LifeRing Secular Recovery

LifeRing Secular Recovery (LifeRing or LSR) is a secular, non-profit organization providing peer-run addiction recovery groups. The organization is designed for those who desire to recover from alcohol and drug addiction, and for the significant others, family members and friends of addicts or alcoholics. It is an abstinence-based recovery program with three fundamental principles: sobriety, secularity and self-empowerment. The motto of LifeRing is "empower your sober self". LifeRing originated in California, splitting from Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS) in 1997, and incorporated officially in 1999. LifeRing now has face-to-face meetings in the United States, Canada and Europe. There are also online meetings and e-mail support groups.[1][2][3] Although the organization is non-religious, it caters for people of all faiths or none, and around a quarter of LifeRing members say they attend some form of religious group. It has been described as "one of the major secular alternatives to AA."[4]

History

LifeRing was founded by Martin Nicolaus out of the northern California branch of Secular Organizations for Sobriety (SOS) in 1997.[5] He remained CEO until 2010 when Craig Whalley took over as president.[6] Although broadly similar in its outlook, it is no longer affiliated with SOS.[7] It began as LifeRing Press, a publishing company, in 1997. Two years later, following a meeting of regional representatives, it became LifeRing Secular Recovery, and in 2001 it held its first constitutional congress. The organization holds an annual congress each year where board members are elected.[8] LifeRing is non-profit making and raises all its funds from the sale of books and merchandise, collections at meetings and by donations.[5] In addition to its own congress LifeRing has been represented by speakers at professional conferences such as the American Psychological Association, the Association of Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), the California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (CAADAC),[5] Multiple Pathways of Recovery Conference (2015) and FtBConscience 2 (2014).[9] Secular self-help addiction group SMART Recovery and 12 step support organizations such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) have been widely studied and found to be both successful and cost-effective in addiction treatment programs.[10][11] LifeRing's success rate has been studied in 2016 by the Alcohol Research Group in Emeryville, California, following several applications for funding over the years. Research has shown that people in LifeRing reported higher levels of satisfaction and cohesion compared to 12 step participants, despite lower levels of attendance at face-to-face meetings, concluding that there is a real need for incorporating the LifeRing methodology into existing addiction treatment networks.[12] Further research is needed in order for it to be incorporated into a professional clinical setting. Almost all of the empirical data before the 2016 study were largely anecdotal.[13] Following several high-profile cases where courts in the USA have decided that individuals mandated to attend drug or alcohol rehabilitation should be offered a secular alternative to AA (Kerr v. Farrey, 95 F.3d 472, 7th Cir. 1996; Warner v. Orange Cty Dept of Probation, 115 F.3d 1068, 2nd Cir. 1997)[14] it has been acknowledged that there is a pressing need for professional recognition of secular groups such as SMART and LifeRing which may encourage them to become more mainstream and widespread.[15][16] The LifeRing service center is located in Oakland, California and the executive director is currently Robert Stump.[17]

Methodology

The LifeRing philosophy is expressed in three principles, known as the 3-S philosophy: Sobriety, Secularity, and Self empowerment. Sobriety is defined as abstinence from alcohol and addictive drugs (prescription or otherwise) unless used as directed by a physician as a legitimate medical treatment.[18] The principle of Self-Empowerment encourages each member to develop his or her own program of recovery. Unlike twelve-step programs, members do not have sponsors, but are encouraged to help each other. In order to participate the ethos is summarized as

“ The only requirement for membership in LifeRing Secular Recovery meetings is a desire to abstain from the use of alcohol and illicit or non-medically indicated drugs.[19] ”

According to the principle of Secularity, LifeRing meetings do not open with prayers and members are not encouraged to believe in a Higher Power. There is no twelve-step program and no spiritual awakening to be achieved, as with other programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous. LifeRing puts forward the idea that sobriety can be achieved through a personal recovery program and peer support.[20]

LifeRing encourages an experimental approach to maintaining abstinence from addictive drugs or alcohol and its members are free to incorporate ideas from any source they find useful, including other addiction recovery groups. LifeRing encourages members to use relapses as learning experiences and discourages admonishing members for relapsing. Members are encouraged to see inside them a sober self and an addict self which are fighting for dominance.[21] The one is trying to be sober and well, the other is obsessed with the drug and wants to keep drinking or using.[20] It has been reported that attending meetings whether online or face-to-face is a good place for the sober self to learn from and be strengthened by the other sober voices there.[3] Meetings are run by volunteer peers, known as 'convenors',[22] not led by professionals, and members are allowed to give each other feedback during them.[2][23] Members are encouraged to raise their hands when appropriate to address and answer another member to offer support or comment whilst the meeting is in progress.[18] Whilst the meetings online and face-to-face are informal there are some basic rules: Members should be clean and sober (not under the influence of drugs or alcohol) if they want to speak at a meeting (only the desire to be sober is required for attendance), no religion, politics or demeaning others' attempts to achieve sobriety is allowed, members must stay respectful of one another, and no 'drunkalogues' (long-winded talk of past drug or alcohol use).[20][24] Despite the secular nature of LifeRing a 2013 membership survey showed that just over a quarter of members attend some form of church or other place of worship, a drop from 40% in 2005.[18]

LifeRing's approach has been described as "a homespun, rather than an academic, product" which comes within the discipline of cognitive behavioral therapy.[13] It is influenced by psychologists such as Carl Rogers and Albert Bandura, and has been compared to William Glasser's choice theory which is based on the idea that past relationships are influential on behavior and addictive behaviors are symptomatic of unconscious psychological needs, and Marsha M. Linehan's dialectical behavior therapy which focuses on learning the triggers to certain types of destructive behavior.[13]

Meetings and support groups

LifeRing has more than 150 face-to-face meetings in the U.S., Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Family members and friends of LifeRing members can attend meetings provided they are clean and sober at the time of the meeting. There is no requirement to call oneself an addict or an alcoholic during meetings.[3] Meetings usually last an hour and are free to attend, however donations are usually solicited.[25] LifeRing also provides daily meetings online, using a chat-room format, and the chat-room is also available outside of scheduled meetings. There are also multiple e-mail support groups including LRSmail which has now been running over 15 years and a group for friends and relatives. There are e-mail groups which in addition to recovery issues also focus on providing support on body image, mental health, LGBTQ, workbook study and convening a meeting. There is also a book club and an e-mail group for the UK.[26] LifeRing hosts a social networking site at Ning, a bulletin board forum and a one-to-one e-mail befriending service.[24] As with SOS, where it began, "Its main strength lies in its online presence."[3] LifeRing meetings use the book How Was Your Week[27] which replaced the Handbook of Secular Recovery[28] which in turn replaced the text used in Sobriety handbook, the SOS way: an introduction to Secular Organizations for Sobriety.[29] The convenor will usually begin the meeting by asking “How was your week?” Individuals will contribute their experiences as they feel ready and other members are encouraged to interact and give feedback. Convenors should have a minimum of 6 months continuous sobriety in order to host a meeting and usually attend workshops where possible and keep in touch with other convenors online.[8]

Publications

The book is divided into nine sections with questions to be worked through in order to build the program. It is designed to be carried with the person and reworked if necessary, and is intended to bring structure and control back to the recovering addict. Work areas include making a physical assessment of one's body and addressing any areas of concern, looking at one's environment for triggers and practicing suggested exercises to strengthen commitment, planning sober activities to fill time, learning to deal with people who can help or hinder sobriety, practicing ways to handle one's emotions, and deciding on and getting the level of outside help required from professional or self-help groups. The book can also be worked through with a reader if literacy is an issue.[13]
The book describes the LifeRing approach to sobriety and is written for individuals wishing to be free of addiction, their friends and family and professionals in the field of addiction and recovery. It addresses areas in which it differs from traditional 12 step support groups as well as other alternative methods of achieving sobriety. It also contains anecdotal stories from LifeRing members and the methods they used to get clean or sober. The book aims to inform people that other sobriety strategies are available outside of those more well known and that the approach is working successfully for many individuals.[4]
The book explains how LifeRing meetings are formatted and is aimed at existing convenors and those people who want to convene or set up a new LifeRing meeting either face-to-face or online. In addition to addressing practical issues such as meeting structure, opening and closing formats, and administrative tasks, it also looks at the motivations for holding meetings, the best ways to facilitate a support group and secularity respecting people of all beliefs.[33]

See also

References

  1. ↑ White, William L. (2005). "Part I: Addiction Basics: Chapter 4 History of Drug Policy, Treatment, and Recovery". In Coombs, Robert Holman. Addiction Counseling Review: Preparing for Comprehensive, Certification and Licensing Examinations. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers. pp. 81–104.
  2. 1 2 White, William L. "Management of the High-Risk DUI Offender" (PDF). UIS. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Help for Alcoholics". The Alcoholism Guide. Retrieved 27 November 2016.
  4. 1 2 White, W. (2010). "Pathways to Recovery (Book Review: Martin Nicolaus. Empowering Your Sober Self: The LifeRing Approach to Addiction Recovery.)". Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. 29: 95–96.
  5. 1 2 3 White, William L. "The History of LifeRing Secular Recovery:An Interview with Marty Nicolaus" (PDF). Selected papers of William White. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  6. ↑ Urbani de la Paz, Diane. "Port Angeles bookseller leaves to run recovery organization". Peninsula Daily News. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  7. ↑ Horvath PhD, A. Tom; Misra PhD, Kaushik; Epner PhD, Amy K.; Morgan Cooper PhD, Galen. "LifeRing Secular Recovery And Secular Organizations For Sobriety (SOS)". Mentalhelp.net. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  8. 1 2 "The LifeRing organization". LifeRing.org.
  9. ↑ Weinroth, Njon. "When You Need a Hand, Not a Prayer: The State of the Secular Support Movement". Lanyrd. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  10. ↑ Lowinson, Joyce; Strain, Eric C.; Ruiz, Pedro (2011). Lowinson and Ruiz's Substance Abuse: A Comprehensive Textbook. Lippincott Williams & Wilkin. pp. 538–541. ISBN 1605472778.
  11. ↑ Atkins, Randolph G.; Hawdon, James E. (2007). "Religiosity and participation in mutual-aid support groups for addiction". Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 33(3): 321–331. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2007.07.001. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  12. ↑ Zemore, Sarah E.; Kaskutas, Lee Ann; Amy, Mericle; Hemberg, Jordana (2016). "Comparison of 12-Step groups to mutual help alternatives for AUD in a large, national study". Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment. 73: 16–26. doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2016.10.004. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Roth, Jeffrey D.; White, William L.; Kelly, John F. (2016). Broadening the Base of Addiction Mutual Support Groups. Routledge. p. 51. ISBN 1134927800.
  14. ↑ Nicolaus, Martin (2009). "Choice of support groups: It's the law" (PDF). Counselor (October). Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  15. ↑ "It's A Constitutional Right: Choice in Recovery". Smart Recovery. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  16. ↑ Fletcher, Ann. "You Can't Make Me – Or Can You? Mandated AA Attendance and the Law". Rehabs.com. Retrieved 26 November 2016.
  17. ↑ "The LifeRing Service Center". LifeRing.org. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  18. 1 2 3 "Quick Facts". Rehabs.com. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  19. ↑ "Current by-laws" (PDF). Lifering.org. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  20. 1 2 3 "Abstinence-Based Addiction Support Groups". Rehabcenter.net. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  21. ↑ Marion, Nancy E.; Oliver, Willard M. (2014). Drugs in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture and the Law. Libraries Unlimited Inc. ISBN 978-1610695954.
  22. ↑ "Lifering Secular Recovery". Faces and Voices of Recovery. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  23. ↑ Solomon, Melanie (2005). "Section I: Self-Help Groups, Part One: Total Abstinence, LifeRing". AA: Not the Only Way: Your One Stop Resource Guide to 12-Step Alternatives. Anchorage, Alaska: Capalo Press. p. 27. ISBN 0-9762479-9-2. OCLC 77565735.
  24. 1 2 http://www.lifering.org
  25. ↑ Dodge. "Mutual help groups". Peter J. Dodge Foundation. Retrieved 23 November 2016.
  26. ↑ "Email groups". LifeRing. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  27. ↑ Nicolaus, Martin (2003). How was your week? : bringing people together in recovery the LifeRing way : a handbook. Oakland, California: LifeRing Press. ISBN 0-9659429-4-5. OCLC 57334759.
  28. ↑ LifeRing (2000). Handbook of Secular Recovery. Oakland, California: LifeRing Press. OCLC 46597744.
  29. ↑ Sobriety handbook, the SOS way: an introduction to Secular Organizations for Sobriety. Oakland, California: LifeRing Press. 1997. ISBN 0-9659429-0-2. OCLC 37853736.
  30. ↑ Nicolaus, Martin (2016). Recovery by Choice: Living and Enjoying Life Free of Alcohol and Other Drugs, a Workbook (4th ed.). Lifering Press. ISBN 0965942937.
  31. ↑ Nicolaus, Martin (April 2009). Empowering Your Sober Self: The LifeRing Approach to Addiction Recovery. Lifering Press. ISBN 9780470372296.
  32. ↑ Nicolaus, Martin (July 2015). How Was Your Week: Bring People Together in Recovery the Lifering Way - A Convenors' Handbook (2nd ed.). Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 1515286568.
  33. ↑ Nicolaus, Martin. "HWYW upload" (PDF). Lifering. Retrieved 26 November 2016.

External links

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