Pasadena Recovery Center – takes center stage when National Drug Policy Chief Gil Kerlikowskemakes a visit, The visit to the Pasadena rehabilitation facility is part of a cross-country campaign.

The hope of such visits is to help strengthen the current anti-drug strategies that are currently being implemented nationwide in addition to bringing greater awareness as to the importance of such facilities in the fight against drug addiction.                                                                                         

Mother Teresa on drugs and war

While on this campaign Kerlikowske engaged in an on-line chat with Dr. Drew Pinsky(addiction specialist who host “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” on VH1)  concerning teen drug abuse…Kerlikowske not only attempts something new by using this tour as a more tactful platform for his anti -drug strategy, he also brings with him a new philosophy…calling for an end to the term  “War on Drugs”

” We can’t arrest our way out of the Situation.” 

Kerlikowske’s view  about the term ‘war on drugs’ happens to be in sync with “Mother Teresa” view on ‘Anti -War Rallys’ …”war will never bring peace – only peace brings peace” it’s no surprise when she said “never invite me to an anti-war rally, instead invite me to a peace rally.” The Philosphy is quite simple – what you put out in the world i.e ‘War on Drugs’ is precisely what you get…there is no resolution – just more war.

As an added benefit, Kerlikowske offers financials to support his claims against arresting addicts…”The United States, Drug and Alcohol treatment represent half the cost of incarcerating someone.” In short, Drug Rehabilitation makes both moral and financial sense.

Although the rule within the fellowships is that people with less than one year in recovery shouldn’t date, they often do. However, Recoverydate.com is a site specifically designed with intention of providing effective dating in recovery by indexing recovery personals of members with years of recovery.

The idea is for singles that have been in recovery for a long-time, and are fully living the lifestyle, to meet similar people that can be effective at dating in recovery. Basically, they can log into Recoverydate.com, review recovery personals, respond to similar members, and being dating in recovery.

The great par is that, ideally, they will meet people with the same ideals/beliefs and recovery lifestyle, which will make compatibility an instant success and help create a wholesome, sober relationship for the years of recovery ahead.

Recoverydate.com is full launched, but relatively new. However, this is a good thing, as for a limited time Recoverydate.com is offering FREE memberships to new members. So, if it sounds like something you may be interested in, then take advantage and don’t wait.

While filming ‘The Soloist’ the Block buster real life story of a homeless music prodigy living on the streets of Los Angeles., Robert Downey jr recalls being approached by homless people who knew about the actor’s lifelong battle with drugs and addiction.

Downey joked saying  ”I was surprised that my street cred on Skid Row was pretty high.”  It never occured to me that people would be like ” Dude, I was in the County jail with You.”

Downey, opens up about his feelings and reservations about playing a role that hit so close to home -Being in this environment that is so reminiscent and symbolic of the darkest depths of drug abuse, really struch a cord. For the actor, ” it became this incredibly wonderful humbling and humiliating expreience”  a 3 month field trip to remind you where drug abuse can take you.

“When a child uses drugs, we assume that he/she is the only one who suffers. However, the family is suffering as much if not more, becuase they see their child in trouble and yet they are powerless to help them.” These are the words of a Former Crack Cocaine and Crystal Meth Addict located in florida, we’ll call him “Z”

When I used, I knew my family was feeling the pain to, but I didn’t care - I just wanted the high. As my addiction got more and more out of control, I started to notice the obviuos. I noticed my rapid weight Lost, bad breathe, Bad hygiene – Sometimes I’d forget to take showers for days.

I also started to notice that my family who became so fustrated with their failure to fix my addiction, that they began ressembling me. My Mother started loosing weight, started having nervous spells, couldn’t sleep, lost her apitite for life or anything else – she became addicted to wanting to help me/ fix my addiction. I mention my mother here, but my entire family – my sister, two brothers and even my farther started looking like addicts. As addicts we forget that the families also suffer, they serve the same sentence that we serve – our pain is their pain.

When I decided/court ordered to go into rehab, my family served that sentence with me as well – all three  times I relapsed. Now, it’s been almost 4 years since the last time I picked up. I have to say, the feeling of being clean is greater than any high I’ve ever exprienced. Since rehab “I am finally able to be a son to my parents, a brother to my siblings and a friend to all those who beleived and stood by me even when all hope seemed lost.”

With marked days in the history of Alcoholics Anonymous the annual Sobriety Calendar makes a great gift for sponsors, members or anyone interested in the Alcoholics Anonymous Fellowship and living sober. The calendar follows the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, features original images, days in the history of Alcoholics Anonymous and much more. 

“The Sobriety Calendar was created in 1990 by Charlie Bishop, AA archivist, author, publisher, and founder of The Bishop of Books. Born Nov. 10, 1938, Charlie graduated Wheeling Jesuit University in 1960 with an A.B. in English. He taught high school English for one year in Wheeling, WV, and 3 years in Maryland. After that, he wrote for the Associated Press in Bluefield, WV, and then reported for The Wheeling News-Register for about six years, becoming city editor.”

To read more about the Sobriety Calendar or to order your very own, visit the Sobriety Calendar online at www.SobrietyCalendar.com

Hazelden is one of the most respected national nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction. In a recent survey, Hazelden revealed that stigma still remains toward people who are addicted to alcohol and other drugs.

Although 78 percent of Americans recognize that addiction is a chronic disease rather than a moral failing, the words used by those surveyed when asked to describe people who have problems with drugs or alcohol included: “sinner,” “irresponsible,” “selfish,” “stupid,” “uncaring,” “loser,” “undisciplined,” “pitiful,” “pathetic,” “weak,” “criminal,” “derelict,” “washed up” and “crazy.” The single highest negative consequence reported of having a family member with a drug problem was “embarrassment/social stigma.”

“What Hazelden’s new survey brought home to me is that Americans understand addiction is a disease, yet much more work must be done to explain how effective treatment can be for addicts and to bring an end to the stigma that prevents addicts from pursuing treatment,” says William Cope Moyers, executive director of Hazelden’s Center for Public Advocacy. “We also learned that 58 percent would like more of this discussion about addiction to be done in public.” Accordingly, Moyers says the “Attitudes Toward Addiction Survey” has become the catalyst for a 2009 public advocacy campaign that Hazelden will soon launch in Washington, D.C., and across the country.

“Hazelden’s Center for Public Advocacy is dedicated to changing public perceptions about addiction and promoting public policy that puts recovery within reach of all who need it,” said Mark Mishek, president and CEO of Hazelden. “The good news is – effective treatment for addiction exists, people in recovery lead useful lives and insurance could, and should, cover addiction treatment. Let’s work together to help improve public understanding of America’s No. 1 health problem – addiction to alcohol and other drugs.”

Facing the problem of addiction is never an easy task. If that wasn’t tough enough, there are so many choices in drug rehabilitation that making the right choice can seem impossible.

Now a new booklet from StopAddiction.com reveals the three barriers that stand between an addict and lifetime sobriety. With this knowledge, anyone trying to help a person addicted to drugs or alcohol will have a greater understanding of the causes of the problem with which to make decisions. The route to sobriety for the addicted person can seem more accessible.

StopAddiction.com’s new booklet, The Life Cycle and Mechanics of Addiction, is available to anyone. The booklet was written out of the thirty years of experience of Gary W. Smith, the Executive Director of Narconon Arrowhead, one of the country’s leading drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education centers, located in Canadian, Oklahoma.

“Without an understanding of the true causes of addiction, some people may never be able to make a full and lasting recovery,” stated Ryan Thorpe, Director of Admissions at Narconon Arrowhead. “Here at Narconon, we see that more people make a lasting recovery with a rehab program like ours that addresses each of the three barriers thoroughly.”

To obtain free copies of The Life Cycle and Mechanics of Addiction, call 1-800-468-6933 today or log on to www.stopaddiction.com

Effective rehabilitation and education has been the business of the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation and education network for more than forty years. For information on Narconon’s successful drug treatment and educational program and materials, contact Narconon Arrowhead at 1-800-468-6933 or visit the website at www.stopaddiction.com.

There are hundreds of recovery, anti-drug, anti-alcohol, AA, NA and every other acronym you can find in the dictionary. Some of them provide resources and news articles, and others offer forums, chats and the most personal stories you’ll ever read online. Here (in no particular order) are what we believe to be the top ten recovery websites.

www.Dryblog.blogspot.com
With one of the most extensive recovery and sober website blogrolls, the DryBlog is dedicated to alcoholism, addiction and recovery. On DryBlog you’ll find support resources information about other recovery blogs and websites, music, online shops and more. 

www.Codependentdaughter.com
The recently revamped codependentdaughter.com is an extremely personal blog featuring essays, poetry, articles and more.

www.RecoveryTimes.com
The RecoveryTimes.com has message boards, articles, chats and personal stories dedicated to addiction and recovery. The Recovery Times describe themselves as “a journal for a new way of life”.

www.DrugStory.org
A wealth of information on drugs including: Cocaine, Ecstasy, Heroin, Marijuan, Methamphetamines and more can be found at DrugStory.org. Get quarterly updates on drug news and read true personal stories of former addicts in recovery.

www.AddictionAlchemy.com
Articles on addiction, resources on support and Internet radio shows on sobriety, love and romance are just some of the things you’ll find on AddictionAlchemy.com. AddictionAlchemy.com takes a holistic approach to recovery based on the “Medicine Wheel” model. 

www.SobrietyOnline.com
Philadelphia’s portal to recovery, SobrietyOnline.com is a non-profit organization that helps addicts and alcoholics achieve recovery. SobrietyOnline.com is dedicated to providing resources and information for those pursuing recovery.

www.12stepradio.com
Upload, buy and listen to recovery music 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 12StepRadio.com, founded in 2004.

www.Cleanandsoberlive.com
The main reason for CleanAndSoberLive.com is to help individuals remain free from the chains of addiction. CleanAndSoberLive.com isn’t meant to replace face to face meeting but to enhance recovery

www.Theserooms.blogspot.com\
Shares messages of spirituality, experience, strength and hope with all of its readers. Theserooms.blogspot.com: “A drinking life isn’t a happy life. Drinking cuts you off from other people and from God.

www.Up4more.blogspot.com
Wait. What? – That’s the tag line for Up4More.Blogspot.com, a heartfelt and personal blog about addiction and recovery. From Wait. What? – “My teen years brought teen angst with its self inflicted wounds to my outer shell I am sure it put stress on our relationship. In my late teens you stayed true through my first broken heart, when I wanted to die, you kept on with your consistent pitter patter, until I was able to wake from that haze of sadness and discover life again.”

www.AmericaInRecovery.org came up with a great idea when they created a website for people in recovery who are seeking employment. The concept is simple. Businesses sign up and post job openings, while job seekers can upload their resumes or directly apply for jobs.

“Our country includes millions of addicted people in recovery who are considered unemployable by many employers.” Reads the America in Recovery website. “Americans from all walks of life are affected by the disease of addiction, from unskilled young people to doctors, lawyers, and engineers. How can we use their talents and abilities? How can we give them opportunities to be motivated, enthusiastic, and productive? America in Recovery offers them a way to find a job.”

At America in Recovery, they’re upfront about the fact that there is no staff and, in short, that it is very difficult to get in touch with them. They explain that they developed the site in a manner that users would be able to add to the site themselves with minimal maintenance on their part. They explain that employers using America in Recovery are helping to support people who are trying to rebuild their lives in a way that gives them a sense of responsibility and integrity.

America in Recovery goes on to state, “The recovery principles of honesty and integrity rub off on other employees not in recovery, and the end result is a family that works well together and appreciates one another.”