Hi Joseph

Greetings from snowy Upstate New York! I hope this e-mail finds you well.


My name is Amanda, and I'm reaching out to pitch a topic that I think would resonate with your audience. As someone with close family members facing addiction, this topic really hits home for me as well.


I thought you might be interested in sharing an interactive infographic by Rehab Hotline with your readers; it allows you to click state-by-state to learn more about the drug epidemic in our country. It's incredibly eye-opening to see what is most used in each state:


http://rehabhotline.org/americas-addiction-epidemic/
They even have an infographic regarding substance abuse in the armed forces, which you could embed on your site:
http://rehabhotline.org/substance-abuse-armed-forces/
Rehab Hotline is a nonprofit organization that provides free counseling to help individuals find the right substance abuse treatment program. There’s no cost, and they walk people through the process and let them know what they can expect. They even provide a free benefits check to help callers find treatment facilities that accept their insurance


If you are able to post about Rehab Hotline in any form, it would really help continue to spread the message of addiction, along with resources for getting assistance, and with some pretty interesting statistics that is sure to resonate with your audience, encouraging them to reach out for further help should they or a friend or family member need it.
Please let me know if you have any questions, I do hope you will consider sharing this information! Thank you so much!
Warmest regards,
Amanda DeFisher
On behalf of Rehab Hotline
www.rehabhotline.org

February 20 v 27 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit,
    exposing every hidden motive.

STEP 3 -We made a decision to turn our wills and our lives over to the care of God.

Take a few minutes and think.GOD creator of Heaven  , Earth , You and all creatures. God knows how many hairs are on your head  . He put you together ! So why do so many people have a hard time with step three . When I was  running the show of my life , I had addiction  , depression , fear , anger , hate just tto name a few. Now with God running the show I have joy peace and love. Its a no brainier people just hand the mess  you call life over too him . He already knows everything about you so you might as well let Him take charge .   

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

Gastric surgery increases risk of alcoholism




Patients may be thinner after bypass operations but could be at greater risk of drunkenness and dependency, research has found

Roger Dobson

Sunday 09 February 2014

One of the most drastic but effective ways of losing weight risks turning people into alcoholics, warn researchers. Bariatric or obesity surgery, where patients' stomachs are radically reduced in size, also changes the way the body processes alcohol, they say. Drinking after a surgical procedure can result in drunkenness within minutes of swallowing. The surgery may also affect a patient's body chemistry, making the drinking more rewarding and satisfying, which can make dependency more likely.
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Animal studies have found a significant increase in alcohol uptake after surgery. Anecdotal evidence in men and women who had undergone stomach surgery set alarm bells ringing. As a result, a human trial is due to start at St Olav's University, Trondheim, Norway. "Some complications with this surgery are known, but an increased risk of developing alcoholism caught most of us by surprise," said Magnus Strommen, one of the researchers.

"It seems it increases the availability of alcohol [to the blood], and, to make things even worse, from normally reaching a peak alcohol concentration at about 30 minutes, it can happen within the first five to 10 minutes after swallowing the drink. Hence, the effect of alcohol is dramatically altered, with the maximum concentration being both much higher and coming much sooner than before."
Obesity surgery in rats has been found to change the way the body processes alcohol He said he had met patients who had developed alcoholism following surgery. "They are, of course, not that obese any more, but are dealing with a serious new problem which jeopardises their very existence. I have also spoken to former patients who are not abusing alcohol but have damaged their social reputation because they suddenly get blackouts when drinking."

Gastric bypass is an effective treatment for obesity, and the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass is the most frequently used procedure. It is estimated that there are around 8,000 operations for weight loss carried out each year in the UK. After surgery, patients lose around a third of total body weight, or up to 70 per cent of excess body weight.

The Roux reduces the size of the stomach to a small pouch – about the size of an egg – by stapling off a section of it, which has the effect of reducing the amount of food that can be eaten. The surgeon attaches this pouch to the small intestine, bypassing most of the rest of the stomach and the upper part of the small intestine, which reduces the amount of fat and calories that are absorbed from food. It can be highly successful for weight loss, but there have been a number of reports of alcohol abuse in patients.

An animal study at Penn State University in the United States showed that rats given the bypass surgery had a much greater uptake of some alcohol than rats who had placebo surgery. The researchers say this could reflect metabolic changes triggered by the surgery, and changes in the levels of various compounds, including hormones and brain chemicals, such as dopamine.

"We show that gastric bypass surgery significantly increased alcohol consumption and increased water intake, which provides some support for the clinical reports that surgery is associated with an increased risk for alcohol abuse," they say.

In a human trial at St Olav's Hospital, 30 patients will have one of two types of obesity surgery, including the Roux, and the effects on the metabolism of alcohol will be compared. Just how surgery could have such an effect is not clear. When we drink alcohol it goes into the stomach where the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase helps to oxidise a fraction of the alcohol, which reduces its toxic potential.

"This very wise biological defence is highly individual. With me – I tested myself before I included patients – the bioavailability of ethanol is 93 per cent, meaning that almost the entire drink reaches my blood, with well-known consequences. In contrast, one of my patients showed only 42 per cent bioavailability. This is the kind of guy who would drink most of us under the table," said Magnus Strommen.

"What happens in gastric surgery, we believe, is that it increases bioavailability to close to my level or even higher. Hence, the effect of alcohol is dramatically altered, with the maximum concentration being both much higher and coming much sooner than before.

"Awareness about these mechanisms is very important. Clinics as well as GPs need to be more aware of these issues in patients who have undergone surgery to be able to detect developing alcoholism before consequences get too serious."

Professor David Haslam, chairman of the National Obesity Forum, said: "This is a very interesting study and I look forward to seeing the results of the trial. Food can be an addiction and if we mechanically take away or reduce the ability to eat food, they may turn to something else, like alcohol."

Dentistry from the Heart.

Hello Jeanne,
I was made aware of today of Dentistry from the Heart. On Saturday, March 29th Dream Dentistry and Sleep Care (Dr. Gordon Roeder) in Quakertown will be providing a day to give back to the community. They ask those without dental care to arrive and register at 7:30am and they guarantee the first 100 patients. They can choose from fillings, extraction or cleanings for 18 years and older. See the link below and the attached flyer. I hope that you can get the word out to the clients and attendees of The Council and Pro-Act and men's and women's houses.
See link:
http://www.dream-dentistry.com/above-and-beyond/dentistry-from-the-heart/

Like us on Facebook                           www.councilsepa.org                   Follow us on Twitter         To view the trailer, click here  FREE Showing Wednesday, February 19, 2014 (2 PCB Credits) Bucks County Community College  Gateway Center Auditorium 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, PA 18940 DIRECTIONS: Auditorium is very near the West Gate Entrance. Visitors may park in the student or visitor lot; however Student Lots A or B are closest to the Auditorium.  For directions and a Newtown Campus map, please click here. The Gateway Center Auditorium is designated as "Building 3" on the campus map.  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 the following  behavioral health and public policy experts: The Honorable Donald Nasshorn,  Magisterial District Judge for Newtown, PA Aaron Kucharski, Recovery Advocate,  National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, NJ  Diane Rosati, Executive Director  Bucks County Drug & Alcohol Commission  Lena Marder, Coordinator of Recovery Support Services in Bucks County  for The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania  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
			www.councilsepa.org

February 18 v 13 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

Spouting off before listening to the facts

is both shameful and foolish.

STEP 7 - We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings.

The Proverb is describing me ! Why is it we hold onto the old ways of doing things. I really have a hard time with step six and seven . Just when I think I have reached the next level wham something else pops up and I realize , I have not moved an inch. Just the other day i heard something from someone and immediately I finished their story and then I decided how they can and what they can do to fix their problem. Well guess what I was all wrong and I pissed the person off . This is so difficult but we have got to learn to shut the trap and listen God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason.

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