By RON PROSKY ron-
THIS PAST SATURDAY WAS THE FIRST annual Los Angeles Recovery Summit at LMU. I was originally drawn to go because the word on the streets was they were serving BBQ mutton sandwiches for lunch. “Ain’t not’n like mutton,” I always say!
That aside, this gathering was to be a very important cross-section of recovery professionals serving our communities. It’s a broad world within itself encompassing the services of psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, addiction counselors, sober coaches, marriage/family counselors, grief specialists (notice, I listed marriage and grief one after the other) and so many more. The spectrum of recovery far exceeds the scope of what most people think it to be, and with various different methodologies, they each share the same common goal — sobriety.
For all you normal over-achievers who never had the pleasure of abusing drugs or alcohol, the term “sobriety” can be applied not just to alcohol, but to drugs and other addictions as well. It’s not about the term or poison-of-choice, it’s about the underlying multi-faceted malady that perpetuates this destructive lifestyle.
The struggles of alcoholism and addiction is said to impact the lives of approximately 60 percent to 70 percent of the public, either from personal experiences or by association through family, friends, coworkers, etc. Everyone is affected, not just the individual. Consequently, many perceive such people to be ignorant, lazy or as without having a set of morals and ethics that would otherwise prevent them from such destructive behaviors.
This isn’t so, quite the contrary. These folks are among the most intelligent, charismatic and loving group of people among us. Once sober, their positive qualities typically shine, but of course, every garden has a few weeds in it.
Volumes have been written on the world of alcoholism and addiction. This is the only disease known to man that centers in the brain and will, literally, tell the sufferer that he or she does not have a disease, thereby encouraging continued abuse. It’s a mental malady. It’s a physical malady. It’s a spiritual malady. Anyone who says otherwise is either wrong, drunk or the messiah.
No wonder it takes a monumental assembly of specialists to counter the colossal powers of this disease, it strikes from all angles. And here’s the worst part, people don’t get blamed or in trouble when they have cancer, autism or diabetes, but not so with addiction. Families are turned upside down, jobs lost, divorces, legal troubles, financial issues, death, illness and so on, hence the need for so many various specialists in this field, both in the physical and emotional sense.
This summit was a true force in collaborative thought-sharing on all fronts. So many theories exist on this topic, and the purpose of such a gathering is to broaden the scope of applied knowledge into the dark abyss of alcoholism and addiction. People, I speak from personal experience when I say “getting sober and remaining sober is far and away the single greatest battle of my life!” Those of you who have read my past commentaries know quite well that I cherish the opportunity to write on life’s funnier moments and extract humor from even the sickest scenarios, but this is a life and death matter for millions of people around the world.
So why do I choose to write about this? For understanding, not sympathy. Awareness is the key. The words “just say no” might as well be “just say no, well... OK, but just this one time.” There is no equation, no absolute standard, no concrete format; each person is unique and has their own set of variations. Everything has to be taken into account, regardless of the scenario. Recovery specialists follow formats and guidelines, but nothing is absolute or close to it.
This year’s summit was a success in that people’s base of knowledge grew and new associations were made, and all for one common goal — sobriety.
If you are an alcoholic, addict, gambler, food junkie or whatever, there is help waiting. Southern California is the Mecca for recovery, and if you need it, you will find it right here.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 19, 2007. Read the original PDF.