My Own Addictions

Dr. Kern's Personal Battles with Alcohol, Drugs,
and other Excessive Behaviors

In 1972, in my early twenties, I received my degree in architecture from Ohio State University. Within three years, because of my addictions, I undermined both my practice as an architect and my marriage. By the end of my marriage, my addiction was at its worst. I naively tried to stop "cold turkey," and found myself having a grand mal seizure in front of sixty other architects. My parents were frantic about the turn my life was taking. My marriage was over, and I had moved back home with them.

I couldn't relate to AA's "Powerlessness" philosophy.

At the time, I was referred to 12-step groups by well-intended professionals, but found no relief. I was very shy and ashamed of my problems. AA's large meetings were very intimidating and made my humiliation worse. I felt more alone than ever when I was in those groups. I didn't identify with the other attendees, their stories or doctrine of powerlessness or their method of fixing my problem. I now have over 30 years of abstinence from drugs with one exception...

My training as an architect taught me that things needed to make rational, logical sense for me to utilize the tools. Like designing and constructing a building, I needed to feel a sense of control about the direction I was taking and have a blueprint to guide me and envision the final product. The 12-step approach, with its powerlessness and "higher power" philosophy was the antithesis of my architectural training and the consciousness of my college years during the Vietnam War protest era.

A personal search for alternatives to AA

Frustrated and hopeless, I began a personal search to find alternative solutions for my problems with several substances-alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and food, as well as my habit of procrastination. Although I knew I needed to do something about my addictions, I stayed away from traditional addiction treatment for several years because I was told that the 12-step way was the only way, a way that clearly wasn't for me.

I went to a private therapist, but he really didn't understand the unique difficulties I was having due to my addictions. His business card said that he was a specialist in addictions but, in reality, he was a traditional therapist and had no special addiction expertise as adjunct to his work with me. He didn't have any tools to help me with my pain, depression, anxiety and impulse control. His best advice came at the end of our relationship when he suggested I go back to school and transform my problem with addictions into a new direction.

Back to college to train as a psychologist

So I shifted my entire orientation to life. I went back to school with the goal of attaining a Master's degree in Guidance and Career Counseling. In graduate school, I found all kinds of different theories and research on addiction treatments. I never came across anything in the literature about the 12-steps and never came across the notion that the traditional 12-step approach fits all. So when I graduated, I decided to bring this knowledge to light to help people like myself, (perhaps like you or someone you care about).

In 1982, I received my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology. In 1983 I founded Addiction Alternatives, my private practice in Los Angeles, California, to provide clients with non-12-step addiction treatment alternatives, because there are many more people like me who do not find AA and the 12-step approach to be effective.

I now have over thirty years of abstinence from my drugs of choice, with one exception. I have chosen the Harm Reduction approach to alcohol, whereby I have continued to reduce my consumption of alcohol over time. Today I average two glasses of wine a month. I'm comfortable with that amount and having the choice of drinking if I so choose. I am successful and respected in my career and I am re-married with two fantastic kids. I hope to bring this wisdom, life experiences and training to others who are now where I once was.

Contemporary Addiction Recovery Guidance and Treatment