biography of Marty Mann – one of the first woman to join AA and a heroine in the fight to de-stigmatize the disease of alcoholism. I’m reading a great book by Sally Brown and David R. Brown – A Biography of Mrs. Marty Mann, The First Lady of Alcoholics Anonymous. Not only is it…
Read MoreUnderstanding the Disease of Addiction Before “That” Drink
Understanding the disease of addiction before “that” drink. Where am I coming from? I was reading a recent post, “Repeat Drunk Driver Accused in MLB Player’s Death,” reporting on the tragic death of a young, promising baseball player and two others at the hands of a repeat DUI offender, and was taken by Lou C’s…
Read MorePowerless Over Alcohol
Powerless over alcohol … For those who are not familiar with 12-step programs (such as AA or AlAnon), the first step is to admit you are powerless over alcohol. I recall reading and hearing this and thinking “they” were nuts. How could anyone be powerless over alcohol? And, how could a person who is not…
Read MoreThe World of Enmeshment in an Alcoholic Home
The World of Enmeshment in an Alcoholic Home – what is “enmeshment” and what does it have to do with living in a home where a family member is drinking too much or has the disease of alcoholism? By the time I finally began (at age 49) my own road to understanding what had happened…
Read MoreHelping the Alcoholic in Recovery, Understanding the Brain
Perhaps the most important thing for helping the alcoholic in recovery is to understand the brain disease of addiction. Why is this important? Often when an alcoholic begins recovery (whether that be entering a treatment program, attending AA meetings, engaging in therapy or …), the tendency is for the family members to carry on in…
Read MoreWhy You Can’t Change the Way an Alcoholic Thinks
Why You Can’t Change the Way an Alcoholic Thinks has a lot to do with understanding the “wishful thinking” that goes on as the result of the brain changes caused by alcohol abuse and the brain disease of alcoholism / addiction. Understanding this can help those who love an alcoholic or someone who drinks too…
Read MoreRethinking Drinking
Rethinking drinking is an important concept to talk about. Why? Because we often think of drinking as either normal or alcoholic, yet there is a middle stage stage not fully understand, and it’s alcohol abuse. Alcohol abuse is what causes the chemical and structural changes in the brain that in turn make a person more…
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