The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

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  • Recent Comments

    Changes in spirituality and religiousness during treatment of heavy drinking

    Here’s a study of the change in spirituality and religiousness among alcoholics during treatment and the associated changes in drinking outcomes.

    Half of the 10 measures of spirituality changed significantly in 154 adults who participated in an Alcoholics Anonymous treatment program over 6 months.

    • Daily spiritual experiences
    • Use of religious practices
    • Forgiveness
    • Positive use of religion for coping
    • Feelings of purpose in life

    At the same time, the use of alcohol decreased significantly.

    Interestingly, the core beliefs and values about God or religion didn’t change among the participants. Thus, it appears that changes in core beliefs and values are not necessary in order for someone to be more open to spiritual experiences or take part in more spiritual activities as listed above.

    The researchers concluded that these results “support the perspective of many clinicians and recovering individuals that changes in alcoholics’ spirituality and religiousness occur in recovery and that such changes are important to sobriety.”

    3/19/07 21:27 JR

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