How to set boundaries with an alcoholic or addict! BY:Addition Blog .ORG

How to set boundaries with an alcoholic or addict
June 3, 2012
By Lisa Espich


What Happens When You Don’t Have Boundaries

Throughout the first sixteen years of my marriage my husband, Dean, struggled with his addiction to alcohol, prescription pain pills, and crack cocaine. As his addiction continued to get worse, my ability to set healthy boundaries failed. This didn’t happen overnight – it was a gradual process that eventually left me feeling powerless. And I had a hard time trying to stop being codependent.

In the beginning of our relationship, I was a confident young woman. Unfortunately, I had failed to recognize the signs of Dean’s addiction until we were married and I was pregnant with our son. As Dean began to take on addictive behaviors, I attempted to ‘lay down the law’. I would make threats to leave if he didn’t change his ways – and he would make empty promises that helped me feel better in the moment.

Each time I allowed Dean to pass a boundary – rather than standing my ground – I would allow my boundary to get pushed further. I was stuck in a cycle of making threats even when I knew I didn’t have the courage to follow through. Dean quickly learned that my boundaries didn’t really exist, and, as a result, my self-esteem was slowly chipped away. But codependency addiction recovery is possible when you learn to set healthy boundaries. But what are boundaries?
What Is A Boundary?

A boundary is your own limit – an invisible line that you will not allow others to cross. If it is crossed, you take action in order to protect your boundary. For example: you may have a boundary that you will not allow others to put you down. If somebody crosses that boundary, you respond by letting them know you will not tolerate being put down, and then you get up and leave the room.

In my own experience, I attempted to set many boundaries, but my failure came at taking action when those boundaries were crossed. Until I could find the courage needed to stand by my words, I would continue to have others take advantage and disrespect my boundaries.
What Do You Do When People Do Not Respect Your Boundaries?

1. Respect you own boundaries. If people are not respecting your boundaries, it is because you are allowing it. In my relationship I told my husband over and over again what actions I would take if he crossed my boundaries. But over and over again, I failed to follow through. I was teaching him to disrespect my boundaries, because I did not respect them myself.

2. Don’t make threats you aren’t prepared to follow through on. Many times I threatened divorce, threatened to leave, threatened to call the police, but I never made good on those threats. I knew in my gut, even when making those statements, that I wasn’t really going to follow though — I just wanted to scare my husband into believing it. It didn’t take him long to figure out my game. I had to learn to stop making those threats unless I was prepared to keep my word.

3. Work on building up your self-esteem. The courage needed to protect your own boundaries comes from a healthy self-esteem. So how do you build up your self-esteem? This was my biggest challenge. My plan included exercise, journaling, meditation and visualization. As I began to turn my focus inward, I grew more and more confident. Eventually, I was able to stand by my boundaries, and Dean slowly learned that he could no longer disrespect the boundaries I set.

4. Reach out for help. Turn to the people who care about you. Remember that you don’t have to do this on your own. When you’re lacking strength you can borrow it. Pick up the phone and reach out to a friend. Join a family recovery group such as Al-Anon. There you can find a sponsor to help give you the courage needed to stand by your boundaries.

By learning to set healthy boundaries – and stand by them – positive changes began to happen in my marriage. My husband noticed the changes, and I sensed a new found respect from him. He grew receptive to accepting help, and eventually admitted himself into treatment. He became open to honesty in drug recovery, a parallel path to my own recovery from codependency. He has now been clean for over six years, and we are enjoying a healthy marriage. Learning to stand by my boundaries was the first step toward healing in our marriage.

You Dont Want To Miss This One!

Dear Joseph,

Last July, fans, friends and family mourned the loss of the talented singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse after years of her very public battle with drugs and alcohol.


This summer, Amy’s father, Mitch Winehouse, offers his personal view of his daughter’s life and takes readers on an emotional journey into her music, family and her addiction in his new book, Amy, My Daughter.

From his account of Amy singing Frank Sinatra songs as a little girl to the details of how she created her iconic and unforgettable look, Amy’s father tells the tale of the real woman behind the headlines in his compelling collection of memories and stories.

The Partnership at Drugfree.org is honored that Mitch Winehouse will host the next "Meet The Parents Hour" – a live Facebook Q&A chat – to talk about substance abuse and how it affected Amy’s life on Wednesday, June 27 at 3 p.m. EDT/12 p.m. PDT.

To make sure everyone has the chance to ask his or her question, submit yours in advance and Mitch will do his best to get to it during the session.


Submit your question to Mitch Winehouse now.

An extremely gifted singer, songwriter and five-time Grammy award winner, Amy Winehouse's tragic death was followed by a public tabloid frenzy. Today, Mitch aims to not only tell his daughter’s story, but to help educate and influence the conversation around addiction with his new book.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to chat live with Mitch Winehouse.

Submit your question now and then visit our Facebook timeline on June 27 to take part in the real-time conversation.

We look forward to seeing you at our next "Meet The Parents Hour."

Thank you,

Tom Hedrick
Parent Support Leader
The Partnership at Drugfree.org

P.S. If you haven't Liked us yet on Facebook, do it now so you can participate in the live chat session.

P.S.S. Text DRUGFREE to 50555 and reply YES to make a $10 donation to The Partnership at Drugfree.org. Your gift will help to continue important programs like "Meet The Parents Hour".

Message & data rates may apply. Full Terms at mGive.org/T

Use of ADHD Drugs Grew By 46 Percent in Children From 2002 to 2010

By Join Together Staff | June 19, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Mental Health, Prescription Drugs, Research & Youth

Use of drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children jumped 46 percent from 2002 to 2010, according to a new report in the journal Pediatrics. Ritalin was the top drug prescribed for teenagers, with more than four million prescriptions filled in 2010.

“What the article is suggesting is that the number of children that we are treating for attention deficit disorder has gone up,” said Dr. Scott Benson, a spokesperson for the American Psychiatric Association, told Reuters. “For the most part I think the overall increase reflects a reduction in the stigma. It used to be, ‘You’re a bad parent if you can’t get your child to behave, and you’re a doubly bad parent if you put them on medicine.’”

Overall, the number of drugs prescribed to children in the United States dropped slightly from 2002 to 2010. Antibiotic use and prescription painkiller use both decreased 14 percent. Prescriptions for allergy medications, cough and cold medicines and antidepressants also dropped.

The report found 263 million prescriptions for minors were filled in 2010, down 7 percent from 2002. When population changes are taken into account, that corresponds to a 9 percent drop, the article notes. Adult prescriptions rose 11 percent during the same time period.

A recent article in The New York Times noted a growing number of high school students are using ADHD drugs, such as Adderall and Ritalin, to help them get better grades. Teens get them from friends, buy them from student dealers, or pretend to have ADHD in order to get prescriptions.

NY Bill Prohibits Welfare Recipients From Spending Benefits on Alcohol, Cigarettes

By Join Together Staff | June 20, 2012 | 1 Comment | Filed in Alcohol,Community Related, Legislation, Prevention & Tobacco

A bill passed by the New York Senate would prohibit welfare recipients from spending their benefits on alcohol and cigarettes. The bill, which passed 56-3, also bans spending of benefits on gambling and strip clubs.

In February, President Obama signed a law that requires states to restrict how the cash portion of social services is spent, or else they will lose 5 percent of funding for the welfare program known as Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. In 2013, New York will risk losing $125 million, The Wall Street Journal reports. Republican Senator Thomas Libous, sponsor of the bill, said the state must restrict spending by welfare recipients whose benefits are linked to debit cards, in order to conform with the new federal law.

The “Public Assistance Integrity Act” also would ban the withdrawal of cash from Electronic Benefits Transfer cards at automatic teller machines (ATMs) in casinos, liquor stores and adult entertainment clubs and bars. The article notes that prohibiting the purchase of tobacco, alcohol and lottery tickets would be difficult to enforce. The ban on cash withdrawals would be easier to enforce because of its paper trail.

Senator Bill Perkins, one of the few senators to vote against the measure, said it unfairly targets the poor. “It’s a prejudice, I think, about poor people that we are seeing represented more than any statistical or study of behavior,” he said. “If they have evidence that there’s a rash of that, I’d like to see it.” He said the bill wouldn’t allow a poor mother to withdraw money to buy milk if she used an ATM in a banned establishment.

Other states have banned welfare recipients’ spending on certain items, including alcohol, tobacco, guns, gambling, lottery tickets and adult entertainment.

The bill now goes to the state Assembly.

THE BRIDGE GROUP!

James Russell



The Bridge Group of Narcotics Anonymous provides a teleconference meeting seven days a week, three-hundred and sixty-five days a year, to carry the message of hope and the promise of freedom to addicts who are, for whatever reason, isolated from the message of recovery.


Members of our home group have included addicts who are hospitalized, home-bound due to ill-health or the failing health of a family member, new or expectant mothers, addicts who are prevented from regularly attending face-to-face Narcotics Anonymous meetings due to geographical distance, lack of transportation, or suspended driving privileges, shift workers and truckers who cannot make regular meeting times, addicts in hospice, and others who simply wish to participate in this lifesaving venture and benefit from our meetings as a supplement to their own personal recoveries.


It is not our intention or belief that The Bridge should or could replace face-to-face meetings (since nothing can replace the magic of the Narcotics Anonymous fellowship on such a personal level) but rather simply to reach those who would otherwise be unable to attend meetings. We are working, in our own small way, to ensure that no addict need ever be isolated from the message of Narcotics Anonymous and consequently die from the horrors of active addiction.


You are being contacted – in the hope that you will share this information, and keep it handy, in case you hear of someone in Narcotics Anonymous who is isolated from NA meetings for any reason. We are truly committed. We want to know about their problem and how we can help!


We are an autonomous home group of Narcotics Anonymous, registered with Narcotics Anonymous World Services, currently in our fourth year of successfully carrying the message through this new venue. Members and attendees have called in from all over the world to participate and benefit from our meetings.
In order to attend our meetings, an addict only needs a phone and the ability to dial long distance.

Our meeting schedule is available on our website –http://www.thebridgena.org/ . Please feel free to share our website address,, or meeting schedule in whatever Narcotics Anonymous gathering that seems appropriate to you, or to include this information on any area or regional website or meeting schedule.

We also maintain a presence on Facebook, and Twitter. For more information about accessing our information there, or any other questions you may have, please don’t hesitated to contact us



218 339-2626 (acess #387870)Our schedule all times eastern
Sun 8pm
Mon 9pm
Tues 3pm
Wed 9pm
Thur 10pm
Fri 11 pm
Sat 11 pm

The Bridge NAthebridgena.org

Opium Study Raises Questions About Opium-Derived Painkillers

By Join Together Staff | April 19, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Drugs,Prescription Drugs & Research


A new study that links opium use with serious health problems, including cancer, circulatory diseases and respiratory problems, has implications for opium-derived painkillers such as morphine and codeine, CNN reports.

The study of more than 50,000 people in Iran found an 86 percent increased likelihood of death from major causes among those who used opium, even at modest levels. The researchers took into account factors such as poverty and cigarette smoking, which could affect the outcome. The article notes the study does not prove opium causes the increased risk of death, since it did not randomly assign participants to use opium or not.

Most opium users in the study did not begin taking the drug because of a pre-existing illness, the researchers reported in the British Medical Journal.

In an accompanying editorial, Irfan Dhalla, of St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, noted other research has supported the conclusion that there is an increased risk of death from opioids apart from the chance of an accidental overdose. “For the management of chronic non-cancer pain, a better prescription may be caution,” Dhalla wrote.

Some Doctors Object to Prescription Drug Monitoring Databases

By Join Together Staff | May 31, 2012 | 8 Comments | Filed in Healthcare,Legislation, Prescription Drugs & Prevention

As a growing number of states implement prescription drug monitoring databases to curb “doctor shopping” for painkillers, some physicians say they object to aspects of the programs.

The databases are designed to alert prescribers that a patient may be abusing drugs, or diverting them for illegal sale, according toReuters. Currently, 43 states have the databases, and another five states have passed laws to create them.

Pharmacists enter prescriptions for controlled substances, so doctors can see if a patient is attempting to obtain drugs from more than one location.

Sherry Green, CEO of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws, told Reuters that some doctors are concerned that the database programs could breach patient confidentiality, and interfere with needed pain treatment. They also worry that the databases could be used against doctors who need to prescribe high amounts of painkillers.

Some doctors object to being required to consult the database every time they prescribe potentially addictive medication, and say it should be left to their discretion, according to Green. They also say using the database is time-consuming. States are trying to increase the speed of the database so that doctors can access information while patients are still in the office. Some states allow doctors to authorize another staff member to use the database on their behalf.

The article notes some doctors see laws requiring mandatory use of the databases as putting law enforcement above health care. The Kentucky Medical Association was able to fight a provision that would have moved the state’s database to the Attorney General’s office.

Many prescription monitoring databases allow doctors and pharmacists to access information from neighboring states, which helps cut down on people driving across state lines to find more prescriptions.

Do you think prescription drug monitoring databases will curb abuse?

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Parents Find Talking With Kids About Drugs Complicated by Legalization Measures

By Join Together Staff | June 18, 2012 | 5 Comments | Filed in Drugs,Legislation, Parenting, Prevention & Youth

Parents are finding it more difficult to have discussions with their children about why they shouldn’t use drugs, as a growing number of states are allowing medical marijuana, or considering legalizing recreational use of the drug, the Associated Press reports.

Colorado and Washington state will vote on legalizing recreational use of marijuana for adults on November 6. Currently, 17 states have legalized medical marijuana. More than a dozen states, and many cities, no longer have criminal penalties for small-scale possession of marijuana, or have made it a low-priority crime for law enforcement.

Parent-child conversations about marijuana “have become extraordinarily complicated,” said Stephen Pasierb, President of The Partnership at Drugfree.org, a national non-profit organization helping parents and families solve the problem of teen substance abuse. Legalization and medical use of marijuana have “created a perception among kids that this is no big deal,” Pasierb said. “You need a calm, rational conversation, not yelling and screaming, and you need the discipline to listen to your child.”

Ethan Nadelmann, Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance, which promotes marijuana legalization, said that since today’s parents are more likely than in the past to have tried the drug themselves, they are finding conversations with their children “are becoming a lot more real.” He told the AP, “Parents know a lot more about what they’re talking about, and kids probably suspect that their parents did this when they were younger and didn’t get in trouble with drugs. There’s still hypocrisy, but the level of honesty and frankness in the parent-child dialogue about marijuana is increasing every year.”

A survey released last month by The Partnership at Drugfree.org suggests teen marijuana use has become a normalized behavior. Only 26 percent agree with the statement, “In my school, most teens don’t smoke marijuana,” down from 37 percent in 2008.

Judge Sides with DEA in Case Involving Oxycodone Sales at Two CVS Stores

By Join Together Staff | March 14, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed inCommunity Related, Legal & Prescription Drugs

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) acted appropriately in suspending the controlled-substances licenses of two CVS stores in Florida. The DEA charged the stores had failed to closely monitor sales of oxycodone.

Judge Reggie Walton delayed his ruling until Wednesday morning, in order to give CVS time to appeal, The Wall Street Journal reports.

In February, the DEA moved to suspend the licenses of the stores because of what the agency called suspiciously high volumes of oxycodone sales. Federal Judge Amy Berman Jackson, of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., then granted CVS a temporary restraining order, to allow the company to continue to sell controlled prescription drugs at the two pharmacies.

The DEA said the two pharmacies were “filling prescriptions far in excess of the legitimate needs of its customers.” While the averagepharmacy in the United States in 2011 ordered approximately 69,000 oxycodone dosage units, these two pharmacies, located about 5.5 miles apart, together ordered more than three million dosage units during the same year, according to the DEA.

CVS said it would suffer irreparable harm if it were forced to stop filling prescriptions at the pharmacies. The company has already agreed to stop selling oxycodone and other Schedule II drugs at these pharmacies while the case is under review. The DEA suspension would prevent the pharmacies from filling prescriptions for any controlled substance, including painkillers, stimulants and tranquilizers.

A CVS spokesperson said the company had taken steps, with the DEA’s knowledge, to stop filling prescriptions from physicians thought to be prescribing controlled narcotics improperly.

Earlier this month, Judge Walton ruled that drug distribution companies must “self-police” to track unusually big drug shipments that might be used improperly. The ruling allows the DEA to halt shipments of oxycodone and other controlled medications from a Cardinal Health distribution facility in Florida. Cardinal said it will appeal the decision.

Team Captain Meeting Kickoff!

PRO-ACT Recovery Walks! 2012

Penns Landing, Philadelphia

Saturday, September 22, 2012



Team Captain Kick-Off Meetings

Get personal direction on forming or leading a team!


        PRO-ACT has scheduled several Team Captain Meetings in various locations so that you can find one convenient to you. Register now to attend a meeting listed below and you will learn how to sign up your team online, raise funds effectively, receive tips on how to organize your team, order team t-shirts if you want to, and how to identify a meeting place for your team on September 22. We will have handouts of many tools we developed and refined over the years and will be available to answer your questions.

        In the meantime, continue to ask your associates, family members, and friends to join your team and to learn more about why we walk. Spread the word that recovery is real and alive! Do your part to fight the stigma! Recovery Walks! 2012 is the Pennsylvania area's largest National Recovery Month event with lots of support from New Jersey and other nearby areas. Show up and be counted because, as SAMHSA says,

It's Worth It!

Kick-Off Meetings

Philadelphia Recovery Training Center (PRTC)

Location: 444 N. 3rd Street, Suite 307, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Dates: June 19 from 12:00-1:30 pm or June 27 from 5:30-7:00 pm

To register: Call Kim Doughty (215-923-1661) or e-mail



Philadelphia Recovery Community Center (PRCC)

Location: 1701 W. Lehigh Avenue, #6, Philadelphia, PA 19132

Dates: July 21 from 10:00-11:30 am or July 24 from 6:00-8:00pm

To register: Call Sean Brinda (215-223-7700, x105) or e-mail OR

Cheryl Poccia (215-223-7700, x106) or e-mail



Southern Bucks Recovery Community Center (SBRCC)

Location: 1286 New Rogers Road (Veterans Highway), Unit D-6, Bristol, PA 19007

Dates: June 28 from 5:00-6:00 pm or July 24 from 12:00-1:00 pm

To register: Call Martin Woodward (215-788-3738, x110) or e-mail



Central Bucks Recovery Resource Center (CBRRC)

Location: 252 W. Swamp Road, Bailiwick Unit 12, Doylestown, PA 18901

Date: June 26 from 12:00-1:30 pm

To register: Call Jessica Schwartz (215-345-6644, x3122) or e-mail



Women's Recovery Community Center (WRCC)

Location: 25 Beulah Road, New Britain, PA 18901

Date: July 12 from 7:00-8:30 pm

To register: Call Jessica Schwartz (215-345-6644, x3122) or e-mail

Thanks to our Sponsors and Partners for their support!

We couldn't do it without you



                                                                                    www.councilsepa.org

2012 New England School of Addiction Studies and Prevention Studies

2012 New England School of Addiction Studies and Prevention Studies
June 18 – 21, 2012, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine
About the Event


DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED FROM original May 7, 2012 deadline!
However, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to ensure course choices and lodging availablilty.



The 43rd Annual New England School of Addiction Studies will take place from June 18 -21, 2012 at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. The Summer School is a four-day intensive experience for participants to further their knowledge, skills, and experience in the field of addiction services through in-depth coursework.

The Summer School is appropriate for anyone who recognizes the impact of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs on individuals, families, and communities. Each year, participants from many disciplines come together to form a unique and diverse community. The School’s comprehensive curriculum offers a wide variety of best practice courses in the field of addiction services. The School’s nationally and regionally recognized faculty includes instructors who are respected for their accomplishments in the behavioral health field, and also recognized for their training expertise.

The School of Addiction Studies originated 43 years ago by the six New England state substance abuse agencies, the New England Institute continues to work with the six state agencies to provide trainingopportunities needed to support substance abuse service system development and workforce development in our region.

The 12th Annual School of Prevention Studies is designed for prevention professionals from various settings to combine intensive study in an area of special interest with the opportunity to network. The School features keynote addresses and a variety of workshops to choose from delivered by nationally and regionally recognized speakers. The workshops incorporate a variety of current and emerging research based prevention programming, from core through more advanced skills. This event is a collaborative effort of the New England and New York state substance abuse agencies and several other organizations. We invite you to join us for intensive and stimulating studies and networking.

Over the years, New England Institute summer programs have been developed to respond to specific needs in our regional workforce. The 12th Annual New England School of Prevention Studies will again be co-located with this year’s program. Participants have the opportunity to attend offerings from both programs, and co-locating the schools offers wonderful networking and combined learning opportunities for participants working in different areas of the behavioral health services continuum.

We welcome you to be part of our community. If you work in treatment, prevention, recovery services, other social services, or a related field, please join us for new knowledge, skills, and networking in June! WELCOME!


Program Goals

The four-day addiction program provides attendees with an opportunity to:
Participate in intensive training delivered by leaders, researchers, and practitioners from across the continuum of substance abuse services;
Acquire knowledge and specific skills in best practices to apply to their work; and
Network with colleagues from across New England and beyond.

The prevention school goals are to provide participants with an opportunity to:
Learn from leaders, researchers, and practitioners in the field of prevention;
Acquire knowledge and specific skills in evidence based prevention to apply to their prevention programs; and
Network with other prevention professionals and state agency representatives from across New England.

The four-day program is a combination of major presentations, courses, and facilitated forums. Courses provide intensive, skill based training in research-based programming for all students.


Target Audience

The School’s target audience includes persons from all disciplines who are concerned with alcohol, tobacco and other drug related issues, persons new to the field, and persons in behavioral health and allied human services whose activities require a general knowledge of substance abuse.

Some of the many professions represented include:
Substance abuse counselors;
Clinicians from a variety of treatment modalities
Prevention specialists;
Mental health professionals;
Other counselors;
Drug court professionals;
Educators;
EAP professionals;
Student assistance professionals;
Social workers;
Community organizers;
Recovery support staff;
Recovery coaches;
Recovery community support organization staff and volunteers;
Access to Recovery (ATR) staff;
Family service professionals;
Clergy;
Corrections professionals;
Opioid addiction treatment professionals;
Law enforcement professionals;
Housing managers;
Nurses;
Physicians;
And professionals and volunteers from many other disciplines who are interested in continuing to learn about addiction treatment and recovery.

The School of Prevention Studies is designed for the following adult professionals:
Counselors
Community Task Force & Coalition Coordinators
Prevention Practitioners
Student Assistance Professionals
Safe and Drug Free Schools Personnel
Program Managers & Administrators
State Agency Prevention Staff
Volunteers and Task Force Members
Others who deliver prevention services, work in related fields, or are interested in learning more about prevention


Co-Sponsors

New England Institute of Addiction Studies, Inc.

The State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Agencies of
Connecticut,
Maine,
Massachusetts,
New Hampshire,
Rhode Island &
Vermont
AdCare Educational Institute, Inc.
The New Hampshire Training Institute on Addictive Disorders
Drug and Alcohol Treatment Association of Rhode Island
The Addiction Technology Transfer Center of New England at Brown University, and its funder, The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) for their support of selected courses.
The Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies,Northeast Region Expert Team, and its funder, The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)
School Location


Bowdoin College is a vibrant residential college nestled in a small, active New England town, but that is just the beginning. The location places a wealth of landscapes and environments at your fingertips: To the south we have easy access to city life in Portland and Boston; to the north is the rich tradition of communities who have lived off the land for generations; to the west is the playground of lakes, rivers, and mountains; and to the east is the coastline representing so much that is central to the world’s issues today, from global warming and the health of our oceans to honoring and preserving the world’s beautiful landscapes.

Contrary to popular notion, you CAN get there from here. Brunswick has plenty to offer for a quick diversion — great restaurants, record and CD stores, two movie theaters, art galleries, golf courses, bowling alleys and more. Midcoast Maine offers outlet shopping in Freeport and great seacoast beaches. Portland, a vibrant city with a small-town feel, has museums to explore, Old Port shops to browse, and concerts, clubs and pubs to check out. And a couple of hours in a car will put you in Boston, Acadia National Park, or some of Maine’s best recreational areas.
Housing on Campus

Housing is in single bedrooms, charged at the single room rate. Double rooms are available. NEIAS will NOT match participants in double bedrooms unless they have requested each other. You and your roommate must indicate mutual roommate preference and roommate name on each of your registration forms.

You, the participant, will be responsible to pay the difference between the amount of a scholarship that is based on the double room rate and the cost of a single room in the event you do not have a roommate.

Housing on campus will be in traditional basic dormitory rooms. Shared restrooms with multiple bathroom and shower stalls will be located on each hallway. Due to the nature of the dorms, and in an effort to be respectful to ALL participants, males and females will NOT be assigned to the same dorm room, even if requested. There are a limited number of rooms available on campus, which will be assigned by processed application date. Participants may reside on campus, or commute from a local hotel or from home. If you would be more comfortable with the kind of privacy or amenities a hotel room provides, we encourage you to make alternate arrangements. Click here to to download a local hotel list.


Special Accommodations for Participants with Disabilities

The New England Institute of Addiction Studies is committed to providing accommodations so students with disabilities can participate in the NESAS Program. Sign Language Interpreters and Assistive Listening Devices or other accommodations are available on request. The program site has wheelchair accessible space available, including a limited number of ADA accessible residence hall rooms. Please note your accommodation requests, such as ASL interpreter, accessible rooms, etc. on the online registration form or on the second page of the hard copy registration form.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you require a Sign Language Interpreter or CART service, your application must be received at the NEIAS office by April 23, 2012 so the appropriate arrangements can be made.
Continuing Education Units

All students completing the full program will receive a certificate of completion from the New England Institute of Addiction Studies. 2.5 Continuing Education Units (25 contact hours) will be awarded by the New England Institute. Those attending part of the program will receive contact hours for those hours attended.


PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION

The New England Institute of Addiction Studies, Inc. is an Approved NAADACEducation Provider. Through the NH Training Institute on Addictive Disorders, a co-sponsor, this program is pre-approved by the NH Board of Alcohol & Other Drug Abuse Professional Practice for CEU Performance Domains and Categories of Competence. This program has been approved for 25.0 Continuing Education contact hours for relicensure, in accordance with 258 CMR. The New England Institute is a recognized Sponsor of Continuing Education Activities by the Maine State Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors. Attendance at NESAS will help toward counselor and other professional certification in most states, depending on your state’s requirements. Application has been made to several professional organizations to accept New England Institute CEUs, including those certifying social workers.

AdCare Educational Institute, Inc., a co-sponsor, will provide contact hours for Nurses (LPN/RNs) through the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Nursing. Nurses from outside Massachusetts should check with their state and professional associations to verify reciprocity or acceptance. For Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs), AdCare Educational Institute, Inc. is recognized by the National Board for Certified Counselors to offer continuing education for National Certified Counselors (NCCs). AdCare adheres to NBCC Continuing Education Guidelines. To ensure state credentialing, contact your local board of certification.

New York participants: The New England Institute of Addiction Studies, Inc. is a New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) Education and Training Provider, Provider Number 0456. Application is being made to NYS OASAS for this school to meet all or part of the CASAC/CPP/CPS education and training requirements.


Academic Credit

In a collaborative effort with NESAS, Johnson State College offers undergraduate and graduate level academic credit at the Summer School for some courses for an additional fee of $250 per credit hour. Click here for a fact sheet for further information about this program.

In addition, some colleges and universities have approved the NESAS program for undergraduate credit as an independent study for students enrolled in their institutions. Check with your faculty advisor.
Other New England Institute Programs

20th Anniversary New England School of Best Practices in Addiction Treatment
September 10 – 13, 2012 at the Waterville Valley Conference Center and Resort in Waterville Valley, NH. Course tracks will be offered in: advanced clinical practices, clinical supervision, advanced prevention, and addiction medicine. Catalogs and a website will be available in the later spring.

Email us to join our email list to receive information about upcoming events!

You are cordially invited to exhibit at the New England School of Addiction Studies & New England School of Prevention Studies. Contact the New England Institute for further information about exhibiting.

New Studies Shed Much-Needed Light on Alcohol-Induced Memory Blackouts

By Celia Vimont | June 15, 2012 | 1 Comment | Filed in Alcohol & Young Adults


National survey studies suggest that roughly one in four college students who drink will experience a blackout in a given year, making blackouts a surprisingly common outcome of excessive drinking.

Blackouts are periods of amnesia, caused by excessive consumption of alcohol, during which a person actively engages in behaviors but the brain is unable to create memories for what transpires. This leaves holes in a person’s memory that can range from spotty recall for the events of the previous night (known as fragmentary blackouts) to the utter absence of memory for large portions of an evening (known as en bloc blackouts).

Blackouts are very different from passing out, when a person falls asleep or is rendered unconscious from drinking too much. During blackouts, people can participate in events ranging from the mundane, like eating food, to the emotionally charged, like fights or intercourse, with little or no recall. According to Dr. Aaron White, Program Director for Underage and College Drinking Prevention Research at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism(NIAAA), “It can be quite difficult for an outside observer to tell if someone is in a blackout. The person could seem aware and articulate, but without any memory being recorded.”

Dr. White found in a study he conducted in 2002 that half of the 800 college students surveyed experienced at least one alcohol-induced blackout, 40 percent experienced one in the previous year and nine percent reported a blackout in previous two weeks. In a 2009 study of 4,500 students about to enter their freshman year of college, Dr. White found 12 percent of males and females who drank in the previous two weeks experienced a blackout during that time.

In the first few months of 2012, three new studies were published about blackouts among college students. According to Dr. White, “We know that alcohol is capable of causing episodes of amnesia, but what takes place during those episodes, the consequences that follow and why some people are more susceptible to them than others are still unclear. That is why these recent studies are so important.”

Dr. Marlon Mundt and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health recently published two papers on blackouts. In the first study, they observed that college students who black out are more likely to experience alcohol-related injuries than those who do not. Those reporting a history of six or more blackouts at the beginning of the study were more than 2.5 times more likely to be injured in an alcohol-related event over the next two years. The second study estimated that emergency department costs due to injuries sustained during blackouts could total $500,000 or more per year on large campuses.

A study by Dr. Reagan Weatherill at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues from the University of Texas, Austin, provides important insight into why some people are more likely to experience blackouts than others. Compared to subjects without a history of blackouts, those with a history of blackouts exhibited a significant decline in activity in the frontal lobe of the brain, measured using fMRI, during the completion of a memory task while intoxicated. The findings suggest that some people are more likely to experience alcohol-induced blackouts than others due to the way alcohol affects brain activity in areas involved in attention and memory. Dr. White adds that studies of twins have pointed to a genetic vulnerability to blackouts–if one twin tends to black out, so does the other one.

The way college students drink increases the odds of blackouts, says Dr. White. “Alcohol is more likely to cause a blackout when it gets into your body, and therefore your brain, fast. It catches the memory circuits off guard and shuts them down. Doing shots or chugging beer, and doing it on an empty stomach, gets the alcohol into your bloodstream quickly.”

He also notes that females are at particular risk for blackouts. They tend to weigh less than males and have less water in their bodies for the alcohol to get diluted into, which leads to higher levels of alcohol in the brain, he explains. They also have less of an enzyme called alcohol dehydrogenase in the gut that breaks down a small percentage of alcohol before it even gets into body. Females also are more likely to skip meals to save calories when they drink, so there is less food in the stomach to help absorb the alcohol. They are also more likely to drink beverages with higher alcohol concentrations, like wine and mixed drinks rather than beer.

In order to avoid blackouts, Dr. White advises drinkers not only to limit the total amount they consume, but to pace themselves, add in non-alcoholic beverages and eat food while they’re drinking. For more about safe drinking limits he refers readers to the NIAAA website, Rethinking Drinking.

THANK YOU FROM HOH RECOVERY SERVICES

Seth Showalter



My name is Seth and I have recently graduated from H.O.H. Recovery Services. I want to personally thank you for supporting their business. H.O.H. has genuine and caring individuals who sincerely want to help you; no matter what is going on in your life. I can say this because the individuals at H.O.H. have changed my life.

I am unsure of your personal situation, but I want to encourage you to give them phone call or send them an e-mail. It’s possible that you are in need of some help and I promise you that H.O.H. Recovery Services is a safe place to receive it. It is also possible that you have a family member or friend who has found themselves trapped in an addiction and don’t know how to get out. If that is the case, encourage them to seek out help.

Addictions are not limited to drugs and alcohol but can span all arenas of life. So if you are struggling with something other than drugs and alcohol, do not feel like help is not available to you. It is available! In fact, I did not seek treatment for drugs and alcohol but sought it for a more personal issue. As someone who hid in the darkness for many years, I want to encourage you that there is hope and you can overcome, but you must first have the courage to own up to it. Take the first step: give H.O.H. Recovery Services a call.

A phone call or e-mail does not equal you entering treatment. The people at H.O.H. genuinely want to help you and would love to speak with you. Give them a call; at the very least, they may be able to point you in the right direction.

Phone: 1-760-701-0175
Email: rhouseofhope@gmail.com
Website: http://www.christiandrugandalcoholtreatmentrecovery.com/

It is my hope that you find the freedom that is available to you.

Sincerely,
Seth Showalter
Christian Treatment Centers | Affordable Alcohol Treatment | Drug Rehabwww.christiandrugandalcoholtreatmentrecovery.com
H.O.H. Recovery Services provides affordable alcohol treatment and addiction recovery programs that are unique among Christian treatment centers.

Study Links Prescription Drug Abuse and Depression, Suicidal Thoughts in College Students

By Join Together Staff | June 13, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Mental Health, Prescription Drugs, Research, Young Adults & Youth


A new study finds college students who use prescription drugs for non-medical purposes are at increased risk of depression and thoughts of suicide.

The researchers analyzed the answers of 26,600 college students who participated in a national research survey by the American College Health Association. They were asked about their non-medical prescription drug use, including painkillers, antidepressants, sedatives and stimulants, as well as their mental health symptoms in the past year.

About 13 percent of students reported non-medical prescription drug use, Science Daily reports. Those who reported feeling sad, hopeless, depressed or considered suicide were significantly more likely to report non-medical use of any prescription drug. The link between these feelings and prescription drug abuse was more pronounced in females, the researchers report in Addictive Behaviors. The researchers conclude that students may be inappropriately self-medicating psychological distress with prescription medications.

“Because prescription drugs are tested by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and prescribed by a doctor, most people perceive them as ‘safe’ and don’t see the harm in sharing with friends or family if they have a few extra pills left over,” researcher Amanda Divin of Western Illinois University said in a news release. “Unfortunately, all drugs potentially have dangerous side effects. As our study demonstrates, use of prescription drugs — particularly painkillers like Vicodin and OxyContin — is related to depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors in college students. This is why use of such drugs need to be monitored by a doctor and why mental health outreach on college campuses is particularly important.

SPONSORED BY    www.councilsepa.org  WITH A GRANT FROM www.dbhids.org Free Problem Gambling Education   for Philadelphia Community Leaders, Faith-Based Program Managers, Social Services Counselors and individuals who want to find out more about Problem Gambling Next Tuesday Evening, June 19 4:45 pm--8:00 pm  Location: Atonement Lutheran Church 1544 East Montgomery Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19125 Instructor: Jason Radosky, LCSW, CADC The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc. Program Cost: Free Refreshments will be provided  REGISTER ONLINE BY CLICKING HERE Registration Help Desk: 215-489-6120, ext.1  Program Overview A focused training initiative on gambling-related issues crucial in identifying and providing needed services to individuals and communities Learning Objectives: Describe the array of gambling opportunities available in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Discuss the prevalence of those affected by problem gambling Identify warning signs of problem gambling and be able to identify those signs in individuals they serve Describe strategies for problem gambling prevention, intervention, and treatment and identify ways to integrate strategies into the community The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc., an affiliate of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), is a private nonprofit organization serving Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, and Philadelphia County. The Council provides a wide range of services to families, schools, businesses, individuals and the community at-large regardless of ability to pay, ethnicity, race, gender, age, and/or sexual orientation.

THE RIR MUSIC FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 2-4,2012

THE RIR MUSIC FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 2-4,2012
Venue Location: C.B. Smith Park 900 N. Flamingo Rd. Pembroke Pines, FL 33028




It's a Recovery Palooza , minus the drugs and alcohol, but add meetings and fellowship! RIR Music Fest is a campout for ALL people in recovery or supporters of recovery.

15 bands over 3 days along with:

The RIR Band - Mark Stein (Vanilla Fudge), Liberty Devitto (Billy Joel) , Christine Ohlman(Saturday Night Live Band), Ricky Byrd(Joan Jett and the Blackhearts),Kasim Sulton(Todd Rundgren and Utopia), Richie Supa (Aerosmith and Richie Sambora) and Woody Giessmann (The Del Fuegos). Along with some very special guests to be announced.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Early Bird Ticket Sales

No Tickets Will Be Sold At Gate

You Must Have A Ticket To Enter

To Buy Tickets Just Click On Link

Three Day Ticket Click Link

$60.00 Click To Order 3 Day Ticket


Two Day Ticket Click Link

$40.00 Click To Order 2 Day Ticket


RIR Music Festival November 2-4, 2012.

If your planning on RV camping or camping at CB Smith Park. There is only a limited amount of spots. Book them now by calling Phone: 954-357-5170.


3 Days of Sober and Clean Fun



RIR Band-Mark Stein, Liberty Devitto ,Christine Ohlman,Ricky Byrd, Kasim Sulton, and Richie Supa

RIR Music Festival Schedule

9AM- 10PM Friday November 2, 2012:

9 AM- Recovery Speaker
10:00 AM -Full Range
12:00 PM- Jimmy Stowe & the Stowaways
2:00 PM -Johnny B. and The Road Dogs
4:00 PM - Sooner or Later
7:00 PM - Keep Coming Bac
9:00 PM - Recovery Speaker
9AM- 10PM Saturday November 3, 2012:
8AM -Recovery Speaker
9:00 AM- Thrown Alive
11:00 PM - Black Finger
1:00 PM -The Chillbillies
3:00 PM- Selfish Steam
5:30 PM- Recovery Speaker
7:00 PM RIR Band Featuring -
Mark Stein(Vanilla Fudge)
Liberty Devitto(Billy Joel)
Christine Ohlman(Saturday Night Live Band)
Ricky Byrd (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts)
Kasim Sulton(Todd Rundgren and Utopia)
Richie Supa(Aerosmith and Richie Sambora)
9AM - 2PM - Sunday November 4, 2012:
8AM- Recovery Speaker -
9:30 -Open Mic Talent Show
Solo Acoustic Sets By:
12:PM - Richie Supa
12:30 PM- Ricky Byrd
1PM -Kasim Sulton
1:30 PM Count Down and Closing Ceremonies

Kerlikowske: Addiction is a Disease, Not a Moral Failure

By Join Together Staff | June 11, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Addiction,Alcohol, Drugs, Government, Recovery & Treatment

Addiction is a disease, not a moral failure, according to Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He is scheduled to speak about addiction and drug control policy Monday at the Betty Ford Center in California.

He will call for more alternatives to current drug policy, including early intervention through health care, better access to treatment, more support during recovery, and effective public education, The Desert Sun reports. “Recovery is this long-term, lifelong process, with its own set of challenges and its own needs — and yet we fail to highlight that process,” he told the newspaper in an interview.

In 2010, 23 million people aged 12 or older needed treatment for an illicit drug or alcohol use problem, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Of these, 2.6 million received treatment at a specialty facility.

Kerlikowske also will call for a review of laws that can add to the challenges of recovery, such as barriers that prevent many minor drug offenders from obtaining housing and federal student aid. His goal is to curb the growing number of prison inmates, many of whom are coping with drug abuse, while reducing the $50 billion cost of incarcerating them.

Kerlikowske will be joined by U.S. House Representative Mary Bono Mack of Palm Springs, who has been raising awareness about prescription drug abuse. Bono Mack, who co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse, has introduced legislation that would revise Food and Drug Administration drug classifications to ensure that drugs containing controlled-release oxycodone hydrochloride would be prescribed only for sever

Medication for Alcoholism: An Expanding Field

By Celia Vimont | June 12, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol,Healthcare & Treatment


Many people struggling with alcohol dependence who could benefit from medication are not receiving it, according to an expert who spoke at the recent American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

“Antidepressant prescribing is 100 to 200 times as great as prescriptions for medications approved to treat alcohol dependence, despite the fact that the prevalence of disorders for which antidepressants are prescribed—major and minor depression and anxiety disorders—is only two to three times that of alcohol dependence,” says Henry Kranzler, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at the Treatment Research Center at the University of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.

The reasons why medications to treat alcoholism are not more widely prescribed are complex. A main factor is that pharmaceutical companies and physicians have been afraid to deal with alcohol-dependent patients because they are concerned about the potential for out-of-control drinking to result in liability, for example, if a patient under treatment drives under the influence and has an accident, he says. Some doctors, as well as patients and their family members, also believe that alcoholism is not a suitable target for medication because, in their view, it only substitutes dependence on one substance for another.

Medication also may not be offered to many people with alcohol dependence because they are treated exclusively by non-medical personnel, such as counselors, Dr. Kranzler added.

Currently, three drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat alcoholism: disulfiram (Antabuse), naltrexone (ReVia and Vivitrol) and acamprosate (Campral). “These drugs all exert modest effects,” notes Dr. Kranzler. Another drug that is prescribed off-label for alcoholism is topiramate (Topamax), which is approved to treat certain types of seizures and to prevent migraines. Topamax appears to correct a chemical imbalance in the brain caused by chronic drinking. Unlike treatments currently approved for alcoholism, it has been shown to be effective in people who are still drinking. However, it can cause side effects such as memory and thinking problems, as well as sedation.

Lundbeck, a Danish pharmaceutical company, has submitted anapplication for approval by the European Medicines Agency of the medication nalmefene to be used on an as-needed basis to reduce heavy drinking, according to Dr. Kranzler. “This is a novel approach and could have an impact on treatment throughout the European Union and possibly the U.S.,” he adds.

Last year, the company announced that nalmefene showed promising results in three clinical trials in Denmark. The drug can be used in patients who are still drinking.

“There are a number of companies in the United States and Europe that are developing novel compounds to treat alcohol dependence,” Dr. Kranzler says. “As we learn more about the neurobiology and genetics of alcohol dependence, it will be possible to identify novel mechanisms through which to intervene pharmacologically.”

This is an exciting time in the treatment of alcoholism, because the field of medication treatment for alcohol dependence is expanding into the arena of personalized medicine, he says. “There is growing interest in the use of a patient’s genetic variation to predict the response to specific medications,” he points out. “However, these findings are not yet ready for widespread clinical implementation. Additional research is required to allow them to be widely applied.”

Even with new medications, counseling should still be an important part of alcohol dependence treatment, Dr. Kranzler observes. “However, the personnel who are trained to provide counseling are not widely enough available to use this as the only model for treatment,” he adds. “There appears to be a role for medication combined with brief interventions that focus on promoting adherence to the medication and can be delivered in a primary care setting.”