Marc Lewis's Blog, page 14

When healing trumps abstinence

The sign on the door of the Insite supervised injection site was gone again. Russ wasn’t surprised. He said it happened all the time, so we continued our tour outside. We walked down a couple of blocks inhabited by the most dessicated, fragile, and helpless humans I’d ever seen except maybe in India. They looked […] (Read the rest.)

On the road

Hello, my lovely blogites. It seems you are among the few recognizable lifeforms left on my computer — my computer whom I now love, hate, and mostly mourn. I had the most terrible “accident” — or maybe it was an act of God — the sort of biblical God who goes around punishing people for […] (Read the rest.)

Announce your place in the family of things

Isabel and I want to share this with you. We hear a lot of former and recovering addicts describe the grim and lonely hours waiting for them on the far side of their addiction. The loneliness and bleakness are real, but that’s not the end. It’s a stage in a transformation that can be breathtaking. […] (Read the rest.)

Disease, learning, and anonymity

…by Matt Robert… Consider what you believe about the causes of addiction. Now consider what you think about the importance of anonymity in recovery communities. Is there a relationship?   Yes, at least historically. In the very early days of AA, most people viewed addiction as a moral failing or a character defect. There was […] (Read the rest.)

I’m not against AA

I was overjoyed to see that Salon.com published a large excerpt from the first chapter of my book. (The headline may still be on the front page!) Until I saw the title: Addiction is Not a Disease. Good so far… Then: How AA and 12-step programs erect barriers while attempting to relieve suffering. Not so […] (Read the rest.)

Finally, the semblance of a debate with Nora Volkow!

Addiction.com invited Nora Volkow to pit her “disease” argument against my (and others’) “learning”  model of addiction. She declined, or at least didn’t agree, but I’m happy to announce that we have finally sort of crossed swords in the Huffington Post Blog network. Here’s her initial post and here’s my response. And I’m really pleased […] (Read the rest.)

Salon.com agrees that addiction may not be a disease

Or at least they agree that the point is worth considering. Their review of my book is quite positive. Laura Miller, a senior writer for Salon, got most of it right, and she didn’t shy away from the details. Way better than a kick in the head. A couple of relevant quotes: One of those […] (Read the rest.)

Unavailing labels: my name is not “addict”

…by Matt Robert… When I was finally ready to stop, I began the ignominious journey of failing at rehab after rehab. My resolve to stay clean was firm, but I often struggled with aspects of treatment. One of the most baffling things to me was how people were told to refer to themselves in meetings. […]

Relapse, prelapse, and mindfulness

…by Matt Robert… Wouldn’t it be nice if we never had to think about our addiction ever again? I posted about 10 months ago on the benefits of mindfulness in recovery. One of the points was that mindfulness informs all cognitive-behavioral approaches: it’s important to pay attention to what you’re telling yourself, and that takes […] (Read the rest.)

A new look: merging approaches to addiction

Hello people. I’m writing this using a voice recognition app — and then editing the result. Which is pretty strange after all these years using my fingertips. I had a torn tendon in my shoulder repaired last week, and for the next 5 weeks I will have to keep my right arm in a sling. […] (Read the rest.)