Counselor Magazine, the Magazine for Addiction Professionals - Bill W. and Dr. Bob Makes Off Broadway Debut

SUBSCRIBER LOGIN

News Briefs

Continued Decline in Youth Substance Abuse

Current illicit drug use among teens is continuing to decline, according to a new report by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released today. The study also shows positive signs that teens are seeing the dangers of abusing prescription drugs and methamphetamine and are pushing back. Among youth ages 12-17, the 2007 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), the Nation's largest substance use survey, shows that the significant decline in overall past month illicit drug use that began in 2002 continued through 2007, from 11.6 percent to 9.5 percent.

The survey, released at the start of the 19th Annual National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, shows that the reductions in youth drug use occurred for nearly every type of illicit drug including marijuana, cocaine, hallucinogens, LSD, and Ecstasy. The survey also shows dramatic declines in meth use, down by 67 percent (from 0.3% to 0.1%) and prescription drug abuse among teens, which declined overall by 18 percent, from 4 percent to 3.3 percent between 2002-2007.

Polls

Can Recovering Drug Addicts Drink?

	Yes
	No
	I don't know

Special Offer

Bill W. and Dr. Bob Makes Off Broadway Debut - An Interview with the Playwrights

Feature Articles - Cultural

Written by Stephanie L. Muller

Wednesday, 27 June 2007

In addition to his “day job” as a doctor on the Harvard Medical School faculty and running a private psychiatric practice, Dr. Stephen Bergman also is a published novelist and playwright.

In a writing career than spans more than 30 years, he has written novels and plays under the pen-name Samuel Shem, including his classic novel about medical internship, The House of God (1978), which has sold more than two million copies, in 30 languages. He has been honored as one of “Boston’s Best Authors” and has given commencement addresses at more than 50 medical schools on “How to Stay Human in Medicine.” His newest novel, The Spirit of the Place, will be published in 2008. Janet Surrey, PhD is a clinical psychologist in private practice, as well as a founding scholar at the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute at the Stone Center at Wellesley College, where she serves on the faculty and board of the Institute of Meditation and Psychotherapy in Newton. She is author and co-author of several books and papers in the areas of relational psychology, spirituality, women’s psychological development and addiction. With her husband, Dr. Stephen Bergman, she founded the Gender Relations Research Project at the Stone Center, and has co-authored a non-fiction book, We Have to Talk: Healing Dialogues Between Women and Men.

Just weeks before their latest co-production, Bill W. and Dr. Bob, was scheduled to debut Off Broadway, they agreed to speak with Counselor Magazine’s editor, Stephanie Muller, about the inspiration they received from the addicts and alcoholics they treated, and the story of Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) co-founders Bill Wilson and Bob Smith.

Counselor: I understand that both of you have treated alcoholics in your respective practices and have encouraged your patients to attend AA as part of their treatment. Please tell me about how the two of you came up with the idea to present the story of Bill W. and Dr. Bob in a play?

Want to read the entire article? Don't miss out...Subscribe now to Counselor Magazine—or buy the single issue! It's easy. Just follow the links below:

Subscribe to Counselor Magazine
Buy this issue only

If you have any questions, please \n \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information!