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http://Drug-Addiction-Support.org
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Language: English
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Miss Nikki
5/25/2009 8:15 PM UTC
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Recovery Now! is weekly radio show for people struggling with addiction in themselves or their loved ones. It discusses the process of recovery including features on addiction causes, symptoms, stories, programs, spiritual support, and treatments.
dawicker104
Date / Time: 11/30/2009 9:00 PM UTC
Category: Health
Call-in Number: (646) 727-2939
Joins us as we review all of the 12 steps and give you insights about getting the most out of the program and because a new person in recovery!
Upcoming Episodes
12/7/2009 9:00 PM UTC - Learning how to recover from alcohol and drug addiction
12/14/2009 9:00 PM UTC - Learning how to recover from alcohol and drug addiction
12/21/2009 9:00 PM UTC - Learning how to recover from alcohol and drug addiction
Original Air Date: 8/31/2009 8:00 PM UTC
Date / Time: 8/28/2009 9:34 PM UTC
Date / Time: 8/28/2009 9:29 PM UTC
Ned Wicker is the Addictions Recovery Chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital Lawrence Center He author's a website for alcoholism support:
Alcoholism-Support.org
Alcoholism Intervention
Date / Time: 8/28/2009 9:23 PM UTC
Date / Time: 8/26/2009 2:55 PM UTC
The recent blockbuster success of the Batman film took me back to early this year when actor Heath Ledger died of an overdose of prescription medication. At the time people were talking about his marvelous portrayal of a dark and sinister "Joker" in the film, and I read stories about how the excessively evil character might have affected Ledger, causing psychological strain.
I am of the generation that watched Cesar Romero play "Joker" on the television series, with a comical twist and more of a "naughty boy" angle. Then, of course, there was Jack Nicholson, who played "Joker" as a sinister "bad guy," who became twisted and completely psychopathic. Ledger goes well beyond that in his portrayal. Still, it is within the limits of the imagination. We are all capable of twisted thinking, abhorrent behavior and losing any sense of moral direction. It's part of the human condition, and sadly drugs are used to escape the pain of the human experience.
Ledger's performance might well lead to a posthumous Academy Award, but it also serves as a reminder that we all have our dark side. No one is exempt. In order for a character in a film to be believable, that character must be driven by an element of truth, and the character must have some kind of human element for us to attach to. In the case of drug addiction, we need to recognize that element of human possibility, and know that unless we come to grips with ourselves, we stand little chance of overcoming our addictive behavior. Moreover, as addiction gets its way in our lives, more of the dark side of our existence shows itself.
Beyond admitting that we have a problem, knowing that we need help from a "power greater than ourselves," and being willing to submit our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understand him, we must focus inward in order to understand what our most important needs are. This "moral checklist" serves to identify areas of weakness, but if we are willing to expose these areas, we are given opportunity for restoration. That which is denied and hidden is brought into the light, into the hands of the Almighty. There is hope.
Of course, there are other ways of breaking the bonds of abuse or addiction. If one can be cleared of the physical dependence and given some management tools, then they can live clean and sober. But are the dark issues dealt with? What about the holes in the heart that are seeking fulfillment? We are body, mind and spirit. I am part of an interdisciplinary team and understand that I respect my teammates and marvel at their skills. They deal with the body and mind, and do so with a deep level of understanding and professional experience. The spirit is an entirely different matter. There is no medical commonality, or standardized treatment options for the spirit. The spirit is hidden from us, and I submit that only God knows us completely. An unwilling person can benefit from detoxification and treatment. But that person cannot benefit from the love of God unless they submit to God's treatment plan for the spirit. That is the one, major drawback of the 12 Step approach. We can say no and when we do, there is no benefit.
The "Joker" character in the latest Batman film is frightening because it goes beyond the surface and exposes the dark underside of human possibility. Heath Ledger might have been killed by the very thing that enabled him to give such an over-the-top performance.
Ned Wicker is the Addictions Recovery Chaplain at Waukesha Memorial Hospital Lawrence Center He author's a website for addiction support:
Drug-Addiction-Support.org
Drug Addiction Intervention
Date / Time: 8/26/2009 2:52 PM UTC
"Candice" never saw herself as a criminal, just somebody "doing what she had to do." In a seemingly endless succession of measures to take the "edge" off of life, Candice tried to hold her life together by convincing herself that there was no foundational problem with using an illegal substance for helping hr cope with the pressures of being a single mother of three and living well below the poverty line. It's a difficult road to be on, with three children under the age of six. It's made even harder when mom is only 20 years-old herself, has no education and is in the beginning stages of addiction.
Life began to unravel five years ago when she was a freshman in high school. Her parents had divorced a few years earlier and she was living with her grandparents. Like many 15 year-old girls, she had an interest in the boys and made some poor decisions. She had the first baby when she was in her second year of high school and was pregnant from a different boy again before dropping out of school in her junior year. When she was 18, she met an older man and thought she might have an opportunity to get some stability in her life, but all she got was pregnant again. Her grandparents, who were living at the lower end of the middle class, were not able to handle the three children alone. Candice was rarely home, even though her working hours were from 6:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Even for an adult, being a single mom is a chore, regardless of income or educational background. For Candice, it was a nightmare. Still a child herself, she wanted to be with her friends, and rationalized that her children were taken care of by her grandparents. She just wanted to get away. One afternoon she had her first experience with crack cocaine. She got away. The euphoria from the crack gave her an escape avenue, albeit a very short one. A couple of weeks went by and the grandparents, who tried to help Candice manage her money, began asking questions about what happened to her paycheck and why she had been spending so much time away from her children. They quickly deduced that Candice was into something over her head and pressed her for information.
Call it "tough love" or call it an ultimatum, but the grandparents demanded change for her, first by requesting that she get some help and finally by drawing the line in the sand, saying either comply with us or leave the house. She chose to leave. The kids stayed at home, while Candice moved in with friends. Soon after, she was out of money and lost her job. She was arrested for shoplifting and police discovered a small amount of crack cocaine on her person.
She came back and agreed to see a doctor. The visit to the medical clinic immediately led to a referral to a drug treatment center. Candice realized that she was in jeopardy of becoming addicted to the crack. She also knew she needed help getting her life back together, starting with completing her GED. Through the treatment center, she was able to begin working towards those goals. Her case came up in court and the judge ruled that she was to continue in treatment, complete her GED and stay clean for 18 months in lieu of a fine or a jail term. The judge emphasized the treatment and recovery process, but also issued a warning that her second court appearance would be "unpleasant."
Young girls get into trouble early by thinking that having a baby, having a little person to love, with fill their hearts. They look for love and security from boys and men, who do not love them, do not care about their children, and will vanish at the first hint of responsibility. Candice had no education, no moral compass and no particular ability to reason through the events of her life. Her grandparents tried, but she made bad decisions. The crack cocaine use was supposed to be the answer, but it just made a bad situation worse. She was lucky. She got caught.
Date / Time: 8/26/2009 2:49 PM UTC
Recovery is a process. It begins with a person discovering or admitting that they have a problem with drugs and/or alcohol and they need help. Depending on their individual situation and needs, a recovery treatment program is established, either in a residential setting, or out-patient. People who receive treatment for their addictions are not cured of those addictions, so recovery is also a lifestyle. Like other chronic conditions, like diabetes, addiction is not cured, but it can be managed.
One of the first steps in recovery is to get the substance out of the system, and so recovering addicts will go through detoxification (detox). There are some who think that detox is the solution, but it's really only the beginning. Because recovery is a lifestyle change, addicts need to learn new skills and coping mechanisms to keep control over their addiction, rather than addiction controlling them. Some require a medical intervention, to ease the craving for a drug. Others respond well to counseling or psychotherapy. Everybody is different, so programs are as diverse as the addicts themselves.
The 12-Step Recovery Program is popular, mainly because addicts can share their experiences, receive help and support from each other, and in the years since Alcohol Anonymous introduced those steps in 1935, over 25 self-help groups have adapted the steps to fit their needs. But recovery is not limited to 12-step, and it's important to understand that individual needs will dictate treatment options.
Recovery is the path that leads to sobriety and a restoration of sanity. The path is your new direction in life, not the end. Recovery never ends, but recovering addicts have walked down the path and received the knowledge and support they need to live a happy, healthy and productive life.
How do I break the cycle of addiction in my life and move toward recovery?
This is a huge question. The most important thing is to understand that you have a problem, which is the first of the AA 12-Step process for breaking the drug addiction cycle. You have come to admit that you are powerless over your addiction and that your life is out of control. This is important because people want to believe that they can solve their own problems and pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. If you are like most people, this fighting spirit doesn't work with addiction.
It's important to know that addiction can not be cured, it can only be controlled. Once the substance is out of your system, and once the medical aspects of your addiction have been addressed, there is still a management issue. That's where treatment programs come into play, because treatment is designed to equip addicts how to manage their behavior. Because of this relapse is usually common when you're trying to break the drug addiction cycle. Expect relapse but don't give up because of it!
Self awareness is an important component here. People use for a variety of reasons, but mostly to either feel better or to party. Addicts need to feel better. They need the drug just to get by. What is missing, what are the voids in their lives that create the urge to seek the drug as a solution? Even after they have gone through detoxification, there is still that pattern of behavior to deal with.
AA offers insight.
The second step to break the drug addiction cycle says that:
"we came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity."
That's the key to breaking the addiction cycle. We are not able to control our behavior and we know we need outside help. For theists, that power is God, however they understand God. For atheists, that power has to come from something else. If there is no power greater than one's self, perhaps the power is an intellectual construct, a principle, a power that comes just from believing in something. We are all body, mind and spirit. However you define that greater power, it is something that affects the spirit.
Important questions need to be asked:
How do I experience myself?
How do I experience others?
How do I experience the world?
How do I experience the relationship I have with that higher power?
The individual answers to these questions give insight into the voids in our lives. Understanding the voids and allowing those voids to be filled with something other than the drug, is how the cycle is broken. The power comes from outside of us, much like an electronic device needs to be plugged into the wall to function.
The Third Step in breaking the drug addiction cycle
The third step is surrendering to that power. Coming from a Judeo-Christian background, this writer believes that man was made in the image of God, who is spirit. The power greater than ourselves is that God who connects with our spirit. But there are so many different understandings of God, which is why "as we understood him" in that third step is so important. The theology is very diverse and this is not the place to discuss all of the differences.
The cycle is broken when our lives are no longer controlled by the drug, with the understanding that any subsequent use of the drug might trigger the whole cycle again. We need to stay "plugged in" to that outside power source.
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