By Join Together Staff | March 21, 2012 | 3 Comments | Filed in Tobacco
Fifty million people worldwide have died from tobacco-related causes over the past decade, according to a new report by the World Lung Foundation and the American Cancer Society. The groups estimate that if current trends continue, a billion people will die from tobacco use and exposure in this century.
The Tobacco Atlas notes smoking rates in the developed world are on the decline, while rates are climbing in poorer areas of the world. Last year, tobacco use resulted in the deaths of almost 6 million people worldwide, with almost 80 percent occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In China, tobacco is the number one killer, responsible for 1.2 million deaths per year, according to the atlas. That number is expected to grow to 3.5 million by 2030, Reutersreports.
The report said the tobacco industry has launched legal challenges to anti-tobacco policies such as plain cigarette packaging, laws banning smoking in public places, bans on advertising and health warnings on cigarette labels.
According to the report, the world’s six biggest tobacco firms made $35.1 billion in profits in 2010, an amount equal to the combined earnings of Coca-Cola, Microsoft and McDonald’s.
“The tobacco industry thrives on ignorance of the true harms of tobacco use and using misinformation to subvert health policies that could save millions,” Peter Baldini, Chief Executive Officer of the World Lung Foundation, said in a news release.
Mar 16, 2012 | No Comments
Written by Kate McGinty
Strapped for cash? Maybe you should start reporting drunken drivers.
State Sen. Robert Calderon, a Montebello Democrat, has proposed legislation that would give tipsters $100 if they report a drunken driver who is convicted.
And for a little poetic justice: Calderon would have the court order the drunken driver to pay the reward.
"By engaging civilians to report drunk drivers, this bill would directly and immediately lower the number of roadway deaths," Calderon said about the bill. "Killing or injuring someone as a result of drunk driving is a horrendous crime that can easily be avoided. This bill is one step closer to ensuring that our roads and highways are safe from drunk drivers."
In 2010, 791 people were killed in DUI crashes on state roadways, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety.
Less drinking, less crime
Speaking of drinking, it's decreased alcohol consumption -- and not tougher sentencing policies -- that have led to a drop in crime nationwide, a new study concluded.
In fact, the state's three-strikes law has contributed significantly to the state's financial woes because more people spend time in prison, says Robert Nash Parker, a sociologist and director of the Presley Center for Crime and Justice Studies at University of California, Riverside.
Continue Reading: desertsun.com
By Join Together Staff | March 13, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed inHealthcare, Mental Health, Prescription Drugs & Youth
A growing number of patients are receiving “off-label” prescriptions for a class of drugs called atypical antipsychotics, according to The Washington Post. These drugs are increasingly being prescribed to treat anxiety, attention deficit, sleep problems, behavior problems in toddlers, and other conditions for which they are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Atypical antipsychotics, such as Seroquel, Zyprexa and Abilify, are approved to treat mental illnesses including schizophrenia andbipolar disorder. Some also have been approved to treat severe depression, the article notes.
A recent study found prescriptions for antipsychotics for non-approved uses doubled between 1995 and 2008—from 4.4 million to 9 million.
“Antipsychotics are overused, overpriced and oversold,” Allen Frances, former Chair of Psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine, told the newspaper. He said in some cases, off-label use of these medicines may be appropriate for patients who have not responded to other treatments for certain conditions, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. He added that they are being used “promiscuously, recklessly,” in many cases to control behavior. He points out the drugs have serious side effects, including rapid, major weight gain, diabetes, irreversible facial tics, and breast development in boys. The drugs also increase the risk of death in the elderly.
One factor driving the rise in antipsychotic prescriptions is the growing number of non-psychiatrists prescribing them, says James H. Scully Jr., Medical Director of the American Psychiatric Association. Many of these doctors do not have the experience and expertise to properly diagnose and treat mental illness, he said.
Among children, antipsychotic prescriptions are growing in large part because of the increase in bipolar disorder diagnoses, experts say.
STEP 1
I think its time to move on, we have spent the last two months going over step one and I am hoping and believing you have reached the point of, "my life is a mess".
STEP 2
Now we have come to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Most of the 12 step groups are not very specific in regards to a higher power. Some think its self, others think it is some sort of God and there are those like myself who know its God and his son JESUS CHRIST. In fact they are the only living true higher powers on the planet and beyond. Lets examine this. My favorite book (Bible) states he created the world and us in his image. You were designed for a purpose and without proper instruction from parents, you were lead away, left to fill whatever purpose you felt fit you. Lets put it this way. Did you ever put a round peg in a square hole? Won't fit will it? No matter what you do with that peg it wont fit. Well that's what happens to our lives when we are not taught about GOD and we are left to our own vices. We fumble through life with a constant emptiness. No matter what we try to satisfy that emptiness with we just cant seem to fill that void. You are missing the most important part of you, and that's being one with your creator! Its like buying the most expensive exercise bike in the store, opening the box and there are no directions on how to put it together. Your life is unmanageable because your not reading the instruction book GOD gave you(BIBLE). I dare you to read the book. My recommendation, Tyndanle life recovery bible is available at all book stores. Just think about this.... the BIBLE is still the number one selling book in the world. 3,000 years and still counting.
By Karen Kelly | January 13, 2012 | 3 Comments | Filed in Advocacy,Community Related, Government, Healthcare, Legislation & Prescription Drugs
A toddler sits silently amid the squalid interior of his modest home. Jack longs for food, but the shelves have not been stocked in days. What little money that was available has been used to feed the addiction of his caregivers.
Jack is not alone. At least 75 percent of all child abuse or neglect cases across the country involve substance abuse by parents or caregivers, according to the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare.
The teenage daughter of a prominent city official is caught shoplifting. Although she lives in a nice home, Jane says she needed the merchandise to pawn for pills purchased from an unscrupulous cash-only pain clinic.
Jane’s case isn’t unique. An estimated 12 million people in the United States used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes in 2010, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse(NIDA). Unbelievably, NIDA notes that there were enough prescription painkillers prescribed “to medicate every American adult around-the-clock for a month.”
Prescription drug abuse has no socio-economic barriers. But it does come with a huge human cost.
Each day an estimated two people die from drug overdoses and another 40 are admitted to emergency rooms with life-threatening conditions, according to the Prescription Monitoring Program of Excellence at Brandeis University.
American businesses – from industry to mom-and-pop establishments – face lost productivity and increased workplace hazards because of addicted employees. This is a threat to sustainable economic development in both urban and rural communities.
Health insurers alone lose up to $72.5 billion annually in bogus claims. These costs are, by necessity, passed along to consumers.
Trying to get a handle on the problem – which has now reached epidemic proportions – is not easy. Ten years ago, Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers (KY-5th) created a program to help states track the sale of prescription drugs. In 2010, he helped launch the bi-partisan Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse, which seeks to raise awareness of abuse, and to work toward innovative and effective policy solutions incorporating treatment, prevention, law enforcement and research.
Finding a solution goes beyond political allegiances. As Rogers notes, “The prescription drug abuse problem can’t be solved in one state, with one simple strategy.”
In an effort to bring all parties together, Operation UNITE is coordinating a National Rx Drug Abuse Summit in Florida from April 10-12, 2012. This will be the first conference focusing only on the issue of prescription drug abuse. The goal of the Summit is to foster better understanding and cooperation between state and national leaders, law enforcement officials, medical professionals, community advocates, treatment experts, educators, private industry leaders and others who are finding success in battling this nationwideepidemic.
Keynote speakers at the Summit will include R. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy; Vice Admiral Dr. Regina M. Benjamin, the U.S. Surgeon General; Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse; and the Hon. Joseph T. Rannazzisi, deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Diversion Control with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Left unchecked, the prescription drug abuse problem will continue to grow out of control, draining limited resources and devastating families.
Join this important national conversation on April 10-12, 2012. America’s future is at stake.
Karen Kelly, President/CEO, Operation UNITE
A Grand Celebration of Irish Culture!
Saturday, March 17th from 3pm to 7pm
The best in Irish, music, dance and comedy!
Purchase your ticket (only $12 per person)
A Family Friendly Alcohol-Free Party
World-Class Irish musicians and dancers to entertain.
Regis H.S. Use entrance at 60 East 85th Street, NYC
Many New Yorkers in recovery, who have long since abandoned this holiday, and those who also want an alcohol-free, family-friendly event, will gather to enjoy the best of Irish culture. Irish step dancers in colorful costumes will twirl around the floor to live traditional music. Actors, pipe bands and musical guests, like KT Sullivan, John Whelan (eight time “All Ireland Champion” button accordion player), and Brian Conway(five time “All Ireland Champion” fiddle player) will serenade the crowd with soulful and lively Irish tunes. Light food and soft drinks will be served.
“Sober St. Patrick’s Day” will be a welcome new addition to the hundreds of events on March 17th thanks to all of our sponsors listed at the bottom of this page. All ticket sales will be made payable to NCADD.
By Join Together Staff | March 12, 2012 | 3 Comments | Filed in Alcohol,Drugs, Research & Treatment
A new analysis of studies originally conducted in the 1960s suggests LSD may help people with alcoholism quit or reduce their drinking.
The new study combines the results of six trials that tested a single dose of LSD in 536 people with alcoholism. The researchers found 59 percent who took the drug either quit or significantly reduced their drinking, compared with 38 percent of participants who took a much smaller dose of LSD or used another treatment to prevent drinking,Time reports. Eight cases of adverse effects from LSD were reported; none lasted longer than the high itself, according to the article. The positive effect of LSD on drinking lasted at least six months, but was no longer apparent one year later.
Previous studies have suggested that LSD was not effective for alcoholism. The researchers of the new analysis said the earlier findings appear to be related to the fact that they did not include enough participants to show an effect.
“LSD had a significant beneficial effect on alcohol misuse at the first reported follow-up assessment,” the researchers wrote in theJournal of Psychopharmacology. “The effectiveness of a single dose of LSD compares well with the effectiveness of daily naltrexone [reVia, Vivitrol] acamprosate [Campral], or disulfiram [Antabuse].” Those drugs are approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat alcoholism.
A number of hallucinogens and other illicit drugs are being studied as possible treatments for conditions including post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, addiction and depression
By Join Together Staff | March 6, 2012 | 3 Comments | Filed in Addiction &Recovery
Ten percent of American adults consider themselves to be in recovery from drug or alcohol abuse problems, according to a newsurvey released today by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services(OASAS). The findings indicate there are 23.5 million American adults who are overcoming an involvement with drugs or alcohol that they once considered to be problematic.
The nationally representative survey found 10 percent of adults answered yes to the question, “Did you once have a problem with drugs or alcohol, but no longer do?” – one simple way of describing recovery from drug and alcohol abuse or addiction that was devised by Dr. Alexandre Laudet, a leading researcher in addiction recovery, now at National Development and Research Institute (NDRI).
“Bill White, a treatment and recovery champion, has said that there is ‘a science of addiction, but not a science of recovery,’” explained A. Thomas McLellan, PhD, Former Deputy Director, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. “That statement is completely correct. With the survey conducted by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and OASAS, we now have a very strong beginning to developing that science. Through past initiatives, we established some sensible definitions of what ‘being in recovery’ actually means – and this additional work provides fundamental information on how many people are in recovery. These are not only the building blocks for the ‘recovery science’ that have been called for, but they are the foundation for public understanding, acceptance and ultimately, the celebration of recovery.”
The survey also uncovered some basic demographic information about those saying they once had a drug or alcohol problem, but no longer do: more males say they are in recovery than females (12 percent of males vs. 7 percent of females). More adults ages 35-44 report being in recovery, compared to younger adults (18-34) and adults who are 55 years of age or older. The Midwest has a higher prevalence of adults (14 percent) who say they are in recovery compared to adults in the South (7 percent). In other regions of the country, the percentage of adults (not statistically significant) who say they are in recovery is 11 percent for the West and 9 percent for the Northeast.
“This research marks a vitally important step for those who are struggling with addiction by offering clear evidence to support what many know experientially – that millions of Americans have found a path to recovery,” said New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “It is my hope that this new evidence will strengthen and inspire individuals and those that provide treatment and recovery services to help the broader community understand that treatment does work and recovery is possible.”
The survey was conducted in 2011 by Opinion Research Corporation for The Partnership at Drugfree.org and OASAS via phone (landline and cell) among a nationally representative sample of 2,526 adults.
“The OASAS study is an important contribution to the public’s understanding of recovery, as it represents the actual voices of millions of Americans whose lives have improved because they are living free of alcohol and other drug problems,” stated Steve Pasierb, President and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org. “This newlearning provides a big reason – more than 23 million reasons – for all those who are struggling with their own, or a loved one’s substance use disorder, to have hope and know that they are not alone. These findings serve as a reminder that addiction is a treatable disease and recovery can be a reality. We are just scratching the surface here and more research is needed in this area, but we are proud to collaborate with New York OASAS in this meaningful process.”
March 7, 2012 By Addiction Blog 
The truth is, nobody’s really sure. Still, we answer: Yes. It is possible that a severe reaction to Spice could kill you. More here on synthetic cannabis deaths, adverse side effects, and dangers of Spice. Plus, we welcome your questions about Spice at the end. Dangers of Spice ingredients What’s really dangerous about Spice is the fact that no two brands contain the same ingredients. They all consist of chopped herbs sprayed with a synthetic cannabis substance, but that’s where the similarity ends. Manufacturers don’t even list what’s in Spice on the packaging; they’ve managed to get around ingredient listings by including the phrase, “Not intended for human consumption” on legal weed labels. However, there may be harmful heavy metal residues in some brands of Spice. And no batch contains the same ingredients. This is why some people have very intense, potent reactions to some types of synthetic weed, while others may experience little to no effect. Note here that there is NO THC in Spice. Serious adverse side effects of Spice Spice can cause a variety of adverse, sometimes severe side effects. Although these have not yet been clinically studied, anecdotal evidence from self-reported Spice users is found on internet communities. From these reports, we gather that some of the serious side effects to Spice can include: anxiety attackshallucinationsnauseaparanoiapsychotic episodesrapid heart rate In rare cases Spice can even result in potentially-deadly swelling of the brain. Systems affected by Spice The cannabinoid substances in Spice act on the THC receptors of the brain and central nervous system. The drugs in Spice are much more powerful and unpredictable than marijuana, and potentially more toxic. This is why Spice can cause a high similar to that of marijuana, but it can also cause hallucinations and similar effects. Signs of Spice overdose Spice is a new drug, and it’s poorly-understood. Different synthetic chemicals may be used in different batches, and different samples of the drug may not have the same strength. What is known is that this drug is addictive and has some serious adverse effects. Spice overdose can be difficult to treat, since so little is known about the substances used in its production, and since there’s so much variation between different brands and batches. However, the most commonly-reported overdose effects are: anxiety attacksconvulsionsdangerously elevated heart ratedisorientationincreased blood pressurevomiting How to treat Spice overdose If you suspect a Spice overdose, the most important thing is to get to a hospital as quickly as possible. These very serious adverse effects can’t be effectively treated at home and require medical attention. Are you taking too much Spice? You can get addicted to K2, or another variation of Spice. Why? Because Spice is addictive. Do you find yourself physically dependent on the drug? Do you find yourself craving Spice, or experiencing withdrawals when you can’t take it? If you’re using herbal incense and find yourself unable to stop, or feel you need to take it on a regular basis, you’re probably taking too much. Help for Spice use or misuse If you’re struggling to quit Spice, you can find help. Since the substances used in this drug as so similar to those in marijuana, joining a support group or 12-step program for marijuana abuse will probably be helpful. Therapy can also be successful in helping you resist situations, people, and places which might tempt you to use Spice again. Dangers of Spice questions Do you still have questions about the dangers of taking Spice? Maybe you want to report your own experiences. Please leave your comments, questions and feedback about Spice here. We try to respond to all questions with a personal and prompt reply ASAP. You are not alone!
By Join Together Staff | March 9, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol, Drugs, Research & Youth Students who bully their classmates are more likely to use cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana, compared with their peers who aren’t bullies, a new study suggests. “Our findings suggest that one deviant behavior may be related to another,” lead author Kisha Radliff of Ohio State University said in a news release. “For example, youth who bully others might be more likely to also try substance use. The reverse could also be true in that youth who use substances might be more likely to bully others.” Newswise reports the researchers did not find as strong a link between bullying victims and substance use. The researchers reviewed a survey of almost 75,000 students, which included questions on bullying and substance use. The survey found bullying was more common among middle school students than among high school students, and that substance use was more common among high schoolers. Only 1.6 percent of middle school students not involved in bullying reported marijuana use, compared with 11.4 percent of bullies. Among high school students, 13.3 percent who were not involved in bullying used marijuana, compared with 31.7 percent of bullies. The study found similar results for alcohol and cigarettes. “Many schools are mandating anti-bullying programs and policies, and we think they need to take this opportunity to address other forms of deviant behavior, such as substance use,” Radliff said. “If we can intervene with bullies while they’re in middle school, we may be able to help them before they start experimenting with substance use.” The study appears in Addictive Behaviors.
© Big Grey Mare Medicare will extend coverage, at no additional cost, to provide screening services for depression and for alcohol abuse disorders and to provide behavioral counseling to Seniors with alcohol abuse problems. by John Lee Google+ Twitter Facebook Seniors with Medicare are now eligible for increased substance abuse and mental health services, in most cases at no extra cost. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced an extension of coverage of Medicare services. Seniors with Medicare can now receive: An annual alcohol abuse screening in a primary care setting, such as in a doctor’s office 4 sessions of behavioral alcohol abuse counseling upon an alcohol abuse screening which indicates a possible problem with substance abuse An annual screening for depression in any primary care facility which has the resources to provide support or referrals to appropriate services Commenting on the new coverage, Donald M. Berwick, MD of CMS said, “Preventive services bring relief to Medicare beneficiaries for whom preventive care means early identification of disease and greater opportunity for treatment and recovery. It’s just as important for our elderly beneficiaries to enjoy access to preventive services as it is for any American.” Read more: Medicare to Cover Alcohol Screenings and Behavioral Counseling
By Join Together Staff | March 7, 2012 | 3 Comments | Filed in Alcohol,Marketing And Media, Research & Youth
The amount of drinking children and teens see in movies may influence their own drinking habits, suggests a new study conducted in six European nations.
Researchers gave surveys to more than 16,000 students, ages 10 to 19, in Germany, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and Scotland. They were asked to check off which of 50 movies that were popular in their country they had seen. For each movie, the researchers counted how many times characters were shown drinking alcohol, according to Reuters. At least 86 percent of the movies had at least one drinking scene.
The researchers compared the students’ exposure to alcohol in the movies with how many of them reported ever engaging in binge drinking (having five or more drinks on a single occasion). Twenty-seven percent of the students reported binge drinking at least once, they reported in Pediatrics.
The study found an association between viewing on-screen drinking and students’ own drinking behavior. Between 10 to 20 percent of students who viewed the least on-screen drinking had binged themselves, compared with 40 percent who had seen the most on-screen drinking.
It is not known whether the students started binge drinking before or after they saw the movies, the researchers point out. They did take into account other factors, such as the students’ risk-taking behavior, their academic record, and how much their friends and family drank.
Study author Reiner Hanewinkel, PhD, told Reuters that teenagers “have seen at least thousands of impressions of smoking and drinking, so it shapes their attitude that these kinds of behavior are adult-like behavior. It makes the alcohol drinking look cool and sexy and so-on.”
STEP 1
I have come to realize that step one is not a one time thing.Some folks work the steps and they think that's it I'm good.Step one for me has to be taken everyday the moment I open my eyes and before starting the day.Surrender yourself to JESUS ask HIM for his guidance love and peace as you begin your day .If we are left to our own vices and not under his divine guidance we will or at least I will make all the wrong choices.I lived my life at least thirty years of it without his guidance and because of it I made a mess.Surrendering to Him is not a magic recipe or fix all and life will still throw you a curve ball but it is sure comforting to know that you don't have to face life's troubles alone.This is why step one is so important we cant go it alone. My favorite book (bible) tells us HE is the counselor comforter and friend what more do we need not only that, because of the sin of our addiction we have been separated from GOD and we can only get right with GOD Thur JESUS. Make step one a must before opening your eyes and exiting the bed.I DARE YOU TO TALK TO JESUS AND INVITE HIM IN TO YOUR LIFE!
By Join Together Staff | March 7, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol,Government, Marketing And Media, Prevention & Youth
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning letter Tuesday to the maker of the inhalable caffeine product AeroShot Pure Energy, stating its labeling is false or misleading.
The FDA says the company, Breathable Foods Inc., labeled the product as both inhaled and ingestible. “The company’s labeling is false or misleading because these two claims contradict each other,” the FDA said in a statement. The agency added that “caffeine is not normally inhaled into the lungs and the safety of doing so has not been well studied.”
Aeroshot, introduced earlier this year in the United States as a calorie-free breathable energy product, delivers caffeine through a gray and yellow device that resembles a cross between a lipstick and a shotgun shell, Reuters reports. The caffeine is mixed with B vitamins and delivered in a fine powder that dissolves in the mouth. One AeroShot contains about the same amount of caffeine as a large cup of coffee, according to the article.
The FDA notes the product’s label has conflicting statements about whether it is appropriate for those under 18. The agency says some videos on the company’s website appear to encourage people to use AeroShot in combination with alcohol. The agency asked Breathable Foods to correct the violations, and to provide more information on research.
In reponse to the FDA letter, AeroShot issued a statement that said, “We plan to work closely with the FDA to meet their requests for information and labeling changes to ensure compliance with dietary supplement requirements. AeroShot delivers a mix of B vitamins and caffeine to the mouth for ingestion and is not ‘inhaled’ into the lungs. AeroShot is not recommended or marketed to persons under 18 or for use with alcohol.”
In December, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer urged the FDA to review the safety and legality of Aeroshot. “This stern warning is the clearest indication yet that AeroShot needs to be taken off the market until these concerns can be addressed and the product’s safety can be confirmed,” Senator Schumer said in a statement.
Hilarious AA Apparel
Posted on January 4, 2012 by recoverwearcom in Uncategorized
Welcome to Recoverwear, the home of your next sobrietee-themed impulse purchase! Check out our first edition t-shirts below! If you’re in the Pittsburgh, PA area, leave a note with your order and we’ll sort out free delivery. www.recover-wear.com
www.recover-wear.com
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UPCOMING 2012 EVENT:
Freedom & Recovery—Integrated Mental Health and Addiction Treatment for
Service Members
Hotel del Coronado
San Diego, CA
April 23-26, 2012
Conference Details | Media Kit | Brochure
Freedom & Recovery: Integrated Mental Health and Addiction Treatment for Service Members will gather the nation's foremost treatment experts to examine the unique needs of returning veterans and their families, with a focus on education and training for professionals who provide care to this special population. Conference participants will learn evidence-based practices for treating trauma and addiction, methods for integrating military families into treatment, and suicide prevention strategies.
ADDICTION TREATMENT
3/06/12 10:11am
Zanzibar's approach is innovative in
East Africa. Photo via
Unknown to the hordes of foreign tourists who flock to its idyllic beaches, the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar has been ravaged by heroin imported from Asia. But now groups of recovering addicts there have joined togetherto help fellow addicts get clean at self-regulated "sober houses." The program was started by Suleiman Mauly, who spent four years living and using on the streets and has been clean for six years. The $100-a-month sober houses provide a cheap alternative to rehab and a safe haven from the drug-addled streets and unforgiving law enforcement. The idea that addiction is a health issue, not a criminal one, is novel in Tanzania, as is the sober house model: “It’s a new phenomenon in East Africa, whereby drug addicts take responsibility to run the system" says Mauly. "Recovering addicts are in charge, from the guard, the kitchen, running sessions, everything." Activities on offer at the houses include yoga, acupuncture and art therapy, empowering addicts to reclaim their lives, and to help themselves and others. "For someone who is doing the 12-step program, and then you give him another responsibility, he feels high self-esteem because he’s not nothing," says Mauly. "You are someone."
America's Recovery Community Is Now 23 Million Strong
Me too! Thinkstock
A new survey suggests that the US recovery community is even bigger than previously believed. An amazing 10% of adults aged 18 and older answered yes to the question, "Did you once have a problem with drugs or alcohol, but no longer do?" That translates to some 23.5 million adults living in the US today who battled addiction at some point and came out on the other side. The study—released today by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS)—could make a valuable contribution to research into America's biggest public health crisis. It reveals some interesting demographic tidbits: more recovering adults fall into the 35-44 age group than any other, while the male/female breakdown has 12% of men reporting that they're in recovery, compared to 7% of women. Meanwhile the Midwest, sometimes dubbed America's "Binge Belt," has a higher proportion of people in recovery (14%) than any other region. Amid frequent pessimism over the scale of addiction-related problems in the US, the news that so many Americans have already found recovery is highly encouraging. "This research marks a vitally important step for those who are struggling with addiction by offering clear evidence to support what many know experientially," says New York State OASAS Commissioner Arlene Gonzalez-Sanchez. "Millions of Americans have found a path to recovery."
In his record-breaking performance at the All-Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium, last week, Josh Hamilton was a living testament that people can change their lives and can overcome addiction to alcohol and drugs.
by ChooseHelpEmail Google+ Twitter Facebook
A few years ago, Hamilton hit rock bottom when he was suspended from baseball for three years after it had emerged that he was addicted to alcohol and drugs - primarily crack cocaine.
Josh didn't give up but managed to turn his life around through his love of baseball. It took him eight rehab stints to finally kick his addiction. Although he may not have won the Home Run Derby crown last week, his victory over addiction makes him a winner on a much grander scale.
In a statement on ESPN Josh remembers that it was a humbling experience to be addicted. "Getting the addiction under control was even more humbling - and the reason, I got better," he says "is that he surrendered. Instead of asking to be bailed out, instead of making deals with God by saying, If you get me out of this mess, I'll stop doing what I'm doing, I asked for help."
Read more: Josh Hamilton A Living Testimony
