Virginia Measure Would Require Ignition Interlock for First-Time Drunk Drivers

Getting Teens Talking

According to a survey of 6,500 teens by the Partnership for a Drug Free America, 73 percent said the number one reason they turn to drugs and alcohol is to relieve stress at school. As the new school year begins, how can you help your teen adjust -- and to open up about what's going on?

"You can push too much and that'll shut the child down. So it's a fine balance: Be available, be a good listener, and also know when you do need to push in case they're into some things that they shouldn't be," says Gloria Meaux, Ph.D., a psychologist.

Between a parent and a teenager, this might be the typical conversation: "How was school today?" "Fine." "Anything special happen?" "No." "What are you doing tomorrow?" "Nothing." Mumbles, a shrug, single word answers … how can you get your children to talk openly and honestly? How much do teenagers tell their parents? I hardly share anything with my parents," says 16-year-old Derek.

"I share very little with my parents," says 18-year-old Tyler. And Jessie gives an example of a question she hates: "How was your day?" "When you've had a horrible day, you just feel like people at school are mad at you," she says. "Your classes went horribly, you failed a test. It can almost be an insult without them knowing it, because it just seems insensitive."

Experts say parents are better served asking about something specific: school projects coming up, weekend plans with a friend, or a test that the child may be worried about.

"The specific questions, you'll get more bang for your buck if you want them to communicate back to you than some general question that you could ask a stranger on the street," says Dr. Meaux. "Sometimes she'll be like 'so how is that situation going with this person' and I'll just burst out crying," says Jessie. Experts say it starts by being easy to talk to. "You're sort of the approachable parent, that you listen more than you talk, and listening is the hard thing," says Dr. Meaux. And once they truly believe you're listening, experts say they'll open up more.

"The more talking they'll do because they'll be open," says Licensed Clinical Social Worker Freddie Wilson. "[They'll be more open if they feel] you're open to hearing what I'm saying rather than talking and giving them solutions and solving their problems for them. They want someone to hear them." And knowing when your child really needs your ear comes from getting to know your child. "I’ll look at her and I’ll say 'You look like you’re down, did something happen?' Yes. Was it so and so? Yea," explains Jessie’s mom. "It helps to know that she cares and that she’s actually wanting to know about things," says Jessie.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS CONNECT WITH KIDS NEWS STORY ONLINE.

            200 OAK AVENUE               KITTANNING, PA 16201

724-548-7607 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            724-548-7607      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

ARC MANOR KITTANNING PA.

Getting Teens Talking

According to a survey of 6,500 teens by the Partnership for a Drug Free America, 73 percent said the number one reason they turn to drugs and alcohol is to relieve stress at school. As the new school year begins, how can you help your teen adjust -- and to open up about what's going on?

"You can push too much and that'll shut the child down. So it's a fine balance: Be available, be a good listener, and also know when you do need to push in case they're into some things that they shouldn't be," says Gloria Meaux, Ph.D., a psychologist.

Between a parent and a teenager, this might be the typical conversation: "How was school today?" "Fine." "Anything special happen?" "No." "What are you doing tomorrow?" "Nothing." Mumbles, a shrug, single word answers … how can you get your children to talk openly and honestly? How much do teenagers tell their parents? I hardly share anything with my parents," says 16-year-old Derek. "I share very little with my parents,"says 18-year-old Tyler.

Jessie gives an example of a question she hates: "How was your day?"

"When you've had a horrible day, you just feel like people at school are mad at you," she says. "Your classes went horribly, you failed a test. It can almost be an insult without them knowing it, because it just seems insensitive."

Experts say parents are better served asking about something specific: school projects coming up, weekend plans with a friend, or a test that the child may be worried about.

"The specific questions, you'll get more bang for your buck if you want them to communicate back to you than some general question that you could ask a stranger on the street," says Dr. Meaux. "Sometimes she'll be like 'so how is that situation going with this person' and I'll just burst out crying," says Jessie.

Experts say it starts by being easy to talk to. "You're sort of the approachable parent, that you listen more than you talk, and listening is the hard thing," says Dr. Meaux. And once they truly believe you're listening, experts say they'll open up more.

"The more talking they'll do because they'll be open," says Licensed Clinical Social Worker Freddie Wilson. "[They'll be more open if they feel] you're open to hearing what I'm saying rather than talking and giving them solutions and solving their problems for them. They want someone to hear them."

And knowing when your child really needs your ear comes from getting to know your child. "I’ll look at her and I’ll say 'You look like you’re down, did something happen?' Yes. Was it so and so? Yea," explains Jessie’s mom. "It helps to know that she cares and that she’s actually wanting to know about things," says Jessie.

*CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS CONNECT WITH KIDS NEWS STORY ONLINE.* 

            200 OAK AVENUE               KITTANNING, PA 16201

724-548-7607 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            724-548-7607      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Retreat at Lancaster County

Mission:

Is to provide a compassionate and spiritual environment for those suffering from the disease of addiction, and begin the journey to recovery by providing enlightenment and education to the individual and their families.

Overview:

The Retreat, a 120-bed inpatient Substance Abuse facility located in Ephrata, PA on a picturesque and secluded 24 acre campus. We provide our patients with inpatient medically monitored detox, inpatient rehabilitation, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient care. Retreat is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs for 30 detox and 90 rehabilitation beds accredited by CARF.

Our Staff:

Our professional and compassionate staff understands the complexities of addiction. Credentialed and licensed therapists under the guidance of our ABAM Certified Medical Director, use a unique multi-disciplinary model of addiction treatment to engage patients and motivate them to fully participate in their own recovery. Treatment plans are customized and tailored to each patient’s needs and reviewed daily by the medical and clinical team. Low patient-to-staff ratios and frequent individual therapy sessions are essential to ensuring that each patient is given the care and attention necessary to fully participate in their treatment.

 *Call Now: 855-859-8808 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            855-859-8808      end_of_the_skype_highlighting*

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Whitney Houston’s Substance Abuse and Early Death at Age 48

If you’re looking for a good reason to get yourself some help for drug or alcohol addiction you don’t have to look much further than Whitney Houston’s tragic early death at only 48 years old

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Once the fresh faced and supernaturally talented queen of R'n'B pop, two decades of alcohol, crack and marijuana addiction left her haggard and erratic - with her once powerful multi-octave voice reduced to a raspy shadow of its former glory.

How do you hit rock bottom when you’ve got an estimated $100 million to insulate you from the consequences of your actions and to fuel decades of extravagant drug use?

For Whitney, money and fame offered no salvation from her personal demons, though she tried on multiple occasions to overcome her addictions and though she endured tabloid mockery after a number of bizarre public appearances and 

                                             disappointing performances over the last decade.  

Whitney Houston: Battled Years of Addiction

• 1963 – Whitney Houston is born into a musical family to singer mother Cissy Houston. She is also cousins with Dionne Warwick and goddaughter to Aretha Franklin.
• 1983 - Signed by mentor Clive Davis of Arista Records, who saw the 20 year old Houston singing at a nightclub and signed her on the spot.
• 1985 – Releases her first album ‘Whitney Houston’. It remains the biggest selling debut album by a female artist of all time.
• 1987 – ‘Whitney” her second album hits the charts and goes on to sell 25 million records.
• 1989 – Meets Bobby Brown
• 1992 – Marries Bobby Brown
• 1992 – Stars in the movie ‘The Bodyguard’.
• 1995/1996 – Stars in the movies ‘The Preachers Wife’ and ‘Waiting to Exhale’. In a 2009 Oprah interview Houston reveals that by the time she is filming these movies she has become a daily cocaine user.
• Jan 11 2000 – Airport security guards find marijuana in her luggage in Hawaii but her plane leaves before authorities can arrive
• 2004 – Whitney goes to rehab after Clive Davis threatens to cut her out of Arista Records if she doesn’t get help
• 2006 – Photos of Houston’s squalid home bathroom hit the internet. Pictures full of drug paraphernalia and old beer cans paint a depressing picture of her drug and alcohol use.
• 2006 – Whitney again goes to rehab on Davis’s prompting, spending months in a Pennsylvania residential addiction treatment facility. After rehab, she works intensely with a sober coach who has her move to LA to keep her away from using friends and family in New Jersey.
• 2007 – Whitney divorces Bobby Brown after a 14 year turbulent marriage characterized by drug use allegations, numerous arrests of Brown and allegations of spousal abuse.
• 2009 – Tells Oprah that she has beaten drugs for good.
• 2009 – Tries a comeback with the release of the album, ‘I Look to You’. The album goes platinum but her comeback tour is criticized for poor performances and odd stage-behaviors and her numerous tour-date cancellations fuel rumors that she is once again abusing drugs. She performs very badly in A Good Morning America concert to promote the album, sounding raspy and off key and failing to hit high notes.  
• May 2011 – Whitney enters rehab for the third time
• Wednesday, Feb 8 2012 – Whitney checks into the Beverly Hills Hilton. Witness reports over the next few days have her drinking heavily in the hotel bar and appearing sweaty and disheveled and smelling of liquor and cigarettes at a pre Grammy rehearsal.
• Saturday, Feb 11 2012 - Houston found dead in a bathtub in her hotel room. Although toxicology reports will take some time, because she was seen drinking heavily in the days prior to her death and because she had prescriptions in her room for drugs like Xanax, experts speculate that she could have passed-out from a combination of these substances and drowned in the tub or could have overdosed and died before submerging.

Where would she be today had she gotten help a few years sooner? Could anyone have saved her back when things weren’t so out of control?

We’ll never know what might have been had she taken steps to get help before things got so crazy, but we can remember her for what she once was, look to her descent from the top as a lesson on the costs of addiction and use her tragic end as a chilling reminder of just how dangerous these substances can be.

Whitney Houston - here's hoping you've found the peace that eluded you in this life and that you are remembered for your gifts and achievements and not for your very human frailties.

Here is some important information for those of you who want to get off Xanax. We encourage you to seek professional help now.

Read more: Whitney Houston’s Substance Abuse and Early Death at Age 48 

The Bible and Treatment

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.  It is God's way of preparing us in every way . . .(II Timothy 3:16-17)

The Christian historic belief is that Scripture is authoritative and complete and contains all the principles necessary to live life in Christ and fully as a human being.  We at Pacific Hills operate under the conviction that the inspired Word of God must be our foundational source and inspiration in the professional counseling, treatment and rehabilitation process.

Above all, we believe that love and compassion should be at the heart of a Biblically based ministry (I Corinthians, 13). Accordingly, we are committed to work with our clients in the spirit of tolerance (in the truest sense of the word) and reverence for each person's worth and dignity--beginning with where they are at the point we first meet.

The writers of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, with these same motivations, make it clear that the addict's problem is a spiritual sickness that only a "spiritual awakening" can remedy. In its simplicity, it calls the hurting ones to three pertinent and basic truths about themselves: (1) that they are alcoholic and cannot manage their own lives; (2) that no human power can relieve their alcoholism; and (3) that God can and will if He is sought. Despite the reports of some individuals who have experienced prejudice and abuse in the culture of Alcoholic Anonymous, the early history and the principles outlined in the Big Book of AA are squarely rooted in Biblical truth.

We are called to deal with a bio-psycho-social-spiritual disease. Its treatment must be comprehensive and aggressive. We know that left untreated, most die. Our Christian professional staff brings to our unique program the best of psychiatric, psychological, medical, behavioral, pastoral and theological training and experience in order to address substance abuse and the wreckage it brings to suffering human beings. Our goal is to actively stand alongside the walking wounded in the healing process, encouraging hope and renewal to their body, mind, soul, spirit and relationships.

Pacific Hills and Recovery Options exist to serve the chemically dependent and their families in the context of the local church ministry.  We prefer doing so by bringing resource, education and expertise to the local church pastor, counselor and therapist. When a residential program is needed, we seek to involve the church and counselor in the treatment process--with the intent to ultimately restore them to their community of faith.

 By Pacific Hills Treatment Center       32236, Paseo Adelanto Suite G San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Contact : (949) 973-9155

Get Help Now!

Happy Valentines Day!

Love is patient.  Love is kind.  It does not envy. It does not boast.  It is not proud. It is not  rude. It is not self seeking. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts. Always hopes, always perseveres.
1Cor.13  REMEMBER JESUS LOVES YOU!

Support for Parents of a child struggling with drugs and alcohol!

We’re Here to Help.
Call Us Today: 1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373)

Are you feeling overwhelmed, stressed or have a specific question about your child’s drug or alcohol use?  Our Parents Toll-Free Helpline is a nationwide support service that offers assistance to parents and other primary caregivers of children who want to talk to someone about their child’s drug use and drinking. Our trained and caring parent specialists will:

• Listen to your concerns, challenges, setbacks and emotional turmoil that you have experienced with your child’s substance abuse or addiction
• Help you outline a course of effective action –  whether it’s prevention, intervention, seeking treatment or supporting recovery – grounded in science-based resources
• Inform you of different resources available to you nationally 

Our Helpline is open Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm ET.  We are closed on weekends and holidays. The Helpline is not a crisis line. If you do not connect with a parent specialist, please leave a message and we will make every effort to get back to you by the next business day. If you are in need of immediate or emergency services please call 911 or a 24 hour crisis hotline.

Our parent specialists are licensed social workers and psychologists with years of experience helping individuals and their families prevent and overcome substance abuse problems.  

We’re Here to Help – Call Us
Parents Toll-Free Helpline
1-855-DRUGFREE (1-855-378-4373)
Monday to Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm ET

Listen in! Telephone Seminar Series: Drug and Alcohol Awareness!

By Candice Besson | February 9, 2012 

CIGNA and The Partnership at Drugfree.org are hosting a monthly series of telephone seminars that will help you better understand today’s changing landscape of substance abuse. The seminars are free and there is no registration required. They’re open to any parent, caregiver or loved one interested in learning more about teen drug addiction. Each seminar will include the participation of a leading expert within the field and a parent from The Partnership at Drugfree.org’s Parent Advisory Board, who will share his or her personal experience with the topic being presented.

WHAT:

A majority of teens who have problems with drugs or alcohol also have underlying mental health issues. This month’s podcast will discuss how a proper diagnosis and treatment of both is critical to recovery.

WHO:

Sarah Lewis-Fernandez, LMSW, CASAC, CAC, CT, is the Assistant Program Director of Dynamic Youth Community Inc., an adolescent outpatient program in Brooklyn, New York. She is a credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, a 2004 graduate of Hunter College of the City University of New York with a Bachelor in Sociology degree and received her Master of Social Work in 2007 from Barry University in Miami FL.

Sarah is a lifelong student and teacher in the field of substance abuse and mental health. In 1995 she began her professional work specializing in treatment of adolescents and their family members, trauma survivors, the homeless and individuals with HIV/AIDS.

Sharon L. (Smith) LeGore, mother, Parent Advisory Board Member of The Partnership at Drugfree.org and founder of Pennsylvania-based MOMSTELL, a group of moms who work to promote awareness and eliminate the stigma of substance abuse through improving treatment, education, legislation, policy and prevention. Sharon lost her teen daughter to a heroin overdose in February 1998.

WHEN:

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Noon- 1:00 pm EDT

HOW:

For U.S./Canada residents, dial the toll-free number 1 (866) 431-5314 and international residents dial the toll-free number 1 (719) 457-2626. When prompted, enter the passcode 602873.

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About Cigna

Cigna (NYSE: CI) is a global health service and financial company dedicated to helping people improve their health, well-being and sense of security. Cigna Corporation’s operating subsidiaries in the United States provide an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy and vision care benefits, as well as group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna offers products and services in 30 countries and jurisdictions and has approximately 66 million customer relationships throughout the world. All products and services are provided exclusively by such operating subsidiaries and not by Cigna Corporation. Such operating subsidiaries include Life Insurance Company of North America, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, and Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. To learn more about Cigna, visithttp://www.cigna.com/.

This is Children of Alcoholics Week

By Join Together Staff | February 13, 2012

February 12-18, 2012 is Children of Alcoholics Week – A Celebration of Hope and Healing – Across Generations. The week calls attention to the one in four children under the age of 18 who are exposed to a family alcohol problem, and the many others affected by parental drug abuse.

Children of Alcoholics Week “celebrates the recovery of the many thousands of children (of all ages) who have received the help they needed to recover from the pain and loss suffered in their childhood, and it offers hope to those still suffering,” according to the National Association for Children of Alcoholics (NACoA), which sponsors the week.

NACoA states that preschool children of alcoholics have poorer language skills. School-age children of alcoholics are at risk for being worried, distracted and absent, the group says. These children may be at greater risk of both mental and physical health risks.

For materials and resources on Children of Alcoholics Week, visitwww.nacoa.org.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

When were living in addiction, spiritually in my personal life I was faithful to using drugs and alcohol.  Once I found sobriety using that same faithfulness in my walk with God was not the same.  If we can take all that negative energy and time that we used in our addiction and put it to the positive there is no telling what we can accomplish and where our lives can go.  Faithfulness is your word and thought for the day.  Stick with it no matter what it looks like.  Myself personally everyday I fight to be faithful in my relationship with God and I believe though the times are tough I woke up with an unexplainable joy in my heart this morning.  I believe that joy comes from my faithfulness towards God and His faithfulness towards me.  My favorite book (bible) states He will never leave us nor forsakes us no matter what we have done.  Now that is true faithfulness.    REMEMBER JESUS LOVES YOU!

Adictions Victorious 25th Annual Celebration!

  

FINANCIAL & SERVICE NEEDS Please prayerfully consider including AV in your charitable giving. Addictions Victorious of South Jersey, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c) 3 organization. All gifts are tax deductible and are used solely to support this ministry. Our services are offered without discrimination as to race, natural origin or religious affiliation. Click on button to the left to make a donation online via PayPal. We are also registered with the United Way and can receive “write in” donations from individuals who use this agency at their workplace for payroll charitable giving. Designate your contribution to ADDICTIONS VICTORIOUS OF SOUTH JERSEY, INC.  P.O. BOX 5852  Deptford, NJ 08096-5699. Please contact us if you need assistance. Please contact us if your organization, ministry, or church family would like a representative from AV to come to your location to make a ministry presentation. Brochures are also available. (856-848-5252) dgavin@AddVocInc.org

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

WHERE ARE YOU MEN OF COURAGE!!! I just watched what has to be the most powerful exciting, and , life changing movie on this planet !COURAGEOUS , is what it is called it was just released on DVD.There is too much to describe ,you have to rent it , sit down with the family and prepare for your lives to change.What I want for you folks out there especially , the husbands and fathers too think about is ,we are the leader of our homes and if we don,t have bible based foundation some sort of guide we will raise and care for our families the same way our fathers and their fathers did . If we were raised in a home with no love then we will pass that on , if it was a home of physical abuse then we will pass that on,the way we were raised is the way we will raise our families. The great news is we can change that ,time is short and we only have so precious , and little time too love our families, and do what is right.So stand up and be a MAN OF COURAGE ,its time too break generational curses that our families have been plagued with for too long.If the men in the homes across America and around the world took this movie to heart and followed its guidelines with a true sincerity then the next generation just might have a bright new future.

CityTeam Chester /A MUST SEE! PLEASE HELP!

Pennsylvania Department of Health D&A Facility Locator Page

 Click on the map to select county! Awesome resource !



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About CityTeam International

CityTeam International is a non-profit organization serving the poor and homeless in San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, Portland, Philadelphia and partnerships in 42 other countries around the world. Since 1957, CityTeam International has provided life-saving food, shelter, clothing, recovery programs, youth outreach, camp for at-risk inner city kids, discipleship and other essential care 365 days a year.

By partnering with CityTeam International, you're not just helping a homeless person off the street and moving them toward rehabilitation - you're helping transform a life, heal a family, bring reconciliation and break the cycle of destructive behavior or poverty - from generation to generation. It is about reaching out to one person at a time to help meet their immediate needs and introduce them to the hope that only God can provide - so they can truly make real changes in their life. Real Life - Real Hope - Real Change.

Each person we help can be the key to ending the cycle of poverty, homelessness and despair for a whole family.

You can partner with CityTeam International in many ways: volunteer, mentor, prayer partner, food or clothing donation, or a financial donation. Individuals around the world support CityTeam International - we accept no government funds and are accountable to the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability).

Please check out the different cities that we serve and the programs that we have. You can help change a life today by getting involved.

More about CityTeam International's History

Recovery Resources in Bucks County From Pro A Southern Bucks Community Center

Recovery Resources

Alcohol & Other Drug Information and Recovery Support Line

Does someone you love have an alcohol or other drug problem?

Where can I get help for my alcohol or drug problem?

The Alcohol and Other Drug Information and Recovery Support Line is a free, confidential service operating 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. You will speak to a live person!

1-800-221-6333

The Alcohol and Other Drug Information and Recovery Support Line is an excellent source of information for anyone looking for help for an alcohol or drug problem/addiction in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia (Southeastern Pennsylvania) and beyond.

An Information Specialist will guide you to accurate, up to date treatment resources, funding/insurance information and recovery support services within your community.

Support Groups for You

Alcoholics Anonymous
phone: (215) 923-7900
website: alcoholics-anonymous.org

Narcotics Anonymous
phone: (215) 483-5154
website: na.org

Support Groups for Family

Ala-non/Ala-teen
phone: (215) 222-5244
website: al-anon.alateen.org

Nar-Anon
phone: (215) 218-2231
website: naranon.com

Hotlines

Homeless Hotline
phone: 1-800-810-4434

Suicide Hotline
phone: 1-800-273-8255

Recovery Advocacy and Information Online

• Faces & Voices of Recovery
• Join Together
• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration
• National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month

Contact your Legislators

Find your elected state officials at congress.org.

Voter Registration & Information

Visit votesPA, the Pennsylvania Department of State’s online voting information and resource center.

An Important Notice from the Pennsylvania Department of Health

In Pennsylvania pregnant women and those who use drugs intravenously are given priority for access to treatment for substance use, abuse, and dependence.

People who use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs are at higher risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.

If you are pregnant please seek regular medical check-ups. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help both you and your baby stay well.

Provided By Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center!Southern Bucks Recovery Community Ct.