Comments on: The power to create and move beyond addiction http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/ Solving the problem of addiction Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:41:49 -0800 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: KH http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-995 KH Wed, 08 Dec 2010 10:26:49 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-995 I only read a portion of this book, but plan to read the rest in the near future. I really enjoyed the way the authors take on society and happiness. There is such high emphasis placed on the importance of money in our society. As someone that grew up in a household where both parents worked full time jobs and still barely scraped by, we often talked about how much better life would be if we did not have to worry about money. Now I can look back on those times and see that what was really important - our relationships, were fully intact. Money had nothing to do with it. I only read a portion of this book, but plan to read the rest in the near future. I really enjoyed the way the authors take on society and happiness. There is such high emphasis placed on the importance of money in our society. As someone that grew up in a household where both parents worked full time jobs and still barely scraped by, we often talked about how much better life would be if we did not have to worry about money. Now I can look back on those times and see that what was really important – our relationships, were fully intact. Money had nothing to do with it.

]]> By: Marie http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-939 Marie Wed, 24 Nov 2010 04:56:49 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-939 I whole hardheartedly agree that the key to helping move away from addictions is creating a new life and new meaning in that life. In order to do this connections and nurturing relationships are the most important aspect. A friend of mine recently lost his recovery. He had been living across town from most of his support group. He lived with a roommate that was rarely home due to multiple jobs this person had. The roommate tried to help my friend out by telling and showing him how he was staring to drink too much again and even helped out with budgeting his money but without the being surrounded by people constantly this friend dove right back into his drinking and gambling addictions. He needs someone around him 100% of the day to show him they care and to have someone to hold him accountable. I have also worked with clients that have been through some very trying times recently such as the death of their infant daughter but because this client had built a relationship up with family again they gave support that was needed and the client stayed sober. The power of connection is a beautiful thing. I whole hardheartedly agree that the key to helping move away from addictions is creating a new life and new meaning in that life. In order to do this connections and nurturing relationships are the most important aspect. A friend of mine recently lost his recovery. He had been living across town from most of his support group. He lived with a roommate that was rarely home due to multiple jobs this person had. The roommate tried to help my friend out by telling and showing him how he was staring to drink too much again and even helped out with budgeting his money but without the being surrounded by people constantly this friend dove right back into his drinking and gambling addictions. He needs someone around him 100% of the day to show him they care and to have someone to hold him accountable. I have also worked with clients that have been through some very trying times recently such as the death of their infant daughter but because this client had built a relationship up with family again they gave support that was needed and the client stayed sober. The power of connection is a beautiful thing.

]]> By: aine http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-902 aine Fri, 05 Nov 2010 23:43:40 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-902 I am of two minds on this book Me to We. On the one hand, there general concept that human beings function better and live full lives when they are connected to their communities and each other through giving and care is a powerful one. Like you point out here in this post, happiness requires building a life worth living and engaging in positive intimate relationships based on mindfulness and mutuality. The way the authors painstakingly document these beliefs across world religions and in Western intellectual/philosophical histories, though overstated with regard to the latter, also help ground the concept of helping oneself by helping others. On the other, from a post-colonial perspective, the authors continue to reify certain key differences that are often referred to as "poverty porn", ie the idea of rich or affluent people, primarily from the West, going to poor people's neighborhoods or villages, primarily in the purposefully under-developed East and Global South, to find meaning. In this model, Western elightenment does not include Global Southern empowerment or even inclusion, but rather the people from the latter act as a collective and exploitable resource through which the West reifies its superiority even as it distances itself from the usual western-religio-capitalist world views that underpin it. Put more simply, the authors assume a white middle class audience (especially the fundamental assumption that "we" all come from individualistic cultures and that community-based cultures are without pitfalls) whose enlightenment is not only based in a white upper class intellectual tradition (though a global spiritual one) and mobility (while travel is a possibility for many, people who live in subsistence do not have the luxury of the kind of travel put forward in this text nor do some cultures in the Global South consider physical travel a necessary path to enlightenment or connectivity), but for whom salvation comes through excursions to the rich cultures of nameless, faceless, Others who fade back into the background when these excursions have served their purpose. How does the "we" in this model then create revolutionary praxis that connects all of us in the struggle for humanity, inclusion, love, acceptance, etc.? How does this "we" decenter middle class normativity that causes those outside of it to strive for and often be excluded from class mobility that can act as a trigger for addictive behaviors? How does this "we" challenge certain divisions and inequalities that are necessary for the very global capitalist model it argues against? For me, this middle class normativity, and its connection to racial blinders, has been a long standing barrier to cultural competence in this kind of enlightenment literature. A few years ago, I had this discussion with another author writing from a Catholic Liberation Theology perspective in which he began his story by saying "we all turn away from poverty even as we claim to dismantle it" and then filled the next few pages of his introduction with a discussion of how "we" pathologize the "third world" when what "we" really need is to learn from it. I asked him how this "we" that was so essential to his thesis of inclusion, connection, and cooperation reflected the lived experience of the poor and the citizens and non-citizens of the Global South. He made the distinction between his assumed audience "the West" and the people he thought were doing it better. By describing "the rest" as "doing it better" he assumed, as much of this literature does, that creating an "us" that does requires a "them" was an acceptable starting point for a text that was suppose to be proposing global community. The more we talked about poverty in the U.S., communities that are already based on interdependence, intergenerational, or community models over individuals, the more he had to look at the fundamental assumptions about race and class he had made in a text whose overall purpose was to be culturally sensitive and to champion connectivity and collective culture. It is a conversation I have also had with the authors of this book related to their necessary work with children rights around the globe. Some times these conversations are fruitful in that we challenge each other to confront our stuff, decolonize our minds and our praxis, and to begin to envision spreading the important message of connection and growth in culturally competent ways. Some times, it is unproductive as people stick to the idea that certain beliefs, actions, and outcomes are universal, or simply modify the model to include the enlightenment that "we" can gain from touristing impoversihed communities in the U.S. as well, as if this is any more inclusive. These objections aside, and they are strong and supported by a long post-colonial literature on enlightenment, cultural appropriation, "first world thinkers vs third world raw material". and "touristing", I don't mean to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The overall points about connection that you make in your post and they make in the book are essential ones. Not only are they found in world spirituality traditions, but also intellectual and philosophical traditions across the globe. Instead, I am asking for some introspection and cultural competence on the part of those writing this particular brand of literature so that the message can and does reach everyone impacted and that the social justice shift actually creates social justice for those whom we are told to consult and that they are equal subjects, rather than unequal objects (whether nameless/faceless, archetypes, or "heroes"), in the process. What moved me most about this book was actually what one of the people in our class shared last night about addiction as me centered and the need for people caught in addiction to reframe their worlds outward, to make connections, form mutuality, and feel invested in "we" but also part of a "we". This to me was the most moving moment of the class discussion and helped point to the real import of the book underneath its many slippages and blind spots. For that, I am especially grateful that we read this book despite its issues. I am of two minds on this book Me to We. On the one hand, there general concept that human beings function better and live full lives when they are connected to their communities and each other through giving and care is a powerful one. Like you point out here in this post, happiness requires building a life worth living and engaging in positive intimate relationships based on mindfulness and mutuality. The way the authors painstakingly document these beliefs across world religions and in Western intellectual/philosophical histories, though overstated with regard to the latter, also help ground the concept of helping oneself by helping others. On the other, from a post-colonial perspective, the authors continue to reify certain key differences that are often referred to as “poverty porn”, ie the idea of rich or affluent people, primarily from the West, going to poor people’s neighborhoods or villages, primarily in the purposefully under-developed East and Global South, to find meaning. In this model, Western elightenment does not include Global Southern empowerment or even inclusion, but rather the people from the latter act as a collective and exploitable resource through which the West reifies its superiority even as it distances itself from the usual western-religio-capitalist world views that underpin it. Put more simply, the authors assume a white middle class audience (especially the fundamental assumption that “we” all come from individualistic cultures and that community-based cultures are without pitfalls) whose enlightenment is not only based in a white upper class intellectual tradition (though a global spiritual one) and mobility (while travel is a possibility for many, people who live in subsistence do not have the luxury of the kind of travel put forward in this text nor do some cultures in the Global South consider physical travel a necessary path to enlightenment or connectivity), but for whom salvation comes through excursions to the rich cultures of nameless, faceless, Others who fade back into the background when these excursions have served their purpose. How does the “we” in this model then create revolutionary praxis that connects all of us in the struggle for humanity, inclusion, love, acceptance, etc.? How does this “we” decenter middle class normativity that causes those outside of it to strive for and often be excluded from class mobility that can act as a trigger for addictive behaviors? How does this “we” challenge certain divisions and inequalities that are necessary for the very global capitalist model it argues against?

For me, this middle class normativity, and its connection to racial blinders, has been a long standing barrier to cultural competence in this kind of enlightenment literature. A few years ago, I had this discussion with another author writing from a Catholic Liberation Theology perspective in which he began his story by saying “we all turn away from poverty even as we claim to dismantle it” and then filled the next few pages of his introduction with a discussion of how “we” pathologize the “third world” when what “we” really need is to learn from it. I asked him how this “we” that was so essential to his thesis of inclusion, connection, and cooperation reflected the lived experience of the poor and the citizens and non-citizens of the Global South. He made the distinction between his assumed audience “the West” and the people he thought were doing it better. By describing “the rest” as “doing it better” he assumed, as much of this literature does, that creating an “us” that does requires a “them” was an acceptable starting point for a text that was suppose to be proposing global community. The more we talked about poverty in the U.S., communities that are already based on interdependence, intergenerational, or community models over individuals, the more he had to look at the fundamental assumptions about race and class he had made in a text whose overall purpose was to be culturally sensitive and to champion connectivity and collective culture. It is a conversation I have also had with the authors of this book related to their necessary work with children rights around the globe. Some times these conversations are fruitful in that we challenge each other to confront our stuff, decolonize our minds and our praxis, and to begin to envision spreading the important message of connection and growth in culturally competent ways. Some times, it is unproductive as people stick to the idea that certain beliefs, actions, and outcomes are universal, or simply modify the model to include the enlightenment that “we” can gain from touristing impoversihed communities in the U.S. as well, as if this is any more inclusive.

These objections aside, and they are strong and supported by a long post-colonial literature on enlightenment, cultural appropriation, “first world thinkers vs third world raw material”. and “touristing”, I don’t mean to throw the baby out with the bathwater. The overall points about connection that you make in your post and they make in the book are essential ones. Not only are they found in world spirituality traditions, but also intellectual and philosophical traditions across the globe. Instead, I am asking for some introspection and cultural competence on the part of those writing this particular brand of literature so that the message can and does reach everyone impacted and that the social justice shift actually creates social justice for those whom we are told to consult and that they are equal subjects, rather than unequal objects (whether nameless/faceless, archetypes, or “heroes”), in the process.

What moved me most about this book was actually what one of the people in our class shared last night about addiction as me centered and the need for people caught in addiction to reframe their worlds outward, to make connections, form mutuality, and feel invested in “we” but also part of a “we”. This to me was the most moving moment of the class discussion and helped point to the real import of the book underneath its many slippages and blind spots. For that, I am especially grateful that we read this book despite its issues.

]]> By: Haley Weiner http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-452 Haley Weiner Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:17:10 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-452 I agree that helping others is the way to experience what is truly rewarding in this life, which is not the idea that our society is based on. One mention of helping each other, whether it be through collective funding of social services (which to an extent we do anyway) or through the government providing a public option for health insurance companies, and all of the sudden, we’re inching towards socialism! Many of us can’t imagine how badly capitalism is broken, but we can be honest when admitting that our cultural ethos often keeps us from really reaching out and caring for each other. We’ve been brainwashed into thinking that we’re al teetering on the brink of survival (what with the economic collapse) and that we simply don’t have time to do altruistic work, as many of us are already spread so thin. We have to look beyond what advertisers are urging us to do and figure out ways to reach out in a world where we seem to be getting more and more isolated. I agree that helping others is the way to experience what is truly rewarding in this life, which is not the idea that our society is based on. One mention of helping each other, whether it be through collective funding of social services (which to an extent we do anyway) or through the government providing a public option for health insurance companies, and all of the sudden, we’re inching towards socialism! Many of us can’t imagine how badly capitalism is broken, but we can be honest when admitting that our cultural ethos often keeps us from really reaching out and caring for each other. We’ve been brainwashed into thinking that we’re al teetering on the brink of survival (what with the economic collapse) and that we simply don’t have time to do altruistic work, as many of us are already spread so thin. We have to look beyond what advertisers are urging us to do and figure out ways to reach out in a world where we seem to be getting more and more isolated.

]]> By: Kevin Govro http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-437 Kevin Govro Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:38:16 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-437 I was struck by the portion of Me to We when they were at the world-class ski resort, on break from the conference, and very few people were taking the time to enjoy themselves. Here were all of these people at a beautiful resort and most of the people were consumed with their work on their day off. I think this is a great example of how people get consumed with the pursuit of material gain and don’t make the time for the things that can create a happy, sustainable lifestyle. I was struck by the portion of Me to We when they were at the world-class ski resort, on break from the conference, and very few people were taking the time to enjoy themselves. Here were all of these people at a beautiful resort and most of the people were consumed with their work on their day off. I think this is a great example of how people get consumed with the pursuit of material gain and don’t make the time for the things that can create a happy, sustainable lifestyle.

]]> By: Troy S http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-426 Troy S Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:15:51 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-426 Reading Me to We reminded me of my interest in pursuing meaningful experiences rather than to perpetually blindly succumb to the materialistic messages so prevalent in our society. During my stint as a mechanical engineer, I experienced the lack of satisfaction from earning a solid income but feeling that my career was lacking meaning and fulfillment. However, as time has passed since I've left the field of engineering, and as I've started my journey into counseling, there have been moments when I've reconsidered pursuing a career that would provide considerable status and financial compensation, as I feel I am capable. Reading from Me to We recalled my resolve to commit myself to a counseling career that fits my values. More important than high status or loads of money is finding meaning in my vocation. Dedicating part of one's life to something larger than oneself can be a source of strength, which is even more critical when facing the challenge of recovering from addiction. This pursuit of meaning can also be considered in terms of happiness. Becoming involved in selfless activities has the ability to elevate our happiness above theoretical set points. For those recovering from addiction, it is critical to rediscover things that will provide joy to ensure that the life without drugs does not remain drab and unappealing to the chemically addicted brain. Reading Me to We reminded me of my interest in pursuing meaningful experiences rather than to perpetually blindly succumb to the materialistic messages so prevalent in our society. During my stint as a mechanical engineer, I experienced the lack of satisfaction from earning a solid income but feeling that my career was lacking meaning and fulfillment. However, as time has passed since I’ve left the field of engineering, and as I’ve started my journey into counseling, there have been moments when I’ve reconsidered pursuing a career that would provide considerable status and financial compensation, as I feel I am capable. Reading from Me to We recalled my resolve to commit myself to a counseling career that fits my values. More important than high status or loads of money is finding meaning in my vocation. Dedicating part of one’s life to something larger than oneself can be a source of strength, which is even more critical when facing the challenge of recovering from addiction.

This pursuit of meaning can also be considered in terms of happiness. Becoming involved in selfless activities has the ability to elevate our happiness above theoretical set points. For those recovering from addiction, it is critical to rediscover things that will provide joy to ensure that the life without drugs does not remain drab and unappealing to the chemically addicted brain.

]]> By: Dan J http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-404 Dan J Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:37:43 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-404 To respond to abejaran’s question: I don’t have any experience working directly with addiction treatment but I do have some experience working with street youth, many of were currently using. I have worked in homeless youth art groups, theater groups, gender-safety groups and more. The goal of these groups was NOT to prevent youth from using, but to give them a safe and engaging alternative. Often youth would be in the program for about two years before they would say, “Hey, I think I want to stop using. Can you help me get into rehab housing?” For me it helps to keep in mind that a lot of users have very little to look forward to outside of their addiction. Giving them something more can be the first step in a very slow process of recovery. About We to Me: I think the book is really geared towards middle and upper class people. I think that there is a way for poor people to “move from me to we” but when you are a single mom working two jobs it is harder to provide a time-out for new parents, plan a reunion, or celebrate motherhood around the world. That said, the book held some great reminders for me. The author’s write about their friends who were happier living cheaply in college than they were after they “made it”. I am still far from having my dream job, but in a lot of ways I am better off than I was in college. I worked full time and went to school full time while sharing a two-bedroom apartment with four other men. Now I have a lot more and I feel a sense of accomplishment in what I have earned. I am happy that I have more, and my belongings do bring me comfort and joy, but part of that is knowing that I earned these things. Another part of it is knowing all of these things can be wiped out in a minute, so I should appreciate what I have. At the same time I notice that when I go without I no longer feel content. In college I never got to go out for a drink with friends; I just could not afford it. Now I may go out with friends a couple of times a week. If I run out of spending money and friends invite me out, I feel frustrated that I don’t have as much money as I would like, instead of feeling grateful for the fact that I was able to go out a lot more than I could a few years ago. While I am appreciate what I do have, it is hard for me to remember what it is like to appreciate having less. Me to We did a good job reminding me of that. To respond to abejaran’s question:
I don’t have any experience working directly with addiction treatment but I do have some experience working with street youth, many of were currently using. I have worked in homeless youth art groups, theater groups, gender-safety groups and more. The goal of these groups was NOT to prevent youth from using, but to give them a safe and engaging alternative. Often youth would be in the program for about two years before they would say, “Hey, I think I want to stop using. Can you help me get into rehab housing?”
For me it helps to keep in mind that a lot of users have very little to look forward to outside of their addiction. Giving them something more can be the first step in a very slow process of recovery.

About We to Me:
I think the book is really geared towards middle and upper class people. I think that there is a way for poor people to “move from me to we” but when you are a single mom working two jobs it is harder to provide a time-out for new parents, plan a reunion, or celebrate motherhood around the world.
That said, the book held some great reminders for me. The author’s write about their friends who were happier living cheaply in college than they were after they “made it”. I am still far from having my dream job, but in a lot of ways I am better off than I was in college. I worked full time and went to school full time while sharing a two-bedroom apartment with four other men.
Now I have a lot more and I feel a sense of accomplishment in what I have earned. I am happy that I have more, and my belongings do bring me comfort and joy, but part of that is knowing that I earned these things. Another part of it is knowing all of these things can be wiped out in a minute, so I should appreciate what I have.
At the same time I notice that when I go without I no longer feel content. In college I never got to go out for a drink with friends; I just could not afford it. Now I may go out with friends a couple of times a week. If I run out of spending money and friends invite me out, I feel frustrated that I don’t have as much money as I would like, instead of feeling grateful for the fact that I was able to go out a lot more than I could a few years ago. While I am appreciate what I do have, it is hard for me to remember what it is like to appreciate having less. Me to We did a good job reminding me of that.

]]> By: MRW http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-398 MRW Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:43:11 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-398 I just read most of the Me to We book and was very pleased and happy that it was recommended. Why do we Riot, but we cannot Minga? The book was a real eye opener, not that I don't already know how I am too busy for my relationships, friends, and family, but an eye opener that when i can change my priorities I should include the community outside of my home. The authors emphasize a lot how we have become & why were so me, myself, & I and were too busy to take the time out for others. Yet, how difficult is it to build relationships w/someone, at the most it starts w/a hello, but in our society now it seems that that welcome is questioned. What do you mean, want, need when you say "hello." Were in it for ourselves, survival of the fittest? So how do we change that? Better yet how can we turn it to help those w/addictions? Certainly working in the area of addictions there is a lot to be done, but just w/those not working in the field...build that relationship, have and understanding and be patient. I just read most of the Me to We book and was very pleased and happy that it was recommended. Why do we Riot, but we cannot Minga? The book was a real eye opener, not that I don’t already know how I am too busy for my relationships, friends, and family, but an eye opener that when i can change my priorities I should include the community outside of my home. The authors emphasize a lot how we have become & why were so me, myself, & I and were too busy to take the time out for others. Yet, how difficult is it to build relationships w/someone, at the most it starts w/a hello, but in our society now it seems that that welcome is questioned. What do you mean, want, need when you say “hello.” Were in it for ourselves, survival of the fittest? So how do we change that? Better yet how can we turn it to help those w/addictions? Certainly working in the area of addictions there is a lot to be done, but just w/those not working in the field…build that relationship, have and understanding and be patient.

]]> By: Nikki http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-395 Nikki Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:16:38 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-395 Long-term addiction treatment should include helping people learn what to create in their lives. We are all complex, layered creatures with so many features that make us who we are. When asked, “what do you do?” we often list our careers, or means of making a living as the answer; however, there are too many personal characteristics to list. Discovering who we are can really be a lifelong journey, one that requires self-exploration on many levels. Adopting the Me to We philosophy is not only a meaningful contribution to mankind, but also an excellent, rewarding way to explore and embellish our personal identities. The joy of helping, sharing, and contributing to a greater good can exert adrenaline rushes comparable to the highs from substances; thus, being an excellent prescription for a recovering addict. Also, the immense profundity of community and support can boost our self-efficacy, sense of hope, and overall happiness. Sir Ken Robinson so eloquently spoke of how modern educational systems are killing creativity, and it made me think of how many people are not finding their creative, expressive voice. Many people are then ignoring parts of themselves that could provide happiness and therapy for daily life struggles. As counselors, through empathy, encouragement and support we can help people see themselves beyond their jails of addiction. We can help people rediscover the joys of relationships, productivity, creativity, and hope. Creating new activities and involvement will create new relationships, and in turn create a new sense of meaning. Long-term addiction treatment should include helping people learn what to create in their lives. We are all complex, layered creatures with so many features that make us who we are. When asked, “what do you do?” we often list our careers, or means of making a living as the answer; however, there are too many personal characteristics to list. Discovering who we are can really be a lifelong journey, one that requires self-exploration on many levels. Adopting the Me to We philosophy is not only a meaningful contribution to mankind, but also an excellent, rewarding way to explore and embellish our personal identities. The joy of helping, sharing, and contributing to a greater good can exert adrenaline rushes comparable to the highs from substances; thus, being an excellent prescription for a recovering addict. Also, the immense profundity of community and support can boost our self-efficacy, sense of hope, and overall happiness.
Sir Ken Robinson so eloquently spoke of how modern educational systems are killing creativity, and it made me think of how many people are not finding their creative, expressive voice. Many people are then ignoring parts of themselves that could provide happiness and therapy for daily life struggles. As counselors, through empathy, encouragement and support we can help people see themselves beyond their jails of addiction. We can help people rediscover the joys of relationships, productivity, creativity, and hope. Creating new activities and involvement will create new relationships, and in turn create a new sense of meaning.

]]> By: Stephanie http://addictionmanagement.org/2009/08/the-power-to-create-and-move-beyond-addiction/comment-page-1/#comment-391 Stephanie Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:52:24 +0000 http://addictionmanagement.org/?p=279#comment-391 Creating healthy relationships with people is absolutely paramount in recovering from an addiction. However, this can be difficult. The other people in an addict's life (family, friends, etc.) are most likely both angry and in pain. This can make it difficult when the addict tries to make amends. I feel like when an addict goes to treatment that their family should too. The addict is part of a family system and all parts of that system need help when dealing with addictions. When this happens, all of the members including the addict, will have had the opportunity to work through their pain and are far more ready to move forward to create the healthy relationships that the addict needs. Also, I love the idea of helping others to help yourselves. It is a great way to gain some perspective after living a life which is so self-serving, and it can help to create a feeling of purpose in one's life. Finally, I just wanted to say that I loved the presentation by Sir Ken Robinson. His message was important and I believe that creativity in all forms is an essential part of human existence. Creating healthy relationships with people is absolutely paramount in recovering from an addiction. However, this can be difficult. The other people in an addict’s life (family, friends, etc.) are most likely both angry and in pain. This can make it difficult when the addict tries to make amends. I feel like when an addict goes to treatment that their family should too. The addict is part of a family system and all parts of that system need help when dealing with addictions. When this happens, all of the members including the addict, will have had the opportunity to work through their pain and are far more ready to move forward to create the healthy relationships that the addict needs.

Also, I love the idea of helping others to help yourselves. It is a great way to gain some perspective after living a life which is so self-serving, and it can help to create a feeling of purpose in one’s life. Finally, I just wanted to say that I loved the presentation by Sir Ken Robinson. His message was important and I believe that creativity in all forms is an essential part of human existence.

]]>