Mar. 3, 2015              A Weekly Newsletter for the Treatment Industry & Recovery Community               Vol. 2., No. 28

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The Recovery Oscars!  Joey Pants & Daniel Baldwin - Two of the Honorees at 6th Annual Experience, Strength and Hope Awards in Los Angeles.  This year's honoree was actor and writer Joe Pantoliano, best known for his portrayal as Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos. Bob Forrest walked up to say hi to D.H. Peligro, the drummer from the Dead Kennedys. I've known Bob for years. "I've been to every one of these things. Sometimes there's only been 10 people. Look at this (indicating that the room was packed). Leonard has finally gotten it together," he said. All-in-all, an inspiring and amusing night, I thought,as I grabbed my gift bag and headed to the parking lot. CONTINUED @ TheFix.com  What A Concept    Teaching Kids How to Learn Without Study Drugs  Work loads in high school can be extreme, causing some kids to think about cheating or taking study drugs. GSE senior lecturer Denise Pope comments on the problem and possible solutions, such as cutting homework load and ensuring kids get enough "play time, down time and family time. The question is do they really help normal people with learning," Goldsmith said, "There hasn't been any reason to study them because the risks are so significant." Those risks include depression, psychosis, mood swings, suicidal thoughts, seizures, decreased appetite and insomnia. CONTINUED @ Stanford.edu

Isn't This Soberlink? Researchers Combining Money With Breathalyzers To Combat Alcoholism     That's where a new device, just on the market from a company in southern California comes in.  The device mixes a breathalyzer with a camera. "It's a remote breathalyzer that uses cell phone towers to transmit the results immediately to a central server where we can review it," said Koffarnus. CONTINUED @ WSETnews.com  Does It Begin with a 'C'?   VIDEO      Porn Dddiction Prevalent! One man says he found his cure VIDEO    Jimmy Tarrant says he's living proof of the effect.  As a Baptist minister, he prayed for God to take the temptation away.  It didn't work.  He says only when he turned from porn to the grace of God, surrendered the addiction to higher power instead of trying to use willpower, did he begin to recover.  He says once he confessed, he found people, including his wife Connie, forgave him. CONTINUED @ WYFF4.com

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Now I Really Can See Russia Alaska Third State To Legalize-It     On the day Alaska became the third state in the nation to legalize recreational pot use, folks in this party town best known as the finish line for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race seemed more interested in watching snowmobile contestants blast into the city than smoking a joint. CONTINUED @ LATimes.com  WARNING: Not  Before Yom Kippur    Religious Leaders Aim High To Make Marijuana Kosher    Orthodox Jews in New York might eventually be able to celebrate the high holidays - actually high - under doctors' orders.With collaboration from a Colorado drug firm and a Jewish group that offers kosher certification, cannabis could be available to Orthodox Jews by next year. The Orthodox Union, could offer certification to start selling legal, edible marijuana with a kosher stamp of approval, The Jewish Daily Forward reported on Monday. CONTINUED @ MSNBC.com

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Even Beer Lower IQ Linked to Increased Drinking in Young Adult Men     It turns out that there may be a link between lower IQ and increased drinking among young adult men. While previous research has suggested a link between intelligence and health outcomes, this latest study shows that poor IQ does have something to do with riskier drinking. "In two studies where the CAGE questionnaire-a method of screening for alcoholism-was used, a higher cognitive ability was found to be associated with a higher risk for drinking problems. CONTINUED @ ScienceWorldReport.com  Crash Course   AUDIO    Drunkorexia: Swapping Meals For Drinks AUDIO    A new phenomenon seems to combine these two common problems of undergraduate life into a bigger issue, and one that has its own name: "drunkorexia." There's little scientific research on drunkorexia, but some say they see it happening among college students. "Drunkorexia basically means somebody is using inappropriate eating disorder behavior, such as restricting or binge eating, in order to compensate for binge drinking later on." CONTINUED @ KPBS.com

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Drunk Abroad Korean Households Spend Record Amount on Alcohol in 2014     South Koreans spent the most in over 10 years on alcoholic beverages in 2014, mainly on beer and soju, statistics agency said Monday, while demand for cigarettes fell, most likely from the price increase. Data provided by Statistics Korea said local households spent an average of 11,267 won (US$10.16) monthly to buy alcoholic beverages. This represents a 4.8 percent increase from the year before. The result from the survey conducted on households with two or more members is the highest tallied since the office started taking related data in 2003. CONTINUED @ KoreaTimesUS.com  Not On The Curriculum  12 at Wesleyan University Are Hospitalized for Drug Overdoses    By the time the ambulances were through, 10 Wesleyan students and two guests had been admitted to hospitals for possible overdoses on Molly, a club drug also known, sometimes in different forms, as MDMA or Ecstasy, and which has been linked to a number of overdoses and deaths in recent years. CONTINUED @ NYTimes.com

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Cure This! City of Malibu Sues, Demands Passages Rehab Shut Down     "Passages Malibu describes itself as the 'number one rehab in the world' whose 'flagship drug and alcohol treatment center is in Malibu, California on a 10-acre property that features a breathtaking Pacific Ocean view, tranquil setting, and palatial estates that house [its] residential and treatment facilities. Yet, despite Passages Malibu's promotion of its operations in the City of Malibu as a comprehensive, sprawling, singular rehab center, and despite evidence supporting this characterization, the California Department of Health Care Services outright refused to regulate Passages." CONTINUED @ MalibuTimes.com  Follow The Money    CDC: Deaths Soared as Narcotic Painkillers Grew Popular    The CDC has called prescription painkiller abuse an epidemic. In 2012, 16,007 people died i from overdoses involving opioid painkillers, triple the number who died in 1999, a 5% decrease from 2011 when 16,917 people died, the CDC reported last year. In September, Attorney General Eric Holder expanded a prescription drug return program that allows hospitals and pharmacies to accept excess drugs, including narcotic pain relievers. CONTINUED @ USAToday.com

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24/7    VIDEO Amber Portwood on Her Drug Addiction: I Took Drugs "24 Hours" VIDEO     Fans got a chance to catch up with Teen Mom's Amber Portwood during her recent Getting To Know special on MTV, and let's just say this girl opened up and then some about her past. Amber is on the record as saying that she was high for almost all of Teen Mom, and she explained to her family and producers how she started doing drugs after giving birth to her daughter Leah on MTV's 16 and Pregnant. CONTINUED @ WetPaint.com  Too Many Kids Dying    Mother of Son who Died of Overdose Calls for More Narcan Awareness    Twin Cities: State lawmakers passed a law last year expanding access to a key anti-overdose drug. While the law has been credited with saving lives, now there is growing concern that the drug's distribution remains too limited - and that not enough people know about it. Nothing brought that fact home for drug-treatment advocates more than two recent overdoses north of the Twin Cities. CONTINUED @ MPRNews.com

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Like GPS for Your Soul Overcoming Addiction With an App     Can a game installed on your smartphone help you to overcome an addiction? Soon this will be a possibility. Marloes Postel, a lecturer at the University of Twente, observed the need for easily accessible care for people with addictions. This has led to the development of an app version of an existing computer course used for training the brain to break free from acquired patterns of thought. CONTINUED @ MedicalXpress.com   Bet Yes    VIDEO  Is A 'Sobriety Pill' In Our Future? VIDEO    Imagine, then, if problem drinkers could be given a pill that makes them less likely to drink, less intoxicated if they do drink and more capable of enduring the potentially life-threatening alcohol withdrawal syndrome that emerges shortly after going "cold-turkey". Recent research exploring interactions between the neuropeptide oxytocin and alcohol gives some grounds for hope that such a pill might one day exist. CONTINUED @ Science20.com

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver  VIDEO Marketing Drugs to Doctors   VIDEO   Pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars marketing drugs to doctors. We have a few issues with that. Poignant, funny and disturbing! CONTINUED @ YouTube.com  Sober Love Hormone ? VIDEO    Love Hormone Has Sobering Effect VIDEO    The findings could pave the way for the development of drugs that help treat alcoholism in humans. "We found that oxytocin blocks alcohol's intoxicating effects and it prevents alcohol from acting at the sites in the brain that are involved in alcohol's intoxicating effects," says team member Dr Michael Bowen, from the University of Sydney's School of Psychology. The findings, reported today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, were quite "serendipitous" says Bowen. CONTINUED @ ABC.net.au

Keep Your Shirt On Next Time VIDEO Russell Brand Attacks the Sex and Porn Industry VIDEO Brand, who has previously come under fire for his string of sexual encounters, has now decided to take on the sex juggernaut that is the porn industry - calling it 'corrupt'. Not because viewers see 'too much' but because people are shown 'too little'. He also lashed out at soft porn film 50 Shades Of Grey. Could this be the first time we actually agree with Brand (despite his lack of clothes)?

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.                                                   and           Pennsylvania Recovery Organization --      Achieving Community Together (PRO-ACT)  Recovery in Our Communities March 3, 2015   www.councilsepa.org Information and Recovery Support Line 24/7: 800-221-6333 SMART Recovery is coming to Central Bucks In an effort to support our ongoing commitment to the availability of multiple pathways in recovery, The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania will be piloting SMART Recovery meetings at select Council/PRO-ACT offices starting this month.  The goal of this pilot program will be to determine community interest in establishing ongoing meetings. The first SMART Recovery meeting will be held on Thursday, March 5th at our Doylestown, PA office at 252 W. Swamp Road, Unit 12.  Subsequent meetings will occur on Thursday evenings at 6:00 pm and will last 60 - 90 minutes, depending on participation.  Additional meetings will be added to our facilities in Rosemont, Bristol and Philadelphia as the interest arises. About SMART Recovery SMART recovery is the leading self-empowering addiction recovery support group that utilizes evidence-based practices.  Participants learn tools for addiction recovery based on the latest scientific research and participate in a world-wide community which includes free, self-empowering, science-based, mutual self-help groups.  SMART Recovery stands for Self-Management and Addiction Recovery Training.  In addition to Basic & Advanced Programs for persons in recovery, SMART Recovery has programs for Family & Friends, as well as Teen & Youth.  How can SMART Recovery Help Me? SMART Recovery can be used to address any addictive behavior.  No matter what your addiction, the program's tools and techniques will help you overcome the behavior.  You'll find a warm and welcoming community in both our face-to-face meetings as well as online supporting activity.  The SMART Recovery 4-Point Program® helps people recover from all types of addiction and addictive behaviors, including: drug abuse, drug addiction, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, cocaine addiction, prescription drug abuse, as well as Process Addictions such as  gambling, sexual addiction, video gaming and other online activities.  The SMART Recovery 4-Point Program offers tools and techniques for each program point:  1: Building and Maintaining Motivation; 2: Coping with Urges; 3: Managing Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors; and 4: Living a Balanced Life.  How do SMART Recovery meetings work? Face-to-face meetings typically last 60 - 90 minutes and are designed to be highly interactive.  Participants are encouraged to share their personal experiences and discuss the tools that help them personally, offering ideas and support to fellow participants. Meetings follow an outline, which included welcoming attendees, a brief statement, a participant check-in and agenda setting for the meeting.  What makes SMART Recovery different that other mutual support groups?  Like The Council, SMART Recovery advocates for choice in recovery, so that those seeking recovery know the variety of pathways in recovery available and can choose among them. SMART Recovery encourages a holistic approach, with the goal being to achieve a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Therefore, the SMART Recovery program is not designed for you to become a permanent participant, but rather for you to 'graduate' when you feel healthy and ready to live a clean/sober/balanced life. Upon graduation, we encourage all participants to volunteer as facilitators, or in another capacity, to help "pay forward' the benefits they have achieved.  The Approach - SMART Recovery is an abstinence-based program that teaches self-empowerment and self-reliance.  The meetings are educational, supportive and include open discussions.  We teach techniques for self-directed change.  Encourages individuals to recover from substance use and other addictive behaviors and live satisfying lives. Supports the scientifically informed use of psychological treatments and legally prescribed psychiatric and addiction medication. Works on substance use disorders, alcohol abuse, drug addictions and process addictions as complex maladaptive behaviors with possible physiological factors. SMART Recovery program evolves as scientific knowledge in addiction recovery evolves. Differs from Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other 12-step programs in that it does not require you to embrace a spiritual approach to the process of recovery; however, SMART recovery is often used by people who also participate in spiritual based programs such as AA. NA, etc. Recognition - SMART Recovery is a recognized resource for substance abuse and addiction recovery by the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Center for Health Care Evaluation, The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), US Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM).  The SMART Recovery pilot program will be facilitated by Stephen Osborne, CRS at our Central Bucks PRO-ACT office, Unit 12 Training Room.  For further information about this program or additional programs you can emailsmartrecovery@councilsepa.org or call Stephen @ 215-345-6644 x3113.   Upcoming Events: Why Can't They Just Stop? with Kevin McCauley, MD - Tuesday, March 10 at 6:30 pm at Horsham Community Center, 1025 Horsham Road, Ambler PA. Our brains are amazing and complex. We'll have a conversation about how substance use can be relatively harmless for some, yet for others, can lead to abuse, or the disease of addiction. Click here for flyer.   ADDICT a one act play - March 19 & 21 at 6:30 pm at Hatboro-Horsham High School. The play brings to life the impact of substance abuse among adolescents through ten vignettes, each focusing on a specific drug. Click here for flyer.  Volunteer for The Council/PRO-ACT !! Contact one of our Volunteer Coordinators: Central Bucks:  Email or call Rick at 215-345-6644 Southern Bucks:  Email or call Karen at 215-788-3738 x100 Philadelphia: Email or call She-Ria at 215-233-7700 or Email John or call 215-923-1661  Chester, Delaware and Montco: Email or call John at 215-923-1661 PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! Committees: Email  or call John at 215-923-1661 Volunteer Training Schedule Volunteer Orientation Training March 4, 2015 1 pm  - 2:30 pm at Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center, 1286 Veterans Highway, D-6, Bristol, PA 19007 March 4, 10 am - 1 pm and 5 pm - 7:30 pm at Philadelphia Recovery Training Center, 444 N 3rd Street, Suite 307, Philadelphia, 19123 March 13, 1 pm - 2:30 pm at Central Bucks Recovery Community Center, 252 W Swamp Road, Doylestown PA 18901 Group Leadership/Facilitation Training March 11, 2015  1 pm - 3:30 pm at Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center, 1286 Veterans Highway, D-6, Bristol, PA 19007 March 12, 10 am - 1 pm and 5 pm - 8 pm at Philadelphia Recovery Training Center, 444 N 3rd Street, Suite 307, Philadelphia, PA 19123 March 27, 1 pm - 3 pm at Central Bucks Recovery Community Center, 252 W Swamp Road, Doylestown, PA 18901 Peer Mentoring Training March 16 & 17, 2015 9 am - 4 pm at Philadelphia Recovery Training Center, 444 N 3rd Street, Suite 307, Philadelphia, 19123 Please contact the volunteer coordinator for questions or to attend. AT OUR CENTERS NEW Location - Family Education Program - Tuesday evenings March 10, 17, 24 & 31 from7 - 9 pm at 1062 E Lancaster Ave. Suite 22-A, Rosemont, PA  19010 from 7 - 9:00 pm.  To register call 800-221-6333. Planning to Sustain Recovery - every Tuesday 7 - 8:30 pm and every Thursday 10 - 11:30 am at CBRCC, 252 W Swamp Road, Unit 12, Doylestown.  Educational support group to help individuals in all stages of recovery plan goals and action steps to sustain recovery. To registeremail or call Jeanne at 215-345-6644.   Gateway to Work every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:00 am at SBRCC, 1286, Veterans Highway, Unit D-6, Bristol; Mon. - Fri. the first week of the month at PRCC, 1701 W Lehigh Ave., #6, Philadelphia, PA 19132; 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at 1:00 pm at CBRCC, 252 W Swamp Road, Doylestown. Get help with resume building, barriers to employment and motivation. Contact Rick at 215-345-6644 or email for more information. Click here for March calendars!       AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop atsmile.amazon.com, you'll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to The Council. Go to www.smile.amazon.com  Log in with Amazon account info or register if you are a new member Type in The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc. and click SEARCH We will come up, hit SELECT Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to The Council. It is as simple as that! Save the date!  Gather your team, consider sponsorship!   PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2015 September 19 Register free; Form a team; Join the Honor Guard; Donate; Volunteer; or become a Sponsor by  clicking here www.recoverywalks.org Employment Opportunities: Click here

DONATE Donations help us to reduce the impact of addiction for more individuals and families. The Council is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Women for Sobriety, Inc. 2015 WFS Conference: Registration Flyer Hello WFS Members, REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!!  We have the 2015 WFS Conference Registration Flyer on our website and for those that didn't see it, we've attached the pdf (the attachment is located at the bottom of this email).  We hope you can join us on June 5, 6, & 7, 2015 for a great weekend getaway with 4C women!  An added bonus is that you can arrive a day early - Thursday - and spend some quality time with your WFS sisters at the dormitory.  The registration price includes staying in the dormitory....the price will NOT be lowered if you choose to stay OFF CAMPUS.  Believe me, you will have a lot more fun staying in the dorm with all of your new friends! ***WFS AUCTION***  Don't forget about WFS's Annual Fundraiser!  It will be heldon Saturday of the conference and we need your support... handmade items, crafts, quilts, artwork, jewelry, baskets of goodies... it all adds up to lots of exciting bids and friendly competition to raise much needed funds for our organization.  If you are bringing auction items with you to conference, we will have a pre-auction set up tableon Friday to sort through all the goodies... SUGGESTION: ONE-OF-A-KIND ITEMS garner more bids than multiples of the same item.  That being said, we welcome 'multiples' too! ***REGISTRATION DISCOUNT***  Every year we provide a $20 discount for the early birds who register by April 1st.  The registration for the WHOLE weekend with a double room is only $265 (includes 2 nights at the dormitory, 5 meals, and all workshops on Saturday & Sunday).  After April 1st, the regular cost of $285 for a double room will apply.  Fill the form out today and join us for a great weekend retreat!  We already have 2 ladies registered!! Registration Deadline is May 11th, 2015 WFS Conference will be held at DeSales University in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.  Campus map and directions are available at their site: http://desales.edu/home/about/campus-region/campus-map You can FAX (215-538-9026) or MAIL (PO Box 618, Quakertown, PA 18951) your registration form to the WFS office - we will not be able to take registrations over the phone due to the Personal Responsibility Form needing to be signed. IMPORTANT - IF YOU HAVE ANY ....ANY!... QUESTIONS - CALL OR EMAIL ME DIRECTLY AT THE OFFICE...NOT THE ONLINE FORUM.  We appreciate your support of WFS!  I am so looking forward to seeing you! Warm regards, Becky Fenner, WFS Director PS: Here's a peek at our new conference totes! Email:  newlife@nni.com   *   Tel: 215-536-8026   *   Fax:  215-538-9026 http://www.womenforsobriety.org   *   http://www.wfscatalog.org

Dear Readers, We're thrilled to let you know that the latest issue of Renew is now available in print and digital copies. And this issue is all about having fun in recovery, and helping your answer the big questions. Some of the stories you can look forward to are: Jane, Unchained: Former CNN reporter Jane Velez-Mitchell shares how she keeps her recovery fun, even after years of sobriety. Repairing the damage from addiction: Physically, mentally and emotionally, addiction can take a toll on your health. Writer Michael Berg shares ways to repair that damage, that you may not have considered before. Recovery 'round the globe: From acupuncture to sweat lodges, learn how addiction is treated in cultures across the world, and how these practices can help you. The issue also features recovery experts weighing in on the role of spirituality in their lives, including: Tommy Rosen, sharing how simply paying attention to your breath can bring you to a higher level of wellness. Temple Hayes, on how telling her story changed her life. Reverend Leo Booth, discussing the gift of spirituality.   Of course, you’ll also find the humor and insight of our bloggers, as well as the voices of the leading professionals in the addiction fields. As always, we want to hear from you! If you have story ideas or comments, or are interested in blogging for Renew, emaileditor@reneweveryday.com. As a bonus, we've also included a sneak peek of Counselormagazine. Enjoy! Be well. The Renew Team Get a Sneak Peek of Renew's Winter Issue here!   Get a FREE preview ofCounselor'slatest issue here! Connect with Renew on Social Media! Facebook Twitter YouTube