Inspirational Quotes to Celebrate Recovery Month

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate, here are some inspirational quotes taken from RealMentalHealth.com.

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
- Thomas Edison

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It does not matter how deep you fall, what matters is how high you bounce back.
- unknown

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Superman’s not brave. You can’t be brave if you’re indestructible. It’s every day people, like you and me, that are brave knowing we could easily be defeated but still continue forward.
- unknown

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Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget about everything except what you’re going to do now – and do it.
- William Durant

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You don’t have to control your thoughts; you just have to stop letting them control you.
- Dan Millman

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Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.
- Og Mandino

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Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.
- Ambrose Redmoon

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Determination, patience and courage are the only things needed to improve any situation.
- Peter Sinclair

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Fall seven times, stand up eight.
- Japanese proverb

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We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.
- Martin Luther King “

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Just as despair can come to one only from other human beings, hope, too, can be given to one only by other human beings.
- Elie Weisel

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Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.
- Dr. Dale Turner

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To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
- Anatole France

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He who has hope has everything.
- Arabian Proverb

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Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.
- Helen Keller

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technorati tags: recovery month, addiction, inspirational quotes

Women’s problems with addiction different from men’s | Portland Press Herald

Polly Haight Frawley, Crossroads for Women’s chief of operations, wrote an article for the Portland Press Herald’s Maine Voices editorial section in response to a quote in a past article about the Diane Schuler tragedy. As the title suggests, it addresses the differences between men and women when it comes to addiction. It was published on August 15, 2009. Click on the link below to read the article.

Women’s problems with addiction different from men’s | Portland Press Herald

Or, read it on Crossroads for Women’s website.

3 Things to Take Away from the Tragedies of Schuler, Jackson and Mays

There has been a lot of media coverage lately around the tragic deaths of Long Island mom Diane Schuler, pop star Michael Jackson and pitchman Billy Mays. All of the stories include allegations of alcohol and / or drug abuse or misuse. All include real people whose lives were taken too soon. And all of the stories leave mourning families with a whole lot of questions. So, what can we take away from these tragic stories?

1. Addicted women need to be able to come out of hiding to get the treatment they need without the fear that society will reject them. 92% of women do not receive needed treatment for alcohol and drug problems. The intense shame and guilt that women experience, especially mothers, when they are abusing drugs or alcohol keeps women from seeking treatment for their problem. Even in the most modern families, women are most often the caretakers of the family. Who will take over the role when mom has to take a break to seek the help she needs? When faced with the choice of seeking help for their problem or taking care of their kids and family, they’ll almost always choose the kids. Studies have shown that children typically learn of their father’s alcoholism when they are about 12.6 years of age, while they don’t learn of their mother’s alcoholism until 18.3. Schuler was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and marijuana when she drove the wrong way down the Taconic State Parkway in New York when she hit a car head on, killing 8 people, including herself, her 2-year old daughter and 3 young nieces. Her family says they never saw her drunk.

2. We need to pay attention to the rise in prescription drug abuse in America. Prescription drugs, or the mixture of prescription drugs with other drugs or alcohol, may have contributed to both Jackson and Mays’ deaths. Federal data shows nearly 7 million Americans abused prescription drugs in 2007, up 80% since 2000. According to the Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS), nearly one in five (an estimated 4.7 million) teens have ever abused prescription drugs. Prescription drugs were second only to marijuana for those 7th – 12th graders reporting to ever trying drugs in 2008. Most teens get their prescription drugs straight from their family’s medicine cabinet and think it is safe because it comes from a doctor. Doctor shopping, and even dentist shopping, has become popular.

3. We need to talk to each other about our experiences with addiction, whether it is through our own past abuses or through dealing with a friend of family member’s addiction. When someone is diagnosed with asthma or diabetes, they consult doctors and specialists, learn about their disease and treatments, maybe even make some lifestyle changes. Chances are, the person hears other people’s stories about their bouts with the same disease and how they handled it. They talk about it, and they deal with it. Think about it. Most people could probably name a cancer center near them, but how many could name a substance abuse treatment center in the same area? How many Mainers know about Crossroads for Women? While treatment and support options for drug and alcohol are lacking in many communities, they do exist. You don’t read about addiction research as much as you do about asthma or diabetes or cancer. Even those that conquer addiction and find recovery often don’t talk about their past for fear that they will be unfairly judged.

Addiction is a disease that needs to be addressed and treated. It is a disease that can tear apart families and ruin lives, yet it’s still something we are too ashamed to talk about. What would happen if we did?

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technorati tags: Diane Schuler, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays, substance abuse, addiction, treatment

Study Shows Interventions for Family Members with Addicted Loved Ones Reduces Stress

While it is known that people with a close family member addicted to drugs or alcohol can experience multiple symptoms of physical and psychological stress, these family members are not often intervened with in a medical setting. A recent study coming out of England shows that brief and/or full interventions for family members dealing with an addicted loved one both reduce emotional stress and increase the ability to use coping skills.

Researchers conducted both brief and full interventions with family members affected by a loved one’s drug or alcohol problem. A brief intervention included one face-to-face session and receiving a self-help manual based on the principles used in the full intervention. The full intervention included 5 face-to-face, manual-guided counseling sessions that focused on identifying stressors, providing information on alcohol and other drugs, and developing coping behaviors and sources of support. Interestingly, there was no difference between the 2 groups of interventions. In the 12 week follow up visits, both showed considerable reductions in stress and improvement in coping skills.

The study concluded that a well-constructed self-help manual handed out by a primary care professional may be as effective for family members as several face-to-face sessions with a professional.

Family support is so important in a treatment setting to support the addicted family member. However, we can’t ignore the stresses the entire family faces. Addiction is a family disease. In response to this, Crossroads for Women is now offering an outpatient therapy group to family members that have loved ones struggling with drug and/or alcohol addiction. It is designed to offer support, options and a place to be themselves. Participants are able to get the help they need for their situation and share trials and triumphs with others. Women and men are welcome to this group. FMI: 207.773.9931 or email.

For more on the study:
Treatment in Primary Care for Family Members Affected by Substance Abuse (JoinTogether.org)
The relative efficacy of two levels of a primary care intervention for family members affected by the addiction problem of a close relative: a randomized trial. (study abstract from Addiction magazine)

technorati tags: addiction, family disease, interventions, Crossroads for Women