Moms and babies on the road to recovery: Season of Sharing 2017 |

It's a pretty amazing center that gets babies back with Moms. here's a story about one in Oregan:

Letty Owings Center puts moms and babies on the road to recovery: Season of Sharing 2017 | OregonLive.com: "Horne’s path to recovery started July 16, 2016, the day her youngest child, Michael Hayes, was born. For the 23 years leading up to his birth, Horne had used everything from marijuana to meth and heroin, never thinking she’d be anything but an addict. Two months before Michael was born, she stopped using meth and heroin in hopes they wouldn’t show up on tests. He tested positive for marijuana and the state Department of Human Services stepped in. Horne would be free to leave the hospital, they said, but her baby would have to stay."



'via Blog this'

Pay It Forward Program has to chose between Treatment Centers

Sharing Fall's 'Pay It Forward' Program

We at Day By Day have had a flood of requests this year for free books. We give away books every month as our way of paying it forward. Unfortunately, we can't keep up as much as we would like to. Rather than turn anyone organization away, we are going to divide the books up between multiple centers--we apologize for those who receive less and hope that the few books we can send will be added to your library and be made available to the newcomer. IF YOU WANT TO HELP, you can donate a dollar by clicking here.

Here are Fall's recipients of Day By Day's free book program.

Rainbow Center of Michigan, Highland Park, MI TyShaun B wrote, "These books would be a great tool to interact and teach our clients the hopefulness and necessity of recovery."

Brookside Residential Treatment, Pikeville, KY Karen G wrote, "The facility is fairly new and we need all the helpful addiction recovery books and material we can get." 

Addiction Recovery Care, Lexington, KY Ashley D wrote, "I have learned that life is a journey and on my journey, I want to bring out now what lies within me to the suffering addict so they too can see there is hope for the hopeless and help for the helpless."

F. E. A. R, Erie, PA Aliciaa T wrote, "Starting my own nonprofit organization called F. E.A.R. need anything that can help me start this organization"

Mary Martha House, Wheeling, WV Dara W wrote, "We are able to house 5 women at a time and offer them a safe, drug, drama free environment for them to reconnect to their former self. Your books would be a wonderful addition to our recovery library and meditation room library."

Wanderers, Atlanta, Georgia Greg E wrote, "{Our center} is a purely donation only funded group and they are in need of text for study and education. " 

$36 Pocket Sponsor 5 Pack: SAVE $9:



'via Blog this'

Hospice Care: stealing pain killers from the dying!

Stealing pain killers from the dying...that is how ugly addiction is--it is aggressive and robs the very humanity from us.. so so grateful we have options in recovery. read this:

Journalist: Hospice Care Is Battlefront In Era Of Opioid Crisis | Wisconsin Public Radio

: ""Because this opioid epidemic is really affecting everyone, rich and poor, you can't make assumptions about who might be at risk," said Bailey. In her reporting, Bailey encountered stories of those who stole and abused opioid prescription painkillers from at-home hospice patients. "There's no real good national data on this problem. We don't know how common this is, but we do know that enrollment in hospice has been rising rapidly. About half of people who die in America are now in hospice care. And most of the time hospice staff are actually coming to the home," Bailey said on "Central Time.""

'via Blog this'

Clean & Sober

B.C.’s First Nation families devastated by drug deaths

Our First Nations population in Alaska are also devastated by addiction also--both alcohol and heroin. ! Addiction recently took a nephew of mine (suicide post treatment). I have strong opinions about what I think is going on but it would be politically incorrect to state them--(hint, I wouldn't hand out participation trophies and I would never create a "safe place" for anyone but a 5 year old.) the article below is heartbreaking.

Sitting In Pictures (vision meditations for recovery)

B.C.’s First Nation families devastated by drug deaths: "Shirley Jones said she was devastated to learn that three young men in her family from the Tseshaht First Nation in Port Alberni died in recent weeks from suspected fentanyl overdoses. Related Victoria’s first supervised drug consumption site will take a year to open “It’s heart-wrenching living this [crisis] at work and then hearing about these young people in my mother’s family,” said Jones, who is a custodian at Our Place Society on Pandora Avenue. An overdose-prevention site has operated at the site since 2016."

'via Blog this'

FREE Digital Pocket Sponsor

They want to get sober. You want to help. The Pocket Sponsor makes it easier. Get your 744 Clean and Sober meditations from the Oldtimers. Download NOW.

Nurse offers advice for parents with kids who are addicts

Nurse offers advice for parents with kids who are addicts - NY Daily News: "No cases are identical. No solutions are easy. Mom's life turns into hell when husband, son become addicts Though every situation is different, Palermo-Reddy has developed some core pieces of advice for parents seeking help. Here, in her own words, are Palermo-Reddy’s basic prescriptions for dealing with a loved one who is battling opioid addiction. These are Palermo-Reddy’s opinions based on her experience with a range of patients but are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice"



'via Blog this'

When children become the littlest victims in drug epidemic

I know so many addicts and alcoholics whose parents were also addicted. My Mom suffered from alcoholism and it colored everything about the way we grew up. My Grandmother was the who tried to rescue us by seeing that we had good school clothes and summer vacations. But least we not forget--my mother had the disease but she was also the first one into a 12 step program and brought the rest of us behind her. A curse and blessing all in one. Isn't that the way life is? Children are the victims--but sometimes, if a parent can find sobriety, they can turn the whole family around like my mother did for us--all her kids are sober, her nieces and nephews, and her brother.

Read about these kids--They have loving relatives to take them in and possibly someday their parents can turn around like my mom did.

 When children become the littlest victims in drug epidemic: "Aaron is 10 now, Katherine is 8 and Will is 7, the sons and daughter of Jim Bass and Ken Adcox of Alpharetta. They are also Jim Bass’ niece and nephews, children of an ever-increasing number of families unraveling because their parents are either in rehab, in jail, dead, or otherwise incapable of taking care of them because of substance abuse."

'via Blog this'

War Cries by Shelly Marshall - Step 12 Magazine

I often write for various recovery publications--I love sharing recovery. My most recent article made it in "Step 12 Magazine" and covers our use of slogans in recovery. Slogans and great one-liners--that is what our books at Day By Day use to carry the message. I hope you take a minute to read about War Cries and how they carry the message for us.

War Cries by Shelly Marshall - Step 12 Magazine: "Getting clean and sober can feel like war. War against a disease. Although we eventually learn to cease fighting anyone or anything, in the beginning we battle a ferocious enemy: the compulsion, obsession, and jonesing to pick up just one more time. To confront this fierce enemy, the old-timers gave us a very powerful tool in slogans, which often goes unrecognized."

Please note: Step 12 Magazine has merged with Serene Scene Magazine. Effective June 1, 2017, we will publish under the name of Recovery Illustrated. Same mission, new name. Join them!

'via Blog this'

Keep the kids away from prescription drugs--a new website

My degree in Alcohol and Drugs came from Metropolitan University in Denver. Colorado has been on the "kids and drugs" bandwagon for 40 years that I know of. Every year the experts (and I was one of them) come out and say how "epidemic" the drug problem has become. The only thing that changes is the name and slang for the drugs--it goes from marijuana to speed, to LSD, to cough syrup, to peyote, to heroin, to date rape drugs, to cocaine, to crack, to prescription drugs, and so on.

I'm not saying that the efforts aren't exemplary--they are. We need to do what we can for each generation of parents and their offspring--I just get so weary of the "epidemic" and alarmism stuff--but maybe that is the only way to capture the attention of those that need to hear it.

This is a great website not only for Colorado parents but for all parents! Go visit.

News | Highlands Ranch Colorado | Highlandsranchherald.net: "A campaign run by the Colorado Department of Human Services Office of Behavioral Health called “Speak Now Colorado” is targeted at helping parents have those difficult conversations with kids, especially around prom and graduation seasons. On the Speak Now website, speaknowcolorado.org, parents can:
 • Learn how to spot risky behavior.
 • Explore hypothetical scenarios to help them prepare for real-life situations involving kids and substances.
 • Take a quiz to test their knowledge of drug and alcohol use.
 • Get tips for starting and continuing conversations with their children about drugs and alcohol. Start conversations early "

'via Blog this'

FREE Addiction Poster Download

This poster is from our Day By Day store--download and print on a legal sheet of paper. It's FREE and you can get across a strong message on addiction.

Click here for your FREE High definition poster.

Inside the 'eye-opening' drug course parents must take before kids go to prom | NJ.com

Prom time again and parents should be prepared. what does your school do to help parents understand what the teens are facing? This school makes a course mandatory for parents if they want their kids to participate. I never heard of this before, but think it is a GREAT idea.

Inside the 'eye-opening' drug course parents must take before kids go to prom | NJ.com: "Parents are invited to tour the bedroom set and use their detective skills to seek out likely hiding spots. Sgt. Danielle LoRusso, with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, leads the programs. Once she has allowed parents to pull out drawers and examine the scene, she takes them through again to show what they missed."

'via Blog this'

Pay It Forward with Free Books for Your Center, Just fill this out

We have just awarded May and June's Free books for Treatment Centers. They are the House of Grace in Louisville and Hagerstown Treatment Center in Maryland. I know I shouldn't be advertising that we give free books every month (we do but our resources are limited) but we are so happy that God has made it possible to Pay It Forward. Who would have thought? Thank you, everyone for the help you give us. Click the link to see who we give books to and why they need them.

 Maybe you want to help? Even a dollar ($1) goes a long way!

Pay It Forward with Free Books for Your Center, Just fill this out: "June 2017 House of Grace, Louisville, KY Sharon F is a former client of the House of Grace. Her words were simple, "To help the alcoholics and addicts in the household get extra help." A little extra help is on the way. May 2017 Hagerstown Treatment Center, Hagerstown, MD Lynn K, an employee wrote, "I would like the books for Substance Abuse counselors to have more resources to help our patients. I also would like to be able to offer resources to patient as to help them be successful with their recovery." Your pay It Forward Gift includes a first edition workbook and facilitator guide for starting a parent's group--Sober Coaching Your Teen. Thanks for letting us contribute."

'via Blog this'

ASK A PARENT COACH

I found the best website today! It is run by Partnership for Drug-Free Kids and I am so impressed! You can contact this organization if you have concerns about your child and they can help steer the right direction for the help you may need. They also have a volunteer staff (Carla returned my call and explained what they do) who has been through the trials of raising a child in today's drug influenced world--you can call them, fill out a form or do an online chat--whatever works best for you. Check out this great resource--I am also adding a resource link from the SoberCoachingYourTeen.com.

Partnership for Drug-Free Kids | Portal: "Who are Parent Coaches? Parent Coaches are moms and dads just like you who have been personally affected by a child's substance use. They are not therapists – they are parents who have been there and received special training and support from the Partnership and our clinical partner, the Center for Motivation and Change, to help other families through similar struggles. Their answers can help you too. To connect with a counselor experienced in the field of substance use, please call our Helpline at 1-855-DRUGFREE."

'via Blog this'

Parental action is key to fighting teen substance abuse in area |

Yes this is true--parents need to do something, anything to address this issue--just as they address a myriad of issues everyday--they have to address school, futures, manners, puberty, peers, health, drivingect.--but this article begins like so many " But with teen alcohol and drug use on the rise in recent years" NO IT ISN't on the rise! Every few years kids take to opiate, then in a year or so it's meth, then hull eugenics, then back to booze or heroin--and everytime this happens reporters act shocked, "(name your drug) is on the rise!" Help, the world's on fire--kids are taking drugs!

Sorry for the sarcasm. I get so tired of folks screaming fire in a crowded room to garner attention. Use Fear--use guilt, use shame--why don't we stick with facts and education? People use drugs. Kids experiment. That is never going to change.

Parents must address it--but not with scare tactics--let's use common sense. If you are a mom or dad--go to the website, take the awareness test and address drinking and drugging as you do all other growing up issues. You are a good parent--don't get sucked in with the hysterics.

Addiction in the suburbs series: Parental action is key to fighting teen substance abuse in area | mySuburbanLife.com: "Most parents don’t want to think about their child drinking alcohol or using drugs. But with teen alcohol and drug use on the rise in recent years, there are steps parents can take to address these issues before they lead to serious consequences."



'via Blog this'

Lost my step-nephew to drug addiction--

He was only 21. I wasn't close to him. Wasn't even close enough to know he was into meth. Yet I feel a connection. And I am so sad about yet another loss to our family.

This young man is not the first one to be lost in our family to this disease of addiction. I had two step brothers lost to heroin. I had a cousin (who I was close to) fall off a porch drunk and lose her life. I've had numerous friends and an ex husband die from addiction. Alcoholism and addiction is aggressive. It doesn't let go easily.

For all of you who have lost loved ones to this disease, know you are in my heart, just as my young step nephew is. Sometimes I hate this disease--but have to remember that there is another choice. Please support recovery in any manner you can.

This is one of mine   YoungSoberFree.com

Montana favors parents’ rights over kids’ safety, advocates charge

This is a really tough one--sometimes states act more for the rights of parents and often states do the opposite "protecting" the child so much that they actually hurt them. Here these 2 women claim that Montana protects the rights of parents over the child. In Idaho, right beside Montana--I saw the oppositive experience where my friend's daughter lost her innocence because of social services.

Angry at her mother, the girl told social services that her stepdad had abused her. Mom didn't believe it. But social services took custody and placed her in foster care. They took my friend's daughter to a doctor for testing and low and behold, the girl was a virgin. Social services still did not believe Mom so kept the girl for over 6 months. When she was finally returned to the family, she came back no longer a virgin. So how well was this girl protected? She was 13 or 14 at the time.

My friend was furious but there was really nothing she could do. Its a fine line they walk in social services and I just wish they could use common sense! In unsure cases, I support the parents.

Here's the Montana story:

Montana favors parents’ rights over kids’ safety, advocates charge | News | bozemandailychronicle.com: "“Overall, the child abuse and neglect system is failing kids miserably,” said Nancy Mitchell, 76. “There needs to be some major changes to protect kids, and they are not being protected right now.”"

'via Blog this'