| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
January 13 CHAP 31 v 10 v 11 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS
I am dying from grief ; my years are shortened by sadness . Sin (addiction) has drained my strength ;
I am wasting away from within. I am scorned by all my enemies and despised by my neighbors even my friends are afraid to come near me.
(GODS BIG BOOK )
Scorn is open disrespect for someone or something. It can also be disrespect coupled with feelings of intense dislike.
STEP 1. We admitted we were powerless over chemical substances—that our lives had become unmanageable .
The Psalm is describing the rock bottom in which I found myself fourteen years ago .The twelve Steps I discovered were going to be the only way I could climb out of this place. Addiction left me with absolutely no strength left to take the first step .Too this day and I cant explain it some super natural unseen power lifted my leg for me and placed it on that step . At the bottom of the steps was nothing but the blackest of darkness. Fear , despair , and grief were hands coming through the steps ,holding me in place or tripping me up causing me to fall to the bottom again ,but every time I fell that super natural unseen power put my leg back on that step again and again and again. At the top of the steps was a door that would get me out of this GOD forsaken place. I could see a light coming through the bottom and I wanted desperately to step in to the light and out of this darkness . Anywhere but here is the voice I heard whispering in my heavy heart . Up the steps I went but , fear , despair , and grief became hands reaching through the steps ,holding me in place or tripping me up causing me to fall to the bottom again ,but every time I fell that super natural unseen power put my leg back on that step again and again and again .Climbing those stairs was the most difficult thing I have ever done in life ! I got to the top and opened the door there was light fresh air and freedom to go anywhere I choose .Freedom for the first time in my life ! Occasionally I pass that basement door and sometimes I hear a whisper that says come inside , but deep down in my heart I know if I open and enter again I might never get out so I say a little prayer and thank God that I am out of the basement.
Isaiah 9:2 The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them. (GODS BIG BOOK ) By Joseph Dickerson
Monday, January 12, 2015
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
January 12, 2015
Invitation to Present at NAADAC 2015 Annual Conference
NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, announces the Call for Presentations for its 2015 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The 2015 Annual Conference will be held at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & Conference Center from October 9-13, 2015, including pre-conference training sessions on October 9th and an Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill onOctober 13th. Regular conference sessions will take placeOctober 10-12th.
NAADAC members and non-members are invited to submit presentations for pre-conference sessions, breakout sessions, and plenary sessions. NAADAC encourages young investigators, researchers, and addiction professionals from diverse organizations and fields to submit.
Deadline: Monday, February 9, 2015
Presentation Tracks & Topics
NAADAC and its partners are calling for workshop proposals that offer unique educational experiences for addiction focused professionals. We are seeking current and relevant information within these seven tracks:
Practice Management & Technology: Health Information Technology (HIT), Electronic Health Records (EHR), Certification/Licensure, Patient Retention, Billing/Insurance, Social Media, Teletherapy, and Ethical, Legal, and Liability Issues.
Co-Occurring Disorders:Integrated Treatment, Changes from DSM-IV to DSM-5, Mental Health Disorders, Trauma, and ICD 10.
Psychopharmacology: Neurobiology of Addiction, Pharmacotherapy/Medication-Assisted Treatment, Opioids, Alcohol, Marijuana, Sedatives, Stimulants, Synthetic Drugs, Tobcacco/Nicotine, and Designer Drugs.
Advocacy: Policy/Regulatory Issues, Affordable Care Act (ACA), and How to Advocate.
Clinical Skills: Evidence-based Practices, Case Studies, Relapse Prevention, Treatment Planning, Screening & Assessment, Counseling Theories, The ASAM Criteria, and Promising Practices.
Cultural Humility: Introduction to Cultural Humility, Addiction-Specific Issues Involving LGBTQ, Racial/Ethnic Groups, Gender, Spirituality, Low-Income/Homeless, and Veterans/Military.
Process Addictions:Gambling Addiction, Sexual Addiction, Internet Addiction, and Eating Disorders.
Education/INCASE: Applications with a post-secondary educational focus, designed for an audience of college level faculty who are seeking to enhance the quality of training and education in addiction studies, to disseminate professional knowledge and share ideas regarding addiction studies, students and scholarship in the field of addiction studies with a creative evidence-based focus. The topics can be as broad as national policy level discussions, and as narrow as creative improvement of a single course--originality is key to acceptance.
Presenter Eligibility
To be considered, presenters must have professional qualifications in good standing with their professional regulatory board, if applicable, possess the technical expertise necessary to present on a subject effectively, and meet one or more of the following:
Be a faculty member of a college or university;
Have received specialized graduate or post-graduate level training in subject of presentation; and/or
Have extensive experience including at least five years of practical application or research involving subject of presentation.
Benefits of Presenting
Presenters will receive a complimentary daily conference pass for the day of their presentation. Admission will include access to all education and networking events, meal functions, and receptions on that day.
Promotion of your credentials on our website, in our conference app, and in all electronic and print marketing materials.
Recognition of your expertise by NAADAC and by other industry professionals
Networking opportunities.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be selected according to the following criteria:
All sections of the application are complete.
Presentation description is clearly written.
Learning objectives are clearly stated.
Session structure and organization are clearly defined.
Presentation is supported by evidence-based data from research or demonstrated results.
Presenters have sufficient experience and knowledge of the subject matter.
Presentation is not used to market products or services, and is free from commercial bias.
Scoring Criteria
The Conference Committee will rank each presentation out of ten points: three points for topic relevance; three points for a compelling description and use of evidence-based practices; three points for unique approach to/or delivery; and one point for being a current NAADAC member.Notification of Selection
Chosen presenters will be notified of their selection by email by March 16, 2015.Additional Questions?
Please email Jessica Gleason with any other presentation-related questions. For general conference-related questions, please contact NAADAC at naadac@naadac.org or 800.548.0497.
NAADAC,
The Association for Addiction Professionals
1001 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 201,
Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone: 703.741.7686 / 800.548.0497
҉
“Negativity spreads faster than any Justin Bieber song.” -Vanilla Ice
“I think when I look out and I see there’s so much negativity in the world and a lot of people are anxious, it just feels like that’s one view of the world. But you don’t have to always focus on that view of the world.” -Chris Hardwick
“If you find yourself plagued by a recurrent worry, train yourself to think of something else. Your conscious mind can concentrate on only one thought at a time, and driving the negativity away will free you up to move forward again.” -Harvey Mackay
******************************
Statement #2, “Negative thoughts destroy only myself.”
My first conscious sober act must be to remove negativity from my life.
******************************
Recently there have been some intense happenings going on in the world that we as human beings are naturally reacting and responding to. WFS and our Statements continue to help me understand and move through intense thoughts and emotions. In the past, I was actually drawn to inflammatory words, actions and events, almost feeling fueled by them. Then I drank to try to escape all of the negativity that I had just witnessed, experienced or created. It was a painful time.
With Statement #2 in hand, I am able to first recognize negativity and then disconnect from it. It is not easy at times, especially when news organizations repeat the same traumas and obvious speculation or when my thoughts continue to repeat a loop of drama. Today I know I can shift my perspective and maybe gain some valuable insight.
Training myself to release negativity is a daily action. I need practice every day, NO MATTER WHAT. If I am tired or angry, I may cling to negativity a bit longer but I can make that shift today with greater ease. By recognizing, realizing and then releasing, I am able to move through negativity or I can bypass it altogether. For instance, I can turn the news off by quieting the radio, television or Internet. I don’t have to follow the crowd into drama. I have control of my own OFF button. Once engaged, I move away from negativity and reclaim my balance. My thoughts brighten as I engage in life instead of negativity and compassion swells from within. It’s like giving myself an inner hug!
Is negativity becoming easier for you to recognize and release today?
Hugzzz, Karen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi 4C Women,
Many of you know that I was the queen of negativity and, when I first became involved in WFS, I thought that it would be impossible to ever turn my attitude around. Over the weekend, I sprained a tendon on my middle finger right hand and ended up in the ER. I could have sworn it was broken as I heard a crunch/crack and the tip of my finger was bent down. Years past, I would have been frozen in the negativity of why me? I would have been depressed and angry all at the same time. I just told myself that I would deal with whatever the outcome would be. What choice did I have? WFS taught me that and I was actually happy that it was only a sprain and not broken. I can still type (not as fast as usual), drive and the pain isn’t that awful. To top it off, my granddaughter and I were watching a TV show and, even though I don’t recall which show, there was a woman who was responding to a situation and my granddaughter turned to me and said, “Grandmom, that’s you - always seeing things in a positive way.”
So for those who are struggling with a negative attitude, remember it does take awareness and then practice to see a situation in a different light. Also, it really helps in learning to make healthier choices in handling difficult challenges. Rather than thinking why me, consider how empowered you will feel when you respond differently. It also freaks out those people who expect the same negative response. Now that can be fun and in the end, life changing and healing for you and your relationships. And that’s the changing force in becoming a 4C woman! -Dee
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Thank you, Karen and Dee, for your words of encouragement and inspiration to start off our week!~Becky Fenner, WFS Director | ||||
| Email: newlife@nni.com * Tel: 215-536-8026 * Fax: 215-538-9026 | ||||
| http://www.womenforsobriety. | ||||
Women for Sobriety, Inc.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)