APRIL 21 v 16 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

The person who strays from common sense

will end up in the company of the dead.

STEP 3 -Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God .

In my active addiction I was a dead man walking , A zombie , lifeless no purpose just one focus ! Picture a zombie from the movies  , head forward arms out mouth open  grrrr druuuggggsssss   druel running down the lip. Living a life of addiction is no life at all . The control addiction has is mind boggling and the destruction it causes is indescribable . Step one and two are only the beginning but step three is a must if you don't want to be a drug zombie anymore in the company of the dead . God also has given us an instruction manual (Bible) it is the cure for Zombizm in addiction along with the steps of course. Foolishness , addiction , and pride will keep you in zombie state , Surrender , humility and God in control along with right living , working the steps , and common sense will keep you sober.  

Galatians 5 v 1

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

By : Joseph Dickerson

Let’s Get Serious About Treating Addiction

By Dr. David Rosenbloom | April 9, 2014 | 4 Comments | Filed in Addiction,Drugs, Insurance, Mental Health & Treatment

Every few years the media report an epidemic of heroin overdose deaths; often after a celebrity like Phillip Seymour Hoffman dies to set off the spark. This time the spike in deaths—which is real– is being attributed to heroin mixed with fentanyl. Attention will fade but the deaths will continue. We wring our hands about overdoses, but do little to make effective treatment widely available. Our continuing refusal to prevent and treat addiction is a medical and social scandal.

Here are the policy changes I believe we must make to end this scandal:

1) Complete the transition to individual health insurance with complete coverage for addiction treatment. The bulk of addiction treatment today is provided by small free standing programs that depend on contracts with public entities for treatment “slots” or individual out of pocket payment. The programs with contracts are responsive to their funders, not to the patients who may be filling a slot at the moment. The organization and funding of our treatment system works against developing a long term relationship between patient and provider that is key to successful long-term recovery. When a patient leaves, the treatment entity has no continuing contact with that person. Obamacare can cover almost all the people with addiction in the country if states, employers and insurers implement it properly. Sadly, some existing treatment programs are dragging their heels or opposed to getting their patients covered because they find it easier to bill the state or because they cannot meet the administrative and clinical requirements for accepting insurance payments.

2) Integrate addiction, mental illness and medical treatment around individuals with severe addiction. Telling a patient who is unemployed, homeless, addicted and mentally ill to go someplace different for each service or to wait weeks for an appointment is malpractice because the providers know it will not happen. We should force consolidation of addiction treatment, mental illness and medical care providers to coordinate and take care of the most severely ill patients in one place. The few places where this kind of care is provided now get much better results for their patients.

3) Increase insurance payment rates for addiction treatment to a level that meets providers’ costs, draws in new responsible providers, and pays for the required coordination. Very low Medicaid and private insurance payment rates create and perpetuate the shortage of quality treatment. Appropriate payment rates will attract higher quality providers.

4) Reward longer stays in treatment and stop using providers that are unable to successfully retain patients in treatment long enough for it to be effective. Longer time in treatment, inpatient or outpatient, improves outcomes. Research shows that drug treatment for less than 90 days is generally not effective, but very few public or private insurance programs authorize that much treatment now. It is shocking that some treatment programs still throw a patient out if he relapses during treatment. Relapse is part of the disease and a signal for more treatment, not a reason to end it.

5) Require hospitals, health centers, HMO’s and other primary providers, as a condition of their participation in Medicaid, Medicare, and public employee health programs, to demonstrate that they diagnose all patients with alcohol and drug disease and that they have a clinically sound program that gets individuals the care they need. Today, most hospitals refuse to provide addiction treatment at any appropriate scale even though many of their patients would have better clinical outcomes if they got brief interventions or treatment.

6) Stop the revolving door at detoxification programs. Current policy and reimbursement get the patient out the door as soon as he or she is “medically stable,” whether or not the person is connected or ready to enter real addiction treatment. The vast majority of people who leave detox without directly entering and staying in treatment quickly relapse. Many think they “failed” treatment but the truth is they never had any treatment, just detoxification.

7) Stop arresting people for non-violent drug offenses. And stop putting people back in jail or prison for non-violent addiction related probation violations. Our current policies ruin thousands of young lives. Addiction is a disease, not a crime. Drug court programs are fine, but they touch only a tiny proportion of the people in the criminal justice system who need treatment.

David L. Rosenbloom, PhD, is Professor, Boston University School of Public Health and former Director of Join Together.

This feature was originally published on the BU Today website.

Drug Free World: Substance & Alcohol Abuse, Education & Prevention

Drug Free World: Substance & Alcohol Abuse, Education & Prevention

APRIL 19 v 2 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB

Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good;
    haste makes mistakes.

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

 Going into and maintaining sobriety should be done with enthusiasm and excitement . Well at least it is for me . Everyday is a new adventure ,I feel at times like a child discovering brand new wonders at the amusement park. At this stage of my recovery Fifteen years in  June, and as I get older I have come to realize we need to keep it simple , learn as much as you can , and help as many people as you can.  When you take it slow and listen your chances of making mistakes is reduced .There will be times when you screw up but don't let the self pity wagon  take you for a  guilt trip on the relapse roller coaster. A  good sign of maturity in recovery is when you can get right back up on your feet like you never missed a beat  . Staying sober will show you what life is meant to be and for those of us in recovery step eleven should be the code we live by .

Jeremiah 29 : 11 - 13  For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen.  If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me !

By : Joseph Dickerson

Warning Signs: 5 Red Flags in Kids Who Are Susceptible to Addiction
Be sure your child isn't at risk for addictive behavior by keeping an eye out for these signs.



Shutterstock


By Marissa Rosado
Source The Fix
04/16/14

Even if you’re on Facebook, you might not be privy to every aspect of your child’s social life. Adolescents, by nature, seek independence by detaching from their parents and keeping more of their lives to themselves. These formative years are also characterized by changes in the brain that allow drug abuse to occur more easily than at other times. How can you, as a parent, reduce the risks of your child engaging in substance abuse and becoming an addict? Below I've listed five signs that indicate your teen is extra-vulnerable to using drugs or alcohol, and what you can do about it.

1) Risk Taking


Important rewiring is taking place in your teen's brain. This rewiring ultimately prepares your child for moving out of your home and becoming more independent. The level of dopamine, an important neurotransmitter associated with reward, is lower in adolescents, but when it is secreted (by engaging in new and exciting behaviors), it is released in higher concentrations than in adults. This results in the adolescent having a much stronger drive to engage in dopamine-secreting activities. Drug-taking releases dopamine, but so does achieving a goal (even if it's a new level in a video game) or learning a new skateboard trick or acing a test. When you notice that your teen is bored, remember that it will take innovative and interesting activities to relieve his or her boredom. Do not discourage your child from taking risks, but try to direct the risk-taking in as responsible a way as possible. Try to eliminate boredom as a trigger for drug use.

2) Anxiety

In the face of a new challenge, how does your child react? A certain amount of anxiety is normal, and can even act as a motivating force. When the anxiety becomes extreme, however, your child may feel desperate for a solution. Many addicts and alcoholics are perfectionists and as children they sought approval at all costs. The anxiety can be overwhelming and push your child to seek relief in drugs or other destructive behavior. Alternatively, this drive for perfection (straight A's, perfect athlete, piano prodigy) can backfire and cause your child to simply give up. This is a setup for drug use too: The pain of failure is unbearable, especially in a family where expectations are high. Drugs ease that pain.

Take the pressure off your child. Let him pursue his own interests and experience the joy of achievement for achievement's sake. Go easy on rewards and punishments. Let your child know that he is loved unconditionally. When your kid believes in himself and wants to reach goals because of an internal drive, not because he's seeking approval, he will not need to look elsewhere for validation/comfort.

3) Depression

Although moodiness is a characteristic of adolescence, long-lasting or frequent depression is not. In 2013, there were reports that children as young as five years old were showing signs of depression. It’s awful, and heartbreaking, but it’s a reality we have to discuss. Keep an eye out for a few specific behaviors. Does your child complain that she is always tired? Does she sleep too little or too much? Has she suddenly lost or gained an appetite? Trust your instinct on this one. Kids get tired from staying up too late and appetites increase with growth spurts, but if these behaviors seem extreme or are accompanied by a loss of affect, your child may be suffering from depression. Untreated depression and other mood disorders may lead to self-medication with drugs. Maintain open communication with your child by being non-judgmental and if something seems wrong, ask about it.

If you have concerns but can’t seem to get any answers from your child, reach out to teachers, coaches, babysitters, or anyone else who spends considerable time with your child. Have they noticed a change in your child’s demeanor? Are they able to shed light on a recent event you weren’t aware of?

4) Social alienation

Has your normally social child become isolated? Does your teen prefer to be alone than with his peers? Does your kid feel ostracized or left out?

Address social alienation before it becomes a problem. Kids do drugs in order to fit in with their peers or to escape the pain of isolation. School situations such as bullying, dealing with a learning disability, or not fitting in with the other kids all create tremendous pressure and anxiety. Maintain communication with the school so you know what's going on. Spend enough time with your child that she knows she can trust you with her feelings and confide in you. Many adult addicts say that they felt different as children. You may not be able to create a social life for your child, but if you acknowledge this "different" feeling and assure your child that she is okay anyway, you will go a long way to helping her feel safe and comfortable in her own skin. Talking about your own social challenges when you were a child is also very helpful in letting your kid know she'll make it through the tough times.

5) Emotional avoidance

If your child is unable or unwilling to experience difficult emotions, she may be setting herself up for substance use later in life. Pushing feelings down requires effort, and addicts learn to use drugs to cope with difficult emotions. Whether your child's emotional avoidance is a result of trauma or conditioning or something else entirely, it needs to be addressed if you want your kid to experience a healthy and fulfilling life.

Lead by example. When you’re feeling frustrated/angry/upset, articulate those feelings. Show your child that you don’t have to punch holes in the wall to feel better. Sometimes relief is as easy as saying how you feel out loud. Also let your child know that feelings can be overwhelming, but they always pass.

We advise seeking professional help if your child displays emotional avoidance. Sometimes the inability to feel emotions is a sign of something deeper, some trauma that needs to be addressed, or some organic problem like depression or another mental illness. Many addicts have never received proper treatment for their mental illness and consequently they self-medicate with often disastrous results.

***

There is no magic trick to ensuring that your child will not abuse drugs or become an addict. Nor is there a fool-proof way to predict addiction or abuse. Open and honest communication, however, goes a long way toward maintaining a healthy relationship with your child so that if and when problems do arise, you can address them before it's too late.

My Trip Through the Wilderness
After trying everything else to help my son, we tried "wilderness therapy." The results were mixed, at best.



Not the solution. Shutterstock


By Katie Bernard

04/14/14 Source The Fix




Wilderness “goons” usually roust teens from their beds in the middle of the night, when high-schoolers are too groggy and disoriented to fight their transport to an outdoor therapy program.

But I told the transport company that Jake doesn’t turn in until 3 and wouldn’t sink deep into REM sleep until 7. So as Good Morning America awoke the country, Chris and Corey—the transport team—quietly rolled their rented Camry into our driveway.

The two 20-something men looked more like a couple of camp counselors than the muscle I expected. Standing in the driveway with these guys from the J. Crew catalog, my husband and I—a couple of 60-somethings—signed paperwork, rehearsed the wake-up drill, then led them to Jake’s room before he suddenly awoke and ran.

Stepping over the chaos of clothes and dirty dishes on his bedroom floor, I touched Jake’s shoulder, told him we love him and that this transport team would take him him to a wilderness therapy program outside Ashevlle, N.C.

As I recited my lines, Cory grabbed Jake’s cell phone lying by the bed, and Chris scouted the room for weapons—standard procedure. There were no weapons, just a loaded weed grinder and bong.

Jake smiled slightly when he realized he wasn’t dreaming: He knew kids who went to wilderness and presumed he’d someday land there, too.

“Guys, give me 10 more minutes,” he said, pulling the blanket over his head and rolling over for a little more sleep.

My husband and I waited in the kitchen as the goons—that’s what wilderness kids call escorts—helped our only child throw on a pair of shorts and a knitted poncho that reeked of pot. Flanked by his escorts, Jake walked past us without a word, and slid into the back seat of the silver sedan, where he napped throughout the 10-hour ride between Northern Virginia and the North Carolina rain forest.

For most wilderness moms, watching their kid leave with God knows who, for God knows what, is the worst moment of their life.

For me—not so much.

Why We Tried Wilderness

Wilderness therapy uses the non-negotiable nature of Nature to rehabilitate addicted and defiant teens. It was the only therapy we hadn’t tried to help Jake manage his ADHD, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, Adoption Attachment Disorder, and his relatively recent dive into recreational drugs. By the time Jake was 16, he had been treated by:
A childhood analyst specializing in adoption issues, who helped 4-year-old Jakey correct the notion that we had stolen him from his birth mother.
A behavioral consultant, who said the analyst was a waste of money, and that 8-year-old Jake needed charts and chits to help modify his out-of-control behavior.
An NIH-worthy drug trial to discover which cocktail of stimulants, mood stabilizers and anti-depressants would help 11-year-old Jake pull through grade school.
A therapeutic boarding school that killed us emotionally and financially but was the only way to turn down the heat that was consuming our home as Jake crashed into adolescence at 13.

The result of all the “help”?

Jake was cordially invited not to return to the mainstream boarding school, which followed the therapeutic boarding school. He finished his junior year hell bent on breaking every rule we set. He refused to get a summer job, take a class, or do anything productive with his summer. He smoked weed in his room all day; rendezvoused with his pot dealer in our driveway at midnight; called me a cunt, and told his father he’d dance on his grave.

So when the escorts took our son away, I felt relief. I doubted that Jake would return the “confident and empowered” child the brochure promised. But I figured, at the very least, he’d be better off hiking, camping, and making fire with a bow and stick than inhaling drugs in his bedroom all summer.

Almost a year and $35,000 later, I can’t swear I was right.

The Ways of Wilderness

The world of wilderness programs, which serves over 10,000 U.S. kids a year, is varied and vast. Programs mostly are located in rugged areas – Utah, Idaho, parts of North Carolina that see 90 inches of rain per year. And they fall into two basic categories.
Expedition Programs: Teens live in the wilderness for about two months and don’t see civilization again until they graduate.
Base Camp Programs: Teens alternate two-week wilderness treks with a week of classes and, often, a week of equine therapy; rinse and repeat the monthly routine until the teen is ready to transition back home or to a boarding school.

Both types of programs include individual and group therapy.

My best friend sent her 15-year-old daughter, who was trading sex for drugs, to an expedition program in the Utah mountains. There, Victoria filled plastic bottles with boiling water to warm her sleeping bag during winter nights. Today, she’s 20, works a fulltime job, takes college classes, and smokes pot nightly with her steady boyfriend. For Victoria, wilderness therapy had mixed results.

We sent Jake to a “wilderness lite” program in western North Carolina during the rainy season. He camped and hiked during downpours, then dried out at base camp where he studied snakes in an environmental science class, and tended a horse named Hal; evidently, the emotional lives of horses and teens are similar.

Each week, my husband and I talked with Jake’s primary therapist, Will. At first, Will’s goal was to help Jake reconnect with us, and heal our family. Halfway through Jake’s 10-week stay, Will gave up that ghost—Jake (like his horse) wouldn’t budge. So, the therapist focused sessions on helping Jake launch himself into adulthood.

Great for Jake; too bad for us.

Jake’s goal, of course, was to move through the program and get out. We were told he got along with everybody—counselors, kids, horses. He worked hard to “bust his coal,” the first step toward starting a fire without matches—the holy grail of wilderness training.

And he wrote terse, weekly letters to us, where he shared his feelings: “I don’t hate you for sending me to wilderness,” he wrote. “I hate you for other reasons.”

As the summer wore on, my husband and I sunk deeper into hopelessness. We hit bottom when Jake’s “Letter of Accountability” arrived during the homestretch of his wilderness stay. The LOA, as the kids call it, is their mea culpa, where they own the reasons they landed in the woods.

Jake confessed so much in that seven-page letter, we figured he lifted some capers from stories he heard around the campfire. Here’s a sample.
“I smoked weed 3-6 times a day, whether I was away at school or home."
“I abused cough syrup, painkillers, Ecstasy, cocaine.”
“I stole money and credit cards from you.”
“I had sex with trashy girls.” (That’s the part we’re pretty sure he made up.)

There was a lot of accountability; absolutely no remorse or apology. We half-way expected him to end the LOA with: “And I’d do it all again.”

In the beginning of August, when Jake was a few sparks away from starting his matchless fire, we began making a post-wilderness plan for him. Most wilderness teens don’t return home right away. They go on to other drug rehabilitation programs, therapeutic boarding schools, or alternative schools that contain them until they can contain themselves, or they turn 18—whichever comes first.

We picked an Idaho program that taught a healthy lifestyle and a “zest for life.” But as we drove Jake to his fourth home in five years, he delivered a parting shot.

“I did drugs in wilderness.”

According to Jake, a student injured in wilderness returned to the program with a leg cast and percocet prescription. Jake said he traded his fruit rations for the painkiller.

When I could breathe again, I shot an email to Will. He interviewed the boy with the cast, who denied the allegation, then ticked off the field protocols employed to make sure pills are swallowed, not traded. Counselors make the kids stick out their tongues, swish water around their mouths, and pull out their cheeks. Will’s conclusion: Jake despised the other “gentleman” and was trying to get him in trouble. Case closed.

Perhaps that’s what happened; honesty is not Jake’s strong suit. But the wilderness program never interviewed my son, nor asked for a drug test—steps I would have taken if someone claimed drugs were exchanged in my wilderness program.

Was Wilderness Worth It?

Today, Jake is watching howler monkeys and finishing high school online in Central America, where his school maintains a branch. He lives in a small village where life is simple, and family is everything.

We Skype with him weekly, and things are a lot better than they were. He tries to be pleasant, and we try to be happy with the effort. He’s scheduled to come home in late May with a high school diploma and five college acceptances under his belt.

Happy ending? Jake told us recently that he plans to smoke pot when he comes home, but not in the house, and only now and then.

“I don’t want to be a stoner,” he said. “I want to be a business major.”

Hey—it’s a start.

Katie Bernard is a pseudonym.