wisdom of the ages

Sometimes adversity is what you need to face in order to become successful.

- Zig Ziglar

A half truth is a whole lie

- Yiddish proverb

Such is human psychology that if we don't express our joy, we soon cease to feel it.

- Lin Yü-tang

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.

- William Arthur Ward

To live with fear and not be afraid is the final test of maturity.

- Edward Weeks

The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow.

- H. G. Wells

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.

- William Allen White

Happiness begins where selfishness ends.

- John Wooden

He who is calm disturbs neither himself nor others.

- The Vatican Sayings, Epicurus

The purpose of life is to discover your gift. The meaning of life is to give it away.

- David Viscott

It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple.

- Rabindranath Tagore

If you want something you've never had, you've got to do something you've never done!

- Tangela

Disciplining yourself to do what you know is right and important, although difficult, is the highroad to pride, self-esteem, and personal satisfaction.

- Margaret Thatcher

It is much more difficult to judge oneself than to judge others.

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.

- Carl Sandburg

Each day comes bearing its own gifts. Untie the ribbons.

- Ruth Ann Schabacker

Always look at what you have left. Never look at what you have lost.

- Robert H. Schuller

The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it.

- General Schwarzkopf

If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living. Growth demands a temporary surrender of security.

- Gail Sheehy

Only your real friends will tell you when your face is dirty.

- Sicilian Proverb

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

- Beverly Sills

We know what a person thinks not when he tells us what he thinks, but by his actions.

- Isaac Bashevis Singer

The ability to accept responsibility is the measure of the man.

- Roy L. Smith

Pray as if everything depended on God, and work as if everything depended upon man.

- Francis Spellman

Experience is what you get when you don't get what you want.

- Dan Stanford

Experience is the comb life gives you after you lose your hair.

- Judith Stearn

Women are wiser than men because they know less and understand more.

- James Stephens

The greatest success, is successful self acceptance.

- Ben Sweet

Even if you're on the right track you'll get run over if you just sit there.

- Will Rogers

Friendship with oneself is all-important, because without it one cannot be friends with anyone else.

- Eleanor Roosevelt

When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on!

- Franklin Delano Roosevelt

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.

- David Russell

Pray to God, but keep rowing to shore.

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.

- General George Patton

Until you value yourself you will not value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.

Wait for that wisest of all counselors, Time.

- Pericles

You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first.

- Michael D. Perry

Character is simply habit long enough continued.

- Plutarch

You can't turn back the clock. But you can wind it up again.

- Bonnie Prudden

A label is easy to stick on, but difficult to remove.

- Old Proverb

Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will.

- Jawaharial Nehru

What's going on in the inside shows on the outside.

- Earl Nightingale

If you change the belief first, changing the action is easier.

You block your dream when you allow your fear to grow bigger than your faith.

- Rev. Mary Manin Morrissey

Until you make peace with who you are, you'll never be content with what you have.

- Doris Mortman

Life is what we make it, always has been, always will be.

- Grandma Moses

Experience is the worst teacher; it gives the test before presenting the lesson.

Most of us are pretty good at keeping promises to others and pretty bad at keeping promises to ourselves.

- Lawrence LeShan

Buddha left a road map,
Jesus left a road map,
Krishna left a road map,
Rand McNally left a road map.
But you still have to travel the road yourself.

- Stephen Levine

regular or decaf?

simple,
witty,
inspirational.

beyond the last word change from the
well known slogan that ends with "going",
this saying holds much truth for many of
us in recovery.

whether it's a phone call, prayer, or making
a meeting, that simple act of changing our
mindset, might mean the difference between
continued sobriety and the next drink or drug.

who would have thought that a little
coffee bean could become a potential lifesaver!

types of binge drinkers

• De-Stress Drinkers use alcohol to regain control of life and calm down. They include middle-class women and men.

  
  
  

• Conformist Drinkers are driven by the need to
  belong and seek a structure to their lives. They are typically men aged
  45 to 59 in clerical or manual jobs.

  
  
  

• Boredom Drinkers consume alcohol to pass the time,
  seeking stimulation to relieve the monotony of life. Alcohol helps them
  to feel comforted and secure.

  
  
  

• Depressed Drinkers may be of any age, gender or socioeconomic group. They crave comfort, safety and security.

  
  
  

• Re-Bonding Drinkers are driven by a need to keep in touch with people who are close to them.

  
  
  

• Community Drinkers are motivated by the need to belong. They are usually lower middle class men and women who drink in large friendship groups.

  
  
  

• Hedonistic Drinkers crave stimulation and want to
  abandon control. They are often divorced people with grown-up children,
  who want to stand out from the crowd.

  
  
  

• Macho Drinkers spend most of their spare time in pubs. They are mostly men of all ages who want to stand out from the crowd.

  
  
  

• Border Dependents regard the pub as a home from
  home. They visit it during the day and the evening, on weekdays and at
  weekends, drinking fast and often.
  

quite the list of binge drinking personality types compiled by british reseachers.

what they discovered was how incorporated drinking was, into the lifestyles and identities of these various types.

it was found that these levels were so deeply embedded, that any challenges of their drinking habits caused those being observed, to become defensive, refuting and outright denying of any problem.

old habits

I was impressed by this American Indian quote.

it is also said that, "old habits die hard"
we can't escape the fact that humans are by
nature, creatures of habit.

lucky for the other 90% of the world,
drinking and drugging are not part of
their daily routine.

while it is somewhat brute force when quitting our
drug of choice, (methadone maintainance excluded),
continued recovery requires a slow and steady
practice of learning healthy habits.

it's amazing how we can become accustomed
to praying in the morning; as opposed to our
former feeling of nausea, dread and despair.

we can use mental energy to plan our day,
rather than plotting the next drink or drug.

recovery goes against the instant gratification
grain, most of us are used to.
accepting the reality that there is no quick fix,
is a major factor in developing the patience
required for progressive wellness.

honesty in recovery

honesty;
one of the most important aspects of recovery.

not always the easier, softer way;
but essential to the progressive wellness
of any addict.

while one can be quite honest with others,
the ability to be completely truthful with
ourselves, can be elusive.

much of this is due to a lifestyle of self-deception,
fueled by ego and denial.

the most difficult facet to address, is the
lie of omission.
those are the "little things", we feel will
cause us discomfort if we expose them.

small as a deception might seem,
it is still a part of a bigger problem;
unwillingness to be totally honest...
with ourselves, as well as others.

we don't have to "remember", to tell the truth

perception

a pertinent point to remember for anyone;
and a crucial one for those in recovery.

many times the personal view of ourselves differs
greatly from how we are perceived by family,
friends and co-workers.

the failure or refusal to accept our
true selves is common among addicts.

we had spent so much time escaping
from reality and our true feelings, it became
difficult to connect with who we really were.

in time we discover who we are,
where we are headed,
and a clearer perception of self.

serenity prayer revised

it's been one those weeks;
that basic human emotion of anger
has been rearing it's ugly head.

while my control over it is improving,
I have not yet acquired the ability to
control the volume of my voice, when confronted.

perhaps I can implement a way to
compose myself before responding.

just another reminder that;
character defects are never removed...
but they can be IMPROVED.

new treatment research

not quite the "drink safely" pill yet,
but some serious progress into the
sparse world of medical help for alcoholism.

Southern
Research Institute and Gallo Research Center today announced that
peer-reviewed results from a study testing Naltrexone-derived
pyridomorphinan (SoRI-9409) will be published in the December 2008 issue of
the journal Biological Psychiatry. The publication is available online
today at the journal's website, and suggests that a new compound that
causes selective and long-lasting reduction in ethanol consumption might be
a promising candidate as a novel treatment for alcoholism.



The article, "A Novel Delta Opioid Receptor Antagonist, SoRI-9409,
Produces a Selective and Long-Lasting Decrease in Ethanol Consumption in
Heavy-Drinking Rats" by Selena Bartlett, BPharm PhD, Director of
Preclinical Development Group at the Gallo Research Center at University of
California San Francisco, et al presents the effects of SoRI-9409 on
ethanol consumption. These are promising developments for the treatment of
alcoholism. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
estimates 15.1 million people are alcohol-abusing or alcohol-dependent
individuals. There are currently only three FDA-approved options for the
treatment of alcoholism.



The compound, SoRI-9409, was first designed and synthesized in Southern
Research's Drug Discovery research division by Dr. Subramaniam (Sam)
Ananthan under U.S. Government Grant DA008883. "Southern Research has been
particularly interested in ligands that interact with opioid delta receptor
subtype since such ligands hold promise as therapeutic agents for treatment
of drug addictions and other disorders," said Dr. Ananthan, senior
scientist and manager of Computational Chemistry and CNS Discovery
Chemistry at Southern Research Institute. "The present findings by Dr.
Bartlett and her group on the effect of SoRI-9409 on its ability to reduce
alcohol intake not only provides us with a new drug lead, but also serves
as the impetus for further research aimed at discovery of new therapeutic
compounds for treating alcoholism and related disorders."



The Preclinical Development Group that Dr. Bartlett leads at the
UCSF-affiliated Gallo Center was established to develop new treatments and
bridge the gap between research and clinical treatment. The purpose of the
study was to find improved compounds for the treatment of alcoholism. "The
study results demonstrate that this compound causes selective and
long-lasting reductions of ethanol consumption and suggests the compound
might be a promising candidate as a novel treatment for alcoholism. This
study indicates that compounds with a higher affinity for delta opioid
receptors and reduced affinity for mu opioid receptors might be better
treatment candidates than Naltrexone, the current FDA approved treatment
for alcoholism", said Dr. Bartlett.



"The study on SoRI-9409 and alcohol cessation has yielded vital data
that will help fuel novel treatments for a devastating and very
difficult-to-treat illness," said Dr. Bartlett. "To date, we have
considered and evaluated other compounds, and theories, but the information
yielded from this study, along with previous research on this particular
compound, has proven to be the most promising to date. We are looking
forward to collaborating with our partner, Southern Research, to enter the
next phase of research." The research was also supported by the State of
California for Medical Research on Alcohol and Substance Abuse and
Department of Defense.



Southern Research operates a successful drug discovery research program
resulting in six FDA approved drugs with six additional drug candidates in
late-stage preclinical and early clinical development.

the journey continues...

Last night was an inspiring milestone for Roger, our manager
who celebrated three years. Deb got a yummy chocolate layer cake
And the guys in our sober house, Megan, Debbie and I all sang
(off key) for his anniversary.

Shortly after it was Roger's second week of chairing the Monday
night open speaker meeting here in Canaan.
He did a really good job and definitely earned his seat after
nine months of being the coffee maker!

It was quite a drug-a-log from a young gal, but I did get the message,
that no matter the legal consequences, many of us will go right back
to what got us into trouble in the first place

Just another reminder that the desire for intoxication can
overcome reason, conscience and fear.

top 10 reasons...

...to stay away from a drink;

10.) less empty calories

9.) more to spend on toys

8.) when told at a restaurant;

"we have a full bar";

I reply, "not full enough for me"

7.) DUI checkpoints

6.) brain cell conservation

5.) rehab is expensive

4.) finding the car in the morning

3.) waking up to a familiar face

2.) not having to kneel at the "porcelain God"

1.) a drink never solved anything

never forget

new web site

FullApologies.com,
a unique interactive page that allows insight into
the personal stories of the impact of drunk driving.

from About.com's Alcoholism site:
FullApologies.com was created by the Pennsylvania Department of Health to show the impact of driving while under the influence. It does so by showing dramatic and very emotional videos of drunken drivers who were responsible for the deaths of friends apologizing to the families of their victims. Every parent should make sure their teenagers see this site. Everyone who drives while drinking should at least view one of the videos: Ashley B's apology to her best friend's mom.

thoughts

All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you

Achievement seems to be connected with action. Successful men and women keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.

Yesterday’s failures are today’s seeds that must be diligently planted to be able to abundantly harvest tomorrow’s successes.

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.

Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.

Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strength. When you go through hardship and decide not to surrender, that is strength.

rational recovery

the principles used by Rational Recovery are quite interesting and could be of value to anyone seeking help with an addiction problem.

these views are quite contrary to the traditional methods used for years, which continue today.

I see some good points that deserve consideration.

there are some people who could benefit from the RR approach;

among them are those who can't relate to 12 step programs.

Addiction recovery is not a group project; it is an individual responsibility. You are ultimately on your own.

• There are no Rational Recovery groups anywhere in the world! Your desire for “support” is nothing more, and nothing less, than a plan to get loaded in the absence of support.

•
There is nothing in your past, in your genes, in your brain, or in your
personality that compels you to drink or use. Using is voluntary,
purposeful behavior.

• The sole cause
of your addiction is a voice in your head that tells you to “Do it!” in
a thousand different ways. That is your Addictive Voice.

• Personal problems don’t cause addiction; addiction causes your personal problems.

• Self-improvement does not result in addiction recovery. Recovery leads to self-improvement.

• You drink or use because you love to get high. Admit it!

• The worst possible way to quit something you love is one-day-at-a-time.

•
Stay away from recovery groups of all kinds; you can’t possibly recover
there. They’ll never let you go, and you’ll be “in recovery” forever.

•
Stay away from shrinks; most substance abuse counselors are members of
recovery groups, unable to trust themselves without evening
supervision. The rest have never been addicted, and can only guess at
what addiction is and what to do about it.

•
Your physician can’t help you with your addiction; he may even be
supporting it. Most refer to recovery groups, to which many of them
belong. However, they do have good treatments for withdrawal, if you are in danger of seizures.

• Consider that the real truth about addiction and recovery lies in the exact opposite of most popular beliefs.

• Recall your original family values, the ideas about right and wrong you knew by the age of 5 or 6. Those are your foundation for addiction recovery.

•
Your beliefs about God are fine, whether you believe or not. Sound,
sprititual growth may only follow AVRT-based recovery, when your
thoughts are not biased by the mandate of addiction.

• AVRT-based recovery is as difficult as you make it, and takes as long as you choose.

• If you won’t trust yourself, why should anyone else?

the difference

couldn't resist this parody of political ideals.
just a simplification of the basic tenets of
liberals, socialists and conservatives