T gether
Rob Lowe: Learning Who I Really Am Page 7
A voice f or health a n d rec overy
www.together.us.com
The Gift of Rest:
Researchers studying the brain say that giving has a more powerful effect on your health than receiving
By Senator Joe Lieberman
Page 6
Is Your Teen at Risk?.......8 Brilliant, Tragic Lives.....9 Sex, Drugs & Rehab........13
When Legal Meds Cause a Relapse.............. 4
feeling pretty good,” he says. “No more isolation or malaise. I felt gratified.” Today, Post is a leading authority on altruism and bioethics, studying the profound impact giving has on our health and well-being. “Giving is the most potent force on the planet,” says Post, Ph.D., director of the Center for Medical Humanities, Compassionate Care and Bioethics at Stony Brook University. “It’s as good for the giver as it is for the receiver. We’re happier, healthier, and live a little longer if we’re generous.” We’ll also be more successful in recovery, research shows. “Giving back is essential to recovery,” says the psychologist Donna Wick, executive director of the Freedom Institute, a not-for-profit resource center in New York City for those affected by alcohol and drug
By Suzanne Riss
W
hen Stephen Post was 13, it wasn’t unusual for him to drink a sixpack or two of beer while hanging out with friends on the beach. “I was drinking heavily at an early age, and so was everyone around me,” he says. Losing two of his favorite uncles to alcohol-related illnesses when he turned 15 changed all that. “I realized I had alcoholism on both sides of my family,” Post says. “I saw where it could lead. I quit drinking and never went back.” His mother was quick to suggest new ways he could spend his time. “When I’d feel sad or lonely, she’d tell me to go do something for someone else,” he recalls. So he’d rake leaves for a neighbor, help someone put canvas over a boat or run errands for an elderly couple across the street. “I’d come back home
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Was Ulysses S. Grant an Alcoholic? It seemed so to many, but he was also recognized as one of America’s greatest generals
I
November/December 2011
The Power of Giving It Away
Inside
Three Foundations of a Great Life........................3
New York Edition
By Randy Lewis
n the eventful history of the United States the American Civil War continues to stand out as its most defining and profound episode. Among its greatest players, Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant excels for his ability to discern and act on military opportunities, and for a capacity, next only to Lincoln, to know what had to be done to win this bloodiest and most important of all American conflicts. Few military leaders have surpassed Grant’s strategic vision or tactical implementation, with the possible exception of Douglas MacArthur. Yet, there is strong evidence to indicate that Grant by today’s standards was an alcoholic. Some would say no to this observation based on the standards
of the time, to include the great Civil War chronicler, Bruce Catton. What do we make of this question? Let’s explore some key points of Grant’s life, and the impact that alcohol had on him. Grant was born in 1822 with the baptized name of Hiram Ulysses Grant. At West Point he was incorrectly registered as “Ulysses S Grant.” He did not dispute this mistake, which may suggest some level of poor self-esteem. His father, Jesse, was the son of a “drunk,” Noah Grant, who had abandoned his family. Jesse was supposedly a driven man, because of the shame he held for his father, and became a successful tanner on the Ohio frontier. He was known as a taskmaster and a demanding father. In fact “Hiram” did not want to go to West Point, but Jesse obtained the appoint-
ment and insisted that his son attend. Grant graduated in 1843, 21st in a class of 39. He was known as a quiet, introspective person who was good at math and was a superb horseman (something that he would be known for throughout his life). There is no credible evidence then that Grant had a drinking problem, though he would imbibe, as did most of his fellow cadets.
“Flabby and undone” The excessive use of alcohol during the early to middle 1800’s was greater than it is today, with an average consumption per person of five gallons a year. Heavy drinking on the frontier
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