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Many people seek out 12 step programs to help them develop a connection with a Higher Power and work through the steps leading them through recovery. While this has worked for many people, there are many others that are seeking a non-conventional approach to recovery because they do not wish to base their recovery on religious beliefs. With so many options available for group therapy and treatment, you can determine what works best for you. Non-12 step programs are available, and they are slightly different from traditional 12 step programs. Below are the key differences:

Many people feel pressured to drink on NYE, but there are many ways to combat this. Making the decision to remain sober on New Year’s is a smart choice, because it allows you to stay more alert, aware, and present in conversations that you have with others. Much of New Year’s drinking can lead to arguments, fist fights, and reckless decisions that produce harsh consequences both physically, mentally, and legally.

Cocaine is a powerfully addictive stimulant drug that people snort, rub onto their gums, inject, and smoke. It is a fine, white, crystal powder also known as coke, crack, blow, rock, or snow. Cocaine is known to produce feelings of extreme happiness and energy, mental alertness, hypersensitivity to sight, sound and touch, irritability, and paranoia. Many people are familiar with the effects of cocaine and even the side effects – constricted blood vessels, dilated pupils, nausea, faster heartbeat, restlessness, tremors, and more. What may be less known is that cocaine has been shown to increase risks of cancer. Many cocaine dealers will mix cocaine with other substances to generate more of the product and get more money. Some of the substances used are carcinogenic, which is shown to increase the risk of cancer and kidney issues.  Smoking cocaine can lead to lung, throat, or mouth cancer, and can also cause damage to the lung tissue. According to Sober Nation, cocaine causes elevated heart rate and blood pressure, both of which are associated with cardiovascular problems and heart disease. Cocaine is often laced with chemicals that can be extremely damaging to the body, as Independent, a UK-based website, notes that nearly two-thirds of cocaine is cut with a substance that can rot human flesh and 80% contains a chemical linked to bladder cancer. A recent study found that 65% of street cocaine is laced with levamisole, a chemical supposedly used by farmers to “purge their livestock of parasitic worms.” While this chemical has been shown to be too low to harm users, some individuals who consume a “bad batch” of cocaine may suffer severe consequences. For individuals that inject the drug, cocaine has been shown to speed up HIV infection and those who already have HIV and continue to use cocaine are at increased risk for also contracting Hepatitis C, a virus that affects the liver, even if they do not inject the drug. Long-term cocaine use can cause nosebleeds, severe bowel decay, malnourishment, restlessness, and more. An overdose of cocaine can lead to death.

Most of us are familiar with the daily effects that addiction has on our lives; work trouble, relationship problems, home life issues, and emotional/physical changes are all typically negatively impacted by addiction. Addiction has destroyed trust and connection, stolen kindness and compassion, and has taken over either ourselves or our loved ones. The costs are high, and there is no doubt about that. How much exactly is addiction costing us as a nation, as a family, as a person? With a report from the 2015 U.S. Surgeon General Report stating that over 27 million people reported current use of illicit use of drugs or prescription drugs and over 66 million people reported binge drinking in the past month, the financial costs are frightening. U.S. News states that each year, the economic impact on the United States from the misuse of prescription drugs, illicit drugs, or alcohol is $442 billion. That’s a lot of money, and a lot of people that are impacted. AOL generated a chart sourcing from several government organizations and showed that $30 billion is spent on drug treatment, $276 billion is spent on active addictions, $166 billion is spent on healthcare, $41 billion is spent on the war on drugs, $97 billion is spent on crime and accidents related to drugs and alcohol, and $437 billion is spent on lost productivity of employers all over the nation. Taxpayers are lending much of their money towards this. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) notes that treatment can help reduce the costs having to be spent towards incarceration, drug-related crime, theft, and more. More focus on treatment has also been said to lead to fewer interpersonal conflicts, greater workplace productivity, and fewer drug-related incidents, including overdoses and death. The NIH explained that one year of maintenance treatment for methadone, for example, would cost a person $4,700, whereas one full year of imprisonment costs approximately $24,000 per person. The national effects are large, and it doesn’t stop there. AOL claims that Americans spend approximately $276 billion per year on drinking, smoking, and drugs. A report made available by the White House in 2014 stated that drug users are spending approximately $100 billion each year on illicit drugs. As more money is being spent, the problems from addiction reach all the way into our homes, into our families, and affect our children – our future.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) states that approximately one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental illness each year. There are 5 main categories of mental illnesses: anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia and psychotic disorders, dementia, and eating disorders. Most people are familiar with mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, schizophrenia and more, but there are several illnesses that aren’t discussed as often. See if you can recognize any of the following rare mental disorders:

Many people experience a mental illness in each year and, while a diagnosis may seem frightening or saddening, there are many ways to hold a positive perception of your mental illness. Conversations surrounding mental illness often involve challenging symptoms that affect daily life, but there are many wonderful qualities that mental illness can mean for us as well. There are several historical figures whom had a mental illness were classified as “creative geniuses” – their disorder was said to have helped them think more creatively and intelligibly. Live Science explained a British study that involved 10 people with bipolar disorder and explored the positive ways that their disorder affected their lives. One participant stated, “I see color much more vividly than I used to…I think my access to music and art are something for which I’m grateful to bipolar for enhancing. It’s almost as if it’s a magnifying glass that sits between that and myself.” Other participants in the study stated that had it not been for their disorder, they wouldn’t have taken chances towards their goals. One participant who performed in comic theatre stated, “Had it not meant for being bipolar, there’s no chance I could have done it.” With this, mental illness sometimes gives us an opportunity to dig deeper into something we may have not noticed as much before, and may also give us the perspective we need to push forward towards our dreams. Bipolar disorder isn’t the only mental illness with upsides; the New York Times explained the fact that Darwin utilized his depression as a clarifying force that allowed him to focus on life’s essential problems.  The Huffington Post also notes that individuals with depression often develop a sincere ability to notice when others are feeling depressed. This gift of “noticing” could mean saying a kind word or lending a hug just to help the other person feel better. Having a mental illness does not mean that one is subjected to experiencing only painful or crippling circumstances. Annie Glynn, 3rd place in the Mental Health Poetry Contest, describes the beauty of mental illness in her poem that you can find here.

CBS News recently covered a huge undertaking of drugs by the Coast Guard. Approximately 10 tons of cocaine and more than 50 pounds of heroin were seized along Mexico and Central America by several Coast Guard cutters. Cdr. John McTamney, Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Cutter Spencer told CBS News, “This represents a significant disruption to the supply chain of various transnational criminal organizations.” It is said that many smugglers will fill vessels with drugs and will send them through the eastern Pacific for days, even weeks at a time. The Coast Guard has captured about $300 million worth of drugs, a huge victory towards protecting the United States from addiction. U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions stated at a press conference in San Diego, “By preventing overdoses and stopping new addictions before they start, enforcing drug laws saves lives. This record-breaking year by our Coast Guard saw the arrest of over 500 suspected drug traffickers and kept nearly half a million pounds of dangerous drugs from getting to our streets – and ultimately to our neighbors, friends, and families. I commend every service member who has helped us in our mission to keep the American people safe, and I thank them for this indispensable contribution to public safety.” CNN reports that the Coast Guard intercepted 27 shipments and 5 bale recovery efforts over the course of 10 weeks, with the drugs coming from several areas: the Andean Ridge, Bolivia, Peru and Columbia. The interceptions were mostly loaded with pure, uncut cocaine. CBS further states that while some of the drug bust will be held as evidence for convictions in smuggling cases, the rest of the drugs will likely be destroyed. Vice Adm. Karl Schultz, commander of the Coast Guard Atlantic Area told Fox News that persistent maritime efforts in drug trafficking zones have enabled them to intercept bulk quantities of drugs at sea, preventing smuggler’s cargoes to reach the shores of Central America and land routes through to the United States.

Mental disorders are very prevalent and, according to Newsweek, nearly 1 in 5 Americans experience a mental illness each year. That equates to 42.5 million Americans enduring symptoms of conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, depression, and more. Although there are many people with a mental illness, many do not seek treatment. Mental disorders can be very difficult to diagnose, and what may appear to be one disorder may in fact be another. Dr. Simon Hoermann, Psy.D Corinne Zupanick and Dr. Mark Dombeck explained on MentalHelp.net that while many individuals with a disorder experience significant distress, many only experience distress and dissatisfaction routinely regarding relationships, work, or home life and may therefore not believe that anything is wrong. If the distress is significant only occasionally, the person may assume these are random occurrences. When this occurs, often it’s the individual’s close friends or loved ones that recognize symptoms before they do.  Additionally, a lack of awareness is very possible. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has identified the medical condition “anosognosia” as a “lack of insight” or “lack of awareness” causing the person to reject their diagnosis of a mental illness or perception of their mental illness. NAMI notes that as human beings, we are constantly updating our self-image and, we may fail to recognize that we have a mental illness if we maintain our self-image that was perceived prior to developing any signs of a mental illness. Individuals who have never experienced anything other than their current symptoms may not realize that what they are going through is classified as a mental disorder. NPR claims that some mental disorder symptoms such as depression may be a weakness, so a person that experiences severe depression may not understand the classification of it but may view themselves as just being “weak”.

Gambling addiction is considered a process addiction, because it involves compulsively tending to slot machines and casino games. The Scientific American quotes that surveys have shown approximately 2 million people in the United States are addicted to gambling; this addiction can impact several aspects of daily life. Research shows that gambling addiction affects regions of the brain that other addictions do: impulsivity and reward seeking. Losing causes a person with gambling addiction to want to try again, and winning causes a person to want to put even more money down because they could potentially win more. It’s a dangerous system that activates the brain’s reward center and over time, reels in the person to continue the behavior to feel happy. Business Insider has identified the following as symptoms of gambling addiction:

There is much debate regarding whether addiction is a disease or if someone chooses to engage with the addiction. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse claims that addiction is defined as a disease by most medical organizations, primarily because addiction involves changes of the brain and body. The belief that addiction is a choice stems from the fact that individuals often have a choice in whether they want to consume a substance that is addictive. This initial choice indicates their free will, but even after one-time use a person can become hooked whether they initially meant to or not. Addiction is labeled as an issue with impulse control; The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) denotes that while a person’s free will begins with their first use, it should not be a basis of judgment because as humans, we all make choices that otherwise wouldn’t be deemed as prudent. The NIDA further mentions that addiction does physically affect the brain, causing chemical changes that may alter their behavior. Professor Gene Heyman, lecturer of psychology at the Harvard Extension School, takes on the perspective of the choice model of addiction: he believes that the predisposing factors that we have towards addiction are just factors that we can choose whether will influence our behavior. In this sense, he explains that many individuals with an addiction can quit, and it’s because they have made the choice to do so. He goes on to explain that individuals who are unable to quit often have a co-occurring psychiatric disorder that is further complicating their decision to seek treatment and stop. Based on several debates by organizations and researchers, it seems that both aspects hold some truth. Most people have the choice to decide whether to take a drug or substance, and their knowledge and instincts can inform them of whether this would be the best choice given the dangers and risks involved. A series of uninformed choices can cause chemical changes in the brain which may further inhibit someone from stopping their addictive behavior, especially if they have a psychiatric illness that further perpetuates and triggers feelings that lead back towards the substance that is giving them feelings of contentment and happiness.

Common misconceptions surrounding mental illness involve beliefs of violence towards oneself or others, unintelligibility, and criminal behavior. These beliefs perpetuate stigma and further denote the mental illness for what it really is – a mental illness and not the whole person. The Psychiatric Times notes that the aggressiveness and impulsivity shown by characters with schizophrenia in movies and televisions shows increases stigmatization and poorer treatment outcomes. According to the Scientific American, approximately 60 to 80 percent of the population believes that individuals with schizophrenia are likely to commit violent acts. Psychiatrist E. Fuller Torrey states that most people with schizophrenia are not violent and do not exhibit dangerous behaviors. Dr. Irene Levine, psychologist and co-author of Schizophrenia for Dummies notes that, “People with schizophrenia more often tend to be victims rather than perpetrators of violence although untreated mental illness and substance abuse often increase the risk of aggressive behavior.” Hallucinations and delusions involving suspiciousness may cause someone to become aggressive, but proper treatment and medication can prevent this. Individuals without treatment will have less knowledge on their disorder, which will cause them to have less control over their behavior. Southeastern Arizona Behavioral Health Services (SEABHS) claims that there is a small link between schizophrenia and violence, and in fact there is more of a link between violence and substance abuse problems. There is much more of a risk that a person will harm you if they have a drug or alcohol addiction than if a person has schizophrenia. What’s most important for someone with schizophrenia is to be diagnosed and treated so that they can better understand their condition and how to manage their symptoms, which typically involves medication. The Scientific American claims that “, severely mentally ill people account for only 3 to 5 percent of violent crimes in the general population”. The stigma behind schizophrenia and violence needs to cease because each person is different and mental illness should not be blamed or stereotyped. Understanding the reality and facts behind mental illness can help break the stigma.

Anxiety and depression can feel debilitating and can make it hard to complete simple tasks such as getting out of bed, going to the grocery store, and meeting up for social gatherings. Many people with anxiety and/or depression want to begin taking steps to better their mental health but don’t know how to get there. First and foremost, seeking treatment is a fantastic way to improve symptoms of mental illness because you can work with a therapist one-on-one to develop tools and learn coping mechanisms. However, there are many online resources that one can use to get immediate help.