February 13 v 20 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

Walk with the wise and become wise;
associate with fools and get in trouble

We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)



Wow the Proverb is telling it like it is. One of the toughest times I have faced in recovery is walking away from the fools. I have a hard time with that statement the fools the Bible is referring to are the very people who I would have at one time walked through the fires of hell with.When we get on the bus to recovery one of the hardest things to do is leave your peeps behind.Those peeps looking back now ,I realize or at least with some , I wonder were they really looking out for me or were they just using me to get the next high. The very ones we hate the most durinig addiction are the very ones who do have our backs but we are so blinded with self we cant see their true loyalty. I chose step ten because it is so important when taking personal inventory we must be honest in our evaluation of past relationships. I guarantee you the phone is gonna ring and its gonna be one of your peeps from back in the day and if we are not careful they will take you for a ride on the relapse roller coaster. My biggest piece of advice is , early in your recovery you gotta get on that bus , dont look out the window , and never look back because we are one stop away from going back to where we fought like hell to get out of. It helps to mention and remember them , but is it okay or could you hang with them again ?



Jesus said I am the truth the life the way no one comes unto the Father except through me.

The Council's Board of Directors  and the Bucks County Chapter of PRO-ACT,  cordially invite you to a FREE showing of  The Anonymous People  a feature documentary film about the 23.5 million Americans living in  long-term recovery, and the emerging public recovery movement that will transform how alcohol and other drug problems are dealt with in our communities.   To view the trailer, click here
Help us to change the conversation from problems to solutions for America's top health problem!   About The Council    The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc., an affiliate of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), is a private nonprofit organization serving Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County and Philadelphia County. The Council provides a wide range ofservices to families, schools, businesses, individuals and the community at large regardless of ability to pay, ethnicity, race, gender, age and/or sexual orientation.  www.councilsepa.org About PRO-ACT PRO-ACT is the regional nonprofit organization working to mobilize and rally individuals in recovery from addiction, as well as their families, friends and allies in a campaign to end discrimination, broaden social understanding and achieve a just response to addiction as a public health crisis.  www.proact.org Addiction Is a Disease Support the New Recovery Movement			FREE Showing Wednesday, February 19, 2014 (2 PCB Credits) Location: Bucks County  Community College Auditorium 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940   Doors open at 5:30 pm; Welcome and Expo Opportunities 6:00-6:30 pm; Film Begins at 6:30 pm followed by a Panel Discussion (8-9 pm) with behavioral health and public policy experts. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions of panelists. RESERVATIONS NOT NECESSARY BRING A FRIEND! A freewill collection will be taken  All proceeds will help us to continue to advocate for and support individuals and families accessing and sustaining long-term recovery Special thanks to the generosity of our Sponsors: BioCare Recovery Pyramid Healthcare Seabrook House and the  Bucks County Community College Sponsorship and Expo Opportunities Available For sponsorship information email Michael here  or call 215-345-6644, ext 3109 "A.A. members may disclose their identity and speak as recovered alcoholics, giving radio, TV and Internet interviews, without violating the Traditions - so long as their A.A. membership is not revealed." General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous, New York, NY          The film, Anonymous People, is critical viewing for anyone concerned about how people in recovery are viewed today. Individuals, families, communities, legislators, policymakers, the recovery community, and those in the judicial system can benefit greatly from the experiences and messages conveyed by the faces and voices of citizens, leaders, volunteers, corporate executives, public figures, and celebrities who are laying it all on the line to save the lives of others just like them. www.councilsepa.org

February 12 v 14 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

Wise words bring many benefits,
and hard work brings rewards.

STEP 8 - We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make admends to them all. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31)



This step along with the rest will require just that , hard work is the only way I can stay sober and keep my sanity . I chose number eight specifically because thirteen years of sobriety has taught me this is a tough one and it will take a long time to complete but its well worth it .My memory was one part of me that suffered the most from addiction , and as time passes and through prayer and step work , I discover memories most not good but important because I have to get rid of my pain , regret , remorse and sorrows. Working the steps has helped me discover that if I don't work this step my heart and mind will be jam packed with all the terrible stuff I did too myself and others. When I first started early in my recovery there were too many sleepless nights wasted time spent watching all the movies in my head and the what ifs and how comes. What a waste of time ! That's why this step for me was so important and still is.Working this step on a daily basis will be just that hard work and for me it was painful but it must be completed if you want to keep moving forward. I said it before and I will say it again It works ,if you work it.
 

 

Jesus said I am the truth , the life , the way no one comes unto the father but through me .

Greetings!,      In this February edition of the "His Mansion Newsletter", you will read about Tim's story... a story of the Lord's grace and redemption in the midst of the panic and anguish caused by the sudden and tragic death of his mother when he was four-years-old. Out of this heartbreak came a life-long quest for relationship that eventually lead to poor choices and addiction.      One of those choices led Tim to face significant jail time. Through God's providence, that lengthy sentence was reduced to one month. While serving out his sentence, God led Tim to share his spiritual journey of forgiveness and new life in Christ with a fellow inmate. That young man is now on The Hill seeking new life.      For more on the amazing story of God's grace in Tim's life, click here for your February 2014 His Mansion Newsletter.  Thank you,   Ed Perrine CEO  P.S. If you would like give a gift to help support the redemptive work that  Christ is doing on The Hill,  simply click here and put "214" in the purpose field followed by your desired gift amount.

There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call- one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6 ESV

STAY CONNECTED

HisMansion.com

 

        

Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Suspected in at Least 50 Recent Fatal Overdoses in Three States

By Join Together Staff | February 6, 2014 | 2 Comments | Filed in Community Related & Drugs

Heroin laced with the synthetic opiate fentanyl is suspected in at least 50 recent fatal overdoses in three states, according to law enforcement officials. In Pennsylvania, the drug combination is suspected in at least 17 deaths. Officials in Maryland and Michigan are also investigating deaths linked to the drug mix. In Flint, Michigan, fentanyl-laced heroin is suspected in four recent overdoses.

Fentanyl is often used during surgery. Drug dealers add it to heroin to create a stronger high, ABC News reports.

People who use the drug combination “don’t know that fentanyl is in it and shoot it up and stop breathing, because they were unaware of the added punch in the narcotic,” said Ray Isackila, counselor and team leader of addiction treatment at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. He noted fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin, and affects the central nervous system and brain. “Heroin with illicit fentanyl laced into it makes it stronger, cheaper and more desirable on the street,” he said. “People hear about this new heroin or this super strong heroin that someone is selling,” and they want it.

“There’s an odd mindset in the drug addiction world if people have overdosed on this, they think I’ve got to get some of it,” Isackila said. They say “they’ll just use a little — a dangerous drug becomes more desirable to the addict on the street.”

Heroin Overdose Antidote Naloxone Becoming More Widely Available

By Join Together Staff | February 6, 2014 | 1 Comment | Filed in Community Related, Drugs, Legislation & Treatment


The heroin overdose antidote naloxone is becoming more widely available nationwide, the Los Angeles Times reports. California greatly expanded availability of the treatment as of January 1. Currently 17 states and the District of Columbia have adopted laws allowing family and friends of people who are addicted to heroin or prescription opioids to have the antidote.

The treatment, sold under the brand name Narcan, has been used for many years by paramedics and doctors in emergency rooms. It is administered by nasal spray. The medication blocks the ability of heroin or opioid painkillers to attach to brain cells. The U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy says it is encouraging police departments to carry Narcan.

Ohio is considering a measure to allow distribution of Narcan, the article notes. Ohio is one of many states that have experienced a surge in heroin use. Much of the increase is driven by people who have switched to heroin from prescription painkillers, because it is much cheaper and easier to obtain than pills such as oxycodone. The state measure would increase naloxone’s availability to anyone “in a position to assist an individual who there is reason to believe is at risk of experiencing an opioid-related overdose.”

According to Wilson Compton, Deputy Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, when naloxone is injected into an overdose victim whose heart is still beating, “it’s virtually 100 percent effective.” When overdose victims are discovered, “they’re kind of blue, they’re breathing very shallowly, or hardly breathing at all,” he said. “If this medication is administered [properly], they wake up within a minute or two. It’s remarkable. You save their life.”

Last summer, the police department of Quincy, Massachusetts, the first in the nation to require every officer on patrol to carry Narcan, reported a 95 percent success rate with the treatment.