Many complain that our culture is too beholden to biological psychiatry and genetic reductionism. Much of the discussion on addiction forms part of this cultural background. Thus we inherit, or even construct, different ways of thinking about ourselves, about health and disease, about weal and woe. But not every popular assumption is sober truth.

It is one of the biggest questions anyone can ask: is my loved one struggling with depression? It pays to help someone who is depressed as this disease can lead to suicide if left untreated. In 2017, about 17 million adults in the US suffered at least one major depressive episode. Studies also discovered that the risk of a significant incident is higher among women than men. So, how will you know if your loved one is affected? 

Many 12-step meetings have been temporarily suspended and the list of “No’s” and “Suggested No’s” can seem overwhelming, even to those who are not in recovery. Read on for some practical solutions to help you stay sober during this time. 12-Step Fellowship in the middle of a pandemic. This seems like an oxymoron. Aren’t we all supposed to be following an “as-rigid-as-possible” social distancing plan for the next few weeks? Many 12-step meetings have been temporarily suspended and the list of “No’s” and “Suggested No’s” can seem overwhelming, even to those who are not in recovery:

I was terrified of going to rehab. I’d had some horrifically terrible experiences in hospitals – so bad I don’t even want to write about them.

I was afraid of giving up my freedom, my phone, my contact with family, even being away from my cat. But when I passed out on the sidewalk outside a local dive bar and woke up in a hospital bed, I knew it was time. Something had to change, and desperate times require desperate measures.