title: "First Things First": What is the First Thing?
abstract: This op-ed piece comments on the down-side of an otherwise useful 12-step slogan, "First Things First," which generally refers to staying sober (not drinking or using no matter what). While important, there are environmental, microsocial, psychiatric, and neurobiological considerations that may place other needs at an equal or higher priority than sobriety per se. That is, other changes may be needed to set the stage for, or enhance efforts at sobriety, prior to or concurrent with attempting to quit one's drug of choice. Perhaps slogans should be considered in a broader context and not be taken too literally.
authors.affiliation: a Departments of Preventive Medicine and Psychology, and School of Social Work, Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , California , USA.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sussman
authors.affiliation: a Departments of Preventive Medicine and Psychology, and School of Social Work, Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , California , USA.
authors.forename: Myriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forster
authors.affiliation: a Departments of Preventive Medicine and Psychology, and School of Social Work, Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research , University of Southern California , Los Angeles , California , USA.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grigsby
mesh_terms: D000436:Alcoholics Anonymous; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D004777:Environment; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D012931:Social Environment
keywords: treatment needs; “First things First” slogans