Young adults and adolescents who are prescribed opioids for the first time may be at a slightly greater risk of developing a substance-related problem later in life, according to a new study co-authored by Indiana University researchers. However, the risk may not be as high as previously thought.
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee.- Es una época de mucho trabajo para las granjas productoras de tomate en esta parte del estado. Estas plantaciones cuentan con cientos de trabajadores, la mayoría latinos. Algunos viven allí. Otros son migrantes que viajan de granja en granja, para recoger las cosechas de verano. Otros vienen de México o Centroamérica con visas agrícolas temporales.
Pero este año, la temporada se desarrolla con enormes preocupaciones por el coronavirus que afecta directamente a estos trabajadores agrícolas.
“Casi todas las fases del proceso de recolección de tomates deben ser consideradas a la luz de COVID-19”, dijo Ken Silver, profesor asociado de salud ambiental en la Universidad Estatal del Este de Tennessee, que estudia la salud de los trabajadores migrantes en las plantaciones de tomates del estado.
Los trabajadores viven en alojamientos cerrados, durmiendo en literas y compartiendo baños y cocinas. Viajan a los campos en autobuses abarrotados y a menudo trabajan en grupos. Y aunque los empleados de las granjas son considerados trabajadores esenciales, suelen no tener seguro médico o licencia paga por enfermedad.
Las granjas ya han informado de brotes entre cientos de trabajadores en estados como California, Washington, Florida y Michigan. Sin embargo, el gobierno federal no ha establecido ninguna normativa para proteger a los trabajadores agrícolas del coronavirus o para instruir a los empleadores sobre lo que deben hacer cuando sus se enferman.
Mientras que organizaciones de defensa de los trabajadores migrantes dicen que esto permite a las granjas aprovecharse de sus trabajadores y aumentar su riesgo de exposición al coronavirus, las granjas aseguran que están haciendo lo que pueden para proteger a los trabajadores con los recursos limitados que tienen, mientras no se deja de hacer el trabajo.
Lo cierto es que la situación no está clara, expresó Alexis Guild, director de políticas y programas de salud de Farmworker Justice.
La responsabilidad de las granjas
En junio, 10 de los 80 trabajadores temporales de Jones & Church Farms en el condado de Unicoi, Tennessee, dieron positivo para el coronavirus. Otra granja en ese condado tenía 38 trabajadores que también dieron positivo alrededor de la misma época.
“Esto fue lo más aterrador que pudo pasarnos”, dijo Renea Jones Rogers, directora de seguridad alimentaria de la granja.
A nivel nacional, ha habido al menos 3,600 casos de trabajadores agrícolas que han dado positivo para COVID-19, según los informes de los medios de comunicación reunidos por el Centro Nacional para la Salud de los Trabajadores Agrícolas.
A esto hay que añadir que tanto los empleadores como los trabajadores agrícolas reconocen que incluso las intervenciones más básicas para frenar la transmisión —el distanciamiento social y el uso de máscaras— a menudo no son factibles, al trabajar en altas temperaturas.
Saúl, de 52 años, es un trabajador agrícola temporal que ha viajado de México a Virginia todos los años desde 1996 para cosechar tabaco. En una entrevista por WhatsApp, dijo que las máscaras son incómodas en el trabajo porque estás al aire libre: “Es incómodo porque trabajamos a la intemperie”. (Kaiser Health News no publica el apellido de Saúl para que no sea identificado por su empleador).
Saúl dijo que le preocupa el coronavirus, pero como vive en su lugar de trabajo, en la granja, se siente seguro.
Cuando llegó a los Estados Unidos en abril, la granja le proporcionó información sobre la pandemia, máscaras y desinfectante de manos, explicó. Nadie le toma la temperatura, pero trabaja en un grupo de ocho personas, vive con tres trabajadores más y nadie en la granja ha sido diagnosticado con COVID-19.
En Tennessee, Jones & Church Farms puso en marcha su propio protocolo de seguridad para los trabajadores al comienzo de la temporada. Esto incluyó el aumento de la desinfección, la toma de lecturas diarias de temperatura y el mantenimiento de los trabajadores en grupos para que vivan y trabajen con las mismas personas.
Después que los 10 trabajadores dieron positivo para COVID-19, la granja los mantuvo a todos en la misma vivienda y lejos de los demás. Los que eran asintomáticos también siguieron trabajando en los campos, aunque alejados de los otros, señaló Jones Rogers.
Si bien el Departamento de Trabajo no ha ofrecido normas federales de seguridad ejecutables para COVID-19, sí colaboró con los Centros para el Control y Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) para elaborar un conjunto de pautas voluntarias y específicas para la agricultura. Esto se publicó en junio, pocos días después que Jones & Church notificara del brote en la granja.
Mucho de lo que ya se había hecho en Jones & Church, sin embargo, seguía esas recomendaciones, que también sugerían que los trabajadores fueran examinados todos los días para detectar los síntomas de COVID-19 y que a los que se enfermaran se les diera su propio espacio para recuperarse alejados de los demás.
Otras sugerencias de los CDC y el Departamento de Trabajo, orientadas más hacia las factorías de procesamiento de alimentos, como las plantas de empaque de tomates, incluían la instalación de mamparas plásticas si no es posible que haya una distancia de 6 pies entre los trabajadores, la instalación de estaciones de lavado de manos y la provisión de equipos de protección personal o cubiertas de tela para la cara.
Los activistas dicen que estas directrices son sólidas, en teoría. Su defecto más evidente es que son voluntarias.
“No creemos que la salud y la seguridad de los trabajadores deban dejarse a la buena voluntad de los empleadores”, señaló María Perales Sánchez, coordinadora de comunicaciones del Centro de Los Derechos del Migrante, una organización con oficinas en México y en los Estados Unidos.
Un vocero del Departamento de Trabajo ofreció una perspectiva diferente. “Los empleadores son y seguirán siendo responsables de proporcionar un lugar de trabajo libre de riesgos conocidos para la salud y la seguridad”, indicó, y añadió que los estándares de seguridad general preexistentes de la Administración de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional (OSHA) y las directrices de los CDC se utilizan para determinar las violaciones a la seguridad en el lugar de trabajo. La OSHA es una agencia del Departamento de Trabajo.
La industria agrícola ha expresado su temor ante cualquier aumento de la regulación federal.
“No creo que OSHA pueda implementar un tipo de regulación obligatoria que no ponga en desventaja a algunos agricultores”, apuntó Allison Crittenden, directora de relaciones con el Congreso de la American Farm Bureau Federation.
Las granjas ya han tomado muchas medidas contra COVID-19, añadió, “y si estas acciones se están llevando a cabo de forma voluntaria, no vemos la razón de imponer un requisito obligatorio”.
Dificultades para acceder a la atención médica
Los trabajadores agrícolas migrantes, a pesar de ocupar un eslabón esencial en la cadena de suministro de alimentos del país, a menudo no reciben prestaciones en el lugar de trabajo, como seguro médico o licencia de enfermedad remunerada.
Saúl, el trabajador agrícola del tabaco de Virginia, dijo que no creía tener ningún seguro médico. Si se enfermara, tendría que decírselo a su empleador, que luego tendría que llevarlo al médico. La ciudad más cercana a la granja está a 15 millas. ¿Quién es responsable de estos costos? ¿El trabajador o la granja? Depende de las circunstancias individuales.
Muchas granjas emplean principalmente trabajadores latinos, y los datos de los CDC ilustran que es mucho más probable que los latinos se infecten, deban hospitalizarse o mueran por complicaciones de COVID que los blancos no hispanos. Los expertos también advierten que debido a que la pandemia de COVID está afectando desproporcionadamente a las personas de minorías, podría ampliar las disparidades de salud preexistentes.
Además, buscar la atención de un médico puede resultar riesgoso para los trabajadores agrícolas migrantes. Los trabajadores indocumentados pueden temer ser detenidos por autoridades de Immigración mientras que los que tienen la residencia permanente (green card) les puede preocupar la “regla de la carga pública” que la administración Trump endureció.
Esta polémica “regla” tiene en cuenta el uso de los programas públicos, incluyendo la atención sanitaria, a la hora de una solicitud de ciudadanía. Sin embargo, el gobierno federal ha dicho que buscar tratamiento por COVID-19 no aplicaría para esa regla.
Y aunque el rastreo de contactos es importante para detener la propagación de COVID-19 entre los trabajadores agrícolas, muchos departamentos de salud no cuentan con traductores que puedan hablar español o lenguas indígenas centroamericanas, ni ha habido un rastreo sistemático a nivel nacional de los brotes de los trabajadores agrícolas hasta ahora, como se ha hecho con los brotes en las instalaciones de cuidados a largo plazo.
Por lo tanto, “es muy difícil saber cuántos trabajadores agrícolas específicamente están dando positivo,” expresó Guild, de Farmworker Justice.
Eso podría ser un problema para rastrear los brotes, especialmente cuando la temporada de cosecha aumenta para ciertos cultivos y las granjas incrementan su fuerza laboral.
A fines de julio, llegaron a Jones & Church Farms casi 90 trabajadores temporales adicionales para ayudar a cosechar tomates hasta octubre, apuntó Jones Rogers. Aunque los 10 trabajadores que tenían COVID-19 se han recuperado, dijo que teme que si más personas contraen la enfermedad, no habrá suficientes viviendas para mantener a los trabajadores enfermos aislados o suficientes trabajadores sanos para la cosecha.
“Los tomates no esperan a que todos se sientan bien para que se los recoja”, añadió Jones Rogers.
La reportera Carmen Heredia Rodríguez y Katie Saviano asistieron con traducción al español para esta historia.
Esta historia fue producida por Kaiser Health News, un programa editorial independiente de la Kaiser Family Foundation.
Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.
This story can be republished for free (details).
My answer to the question is no, and the purpose of this essay is to explain why I believe AA will remain saturated with religion. The claim that AA is not religious is delusional. Some may think delusional is a bit too harsh, but common usage of the word simply implies the harboring of a false belief or impression. Just how strong a grip does religion have on AA? Let’s start at the beginning.
AA was born as a religious entity. I make that statement without equivocation based on two sources: forty years of intensive AA involvement in N.E. Indiana and North Georgia, combined with Ernest Kurtz’s description of AA in his book, Not God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous. Kurtz studied the History of American Civilization at Harvard, and the book was his doctoral dissertation.
Not GodIn the chapter, The Context of Religious Ideas, he looks at AA from within the parameters of classical American religious ideas and reaches this conclusion: “…the fundamental impulse revealed by and lived out within Alcoholics Anonymous will be found to be that of a uniquely American expression of Evangelical Pietism.” (Not-God, p. 182) Let’s break that down. Evangelical – the Protestant belief in salvation by grace alone, through faith in an atonement delivered by Jesus’s atonement. (Wikipedia) Pietism – emphasis on individual piety, and living a vigorous Christian life. (Wikipedia) In that chapter Kurtz gives Wilson credit for his efforts to avoid religiosity, and acknowledges that AA defines itself as spiritual not religious, but his final judgment tells us that AA is ‘uniquely’ religious.
I have observed nothing in my forty years of AA attendance that would serve to refute Mr. Kurtz. One might not agree with the type of religion Kurtz assigns AA, but the 85 years of AA history clearly reveals a “lived out” religious impulse.
Why did that happen? Historians have documented the fact that there have been secular, atheist, agnostic influences within AA from its earliest days, but these alternatives haven’t gained enough traction to alter the course of AA, and presently there is nothing to indicate that we non-believers are anywhere near achieving the critical mass necessary to push official AA in our direction.
Some of the postings and replies on AA Agnostica made it abundantly clear that there is a lot of frustration, even some hostility, because of this apparent inertia on the part of AA. I’m part of the frustration, but I firmly believe that for me to think the God based orientation of autonomous AA meetings (which to many of us is in itself a manifestation of religion) will somehow disappear, would be as equally delusional as the claim that AA is not religious. AA Agnostica has posted some thoughtful arguments advocating change, but I think the problem is more complex than these hopeful reformers realize. Some aspects of human nature, combined with cultural influences, serve as powerful impediments to these frequently called for changes.
The God DelusionEven if AA was born as a uniquely religious entity, as asserted by Kurtz, that fails to explain why, given the fact that every AA group is autonomous, the religious factions have remained dominant. In his book, The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins offers some insights that may help to answer that question; answers heavily invested in the Darwinian theory of evolution. Dawkins is an internationally known evolutionary biologist and an equally known outspoken atheist. Here is a quote that forcefully describe his contempt for religion: “Though the details differ across the world, no known culture lacks some version of the time consuming, hostility provoking rituals, the anti-factual, counter-productive fantasies of religion.” (God Delusion, p. 166)
This atheist sees religion as useless, even destructive. How has it survived and become so pervasive? The simple fact that religion has survived, according to the Charles Darwin’s theory, is because it has contributed something to the survival of our species.
If we go back a few hundred thousand years what primitive trait might we find, that when genetically passed on, would make humans receptive to religion? Dawkins sorts through a wide array of possibilities, evaluates them all and settles on one. “My specific hypothesis is about children.” (God Delusion, p. 174) Throughout the millennia our species has survived on the cumulative experiences of previous generations and passed that information on to the next generation – our children. This serves to reduce fatal mistakes by the young. Kids need to know that snakes and alligators might be dangerous. More importantly, the continuation of this process over thousands of generations contributed to the evolutionary development of a newborn’s brain receptive to believe what is told to them by elders.
I find it impossible to argue with that principle of evolution because it is so apparent to all of us. Easter bunny, tooth fairy, Santa. For a few years they believe pretty much anything we tell them. The human brain is obviously receptive to information that enhances survival, an attribute that has value in its own right. Seven billion or so of us wandering around on planet earth strongly supports that hypothesis. What’s not so obvious is Dawkins contention that a human receptiveness to religion piggy-backed its way into our brain.
That claim may be “a leap too far” for many, but I find it easy to accept for at least one simple reason. World estimates indicate that between five and six billion humans, who live in widely differing cultures, have chosen to affiliate with one of the world’s many religions. Secularists, atheists, and agnostics are estimated to be about one billion.
Dawkins explains this huge disparity this way: “The religious behavior may be a misfiring, an unfortunate by-product of an underlying psychological propensity which in other circumstances is, or once was, useful.” (God Delusion, p. 174)
That’s the evolutionary biology take on this issue of the acceptance of religion. We see religion was allowed entry into the arena of life without having to buy a ticket.
It turns out that biologists are not alone, they have received some backing from the field of evolutionary psychology. Here’s Robert Wright from his book, The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are. “People tend to believe things that are in their evolutionarily ingrained interest.” (The Moral Animal, p. 365) Neither of these fields of studies tells us when religion slipped into the human brain and utilized the already developed receptivity. I don’t find that omission compelling, the point is religion got in, and it’s still there.
We have now evolved far beyond our primeval circumstances, but information is still passed on to the young by our elders, and those young minds absorb it. Normal maturation leads us out of the tooth fairy stage and we begin to learn on our own, ask questions and use our reason to find answers. Some of us are able to use reason to shove religion aside, while most end up influenced by some form of religious impulse. Here I bring in Mr. Dawkins again. In his book, A Devil’s Chaplain, he warns us that in spite of our power of reason, this receptive brain of ours far too often relies on three bad reasons to attach validity to things we are told. Those reasons are tradition, authority, and revelation. It seems to me that all three of these have helped to make AA a self-perpetuating religious institution.
Maybe the argument against the religiosity of AA is misdirected; maybe the real confrontation is with human nature and the culture at large. To change AA will require an alternative as powerful and appealing as the current belief in God as the primary source for successful recovery. What language can be used? What cluster of words can be presented as a powerful frame? What core values that motivate agnosticism, atheism, or humanism can be defined and presented in ways that would motivate alcoholics to buy into those values?
Who has the time, the talent, and the commitment to make this happen? I don’t have the answers! Do you?
John is an eighty-four year old sober alcoholic with 35 years of continuous sobriety. Married to Helen for 54 years; three kids in their 50’s. Spent 17 years teaching and coaching at the high school level in Indiana and Illinois. Owned and operated a bar and restaurant for 13 years which led to the acceleration of his alcoholism, which led to treatment, and eventually led to a career as an addiction counselor. Retired in 2001 from the Marion, In. V.A. Served as office manager for a major AA intergroup office in N.E. In. for six and a half years. Was an excellent high school and small college basketball player. Still goes to the gym three days a week and shoots 200 three point shots and does some light weight lifting. Passionate about family, recovery, basketball, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Reads 20 to 25 books a year, and three or four quality periodicals on a regular basis; mostly about politics, economics, science, history: about anything going on in the world that strikes his curiosity.
A team of chemists from HSE University and the Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry used molecular modelling to find out that two medications that have been known for a long time can be used to fight SARS-CoV-2.
Penn Medicine researchers found that when an “Enhanced Recovery After Surgery” protocol was employed–which optimizes patients’ surgical care before, during, and after surgery–the majority of patients did not need opioids for pain management at one, three, and six months after elective spinal and peripheral nerve surgery.
Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute has been awarded a $4.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to identify new therapies for mental health disorders. The research will be headed by Layton Smith, Ph.D., and Michael Jackson, Ph.D., of the Institute’s Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics. The funding supports the discovery of new classes of drugs that target “orphan” receptors to treat psychological conditions such as schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and substance abuse.
Drug overdoses are psychologically traumatic events that can lead to symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a study focused on female sex workers in Baltimore City led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Addiction Recovery Bulletin
An anti-depressant? Zoloft? I had seen the commercials before and I even knew a couple of friends who took these drugs. I did not know what to feel, but a large part of me was excited about the possibility of relief.
“You can take these drugs for up to six months,” she added. “After six months, you can slowly come off and be back to normal. This medication should kick in soon! You’ll be back to your old self in no time!”’
In my vulnerability, I accepted her statement as an unwritten promise between us. She handed me a small sample pack of Zoloft (sertraline) and sent me on my way. Though I felt optimistic, I was also apprehensive about taking my first dose. My sea of optimism would soon come crashing down on me. To date, the worst mistake of my life was ever setting foot in that doctor’s office.
Later, I fumbled with my Zoloft pack and retrieved my first dose, a 25mg pill. I washed the pill down with some orange juice and walked over to my car. I knew that the medication would kick in soon and then I would feel better.
At first, I did not notice any change.
“This is fine,” I said to myself out loud. “The doctor said it may take up to a few weeks for the medication to have its full effect.”
I waited.
Day 7: I had continued to increase my dose of Zoloft as instructed by my doctor and was now taking 75 mg. When I showed up to my community service job, I was asked to make copies of a flyer, a trivial task that I had completed many times in the past. However, this time was different.
I asked my supervisor how to work the copy machine. She explained the process, but I could not comprehend what she was saying. I asked her twice more to repeat the instructions. As she spoke, I felt my brain shutting down inside my skull. I managed to nod my head after she finished speaking in an effort to appear normal.
Then I dashed to the women’s bathroom and opened up the first vacant stall in sight. Once inside, I moved the silver knob to the locked position and crumbled down onto the cold, bare tile.
“It’s finally happened,” I cried. “I have lost my mind.”
I went home that evening with a horrible zapping sensation in my head. I felt as though I could begin seizing at any moment. So, I called my doctor.
The post How 1 Panic Attack Led to 15 Years of Psychiatric Drugs appeared first on Addiction/Recovery eBulletin.
In 2018 a scholar based his doctoral dissertation, “Experiences of Atheists and Agnostics in Alcoholics Anonymous”, on the book Do Tell! Stories by Atheists and Agnostics in AA,
published in 2015. Last month Brent completed his work and sent a copy to AA Agnostica.
What follows are excerpts from his dissertation, submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in partial fulfillment of his Doctor of Psychology Degree.
Introduction
AA Agnostica “attempts to be a helping hand for the alcoholic who reaches out to Alcoholics Anonymous for help and finds that she or he is disturbed by the religious content of many AA meetings”. In doing so, they post blogs, maintain a website, and publish literature. One of their publications, Do Tell! Stories by Atheists & Agnostics in AA, was analyzed… for the purpose of answering the following question: What are the experiences of Alcoholics Anonymous members who identify as atheist or agnostic?
Do Tell! Stories by Atheists & Agnostics in AA is a pre-existing compilation of AA members who identify as atheist or agnostic. The book is published independently by AA Agnostica and edited by Roger C., who reported that the 30 stories were selected from 50 original submissions. Subjects were not prompted with any specific definition of “atheist” or “agnostic” although they were all readers of AA Agnostica, which rejects the “Christian anthropomorphic and interventionist male deity” specified in the book Alcoholics Anonymous.
Permission to use the content for research purposes was granted by the publisher.
Positive Experiences in Recovery Through AA
Community Benefits of AA
A majority of the stories mention benefits from AA related to relationships and connection with other people. Codes encompassed in this theme included social acceptance, accountability, shared experience, fellowship, role models/sponsorship, or general support. Authors consistently noted participation in fellowship and connection with other AA members as a resiliency factor in their recovery. Author 5 [Russ H.] noted “they allowed me to talk. They listened as I revealed anger, fear and shame and they were neither shocked nor disapproving… The friendship and love from those people, and others in the years that have followed, changed my life.” [Do Tell! p. 34]
Other authors went so far as to identify community benefits as one of the reasons they did not feel the need to identify a higher power. For instance, Author 8 [Suzanne M.] stated that “it is the human fellowship of AA that keeps me sober. I can find no evidence, in my sobriety, of an interfering god who has played a part in it.” [Do Tell! p. 50]
Internal Benefits of AA
[This theme] included those stories that endorsed benefits of AA unique to the individual experience of the author, including personal and emotional growth. This theme included codes such as gratitude, happiness, relief from cravings, sustained sobriety, freedom, serenity, emotional maturity, wisdom, and hope. Another consistent theme born from the text was internal reactions and personal development identified as a benefit of AA affiliation.
Author 11 [Gabe S.] noted many of these benefits: “Through inventory, sharing, making amends, meditation, helping others and trying to do the right thing, let go and leave the rest up to nature, I have learned how to calm my emotions, to accept others and feel accepted by them, to feel connected to the world and the sentient, feeling beings in it, to feel worthy of my place in the universe. [Do Tell! p. 69]
Others noted feelings of gratitude, hope, and emotional maturity, summarized well by Author 19 [Neil F.]: “Today my life is far removed from that seemingly hopeless state I was in when I first came to AA.” [Do Tell! p. 113] Author 21 [Marnin M.] further contributed that “AA saved my life, and I am forever grateful for the opportunities it has provided me. Because of the AA program… I try to live as full and as emotionally satisfying a life as possible.” [Do Tell! p. 119]
Indirect Benefits of AA membership
Indirect benefits of AA membership included stories which indicated improvements in other facets of life as a result of involvement with 12-step recovery (e.g., regained employment, repaired relationships, fulfilled vocational or educational goals, developing good boundaries, or coping with difficult life experiences). Though less prevalent, indirect benefits gained from AA affiliation were nonetheless frequently noted. Many stories related regaining employment, going back to school, or developing and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships. Author 18 [Ann M.] noted the most common indirect benefit, being able to cope with adversity that happens in life.
Navigating the Spiritual Component of AA
Doctrinal Differences
Author 1 [Nell Z.] concisely identified their experience as being a non-believer in an AA meeting: “The first time I came into an AA meeting I felt like I had to squeeze past God to get through the door” [Do Tell! p. 9]. Author 12 [Betsy M.] noted objections to the conference approved AA literature: “My first roadblock was the Big Book. I couldn’t stand it. It struck me as a self-help book for Christian men from my father’s generation.” [Do Tell! p. 71]
Author 8 [Suzanne M.] noted objections based on a reminder of their own negative experiences being raised in a religious tradition: “The references to ‘God,’ ‘He,’ and ‘Him’ felt like a strange throwback to the unthinking acceptance of Christian mythology of my childhood Sunday School days.” [Do Tell! p. 49] Author 23 [John C.] noted that this component likely kept them from approaching sobriety earlier: “If it weren’t for the overt religious aspects of AA, I might have been spared years of suffering.” [Do Tell! p. 135]
Negative Interactions With Other Members Based on Atheist or Agnostic Beliefs
Author 29 [Chuck K.] noted that “when I told some people I was an atheist, they assured me I’d drink again unless I changed my ways and got with God.” [Do Tell! p. 170] Author 23 [John C.] noted a similar experience: “I left that first meeting with AA members chasing after me, telling me they were positive there was a god and I needed to believe in him. I thought I would never return.” [Do Tell! p. 130]
Author 17 [life j.] indicated that their belief affected their ability to find a sponsor: “Finding a sponsor who wouldn’t harass me about finding a higher power was real difficult.” [Do Tell! p. 98] Author 19 [Neil F.] even indicated that coming out as atheist had an impact on relationships they had developed in AA: “My disclosure [of being an atheist] caused some pain, one person called me a few names, and one person fired me as his sponsor, some rolled their eyes when I spoke, but others realized that I hadn’t changed and still accepted me. [Do Tell! p. 113]
Spiritual Experiences
Author 1 [Nell Z.] connected their spiritual journey to humanistic connection: “The spiritual principles of AA, such as honesty, open-mindedness, willingness and brotherly love, can be practiced by anyone, God-believer or not… I equate my spirituality to my humanistic journey toward genuine human connection, service, love, and kindness.” [Do Tell! p. 12]
Other authors noted a reconnection with existing faith or cultural traditions that they had previously lost. Author 4 [Julie B.] captured this well. “I learned about indigenous beliefs of living in concert with nature, and how everything is interconnected. I learned about ceremony and resilience… it was the most spiritual experience of my life. I also know that it never would have happened if I hadn’t gotten sober.” [Do Tell! pp. 30, 31]
Coping and Adaptation
Rewriting, Substituting, or Omitting Personally Problematic Language
This… refers to those stories that included coping via reframing the 12 steps, substituting language that was contrary to their beliefs, or “taking what you want and leaving the rest” in terms of program literature. Participants noted many ways that they adapted existing program language or traditions to make the program work for them.
Several authors took action to rewrite or adapt the 12 steps into language more agreeable to them. Author 13 [Kit G.] noted “I began to put the steps… into my own words for myself… I found that the language of religion or the Big Book was insufficient to communicate the language of my heart.” [Do Tell! p. 77] Authors 5 [Russ H.], 19[Neil F.], and 20 [Hanje R.] included their adapted versions of the 12 steps in their stories.
Connecting With Likeminded People
This theme refers to those stories that mentioned reading materials of other [secular] individuals, attending existing agnostic or atheist meetings, or seeking counsel and relationships from members with similar beliefs or experiences to their own. Many individuals found relationships and group affiliation based on [an atheist or agnostic] status as beneficial.
Author 1 [Nell Z.] noted their experience: “One day, I discovered a group of like-minded individuals who also suffered from alcoholism and held an AA meeting in a non-prayer format. There, I finally found comfort and a sense of belonging. For the first time, I was home, and it was such a relief to be among people who shared similar views.” [Do Tell! p. 11]
Author 10 [Joan C.] noted that finding a [secular] meeting was what allowed them to return to AA: “I left AA because I am a non-believer and became more and more uncomfortable in the meetings with all the god talk and talk of leaving everything in god’s hands… I am back because we now have meetings – We Agnostics meetings – where I finally feel like I belong.” [Do Tell! p. 64]
While some authors noted resistance to the creation of atheist or agnostic groups, 23 identified that a major component that allowed them to find success in AA was being allowed to attend or start atheist or agnostic meetings – so long as their primary purpose is to carry the message to the alcoholic who still suffers. Considering that US citizens are increasingly identifying as “non-religious” and that addiction remains a public health crisis, it stands to reason that the ability to tailor groups to the needs of smaller enclaves will increase over time.
Conclusion
This study examined how individuals identifying as… atheist or agnostic navigate the program of Alcoholics Anonymous. Research findings suggest that this population can successfully utilize AA as a resource for recovery from addiction with the use of adaptation and reliance on the more social and broadly spiritual components of the program.
You can read the entire dissertation here: Experiences of Atheists and Agnostics in Alcoholics Anonymous. The above is a number of small portions of the essay, with excerpts from page 16 to 39.
For more information about the book itself, you can click here: Do Tell! Stories by Atheists and Agnostics in AA.
Also available is a PDF of the article: An Academic Analysis of Do Tell! A copy of this PDF will be sent to all of the officials, trustees, etc., at the AA General Service Office (GSO) in New York.
The post An Academic Analysis of Do Tell! first appeared on AA Agnostica.
The novel coronavirus is spreading like anything while there is still no conclusive research on it. The transmission of this virus has been a question from the beginning of the pandemic. As it seems like the only way to prevent coronavirus is to “avoid” it. The new study assumes mobile phones and smartwatches can predict coronavirus in a person using his basic data.
Duke University is trying to investigate this virus which is now global. The identification of its spread program “CovIdentify” has more than 4000 international members, all working to predict the virus’s progression.
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This study highlights the role of common electronic devices like mobile phones and smartwatches to identify coronavirus in a user. By saying that these electronic devices are helpful min identifying means to know if the user of these devices has coronavirus.
Dr. Jessilyn Dunn, a researcher, and teacher from Duke University says that these devices can predict accurate data. Whenever a person gets into a healthcare facility, he knows some basic symptoms and information which is also achievable form his devices.
Instead of relying on self-reported cases, it is high time to find a more advanced system to predict coronavirus in a person. Testing everyone independently takes so much time, effort, and resources. Sometimes it reduces the chances of diagnosis for a person who is actually in need of a diagnosis. In the worst case, these vulnerable people can lose their lives while other people receive a negative coronavirus report.
Testing the entire population is only a preference when there is control over this virus. But testing people randomly which may or may not have coronavirus and leaving other, highly susceptible people without testing is not a wise thing. In this regard, a little help from technology seems like a new hope.
This study has initially used online participants only. These participants answered questions that were a part of the CovIdentify study. But now, the research team has developed the CovIdentify phone app which all enrolled people can download and use.
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This study aims to find whether or not the phone and smartphone data can predict coronavirus or not. Even if it does, how much severe can it go for the individual user? All that it takes is to answer two questions every day for at least 12 months.
The researchers request everyone to open up and play a role in learning how to improve coronavirus testing and diagnosis. This is the only way to save people from extreme stages of coronavirus.
Anyone can sign up and be a part of this project. All that takes is to download the app on any electronic device i.e. phone, laptop, etc. The app asks two questions every day which needs accurate answers. Based on responses, the research team will soon come up with interesting results that could help to predict coronavirus in people.
The post Mobile Phones and Smartwatches can Predict Coronavirus appeared first on Spark Health MD.
