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."

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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"



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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."

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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!

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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 "

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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.

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