The Addict's Mom Lights of Hope National Event - Hosted in all 50 States by mothers who are brave enough to "Share Without Shame." Lights of Hope - South Florida - Boynton Beach.. The Addict's Mom Announces the Lights of Hope 2015 Vigil in Boynton Beach, Florida During Recovery Awareness Month Attracting all South Floridians to Partake in this Special Ceremony. The Addict's Mom announced their nationwide campaign, Lights of Hope, 2015. They will be honoring and supporting those whose lives have been shattered by addiction and remembering those lost. Ceremonies will be hosted by local chapters throughout the United States. On September 20th 2015, candles will burn bright as beacons of hope for the 22.7 million Americans addicted to drugs. In Florida, the vigil will take place on Sunday, September 20th at 5:45pm until 8:30pm at Aion Recovery - Station House, 13000 Barwick Rd, Boynton Beach, Florida 33436, 5:45 – 8:30pm. Speakers will shed light on their personal experiences and help this struggling population find resources. The speakers include Barbara Theodosiou of The Addict’s Mom, Patricia Rosen of Sober World Magazine, Linda Mautner of the Ian Mautner Foundation, John Lehman of FARR, and Lyle Fried of The Shores. The Addict's Mom hopes to highlight: The lack of available resources specifically structured to care for curtail, and combat addiction issues. . Campaigns for foundations, such as hospitals, to increase their efforts in treating those plagued by addiction. . Information that is available to those struggling with addiction about where they can receive help. . The fact that recovery is possible. . The need to never lose hope. Lights of Hope is an offer extended to all to step out of the shadows of shame and stigma and raise their voices as one by lighting three candles to spotlight September as National Recovery Month. One candle represents those in active addiction, the next celebrates addicts in recovery, and the last speaks for those who have perished. Together the tapers embody the hope that one day this national epidemic of death and despair will end. . An extremely painful and private battle, most addicts and their families suffer alone. When Barbara Theodosiou found out that two of her four children had fallen prey to addiction, she knew she had to do something. That something was to announce, very bravely, to the world that she was an addict's mom and she was not going to hide in shame, but she was going to be there to help every mother like her cope with this beast that was destroying her. Her crusade, now called The Addict's Mom, a burgeoning Facebook community, is a home for many--a place where mothers share their hopes, fears and grief without shame. Like millions of other parents who have lost their kids to addiction, she speaks for all, regardless of the circumstances. "It shocks me. It crushes me. It steals my soul . . There are no breaks, no holidays, there is no solace here. All I can do now is tell his story to the world in the hopes that I am able to make the smallest change in a broken system that houses the mentally ill in violent jails." She's not alone anymore. The Addict's Mom, now 40,000 strong, takes pride in bolstering battered spirits, sharing the miniscule amount of community resources available, and offering support where once there was none—a huge victory . Very few choose to publicize their battle, like Theodosiou, Mautner and Rosen who have all lost their beautiful children to this horrible disease. The Lights of Hope can promote change. . Please join in our quest to share without shame and cast away the chains of stigma, which continue to keep us prisoners of sorrow and secrecy. For more information contact: Barbara Theodosiou, 954 309-0992, barbara@theaddictsmom.com Visit The Addict's Mom at: http://addictsmom.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

Women for Sobriety, Inc. Spontaneous, Joyful, Sober Fun... It IS Possible! ҉     “Look for little ways to express yourself more creatively and differently.  Don’t aim too high and get discouraged.  Start with small things.  Let yourself take a step that’s fun and relatively easy and enjoyable.  Then appreciate yourself for that.  If you keep taking small steps, you will end up being exactly where you need to be.  Have fun with it.  What it really boils down to is this:  You can do things in the same old way you’ve always done them, which is safe and secure but also a bit dull and boring, or you can try something new and different.  The reason we don’t try new things is because our protector selves are afraid they are not safe for us.  But if you reassure those parts of ourselves and don’t try to do too many new things at once, we can create more excitement and fun in our lives.”--Awakening: A Daily Guide to Conscious Living by Shakti Gawain ******************************************************************** Statement #12, “I am a competent woman and  have much to give life.” This is what I am and I shall know it always. ******************************************************************** +++++++++++++++++++ + Karen’s Perspective + +++++++++++++++++++      One of the earliest and harder transitions for me to experience in sobriety and my New Life has been my concept of fun.  When under the influence, everything felt fun and exciting; but, today, I know that that was a complete lie.  Alcohol just covered up my feelings, unleashed drama and prevented me from experiencing reality.  My self-esteem took a direct hit.  I needed to relearn and redefine my concept of fun.      Sobriety and Statement #12 in action assist me in redefining many areas of my life as well as redirecting my encouraging self.  A great example is how I have changed how I speak to myself about alcohol; instead of urging myself to drink, I encourage growth in sobriety and my New Life.      Another example was last year when I set a goal of taking a watercolor class and, though initially I felt quite unsure of myself, it turned out to be an exciting new adventure.  It was so enjoyable.  Not only did I learn some valuable techniques, but I also made new friends and instant connections.  Again I proved to myself that I am a capable, competent woman who has so very much to give life and who now has a new exciting and creative outlet!  Hugzzz, Karen How do you define fun and excitement in your New Life? What is your creative outlet today? +++++++++++++++ +  Dee’s Insights  + +++++++++++++++      Hi 4C Women, I have been talking about fun for way too long and not working enough at achieving it.  Fortunately, I do have some fun, in spite of myself.  However, I have come to realize that just like most wants and needs, even fun requires commitment, time and some planning.  As Karen said, and I agree, drinking seemed to provide fun, but who truly knows that it is not authentic until you stop drinking and realize the difference between the alcohol-induced fun and the spontaneous, joyful sober fun?  Why couldn’t I have fun without having a drink to lower my inhibitions, to allow myself to be silly?  All I can say is that sobriety taught me that I can laugh even harder and remember it the next day.  Heck, I know what I’m doing every moment.  I don’t feel self-conscious anymore about being silly and I highly recommend trying it!      Now some of you might be wondering why anyone would say that drinking at times provided fun when we are talking about sobriety.  I learned in WFS that I needed to be honest with myself and others because it would be a hindrance to personal growth to say otherwise.  Sober, I learned that it became a habit to drink in order to have what I considered fun, to be at ease.  For some people, the idea of denying how alcohol calmed nervousness in new situations or helped make conversations easier around new people, denies their truth and might delay their willingness to accept that small piece of truth and find other healthier ways to have fun, to socialize and to be comfortable in new situations and around new people.      Acceptance allows change and that is what WFS is all about.  Not only did I learn to have fun sober, I built my self-esteem and felt pure freedom to be me.  This is who I am and I shall know it always.   –Dee _________________________ Thank you, Karen and Dee, for your words of encouragement and inspiration to start off our week! ~Becky Fenner, WFS Director

Email:  contact@womenforsobriety.org   *   Tel: 215-536-8026   *   Fax:  215-538-9026

http://www.womenforsobriety.org   *   http://www.wfscatalog.org

Greatest group on FB

https://www.facebook.com/groups/recoveryfriends717/

Greetings,

For those of you I haven’t met yet- I am Steve, Recovery Center’s Coordinator and Community Mobilizer. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to working with you all

Happy Friday!

Steve Calderbank

Recovery Centers Coordinatror

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc.

252 West Swamp Road, Unit 12

Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18901

Phone: (215) 345-6644 ext 3006

Fax: (215) 230-3377

Bristol, Pennsylvania

1286 Veterans Highway, Suite D-6 19007

Phone: (215) 788-3738 ext 112

Fax: (215) 788-2919

(800) 221-6333 - Information Line 9 to 5 PM

Email:  scalderbank@councilsepa.org

www.councilsepa.org

Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCouncilSEPA

Prevention, Intervention & Addiction Recovery Solutions

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Best of the week from Choose Help AA Sponsorship: How to Find Your Ideal AA Sponsor Developing a support system in early recovery can be overwhelming. Choosing a sponsor is an important choice that gives stability. Here's what to look out for. Traditional wisdom in Twelve-Step Programs dictates that having a sponsor is a crucial component of growing, healing, and learning in recovery. Sponsors offer us the opportunity to be accountable. They guide us through the highs and lows of working the steps. However, it’s a common misconception that all sponsor/sponsee relationships are the same. Just as each person in recovery has both unique and common struggles, sponsors come with equally unique and common character and approaches. How to Pick the Right Sponsor In order to pick the best sponsor, you have to know what you want and more importantly, what you need to meet the challenges of early recovery. We urge folks to put pen to paper and consider what that looks like. The more you know about what you’re looking for, the more likely you are to find it.  Pick someone who clearly practices what they preach... We often focus on choosing people we see as being like ourselves, whether by age, education, race, or socioeconomic status. Instead, it’s often more effective to seek folks who have the ability and willingness to challenge us. Long term sobriety is desirable, but not crucial. As a general rule two years or more is a starting point. Avoiding Commitment Issues Don't get bogged down in the fear of choosing the wrong sponsor. The easiest way to avoid "commitment issues" is to ask for a temporary sponsor. This is a well-established and respected practice in 12-Step Programs. It allows you to ensure a good fit and it recognizes that your needs may change as you go through early recovery. When you find someone who more fully meets your needs, you can thank the temporary sponsor for their service and move on. Expectations In “old school” recovery, it's common practice for sponsors to clearly dictate what they require from their sponsees in the first minutes of the relationship. Most often this includes directives to call regularly as well as in times of need and to meet once a week. This approach establishes clear boundaries, limits and expectations - all of which promotes actively utilizing support. Progressively, it has also become common practice that sponsees are asked to share their expectations, needs, and wants. This not only ensures a good fit but also helps to reduce misunderstandings. The greatest benefit is that it helps identify needs that exist in addition to sobriety and step work. A Common Pitfall The most common pitfall in working with a sponsor is that we subconsciously relate to them as the mom or dad we always wanted. It’s an easy mistake to make: we’re relating to someone we depend on who guides us and cares about us. These are the kind of interactions we associate with parenting. Those of us who did not experience healthy parents growing up are especially vulnerable to making this mistake. But just as our sponsors do not sign up to be our parents, they also do not sign up to be an authority figure in our lives. The importance of this trap cannot be overstated for a very simple reason: Most of us hate authority figures. In early recovery, we tend to have the emotional maturity of an oppositional and defiant child. Consciously and subconsciously, we expect authority figures to judge us and reject us. This most often leads to projection (deciding our sponsors see us as we see ourselves) and transference (relating to them as our high school principals, bosses, or police officers). Why We Encourage "Same-Sex Sponsorship" Without intention, this approach is admittedly heterosexually biased. We recognize the inherent vulnerability in the sponsor/sponsee relationship and seek to inhibit impulsive romantic or sexual behavior. A very high percentage of us find it easier to relate to members of the opposite sex and so this practice should be viewed as an opportunity for growth. Don’t Put Your Eggs in One Basket In any recovery program, a strong and holistic support system is recommended. Depending on your sponsor to meet even a majority of your needs is ill advised and no responsible sponsor would seek to meet all of your needs. In addition to friends and family, we have found it remarkably beneficial to have contacts (peers in the program available for phone calls or coffee). Many of us chose spiritual advisers and even secondary sponsors to support us. In an active recovery community, you’d be hard pressed to find an area of expertise that is not available to you. Those we’ve seen achieve the greatest success in twelve step programs develop their own “families” in the halls. There is no such thing as having too many supports in your quest for transformation. Read in browser »   Recent featured articles: The 12 Steps without God or Alcohol: Key Concepts to Improve Any Life SMART Recovery: A Free Science-Based Alternative to the 12 Steps Teaching Ourselves and Our Children Not to Bully 5 Questions to Evaluate Your Drinking or Drug Use Mindfulness and Depression: Learning to Feel Good Again And, as always, thank you for reading! All the best to you and yours, Martin Schoel, founder of Choose Help P.S. If you’d like to dive into the conversation, make sure to follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook (40K+ people do). FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO A LOVED ONE Do you or someone you know need rehab? Click or 'Tap' to speak with us now: (877) 333-5266 Facebook Twitter Google Plus Pinterest

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I am so excited our Fed Up Rally Bracelets are ready...they are beautiful and they only cost 10 dollars. I would love to see every TAM Sister wearing one. Purple signifies we are FED UP and Red signifies We are Strong Mommas who are ready and willing to "Share Without Shame." I just ordered mine and one for someone else. I hope you join me as we unite in this most important RALLY!!! Will I meet you at the Fed Up Rally, you will know I am a TAM sister because I will be wearing the Fed UP/TAM bracelet below. http://www.stamped4you.com/product-p/fund-1002.htm Much love to all addict's moms and their families ...Barbara

Visit The Addict's Mom at: http://addictsmom.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network