December 22 Chp 18 v 27 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

You rescue the humble ,but you humiliate the proud .

STEP 6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

Proud - having or showing a high or excessively high opinion of oneself or one's importance.

What can I say about this verse .I think it is right to the point and simple ! Humility leads to sobriety , pride leads to constant conflict and self medicating . Why must everyone argue with me , I can control this ,I know how to get clean .Does that sound familiar ,well if it does then you got a problem with pride and God cant help you as long as you think you got this. Nine out of ten times you aint got squat and as long as you think no one can tell you and you got this figured out , you will remain addicted , miserable , and always angry . The steps are the keys to humility and gratitude find those and God will find you .

Isaiah 2:11-12 The proud look of man will be abased And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. For the LORD of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and lofty And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased. 

By Joseph Dickerson

Best of the Week: December 13–19

COMING UP IN THE FIX// Death Row Drugs * Sexiest Drug Smugglers * Anxiety *Uncrazy Holidays * Pro Voices * Internet Commenters * Shame * Happy Holidays! *PLUS: Other incisive articles

	TREATING WOMEN// What’s Gender Got To Do With It? About one-third of alcoholics in the United States are women. But despite having differences in the causes and symptoms of alcoholism, men and women receive the same treatment. Why? By Regina Walker
	PROFESSIONAL VOICES// 'Twas the Night Before Detox A clinician spends the holidays wondering: How much do we really know about what our patients are doing? By Dr. Neta Tal
	WILD PEOPLE// I Blame The Parents How Mother Nature kept us alive by teaching us to love booze. By Neville Elder
	TREATMENT ADVICE// Cut the Stigma “The shame and secrecy that shroud this disease are just as deadly as the disease itself.” - Kristen Johnston By Jeanene Swanson
	TEENS// Adolescence Interrupted The unregulated, abusive war on troubled teens. By Dawn Roberts

 

BEST OF THE QUICK FIX Study Shows Teen Substance Use Declined in 2014 Alcohol and Energy Drinks May Lead to More Drunk Driving Parents of Overdose Victim Want Leniency for Man Who Supplied Heroin

Social Media Addiction Linked to Substance Abuse, Study Finds Toddler Is First Confirmed Death from Liquid Nicotine DOJ Okays Marijuana Sales on Tribal Lands

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

Against Unregulations This week, Dawn Roberts examined so-called teen addiction treatment centers, which can cause more problems than they solve. Some readers were familiar with such programs:

Posing as schools and rehabs, these unregulated monstrosities are praying on the fears of parents while physically, emotionally and sexually abusing young people in facilities that wouldn’t meet prison standards, let alone standards for schools or hospitals. These programs often look verymuch like boarding schools complete with websites that use words like “dual diagnosis” and “therapy.” Its bad. -medical tyrants

Greetings,

Please see the attached PRO-ACT Philadelphia Recovery Community Center (PRCC) Calendar for January.

Regards,

Sean E. Brinda, MSW, CCDP Diplomate

Senior Peer Services Coordinator

PRO-ACT/Philadelphia Recovery Community Center

1701 W. Lehigh Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19132

Register for Recovery Walks! 2014 at www.recoverywalks.org

Phone: (215) 223-7700 ext. 105

Cell: (215) 828-6168

Fax: (215) 223-7707

1 (800) 221-6333 Twenty-four Hour Information Line

Email: sbrinda@councilsepa.org

www.proact.org

www.recoverywalks.org

PRO-ACT… Ambassadors for Recovery!

2 Attachments

 

 

Preview attachment PRCC January 2015 Calendar.pdf

PRCC January 2015 Calendar.pdf

Preview attachment MSM-General Colorectal Cancer Flyer (4) PRCC.doc

MSM-General Colorectal Cancer Flyer (4) PRCC.doc

December 19 Chp 81 v 9 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH IN THE PSALMS

You must never have a foreign god ; you must not bow down before a false god.

Step 2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

There is only one Higher power and that is God . He created the world and everything in it . He is mentioned on our money and He formed this nation.  I am not here to argue gods existence or theology . What I am doing is helping the new comer . When you start in the rooms most will tell you your  higher power can be anything you want it to be  , because they do not have the courage to tell you that the God of the bible is the only God for fear of being ridiculed . The problem with that is our God is a jealous God and punishment will come to those who worship other gods. Not making this up to scare you into following" THE GREAT I AM " , just stating facts .Go buy a Tyndale Life Recovery bible ( Gods Big Book ) and read Exodus. Choosing and Following the right God will give you the power , love , and sanity you need to change your life and stay sober for a lifetime. 

Revelation 22:18-19 - For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book By Joseph Dickerson

Patty McCarthy Metcalf is New Executive Director of Faces & Voices of Recovery

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

December 16th, 2014/

Faces & Voices of Recovery announced the organization’s new Executive Director is Patty McCarthy Metcalf, MS, a longtime board member.

McCarthy Metcalf comes to Faces & Voices of Recovery from the Center for Social Innovation, where she served as a Deputy Director of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy initiative.

Previously, she served for a decade as the Director of Friends of Recovery-Vermont, a statewide recovery community organization promoting the power of long-term recovery to improve the health and quality of life of Vermonters.

In addition to public policy and education, her work has focused on community mobilizing, peer-based recovery support services and peer workforce development. She has been instrumental in the development of a national accreditation for recovery community organizations and in the development of peer support standards.

McCarthy Metcalf is a woman in long-term recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, since 1989.

Medicare Starts Identifying Doctors Who May Prescribe Too Many Painkillers

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

December 18th, 2014/

This year Medicare has started examining prescribing data to identify physicians who write large numbers of prescriptions for narcotic painkillers and stimulants. Next year Medicare will be able to kick doctors out of the program if they are found to be prescribing in abusive ways, USA Today reports.

Twelve of Medicare’s top 20 prescribers of drugs such as oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl and Ritalin faced disciplinary actions by their state medical boards or criminal charges related to their medical practices in 2012. These are Schedule 2 drugs, meaning the government classifies them as having a high potential for abuse. One doctor in Huntsville, Alabama, wrote more than 14,000 Schedule 2 prescriptions in 2012. He had his controlled-substances certificate suspended by the state medical board, and surrendered his medical license.

Medicare’s drug program, Medicare Part D, pays for more than one-fourth of prescriptions dispensed in the United States, the article notes. The program covers about 38 million seniors and disabled people.

An analysis by ProPublica found 269 providers wrote at least 3,000 prescriptions for Schedule 2 drugs in 2012. The largest number of these doctors were concentrated in Florida (52), followed by Tennessee (25). In September, Medicare sent letters to 760 physicians who prescribed the most Schedule 2 drugs in their medical specialty and state. The agency also sent information about 71 doctors for possible investigation to the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Simply being an outlier doesn’t establish that you’re doing something wrong,” said Shantanu Agrawal, Director of the Center for Program Integrity at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “What we are trying to do is give physicians the ability to assess themselves, given their comparative data.”

Keep Up Fight Against Prescription Drug Abuse, Senators Urge

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

December 18th, 2014/

A group of senators working to reduce the toll of prescription drug abuse sent letters to government officials and health groups this week, urging them to continue fighting what they called a national epidemic.

The bipartisan group of senators who wrote the letters are members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, The Hill reports. The senators called for increased public education on the issue, as well as training of law enforcement officials.

“With our shared goal of preventing and reducing prescription drug abuse in this country — a crisis that demands continued action, we expect that your activities in this area will continue, and we stand ready to assist you,” the senators wrote.

The senators wrote to officials at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Governors Association, the National Association of City and County Health Officials and other health advocacy groups.

They noted prescription drug overdose death rates have more than tripled in the United States since 1990.

In a letter to HHS Secretary Sylvia Burwell, the senators encouraged her agency to continue evaluating prescription drug monitoring programs, which they called “an important tool in preventing and detecting abuse.” They also asked HHS to provide additional guidance on the standards to achieve labeling of abuse-deterrent formulation drugs.

Many Parents Know When Their Teens are Hosting Parties With Alcohol: Study

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

December 16th, 2014/

A new study finds that when teens host parties where alcohol is available, their parents are often aware of the underage drinking.

The study, published in the Journal of Primary Prevention, included 1,100 teens in Northern California. Lead researcher Bettina Friese of the Prevention Research Center in Oakland found 39 percent of teens hosted parties with alcohol. Seventy percent of these teens said their parents knew there was drinking going on, and an additional 24 percent said their parents probably knew.

In a previous study published in the Journal of Drug Education, Friese found parents have a variety of reasons for allowing underage drinking, NPR reports. They say they want to pass on knowledge about drinking responsibly and appreciating alcohol. They may feel pressure from other adults to let their teen drink. Some say they are concerned that forbidding underage drinking would harm their relationship with their teen and potentially lead to drunk driving.

Cities and communities around the country have passed some sort of social host law, which holds adults responsible for any underage drinking that occurs on their property.

In Ventura County, California, a person can be fined $1,000 if they are 21 or older and host a party where alcohol is available to minors. If police are called to the same location twice in one year, the fine doubles to $2,000. The parents are also charged for the cost of city services if the fire department or other emergency services are called. Underage drinking has decreased in the county since the law was passed six years ago, the article notes.

Another recent study found teenagers are less likely to drink at parties if their community has strong social hosting laws. The researchers looked at 50 communities in California, half of which had social hosting laws. Teens were less likely to say they drank at parties if they lived in communities with especially strong social hosting laws.

More States Considering Ban on Powdered Alcohol

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

December 16th, 2014/

Lawmakers in a growing number of states are considering banning powdered alcohol, a product that has not yet arrived in stores, according to the Associated Press.

Alaska, Delaware, Louisiana, South Carolina and Vermont already have banned powdered alcohol, also known as “Palcohol.” Minnesota, Ohio, New York and Colorado also are considering bans, the article notes.

Critics say Palcohol could increase underage drinking. It is marketed as an ounce of rum or vodka in powdered form, which is mixed with water. Lipsmark, which owns Palcohol, says each serving is the equivalent of a shot of liquor.

“I think being proactive and jumping out in front of the problem is probably the right thing to do,” said Chris Johnson, Executive Director of the County Sheriffs of Colorado. “It really doesn’t have any place in our society, powered alcohol. We have enough problems with the liquid kind.”

Mark Phillips, who created Palcohol, says in a video on the product’s website that it would be sold only at liquor stores to people who are at least 21 years old. The company says the product will not be available in stores until this coming spring at the earliest. It must first receive labeling approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

Earlier this year, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer of New York urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prevent federal approval of Palcohol. He said it could become “the Kool-Aid of teen binge drinking.” He asked the FDA to investigate the potential harmful effects of the product.

Help Us Continue This Free Service December 18, 2014 

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All year long, I receive feedback from readers like you about how invaluable our service is and how much you get out of the news and information we provide. And we are committed to providing high-quality, addiction prevention and treatment information to you and your community every day. This free service needs your helpto sustain its longevity.

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December 16, 2014  |  That Was The Week That Was  |  Volume 2., No. 17

Writers in Treatment REEL Recovery Film Festival Addiction/Recovery eBulletin Website

FREE Brain Adjustment- 12/17 @7PM CST Learn How to Rein in Your Impulses    Standing Still in the Moment Wednesday, December 17, 2014 7-8 PM CST Join us for a free webinar where author of Rein In Your Brain,Cynthia Moreno Tuohy, will dig into big idea one in her new book on how to move from impulsivity to thoughtful living. Key discussion points:     * Understanding why we react to things uniquely     * A brief lesson in neuroscience     * Importance of standing still in the moment     * Understanding conflict styles     * Six steps to become more collaborative CONTINUED @ Hazelden.org   Recovering in the Limelight Elizabeth Vargas Leans on Co-worker Through Early Sobriety & Divorce Vargas earlier this year completed a second stint in rehab for alcohol addiction and is back at work at ABC's "20/20." Meanwhile, she is going through a divorce with her husband of 12 years, "Walking in Memphis" songwriter Cohn. Cohn says, "Addiction and recovery are serious challenges, and it's been a tough road for all of us ... I have been supportive of Elizabeth in the past - and will continue to be - regardless of the longstanding issues in our relationship." CONTINUED @ PageSix.com

Eggnog with No Chaser Tips For a Sober Holiday Season    "It's estimated that 18 million Americans have [an] existing alcohol use disorder and more than 38 million binge drink, which for men is five or more drinks in two hours and four for women. Celebrating with alcohol is an acceptable social activity and a time-honored holiday tradition," he said. "For a person struggling with alcohol dependency or one who may binge drink to overcome anxiety, it is a confusing message. Recognizing that you or a loved one has a problem and making a plan is the best first step. After that, build a program that will work for you." CONTINUED @ Easton Courier Drinking Kills More Than Just Alcoholics "Most people who die from liver disease AREN'T alcoholics - they just drink nearly every day" * I am the sort of guy who could die from liver disease. And possibly so are you. * The reason? I just love a drink. I don't self-medicate or blot out, I drink to enhance life. I scoff at talk like 'I don't like the taste' or 'It's empty calories'. * I love that thirst-shattering beer at the end of the working day. * Alcohol isn't a crutch for me, it's a pogo stick. * I suppose some might take issue with my phrase 'a drink'. CONTINUED @ Daily Mail

NEW METHOD WELLNESS OPIATES.COM

Euphoria Sells Patients Use Excessive Amounts of Narcotic Painkillers For Longer    While a major public health campaign has had some success in reducing the number of people who take potentially addictive narcotic painkillers, those patients who are prescribed the drugs are getting more of them for a longer time.  Overdoses involving prescription drugs are a leading cause of accidental death in the United States, and opioid painkillers play a role in about 70 percent of such cases, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Opioid overdoses led to 16,000 deaths in 2012, the agency said. CONTINUED @ NY TIMES   From Tweeting to Tuinals Social Media Could Be Addictive, Associated with Substance Abuse A new study suggests that social media could be  addictive and could be tied to impulse control disorders. University at Albany-SUNY psychologist Julia Hormes recently led a team of researchers to examine the addictive nature of social media and Facebook in particular. Those meeting the criteria for "disordered social networking use" noted having problems with emotion regulation, including poor impulse control. CONTINUED @ wggb.com

MILESTONES RANCH MALIBU SUMMER HOUSE DETOX

Sometimes It's Takes Two Demi Lovato Says Wilmer Valderrama Helped Her Avoid Returning To Rehab  Getting honest and frank about things, Demi said that she'd slipped into old habits again. "It was difficult. I almost went back to rehab for my eating disorder last summer. I was obsessing over food and terrified of it at the same time," she explained.  "Wilmer noticed and called me out on it, which was a relief. I was done being afraid of food and so tired of overeating and not knowing why I did it." CONTINUED @ SugarScape.com  Sweetness Comes In Many Forms Kick Sugar Addiction and Enjoy the Holidays Sugar is addictive, as it stimulates the pleasure centers of the brain, making people want more and more of it. Research has found that sugar is actually more addictive than alcohol or cocaine. Sugar is sugar, whether you are eating it or drinking it. If you have compulsive overeating issues, this can become an issue - especially during the holidays when goodies with sugar are everywhere! - Rather than a soda, have a nice Perrier.- Instead of grabbing a piece of fudge or caramel corn, have deviled eggs, veggies and dip. CONTINUED @ CBS News

STICK WITH THE WINNERS! Call BRIDGES TO RECOVERY

Treatment Industry Appreciates Investors Pour Money Into Rehab Centers As Health Reform Increases Coverage  There are more than 14,500 specialized drug treatment facilities in the United States providing care for substance use disorders, Reuters reports. Currently the industry is very fragmented, with even the largest operators owning no more than several dozen treatment centers. The average facility has no more than 150 beds. Investors are eager to consolidate facilities to increase efficiencies of scale and profits. CONTINUED @ drugfree.org  Sticking With The Winners Akeela House Celebrates 40 Years Of Successful Sobriety Treatments The Akeela House in Anchorage turned 40 this year. It's one of Anchorage's oldest substance use treatment facilities. Now it has programs in communities and prisons across the state. Ron Greene graduated from the Akeela House residential treatment facility in the late 80s.  "It was crazy in those days. Sleep deprivation that kept us up for days on days end. We did just some crazy things that I know they're not allowed to do nowadays. But in those days they did them." CONTINUED @ Alaska Public Media

AUTHENTIC RECOVERY CENTER HIS HOUSE

Deadly At Any Amount Baby Dies After Drinking Liquid Nicotine    The Fort Plain, NY kid was rushed to a hospital in Little Falls, New York., after he was discovered lethargic at a home. Police are calling the event a "tragic accident" and haven't said if the nicotine was linked with an e-cigarette gadget. Liquid nicotine can be fatal for kids in dosages as little as a teaspoon. Poison Control centers said in an announcement today "One teaspoon of fluid nicotine could be deadly to a kid, and small doses can result in extreme sickness, frequently obliging trips to the hospital." CONTINUED @ Daily Mail  Technology Can Help? DUI App Aims To Prevent Drunk Driving A new app, called ENDUI-as in "End-DUI"-recently came out in Maryland. Funded with federal dollars, the app is designed to prevent people from driving drunk by acting as an intermediary to demonstrate partiers are too inebriated to get behind the wheel. CONTINUED @ Pioneer News

Double-Edged Drug? Addicts Buying Suboxone On The Street    All Chris Evers knew was he wanted to get clean. By the time he embraced that thought, it was 2011, and the court already had sent Evers to treatment three times instead of prison. Evers decided he wanted to try Suboxone, a drug used to aid treatment of opiate addiction, but couldn't afford it legally. So he began buying it illegally on the streets. "I'm not so sure we've accomplished anything," Donini said earlier this year, noting pain clinics have been replaced by Suboxone clinics. "It seems like all the money and resources being pumped into drug addiction, they're fighting drugs with drugs. I don't think they're solving the issue. " CONTINUED @ Mansfield News Journal   Sedation Nation Opiate Addiction Rises to Level of Alcoholism Opiate addiction has grown to be on par with alcoholism. At least that's what the picture shows when looking at diagnoses of people who received publicly funded treatment in fiscal year 2013, the most recent statewide data available. Of more than 87,000 clients treated for addiction, 33 percent received alcohol addiction services and 32 percent received opiate addiction services; the latter figure is up from 28 percent in 2012 and more than twice as many as in 2008. CONTINUED @ Mansfield News

Sometimes A Great Notion Hooked On Failure    4-part series examines Oregon's addiction treatment system by Les Zaitz. A months-long investigation by The Oregonian discovered troubling failures in Oregon's addiction treatment system. Substance abusers are paying the price - and so are Oregonians who continue to be their victims. The estimated annual cost to taxpayers: $6 billion. Audry Hall, a working mom in Medford, has finally escaped "that little demon in my head" - her addiction to methamphetamine. Her story makes a person shudder. She was a straight A, two-sport student until age 13, when she became hooked. A long struggle, jail time and repeated treatment followed and finally took hold. CONTINUED @ Oregon Live  I'll Bet He's Wrong Mark Wahlberg: Gaming Addiction Isn't a Disease "It's less a story of addiction - and is actually more the story of a guy who's really in control of his life, but in so many ways, he's just made a choice to use gambling as a means of escape," explained director Rupert Wyatt. In the original crime drama, set in New York and starring James Caan, "it was all about the thrill, he didn't feel like he was alive unless he was in the game, win or lose," Wahlberg told The Hollywood Reporter. CONTINUED @ Hollywood Reporter

Experience, Strength & Hope Awards  6th Annual Experience, Strength and Hope Award Show Honoring Joe Pantoliano  Joe Pantoliano has more than 100 film, television and stage credits to his name, including and Emmy for The Sopranos. His newest book is Asylum, his deeply moving and inspiring memoir. HOST: Ed Begley Jr.COMEDIAN: Mark Lundholm and special guests.  Feb. 26  in Los Angeles. FOR MORE INFORMATION   WRITERS IN TREATMENT Writers In Treatment  501(c)(3) nonprofit REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVAL is a social, educational, networking and recovery forum showcasing first-time filmmakers and experienced professionals who make films about addiction and recovery. Our audience is treatment professionals, people in recovery, members of the entertainment industry, media representatives, educated moviegoers and the general public.    Addiction/Recovery eBulletin Publisher & Editor:   Leonard Buschel

Covering Your Bases Alcohol Dependence & Alcohol Abuse: Best result, Combination of Treatment & AA    "The best 'formula' for recovery is the combination of 12-step programs and treatment, and medication if indicated. This has been shown to have the best results for recovery." "Consequences of excessive and underage drinking affect virtually all college campuses, college communities, and college students, whether they choose to drink or not." About 25 percent of college students report having academic issues that relate to their drinking including: "missing class, falling behind, doing poorly on exams or papers, and receiving lower grades overall." CONTINUED @ Examiner.com  Poker and a Peace Pipe Indian Tribes May Legalize Marijuana Will marijuana be as legal as poker chips on Native American tribal lands in Florida? That is the question being asked after the U.S. Justice Department published a memo directing federal prosecutors nationwide to allow tribes to cultivate and grow marijuana on their sovereign lands without fear of federal harassment. Experts say the proposal opens the door for Native Americans across the country to capitalize on the lucrative new industry much in the way the tribes began selling cigarettes and opening casinos. CONTINUED @ Tampa Bay Times

California Dreaming Prop. 47 May Keep Addicts From Using Drug Court's Treatment Program    A woman with pink highlights in long, blond hair leaned onto a lectern at the front of the courtroom and smiled at her father in the front row. He was crying. She told the packed courtroom that for the first time since she was 13, her life wasn't run by meth and cocaine. Later came a middle-aged man with close-cropped hair who said he'd finally learned to stop hating everyone he knew, including himself. Another man cried as he explained a recent realization: His life wouldn't end with an overdose. CONTINUED @ LA Times   Fate and Destiny The Case for Allowing the Homeless to Drink Living on the cold streets of Seattle-decades after a war left his body 70 percent disabled-John would have never thought of himself as a role model. He wasn't just an alcoholic. He was the type who was so committed that he'd earned a reputation around town. After drinking for 25 years on the Seattle streets, alcohol had consumed his life. He'd survived Vietnam, but it seemed that he might wind up losing his life to the bottle. CONTINUED @ PSMag.com