I Got My Son Back: A Mother's Struggle with Her Son's Addiction by Barbara Hampton These days, I have a lot of hope and love. Yes, as we move toward the end of 2018, I do have that feeling of real hope for a great year ahead. Much different from the constant fear I felt so many years prior when my son was actively struggling with substance use and heroin addiction. I tend to keep things - letters, greeting cards, notes. But I have held closer than ever those few notes received from my son Ryan. For so many years I had the dismal thought that someday these papers would be all I’d have left of him. Notes on Christmas saying, “Mom, I’m sorry this year has been such a difficult one. 2004 holds much promise and with God’s grace, I’ll make it the best year yet.” And seven years later a note: “Dear mom, God does have a plan and I think I’m finally following it. Thank you for loving me as I am and always being there for me… love you, your son, Ryan.” However, it wasn’t until three more long and frightening years that Ryan finally came face to face with his addiction. Thankfully, far away in Los Angeles, Ryan finally found the medical rehabilitation he needed. It was another S.O.S. cry for help, but this time Ryan was willing to sleep outside a detox center for as long as it took to be processed. He knew he needed help and would do anything to get it... But after just one short week of detox at a public facility, he wondered, “now what?” He had been told there was no bed for him. With grace and a lot of luck, Ryan was sent to treatment. Getting My Son Addiction Treatment The cost, at this point in my life, was beyond my financial ability. I was still paying off treatment he had received in years prior at substandard facilities that I had charged on credit cards. I even transferred to no-interest lines of credit in order to space out the payments for previous treatments. I was a widowed school teacher, with my last child still living at home and finishing college. With terror in my gut, I tearfully and patiently listened to the treatment personnel. They thoroughly explained the treatment and cost and enrolled him — even though I had no idea at the time how I’d be able to pay. I was able to come up with a down payment and a plan to pay the balance — and it was probably the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. Ryan was getting help, and finally had admitted to himself and others that he had a serious heroin addiction that would, if he didn’t do something about it now, eventually take his life. This is when the hard work began for him. Knowing your child is in treatment gives you a tremendous piece of mind and a break from the constant worry — but it is when the real hard work truly begins. Read More

DONATE

Parent Toll-Free Helpline: 1-855-DRUGFREE drugfree.org © Partnership for Drug-Free Kids 352 Park Ave South | 9th Floor | New York, NY 10010   privacy policy

Advocating and Supporting Recovery News We are Falling for these Fall Events in Recovery! All of our PRO-ACT Centers are active with events. Click on an area below to find an Event near you! Lower Bucks County Philadelphia - North Philadelphia - Spring Garden Chester County Montgomery County Programs/Events by County, click on the event to find out more! Training and Education: Philadelphia training: We are offering a Peer Parent Coach Training in Philadelphia, PA over the weekend of November 9 – November 11 (Friday evening and all day Saturday and Sunday). Please email Melissa Groden at mgroden@councilsepa.org to sign up and learn more. Space is limited, so please email ASAP if you are interested. Registration for the training ends November 2. Click HERE for more information. York County: Certified Recovery Specialist Training (CRS) Montgomery County (Abington): Certified Recovery Specialist Training (CRS) Don't Miss these Cool Fall Events! Bucks County: Recovery Night at the Flyers Game and Breast Cancer Awareness Workshop; Philadelphia: Halloween Party Friday, October 26th, 4-7 p.m. Email Patty Roxberry for more information. Montgomery County: Evening Recovery Journaling Group Chester County: Blanket & Clothing Drive Montgomery & Chester Counties: Adventures In Recovery Horseback Riding CHECK OUT THE GUIDE TO VOTING IN NOVEMBER HERE! See what a number of PA State and Bucks County Candidates are saying in response to questions that affect the recovery community. BUCKS COUNTY MEDICATION DISPOSAL EVENT. This Weekend! CLICK HERE for more info. Dispose of UNUSED, UNNEEDED or EXPIRED medications. Free/Anonymous. Saturday October 27, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Recovery Walks 2018! Why I Walk... Check out Tam's Video about Recovery and why she participated in PRO-ACT's Recovery Walks! Listen Here MESSAGE TO OUR FRIENDS: The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania and PRO-ACT values the many individuals in recovery, our friends and family in recovery, sponsors, and the five-county region in which we operate that has embraced our services. We are forward thinking in our approach and embrace all pathways to recovery. To provide our region with the services we provide, it takes many resources. There are many ways you can help. Check out our Employment Opportunities HERE, our Volunteer OpportunitiesHERE, and Ways to Donate HERE. PRO-ACT is hosted by The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc. 4459 Swamp Road, Doylestown, PA 18902 │ 215-345-6644 Recovery Support Line: 800-221-6333 www.councilsepa.org See what's happening on our social sites:  ‌  ‌

The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc. | 4459 W Swamp Road, Doylestown , PA 18902 | About our service provider Sent by mwidmeier@councilsepa.org in collaboration with Try it free today

Advertise • Fan Mail • Subscribe • Original • Archive  ‌  ‌  ‌ Pain Management American Style Highly Addictive New Opioid, Stronger Than Fentanyl is Poised to Be Approved by FDA 10/20/18 - The decision was made by the FDA’s advisory committee on October 12, where a 10–3 vote occurred in favor of the drug hitting the market.  More@Newsweek.com Rocky Mounties High As Canada legalizes pot, other countries likely to follow Oct. 17, 2018 - More than two dozen countries have relaxed their marijuana or other drug laws, and a number could consider legalizing in the not-too-distant future. More@NationalPost.com Human Fodder Global ‘war on drugs’ a failure Oct. 21, 2018 - The United Nations’ drug strategy of the past 10 years has been a failure, according to a major report by the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC), which has called for a major rethinking of global policy on illegal narcotics... More@CNN.com A Star is Gone ABC's Spotlights Drug Addiction With Death Of Roseanne Barr's Character Oct. 16, 2018 - The Conners,  which premiered tonight with a pilot episode titled "Keep On Truckin’," takes a deep-dive look into the complex issue of prescription drug addiction and misuse with the death of Roseanne Conner by an accidental overdose of pain medications. Forbes.com High Holidays Forever VIDEO Battling addiction in Orthodox Jewish community means breaking through silence VIDEO Oct. 21, 2018 - Elana Forman, 23, hit rock bottom near Palm Beach, Florida, where she stayed in motels for two weeks with someone she met in a recovery program. More@NBCNews.com Truth be told... Trump declared an emergency over opioids and did nothing. Oct. 23, 2018 - The emergency declaration is emblematic of the federal response to the opioid crisis: a good idea that’s not enough. More@Vox.com Best Cop Ever Burlington police chief reacts to Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir obituary: ‘I have a problem’ Oct. 17, 2018 -I have a problem with this obituary. Born here in Burlington, Madelyn was the 30-year old mother of a toddler. She was beloved by her family. She became addicted to opiods when she was 16 after she tried Oxy at a party. More@BurlingtonFreePress.com 7 Days of Film & Discussion REEL RECOVERY FILM FESTIVALCelebrates 10th Year in LOS ANGELES – OCT 24-30 STARTS TOMORROW on SANTA MONICA BLVD. - The Reel Recovery Film Festival & Symposium presented by Addiction Policy Forum and Writers In Treatment will launch in Los Angeles at Laemmle’s Royal Theater, including an opening night reception at Reception at Safir, A World Class Mediterranean Restaurant. More@EntertainmentWorld.us Grief Therapy in Print How one family used an obituary to lay out the reality of opioid addiction Oct. 20, 2018 - After Madelyn Ellen Linsenmeir died on 7 October, Kate O’Neill penned a now-viral obituary on her sister’s addiction battle as ‘an authentic authoring of her life’... More@TheGuardian.com Growing Up NPR AUDIO Father and Son Behind ‘Beautiful Boy’ Share Story of Addiction & Recovery AUDIO October 19, 2018 - David Sheff and his son Nic both wrote memoirs about Nic’s meth addiction. Their stories are now the basis of a film starring Steve Carell and Timothée Chalamet. More@NPR.org Does This Give You Dis-Ease? VIDEO The Neuroscience of Addiction - with Marc Lewis VIDEO Dec. 10, 2016 - All I care about is - this is the best explanation of addiction that I’ve ever encountered. And I will probably have to watch it many times and write down all important points and suggestions because I am sugar and food addict. More@YouTube.com Fired before you start Employees and execs are failing drug tests at shocking rates October 20, 2018 - More local prospective workers are testing positive for substance abuse, or showing up stoned for work, according to industry analysts. More@NYPost.com The Battle Continues ...new war on drugs Oct. 16, 2018 - Democratic Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro to Republican US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, have encouraged the harsher prosecutor approach. More@Vox.com What's Love Got to Do?... A Star is Born - Through the Lens of Addiction OCTOBER 11, 2018 - The first half of A STAR IS BORN is essentially a rom-com, because rom-coms are always about the beginning of relationships. The meet-cute. The all-things-are-possible phase. More@AffectionDeficitDisorder.com Hoping to Help Reformed Alcoholic Issues Youth Warning! OCTOBER 20, 2018 - Constant anger and engaging in fights are the symptoms of alcoholism that Richmond Constantine says nearly ruined his life... More@StLuciaStar.com  A House is Not a Home Huntington Beach, Orange County sue sober homes Oct. 19, 2018 - Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates, shown earlier this year, hopes to team up with the Orange County DA to crack down on unruly sober living homes. More@Topix.com  Despicable Douche VIDEO GOP Congressman Asks for Sympathy from Drug-Addicted Inmate VIDEO October 18, 2018 - Rep. Dave Brat made one of the most tone-deaf comments imaginable to an incarcerated man suffering from drug addiction... More@Alternet.org  A Rock and a Hard Place VIDEO Drug and Alcohol Treatment Facility Close to School Upsets Parents VIDEO Oct. 19, 2018 - parents are calling for a new drug and alcohol treatment facility to move locations after learning it houses sexual offenders. More@ActionNewsNow.com  MEDIA: Book Recommendation Spiritual Adrenaline: A Lifestyle Plan to Nourish and Strengthen Your Recovery January 8, 2019 - Personal trainer and sports nutritionist, Tom Shanahan, outlines a program of action to energize, reboot, and strengthen one’s recovery, especially those who feel they may have hit a wall in their program. More@Amazon.com Systemic or Bad Seed? Security guard charged with sexually assaulting patient at addiction facility October 20, 2018 - Video footage showed that the guard, Ronald David Rodriguez, attempted to rape the 22-year-old woman as she slept... More@SeattleTimes.com  Swimming into Oblivion SPERMAGGEDDON! Men are becoming gravely infertile OCTOBER 20, 2018 - Junk food, lack of exercise, pollution killing sperm quality globally... More@Vanguardngr.com  Life Saving Plans Controversial ‘Harm Reduction’ Policy May Lower Death Toll  10/22/18 - To people outside the harm reduction field, the notion that someone can walk in off the street and access, for free and without identification, the paraphernalia they need to inject their drugs might seem outrageous, maybe even criminal. More@Newsweek.com Halloween Treats Jamie Lee Curtis: Sobriety Changed Everything 10/22/18 - Now coming up on her 60th birthday, movie star Jamie Lee Curtis is focused on her legacy. More@TheFix.com Man of the Hour VIDEO Boy George talks ‘the day he became sane’ and a decade of sobriety VIDEO October 22, 2018 -“I got sober in 2008. March the 2nd, 2008. I know the date exactly. I always think of that day as ‘the day that I became sane... More@Yahoo.News.com LOS ANGELES EVENT tomorrow TOMORROW OCT. 24th Opening night complimentary reception for sponsors. Others pay here. Addiction Policy Forum • Crossroads Centre Antigua Solstice Clinic • Peggy Albrecht’s Friendly House Brandi’s Wish • Balboa Horizons • My 12-Step Store • Freedom TCOC • R & O Billing and Consulting • Gratitude Recovery • Pax House Recovery •Addiction Therapeutic Services • Rock to Recovery • Pillars Recovery • Genesis Programs • Chuckaholics •Hazelden/Betty Ford• Zen Life Recovery• CAADE • Social Model • Propping Up Recovery/Jericho Rose • Alt to Meds*Restore “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” -Jack Kerouac Many Thanks to NY SPONSORS: Addiction Policy Forum Crossroads Centre Antigua EXPONENTS The Guest House Ocala Urban Recovery • The Fix • Seabrook Propping Up Recovery & Jericho Rose Pillars of Newport Beach  ‌  ‌  ‌ For Your FREEBanner Ad, call Ahbra K Schiff at 818-464-6877

Addiction Recovery eBulletin | PO Box 1745, Studio City, CA 91614  | About our service provider Sent by info@writersintreatment.org in collaboration with Try it free today