The Practical Recovery Blog from an Old-timer in the 12 Step Programs
12 Step Workbooks | worksheets: "12 Step Workbook
(12StepWorkbook.org)
These are some great free workbooks that have been put together by Jim W. at 12stepworkbook.org.
Part One Al’s 40 Day Serendipity Journey -- Al Kohallek begins his most ambitious undertaking Part One covers the first Nine Steps using the First 164 pages of the Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous) and the Steps form the book 12 Steps and 12 Traditions."
5 Signs That Your Parents Are Drug Addicts: "So you thought it was just your teenagers that you had to keep away from drugs? According to addiction experts, you might need to deliver the Nancy Reagan "just say no" speech to your aging parents as well.
Abuse of mind-altering prescription drugs by Americans 50 and older is projected to triple by 2020 to 2.7 million, according to a 2005 study in the Annals of Epidemiology, with people over 65 taking more than six unique prescriptions a year on average."
1. FREE. Vision recovery meditations: (a Hopi tradition) Go here, pick the format you want, type in the code "Sobriety" (capital S, no quotes) and a box will open for your name and email. Then it will take you to the free download page.
2. $4.99 A digital copy of the Pocket Sponsor. Unfortunately it is only on the Kindle format, but the kindle reader for your computer is free.Shelly, merry Christmas to you and the family.
I want to share an experience with you--although not alcoholic, I thought you might be able to share with others who would benefit about drinking and driving. As you well know, some of us have been known to have brushes with the authorities on our way home from an occasional social session over the years. sometimes they lay in wait by the bars to "catch" us. well the other night I was out with some friends and had a couple beers and some red wine with dinner.
Knowing full well I may have been slightly if not well, over the limit, I did something I have never done before. I took a cab home. Sure enough, I passed a check point by the police--but because I was in a cab, they waved it through. I was so happy not to have been caught drunk driving. I arrived home safely without incident, which was a real surprise because I have never driven a cab before and am not sure where I got it or what to do with it in my garage. So be care this season and Merry Christmas and Happy New year!
Alcoholism and Raising Children - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information: "Some of the coolest kids I've ever met were raised in and around the Program.
I met an old Hopi woman one time who was talking to me about children. It was in something she said that changed me as a parent. During WWII, she fostered a girl who still lived with them in the late eighties when I was there. She said the parents were drunks and didn't take care of their children, so some elder women from the clan came in and took some of them into their own homes. She said she went to the Elder women and chose a particular girl she'd dreamed about. She told them, "I will take this girl and raise her for The People."
Something about the way she said that hit me like a wet dishrag."
Tips from The Ranch at Dove Tree for living safely on the edge during holidays | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: "The holidays don’t have to be predictable. In a sincere attempt to lighten up, Jack Britton suggests ways to spice up December:
Often the holidays offer face time with relatives who grew up in a different era. Dive below the surface and actually get to know Grandma. Who was her first crush? (Fidel Castro!) What did she get away with as a kid? (Armed robbery!)"
Pocket Sponsor: "Holiday Special. Get your Pocket Sponsor in a pocket!
Order the Pocket Sponsor this holiday season and get it sent in a jean pocket ! The cost is the same, the pocket is FREE! Hurry and order your Sponsors in a Pocket today. Offer expires Dec 25th. (We can send as a gift and include a small ornament with a greeting saying the Pocket Sponsor is from you. All FREE)"
'via Blog this'
Sitting in Pictures, Vision Meditations for Addiction Recovery
Sitting in Pictures, Vision Meditations for Addiction Recovery: "Sitting in Pictures, Vision Meditations for Addiction Recovery
by Peoples of the Earth Peoples of the Earth Peoples of the Earth
Illustrated by Christine Sundly
Description: This is a a deeply spiritual addiction recovery meditation book based on the Hopi tradition of 'sitting in pictures.' It contains 280 visual mediations as well as a 12 Step Principle and the wisdom of an Elder or tribal adage from people's around the world. Based on the Maya Tzolkin spiritual round, the days do not reflect the western Gregorian calendar. Instead the season are used for reference: Summer Solstice, Harvest Time, Winter Solstice, Spring Equinox. Letting the Spirit guide them, readers may use the meditations randomly or begin at the first mediation and go 280 days, then begin again. We trust that every reader will bring their own guidance when creating the healing visualization in each page of days. This meditation book is illustrated by Christine Sundly of the Menominee Nation (Menominee means 'wild rice' in Chippawa). For more information please go to the website SittinginPictures.org
"
Sober Coaching Your Toxic Teen, A Workbook For Dealing With Teens In A Drug Crisis: " How many times a day does this following scenario play out in families across America? A mother or father finds evidence that their child is using drugs. They're in shock"
One parent warns others of synthetic drugs - KFVS12 News & Weather Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Poplar Bluff: "When you hear someone is using synthetic drugs, like bath salts, what kind of person do you picture? One dad said it could be your child.
"Where to start," said John Payne.
It's not something people like to talk about, which is exactly why Payne wants to chat.
"If people don't know about it, then nothing's going to change," said Payne.
He can attest to the synthetic drug problem in the area first hand.
"My son was a user," said Payne.
Payne said his son was an angel of a child until he started doing drugs. He said the synthetic drugs like bath salts are enticing because they're cheap and easy to get."
The Drug That Never Lets Go: "The suicide was the culmination of five days of strange behavior that began shortly after Sanders snorted a powdery substance he bought from a friend. Instead of the brief high he was seeking, he experienced days of insomnia, along with waves of terror and frightening delusions, including an incident where he “saw” 25 police cars outside his parents' kitchen window and then slit his own throat with a butcher knife. That incident landed Sanders in the hospital with stitches. For a few hours, the hallucinations subsided."
Teens in Northwest Develop Kidney Failure From Synthetic Marijuana | The Partnership at Drugfree.org: "Six young men—five of them teenagers—developed kidney failure after using synthetic marijuana in recent months, health officials in Oregon and Washington report.
The cases have occurred since May. All of the young men were hospitalized, "
A parenting secret I am no longer willing to keep at Home/Work: "my eldest child was brought to the intensive care unit three days ago, that the nurses and doctors might treat him differently, maybe even give him substandard care once they knew why he was there. That’s because he was admitted not after a car accident in which he was blameless. Not due to some mysterious, unknown fever. No, he was rushed to the hospital, nearly lifeless, after a massive drug overdose and a brutal physical assault related to his involvement with drugs. But I was wrong to worry about this;"
Teens in Early Recovery: Ten Common Triggers for Relapse | CRC Health Group: "Studies suggest that between 50 percent and 90 percent of addicts relapse at least once in the first four years of sobriety, and most relapse many times. Triggers for relapse can be as mundane as hearing a certain song on the radio or as significant as hanging out with friends from the old drug crowd.OK, you read about the triggers. So what do you do? Do you become responsible to help prevent it? do you call their sponsor? Their counselor? Do you make them sign a contract? Or put them back in treatment? You son or daughter is showing signs of relapsing and you panic.
Although relapse is considered normal and predictable, knowing the common triggers for relapse and having an action plan can help teens and their families guard against any slip-ups. Here are a few common relapse triggers to watch out for:"
comic freedom mod.mp4 update - YouTube: "We had this comedy writing class with 7 guys in their addiction counseling group. Rich Vos performed to 100 inmates and staff with two writing group members opened the show. The healing power of humor in aiding recovery from addictions and other mental health issues is the program's driving force. Dave Miller and Perry Gaidurgis met a few weeks before these events and with the help of a few people this is our work in progress to date. More dates of comedy writing workshops and a show at the Eastern Correctional Institute are schedule in September."
We understand the devastating effects of addiction on young people and their families. We also understand the resiliency of young adults and believe in their ability to get their lives back on track. The Ranch at Dove Tree is committed to helping our clients achieve lifelong recovery while re-establishing their hopes and dreams that got lost to the disease of addiction."
Random student drug tests work, Churchie says: "''So we have had a policy in the school for a number of years that we can put a student on random drug testing at any time that we see fit in consultation with the family.
''If we have concerns about a boy we will consult with the family and agree to go on a random drug testing program.''
Mr Hensman said the school took a ''zero tolerance'' approach to drugs and if a student tested positive they were immediately expelled.
Students who enrolled in Churchie and had been expelled from another school for drug use were put on a contract which could include random drug tests.
''If we hear through the grapevine a student is involved in drugs and we have no proof of that, we will enter into a relationship with the family of what's in the best interests of the student and one of the outcomes could be random drug testing,'' he said."
How I Carried Out an Intervention: "When someone who has a serious problem with alcohol or drugs denies that they have a problem or denies that their behavior is effecting anyone else, sometimes confronting the person in a process known as an intervention will break through the denial. But that's not always the case. Sometimes the intervention can backfire, making the situation worse."
Alcohol-Free Drinks - Recipes for Alcohol-Free Drinks and Punches:
"Ginger Ale Mix
For large groups I combine ginger ale, pomegranite juice, pineapple, orange and cranberry. I sometimes add cherry juice also, garnish with star fruit, berries, lemons, limes or oranges. This has been a fool proof popular drink at our cookouts and parties for over 20 yrs
—Guest knot2oldyet
"Ginless Tonic"
I loved Gin & Tonics, especially in the hot summer. Now, I just squeeze one or two big wedges of fresh lime over ice in a glass, fill with tonic water. I swear, you won't miss the gin! i drink this every night. They've been a life-saver. very satisfying."
New Study: Spanked Kids = Messed-Up Grownups: "Canadian researchers using data from nearly 35,000 American adults found that from 2 percent to 7 percent of mental disorders were attributable to physical punishment. To many experts, including Cyndi Scott, executive director of the Coalition Against Child Abuse and Neglect, the findings reinforce what they already know about spanking.
"It's not going to be beneficial to the child, or to the parent, for them to use any kind of physical force. So, we would not recommend people hitting children.""
More Recovery Slogans: "Recovery slogans are deeply rooted in the real life experience of millions of recovering people. Although often overused and sometimes not appreciated, they do not lose their truth."My fav in their list, "Is your program powered by Will Power or Higher Power?" And i don't even think this made it into the second edition of Walk Softly and Carry a Big Book. What is your favorite?
Our Spanish-language web resource and educational campaign helps parents have frequent conversations with their kids about the risks of drug and alcohol use."
Police officials tell parents to be parents | Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies | hometownlife.com: "Whether the concern is substance abuse, curfew violations or online safety, Westland police Sgt. Dan Serrano summed up his advice to parents: “I tell my kids, ‘I'm not your friend. I'll treat you like I'm your father. I'll look at your phone when I want to.'
“You have to be the parent,” said Serrano.
Joined by Lt. Michael Harhold and Officer Matt Bobby, Serrano spoke Monday at the Police-Teen Matters program hosted by Westland Youth Assistance at the Dorsey Center. The overall message focused on the importance of parental involvement and keeping track of their children's activities."
ROCKERS IN RECOVERY MUSIC FESTIVAL | RIR Concerts: "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.
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Early Bird Ticket Sales"
Guest column: Teens' prescription drug use on the rise » Anderson Independent Mail: "To celebrate his 16th birthday, Jason is having a “pharm” party. Rather than a present, friends bring prescription drugs from the medicine cabinets at their homes. The drugs are poured into a bowl. The bowl, “trail mix,” is passed and partygoers grab a handful of pills — a mixture of anything. The results could be lethal.
Katie overheard her parents talking about how her brother’s ADHD medication made "
Parent of an Addict: What’s it Really Like? | INTERVENE: A Community for Parents: "So what’s it really like raising a child with a drug problem?Dealing with a drug crisis is never easy and few sites and books tell parents the real truth. that's why its important to get material you trust. Be sure to check out parental book for dealing with a drug crisis and all the free material on our site Sober Coaching Your Teen.
It starts with letting go of the idea of having a “normal” life. Truthfully, it’s a far cry from the storybook life we all fantasized about once upon a time. Being a parent of an addict is about being more than you ever dreamed you could be. And most days it feels like you’re at war.
You quickly learn survival skills. Not just physical survival. Yes, those are necessary at times, but also emotional survival skills."
SADD Mission & Policy: "Originally, the mission of the SADD chapter was to help young people say "No" to drinking and driving. Today, the mission has expanded. Students have told us that positive peer pressure, role modeling and environmental strategies can prevent other destructive decisions and set a healthier, safer course for their lives. And that is why SADD has become a peer-to-peer education, prevention, and activism organization dedicated to preventing destructive decisions, particularly underage drinking, other drug use, risky and impaired driving, teen violence, and teen suicide."
From Samsa: Title: Overdose Awareness Day Date and Time: August 31, 2022, 6:30 p.m. (EST) Location: American University Sponsor: Dep...
