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The Gift of Trust

[fa icon="calendar'] Dec 19, 2016 9:00:00 AM / by Sherry Gaugler-Stewart posted in family recovery, alcoholism, Family Sober Support, Recovery Program, Drugs Adiction

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Broken trust.  It’s the primary issue that family members talk about when they discuss what’s been the most difficult for them when they’ve been impacted by the disease of addiction.  They want to trust their loved ones again.  Their loved ones want to be trusted.  How do we heal something that’s become so damaged?

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Being a Functional Adult in Recovery

[fa icon="calendar'] Nov 3, 2016 9:00:00 AM / by Jenna L. posted in Alcoholics Anonymous, Recovery, women in recovery, AA meetings, Drugs Adiction

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Everyone is Entitled to Their Own Opinions, but They’re Not Entitled to Their Own Facts

[fa icon="calendar'] Oct 26, 2016 10:30:00 AM / by John MacDougall posted in substance abuse, Drugs Adiction, Chemical Dependency

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Our national drug policies are being set, and re-set recently on the basis of popular opinion, rather than on the basis of risk of addiction or risk of death.  There is no national drug policy, just a confusing and contradictory set of policies that are constantly changing, as those who want to cut the death rate are in conflict with those who want to make addictive drugs more available.  There is very little science, and lots of politics.

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Parenting: Progress, Not Perfection

[fa icon="calendar'] Sep 22, 2016 9:00:00 AM / by Chris Nehotte posted in Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, Drug Rehab, Drugs Adiction, Chemical Dependency

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Jerry McAuley, A Hero of Recovery

[fa icon="calendar'] Aug 31, 2016 11:27:20 AM / by John MacDougall posted in Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, Recovery, Drug Rehab, Drugs Adiction

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Have You A Substitute?

[fa icon="calendar'] May 25, 2016 9:30:00 AM / by John MacDougall posted in Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, AA Big Book, Drugs Adiction, Chemical Dependency

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In the spring of 1989, I finally figured out that I was an alcoholic. I had taught Addiction Studies in a Graduate School for four years without ever figuring out that I was an alcoholic. I even told the old joke that an alcoholic is someone who drinks more than his doctor, not realizing that I thought that an alcoholic was someone who drinks more than an associate professor.  It was only years later, when I decided to go to Hazelden as a student in their chemical dependency counselor program that I read the textbook, the DSM-III-R,  and applied it to myself that I figured it out. I carefully detoxed myself over a six week period and joined the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. I did so with a sense of grim resignation.

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The Readiness is All

[fa icon="calendar'] May 11, 2016 10:00:00 AM / by Dick Rice posted in Alcoholics Anonymous, alcoholism, 12 steps of aa, Drugs Adiction, Chemical Dependency

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I have been amazed at how many of us come forth from a good 5th step and immediately say, “I sure have a lot to work on.” We climb to the sixth step and realize that we have nothing to work on, unless our Higher Power indicates such to us.  The 6th step is counter-intuitive.  I am eager to get working on my defects but my Higher Power is telling me to hold my horses until He gives the command,  pointing out which shortcoming He wants to lengthen and what he wants from me. 

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Does Your Community Want A Sober House?

[fa icon="calendar'] Apr 27, 2016 3:07:08 PM / by John MacDougall posted in Alcoholics Anonymous, AA meetings, Sober Housing, Drugs Adiction, Chemical Dependency

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Tomorrow I’m flying to Grand Rapids, Michigan and driving an hour north to the town of Greenville. It used to be prosperous when there was an Electrolux vacuum cleaner factory there, but the factory moved to Mexico in 2006.  2700 people lost their jobs, and the economy has not recovered. The town is 90% white, and many people drive an hour into Grand Rapids for jobs.  There are no treatment opportunities in the county.

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The Family Mascot: “If I make people laugh, there is no pain.”

[fa icon="calendar'] Apr 20, 2016 9:00:00 AM / by Mark Korman posted in family recovery, alcoholism, Family Sober Support, Drugs Adiction, Chemical Dependency

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On April 29th, Claudia Black, Ph.D. and national expert on the family disease of addiction, will be presenting a workshop sponsored by The Retreat titled “Transforming Families: From Script to Choice.” This workshop will explore different ways families respond to addiction and alcoholism, including the scripts children adopt in reaction to this situation. This month’s blog post briefly describes one of these adopted roles, the “Mascot.”

Mascots are often identified as the “family clown.” They have adapted a knack to distract from the tension that is often created where addiction is present, and, hence, relieve some stress and pain for themselves and others in the family. These children have learned to avoid hard feelings, whether consciously or unconsciously, through attention seeking, humor, or acting out. The Mascot’s goal is to distract from the difficulties families dealing with addiction often face.

Due to the amount of time they spend acting, these children can lose touch with their authentic self, and can carry this role of actor into their adult years. Some adult Mascots find themselves unable to face challenging situations. They avoid conflict because their coping skill didn’t allow for learning how to take important  matters seriously. As a result, Mascots are susceptible to acting inappropriately, crossing boundaries, and missing important social maturity markers.

Mascots also risk the potential of measuring self-worth by how others see them. They long to be liked, and become confused when they are not the center of attention. They may feel uneasy in the absence of drama and may create a diversion in order to feel normal. Mascots are prone to struggle with intimacy issues because they’ve learned to protect themselves from their feelings.

However, Mascots have also developed the gift of being adaptable and flexible in dealing with whatever life throws their way.

There is hope.  Join us at our workshop on Friday, April 29th, when Claudia Black will share insights on how to change the Mascot’s role, and all of the roles that have been mentioned in this blog in the last few months. We hope to see you there! Here’s a link for more information, or to register for this exciting, Claudia Black, Ph.D. and national expert on the family disease of addiction opportunity, follow this link!

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Addiction and Public Perception

[fa icon="calendar'] Dec 4, 2015 10:28:52 AM / by Staff Blog posted in alcoholism, Recovery, Drug Rehab, Drugs Adiction, Chemical Dependency

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For the American public, addiction is a taboo but extremely common topic. Children take drug education classes beginning in middle school, learning that drugs will 'fry their brain' and cause them to become a ‘burnout’ or a failure. People frequently joke that something is ‘like crack’ or that they are ‘shopaholics.’ Some of the most heated political debates center on issues like drug testing for welfare recipients or the legalization of marijuana.

Even though over 23 million Americans are in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs, it seems that many who aren’t still do not know how to address addiction when they encounter it in their everyday lives. 

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