I am so grateful to be clean and serene today. It has been 7 years that I have chosen to present and accounted for during my 24 year old daughter’s and my 77 yr old fathers cancer. The 12 steps have given me such wonderful tools and spiritual principles to live by as I try to the”best of my ability” to be a support system for both. Patience ,when I am powerless over their pain, tolerance when they are angry,compassion when they just need to be listened to, perserverence when I must cancel my own activities and sit through another treatment or operation are just a few of the gifts of recovery that I have command of these days.Today ,I have faith that his will not mine will be done and whatever that is will be ok. I don’t have to be in charge , I can just accept the journey as it is and in it find strength and courage to trust in a  power greater than myself that I never have to use through it all. I have the support of those in the fellowhip when I cry and I have prayer and meditation to put me in “conscious contact” with my higher power. I just recieved a phone call a few minutes ago , from my daughter and she is having problems breathing tonight and is on her way back to the hospital. She is in another city about an hour away. I stopped writing and whispered a small prayer…. In the 3rd step I learned to ” let go and let God”. I know that I am powerless but I also know that HP is powerful, loving and caring. Thanks to recovery… today I can deal with family illness.Truly, this is their journey and they have doctors and medicine. It is my journey to be here and stand beside them. “God grant me the serenty to accept the things I cannot change, ( their cancer) the courage to change the things I can , (my fears) and the wisdom to know the difference.(HP is in charge not me) . What a gift it is to grow in recovery and to become productive and responsible today…. thanks for letting me blog  Etta S

Evidence of Drug Packaging, Drug Paraphernalia, Hypodemic needles and more than one – and -a – half ounces of cocaine was enough to place Mario Garcia, 22 of Watsonville under arrest Thursday.

Sergeant Jorge Zamora of the Watsonville Police Department helped conduct the month long investigation, which eventually sent Garcia to the County Jail for Possession of Control Substances and Possession for Sale of Controlled Substances.

This event is intended to create an atomsphere of fun and Fellowship. Bring your Broom stick, Bug spray, bedding sheets, personal items, lawn chairs, coolers, and soda/water.

Get ready to sit back and enjoy 3 action packed days filled with Dancing, Worksops, Games, Raffles(The 50/50), Auctions, speaker meetings, Cabin Camping, and Huge Bonfire. 

Sandwiches will be provided Friday night, All 3 meals saturday & breakfast sunday. Pre-registration is required to assure availability.

This event will be held in the: Cuivre River State Park , 678 State Route 147., Troy, Missouri 63379

For More information Please call or E-mail:

Chairman – Jaimie R (618) 520 – 6895

Registrator – Mary Beth (618) 451 – 6173

Treasurer – Richard R (618) 520 – 0502

E-Mail: nadrc2008@yahoo.com

http://rallyforrecovery.com/  The “RallyforRecovery” is proudly sponsored by InTheRooms.com! Becuase there ain’t no party like a Recovery party – we really have our lives back.

The month of September celebrates the importance of the recovery community and all it’s programs, blogs such as thenablog.com, theaablog.com, inrecovery.com, thesocialrecoveryblog.com, and intherooms.com are playing a vital role in helping addicts in need.

Hosted in beuatiful Bicentennial Park on September 12th, 2009

This is no Micky Mouse Rally – This is the real Deal, With a WALK, a Festival, and a Real live Concert. If you don’t think I’m for real check out the official website: www.rallyforrecovery.com

Now here’s what we have going on:  

The WALK – This month come an walk with us and help spread the message ” Saving addicts in recovery ONE Life at a Time.”  Be an advocate not for “change”(This isn’t a presidential election), but for the continued growth and recognition of what the recovery community stands for – “No addict, no matter where in the world, suffering in silence or in the open, will never be turned away – we love you, we understand you, COME HOME.” Help Spread the word that members in recovery are execptional, proactive, and extremely productive members of society!

Moving on:

The FESTIVAL – This will include the hole 9 – yards, delicious food, Keynote Speakers, Recovery Exhibits, Special guest and surprises…All of this will help motivate, inspire, and inform members and non-members alike of the importance of our work in the recovery community. 

The CONCERT - If you think Rockers are the only ones that can party, We’ll show them that we don’t need the boos and the drugs to throw down. Richie Supa will end the day of as only a legend can – bringing down the house with his world famous PRISM award song – IN THE ROOMS.

Yours Truely,

Ron Kerronian

P.S. This event is gauranteed to leave all in attenance touched moved and inspired, propelling us forward to becomeing more dedicated advocates not only in their lives, but in the lives of the entire Global Community.

-JOIN US!

BagHeadSponsor.com isn’t your typical recovery website. In fact, you may even call it odd, considering that it features a dancing, rapping woman with a bag over her head. But the site is incredibly fun and gets its message of recovery across in an entertaining and compelling way.

“One of the core principals of BagheadSponsor.com is anonymity. The idea behind BagheadSponsor.com is to bring you messages of truth, hope, inspiration, hilarity, awe, intrigue and fun anonymously. We think that having the messages delivered in this way will be most effective and will eliminate prejudices that might otherwise stand in the way of the message. You can probably dig your heels in and figure out who we are, but with all sincerity we ask you not to do so. In the spirit of generosity and anonymity, let’s keep this fun and let go of who’s behind the bag. who really cares, right? the point is, it’s getting some important material out in the world. feel free to share it, argue it, complain about it, etc… just don’t blow it.” –BagHeadSponsor.com

On top of creating the new In The Rooms rap song, the Bag Head Sponsor’s latest post features an interview with Kenny P. and R.T., founders of the popular recovery website, InTheRooms.com. Check out all the fun at www.BagHeadSponsor.com

Other terms used for Khat: Abyssinian tea, African salad, oat, kat, chat, and catha. It is also referred to as qat in Yemen, tschat in Ethiopia, and miraa in Kenya.

How do people use Khat?

- Khat is typically chewed like tobacco.
- The fresh leaves, twigs, and shoots of the Khat shrub are chewed, and then retained in the cheek and chewed intermittently to release the active drug.
- Dried plant material can be made into tea or a paste that can be chewed.
- Khat can be smoked and sprinkled on food.

What does Khat look like?

Khat is a flowering evergreen shrub native to East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Khat that is sold and abused is usually just the leaves, twigs, and shoots of the Khat shrub.

What are the consequences of using Khat?

- Widespread frequent use of Khat impacts productivity because it tends to reduce worker motivation.
- Khat can induce manic behaviors, hyperactivity, and hallucinations.
- There are reports of Khat-induced psychosis.
- Common side effects include anorexia, tahycardia, hypertension, insomnia, and gastric disorders.
- Chronic Khat abuse can result in symptoms such as physical exhaustion, violence, and suicidal depression.

Michael D. Osborne, Executive Director of Harbour Pointe, a treatment center for compulsive gamblers, says that he would not be surprised if the start of Philip Markoff’s destructive pattern stemmed from his gambling addiction.

According to authorities, the Boston med student alleged to be the “Craigslist Killer,” who murdered an attractive Manhattan masseuse, was driven by a gambling obsession. Currently held without bail in Boston on murder and kidnapping charges, police are saying that Phillip Markoff devised a brutal plan to finance casino trips by robbing escorts who might not report being attacked.

Friends of Philip Markoff say they are stunned over the details and accusations of the 22-year-old medical student, who is also engaged to be married in August. Gambling Behavior Expert, Michael D. Osborne, says, “I treat family members all the time who say, ‘this couldn’t be my loved one,’ when in actuality their loved ones have created another world that no one knew existed.”

Osborne goes on to say, “Gambling addiction is referred to as the hidden addiction. You cannot see it in their eyes or smell it on their breath. A gambler’s drug of choice is money, and this addiction will make good people do bad things when they reach that hopeless and desperate phase of the gambling addiction cycle. A compulsive gambler has the inability to think ahead of the potential consequences.”

Sadly, Osborne thinks this may not be the last case we will see of a gambling addiction gone horrifically wrong. “Amidst an economic downturn, people will turn to gambling as a means to make some quick cash.” Osborne hopes that the Philip Markoff case will bring awareness to those that may not see their addiction as a problem before it’s too late.
Michael D. Osborne is the Executive Director of Harbour Pointe, a residential treatment program that treats compulsive gambling. Harbour Pointe was founded 20 years ago, making the facility the oldest treatment center in the country solely dedicated to treating compulsive gambling. Osborne has appeared on HBO Real Sports and various other media outlets, and is available to speak as an expert on the Markoff case, compulsive gambling and the addiction signs to watch out for during the economic recession.

For more information about Michael D. Osborne and Harbour Pointe, please go to www.lostbet.com.

“Teens in Prevention” (TiP) is a Youth Driven, Community Supported Network of School-Based Organizations (SBOs) that focuses on individual responsibility, positive peer pressure, and community mobilization in hopes of reducing substance abuse and violence. Multiple SBOs form a Regional Chapter and each Regional Chapter becomes part of the greater Network.

DEA El Paso is responsible for managing and operating the Network. DEA Special Agents and support staff – with the experience, commitment, and credibility to promote drug prevention and education within the community – distinguish the TiP Network. TiP involves training a cadre of youth and community leaders that are responsible for conducting prevention programs and activities. Youth Driven SBOs adopt their feeder elementary and middle schools and provide all school-aged children with a drug-free message.

TiP works on the guiding principle that people will support what they help create, and that no one system, agency, or organization can prevent drug use and violence in isolation. Because TiP facilitates teamwork, cooperation, and problem solving, it will compliment and support existing programs and enhance DEA’s National prevention efforts.

DEA – El Paso has numerous Regional Chapters consisting of 70 youth-driven, community-supported coalitions, and approximately 5,000 participants. Current Chapters are in Texas, New Mexico, and Illinois, while future Chapters will be piloted in Florida, Minnesota, and Nevada. At our current growth rate, we anticipate 7,500 – 10,000 youth and community participants sharing assets, resources, and information by the end of 2002.

The El Paso Division has numerous trainers who can assist other domestic offices in creating a Regional Chapter in their area of responsibility. Creating a Regional Chapter is a two-phase process, normally requires six-months, and will be funded by Headquarters Demand Reduction section. Please contact the TiP Network Coordinator, DRC David Monnette at 915.204.2265 for additional information or view the TiP web site at www.deatip.net and register your email for electronic updates.

The ultimate goal of all drug abuse treatment is to enable the patient to achieve lasting abstinence, but the immediate goals are to reduce drug use, improve the patient’s ability to function, and minimize the medical and social complications of drug abuse.

There are several types of drug abuse treatment programs. Short-term methods last less than 6 months and include residential therapy, medication therapy, and drug-free outpatient therapy. Longer term treatment may include, for example, methadone maintenance outpatient treatment for opiate addicts and residential therapeutic community treatment.

Maintenance Treatment

In maintenance treatment for heroin addicts, people in treatment are given an oral dose of a synthetic opiate, usually methadone hydrochloride or levo-alpha-acetyl methadol (LAAM), administered at a dosage sufficient to block the effects of heroin and yield a stable, noneuphoric state free from physiological craving for opiates. In this stable state, the patient is able to disengage from drug-seeking and related criminal behavior and, with appropriate counseling and social services, become a productive member of his or her community.

Outpatient Treatment

Outpatient drug-free treatment does not include medications and encompasses a wide variety of programs for patients who visit a clinic at regular intervals. Most of the programs involve individual or group counseling. Patients entering these programs are abusers of drugs other than opiates or are opiate abusers for whom maintenance therapy is not recommended, such as those who have stable, well-integrated lives and only brief histories of drug dependence.

Therapeutic Communities (TCs)

Therapeutic communities (TCs) are highly structured programs in which patients stay at a residence, typically for 6 to 12 months. Patients in TCs include those with relatively long histories of drug dependence, involvement in serious criminal activities, and seriously impaired social functioning. The focus of the TC is on the resocialization of the patient to a drug-free, crime-free lifestyle.

This press release was provided by South Coast Recovery. Visit them online at www.SouthCoastRecovery.com

It’s in the news every day now. Celebrities are in and out of drug rehabs and eating disorder clinics. However, most affordable clinics are no picnic. At Ambrosia Addiction Treatment Center comfortable and relaxing rehabilitation is now available to everyone.

Ambrosia Addiction Treatment Center now offers some of the highest quality residential living in conjunction with its world-class addiction treatment programs. The up-and-coming addiction treatment center is already winning approval from patients and industry experts for its innovative and effective methods of dealing with addictions including drug addiction treatment, eating disorder and gambling addiction.

A new look and feel to the program has been added to their luxury residencies including resort style tennis courts, exercise facilities and use of the adjacent golf course on some of Port St. Lucie’s most desirable property. Summer, Spring, Fall or Winter–enjoy temperate weather year round. Attend comprehensive group and private sessions intended to attack addiction at the heart.

For more information on how to attend the Ambrosia Addiction Treatment Center please visit their informative website at www.ambrosiatreatmentcenter.com