Tom Adams
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Addictions are part of our culture and human experience. Some appear less harmful, like distractions or annoyances. Others destroy the addict and those around him or her. Because addictions are so embedded in our culture, it can be difficult to tell when an addiction...
The last year has resulted in increased use of alcohol, food, drugs, and behaviors like gambling and debting as people have tried to escape COVID and the uncertainty and pain that has resulted. Liquor sales are up, gambling advertising now competes with pharmaceuticals for ad space, and our social networks are full of chatter about diets, working too hard, and drinking and drugging escapes.
While Anne was quiet and known for her welcome and quiet service to hundreds of wives of alcoholics, Lois was more outgoing. She was the social glue who kept the couples together who went on to become the early A.A. members and spouses.
Hundreds of wives of men with drinking problems from all over the nation came to call her Anne S. or Annie.
And we thought 2021 might be different than 2020? Now we all have two never-would-have-imagined experiences – a pandemic and an armed insurrection. It is a good thing we are hopeful people! This week we continue our focus on hope. I am delighted to share reflections...
I imagine we all are hoping for a better 2021! In my town of Greenbelt, Maryland, we marked the ending of the tumultuous 2020 by all going outside at midnight on New Year’s Eve to bang pots and pans. Not a new idea, yet very therapeutic and symbolic of the feeling of...
We need to believe in something other than our own intellect and abilities. This awareness led the pioneers of Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) to the liberating and empowering notion of a “power greater than ourselves – a Higher Power.” Today we explore this second key...
We need each other. We need to believe in something other than our own intellect and ability. These are two of the fundamental beliefs that allowed Alcoholics Anonymous and Al-Anon Family Groups and other Twelve Step programs to grow and flourish. These two concepts...
In normal times, holidays bring parties and opportunities to gather with family and friends. Accompanying these opportunities is often a tremendous array of food and drink. For many, overeating or drinking to excess is simply a momentary expression of...
In Netflix movies, our news media and our personal lives, we all, more than likely, have seen the destructive power of addiction. Today in America, we’re also seeing the destructive power of the Coronavirus pandemic. Like with the pandemic, we're tempted to think of...
Tom Adams writes and speaks on topics vital to the intersection of our personal lives with our community and global lives. He has for decades been engaged in and written about nonprofit leadership and transitions, spirituality and spiritual growth, how we each contribute to a more just and equitable world and recovery from addictions and the Twelve Step recovery movement.