Wednesday, August 13, 2014


Rich Mom Addicts Get Sobriety Coaches; Poor Moms Get Jail
In America, addiction is judged through the lens of class.

Shutterstock



08/01/14





Sobriety coaches rake in big bucks to keep one percenters off their substance of choice. A-listers are so busy, after all, and treatment centers are both time-consuming and detrimental to privacy. Even when the wealthy do benefit from these centers, their newfound sobriety often doesn’t outlast the first weekend home alone.

Enter one of the most lucrative jobs in the therapy business.

If you’re a celebrity like Lindsay Lohan, a trust-fund baby, or perhaps a Wall Streeter with a problem, your sobriety coach will accompany you to social events, sometimes posing as a yoga teacher or life coach, to keep you from popping a pill or snorting a line. She will pry the drink out of your fingers at weddings and polo matches. She will even move into your house to keep you from falling off the wagon.

A recent report in the New York Times, “Mothers Find a Helping Hand in Sobriety Coaches,” profiled wealthy Manhattan moms addicted to prescription painkillers and cocaine who finally got clean with the help of a paid personal sobriety trainer.

Citing the difficulties of being an urban mom striving to be thin, rich and successful, the Times story applauds these well-heeled women who have kicked the habit with the aid of a high-priced babysitter. Unlike the Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor, who comes for free, a $1,000-a-day pricetag for a coach is not unusual. Terms like the “new Pilates instructor” or the “new fashion statement” are often used to describe these gold-plated companions. The company Sober Champion offers to “stay with you 24/7, helping protect your investment in yourself. Just like a full-time guardian angel.”

The report features the tale of Tamara Mellon, founder of Jimmy Choos and mother of a toddler, who battled a serious coke habit unsuccessfully until she found recovery coach Martin Freeman, whom she keeps on retainer in case she needs to be talked out of a late-night craving.

The Times cheers these women for finding their guardian angels and kicking the habit. But what happens to moms with addictions in less affluent circumstances?

In Tennessee, 26-year-old Mallory Loyola, a meth addict, recently became the first person arrested under a new state law that classifies taking illegal drugs while pregnant as an assault. Instead of recovering from childbirth and receiving proper medical care, Loyola was hauled off to jail, where she was later released on bond.

If her baby had died, Loyola could have been charged with homicide under the law. 

Tennessee is not the only place where this madness is happening. Over-zealous Alabama prosecutors are also slapping drug-addicted mothers with criminal charges. If you were a pregnant mom with a drug problem, would you want to go to the doctor to care for yourself and your pregnancy if you feared criminal charges? I’m guessing no, so both you and your fetus will not receive proper care.

If you’re a rich mom, addiction is a health issue. If you’re poor, rural, or a person of color, addiction is a crime. Women at the lower rungs of the economic ladder can have their children taken away if they are found to be using drugs or are charged with child endangerment. They are branded as bad people who do not deserve our sympathy. The social stigma and fear of losing custody of their children will keep many of these women from getting the help they need. Many will wind up in prison, with their families ripped apart and their chances of getting a job, education, or decent housing destroyed.

Does Tamara Mellon of Jimmy Choo fame fear a visit from social services or cops after announcing that she is the coke-addicted mother of a toddler? Very doubtful. And she certainly doesn't have to worry about prison.

The number of women incarcerated in the U.S. has skyrocketed by over 800 percent over the last three decades, and two-thirds of them are locked up for nonviolent offenses, many of which are drug-related. The correctional system was never set up for substance abuse treatment. Many addicted women can still get access to drugs while incarcerated, and medical care is often notoriously bad. No sobriety coaches to be found.

This is just another example of America, the land of inequality, where a two-tiered justice system and wildly divergent social standards create a situation in which the same behavior will earn you either draconian punishment or gentle pampering, depending on the size of your bank account.
Christian Life Prison and Recovery Ministries, Inc.

A Benefit to Help Fight Addiction
12pm to 8pm - Free Event!
Donations will be accepted at the gate

On the Campus of Christian Life Center
3100 Galloway Rd
Bensalem, PA 19020
Our 2nd annual outdoor Conquering Grounds Music Fest to benefit our CLPRM Scholarship Fund, helping those struggling with addiction and coming out of prison.
 This rain or shine event features... 
  • 9 Christian Artists/Bands
  • 3 dynamic speakers AND 3 testimonies! 
  • Lots of great food, vendors, prayer & fellowship
  • Children's Play Area - Moonbounce, Playground, Face Painting ect..
...all for a fantastic cause and all for F-R-E-E! Yep, you read that right...FREE!!! Jesus paid the price!


 

 
We need YOUR support and will be taking donations at the gate!! 
Don't miss this amazing Life Changing Event! 
Also, visit www.musicfest2014.org to get ALL the details and even make a donation! 
Invite your friends and family! SEE YOU there!

Don't forget your Lawn Chairs or Blankets!!
Paul Paoli Band
Never Forsaken
Dave Pettigrew

And many others!
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The Conquering Addiction Hour with CLPRM
UPCOMING CAFE EVENT
 
August 9th
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September 13th

October 11th 
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November 8th
Country Recording Artist and Pastor
Plus 

December 6th
Special Christmas Music
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Conquering Grounds Café, our monthly coffee house ministry, reaches out to individuals and families who have been affected by substance abuse. The Café serves up Christian bands, plus
FREE beverages and baked goods in a laid-back atmosphere. ALL are invited to this
FREE event!
Thanks to Shoprite Bensalem and Hornbergers Bakery for their generous donation of baked good to Conquering Grounds.  
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Recovery in Our Communities
August 12, 2014
    
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Disciplining yourself to do what is right and important, 
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HEALTH & WELLNESS STRATEGIES
Better Health Often Begins With Self-Esteem

Good health doesn't just happen.  It requires proactive thinking, a good strategy and a realistic plan.   Even with all of these things, change is hard.    

 
One obstacle for many of us is low self-esteem.  According to psychiatrist Dr. Kevin Solomons, our "self-esteem system" moves us to make good, healthy, constructive and adaptive life decisions.  But when this system "goes wrong", we can make decisions that are self-destructive or harm others.  Read more about  Our Self-Esteem System, including strategies for improving your self-esteem, in this fascinating article by Elizabeth Venzin in World of Psychology.  Other tips for building self-esteem include reading to build your brain; make new friends; build social skills; experience something new; don't pity yourself; and never stop looking for a challenge.
 
For help in getting started with your health and wellness program, take that first step and contact one of The Council's Recovery Community Centers today.  The Council offers information, resources and support in the areas of healthy nutrition, physical activity, tobacco cessation, stress management, spirituality, recovery, mental health and more. Even small changes in attitude, behavior and lifestyle can promote health and lead to developing better habits.  And before you know it, big changes become possible and within your reach.  

We all can grow in making healthy choices and healthy habits for ourselves and our family.  Start today!
HEAVY DRINKERS PRONE TO MEMORY DEFICITS
History of Drinking Problem Linked to Memory Lapses 
Later In Life

People who have a history of drinking problems by the time they are middle-aged are more than twice as likely to exhibit memory problems in later life as those who don't, according to a recent study. "Does it matter if you were a heavy drinker in your 20's as opposed to your 40's?  We can't tell from this study," said Iain Lang, the lead author.  A drinking problem was defined as answering "yes" to at least 2 of the following four questions:
  • Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
  • Have you ever felt guilty about drinking?
  • Have people every annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
  • Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning? 
Other studies suggest that early alcohol-related cognitive damage may be preventable in many cases if people stop drinking, exercise, get regular sleep and give up smoking.  The study appears in the Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and can be read here.
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Events
Aug. 20th: Meet The Council Open House8 - 9 am at 252 West Swamp Road, Bailiwick Office Campus, Unit 12, Doylestown, PA 18901

September 12, 20147:05 pm. Recovery Night at the Baseball Game, Phillies vs. Marlins, Citizens Bank Park. Click here for tickets. 
September 20, 2014PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2014, Great Plaza, Penn's Landing, Philadelphia. Click here to register and get more information.
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ER Visits Involving Sleep Drug Overmedication Almost Doubles
August 12th, 2014/



The number of emergency department visits involving the sleep drug zolpidem (the active ingredient in Ambien) almost doubled over four years, according to a new government report.

Zolpidem-related ER visits rose from 21,824 in 2005-2006, to 42,274 in 2009-2010, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found. In 2010, females accounted for two-thirds of zolpidem-related ER visits involving overmedication. The largest number of visits related to overmedication with the drug involved patients ages 45 to 54.

More than half of zolpidem-related ER visits also involved other prescription drugs, including other anti-anxiety and insomnia medications and narcotic pain relievers. In addition, 14 percent of visits involved alcohol combined with zolpidem.

Almost half of ER visits related to zolpidem overmedication resulted in either a hospital admission or a transfer to another medical facility. About one-quarter of these more serious cases involved admission to a critical or intensive care unit, the report noted.

CBS News reports that hospital ER visits involving drug-related suicide attempts in people ages 45 to 64 doubled from 2005 to 2011. In 2010 there were almost 5 million drug-related visits to emergency departments throughout the country, according to SAMHSA.

In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required manufacturers of drugs containing zolpidem to reduce the recommended dose by half for females, in response to increasing numbers of reports of adverse reactions. The FDA suggested drug makers also reduce the recommended dose for men.

Zolpidem’s side effects can include daytime drowsiness, hallucinations, dizziness, agitation and sleepwalking. When combined with other substances, the sedative effects of zolpidem can be dangerously enhanced, SAMHSA noted in a news release.

Colorado Ad Campaign Warns Teens About Long-Term Effects of Marijuana
August 12th, 2014/


A new ad campaign warns teenagers in Colorado about the long-term effects of marijuana use. The “Don’t Be a Lab Rat” campaign targets 12- to 15-year-olds, Reuters reports.

The ads state that the long-term effects of marijuana are not yet fully understood, and warn teens that if they use marijuana they are essentially volunteering as subjects of research about the drug’s effects. In Colorado and Washington state, the possession and recreational use of small amounts of marijuana is legal for those 21 and older.

The ads will air on television, online and in movie theaters, the article notes. The Colorado Department of Health and Environment will also set up life-size “Lab Rat Cages” at middle schools and high schools, concert venues, skate parks and other locations that teens frequently visit.

“While much still needs to be learned about the effect marijuana has on the brain, enough information is available to cause concern in terms of the negative effects marijuana can have on the developing brains of teenagers,” Dr. Larry Wolk, the department’s executive director and chief medical officer, said in a news release. “The core premise of the ‘Don’t Be a Lab Rat’ campaign acknowledges that more research is necessary, but it also poses the question of whether or not teens should risk the potential negative effects of using marijuana.”

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper noted a recent survey found the percentage of high school students who think using marijuana poses risks for their health has decreased. “We have a civic and public health obligation to do everything we can to make our children aware that there are risks for teens when they use marijuana,” he said. “This campaign is designed to grab the attention of teens and their parents, and provide them with the facts to have an informed discussion and make informed choices.”

Senator to Introduce Bill to Ban Powdered Alcohol
August 12th, 2014/


U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York says he will introduce a bill that would ban powdered alcohol. He is also urging retailers to boycott the product’s sale, which he says could hit store shelves as early as September, according to USA Today.

In May, Schumer urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent federal approval of the powdered alcohol product called Palcohol. He said it could become “the Kool-Aid of teen binge drinking.” Schumer noted the product can be mixed with water, sprinkled on food or snorted. He asked the FDA to investigate the potential harmful effects of the product.

In a news release, Schumer said the FDA has refused to investigate the health risks of Palcohol.

The company that makes Palcohol, Lipsmark, says it plans to offer powdered alcohol in six varieties, including rum, vodka, Cosmopolitan, Mojito, Powderita and Lemon Drop. According to the company, a package of Palcohol weighs about an ounce and can fit into a pocket. It warns people not to snort the powder. Lipsmark says the product would be painful to snort, and will be sold under the same restrictions as liquid alcohol, the article notes.



Daily Quote

"The practice of patience protects us from losing our composure. In doing that it enables us to exercise discernment, even in the heat of difficult situations. It gives us inner space. And within that space we gain a degree of self-control, which allows us to respond to situations in an appropriate and compassionate manner rather than being driven by our anger and irritation." - Dalai Lama


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Monday, August 11, 2014


August 11 Chp 59 v 10 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS



My God is changeless in His love for me .


STEP 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out .


It does not matter who you are or what you have done . I do not care what the world is telling you or selling you. There is a God and He loves each and everyone of us unconditionally . Living by yourself on your own counting on others and the world will only leave you empty and miserable . So miserable and confused I was that the only way to get through the day was use ! Life in addiction is loveless , lonely , and tiresome ! The steps led me to Gods Love and that Love for me was so strong that it broke my chains . God took away my addiction , anger , and pain and replaced it with love , peace , and joy . Steps 11 and 12 are apart of my daily routine and the more time I spend with God the more I discover just how much he loves us all .



1 John 4:16“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.




By Joseph Dickerson

“New Paradigm” Addiction Recovery Model Takes Long-Term View
August 6th, 2014/


People in recovery from substance use disorders who have had repeated relapses can benefit from being monitored for at least five years after treatment, according to a former head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

“Addiction is life-long and treatment is brief,” says Robert DuPont, M.D., President of the Institute of Behavior and Health. “We need to shift our thinking about treatment from the current focus on short-term episodes to long-term recovery management. That should include frequent random drug testing for alcohol or drug use, with serious consequences for failing. That is the lesson from state Physician Health Programs (PHP), which set the standard for good long-term outcomes from substance use disorders.”

He described the model for such care, called the New Paradigm for Recovery, at a recent meeting of the CORE (Clinical Overview of the Recovery Experience) conference. The New Paradigm is not a new treatment program. It is a system of long-term care management for substance use disorders that enhances and extends the benefits of all treatment programs.

Currently, formal episodes of substance use disorder treatment are relatively brief, even though addiction is a life-long disorder. In a recent report, the institute stated the median length of stay of a person who completed treatment in 2008 ranged from four days for detoxification, to 124 days for outpatient treatment and 197 days for outpatient medication-assisted opioid therapy. “Whether or not an episode of treatment is completed, the large majority relapses to alcohol and drug use,” the report noted. “Relapse after episodes of treatment is so common that it is often defined as a central element of this chronic disorder.”

The model for the New Paradigm is the Physician Health Program (PHP), which helps addicted doctors get the drug, alcohol and mental health treatment they need to keep their licenses and return to practice. If a doctor in the program uses alcohol or drugs even once, the consequences are swift and serious. They are pulled out of practice, evaluated, and if they are told they need residential treatment they must comply, or risk losing their licenses.

Doctors in the program routinely are monitored for five years after treatment. DuPont’s organization conducted the first national study of PHPs. In a follow up, they found that even five years after the required monitoring stopped, the large majority of physicians reported being completely abstinent from alcohol and other nonmedical drug use. “Most physicians after completing the PHP program are still abstinent and still going to 12-step meetings. The large majority report that the PHP program saved their lives and their careers,” says DuPont, who was also the second White House Drug Chief. “This study shows the way to make recovery, not relapse, the expected outcome of addiction treatment.”

New Paradigm programs treat addiction as a chronic illness. Just as blood sugar is monitored in a person with diabetes or blood pressure is measured for a person with hypertension, drug testing should be regularly conducted, eventually and ideally as part of routine medical care for patients in recovery from a drug or alcohol disorder, DuPont says. Two differences however, he notes, are the random nature of the drug testing, and the swift and certain consequences of a positive test result.

Some private addiction treatment programs, as well as independent monitoring services, use the New Paradigm. Several criminal justice system programs, including drug courts, also use the model. The New Paradigm can be especially useful in this setting, he observed. “In the criminal justice system today, a person on probation is tested on scheduled visits (not randomly) and they commonly have eight, 10 or even 15 substance abuse violations before being sent to prison often for long periods of time. That system of delayed, uncertain and draconian punishment does not work in anyone’s interests,” he says.

The New Paradigm begins with a signed mutual agreement between the person and the supervising entity (such as the family, an employer, or legal authority) to abstain from alcohol and drugs, and spells out the consequences of a failed drug or alcohol test. A successful program makes the consequence subject to the signed agreement, DuPont notes. “For example, teens who fail drug tests could have their driving privileges revoked.” Employing such a system of a signed agreement enforced by frequent random testing makes it practical for families, employers, probation and others to support recovery far more effectively, he says.

The program strongly encourages, and usually requires, participants actively to engage in community-based support meetings, such as AA or NA.

The New Paradigm is not needed for everyone being treated for a substance use disorder, DuPont says. While it helps everyone, it is most needed for those who have had repeated relapses. “Even after a person has had terrible problems with substance use, the brain’s memory of the reward experience of using alcohol or drugs hijacks the person’s thinking. They believe they can go back and manage their alcohol and drug use this next time.” That is why DuPont is critical of treatment programs, including some medication-assisted treatment programs, which tolerate continued alcohol and other drug use while in treatment. “When a person comes into treatment, they seldom want to stop using alcohol and drugs —they want to cut down or to have a respite from the pain their use is causing them.”

Inpatient Treatment for Heroin Abuse Would be Funded Under Proposed House Bill
August 6th, 2014/




A bill introduced this week in the U.S. House would establish a federal grant program to fund inpatient treatment for heroin abuse, the Hartford Courant reports.

The Expanding Opportunities for Recovery Act is designed to increase access to inpatient drug treatment services for heroin and opioid abuse and addiction, its sponsors say. Under the bill, states could apply for grant funding to provide up to 60 days at a residential facility for people who do not have health insurance, or whose plans do not cover inpatient addiction treatment.

The bill was introduced by Representative Bill Foster of Illinois and Sean Patrick Maloney of New York, both Democrats. “The heroin and prescription drug epidemic is ripping apart families and our communities, but tragically, many folks face too many hurdles to access treatment,” Maloney said in a news release. “The Expanding Opportunities for Recovery Act will help turn the tide on the epidemic by expanding treatment options for our neighbors.”

Maloney noted that while inpatient rehabilitation is a proven effective treatment for opioid abuse, many people cannot afford such treatment because they lack health insurance. He added many insurance providers require patients to exhaust other options, such as outpatient treatment and counseling, before they will agree to cover inpatient treatment.

For an individual to qualify for inpatient treatment under the measure, they must either lack health insurance or have insurance that places a barrier to inpatient treatment, such as requiring that less expensive treatment be exhausted first.

More Prescription Drugs Withdrawn or Got Black-Box Warnings After Drug Law Passed
August 6th, 2014/


More prescription drugs have received black-box safety warnings since a law designed to speed the drug approval process was passed in 1992, according to a new study. An increasing number of drugs have also been withdrawn from the market because of safety concerns since the law was passed, CBS News reports.

Almost 27 percent of drugs approved after the Prescription Drug User Fee Act was implemented in 1992 received black-box warnings or were withdrawn from the market within 16 years, compared with about 21 percent before the law was passed. The law allows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collect fees from pharmaceutical companies to speed the drug approval process.

“New drugs have a one-in-three chance of acquiring a new black-box warning or being withdrawn for safety reasons within twenty-five years of approval,” the researchers wrote in Health Affairs. “We believe that the ultimate solution is stronger U.S. drug approval standards.”

The researchers looked at all 748 drugs approved by the FDA between 1975 and 2009. They found 15 percent received one or more black-box warnings, and 4 percent were withdrawn from the market because of concerns over safety.

After the law was passed, median drug approval times were reduced from 33.6 months in 1979-1986, to 16.1 months in 1997-2002. Between 1999 and 2009, outpatient prescribers wrote 30 million prescriptions for each of the nine drugs that were later withdrawn due to safety concerns, or that received black-box safety warnings.

“Our findings suggest the need for reforms to reduce patients’ exposure to unsafe drugs, such as a statement or symbol in the labeling, medication guides for patients, and marketing materials indicating that a drug was approved only recently,” the researchers wrote.