Working the 12 Steps With a Little Help From Brain Science

By Lisa Frederiksen |

Millions struggling with addiction* have found their pathway to recovery through the 12 Steps — AA and NA, as examples. Millions of their loved ones have found their recovery from secondhand drinking | secondhand drugging (SHD)** through 12 Steps, as well — Al-Anon and Nar-Anon, as examples. But there are many more who report having a problem with the…

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AA – a Skeptic’s Guide to the 12-Steps of AA

By Guest Author |

AA – What is it really about? How does a person get involved? How can it help? For one person’s experiences and answers, please read the following guest post by A.J. Adams. ___________________ Hi everyone! I am A.J. Adams*, the author of Undrunk: A Skeptic’s Guide to AA.  Before I got to AA, I had…

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The Second Step – The Fork in My Road and My Final Wager

By Guest Author |

The following is a guest post by Tim Cheney, who has been in long-term recovery for over 30 years, and shares his thoughts on the second step of AA. Tim is the co-founder and managing partner of Chooper’s Guide, a web-based treatment and information resource for addiction, and owns and operates an apple orchard in…

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First Three Steps of NA | AA From a Science Perspective

By Lisa Frederiksen |

Sometimes re-framing the first three steps of NA | AA from a science perspective can help those in early sobriety who are seeking recovery through a 12 step program. It can help because they can better understand and appreciate why all of the dogged willpower and determination they’d exerted to control how much they drank…

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Mrs. Marty Mann – Helping Alcoholics

By Lisa Frederiksen |

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…

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