Author: Steve Barnard

I found a great quote while reading Patrick Moore’s new eBook, How to Develop an Addiction or Not (https://www.prehabmapp.com/). On page 33, I came across this line: “If you focus on results, you will never change; if youfocus on change, you will get results.” — Jack Dixon This quote captures a quiet but profound truth […]

I recently saw a (TikTok) video advocating for the daily use of cannabis for a variety of symptoms, arguing daily use was harmless and no better or worse than the daily use of any other prescription pharmaceuticals. The idea that “if cannabis helps you and makes your life better, it’s acceptable and harmless to use […]

In my last article I explored how Dr. Silkworth’s classic “restless, irritable, and discontented” (RID) description in The Doctor’s Opinion (AA Big Book) might be understood through modern neuroscience. In the article (RID <-> DNS Article), I proposed that RID can be viewed as the felt experience of a Dysregulated Nervous System (DNS) – a […]

When Dr. William Silkworth wrote The Doctor’s Opinion (letter) in the book Alcoholics Anonymous nearly a century ago, he couldn’t have known how close he was to describing what modern neuroscience now calls nervous system dysregulation. He observed that alcoholics are “restless, irritable and discontented, unless they can again experience the sense of ease and […]

If you’ve followed me for any length of time you know I propose addiction can be seen as a habit; my Addiction is a Habit thesis is at the heart of and supported by my Cascading Model of Addiction. This article represents my latest thinking on this topic. This paper defends the idea that viewing […]

To discover the right answer, one must first ask the right question. This is an update to an article I wrote in 2020 challenging the idea that “the opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety, it’s connection”. Made famous in a 2015 Ted Talk titled, Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong, the quote has […]

The addiction field continues to struggle with the absence of a universally accepted definition of addiction and with the imprecise use of language to describe it. Terms such as illness, disease, and disorder are employed interchangeably, each carrying different historical roots, cultural biases, and implications for recovery. This article explores the different ways these three […]

In a world where emotional reactivity often masquerades as authenticity, true emotional growth requires something far more radical: responsibility. Emotional growth isn’t about suppressing what you feel, it’s about developing the awareness, control, and wisdom to direct those feelings in a way that serves both you and those around you. At Narratives Coaching, we believe […]

When psychiatrist Tim Holden published his 2012 letter in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) boldly titled “Addiction is not a disease,” he did more than provoke debate. He inadvertently illustrated the heart of the problem: our assumptions about addiction (already a contentious term) often hinge on the even more slippery term, “disease” – a […]

The term “disease,” particularly when applied to addiction, carries complex historical baggage and shifting meanings. Over the decades, the definition and application of the disease model in addiction have changed significantly, reflecting evolving scientific discoveries, changing cultural attitudes, and clinical practices. From Marty Mann’s pioneering efforts in the 1940s to the contemporary Brain Disease Model […]

I’m sure I’ll catch significant flack for writing this; people in recovery can be protective of their pathways and ideologies, sometimes to the point of hostility. As someone who got sober and learned to stay sober in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), I, too can be very protective, even to the point of feeling angry when people […]

Updated October 31, 2025 At the heart of the debate between Young Earth Creationism (YEC) and Old Earth Creationism (OEC) lies a central interpretive question: Are the seven days of creation in Genesis literal 24-hour periods or symbolic representations of longer epochs or logical orderings? This question drives a theological and scientific divergence that has […]

The fragmentation of addiction theory has long posed challenges for clinical coherence and outcome consistency. Competing models often emphasize narrow etiologies or philosophical frameworks, leaving clinicians and clients without a unified understanding of how addiction forms or how recovery unfolds. The Cascading Model of Addiction seeks to address this gap. By synthesizing the most functional […]

In a recently published article (Is God Necessary for Recovery?) I shared about a friend who is in long-term recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism, and credits God’s intervention and grace manifest through the 12-step programs of Alcoholics Anonymous and Celebrate Recovery. To hear his substance use story is to hear classic threads of addiction […]

In the world of addiction recovery, one question has lingered in the background for decades; whispered in meetings, debated in therapy rooms, and shouted by those who found healing on both sides of the spiritual line: Is God necessary for recovery? I propose it’s not a question of theology, but rather a question of transformation. […]

a poem to a God who is distant & mute – hidden & silent I built the boat, Lord.Just like You asked.Planked it with prayer,Sealed it with sacrifice,Ribbed it with obedienceAnd sailed it straight into silence. Oh Captain of my soul —You charted the course,Whispered Your will in holy riddles,Sent dreams disguised as direction,And I […]

A metaphor for addiction is that of a person digging themselves into a hole; while their original intent may have been harmless (e.g., have fun, experiment, group/peer pressure, etc.), if digging continues, eventually the person begins to experience problems. Research shows that most people who begin using (digging) at some point decide to stop on […]

It’s safe to say I’m not the same person who crawled into his first AA meeting in a smoky church basement in Detroit, Michigan in 1982. I’m more than just sober, and much more than just a person in recovery, or one who has recovered from an addiction. Look at the lives of people who […]

Is the Bio-Psycho-Social Model Enough? For decades, the bio-psycho-social (BPS) model has been the dominant framework for understanding addiction, mental health, and physical well-being. By examining the biological, psychological, and social factors contributing to disease and recovery, the BPS model provides a holistic approach that has guided countless treatment programs. However, a growing number of […]

Context plays a crucial role in how we interpret, understand and react to events in life. Context in habit work is especially important as it exists as the initial filter we use to interpret and respond to what’s happening. For instance, when we’re triggered by something which causes us to drop into a ritual or […]

I’ve long held that addiction can be thought of as a habit – certainly a powerful, destructive and maladapted habit, but a habit nonetheless. This ‘addiction habit’ idea arose after evaluating my own struggle with addiction, then observing and working with countless others as they navigated into and through recovery. It’s become increasingly clear to […]

I propose every human has the same basic needs necessary to thrive and pursue a life of full self-directed wellbeing. Building on the SAMHSA 8 Dimensions of Wellness (https://library.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sma16-4957.pdf) which addresses community-level principles and policies, I’ve distilled their prescription down to four essential elements – safety, security, wellbeing and success – I believe every person […]

A central theme across all my work is that the word ‘addiction’ has been co-opted and neutered to the point it no longer has useful meaning or utility. The term has become slang, and ascribed to any thought, attitude or behavior to which anyone wishes to make a point; there’s no longer any specific meaning, […]

There’s a popular book in neuropsychology titled, The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk which has seen widescale adoption and appreciation since its publication in 2015. The author suggests trauma is not only a psychological experience but also a physiological one. The author posits traumatic experiences alter how the brain and body […]

I was recently sent a video where Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses the power of evidence-based science over religious dogma and blind faith. The summary note on the video states: “Tyson discusses the power of science and evidence-based thinking, contrasting it with the limitations of religious dogma. He emphasizes that true progress comes from questioning, exploring, […]

In the legacy but still evolving fields of big data and data science, we celebrate the triumvirate of volume, velocity, and variety—the three Vs that have long defined our ability to collect, process, and analyze data. However, as the landscape of digital information continues to expand (e.g., Edge Computing, data fabrics, machine learning integration with […]

and my not-so-clever portmanteau… Our thoughts and feelings come and go and are situationally dependent; we have little control over them in the moment. That said, they tend to stabilize into a more enduring mental and emotional state we call disposition or attitude, and it’s easy to allow a frequented attitude to become our default […]

What is the Key to an Extraordinary Life? If you’re a 12-Stepper you know we have a Program and ‘it works if we work it’, we have the Steps and we’re encouraged to ‘work the steps with a Sponsor’, we have Meetings and we’re encouraged to ‘don’t use and go to meetings’, we have a […]

Discover Your One Word to Ensure Your Legacy Have you considered there may be one word that 1) describes you at your most basic level, 2) acts as a lens through which your most important decisions are made, and 3) is the one thing for which you’re most remembered – your one-word epitaph? There is […]

The Basic Brain Science of Addiction & Recovery We have two fundamental functions in our brains – not the left-brain/right-brain distinction that contrasts analytical vs. creative expression, rather the function that deals with emotions (and feelings, memory, attention, learning, and behavioral regulation), and the function that deals with reason (and logic, facts, values, goals, critical […]

Part-1 of: America’s “other” Epidemic Much has been written about America’s opioid epidemic – from the runaway greed of Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family misrepresenting Oxycontin’s highly-addictive potential[i], to the mounting annual death toll from drug overdoses directly attributed to opioid dependency[ii], to the move to synthetics and other opioid-based drugs (e.g., heroin, fentanyl) […]

Self-directed Wellbeing begins with a declaration,or it doesn’t begin at all! Self-directed wellbeing is defined as the capacity, resources and skills necessary to manage all areas of one’s life without significant assistance from another person, institution, or agency. To avoid any misunderstanding, there’s a similar-sounding movement called Mental Health Self-direction that focuses on helping people […]

A Finance-based Metaphor for Recovery An interesting way to look at recovery is through the eyes of our finances. When I came into the program, I was not only broke, but I was also seriously in debt with no hope of ever finding a way out of the deep hole I’d dug. I’d become accustomed […]

Why porn addiction, like drug &alcohol addiction, is a brain disease. I recently joined Reddit to participate in the numerous communities related to addiction and recovery. My first impression was, gosh, there are sooooo many people suffering either from addiction disorders or as family and friends of someone who is. My second impression was, holy […]

To discover the right answer, one must first ask the right question. I recently watched a Ted Talk where the infamous investigative journalist Johann Hari shared his research into drug and alcohol addiction, along with his own personal history of substance use and his journey to recovery. The Ted Talk, titled “Everything you think you […]

Winning the War on the Inside. I once heard a story told by a Native American Indian at a 12-step meeting. I was moved by the story for its stark resonance with how I’ve felt my entire life – that there’s a great and terrible battle raging inside of me, and I’m not always on […]

Three Keys for Successful Resolutions Around New Years but also throughout the year, and with the best of intentions, people create resolutions to make desired changes in their lives.  Unfortunately, many fail (research shows as many as 88% fail to keep their resolutions), become discouraged, make excuses for why they didn’t or couldn’t, and surrender […]

The Essence of Change – a poem by Portia Nelson This brilliant poem by Portia Nelson has long been used in the context of 12-step programs to model the process of recovery. At the heart of the message is the reality that recovery is an active and ongoing responsibility of the person in recovery; countless […]

Words can be positive or negative, helpful or hurtful. Either way, they matter; it matters what you say, both to others and to yourself. Your life narrative is an internalized story you’ve constructed based upon experiences, how those experiences occurred to you, and the specific words you selected to describe the events, both while and […]

As this is my first post, I’ll use this opportunity to summarize what I’m trying to impact with Narratives Coaching. I have a huge passion for helping people break free of negative thinking and move past stigmatizations, whether socially- or self-imposed, preventing them from moving forward and achieving their dreams. Experiences from your past can […]