Lots of misunderstanding about the words "higher power" could be cleared up for believers if they do a quick study on a good Concordance like the Poe Concordance and check out the following usages in the Big Book: "Creator," "Maker," "Father," "Spirit," "God" [over 400 times counting the capitalized pronouns and the foregoing descriptions taken from the Good Book], "Heavenly Father," and the statement that it means, of course, that we are going to talk about "God."

If you have made a decision that you might benefit from stopping drinking or using addictive substances, and are considering the 12 step programs as a potential solution to your problem, I must say from personal experience you are definitely barking up the right tree.

Addictions eventually catch up with you and change your life in such a way that you will have to face the fact that you need help.

If you pay attention to government surveys, you’ll learn that more than 20 million people suffer from addiction to alcohol or street drugs, or they are dependent on prescription drugs that they have been abusing. But a recent survey of American adults shows that the effects of addiction stretch much farther than this.

Sobriety is often thought of as abstinence from alcohol where the brain is not affected by the physical impairment caused by alcohol's detrimental effects on our judgment and reason.  It's used is almost always connected with drugs or alcohol, which is, in itself, a drug.

Intervention is a process utilized when all other options have been exhausted in an attempt to help an individual overcome a serious problem such as drug or Alcohol Abuse/addiction. An intervention is a deliberate process by which change is introduced into peoples' thoughts, feelings and behaviors. It usually involves an intervention specialist as well several people preparing themselves, approaching a person involved in some self-destructive behavior, and talking to the person in a clear and respectful way about the behavior in question. The immediate objective is for the person to listen and accept help.

It’s one of those “everybody knows” data: It’s the irresistible cravings that make drug or alcohol addiction so hard to beat. Cravings for addictive prescription drugs, illicit drugs or alcohol are so strong that addicts will feel like life itself is dependent on getting and consuming their addictive substance.

The statistics are frightening when it comes to recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Based on most available data, very few will manage to achieve continuous, long-term sobriety. While it certainly is possible, the odds are stacked against us. Many will struggle and fail to achieve this goal, so if you want to succeed, you need to have a firm grip on a few key principles that can propel you to success.

There are different types of treatment depending upon the severity and nature of the individual's Drug Addiction. In all cases though, detoxification is only the initial step towards recovery, and by itself does little to change long-term drug use. Detoxification safely manages the acute physical symptoms of withdrawal associated with stopping drug use. While detoxification alone is rarely sufficient to help addicts achieve long-term abstinence, for some individuals it is a strongly indicated precursor to effective Drug Addiction treatment.

Do you think you have a problem with drugs or alcohol? Are you concerned about a family member who has a problem like this? Whatever your situation, it's easy to believe that you're alone with this . . . that, somehow, you have to solve the problem all on your own. That is not the case. There are a lot of people who care about you - and who would like to help you if they can. You don't have to deal with Drug Addiction on your own!

What comes to your mind when you hear the word cult? Jim Jones Kool Aid? David Koresh? Charles Manson? The Texas Polygamist Compound? Maybe even Scientology. Do the words Alcoholic's Anonymous come to mind?