The Abyss
What remains when we find ourselves in the well of despair—when all is lost? We see no way out of the darkness, no glimmer of light to guide us.
Entries by Jeff Jay
A Quintessentially American Solution
Dr. Dupont said he had been working in the drug treatment field for twenty years before he really understood recovery. –This from Harvard-trained psychiatrist who did part of his residency at the National Institutes of Health. What could he possibly have meant by this statement?
Gratitude
Every fall I feel a renewed sense of gratitude for the people who helped me get sober. I wasn’t looking for help, so their job wasn’t easy. Fortunately, my resistance didn’t stop them from taking action—repeatedly. And for that, I am deeply grateful.
Recovery Wisdom for the Pandemic
Spiritual unmanageability grows out of physical and emotional unmanageability, and it is the most pernicious. Where is mercy? Where is love?
The Other Opioid Crisis
Dr. Michael Parr, M.D., a clinical interventionist with Love First, recently had major back surgery. Again. While healing, he found that no one would prescribe the needed pain medication. Dr. Parr is a chronic pain specialist and he is a Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. Here is the story of his ordeal in late 2018.
Conversion, Recovery and Relapse Prevention
What do addiction recovery and religious conversion have in common? How do the Twelve Steps help prevent relapse? What makes them so effective?
The Hero’s Journey
Joseph Campbell was an influential thinker, weaving together the stories of many cultures into a seamless narrative. His most famous book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, demonstrated that the travails of our individual lives and the teachings of the world’s great religions have a lot in common—namely struggle, divine help (usually disguised), and deliverance.
Addiction and Redemption: The Way Out
Here is a PDF of an article I wrote for Human Development magazine. The article begins on page 8. Addiction and Redemption, by Jeff Jay The article contains some material from my book, Navigating Grace. It also contains material on Steps 1–5. I hope you’ll pass it on. –Jeff
Debra Jay interviewed at the Women’s Symposium
The legendary Jerry McDonald of Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, interviewed Debra Jay about her book, “It Takes a Family.” Debra was presenting on the topic of Structured Family Recovery™ and the best methods to increase family involvement and improve treatment outcomes.
Inside Step One
I’m doing a new series of articles for Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation called “Inside the Twelve Steps.” The first article is now available online (free, of course). Inside Step One: http://www.hazeldenbettyford.org/articles/jay/inside-step-one Hope you enjoy it!
The Unexpected Gift
Imagine a young woman, about sixteen years old, living in a conservative religious community, and discovering she’s pregnant.
