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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Views of the Original 12 Step Manuscript

Nice find today on the Yahoo News site! It is indeed a "rare glimpse" into this historic book, "with 27 million copies of the so-called Big Book in more than 50 languages have been sold."  It is fitting to find this while writing my Step One, final post before moving on to Octobers Step Two arriving later on today. I want to highlight a few sections of the article:

"Some of the edits made it into print, especially in early chapters for fragile readers. Many others were rejected as the still-anonymous personalities behind the notes fretted over how to handle God and religion, a Higher Power "bigger than ourselves" and the influence of the Oxford Group, a religious movement embraced by Wilson and his fellow founder, Ohio physician Bob Smith, but later considered a preachy hindrance in working with problem drinkers." Quote from original Yahoo article

The editors rightly smoothed out the bumps of religious language to engage a broader audience. To me, a follower of Jesus, I acknowledge the Bible as the final authority being written from God's inspired authors at the same time, understanding not every one is on that page. It's my aim to catch a broad audience on this blog, without being afraid to speak my own faith and journey. Nor should anyone be afraid or offended about another person’s beliefs. That goes both ways. Mutual respect and understanding is what allows for true dialogue.

Much like the editors of books purge, change and influence the original manuscripts, I believe that God, Creator of All, did the same to His Book making it His Word. Simply because people don't believe there is GOD or that there are absolute truths stated through scripture, doesn't make it invalid or non-truth. Who are men to say there is no God? :)

"In the opening chapter, which tells Wilson's story, one commenter questions this sentence: "God has to work twenty-four hours a day in and through us, or we perish."
The criticism? "Who are we to say what God has to do?” The reference, at a Dr. Howard's suggestion, was changed to "Faith."
Some mentions of God became "God as we understood him," and the famous "We" at the beginning of the first step was added later at the suggestion of one among five or six to make notes on the manuscript, including Wilson himself.
In the seventh step, where Wilson and his collaborators indicate to their readers that they "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings," a reference to doing so "on our knees" was crossed out and never made it into print." Quote from original Yahoo article

I do however stand by the statement I made about smoothing out the BIG BOOK, even though it's original intent revered the Word of GOD, instruction and religion. Preachy sounding text does turn away as many as it attracts. Religion is just the term of organizations of belief. Spirituality is also just a broad term to describe everything other than physical, mental understanding. I believe that when men call out to God with honest seeking of truth they will find Him. 

Suppose God is way above all our thinking, and doesn't need defense by any man? Don't you think He only desires for men to find Him and searches for those who seek truth, as He reveals it? God never forces anyone to believe in Him; He simply calls us to find out for ourselves. 

For addicts this is key to true recovery. They must come to terms with their own failures, strength and sense of self. To find God in their own way and follow it with all their heart, soul and mind to recover and live life abundant in natural non-addictive ways.


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Friday, September 24, 2010

12 Steps - STEP ONE: Begin Here

Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable
In thinking about the first step I realize it is simply to "give up" when all else fails. By that I mean not giving in to the problem, but truly, deep down admitting we are stuck and need help getting out from under being stuck. This is not only for those seeking recovery from addiction it is for those who seek recovery in life from crisis, trouble, and overwhelming circumstances.

Take time to think deeply about who you are, where things went wrong and what holds you together. If it's a substance holding your life, what would it feel like to be free? If life is hammering you with one bad thing after another, rather than cave in, "Give Up" in faith. Renew your belief in God, or your higher power, for rescue.

Jesus said "You will know the truth the truth and will set you free." He also stated "I am the Way the Truth and Life."  (see John 14:5-7 John 8:31-33)

The Tiger of Addiction and Troubles
I wrote before about the story of the tiger. If you let go he'll turn to eat you, keep a tight hold, and you keep spinning round and round with no end in sight. If you are captive to anything dangerous that you can't get out of, or don't see your way out of, you have a tiger by the tail. So what's the solution?

It's a small beginning: ADMIT you can't win. You thought you could control that "tiger" but it's out of control. Put up the white flag and admit defeat. That tiger is a figment in your mind, manifested in your addiction or troubles. Take the wind out of the sail and quit denying you need help and reach out for it. It is indeed the fist step towards recovery.

There are 11 more steps to take to be rid of your tiger!

Check out the Grateful Dead Lyrics HERE to catch the drift of what a tiger can be...

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Tuesday, September 21, 2010

23.1 Million People Need Treatment

That's right, 23.1 Million People Need Treatment for substance abuse disorder in just the United States. VOICES FOR RECOVERY sent me a Recovery Kit with the most amazing resource materials. I wanted to share one of the most astonishing papers on Commonly misused substances. Interesting enough the average age of abuse is 35-44 with under 30's being the highest rate of misuse.

According to US Department of Health Services, In 2008 there were an estimated 4.4 million emergency rooms visits due to substance abuse. The statistics below tell the number of people who used (actually telling the truth) in one month in 2008. The numbers tell a chilling story. Mind you it's just one month of reports and the result of misuse and abuse, not just occasional usage. 
  • Cocaine - 15 million users - decreased from 07
  • LSD - 1.1 million users - increased from 07
  • Gases, Nitrates, aerosols - 600,000 users - decreased from 07
  • Pain Relief (Opioids) - 4.7 million users - decreased from 07
  • Psychotherapeutics - 6.2 million users - decreased from 07
  • Marijuanna - 15 million users - increased from 07
  • Alcohol - 126.8 Million users - same as 07
  • Tobacco Products - 70.9 Million users - same as 07
Other misused substances on the increase include Ecstasy and tranquilizers. This is indeed a MAJOR health issue for which all of should be concerned enough to do something about it. So if you know someone, or are yourself struggling with either legal or illegal substances, reach out for help! It begins with information, and from the packet I received there is help across the board for every race, ethnicity, and socio-economic status. 

You can be free from addiction, there is help and HOPE. Read the archived blog, reach out for help through the links you find here. This is also for those who love and live with an addict. We are in this together!

Additional resource to find services in your area: 1 800 662 HELP or 800 487 4889 (TDD) as well as http://www.samhsa.gov/treatment .

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Brian Sherwin, Art Critic: The Spiritual Side of Art

Apologies if you already got this link, seems it was deleted by accident from the Addictshuns blog. Now it's back in place! Art is important to recovery, so read on.....

Brian Sherwin -- Art Critic: The Spiritual Side of Art: "She Thinks by Brian Sherwin The Spiritual Side of Art Art has the power to move people-- if art did not there would, in most cases, be no..."

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LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS on art, music or life.


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Monday, September 20, 2010

America's Drug of Choice

 The other night while watching TV, we viewed 12 commercials pushing various medications from birth control, COPD/asthma to allergies, clogged arteries and depression pills to take when the main one doesn't work. All 12 shown within a 30 minute segment and switching between two shows. Talk about visual indoctrination! Listening to the contraindications makes one wonder if being sick isn't somehow more healthy!

The most amazing thing is we are told through all this advertising from drug companies that one cannot enjoy a healthy life without their pills. Take their cure for all that ails you, in fact go to your Dr. to tell him that you may need what the commercial just planted in your mind. At the same time TV news reports the war against drug trafficking and abuse, with Cartels pumping illegal drugs across our border. Who are the true drug lords?

Problem is those pills don't CURE anything. Dr's have become nothing more than legal drug pushers compensated for selling prescriptions to people who could get well on their own without those drugs in most cases, through diet, exercise, drinking water and lifestyle adjustments. Our bodies amazingly have something called homeostasis which brings itself back to health always. Why not tap those healing methods?

Take pain for instance. Most people are ok with over the counter relief. For something stronger, pain-relievers are given out like candy by our Dr's, even dentists on a regular basis. I'm not talking aspirin. You know: Oxycodone, codeine, fentanyl, Hydrocodone. What you may not know is that one can become addicted to any of the above in just 2-3 weeks of use. It can also be purchase over the internet. Beware, all sales of these drugs are carefully monitored by the DEA and they will come after abusers!

Opioids are the Drug of Choice for America. Most people don't want to use illegal substances. Nor do the pharmaceutical companies. For in your addiction, they make money. Not only through the purchase of the medicine but they have a cure and another addiction even more pricey to farm their millions off of addicts. To get off the Opioids, there is a rapid detox method that costs about $20-40,000 dollars to get opioids out of your system, then they put you on Suboxone or Buprenorphine (READ MORE HERE) to alleviate further withdrawal symptoms. These cost about $400-800 a month. This is a direct quote from Dr Waismann who believes getting off without supplements is possible. Vicious cycle to say the least!

“We are treating alarming numbers of people suffering dependencies to Suboxone ®, who assumed they were treating one dependency and ended up developing a new one,” said Waismann. “Rather than write prescriptions, the addiction community should direct their efforts towards helping patients understand that relapse is not part of recovery. In addition, the antiquated notion that addiction is an incurable disease and belief that 'once an addict, always an addict,' needs to be dispelled. Patients are tired of being hostages of a belief that they must be eternally dependent on treatments and maintenance drugs. We must stop applying judgment, and start offering an effective solution that will keep them from returning to the treatment centers time after time.” 
I bet it pains the pharmaceutical companies when they see the vast amount of money spent on illegal substances. That's why they force feed America commercials for their latest designer drugs. To keep America hostage paying for medications we don't need, and create unhealthy bodies needing more drugs to fix what the first ones were supposed to correct. Time to do your homework and wonder exactly what you ingest in the form of pills, asking yourself, "do I really need this?"

Read more on NATURALNEWS.COM: Meanwhile, the abused drug of choice for American workers has shifted from cocaine to doctor-prescribed opiates made by Big Pharma. Looks like the "war on drug" didn't cure anybody; it just switched them over to high-profit chemicals made by Big Pharma: Opiate Drug Abuse - NaturalNews.com







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Wednesday, September 15, 2010

12 Steps - STEP ONE: Reveal the Secrets


SECRETS come to light in Step One.
Anything secretly hidden for fear of being found out is potentially hazardous for you. When you hide your chocolates, pornography or prescription medications, it’s time to take a deep look within. It’s not the cherished, beautiful secrets that destroy. It’s the dark, foreboding ones, you know the kind that make your stomach tie into knots, fraught with guilt and anxiety. “You are so angry!” she said. “No I am not!” said he. A big clue that you have an issue is to deny its existence. For instance, I am not taking too many *Vicodins
I don’t drink too much. I didn’t even look at that porn site. Yeah, right... For once have courage to speak the truth! more about prescription addictions in later posts!


One common thread in addiction / hoarding / obsession is keeping it a secret with everyone else playing the same game. Last night I watched a program on animal hoarding where a woman owned over 10 dogs, and kept adding more. She bought dog treats and dog food before she fed her own family, including 2 adult sons, and her mother. Some would argue that dogs are not an addiction. I agree, but she was indeed addicted to owning these dogs and fear of loss.

One note: These dogs NEVER went out of the house. Her fear was they would go outside, escape and get hit by a car. You can only imagine that environment. Unmanageable? You bet! No one talks about the obvious elephant in the room, or in her case dog mess, smell and total disarray with unhealthy consequences. Intervention by concerned family members and a therapist was the only way to get this woman moved towards self help. Disclosure, unveiling secrets that need to come to light brings with it healing. Only then can the first step be taken!
One solution: Admit your addiction, your sins, your failures. Tell your “secret” to someone trustworthy. *Confess, until all is told. Then the poison from that secret dissipates, with space and time to heal. However, keep the good secrets, secret. 

James 5:16 in the Message Bible states, “Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.”
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* CONFESS verb
1 he confessed that he had done it admit, acknowledge, reveal, disclose, divulge, avow, declare, profess; own up, tell all. 
antonym deny.
2 they could not make him confess own up, plead guilty, accept the blame; tell the truth, tell all, make a clean breast of it; informal come clean, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, get something off one's chest, let on, fess up.
3 I confess: I don't know acknowledge, admit, concede, grant, allow, own, declare, affirm.
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GUIDELINE RULE: Open up about the things that poisoned you and cause pain, keeping safe the secrets that are treasures, as well the confidence of others. Know your boundary lines. Know when to reveal things for heal and gain, keeping sacred those things needing to be hidden. Consider finding a counselor or therapist to work through your secrets!





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Saturday, September 11, 2010

9/11 Take A Moment

A WAKEUP CALL - 9/11,2001

a torrential force of violence shattered the heart of America 9 years ago. veritably the heartbeat of NY came to it's knees as the world trade center collapsed. we looked-on in shock, dismay and horror, while 1000's met the Angel of Death. forever our lives transformed from the feel of sanctuary to chaos. the sacrosanct illusion of safety, became a nightmare of dread.

how can it be? 

carefully planted, homicidal men, committed suicide, taking innocents with them. seemingly told that Martyrdom promised *virgins, salvation and one cup of wine. in the name of Allah, radical destruction struck the core of america and the world. while the rest of world wept, islamic radicals celebrated in their streets upon 9/11. 

now broken trust in government, country and mankind is dealt a healthy blow. swiftly our people stood strong, in unity repairing the breach. true heroes arose out of the agonizing, maelstrom in manhattan, in our country.
in total contrast to the attackers intent, american heroes of flesh and blood, **laid down their own lives so others could live.

at the heart of every soul is a need to feel loved. along side that need, a yearning to belong and feel a part of family. Safety and security is the root requirement of all mankind. Sadly it seems many are broken, lost and misinformed with corrupt, wicked ideas. hating back, never saves. rather those who hate become like the hated.

love saved america. honorable, selfless, men and women of integrity moved us forward. love of country, people and ideals that keep us free from perverted, depraved acts of terror.

So what remains in repairing the breach? Faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love.

SELAH

In the words of Jesus:
"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love." 
"If you find the godless world is hating you, remember it got its start hating me. If you lived on the world's terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God's terms and no longer on the world's terms, the world is going to hate you. When that happens, remember this: Servants don't get better treatment than their masters. If they beat on me, they will certainly beat on you. If they did what I told them, they will do what you tell them." (message bible) 

READ MORE: How Can it Be? 
Matthew 25:1-13 Parable of the Ten Virgins

**John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

*"Verily, for the Muttaqun [righteous], there will be a success (paradise); gardens and grapeyards; and young full-breasted (mature) maidens of equal age; and a full cup (of wine)" (An-Naba 78:31-34). 
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Thursday, September 9, 2010

FACES & VOICES OF RECOVERY

FACES & VOICES OF RECOVERY
CELEBRATE!   tell your days/weeks/years of recovery here:

Recovery is everywhere. For too long we have been silent and invisible. This September, Rally for Recovery! online, and help us tally our total number of years of recovery. Together, we can put a face and a voice on recovery. You are living proof of the reality of long-term recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Support and give hope to those still struggling by organizing and speaking out together. Join us!
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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

12 Steps - Step One Make it Personal


REFINING STEP ONE: We admitted we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.

So let’s make this personal. I admit that I am powerless over  ________ and that my life is unmanageable. Now to fill in the blank. 
I believe if we keep our smaller addictions to a dull roar it won’t rise up to bite us later in life. For many it may be the big hitting addictions that create a need by virtue of the substance or activity like alcohol, drugs both legal and illegal, sexual excess or deviations, and gambling. For others it is working too long, reading, watching TV, or talking on the phone in excess. For some food is addictive to the point of obesity, or bulimia, on the other side, anorexia, not eating food can also be an addiction to tossing it up after eating, laxatives and diet pills. 

So today, reflecting on Step One: I admit to being powerless over things I want to accomplish in my life. I realize it’s not so much an addiction but lack of power to control my days. It is potential failure creating unmanageable days. Admitting this is not hard to do. In light of inadequacies, failed intentions, dishes in the sink and floors needing to be mopped, actually changing myself is the tough part! I try to manage each day often with a big FAIL. Now to figure out my aversion to managing these things, and what takes the place instead. In a nutshell, I allow myself to be sideswiped by things that are more pleasant to do. I also confess laziness. This is not easy to say, for I am also quite industrious, and love to work.  

Others have told me I am a Mac Addict. My computer is both my work and a diversion. I work on it everyday, often sideswiping exercise, meal planning, cleaning, and other things that must get done. I don’t always work. Creating art, graphics and writing is the main intent. Email takes me away from my target of work. Sometimes I float from one website to the next, or travel through multitudes of links get lost from what originally was searched for. Often I never get my work done. This is a problem. Again, boundaries and self limits.  

Late at night when I want to unwind, I confess to losing myself in World of Warcraft. In fact when I first started playing that game, I came dangerously close to total ADDICTION consumed by getting my character to level 80. I know many of the people who play WoW are addicts to the point of no social life, no work, only playing a game. Without boundaries set beforehand by ME, this game could cause me to become an addict. Knowing myself and bent towards escape, I “shun” it by choosing NOT to allow it to take over. My husband is a good gage of what is too much time. It's good to think about others rather than being selfish.I’ll talk later about the virtues of WoW and how not to have it take your life over.

Start the first step by writing it down and filling in your own blank. Writing heals. Communication in any form heals. Telling your secret heals many wounds. Now read the verse below:
Philippians 4:5 states: “Let your moderation be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” 
Easy to memorize. I like that the Lord is at hand because it tells me I am not alone. Neither are you. Start the first step by writing it down and filling in your own blank. Writing heals. Communication in any form heals. Telling your secret heals you. More on secrets in the next post.

I so love defining words, here is the dictionary definition of moderation:
Moderation noun - he urged them to show moderation self-restraint, restraint, self-control, self-discipline; temperance, leniency, fairness. 

Anything in that defining list you care to emulate?



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Monday, September 6, 2010

America becomes a nation of druggies

A Natural News newsletter arrived today about "Big Pharama and a new CDC report that stating nearly half of all Americans are on doctor-prescribed drugs." It goes on to say this: "Big Pharma, it seems, has managed to convince 5 out of 10 people that they're sick and in need of constant chemical intervention."  These are not street addictions, but legal pharmaceuticals, designer drugs. Although more and more street addicts are finding ways into the Vicodin, Oxycontin realm. Read the entire article to gain more insight. For now I will highlight my own thinking about medicines.

LEGAL DRUG PROMOTION. Watch the TV ads. Does it surprise you that drugs are even advertised? It should. How many times do you watch them, thinking "hmmm, thats me!," or "that sounds like what I have!" then if it is not you, surely your friends or family must have that. It's targeted at seniors, adults and children. If you don't take the drugs forever, you won't be well. Take this pill for that symptom, go see your doctor about the drug we just SOLD you. Give him your list of symptoms. Did you hear the long list of side effects? Those drugs cause more diseases than the one's originally concerned about. What in the world did people do before these drugs were invented?

THINK ABOUT IT.  Do people really get well from drugs they take? NO.  Granted, some actually heal certain conditions and get people through crisis. Yet, how many get LIFELONG prescriptions with no chance of getting off? Tell me why so many disease are not cured? Is it money? Do you think they want everyone on some medicine to bring in their fortune? They create new designer drugs replacing the affordable ones all the time. All the while they raking in the bucks from drugs they most likely never take. They know better.

Is it any wonder then that addiction is the NO. 1 problem in America? It's only going to get worse. Medicare, Social Security and Welfare will collapse under the new Health Reform, so carefully in bed with Pharmaceutical Corporations. Oh, more like legal Drug Lords. I leave you with a direct quote from the article:

The mass medication of American citizens has reached a disturbing tipping point where the future of the nation itself is at risk. That's because pharmaceuticals cause cognitive decline, and once you get to the point where over 50 percent of the voters can't think straight, you're trapped in a crumbling Democracy....
But in fact it's the other way around: People who take pharmaceuticals remain unhealthy and really never get cured of anything. Meanwhile, those who avoid taking pharmaceuticals are, by and large, far healthier individuals.

I strongly suggest a subscribscription to Natural News.
Sign up at: http://www.NaturalNews.com/ReaderRegistration.html
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Friday, September 3, 2010

Addictions Stats: Countries & Numbers















GOOD NEWS - ADDICTSHUNS IS GROWING!


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Wednesday, September 1, 2010









Step One:  
We admitted we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.

ADDICTION DEFINED: 
addiction |əˈdik sh ən| noun
the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular substance, thing, or activity: he committed the theft to finance his drug addiction | an addiction to gambling
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addicted |əˈdiktid| adjective
physically and mentally dependent on a particular substance, and unable to stop taking it without incurring adverse effects : she became addicted to alcohol and diet pills.
   • enthusiastically devoted to a particular thing or activity : he's addicted to computers.
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All addictions fall under this step. In fact most humans struggle with something that sideswipes their journey in life. Often the object of addiction is unknown to the one who is unable to stop it. Denial plays an important role in keeping the furnace of devotion to those things or activities. Denial is not only a closed door but a lock and key to keeping oneself addicted as well as becoming free. For to admit to be powerless is the key to unlock the door of denial. 

Step One unveils the need to know. To know yourself. That many boundaries that have been crossed. To know you are not in control, that life is difficult or impossible to manage, manipulate, or control. Ironically most addicts are able to manipulate and control others, yet not themselves.

How does one get to the point of admission? Adversity comes to mind. According to *AA “hitting rock bottom” is the only way to come to Step One. (Clicking the link leads you to a questionnaire to see if AA is for you.) Personally speaking, when do I know when my life is unmanageable? More importantly “WHAT”is making me act and behave that way.

A good mirror to anyone’s own flaw is to understand the reflection of “you” in other peoples eyes. Have you considered the view other’s see of YOU? Or do you defend your every move? Defensiveness is an addicts ONLY way to keep their secrets from getting out. If the people around you are saying you drink, eat, gamble, compute, game or whatever it is you do too much, then that is a clear signal to wake up, and take inventory. Do you have the courage to ask another person for their honest view of you? Even if you don’t ask, have you been told about your “flaws,” or are willing to listen to the truth? 

Truth is essential when confronted with this step. Real life truth, not the imagery in your own head. Honest inventory of your life, priorities and the helpful opinion of people who see and love you, is the catalyst towards admission. 

So tell me - is your life unmanageable? Is it totally out of control? Or just a little bit? Could it be someone you know has caused the balance of your life to spin? Now you feel lost?  Write about it... Take the first step to sanity, it comes through admission! 

Anonymity honored here @ addicthuns! 

* Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. www.aa.org 





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