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Is there anyone today who doesn’t know someone involved in a 12-Step program? There are 12-Step programs for almost everything we can think of -- alcohol and drug dependency, gambling, eating disorders, compulsive over-spending, sex addiction, smoking, internet addiction, and codependency in relationships, to name but a few. Millions of people all over the world attend these meetings on a regular basis; in fact, it seems that anyone not involved in such a program is now in the minority. I … [Read more...] about Evolving Beyond the 12 Steps: The 16-Step Model looks to Empower, not Shame, on the Road to Recovery

“Maggie” was one of my clients during my 16 years as an addictions counsellor in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Soft-spoken, with a surprisingly sly sense of humour she shared with those she knew well, this 37-year-old mother of three struggled with a number of addictions,  including one to the local bingo hall. For Maggie, going to bingo was like a drug: she could simply have a good time for a while and not have to think about the many hardships in her life. Two or three afternoons a week, … [Read more...] about BC Gambling Industry Poses Problems for the Vulnerable

What is it about those voices in our heads? You know the ones I’m talking about – it’s the Committee of Eggspurts that rents space up there, constantly giving us a negative running commentary about everything we see, feel, and experience. For most of us, our Committee is a combination of arrogance and insecurity, and we bounce back and forth, back and forth, between those two ends of that particular dichotomy. Is there anyone alive who is immune to those voices? Hmmm, I wonder. Perhaps the … [Read more...] about The Voices in our Heads

About two months ago, someone I cared deeply about took his own life. He was a young man in his early 30’s – and like most everyone who knew him, I had no idea how troubled he was, as he often wore a beautiful smile on his face that made those around him feel very happy. He didn’t leave a note, so we don’t know why he felt he needed to take such a drastic and final action. Because this happened after he had spent the night drinking heavily with his friends, I have wondered whether he really … [Read more...] about My Friend is Gone

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the saying “This too shall pass.” Perhaps this is because my mother is currently quite ill, which is definitely an unsettling thing for everyone concerned -- there is nothing like clearly seeing the shifts that aging can bring to drive home the reality that everything changes. Although I had heard “This too shall pass” many times in my life, it wasn’t until I began attending 12-Step programs over 20 years ago that I was consciously reminded of it. And even … [Read more...] about This Too Shall Pass