Advocacy for a Recovery Economy?

In the November issue of Renew Magazine there is a provocative article about advocacy and recovery. Steve Diogo interviews Christopher Kennedy Lawford. He writes: “To the recovery community, Lawford’s message is direct and simple: “Get out of your church basements and go do something.”

Here are a couple of other quotes from the article to think about:

“We need to know the science of addiction…and it doesn’t just apply to alcohol and drug addiction. We all know that addiction is a brain illness, and if someone has an alcohol issue they probably have a sex issue, probably have a gambling issue or an eating or shopping issue as well.”

“The American Cancer Society raises over a billion dollars each year to fight cancer. Cancer costs our nation one-third of what addiction costs, but you know how much we raise? Twenty million. That’s all you need to know. We need to get visible. We need to write checks. We need to create a recovery community. We need to create a recovery economy.”

This isn’t a brand new idea. Bill Wilson knew that recovery from alcoholism needed a public side and needed people who could put public words and faces to the issue. That’s why he was instrumental in creating The National Council on Alcoholism. There was AA—personal, anonymous and taking no position on outside issues, and The National Council that could educate, communicate and lobby.

But what do we do now? And how much does new technology and social media push this question? What do you think?

Are the Dead Anonymous?

Last week a friend died who was a member of a 12 step program. He was so scrupulous about his anonymity. He never broke it in any setting. Even if he knew that you were in a 12 step program, he kept mum. Even if someone hinted, suggested or dropped suggestive language into a conversation as we sometimes do…(you know, the “One day at a time”, or “Live and let live” slogans we might say fishing to see if another person says, “Oh, friend of Bill?”). Nope, not even then. He didn’t bite or wink or hint.

And now he has died and in meetings his full name is announced, his memorial service and obituary are referenced.

Do the dead have the right to their anonymity? Do we have the right to break it? I know this is tricky territory—friends are sad, grieving, wanting to show their caring. We know the rules of breaking anonymity outside of meetings, but what about in them?

What do you think?

Why is AA Anonymous?

Below is a link to yesterday’s New York Times article called “Challenging the Second A in AA”. It asks if anonymity is out of style or perhaps no longer needed. Famous recovering people are named and a bit of “in this day and age who needs anonymity?” My feeling is that the writer and some who comment miss the point—we are not anonymous because of stigma but rather to practice humility. But what do you think? Take a look at this article:



http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/fashion/08anon.html