David Clark — Page 42 — Recovery Stories

‘Could you ever ‘thank’ your addiction?’ by Matt Kay

January 22, 2014 by David Clark

Been a while since we had a Matt Kay blog from my old website Wired In To Recovery. So here goes:

‘Is this concept as far fetched as some of you may be thinking? How on earth can I ‘thank’ my addiction and how does it deserve a ‘thank you’. Bear with me here for a minute and let that thought mull around in your head while I tell you why I am asking it.

I asked this question a while back to some fellow recoverees with what could only be described as ‘mixed reactions’ and no-one seemed to grasp what I was aiming at. As we all know, anyone who has lived through active addiction will know that there isn’t anything positive that it brings.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: addiction, empathy, health, matt kay, orderly, personal interactions, recovery, self-esteem

‘The Potential of Recovery Capital’ by David Best and Alexandre Laudet

January 22, 2014 by David Clark

Here’s a classic text from David Best and Alexandre Laudet on recovery capital. This paper is part of the RSA project on recovery. Here is an introduction to the paper from the RSA.

‘The addictions field is now overflowing with references to ‘recovery’ with service providers and workers increasingly designated as ‘recovery-focused’, although in many areas there is confusion as to what that may mean in practice and what needs to change.

There is an increasing awareness that people do recover, but we have limited knowledge or science of what enables this to happen or at what point in the recovery journey. There is also the recognition that recovery is something that is grounded in the community and that it is a transition that can occur without professional input, and where professional input is involved, the extent of its role is far from clear.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: alexandre laudet, community, david best, personal, recovery capital, resource, resources, social

‘Unraveling the Mystery of Personal and Family Recovery: An Interview with Stephanie Brown, PhD’ by Bill White (Part 5)

January 21, 2014 by David Clark

Bill White: Your work has enhanced understanding of the intergenerational nature of alcohol and other drug problems. Have you envisioned how such intergenerational cycles might finally be broken?

Stephanie Brown: I think we’ve started to name and describe what happens in addicted families across generations, which is helping us understand family addiction and the complexities of family recovery. And I think we are poised to move beyond our current focus on the genetic and neurobiological influence on intergenerational transmission of addiction to include exploration of the larger psychological and social processes involved.

We need more family research to understand the transmission process and the kinds of family and community support processes that can influence these cycles and positively disrupt them.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: bill white, community, family support, intergenerational, peer support, recovery, stephanie brown, treatment

‘New wave’ by Phil Hanlon

January 21, 2014 by David Clark

The second of a series of top-quality videos on the future of public health by Glasgow professor Phil Hanlon. Fascinating and bigger picture stuff from his Afternow website.

‘What’s next for the health of society? In this introductory video Phil Hanlon highlights a number of daunting challenges for public health in the 21st Century. He explains how what might be called the dominant mindset of the modern age can be characterised by its ability to understand, predict and control the natural world – an approach which was subsequently extended to the social world.

In Public Health, this ability led to a number of ‘waves’ of health improvement in the period since the Industrial Revolution, many of which remain with us and are important for health today, even though they peaked in effectiveness some time ago.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: addiction, industrial revolution, mental health, modernity, obesity, public health, scotland

‘Surrendering to Heal’ by Ellie Schoenberger

January 21, 2014 by David Clark

Last week I had two blogs on Ellie Schoenberger, one an interview and the other focused on Ellie’s work. Couldn’t resist including one of Ellie’s blogs, this one from WomenHeal.

‘I am currently in recovery from two chronic, life altering diseases that if left untreated are always fatal.

Always.

The first one is alcoholism. In 2007, after years suffering in silence and struggling in vain to get sober on my own, I gave up. I stopped kicking and screaming and trying to do things my way and went to rehab. For thirty days. I had been to rehab before. Twice, in fact. The difference with my last rehab was that I surrendered. I got out of my own way and let people who had walked the path before me carry me when I didn’t feel like carrying myself.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: alcoholism, cancer, courage, healing, prayer, recovery, support group, surrender

‘Unraveling the Mystery of Personal and Family Recovery: An Interview with Stephanie Brown, PhD’ by Bill White (Part 4)

January 20, 2014 by David Clark

We continue Bill White’s interview with Stephanie Brown on family recovery. I cannot emphasise to you enough how important Stephanie’s work is.

‘Bill White: It poses the question of what the ideal scaffolding would be like that could support recovery.

Stephanie Brown: I think we understand much better today that the family encounters a vacuum on entering recovery with or without formal treatment or outpatient therapy. This vacuum within the family, and the same kind of vacuum in the community – the neighborhood, town, city, work, school, and social environments – is a significant problem.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: bill white, community, developmental, family, family suppport, recovery, staphanie brown, treatment

‘Can we call it corruption?’ by Wynford Ellis Owen

January 20, 2014 by David Clark

Addiction and recovery are affected by much than individual factors. Social factors play a great role and societal problems need highlighting. Here’s an excellent article by my good friend Wynford, who runs The Living Room Project in Cardiff where I spent New Years Eve.

‘When Russell Brand recently said on Newsnight to interviewer Jeremy Paxman that he didn’t vote and he encouraged others not to either, his sentiments were taken to be an endorsement for the widespread political apathy that seems to exist in Britain today.

Far from Brand being apathetic however, he is one of our more engaged political citizens. Often he articulates himself through humour and irreverence, but his key point, that politics has been hijacked by corporate power, is becoming more and more evident.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: alcohol, corporate power, corruption, deaths, government, lobbying, pricing, Russell Brand

ManyFaces1Voice: Carol McDaid

January 20, 2014 by David Clark

“You know, Americans love a good redemption story and recovery is a great one to tell.”

Check out the video of Carol McDaid on ManyFaces1Voice. She is a woman in long-term recovery since 1997 and is co-founder and Principal of Capitol Decisions Inc. Capitol Decisions focuses on federal policy, with a special emphasis on alcohol and other drug policy.

For over 15 years, Carol has worked with leading non-profit drug and alcohol treatment centers, addiction physicians, prevention and consumer organizations to refine public policy addressing alcohol and other drug addiction.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: addiction, advocate, carol mcdaid, FAVOR, manyfaces1voice, recovery, recovery award, The Anonymous People

Recovery from mental disorders, lecture by Pat Deegan

January 18, 2014 by David Clark

Patricia Deegan PhD is a psychologist and researcher. She was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teeenager. For years, Patricia has worked with people with mental disorders in various ways, to help them get better and lead rewarding lives.

This film features clips from a lecture by Patricia Deegan on the subject of her own route to recovery. She describes how her diagnosis took on ‘a master status in terms of her identity’. Her humanity seemed to others ‘to be quite secondary.’

‘He had read a generic text book and simply applied it to the case in font of him. Schizophrenics don’t recover, Pat Deegan won’t recover. It was that simple…’

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: advocacy, film, humanity, identity, mental health, pat deegan, schizophrenia, stigma

‘What is Recovery?’: Julie Repper & Rachel Perkins

January 18, 2014 by David Clark

Another favourite past blog:

‘In my blogs, I will be exploring the nature of recovery and will sometimes focus on the ideas of someone else (or a group of people). I’ve previously looked at how David Best has talked about “What is Recovery?” David described key principles underlying addiction recovery.

In this blog, I am going to look at what Julie Repper and Rachel Perkins have to say about “What is Recovery?”, as described in their excellent book Social Inclusion and Recovery: A Model for Mental Health Practice. They include a number of quotes about recovery, some of which I will use here.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: choice, control, empowerment, growth, identity, mental health, pat deegan, recovery

Treatment and Recovery disconnection

January 18, 2014 by David Clark

Saturday is time to revisit my favourite old blogs from the website. Here’s one of the most viewed from last year.

‘William White describes how somewhere in the process of the professionalisation of addiction treatment in the US, treatment got disconnected from the larger more enduring process of long-term recovery.

He points out that we are recycling large numbers of people through repeated episodes of treatment. Their problems are so severe and recovery capital so low, there is little hope that brief episodes of treatment will be successful. We end up blaming them for failing to overcome their problems.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: addiction, advocacy, long-term recovery, professionalisation, research, treatment, William White

‘Defining Normal: How Psychiatry Has Lost Its Way’ by Dale Archer

January 17, 2014 by David Clark

I feel very strongly that we are pathologising and over-medicating too much in society. [This statement comes from someone who previously spent 25 years working as a neuroscientist focused on psychiatric and neurological disorders] So I was pleased to see the following article in Psychology Today.

‘One day when I was in the fifth grade, we had a substitute teacher, and I could see upon her arrival that she was shy and demure. I immediately set about crafting a series of experiments to test her limits.

My most creative tactic was the repetitive zinging of spitballs and rubber bands at other kids while she wrote on the blackboard. With every shot, my classmates squealed with delight, but she maintained her calm demeanor. So I upped the ante and brought in air support with a deftly crafted paper Messerschmitt.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: ADHD, labels, mental health, OCD, over-medication, pathologising, poker

‘Heroin Addiction, a Mother’s Story’ by Kim

January 16, 2014 by David Clark

It’s time I put up another blog from Veronica Valli and the following from Kim is special… and very moving.

‘Addiction doesn’t just affect the person using drugs it affects the whole family. I know because I lived through my daughter Kayela’s addiction to heroin.

We raise our children and its hard work, changing diapers and heating formula and lining up daycare, the first day of school and homework we don’t understand.

We care for them until they are ready to go off in the world and we can only hope that we did the right thing, made all the right choices.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: daughter, heroin addiction, loss, overdose, prison, witness

‘Setting the Intention to Heal: The Starting Point of Mental Health Recovery’ by Douglas Bloch

January 15, 2014 by David Clark

Some very helpful reflections from Douglas Bloch, who blogs on Mad in America.

‘“The readiness is all.” William Shakespeare

In my work facilitating depression support groups, I have discovered three essential factors to healing from depression, which I call ”the three pillars of mental health recovery.” In my earlier blogs for Mad in America I wrote about two of these pillars – connecting with community and using a holistic approach to treat symptoms. Now I would like to present the first and MOST IMPORTANT pillar – Setting the Intention to Heal.

I define setting the intention to heal as “making the decision that you want to get well, even if you don’t know how.” Setting the intention to heal does not require that a person know the exact path that will heal him from a major depression or other mental health disorder. It just requires that he or she wants be well.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: commitment, healing, intention, mental health, recovery, relationships, vision, wellness

Don’t Quit

January 15, 2014 by David Clark

Mike Scott sent me a link to this inspirational poem and video.

Don’t Quit
When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow
You may succeed with another blow.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: inspiration, life, poem, success

Recommended Film: ‘Hancock and Joan’

January 15, 2014 by David Clark

Mike of Mike’s Tunes and Michael’s Story has highly recommended this film about the British comic genius Tony Hancock, who suffered from serious alcohol problems. The film was shown on BBC4 in the UK and is available in six parts on YouTube. This is what the BBC had to say:

‘Starring Ken Stott (Rebus, Messiah) as troubled comic genius Tony Hancock and Maxine Peake (Cinderella, Shameless) as Joan, Hancock and Joan charts the final year of his life.

Only months after her marriage to Dad’s Army favourite John Le Mesurier, Joan Le Mesurier fell in love with his best friend, the godfather of British sitcom, Tony Hancock. Tony was fresh out of rehab and desperate to resurrect his career with the offer of a new series in Australia.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: BBC, comedian, depression, feature length film, love affair, suicide, tony hancock

Recommended Website: Greater Good – The Science of a Meaningful Life

January 14, 2014 by David Clark

The Greater Good website from the University of California, Berkeley is definitely worth a look. I’ll be highlighting various content from this website over the coming months. Here is what they say in the About Us section:

‘The Greater Good Science Center studies the psychology, sociology, and neuroscience of well-being, and teaches skills that foster a thriving, resilient, and compassionate society.

Based at the University of California, Berkeley, the GGSC is unique in its commitment to both science and practice: not only do we sponsor groundbreaking scientific research into social and emotional well-being, we help people apply this research to their personal and professional lives. Since 2001, we have been at the fore of a new scientific movement to explore the roots of happy and compassionate individuals, strong social bonds, and altruistic behavior – the science of a meaningful life. And we have been without peer in our award-winning efforts to translate and disseminate this science to the public.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: compassion, emotional wellbeing, empathy, greater good, insights, meaningful life, mindfulness, science

‘The crisis of modernity’ by Phil Hanlon

January 14, 2014 by David Clark

Recently, I introduced you to Professor Philip Hanlon. Mark Gilman had told me about Phil and his work and I am excited by what he and his colleagues are doing. Over the coming weeks, I’m going to show a series of film clips which describe Phil’s Afternow project.

On the relevant webpage, Phil says:

‘Modernity has brought many benefits (including technological improvements, material comfort, longer life expectancy and improved health), but the downside includes the emergence of new problems which stem from the way we live our lives and structure our society.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: addiction, afternow, consumerism, health, modernity, phil hanlon, society, wellbeing

Many Faces1Voice: Phil Valentine

January 14, 2014 by David Clark

“I don’t think we’re all that good at handling relapse. We talk about it like, ‘The person wasn’t ready, you know, or it was their fault. And maybe there is some truth to that. But how often does the recovery community, or providers or the system rally behind someone that’s relapsed.

And the native Americans taught me something on their thing, that they, if you truly believe that addiction is a force of darkness or a force of evil or whatever you want to call it, and you’re fighting a battle and once you’re in the light you’re finally fighting a battle against this darkness. Then, in a sense, we’re warriors, aren’t we? Are we? We’re on this side of light, we can be warriors.

You know what this two-word programme is that the native Americans have? Warrior… Down. Do you leave a warrior on the battlefield?” Check out Phil Valentine on Vimeo

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: CCAR, march, native americans, Phil Valentine, recovery, relapse, treatment, warrior down

‘My Truth – On Relapse, Recovery and Getting Out of My Own Way’ by Ellie Schoenberger

January 13, 2014 by David Clark

Those of you who read my last blog, focusing on her interview by Courtney Webster, will know what I feel about Ellie Schoenberger. Here is Ellie’s latest addition to her One Crafty Mother blog:

For many, if not most, of the people in my day-to-day life I am the only alcoholic – at least self-admitted alcoholic – they know.

Or, perhaps more accurately, I am the only alcoholic in recovery they know. Over half the population in the United States has been directly or indirectly impacted by addiction, and many people are familiar only with the ugly, destructive face of alcoholism; the one that rips apart families, destroys childhoods and brings so much sorrow and fear.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: cancer, ellie schoenberger, one crafty mother, recovery, self-care, shame, stigma, surrender