Christians in Recovery® News December 2014 Anyone can Subscribe for Free Make the CIR News possible. Please Donate or Sponsor. Having trouble viewing this? See it online here. ANNOUNCEMENT PLEASE READ this Important Letter regarding Christians in Recovery and Alcoholics Victorious.ANSWERS Are You Living From a Place of Gratitude? Panic Attacks and Addiction Do You Love an Alcoholic? Setting BoundariesTIP FOR SUPPORTING MEMBERS Want to meet other Christians who are in recovery? Need to find a sponsor? CIR Message Boards are a great way to ask questions and get the answers you need. Get to know others who are in recovery and find a sponsor too! Not a CIR member yet? Learn the Benefits of Membership Join us: Cick Here HELP FOR RECOVERY FREE Recovery Magazine "The Gabriel" You are encouraged to download this, print it out or put on a diskette and share it with your loved ones, church, pastor or recovey group. It is jam packed with inspiration, tips, resources and information for all Christians as well as those in recovery. New, Cool Eating Disorder. Healthy Or Orthorexic? Our Anchor In Every Storm Reach your faith-based market and support the ministry of CIR at the same time Over 80,000 unique Web site visitors and half a million page views every month. Over 7,000 subscribers to this newsletter. Learn more about being a Sponsor of the CIR Web Site TOOLS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE Morning Exercises This is not only a Devotional but also a valuable resource for Bible study. Feed your soul, be inspired! Receive comfort, hope and guidance from the valuable perspectives of William Jay. Life Journal Journaling Software - Christian, Sober and Divorce modules available! FROM ALCOHOLICS VICTORIOUS Alcoholics Victorious is a program of Christians in Recovery. Founded in 1948, Alcoholics Victorious support groups offer a safe environment for people recovering from the effects of alcoholism or drug addiction. We recognize Jesus Christ as our "Higher Power" and gather together to share our experience, faith, strength and hope. AV meetings use the 12 Steps, the Bible and the Alcoholics Victorious Creed.CHRISTIAN RECOVERY READING Christians in Recovery Devotional Journal 365 Recovery Thoughts, Scriptures & Prayers to Change Your Life. This devotional and journal is for those who are seeking healing and wholeness in their life as well as a closer relationship with God. The Heart of Addiction You will find biblical tools to help you examine your heart's motives at the root of your addiction and/or dysfunctional behavior. Learn how you can experience true freedom. This book is helpful for ANY type of addiction drugs, alcohol, food, gambling, sex, shopping, lust, porn, etc. Sexual Temptation and Addiction Our hearts betray us in those moments when we give into the temptation to please ourselves despite the consequences. This booklet explains why sexual temptation is so strong and how we can conquer it through the power of the Holy Spirit. Includes practical things to do to fight the enemy of our souls. Have an old cell phone? Help others and Donate it WISDOM FROM A CIR MEMBER Repentance is not a penance for guilt or a quick prayer for forgiveness. Repentance is a complete brokenness, a change of heart, and a detest of one's sin. ~Kathy QUESTIONS ANSWERED What Happens if I Relapse? Is it possible for a Christian to live without sinning? How Alcoholism and Hypoglycemia Controls Body, Mind, and Spirit FOUND ON THE NET Ten signs you believe it is WRONG to be happy I Am Addiction Bible Mapper FREE Bible mapping softwareRECOVERY EVENTS, COURSES & CONFERENCES Become a Professional Recovery Coach NET Institute Center for Addiction Recovery & Education City Vision College RISE is the Premier Online Certificate Program for Professional Addiction Recovery Coaching. This 90 hour, self-paced, online training program provides: Professional Continuing Education Units (CEUs) TWO Credentials: Certified Professional Recovery Coach and Certified Professional Coach You will be Certified to provide: Professional Recovery Coach services AND Professional Life Coach services Certified online courses and training DVDs. Get certified to help others. Complete Course Listing Courses for: Support Group Leaders, Addiction Counselors, People in Recovery, Recovery Coaches, Pastoral & Ministry Leaders, Outreach Workers. All courses include CEUs pre PRE certification and RE certification. Recognized by leading 1C&RC and NAADAC certification boards.. Get accredited bachelor's degrees in Urban Missions and/or Addiction Studies Enroll Now || Download Course Catalog Contact: Michael Liimatta, Director City Vision College 712 E 31st Street - PO Box 413188 Kansas City MO 64141-3188 USA Phone: 816-960-2008 --http://www.cityvision.edu mliimatta@cityvision.edu Christians in Recovery Workbook & Meeting Guide Help CIR meet its goal for 2014 Please Donate Now Christians in Recovery Devotional Journal Christian & Recovery Gear Custom Colors & Designs Hope and Help Booklets Carrying the best of Hazelden, Christian Book Dist. & Amazon. We do the shopping so you don't have to! Set Free Today Archives of Past Issues Need Help? The following information is a reminder of your current mailing list subscription: You are subscribed to the following list: Christians in Recovery - Hope and Help Using the following email: recoveryfriends@gmail.com You may unsubscribe from this list at any time by visiting the following URL: http://christians-in-recovery.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/t/9UCmAqKnaaYwnucNWtfUGiumvuNidDp5Qh2yM3n9/ If the above URL is inoperable, make sure that you have copied the entire address.  Some mail readers will wrap a long URL and thus break this automatic unsubscribe mechanism. You may also change your subscription by visiting this list's main screen: http://christians-in-recovery.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/news If you're still having trouble, please contact the list owner at: admin@christians-in-recovery.org The following physical address is associated with this mailing list: Christians in Recovery® 48 Pleasant Street Dorchester, MA 02125 USA

Get Health Coverage NOW! If you or someone you love doesn't have health insurance, COA can help.  If you or someone you love doesn't have health insurance, COA can help. This Wednesday, December 10th at 6:00 pm  a representative from WellCare will be at Dwier Center - 392 Church Street, Groveville, NJ assisting with Medicaid & The Affordable Health Care Act Coverage enrollment. Medicaid is now available for single people and marrieds without children, in addition to families with children; it's FREE for anyone making less than $15,500 per year. COA will help you fill out the paperwork, and get your documents together. Most people qualify for some type of low or no-cost plan, so it's worth coming in to check it out. Even if you're in good health, people without insurance will soon have to pay an annual penalty - which is cumulative! - so it's worth it to get on the rolls. If you would like to take advantage of this FREE assistance, please RSVP tocityofangelsnj@hotmail.com - we need to get some idea of how many people will be coming so we can plan. COA HOLIDAY CELEBRATION Saturday, December 13th at 1:00pm - 4:00pm Dwier Center - 392 Church Street, Groveville, NJ Pictures with Santa and toys for the kids! Bring your children, your pets or just yourself to this fun holiday event as we celebrate the season with lots of holiday cheer. Refreshments will be served - feel free to bring cookies or other holiday treats to share! All are welcome.    For details contact: cityofangelsnj@hotmail.com On COARR  Let's Talk About Recovery! With 10 original shows, COARR plays Recovery Talk 24/7/365....past shows are available online atwww.coaradio.com/pastshows.html and in each show's online archive.  Tune in thru the smartphone app (free in the iphone/droid stores) or on www.coaradio.com to hear what's playing now..... New show on COARR: Step by Step is a Pennsylvania-based network of recovery homes where recoverees gain support from one another. This show explores what it's like to live in a sober home. If you missed the show, it's now online: click here to listen. It's a great introduction to what sober living & recovery homes are all about! Listen to past COARR shows any time:  For "Women & Addiction" with Terri Thomas, click here.  For "Wellness in Recovery" with life coach Nancy Tilelli, click here.  For "Journey Thru the 12 Steps with the Life Recovery Bible," click here.  For "Share Your Scars" with Vicki, click here. For "Wings Over Water: Creativity in Recovery" with recovery musician Kathy Moser, click here. For "Laughter & Recovery" with stand up comic Wil B. Kleen, click here.  For "Relationships in Recovery" with Alexa, click here.  For "Saving Lives" with COA Director of Interventions Tom Redneck Clark, click here.

Best of the Week: November 29–December 5

COMING UP IN THE FIX// A Day with Cambodia’s Needle Exchange * Interview with Drug Policy Alliance Director Ethan Nadelmann * Death Row Drugs * Hep C Q&A * Have We Grown Past Anonymity? * Freedom and Recovery * Sober in Mexico* PLUS: Other incisive articles

	IN THE ROOMS// Is AA at Fault for the Murder of One of its Members? No. But that isn't stopping AA critics from seizing on a tragedy to state their case. By Zachary Siegel
	ART// The Man Behind 'Faces of Addiction' “I have a few rules. I don’t get intimate with anyone and I don’t buy or do drugs. Everything else is open.” ~ Chris Arnade By Regina Walker
	PROFESSIONAL VOICES// Inside the Mind of An Addiction Medicine Physician The Director of Stanford's Addiction Medicine Program, caught between protocol and her own bruised ego. By Dr. Anna Lembke
	TREATMENT// Shortcuts to Recovery A survey of four medical treatments to aid recovery. By Jeanene Swanson
	WILD LIFE// Animal Addicts How monkeys, elephants, dolphins and cats get high, and how it could change the war on drugs. By Daniel Genis

 

BEST OF THE QUICK FIX Covered Insurance Deductibles May Mean Lower Treatment Costs at Year’s End Kansas Law Requires Drug Testing of Welfare Applicants California Parolees Getting Arrested on Purpose to Smuggle Drugs Into Jail

Michigan Approves, Florida Rejects Welfare Drug Testing Smart Drug Modafinil Doesn’t Work If You’re Already Smart Wes Bentley: There's Life After Heroin Addiction

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

Light Up The Rooms This week, Zachary Siegel pondered who was to blame when someone is murdered in AA. Readers sympathized and contemplated the root cause:

This death is a great tragedy. Whether or not AA is responsible, or found responsible, this case has brought into the light a darker side of AA which many people are familiar with, but which an even greater number of people seem to be unaware of or turn a blind eye to. This is getting some media attention, and I wonder if shining the light on these issues will have any sort of disinfecting effect on the more toxic side of AA culture, even nothing becomes of this legal murder case in question. I agree with the author that the problem is actually much larger than AA, is systemic in nature and has to do with how our society tackles addiction and social dysfunction. Many people in America still assume that all places offering help for addiction are safe places, but maybe now the rose tinted glasses are slowly being lowered. -France

DECEMBER 7 Chp 69 v 32 TWELVE STEPPING WITH STRENGTH FROM THE PSALMS

Let the oppressed see it and be glad ; you who seek God , let your hearts revive.

Oppressed- to burden with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subject to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power:to lie heavily upon (the mind, a person, etc.to weigh down, as sleep or weariness does.Archaic. to put down; subdue or suppress.

Archaic. to press upon or against; crush. 

Revive - comes from the Latin roots re-, meaning “again,” and vivere, meaning “to live.” So, the word revive means “live again.” While the possibility of bringing folks back from the dead isn't something we’re qualified to comment on, we will note that revive can be used in a sense that’s very close to its literal meaning; specifically, revive can mean “cause someone to regain consciousness.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God 

I think it is so important to know the true meaning of these words. Gods Big Book contains a lot of them , that at times can be confusing. I wanted to be sure about the words oppressed and revive. Now that I have seen the real meaning behind these words my eyes have been opened in a new way and the Psalm has new meaning. Oppressed any way you slice it is what life is like in active addiction . Revive now that words meaning really got my attention. Back from the dead ,whoa that hit me like a truck. Mentally , physically , and spiritually I was a corpse in a living body .Addiction has a funny way of killing you yet letting you barely live.Like a zombie or a robot is how I lived my life. Feeling-less , untouchable , driven by an insatiable desire to get high at any and all costs to life and limbs. How our brains slip into snooze and our hearts become in-trenched in a impenetrable force field is beyond my comprehension .Back from the dead is the best way to describe sobriety .Hey didn't Jesus come back from the dead and didn't He go to hell for three days to release the captives before He walked out His tomb. That is something to dwell on. Gods Big Book states when we find Jesus we find life ,so is it possible your not finding Jesus .For many years there my oppression from addiction in every sense of the word kept me trapped in chains unable too live my life to Gods given full potential. I found Jesus and was revived to live again and I am living to my full potential unafraid and back from the dead . By Joseph Dickerson

 

Florida Welfare Applicants Do Not Need to Take Drug Tests: Federal Appeals Court

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

December 4th, 2014/

A federal appeals court has struck down a Florida law that required welfare applicants to undergo drug tests. The court ruled the law was an “unreasonable search.”

The law, passed in 2011, required drug tests for welfare applicants even if they were not suspected of using drugs, The New York Times reports. The court ruled Florida officials failed to show a substantial need to test all welfare applicants. Under the law, applicants had to submit to urine tests.

In October 2011, a federal judge temporarily halted the law. At the time, Judge Mary Scriven said the law may violate the Constitution’s ban on unreasonable searches and seizures. The judge’s ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida and a Navy veteran. The veteran, Luis Lebron, was a University of Central Florida student who cares for his son and disabled mother, and receives welfare.

The Florida law required applicants to be responsible for the cost of the screening. They could recover the costs if they qualify for assistance. Under the law, applicants who failed the drug screen could designate another person to receive the benefits on behalf of their children. A federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional in 2013, but the state appealed.

According to the article, 11 states have passed laws mandating drug testing for welfare applicants since 2011. Most of the laws require testing only if drug use is suspected.

“Florida’s suspicionless drug testing program for those seeking assistance clearly violated the Constitution,” Jason Williamson, Staff Attorney with the ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project, said in a news release. “With today’s decision, this prejudiced and intrusive treatment of the poor will come to an end.”

Researchers Developing Breath Test for Marijuana-Impaired Driving

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

December 4th, 2014/

Researchers at Washington State University are developing a breath test for THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The test could be used to determine if a person is driving under the influence of marijuana, according to The Seattle Times.

Drug-impaired driving has become an increasing concern since recreational marijuana use became legal in Washington in 2012. The Washington State Toxicology Laboratory reported 25 percent of tested blood samples taken from suspected impaired drivers tested positive for active THC in 2013, compared with 18.6 percent in 2012.

Currently there is no portable tool that allows law enforcement officers to test drivers for marijuana impairment using a breath sample, the article notes. Officers now use blood tests to determine how much THC is present in a driver’s blood. Test results are not immediately available.

The new marijuana breath test is being developed by Washington State University chemistry professor Herbert Hill. He says current technologies, such as those used by airport security and customs agents to detect drugs and explosives, can be re-purposed to test for marijuana.

Washington state set the legal limit for THC at which a driver is determined to be impaired at 5 nanograms per milliliter of blood. While the breath test is unlikely to pinpoint the exact level of THC in the body, it will indicate whether some active THC is present, according to Hill. “We believe at least initially that it would lower the false positives that an officer would have,” he said. “They would have a higher level of confidence in making an arrest.”

Follow-up test results would still be needed as evidence, Hill noted. He plans to finish lab tests on the device this year, and hopes to start testing human breath in early 2015. He then plans to test the device in the field.

Residential Rehab Can be Good Option for Young Adults Dependent on Opioids: Study

/BY JOIN TOGETHER STAFF

December 4th, 2014/

A month-long residential treatment program may be more effective than standard outpatient programs for young adults who are dependent on opioids, a new study suggests.

Residential programs may result in higher abstinence levels for young adults dependent on prescription painkillers or heroin, Reuters reports.

“Given evidence that outpatient treatment for opioid dependence in young adults is not as effective as it is in older adults, we need alternatives to protect this vulnerable population,” said lead author Dr. Zev Schuman-Olivier of Massachusetts General Hospital.

The researchers followed 292 adults ages 18 to 24 who were enrolled in a month-long residential rehab program based on a 12-step approach. One-fourth met the criteria for opiate dependence and 20 percent for opiate misuse. The remaining 55 percent were being treated for abusing other substances, such as alcohol and non-opiate drugs, the article notes.

The study found 29 percent of participants who were dependent on opioids and 22 percent of those who misused opioids were abstinent a year later. Another recent study found 83 percent of people who entered an outpatient treatment program had dropped out one year later.

The findings are published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

“This study is important because it stresses the need for parents to advocate for residential treatment when that moment arises for an emerging adult when they think about going into treatment,” Schuman-Olivier said. He said there is a “window of willingness” after an event such as a minor overdose. “If someone can be encouraged to go into residential treatment at that time, then there is a likelihood that it will have a longer lasting effect than if they go to outpatient treatment,” he said.

Schuman-Olivier noted some people cannot access residential programs because of the cost. They are usually only covered by private insurance, and only after other levels of outpatient care have failed, he noted.