The Stand is a trusted information resource for people dealing with various forms of addiction, whether they are the ones struggling, or whether they are seeking answers for someone they care about.
The Stand is for people who have heard the standard talking points about addiction being a chronic disease that cannot be overcome but must be managed daily for life. They know the prevailing treatment method and have seen its effect on people caught in the cycle of recovery, relapse and back. They’ve been touched by the growing number of deaths among people who have been through treatment but now are counted in the program’s swelling pool of “unfortunates”.
The Stand is for people who believe there must be more to learn and understand about the brain, addiction and its treatment than what was conceived and written 75 years ago without benefit of modern science and technology.
It is a place to find out what new brain imaging technology and related sciences have revealed about how people grow dependent on certain behaviors such as substance abuse, and how their individuality – their faith and character – influences their choices and actions.
The Stand is for people willing to explore the possibilities being revealed, without bias or presumptions carried in from entrenched beliefs. It is by and for people whose primary goal is to help people (maybe even themselves) recover fully from substance abuse and other harmful addictions, and for them to go on to enjoy productive, highly rewarding lives, free of addiction.
The Stand is not a place for casting stones at established views and practices, nor does it engage in ridicule, mockery or accusation of individuals with opposing views. The Stand encourages readers to stand up for the truth, even when it might attract naysayers or create controversy.
The Stand does not claim to have all the answers or to have everything figured out. Sources are provided where appropriate. Where opinions and reasoned conclusions are expressed, they are identified as such. And in the spirit of continuous improvement, The Stand persists in challenging its own assumptions, updating information as called for.
The Stand is not sponsored by any outside organization, nor does it receive funds from any resource with financial or other professional motives for advancing specific views or practices. Its purpose is to motivate readers to stand in sufficient number, and demand that the addiction industry make urgently needed changes in order to save lives.