Recommended Resources for the Journey Toward Recovery
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In the last few weeks, we have been writing about Oklahoma’s epidemic of addiction. Many people are now aware that addiction is the leading cause of unintended death for Oklahomans between the ages of 25 and 64, and that we are ranked worst in the country when it comes to available treatment options.
In 2016, approximately 200,000 people were treated by the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, but at any given time, nearly 600 Oklahomans are on a statewide waiting list for residential substance abuse treatment. Unfortunately, the state currently does not have the resources to treat everyone who needs help with addiction.
This month INTEGRIS broke ground to begin construction on a state-of-the-art addiction and mental illness treatment center in Edmond, Oklahoma. The INTEGRIS Arcadia Trails Center for Addiction Recovery, as it will be called, is scheduled to open in early 2019.
But if you are looking for help now, it's good to know that Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are free. If you need help, you can call their 24-hour hotline at (405) 524-1100, which is always staffed by a sober member of AA who can point you in the right direction.
There are also good media resources available for you or a loved one on the journey toward recovery. Sara Barry, a licensed behavioral counselor who works at INTEGRIS, has suggested some worthwhile books, apps and podcasts below.
Books
Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction by David Sheff
What had happened to my beautiful boy? To our family? What did I do wrong? Those are the wrenching questions that haunted every moment of David Sheff ’s journey through his son Nic’s addiction to drugs and tentative steps toward recovery. Beautiful Boy is a candid memoir that brings immediacy to the emotional rollercoaster of loving a child who seems beyond help.
Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines by Nic Sheff
This New York Times bestselling memoir of a young man’s addiction to methamphetamine tells a raw, harrowing, and ultimately hopeful tale of the road from relapse to recovery and complements his father’s parallel memoir, Beautiful Boy.
Drawing on extensive research, including visits to 15 addiction treatment programs and interviews with more than 200 clients and professionals in the field, trusted health and medical writer Anne Fletcher offers indispensable advice for people seeking quality care for themselves or a loved one.
Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs by Johann Hari
One hundred years ago drugs were first banned in the U.S. On the eve of this anniversary, journalist Johann Hari set off on an epic, multi-year journey into the war on drugs. What he found is that more and more people all over the world have begun to recognize three startling truths -- drugs are not what we think they are; addiction is not what we think it is; and the drug war has very different motives to the ones we have seen on our TV screens for so long.
Alcoholics Anonymous (also known as the Big Book in recovery circles) sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease.
Basic, essential information from Alcoholics Anonymous. Living Sober is an informative book which does not offer a plan for getting sober but does offer sound advice about how to stay sober.
Recovery Apps
Thanks to a wide range of apps that can be downloaded in a few seconds, you never have to be alone in your recovery. Mobile apps provide ongoing support, resources and tools. Though they are not a replacement for attending a support group or counseling session, these apps are effective at complementing your current recovery plan.
Quit That! is a simple app to track all of the habits you are trying to quit. Quit That! is easy to use, has a modern interface, and focuses on the ability to track as many things as you want. It’s the perfect recovery companion on your journey to improve your life.
Whether you're new to Alcoholics Anonymous, or you're a seasoned veteran, this is an easy and useful app to aid in your recovery. The free version features the full text of the Big Book, prayers, personal stories, podcasts, a meeting finder and more.
The original and most comprehensive sobriety tool available for members of Alcoholics Anonymous. With a Big Book reader, search tool, sobriety calculator, notes, AA contacts database and more. Members of AA will find this app very useful yet quite simple to use.
With a wide variety of options to suit all levels and types of meditators, The Mindfulness App is the perfect tool for anyone looking to improve mental health and overall well-being.
Developed by a Harvard educated licensed chemical dependency and certified alcoholism and drug counselor, this app is for recovering alcoholics and addicts and anyone who wants to stay clean and sober or free from a bad habit. If you get the urge to relapse, just touch this app and you will see a message to help you stop craving and deal with the specific issue that is causing your craving.
Sober Grid puts a free peer support network right in your pocket to aid you in your recovery.
Podcasts
Podcasts are online radio shows usually posted weekly or monthly. They provide a simple and often mobile way to listen to topics of interest. There is a thriving online community of recovery-themed podcasts for those who have been affected by addiction.
Dawn Farm Addiction and Recovery Education Series
The Dawn Farm Education Series is a free, annual workshop series developed to provide accurate, helpful, hopeful, practical and current information about chemical dependency, recovery, family and related issues; and to dispel the myths, misinformation, secrecy, shame and stigma that prevent chemically dependent individuals and their families from getting help and getting well.
This is like an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in your pocket, in a podcast where life is seen through a 12-step lens. It’s a show about people who have found a solution to their addiction problem.
Host Shane, who is a recovering alcoholic, interviews a mix of celebrity guests and everyday people who have experienced addiction or felt the impact of drug and/or alcohol use. He focuses on living a positive, healthy, and sober lifestyle, and uses his podcast as a platform for sharing inspiration for others who want to live the same way.
RecoveryPeople is a podcast that celebrates the culture of recovery from addiction (substance use or other addictions) and/or mental health issues. There are over 23 million people in recovery in the United States, and RecoveryPeople is produced by people in recovery for this large and growing recovery community, their family members and friends/allies. So, tune in, turn on and check it out because people in recovery have a lot of wise, inspiring, twisted and hilarious things to say.
Recovery Radio broadcasts live every Saturday but is also available for download online, so it can be listened to like a podcast. This weekly program focuses on addiction, treatment and recovery, and features a rotating panel of addiction and mental health experts with a variety of specialties.
The Bubble Hour is co-hosted by four sober women and presents stories, interviews and conversations designed to give listeners a sense of community and break down the stigmas associated with alcoholism and addiction. Their ultimate mission is to inform and educate, while encouraging people to seek help without feeling isolated or ashamed.
Here’s an idea. When you’re a closet alcoholic who’s quit drinking more times than you can count, start a podcast to hold yourself accountable as publicly as possible. Share your struggles, your triumphs, and every lesson you’re learning along the way. While you’re at it, invite others to share their stories of addiction and recovery so that you can learn from them and be reminded: YOU ARE NOT ALONE.