November 26 Chp 89 v 50 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

Consider , Lord , how your servants are disgraced ! I carry in my heart the insults of so many people.

STEP 4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

Are you one of those folks who try to carry all the grocery bags at once ? I am ,and there can be 15 bags and I will attach each individual bag to my fingers regardless of the weight .In the back of my mind I am telling myself , I am saving myself two trips.Half way to the house I begin losing feeling in my fingers ,suddenly I realize I am not gonna make it ,but giving up is not an option so i make a run for it but the load is too heavy and the bags split groceries spill everywhere and not just in my general area but the groceries actually take the stairs and down the driveway and down the street goes my fruits and sodas. Same goes for life ,we will do and say stuff out of anger and people will respond out of defense and hurt .Most words we receive are designed too hurt and cause as much damage as possible. Working this step will help you discover that like the groceries carrying too much in your heart will lead to your heart bursting with sadness and then collapse. No cutting corners when it comes to this step ! My heart was so full of the pain of the past that finding or fitting happiness into my heart was impossible. Gods Big book teaches that the issues of life flow from the heart and if it is full of anger , sadness , misery , and fear ,what do you think is gonna come out.Slow steady and consistent is how step 4 should be worked . Once you get rid of the heavy load you have been carrying there will be no reason too self - medicate and for once in your life you will have room for peace and happiness.

James 5-16 - Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

By Joseph Dickerson

Survey Finds Many Positive Aspects to Recovery
/By Celia Vimont
November 19th, 2014/




There are many positive aspects to being in recovery, suggests a new survey of people who are experiencing recovery from alcohol or drug problems. The findings of the national survey of more than 9,000 people will help both people in recovery, and those who treat them, according to the researchers.

Currently there is no agreement about the definition of recovery, says lead researcher Lee Ann Kaskutas, DrPH, of the Public Health Institute’s Alcohol Research Group in Emeryville, California. Many people believe it requires total abstinence from drugs and alcohol, while others do not. “Most of what we know about the definition of recovery has come from scientists and expert panels, not from people in recovery,” she says.

The goal of the “What Is Recovery?” project was to develop a way of defining recovery based on how it is experienced by those who actually live it. The researchers did a tremendous amount of outreach to find people in recovery, including ads on Craigslist and announcements on radio programs. “People in recovery are a hidden population,” Dr. Kaskutas said. “There is a serious stigma attached to addiction. These elements that define recovery demonstrate to those going through it, as well as the general public and policymakers, that it is not something to be ashamed of.”

Survey respondents were most likely to say recovery is:
Being honest with myself.
Being able to enjoy life without drinking or using drugs like I used to.
Living a life that contributes to society, to my family or to my betterment.
Being the kind of person that people can count on.
About giving back.
Striving to be consistent with my beliefs and values in activities that take up the major part of my time and energy.

Dr. Kaskutas says people in recovery can use the findings to explain to family and friends what they are going through. “They can say, ‘When I say I’m in recovery, I mean that it’s an ongoing process, and I’m actually trying to live a life that’s contributing to society,’” she says. “Recovery doesn’t just (or always) mean abstinence—it can also mean you have a positive way of being that you didn’t have before.”

She said it is significant that almost all respondents said recovery is about giving back and helping other people. She noted that some people are reluctant to attend recovery programs because they think the programs will be religious or spiritual. “The survey shows that being spiritual can really just mean you’re giving back and helping others—and it’s not necessarily about religion either.”

Helping others and giving back can be as simple as reading to your child at night, doing the dishes for your wife when she comes home tired from work, or talking to someone else in recovery, Dr. Kaskutas notes. “When you help others, you are helping yourself,” she says. “It makes you feel better. Helping others may be the combustion engine of recovery.”

Professionals treating those in recovery can also use the findings, Dr. Kaskutas says. “The findings point to specific, tangible topics that people can use in service delivery,” she notes. “It helps define what they should be concerned about, and what they should be helping people to achieve.” For instance, providers might add or suggest sober fun activities and opportunities for volunteering, and emphasize contributing to society.

To conduct the study, the researchers started by interviewing dozens of people in recovery. Some were in 12-step groups or other support groups, while others were treatment program alumni, or doing it on their own. They ended up with 167 potential items that define recovery, which were whittled down to 47 based on a survey with more than 200 recovering individuals and more than 50 additional interviews. The researchers then asked 9,341 people in recovery nationwide whether these items belonged in a definition of recovery. The final definition of recovery included 39 of these items.

The findings are published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

Dr. Kaskutas says she hopes to keep in touch with more than 1,000 survey respondents who said they were interested in staying involved in future studies on recovery, to track their progress over time.

New Research Finds 20 Percent of College Students Abuse Prescription Stimulants
/By Join Together Staff
November 19th, 2014/




Almost one-fifth of college students say they abuse prescription stimulants, a new survey finds. The most commonly abused stimulants are medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), such as Ritalin, Adderall and Vyvanse.

One in seven young adults ages 18 to 25 who aren’t in college also say they abuse stimulant medications, HealthDay reports. The survey, sponsored by the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids, included more than 1,600 young adults who answered questions online. The researchers found young adults say they use prescription stimulants to help them stay awake, study or improve their performance at work or school.

“The findings shed a new and surprising light on the young adult who is abusing prescription stimulants,” said Sean Clarkin, Director of Strategy and Program Management for the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids. “While there is some ‘recreational’ abuse, the typical misuser is a male college student whose grade point average is only slightly lower than that of non-abusers, but who is juggling a very busy schedule that includes academics, work and an active social life.”

“Students need help in learning how to manage their busy lifestyles effectively,” Dr. Josh Hersh, Staff Psychiatrist at Miami University, said in a news release. “Learning time management strategies such as ‘block scheduling’ and ‘syllabus tracking’ can help prevent ‘cramming’ – the main reason people look to stimulants at whatever the price. In addition, teaching students with ADHD who are prescribed stimulants about how to properly care for their medication will help address misuse and prevent these drugs from getting into the hands of students who might abuse the meds.”

Hersh explained stimulant drug abuse can be dangerous for students. “The fact that students often use these drugs around deadlines, when their natural adrenaline is already high, elevates the risk even more,” he said. “Sporadic use can lead to severe sleep deprivation and cause stimulant-induced psychosis, when a student gets paranoid and may hallucinate.”

Opioid Abuse Among Pregnant Women On the Rise
/By Join Together Staff
November 19th, 2014/


The percentage of women dependent on opioids during pregnancy more than doubled from 1998 to 2011, a new study finds. The overall rate of opioid dependency in pregnant women remains low, at 0.39 percent.

The study looked at the use of prescription painkillers such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine and methadone, as well as illegal opioids such as heroin, according to HealthDay.

Lead researcher Dr. Lisa Leffert of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston noted dependence on opioids during pregnancy can increase risks during delivery. “This increase in opioid abuse and dependence in the pregnant population is happening along with that in the general population,” she said. “These women were more likely to deliver by cesarean and have extended hospital stays” compared to other pregnant women.

Leffert and colleagues analyzed data on almost 57 million deliveries between 1998 and 2011. They found women who abused or were dependent on opioids were almost five times as likely to die during hospitalization, and were more likely to deliver by cesarean section and have extended hospital stays, compared with women who did not abuse or were not dependent on narcotics.

The babies of women who abused or were dependent on opioids were twice as likely to be stillborn, premature and have poor growth. A condition called placental abruption, in which the placenta separates from the wall of the uterus prematurely, was almost three times as likely in these women.

The findings are published in the journal Anesthesiology.

November 23 Chp 147 v 3 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

STEP 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God .

Its a no brainer right ! Well if so why do we spend so much time tying to fix things the way we want .Its funny even when it appears we have our lives straightened out we still feel lost and empty. We still spend countless years pretending to the world we got it all together when we know deep down inside our hearts their is pain exhaustion and sorrow we cant get rid of or heal ourselves from. The Psalm has the promise and the answer , the step is the key. God knows your deepest darkest secrets and only he can truly heal ,but he bandages our wounds .Remember being a kid and falling down all we wanted too do was get to mama and she would hold you rock you and then put some stuff on your boo boo and it would burn but she would blow on it too soothe it .Thats what God does , He embraces us soothes our hurts and dries our tears and heals our wounds . Our way is a quick fix just like our addiction . With God its a permanent fix ! 

Psalms 30:5 …Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

BY Joseph Dickerson

November Newsletter   From breaking research on Rx stimulant abuse to a brand new, interactive toolkit for teens, check out what's going on at the Partnership this fall.   Survey: College Students & the Abuse of Rx Stimulants This month, we released a new survey confirming that the abuse of prescription stimulants – medicines prescribed for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – is becoming normalized among college students and other young adults. The study found that young adults often misuse and abuse these drugs as a way to manage the stress of academics, work and social pressures they face in their daily lives. The survey was released on November 13th at New York University. See the survey findings > New Toolkit for Teens Responding to the growing need for teen-targeted educational resources, we developed a new Above the Influence (ATI) Toolkit. This resource includes teen-informed activities that can be used with youth 12-17 years old to boost confidence and prevent risk-taking behaviors, including alcohol and drug abuse. This toolkit is part of ATI, a program inspiring young people to make positive decisions and avoid negative influences. It offers individual and group activities that can help teens make healthier decisions with the support of adults who value them. Download the ATI Toolkit >   The Partnership, The GRAMMY Foundation® and MusiCares® Announce 2014 Teens Make Music Contest We collaborated with the GRAMMY Foundation® and MusiCares® for the fifth annual Teens Make Music Contest. The contest, part of our new Above the Influence campaign, asks young musicians, ages 14 – 18, to compose or create an original song and/or music video that celebrates life above the influence or brings attention to the consequences of substance abuse. Learn more >    Families need your support. Donate to the Partnership for Drug-Free Kids on December 2nd, #GivingTuesday.              We're here to help. Call our Parents Toll-Free Helpline 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373)            DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. Messages sent to this email address are not read. If you have a question or comment, please use our interactive online help system. Subscribe to our RSS feeds. To prevent mailbox filters from deleting mailings from Drugfree.org, add thepartnership@drugfree.org to your address book. Partnership for Drug-Free Kids | 352 Park Avenue South | Ninth Floor | New York, NY 10010 unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences | view email in browser

Early Brain Changes May Predict Future Alcohol Abuse in Teens: Study

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

November 20th, 2014/

Brain scans may be able to detect changes in the brain in preteens that predict future alcohol abuse, a new study suggests.

The study included 135 preteen and teenage boys and girls who were an average of 12.6 years old, and who had not yet tried alcohol. They underwent MRI scans to evaluate their brain connections, Medical Daily reports. The scans focused on the brain’s executive control network (ECN), which includes the areas that process emotion, impulsivity and self-control.

Participants’ parents filled out a questionnaire about their children’s behavior, such as irritability, anger and sadness. The questionnaire is predictive of future alcohol misuse. The researchers compared the answers with the preteens’ MRI results.

“We know impaired functioning in the ECN is linked to an earlier age of drinking onset and higher frequency of drinking, but it was unclear whether this dysfunction occurred before drinking or was a consequence of alcohol use,” project researcher Tomas Clarke of Georgetown University Medical Center said in a news release. The researchers found children who were at high risk for alcohol abuse had significantly fewer connections in the ECN than those considered to be at low risk. “Our findings suggest reduced prefrontal cortex development predates alcohol use and may be related to future alcohol use disorders,” Clarke noted.

Project director Dr. John VanMeter added, “What this study is attempting to do is identify the differences in the brains of adolescents who go on to misuse alcohol and other drugs. If we know what is different, we may be able to develop strategies that can prevent the behavior.”

The research was presented this week at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting.

Washington Poison Center Reports Large Jump in Marijuana Exposures

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

November 20th, 2014/

The Washington Poison Center reported a large jump in calls about marijuana exposures in October. The majority of exposures likely resulted from marijuana obtained at medical marijuana dispensaries, officials said.

The spikes in exposure were greatest in teenagers, Reuters reports. Marijuana exposures can cause adverse reactions including increased heart rate, paranoia or stomach illness, the Poison Center said.

Only a handful of recreational marijuana stores have opened so far in the state. “The medical marijuana industry is largely unregulated and not subject to the scrutiny and oversight by the Liquor Control Board that recreational marijuana must go through,” Dr. Alexander Garrard, Clinical Managing Director of the Washington Poison Center, noted on its website.

Garrard said 210 marijuana exposures were reported in the first nine months of 2014, more than in all of last year. “Our thought is that the spike is potentially related to the number of unlicensed medical marijuana dispensaries that are opening up around the state,” he said. He noted the dispensaries have been expanding steadily in the past year.

The dispensaries sell products of unconfirmed potency, as well as edible products that appeal to children, such as lollipops and gummy bears, Garrard said.

Best of the Week: November 14–21 COMING UP IN THE FIX// Homeless and Addicted * Drug Scandals on Wall Street* Smuggling Drugs in Prison * Food Addiction * Have We Grown Past Anonymity? *Junkies in the Hurricane * Passing the Sobriety Test * Happy Thanksgiving! * PLUS: Other incisive articles OLD HABITS// America's Senior Addiction Problem The Fix Q&A with Dr. Damon Raskin and Mrs. Ruth Dent about the addiction epidemic amongst the elderly from a professional and a personal perspective respectively. By John Lavitt PROFESSIONAL VOICES// Lift Up The Hood Can resilience be taught as a skill that can be applied as part of addiction treatment? By Richard Juman TOUGH LOVE// Florida’s Marchman Act: Why Involuntary Commitment Works Mandating addicts to treatment often prevents later incarceration. By Jessica Zimmer SOCIETY// Addiction on the Rise in the Hispanic Community Latinos have reduced access to treatment programs and lower participation and retention rates. By Jeanene Swanson SLIDESHOW// The Top Ten Addiction Movies You Have Never Seen Forget Trainspotting and Leaving Las Vegas, here’s a list that goes from Sinatra to Pacino. By Kristen McGuiness   BEST OF THE QUICK FIX Research Shows Cannabinoids Slow Tumor Growth in Aggressive Cancer DEA Investigation Surprises Two NFL Teams Bob Marley to Headline Mainstream Marijuana Brand Brain Damage Caused By Meth Looks a Lot Like Schizophrenia Ohio Lawmakers Could Face Random Drug Testing Bill Cosby Won't Respond to Allegations of Drugging and Raping Women COMMENT OF THE WEEK Cultured Care This week, Jeanene Swanson looked into how addiction is hitting Latinos harder than ever. One reader provided insight on how treatment could better work with Latino culture: Comfortable and pleasant personal connection with the individual providing the services is of the utmost importance, even more so than the quality or the benefits of the service provided. A Latino will often accept poor performance over what may be available that is superior if he/she feels understood and respected. It's often of greater importance than the purpose of the business being transacted. Whites dealing with Latinos hardly ever get that. -stingyfinger MORE »

National Prevention Week Partners SEE MORE SAMHSA is proud to partner with Rockers In Recovery along with the following federal agencies and national organizations, and thanks them for their support of  National Prevention Week.  Read More   Does Awareness & Prevention Help ?  "I just wanted to thank you guys at RIR for helping me get into rehab last February. I even was allowed to bring my guitar! It was good because it forced me to deal with issues I had buried. I struggled quite a bit but finally the miracle happened for me. The obsession to use has been lifted and I love life and my recovery and I am looking forward to a year clean so I can go to hospitals and jails to spread the message of recovery. Without your help I would have overdosed because I felt hopeless to get into rehab. You guys put me in touch with the person who found a place for me when all others turned me down because of my Medicare. I will never forget and will pass it on whenever possible." 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