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What We Believe

At HAMS we believe that anyone can make positive changes in alcohol or drug use no matter how mild or severe the pattern of use may be. We do not believe that anyone is trapped by a fatal, progressive disease. Rather, we believe that anyone can achieve a resolution of or improvement in substance use via a goal of safer use, reduced use, or total abstinence. Some people may also need the adjunct of psychotherapy and/or psychotropic medications to deal with underlying mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and trauma. However, ultimately, HAMS believes that we all have the power within ourselves to get better and that we are not the victims of some mysterious disease that hijacks our brains, leaving us incapable of choice and requiring us to turn our lives over to a higher power. Rather, it is through our choices and our desires that we heal, although it is often hard work and more difficult for some than others. For these reasons, HAMS rejects the "disease" model of addiction and embraces the "choice" model. It is your choices and your hard work - coupled with tools from HAMS and perhaps psychological and/or psychiatric help - that will set you free. And it is your choice, not ours, whether to abstain, moderate, or even enjoy controlled and safe intoxication. Overcoming a substance use problem is like lifting weights: the more you practice, the stronger you get. HAMS is here to empower you - you are not powerless!

The Scope of HAMS

HAMS is primarily about providing support for people who wish to reduce or eliminate the harm in their lives caused by the use of the "soft" drugs alcohol, marijuana, nicotine and/or caffeine. However, HAMS is open and welcoming to people who wish to reduce or eliminate the harm in their lives caused by any substance or any behavior.

HAMS has chosen to concentrate on the substances named above because of the paucity of any Harm Reduction support for them and also because these are the areas of expertise of the creators of HAMS.

Other organizations already provide excellent Harm Reduction information and support for users of "hard" drugs such as heroin, cocaine, crack, meth, etc. HAMS maintains a listing of Harm Reduction support groups for people who use these drugs and who wish for more support than that which they find at HAMS. The Harm Reduction Coalition also keeps an extensive list of harm reduction resources here. HAMS also offers a Drugs Harm Reduction Email Group in addition to our Alcohol Harm Reduction Email Group.

Acknowledgments

The HAMS Harm Reduction Network would like to express its great debt of gratitude to the organizations and individuals who have gone on before us and helped to inspire us. These include The Harm Reduction Coalition, The Moderation Management Network Inc, Access Works, The Albert Ellis Institute, Stanton Peele, Audrey Kishline, Patt Denning, Jeannie Little, Adina Glickman, Alan Marlatt, Ken Ragge, Alex Deluca, Tamara Grams, Rae Eden Frank, Tommi Stevens, Beth Zeiler, Alissa Fountain, Jeffrey Schaler and many, many more.

However, our greatest debt of all is to those members of HAMS and MM who created their own programs which worked for them as individuals and who inspired the elements of the HAMS process. We could not have come into existence without you guys.

HAMS Mission Statement

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