Sunday, February 19, 2012

Parents Key in Fighting Synthetic Drugs, Experts Say

Parents Key in Fighting Synthetic Drugs, Experts Say

Parents are a key part of the fight against the emerging threat of synthetic drugs, said Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug Control Policy. He spoke at a working group session Thursday on synthetic drugs, which was co-hosted by The Partnership at Drugfree.org.
“Synthetic drugs like ‘Spice,’ ‘K2,’ and ‘bath salts’ are a serious threat to the health and safety of young people throughout America,” Kerlikowske said in a news release. “We will continue to coordinate a comprehensive government-wide response, but we cannot do this alone. Parents and adult influencers must understand the serious threat these drugs pose and act today to talk to teens about the serious health and safety consequences of drug use – in whichever form it may come.”
The session included high level officials from government agencies, as well as representatives from the private sector, who met to discuss how to coordinate the Federal, state and local response to these drugs.
The Partnership at Drugfree.org introduced a new information kit for parents and adult influencers, which contains tools to help them talk with teens about synthetic drugs, and how to recognize the warning signs of use. The kit includes a slidecast about these drugs and provides information on what to look for, their street names, and what their effects are.
The kit is available at The Partnership at Drugfree.org website and is part of a “Parents360″ community education program funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance.

TUERK CONFERENCE ON ADDICTION TREATMENT


2012 Tuerk ConferenceTuesday, APRIL 17, 2012

"INTERVENTIONS IN 2012 ~CURRENT ADVANCEMENTS"

  • Laurence Westreich, MD                            
  • Joani Gammill, RN, BR1
  • Judge Mark Farrell



Saturday, February 18, 2012

Providence Ministries Dalton Ga.


Women seeking residential alcohol and drug rehab treatment may be surprised to hear that getting sober is not the hard part… it's staying clean, living in recovery, and healing from a past full of hurts and hang-ups that's the real challenge.

Unfortunately, people suffering from addiction often allow their pain, failures, and character defects to define their identity, or how they view themselves and what they in turn base their choices on. Spiritual transformation is at its roots, a process of healing by letting go of the illusion of control, discovering and uprooting the false beliefs that trap people in the addiction cycle, and replacing those lies with God's truth about their identity in Christ.

For this reason we proudly offer intensive in-house Christian faith-based addiction services which were developed to help women safely transition onto the challenging path of long-term recovery... and we offer it all at a cost people can afford, 90 Days for $3,900. That's only $300 per week. We know that the key to long term stand firm recovery is through Christ led spiritual transformation. Fly in to Chattanooga and Still Save!

The Providence Ministries' Women's Program is heavily subsidized by sales from our thrift stores, as well as through the charitable contributions of our donors, sponsorship cost has been reduced to just $3,900 for 90 days, which means you could literally fly in to Chattanooga Tennessee, (we're 20 minutes south in Northern Georgia) to attend our program, and still save money when compared to most other rehabilitation centers. And unlike those other recovery facilities, we are part of a large family of missions where we put Christ first. We are not driven by profits or investors, but rather by a calling to serve him.

What we are offering is an opportunity many people will never have. A chance to give yourself a break and take 90 days in exchange for the rest of your life.  To once and for all put an end to a life you know in your heart cannot continue the way it has. The end of the path of addiction is always prisons, institutions, and death, and the sad truth is that family and loved ones suffer just as much as anyone.

Our program works for those who have suffered enough and want to change for themselves. If you can admit that you have a problem and that you can't fix it alone, then you've already taken the first step. Now we're asking you for just a bit more courage to take the next, and to give us a call at (706)275-0268, and we'll guide you from there.

If you'd like more information about any aspect of our program, please visit the other pages of this site or send us a message from the box below and we'll be happy to return your call. Though we've never met, you are indeed in our prayers and we want you to realize that there is hope and recovery through Jesus and Providence Ministries.

If You're Tired of The Misery of Addiction, and you Are Ready to Find a New Better Way of Life, Click: I'm Ready to Begin the Admissions Process

TUERK CONFERENCE ON ADDICTION TREATMENT

2012 Tuerk ConferenceTuesday, APRIL 17, 2012"INTERVENTIONS IN 2012 ~
CURRENT ADVANCEMENTS"

Laurence Westreich, MD
Joani Gammill, RN, BR1
Judge Mark Farrell

Homelessness & Reentry Lobby Day

SAVE THE DATE!
Homelessness & Reentry Lobby Day


MARCH 1, 2012
Annapolis, Maryland

Join us as we urge legislators to provide increased services to individuals who are experiencing homelessness or are adversely affected by the consequences of a criminal record. 
This daylong event will feature a march to the capitol, rally on Lawyers’ Mall, visits with legislators, informative workshops and more.  Lunch will be provided.

Transportation will be provided for those traveling between Baltimore and Annapolis.  Buses will depart Health Care for the Homeless at 7:30am and return by 3pm.  A detailed agenda for the day will be available soon.  RSVPs are required. 

For more information or to RSVP, contact:
Caryn York / caryn@jotf.org / 443-692-9424 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            443-692-9424      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
Adam Schneider / aschneider@hchmd.org / 410-215-8319 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            410-215-8319      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
                                                               
Sponsored by Health Care for the Homeless & Job Opportunities Task Force

Opioid Overdose Antidote Could Have Prevented Many Deaths: CDC

Friday, February 17, 2012

Our Masters Camp Pikeville TN.

Christian Drug Rehab Centers & Christian Drug Alcohol Treatment Program Alternative
90 Days for $3,900 | Our Masters Camp | 423-447-2340 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            423-447-2340      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

"We want you to know that recovery...
is not a by-product of cost."

Our men's residential Christian alcohol and drug rehab intensive treatment and rehabilitation alternative is one of the most value packed recovery centers in the United States. We have helped clients recovering from addiction from nearly every state in the nation, and we can help you too. Our program is so inexpensive that even those outside of a reasonable driving distance can easily fly into Chattanooga and still pay less. Watch this short video to learn how Our Master's Camp saves men from the grip of addiction.

Because we are a 501(c)3 non-profit faith based Christian ministry, we're able to subsidize your cost and offer our service at a fraction of what it actually costs to provide our comprehensive Christian care. We have thrift stores, sponsors, and local Christian community members that help us raise funds and donations; a benefit we pass directly to our clients by reducing the fee to just $3,900 for 90 days. Thats less than $308 per week!

Our Master’s Camp is located on 100 acres of land in a remote mountain location of beautiful Tennessee. Our location provides a safe place for clients to gain serenity and peace while discovering God’s intended and perfectly designed plan for their lives. No one aspires to have their goals and dreams swallowed by the deadly and powerful heartbreaking grip of alcohol and drugs. God wants us to grow along spiritual lines, live abundantly, and have serenity and peace. It says in Isaiah 26:3; "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast because, they trust in you."
Our Christian drug and alcohol recovery program has a time tested rules and agenda process that enables men to straighten out their struggles with addictions to substances such as alcohol, cocaine, crack, heroin, opiates, barbiturates, marijuana or pot, crystal meth, meth or methamphetamine's, prescription drugs, and pain pills to name a few. If you're ready to take the next step, then please contact our Drug Rehab alternative now.

Our Christian drug rehab program alternative is not only designed to help our clients recognize and alleviate their character defects that manifested as a result of prolonged drug abuse, but more importantly, those that led them to drug and alcohol abuse in the first place. Recovery, treatment, and rehabilitation are vital in battling alcohol and drug abuse problems and require a complete lifestyle change...a change in which our unique faith based approach and scenic location lends itself too perfectly.

About Our Master's Camp Founder Roy Johnson
In 1978, Our Master's Camp founder Roy Johnson realized that no human power could relieve him of his substance abuse nor give him the forgiveness, love, peace, and purpose he needed. Once he trusted God, his life had a dramatic change. He found the peace that Jesus gave him to be so awe inspiring, that he knew it was the only way to truly help the alcoholic or addict that still suffered. The mission he created really works because it identifies and corrects long held "false" belief systems that occur in all who struggle. The Bible is God’s blueprint for our lives and Jesus Christ can heal our brokenness. Jesus Christ changes lives.

If you admit you have a problem and are willing to go to any lengths to fix it, then you are willing to take certain steps. At some of these we balked, but we found there is no easier softer way. We urge you to be fearless and thorough from the very start. High cost beach getaway rehabs guarantee nothing but a painfully large bill. Our Christian alternative to drug and alcohol treatment is cost effective and produces men transformed by the highest power, thus enabling them to find joy, recovery, and peace, living in God's will.

Legalizing drugs won't prevent abuse By William J. Bennett, CNN Contributor



 Editor's note: William J. Bennett, a CNN contributor, is the author of "The Book of Man: Readings on the Path to Manhood." He was U.S. secretary of education from 1985 to 1988 and director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy under President George H.W. Bush.
(CNN) -- On the evening of Whitney Houston's death, renowned recording artist Tony Bennett told the audience of Clive Davis' Beverly Hills party, "First it was Michael Jackson, then it was Amy Winehouse, and now, the magnificent Whitney Houston. I'd like to have every gentleman and lady in this room commit themselves to get our government to legalize drugs -- so they'll have to get it through a doctor, not to some gangsters who just sell it under the table."
Bennett's idiotic comments were followed closely by the often original, but in this case mistaken, Arianna Huffington.

On Monday morning's edition of "CNN Starting Point With Soledad O'Brien," she agreed with Bennett: "The point I think is absolutely fair -- that the war on drugs has failed, and we are not acknowledging it. We are spending over $50 billion a year fighting a war that has become a war on our own people." First, we do not know the immediate cause of Houston's death. But we do know that she had a long and public struggle with drugs, both legal and illegal. But legalizing drugs and making them more readily available would not have saved her life, or the life of Michael Jackson, or the thousands of other drug-related deaths each year. 

Amy Winehouse died from alcohol poisoning -- a legal, easily available substance.Lest Tony Bennett forget, Michael Jackson died from acute propofol intoxication administered to him by a doctor.

Brittany Murphy died from multiple drug intoxication's (only prescription and over-the-counter medications according to the medical exam) combined with pneumonia.A fatal combination of painkillers, sleeping pills and anti-depressants -- all legal prescription drugs -- killed Heath Ledger. And Anna Nicole Smith overdosed on prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

All these drugs are legal and prescribed by doctors. Contrary to what Tony Bennett and other legalizers would like to think, legalization does not prevent the abuse and misuse of drugs. In fact, it accelerates it.
According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy,prescription drug abuse is the nation's fastest-growing drug problem. In 2007, there were 28,000 deaths from prescription drug overdoses. This is five times higher than the number in 1990. More people die in America every year from prescription drug abuse (i.e., legal and available drugs) than from heroin and cocaine combined.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number of deaths from prescription narcotics increased fourfold over the past 10 years. This coincided with a fourfold increase in the number of prescriptions written for powerful painkillers. Legalization increases supply and when you increase supply, you increase the use and misuse of deadly drugs.

As for Bennett's envy of Amsterdam, he should realize that its legalization experiment has backfired. With the legalization of marijuana came an increase in drug addictions and dependency followed by illegal drug trafficking, human trafficking and crime. After a rapid influx of organized crime, the Netherlands has announced that it will ban foreigners from the country's pot shops starting in 2013.
Drug decriminalization in Portugal has also been a failure.
As of 2007, Portugal was still the country with the most cases of injected drug related AIDS, and it was the only European country to show a significant increase in homicides from 2001 to 2006.
"With 219 deaths by drug 'overdose' a year, Portugal has one of the worst records, reporting more than one death every two days. Along with Greece, Austria and Finland, Portugal is one of the countries that recorded an increase in drug overdose by over 30% in 2005," according to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.

Bennett and Huffington's misguided solutions would result in more tragic deaths like Houston's. Illicit drugs are not harmful because they are illegal, they are illegal precisely because they are harmful. It is my hope that in the national dialogue surrounding Houston's death, our country's loudest voices would speak honestly and seriously about the drug problems in America.

In the 1980s and '90s, the U.S. beat back the cocaine and heroine epidemics, not by legalization or decriminalization, but by tough law enforcement, strong prevention and education programs and public outcry. You could hardly watch TV without seeing the Partnership For a Drug-Free America's famous "This is your brain on drugs" advertisements. If we are to be successful today, we must reignite that same national effort.

Whitney Houston's mother, Cissy Houston, understood the seriousness of drug abuse. In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston recalled how her mother showed up one day at her doorstep with sheriff's officers and a court order in a drug intervention.
"(My mother) says, 'I have a court (injunction) here,' " Houston said. "Either you do it my way, or we're just not going to do this at all. We are both going to go on TV, and you're going to retire.'"

If more Americans, celebrities in particular, spoke and acted like Cissy Houston, rather than like Bennett or Huffington, fewer Americans would be victims to drug addiction.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Underage Drinking Hospitalizations Cost $755 Million in the U.S. Each Year

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The greatest thing in the world a man can do is not build a financial empire or great city.  It is not obtaining a great position of power in politics running a great country.  The greatest thing a man can do and the only thing that truly matters that he has done is loving, nurturing and raising a child.  So today when you look at your children remember this is what life is all about and this is the most important thing a man can do.  To raise a child in the way they should go.
REMEMBER JESUS LOVES YOU!

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

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.

            200 OAK AVENUE               KITTANNING, PA 16201
724-548-7607 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting            724-548-7607      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

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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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

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




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

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!