Best of the Week: October 25–31

COMING UP IN THE FIX// Percy Menzies, Vivitrol Activist * Housing for the Sober Transgender Community * Interview with Jack Kornfield * Drug Smuggling in Prison* Hypocrisy of Smoking * Juliet Abrams Interviews Stephanie Covington about Sexism and AA * PLUS: Other incisive articles

	HELPING MOMS// Pregnancy and Addiction Treatment The number of pregnant women who receive treatment for substance abuse is shockingly low, but options do exist. By Jeanene Swanson
	LEGAL TROUBLE// K2: A Dangerous Peak to Climb The stuff is available not just in head shops where drug paraphernalia is sold, but even in gas stations. So what could be the harm? By Daniel Genis
	MENTAL HEALTH// Two Bipolar Chicks Wendy K. Williamson and Honora Rose talk mental illness, drug addiction and their new book. By McCarton Ackerman
	RECOVERY 2.0// The Next Phase in Recovery—The Tommy Rosen Solution Tommy Rosen—architect of Recovery 2.0—on his own recovery, drug laws, recovery modes and how yoga can save your life in The Fix Q&A. By The Fix staff
	ON TV// Recovery with a Laugh-Track Chuck Lorre and Gemma Baker on the story behind their recovery themed sitcom Mom. By Malina Saval

 

BEST OF THE QUICK FIX UK Study Finds Punitive Drug Laws Don't Reduce Drug Use Kentucky Teens Impacted By Drug Abuse Eligible For College Scholarship Lena Dunham Humorously Bares Her Dark Past in New Memoir

British Teen Petitions Government to Tackle 'Thinspiration' Blogs Philip Seymour Hoffman's Death Contributing to Greater Naloxone Access Dutch Study Claims Creativity Not Improved By Smoking Weed

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

Mom On TV This week, Malina Saval examined CBS' sober sitcomMom. Many readers who had a bone to pick with AA were skeptical about how the program would be portrayed:

I would be interested to see how AA is painted in this. I suspect it will be viewed through rose tinted glasses. How about an episode where she gets hit on by an older member who offers to teach her how to have sober sex? Or one where she expresses doubt about the religious nature of the program and is advised in the resultant cross sharing that her best thinking got her there and she should stop asking questions? I think I could write a whole season actually. Are they looking for writers) -AnotherPaul

RIR Music & Art Festival - February 14, 2015

Rockers In Recovery Radio & Productions - Thank You to our Sponsors and Supporters - As new Festival sponsors & supporters come aboard we will be up-dating this list.       Please get To know The Festival Sponsors: Advanced Health and Education-  Get to know Frank Norton Click Link > http://goo.gl/mgJhwk or by calling 978-407-4814     Above All Recovery Center- Get To Know Steven Schwartz Click Link > http://goo.gl/Jv7lxt   or by calling 954-825-9242  Destination Hope - Get To Know Candice Conway Click Link > http://goo.gl/0MwvNC or by calling 954-200-9480 The Recovery Village - Get To Know Lisa Crawford Click Link >http://goo.gl/oSLiYX  or by calling 914-391-2949   The Shores Treatment and Recovery - Get To Know Lyle Fried  Click Link > http://goo.gl/gR6qbB  or by calling 772-332-8711   Advanced Medical Laboratories - Get To Know Dave (Reginald Jones) Click Link > http://goo.gl/4zuMJ7  or by calling 754-779-1830   All About Recovery- Get To Know Stephanie Humphries Click Link > http://goo.gl/vCTCPN or by calling 561-502-7874 KLEAN Treatment Centers Long Beach - Get to know Milt Click Link > http://goo.gl/7uLEUg    LavaLeads - Get To Know Vic Talha Click Link> http://goo.gl/D9DJ0c or by calling 954-234-1191    Fellowship Living - Get To know Rick & Susan Riccardi Click Link > http://goo.gl/BHUDQk  or by calling (954) 249-5589        Please Get To Know The Festival Supporters:    Young People In Recovery - YPR is a national grassroots organization focused on peer-to-peer services for young people in, or seeking, recovery. Find a meeting in your area >http://goo.gl/6oBkQ9    The Addict's Mom - To fulfill our vision of "Sharing without Shame," and our mission, The Addict's Mom has put forth an ambitious program, achieving the following in the past year.    See More > http://goo.gl/iIEn08       ALL of Rockers In Recovery Productions are funded by sponsorship dollars.   If you or your organization would like to be a sponsor of Rockers In Recovery through Rockers In Recovery Radio and Productions Inc (For Profit Co) for more information call us at954-826-5968. Rockers In Recovery is dedicated to addiction recovery through music, events, and festivals taking place within the clean and sober community. RIR is Addiction Awareness & Prevention through Rock-N-Roll. Sincerely, Lori Sullivan  RIR Corporate Office 954-826-5968 877-799-8773 Visit Us At - RockersInRecovery.org

NEW ISSUE OF THE GAZETTE Hi everybody!   Please click on the link below the image of the cover below to view the new issue of the 12 Step Gazette.  Any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.   Hope you enjoy it!!   http://www.12stepgazette.com/pdf/12StepGazette_NOV-DEC14.pdf Thanks! -- Bruce Huberman 12stepgazette@comcast.net Publisher/Editor 12StepGazette.com 215-317-8774

November 2 Chp 91 v 6 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness ,nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 

STEP 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out.

Like a shark lurking in the darkness is what my addiction was. I can never forget who I am in God and the dark waters he pulled me out of. There are days when my heart is wounded and it bleeds ,that blood causes the sharks to swarm . If I am not careful I would be devoured by a disaster that strikes at midday . That injury received is not worth jumping back into the dark waters and swimming with sharks. I can gracefully walk along the shores confident and unafraid of the those sharks stalking in the darkness as long as I keep my eyes on Him and not them.

Matthew 14 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. (v. 28)

And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. (v. 29)

But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. (v. 30)

And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?(v. 31)

By Joseph Dickerson

How Can It Be - Lauren Daigle

Drug Addiction Montage - Hallelujah By The Canadian Tenors

DEA Proposes to Remove Opiate-Based Medication Naloxegol from Drug Schedule

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

October 29th, 2014/

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is proposing to remove the opiate-based medication naloxegol from the federal drug schedule, according to The Hill. The drug is currently considered a Schedule II drug under the Controlled Substances Act because it can be derived from opium alkaloids.

Other Schedule II drugs include heroin, methamphetamine, Adderall and Ritalin.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved naloxegol (Movantik) this fall for treatment of opioid-induced constipation in adults with chronic non-cancer pain. AstraZeneca, which makes naloxegol, submitted a petition seeking the drug’s removal from the drug schedule. The company stated the drug is not prone to abuse. In its proposal, the DEA agreed.

Anyone caught illegally dealing or possessing drugs on the drug schedule faces criminal penalties. Doctors are restricted in the way they can administer the drugs.

Earlier this year, the DEA announced it will reclassify hydrocodone combination productssuch as Vicodin, in an effort to reduce prescription drug abuse. Under the new rules, patients will be able to receive the drugs for only up to 90 days without receiving a new prescription. In October 2013, the FDA recommended tighter restrictions for hydrocodone combination products.

Under the new rule, hydrocodone combination products will be classified as Schedule II drugs. Currently these products are Schedule III drugs, meaning they can be refilled up to five times, and prescriptions can cover a 180-day period. In most cases, patients who wish to refill their hydrocodone combination prescription will now have to give their pharmacy a prescription from a healthcare provider, instead of having it phoned or faxed in.

ORGANIZING THE RECOVERY COMMUNITY

Best Practices in Serving Underserved Communities in Workforce Engagement for People in Recovery with HIV Monday November 3, 2014 from 12:00 - 1:30 PM EST Join Faces & Voices of Recovery for a webinar that will address best practices in workforce engagement for people in underserved communities who are affected by addiction and HIV. Cassandra Collins will draw on her experience at Recovery Consultants of Atlanta, a non-profit, faith-based, peer-led Recovery Community Organization which provides integrated behavioral services, HIV prevention counseling, testing and referral, and workforce development and recovery support services. Presented by: Cassandra Collins, MSW, Executive Director, Recovery Consultants of Atlanta Registration deadline is November 2, 2014. The webinar will be recorded and available online. HIV and Recovery in the Workforce: How Employment Impacts Health and Prevention  Wednesday November 5, 2014 from 12:00 - 1:30 PM EST Join Faces & Voices of Recovery for a webinar that will discuss how employment engagement affects health outcomes for individuals living with HIV; the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS); its implementation plan; vocational and employment needs for people living with HIV; the impact of employment transitions on health and access to care; and best practices in delivering supportive services to those affected by HIV to enter and stay successfully engaged in the workforce.  Presented by: Liza Conyers, Ph.D., CRC, Associate Professor, Penn State University; co-founder, National Working Positive Coalition Mark Misrok, MS ED, CRC, Co-founder, NY HIV Employment Services Network, Board President, National Working Positive Coalition Registration deadline is November 4, 2014. The webinar will be recorded and available online. Help get the word out with our flyer. These webinars are supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.

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No Flood of Patients Seeking Care for Substance Use Disorders Under Affordable Care Act

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

October 30th, 2014/

While many newly insured patients are seeking care now that the Affordable Care Act has expanded coverage, there has not been a rush of new patients receiving treatment for substance use disorders or mental health issues, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Several factors are keeping people from receiving care for substance use disorders and mental health care, known collectively as behavioral health, the article notes. Experts believe the majority of the 5 million people who are without health care, because they live in states that have not expanded Medicaid, need mental health treatment. Some patients who do have insurance are not aware their benefits include coverage for behavioral health.

While mental health and substance use disorders are considered essential health benefits and must be covered, the Affordable Care Act does not specify which particular services must be covered. States vary in their requirements.

“There’s a perception that enforcement is not what it should be, and that people aren’t getting the benefits they are entitled to,” said Bob Carolla, a spokesman at the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

If more patients do start seeking care for behavioral health, experts are concerned there will not be adequate resources to serve them. A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration found a shortage of 1,846 psychiatrists and 5,931 other mental health professionals. In 55 percent of U.S. counties, there are no practicing psychiatrists, psychologists or social workers. All of these counties are rural.

“There has been a long-standing shortage,” Carolla says. “Expansion of health care is a good thing, but it also means you are widening demand for it.”

Denver Police to Parents: Make Sure Halloween Candy Doesn’t Contain Marijuana

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

October 30th, 2014/

The Denver Police Department has posted a public service video, made in conjunction with a marijuana store owner, that advises parents to check their children’s Halloween candy to make sure it isn’t infused with marijuana.

Marijuana edible products can mimic candy such as Sour Patch Kids, Jolly Ranchers and gummy bears, the video cautions parents. Patrick Johnson, the owner of Urban Dispensary, says, “There’s really no way to tell the difference. It’s best just to toss that stuff into the trash.”

There have been no reported cases of marijuana-infused treats being given to children on Halloween in Denver, The New York Times reports. Marijuana advocates say the warnings perpetuate urban legends, such as candy bars spiked with razor blades. But the warning underscores the concern of parents’ groups and regulators that marijuana edible products look too much like regular food, the article notes.

Edible marijuana products have become a popular alternative to smoking marijuana in Colorado this year, since retail sales of the products became legal on January 1. Adults 21 and over can legally purchase marijuana edibles at state-licensed stores. Marijuana is now available in products ranging from candy to soda and granola.

Recently, marijuana retailers in Colorado have begun responding to reports of tourists who have had bad experiences after consuming large amounts of THC by offering products with lower amounts. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. A “serving” of marijuana is 10 milligrams of THC under Colorado rules. It can be difficult to tell exactly how much THC is in an individual cookie or brownie. Many marijuana edibles contain 100 milligrams of THC, and are meant to be broken into multiple pieces to avoid overdosing.

Earlier this year, health officials reported legal marijuana edible products were linked to two deaths and an increase in emergency room visits in Colorado.

NFL Expected to Ask for Dismissal of Players’ Lawsuit Over Painkillers

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

October 30th, 2014/

The National Football League (NFL) is expected to request that a lawsuit filed by former players who allege the league illegally supplied them with prescription painkillers be dismissed, ABC News reports.

The case is scheduled to be heard in San Francisco’s federal court on Thursday morning.

The players say the drugs numbed their injuries and led to medical complications. Lawyers for the league deny the allegations. They argue the former players waited too long to file suit, citing a two-year statute of limitations for claiming personal injury. Former players who joined the lawsuit said they did not realize the health hazards they faced until recently.

The lawyers also argued the lawsuit does not specify the damages the players have suffered and does not name who dispensed the painkillers.

The players say the NFL obtained and administered the painkillers without prescriptions. The league did not warn the players about the drugs’ potential side effects, the lawsuit alleges. The players say the league wanted them to return to the field quickly, in order to maximize profits.

Some players say they were not told they had broken legs or ankles, and were instead given painkillers. One player said he was given anti-inflammatory medication instead of surgery. The years of free painkillers led to addiction, some players contend.

The lawsuit states the drugs given to players included painkillers such as Percodan, Percocet and Vicodin, anti-inflammatories such as Toradol, and sleep aids such as Ambien.

Lawyers for the players are seeking class-action status for former players who received narcotic painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, local anesthetics, sleeping aids or other drugs without a prescription. More than 500 other former players have signed on to the lawsuit. The suit seeks to force the NFL to fund a testing and monitoring program to help prevent addiction, injuries and disabilities resulting from painkiller use. The suit also seeks unspecified financial damages.

House Member Grades from Pro-Legalization Group Don’t Fall Neatly Along Party Lines

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

October 30th, 2014/

0

Report card grades for members of the U.S. House of Representatives, issued by the pro-marijuana legalization group Drug Policy Alliance, do not fall neatly along party lines. Some conservative members of Congress are among the 49 House members who earned an A+, while some prominent Democrats are among the 141 members who received an F.

The group’s advocacy arm, Drug Policy Action, issued the report card Wednesday, according to U.S. News & World Report. Representative Steve Stockman, a conservative Republican from Texas, earned an A+, while Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, from Florida, earned an F.

The group based the grades on seven House votes. Three involved hemp and two involved banking rights for marijuana businesses. One would have cut funding from the Drug Enforcement Administration, and one was designed to protect medical marijuana in states where it is legal.

Members who voted in a way the group considered pro-drug reform in six of the votes received an A. Those who voted for reforms in one or none of the votes received an F. The group gave 56 percent of House members (179 Democrats and 64 Republicans) a grade of C or better, which indicated they favored reform in at least three of the seven votes.

The group did not grade senators, saying there were not enough drug policy votes in the chamber to consider.

Injustice at The St Lucie FL Medical Center, Treasure Coast Behavioral Health Center

My Daughters plea to the Prosecutor for her mentally ill brother. Please help Daniel by signing the petition, he is not a felon. Prison cannot be a warehouse for the mentally ill. Daniel is just a symptom of the problem. Together we must fight for all our children, addicted, mentally ill or not. Today it is my child, tomorrow it can be yours. Much love to all addict's moms and their families....Barbara

Injustice at The St Lucie FL Medical Center, Treasure Coast Behavioral Health Center

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/injustice-at-the-st-lucie-fl-medical-center/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=button

Ms.

I have been told a great amount of your endless work and commitment to St. Lucie County and its occupants, and because of this knowledge of your rational, erudite attributes, I thought I would give you my insight of my brother, Daniel Montalbano, case number ____.

Being only a year and nine months younger than my brother Daniel, we were extremely close growing up. Even at a young age, I noticed that although my brother was older than me, he didn’t seem to have some of the common social and societal features that I began to develop as we both got older. I always assumed he was just a bit off, which I expected some people to not quite understand, but never expected the outcomes that actually occurred. Although I loved everything about my brother, from his out of place remarks to his experimental phases with different hairstyles and clothing, I seemed to be one of the many few. He was tremendously impulsive, had absolutely no filter between things he thought he should do in his head and things that are actually acceptable in society, and others began to acknowledge his divergent personality as a bad thing. He was constantly made fun of, isolated, beaten up, and because he was only one grade above me, I had to witness it all in agony.

Eventually the bullying got so bad that Daniel had to withdraw from high school and obtain his GED instead, which he made look easy. Daniel was always extraordinarily naturally intelligent, but lacked all of the social skills to go along with the intellect. It became apparent to me that he wanted nothing more than to be accepted, if not by just a handful of people, and he couldn’t seem to fit in anywhere. Even after attempting to become friends with other kids his age at a local church, even they turned their back on him after experiencing his unique qualities. This is when I started to first see Daniel beginning to mold into two separate people in his own mind. He liked to call one of his personalities simply “Daniel”, which was usually when he was calm and easy to be around, and “The Dan”, who he believed was almost prophet-like, and was invincible to the world around him. I hoped that it was a joke, or in the worst situation a phase that would eventually go away. It didn’t. Things only got worse as time progressed.

Daniel began to mess around with drugs a little before he withdrew from High School, but the issues were there before the drugs ever came into play. The drugs for him were a method to get rid of the cruel world around him that made him feel constant isolation, and he became addicted to the numbness of it all. He is the most beautiful person I know inside and out, but his mind never worked the way most people’s do. I watched my mother make every attempt to help him get rid of his addiction. I saw him go to dozens of rehabs, hospitals, therapists, and halfway houses. I also was there for the multiple phone calls about him getting Baker Acted or arrested. But the issue was never the drugs, the issue was and still is Daniel.

Our family’s situation with Daniel has always been a serious one, but what made it even more difficult was the absence of our father through it. Growing up, our father was extremely violent, and was actually one of the main contributors of the corruption of Daniel’s self worth. Although my mother and I, despite the sadness of it all, continued to visit the countless rehabs, counselors, and jails, watching Daniel’s confidence and mind deteriorate altogether, we did so alone. Being Daniel’s younger sister, there hasn’t been much I can do for him other than try to be the best emotional support I can be and remind him that I love him no matter what, so my mother has been his only parental advocate in his extremely challenging life. My mother created her organization, The Addict’s Mom, because she felt the pain that she knew every mother with an addicted child felt, and she knew how much worse the pain was to deal with alone. Her organization was not created to keep him out of trouble no matter what he does, but rather to share her experiences with having a mentally ill, addicted child, and provide support to others in the same situation. Her goal was to share her struggles with constantly trying to find the right place for a child with mental illness that became dependent on emotion-numbing substances to deal with their painful lives, like so many others.

There is no one more appropriate for Mental Health Court than my brother Daniel. Unfortunately for the mentally ill who have nowhere to turn when the world shuts them out, many see drugs as the only option to get rid of the pain. But with the right mental help, he has every capability of getting through the addiction and being a beneficial citizen to society, he just needs the right resources that are appropriate for someone with his many medical diagnoses. I truly hope you can see how much my mother and I love him, and that’s because we know him more than anyone else and know how much help he really needs, and it goes so much further than the drugs. The mental disability is real, and that is what must be focused on, and I pray that you understand that Daniel is not meant to end up in a place like prison.

With the greatest respect and appreciation,

Nicole

Much love to all addict's moms and their families...Barbara

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

October 30 Chp 139 v 16 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALM

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed .

STEP 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.

What if the insanity and pain of your life was a part of your story. A diamond is not created overnight ,it is hard pressed from every angle until it becomes the beautiful stone we see. I look back on my life and I see stepping stones and painful lessons not designed too destroy me but to develop me into the man of God I was destined by his plan to become. Fourteen years ago homeless and strung out blaming the world for the mess of my life .If you told me back then that I would be sitting here writing a morning devotional to help others find there way ,I would have cussed you out and told you were nuts. Even though you don't understand your life , one day you will and you will be amazed that what was meant for evil God meant for your good. 

James Chp 1 v 2 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

By Joseph Dickerson

Up to 5 Percent of Children May Have Problems Related to Alcohol Exposure Before Birth

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

October 29th, 2014/

As many as 5 percent of children may have some type of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), caused by alcohol exposure before birth, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, found between 2.4 percent and 4.8 percent of children have FASD, HealthDay reports. “Knowing not to drink during pregnancy and not doing so are two different things,” particularly before a woman finds out she is pregnant, said lead researcher Philip May.

The study appears in the journal Pediatrics.

According to the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, FASD is an umbrella term describing the range of effects that can occur in a person whose mother drank alcohol during pregnancy. These effects may include physical, mental, behavioral, and/or learning disabilities with possible lifelong implications.

Fetal alcohol syndrome is the most severe type of FASD. It is characterized by growth retardation, structural brain abnormalities and specific facial characteristics. The researchers note children on the less severe end of the spectrum may have behavioral issues or difficulty completing tasks required to do well in school.

To estimate the prevalence of FASD, the researchers looked at data from a nationally representative town in the Midwest. The researchers identified first graders who had a developmental problem or who were below the 25th percentile for height, weight or head circumference. These children were given behavior and memory tests, and their results were compared with those of a group of typically developing peers. Children were also assessed for physical signs of FASD.

The researchers concluded between six and nine of every 1,000 children had fetal alcohol syndrome and between 11 and 17 per 1,000 children had partial fetal alcohol syndrome. These estimates are higher than those found in previous research, the article notes.