Monday quotes

No one grows old by living--only by losing interest in living.

- Marie Beynon Ray

It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.

- Agnes Repplier

The successful person is the individual who forms the habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.

- Donald Riggs

We find it hard to believe that other people's thoughts are as silly as our own, but they probably are.

- James Harvey Robinson

And when the future hinges on the next words that are said, Don't let logic interfere, believe your heart instead.

- Philip Robison

I believe that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.

- John D. Rockefeller

Win or lose, do it fairly.

- Knute Rockne

Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.

- Kenny Rogers

What you love is a sign from your higher self of what you are to do.

- Sanaya Roman

In a conversation, keep in mind that you are more interested in what you have to say than anyone else is.

- Andy Rooney

You always pass failure on the way to success.

- Mickey Rooney

You have to accept whatever comes, and the only important thing is that you meet it with the best you have to give.

- Eleanor Roosevelt

I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do. That is character!

- Theodore Roosevelt

If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today.

- Rotarian

People who know little are usually great talkers, while men who know much say little.

- Jean Jacques Rousseau

addiction treatment myths

just read an article from the addiction

recovery newsletter on treatment myths.

my observation is that people generally

feel that there is a certain rehab that will

"work" for an individual.

If they only find that 3 or 4 week center

their problem might be solved.

personal experience has shown me that

the vast majority of rehabs offer some

education about the physical, mental

and emotional aspects of addiction and

recovery.

the downside is, these rehabs merely

recommend 12 step programs as a

long term solution to continued wellness.

examining the success rates of 12 step

models, they have been lacking in

providing long term recovery rates

as announced by aa's own worldwide

council, as hovering around 5%.

pretty dismal odds and hopefully

a wake-up call to the entire industry

that there has to be another way.

while there are non 12 step rehabs

available, they are quite rare.

these rehabs view addiction as

learned behaviors that can be addressed

through behavior modification, rather

than a lifelong of meetings.

until we re-examine the currently

accepted "disease concept" of

addiction, recovery rates will

remain dismal at best.

weekly roundup

this week's adventures from About.com/Alcoholism;

Lindsay Lohan Back in L.A. for Court Showdown

Actress Lindsay Lohan was all over the news last week as she remained in France rather than show up for a court probation hearing. Lohan blamed a stolen passport on her delay in returning from the Cannes film festival in time of the hearing, which concerned her not completing court-order alcohol education classes.

Wife of RFK Jr. Charged With Drunken Driving

Mary Richardson Kennedy, wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been charged with drunken driving after police saw her run over a curb near a school. Kennedy, 50, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11 at the time of the arrest, according to police.

Michigan Approves Ignition Locks for Repeat Drunk Drivers

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed a new drunk driving law that provides for ignition interlock devices for some convicted drunk drivers. The law, which won't take effect until July 2011, will require the devices for anyone stopped driving with more than twice the legal .08 BAC limit and repeat drunk driving offenders.

Girl Charged in Hit-and-Run Had Smoked Marijuana

A Illinois high school honors student was handed a $500,000 bail by Cook County Judge Marcia Orr in a hit-and-run case that critically injured another student. The judge set the bond for Erin Hughes so high because she told police that she had been smoking marijuana before the crash.

Brother Jailed for Refusal to Testify in DUI Trial

A Florida man has been ordered to spend three months in jail for refusing to testify against his brother in a drunk driving manslaughter case. Even after spending two weeks in jail, James Hunter continued to refuse to testify against his brother, a former high school football coach, whose pickup overturned and killed fellow coach Doug Garrity.

Deadly Drunk Driver Held Without Bail

A Vermont judge has withheld bail for a man who is awaiting trial on for his ninth DUI. "If I can't stop you from driving, then I can't allow you on the streets," Judge Gregory Rainville told Douglas Gardner. After spending almost 20 years in prison for killing a man while driving drunk, Gardner was out for less than one month when he drove his pickup truck off the road into a bog.

Monday quotes

Give thanks for sorrow that teaches you pity; for pain that teaches you courage - and give exceeding thanks for the mystery which remains a mystery still - the veil that hides you from the infinite, which makes it possible for you to believe in what you cannot see.

- Robert Nathan

We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.

- Jawaharial Nehru

Lack of will power has caused more failure than lack of intelligence or ability.

- Flower A. Newhouse

We cannot tell what may happen to us in the strange medley of life. But we can decide what happens in us... how we can take it, what we can do with it... and that is what really counts in the end.

- Joseph Fort Newton

We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light.

- Earl Nightingale

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.

- Anais Nin

We should set goals within the limits of our resources while working to the limits of our powers.

- Richard M. Nixon

There is a divinity that shapes our ends -- but we can help by listening for Its voice.

- Kathleen Norris

Where I was born and how I have lived is unimportant. It is what I have done with where I have been that should be of interest.

- Georgia O'Keefe

Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish.

- Ovid

Vision enables you to glimpse into the future, to sense its hope and power, because you yourself are the means for that future's creation.

- Sara Paddison

If you want to know your past life, look into your present condition; if you want to know your future, look into your present action.

- Padmisambha

Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don't pray when it rains if you don't pray when the sun shines.

- Satchel Paige

image from MotivatedPhotos.com

daily motivator

firefox users can add a daily motivator

to their browser.

get it here-https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/126511/

a great way to start each day, without having to search the net

from the authors;

'Daily Motivator was built to help anyone and everyone set up for the day ahead. A little kick up the backside of motivation to get people to where they want to go!"

interesting stats from SAMHSA

from jointogether.org;

Opiate addiction-treatment admissions have risen from 16 percent to 20 percent of all admissions in the last decade, and marijuana admissions have also ticked upwards even as cocaine admissions declined, according to a new report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Marijuana admissions rose from 13 percent of total admissions in 1998 to 17 percent in 2008, while cocaine admissions fell from 15 percent to 11 percent. Admissions for addiction to stimulant drugs rose from 4 percent to 6 percent.

"Although the concurrent abuse of both alcohol and drugs has remained widespread, the proportion of treatment admissions for the co-abuse of these substances has declined gradually yet significantly during this period from 44 percent to 38 percent," added SAMHSA. "At the same time there has been a steady rise in the proportion of treatment admissions attributed to drug abuse alone from 26 percent in 1998 to 37 percent in 2008, while the proportion of admissions attributed to alcohol alone fell from 27 percent in 1998 to 23 percent in 2008."

Teen drug admissions dropped 10 percent between 2002 and 2008 after rising 13 percent from 1998 to 2001. Nearly 4 of 5 teen treatment admissions involved marijuana use, and about half were referrals from the criminal-justice system.

weekly antics

some of the latest from About.com/Alcoholism;

'Buffy' Star Nicholas Brendon Enters Rehab

Nicholas Brendon, actor in the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," has checked himself into rehab following an incident in March in which he scuffled with police officers. Brendon said he was under the influence of alcohol and sleeping pills and has no memory of the altercation which left him Tased and arrested.

'Deadliest Catch' Producer Arrested for Cocaine

A 22-year-old production manager of the reality television series "Deadliest Catch" has been arrested for selling cocaine. Investigators said Matthew Scheider delivered $300 worth of cocaine to an undercover officer in the fishing village of Unalaska.

Texas Mayor Charged With Drunken Driving

The mayor of Brownsville, Texas has been charged with driving while intoxicated and it's not his first offense. Pat Ahumada Jr., 57, was arrested after police spotted him driving erratically. Ahumada has a previous DWI conviction from 1988.

Mom Charged With Feticide in Drunk Driving Crash

A pregnant Georgia woman is facing charges in the death of her unborn child who was killed as a result of her driving. Police said Jessica Bruce, 21, lead them on a high speed chase after they tried to stop her for speeding. She struck a car, spun into traffic and was struck by another car. Her car was totaled and her baby killed.

Traffic Stop Leads to Crash That Kills 5-Year-Old

There is plenty of blame to go around in the case of a 5-year-old boy who was killed by a drunk driver. His mother taken into custody for driving with a suspended license and police gave the keys to her car to a passenger, who was so drunk he drove it into a tree 40 minutes later.

87-Year-Old Woman Charged for Selling Crack

An 87-year-old Pensacola, Florida woman has been arrested for trafficking crack cocaine. Escambia County Sheriff's drug squad said Ola Mae Agee sold an undercover agent $20 worth of crack during a month-long narcotics investigation in her neighborhood.

Monday quotes

Respect the past in the full measure of its desserts, but do not make the mistake of confusing it with the present nor seek in it the ideals of the future.

- Jose Incenerios

Worry is interest paid on trouble before it comes due.

- William Ralph Inge

Turning it over in your mind won't plough the field.

- Irish Proverb

Take time to deliberate; but when the time for action arrives, stop thinking and go in.

- Andrew Jackson

We can only teach that which we are.

- Jean Jaurès

The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress.

- Joseph Joubert

Don't be angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, because you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.

- Thomas ã Kempis

To be upset over what you don't have is to waste what you do have.

- Ken Keyes Jr.

Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.

- Rudyard Kipling

Each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem.

- Henry Kissinger

Freedom from the desire for an answer is essential to the understanding of a problem.

- J. Krishnamurti

If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.

- Rabbi Harold Kushner

One of the secrets of a long and fruitful life is to forgive everybody every night you go to bed.

- Ann Landers

the internet is good for us

just read in Time magazine about a

British study that found a link between

internet access and well being.

of interest was the finding that people

from lower income groups, the

developing world and women derived

the most benefit. you go girls!

photo from Motifake.com

"Put simply, people with IT access are more satisfied with life even when taking account of income," said Michael Willmott, the social scientist who authored the study, at a press conference. "Our analysis suggests that IT has an enabling and empowering role in people's lives, by increasing their sense of freedom and control, which has a positive impact on well-being or happiness."

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1989244,00.html?xid=rss-health&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+time%2Fscienceandhealth+%28TIME%3A+Top+Science+and+Health+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Reader#ixzz0nuHxnLG5

substance abuse in the news

weekly roundup of celebs and others

in the news-from About.com/Alcoholism;

Drug Case Dismissed Against Mackenzie Phillips
Drug charges have been dismissed against actress Mackenzie Phillips after she successfully completed a court-ordered drug diversion program. The former "One Day at a Time" star was arrested two months ago when airport screeners found a small amount of narcotics in her bags.

Lindsay Lohan Violated Probation?
As part of her probation for a DWI conviction,Lindsay Lohan was supposed to attended alcohol classes every seven days, but she didn't show up for 20 days. State law requires the school to inform the judge if a student is absent for 21 days, and Lohan waited until the 21st day.

Michael Douglas Calls Son's Sentence 'Adequate'
Actor Michael Douglas told NBC's "Today" show that he believes the sentence his son received for trafficking meth and cocaine was "adequate" and he hopes five years is enough time for Cameron Douglas to kick the habit. "He was going to be dead or somebody was going to kill him," Douglas said.

Sheriff Accused of Dealing Drugs From Police SUV
Former Lee County, South Carolina, Sheriff E.J. Melvin has been charged with dealing drugs from his police SUV and trying to exhort money from drug dealers to tip them off about being under investigation by the FBI. Melvin's telephone had been tapped since March by the FBI, authorities said.

Football Recruit Had Blood-Alcohol Level of 0.19
A highly regarded Notre Dame football recruit, who fell to his death from a Panama City Beach hotel balcony during Spring break, was more that twice the level for legal intoxication, according to a coroner's report. Matt James, a 6-8, 280-pound offensive lineman from St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, had a blood-alcohol content of 0.19 when he fell.

Washington Man Arrested for 9th DUI
A Washington man has been arrested at his home in North Bend after a bench warrant was issued for him after he failed to show up in court. Authorities said Stefhan Roy Castellano was supposed to appear in court last week on his ninth drunken driving charge. And yes, he was intoxicated when troopers took him into custody.

obesity

from eMedicineHealth.com;

May 7, 2010 -- Americans still aren't heeding media and medical messages about the dangers of obesity. More Americans were obese at the end of 2010's first quarter than at the same time last year, according to the latest Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index.

this tells us that Americans are eating more

and exercising less, despite the myriad of

programs, products and information available.

the health risks associated with obesity are

numerous. High blood pressure, diabetes,

cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

the problem has become the second leading

cause of preventable death in the U.S.;

even with billions spent on diet books, pills

and diet food.

mass media bombards us with fast food ads,

restaurant deals and tons of snack foods.

this is a major problem that's only getting worse.

the solution is so simple in theory;

eat less, exercise more- not always easy in

our fast paced society.

picture from MotivatedPhotos.com

Monday quotes

In my day, we didn't have self-esteem, we had self-respect, and no more of it than we had earned.

- Jane Haddam

Moderation is the silken string running through the pearl chain of all virtues.

- Bishop Joseph Hall

Never 'for the sake of peace and quiet' deny your own experience or convictions.

- Dag Hammarskjold

If you don't have a dream, how are you going to make a dream come true?

Oscar Hammerstein II

Life really can be so simple... You create your opportunities by asking for them.

Patty Hansen

Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.

- Sydney J. Harris

Vision is not enough, it must be combined with venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps, we must step up the stairs.

- Vaclav Havel

If you hate something thoroughly without knowing why, you can be sure there is something of it in your own nature.

- Friedrich Hebbel

Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then.

- Katharine Hepburn

He that knows nothing doubts nothing.

- Herbert

Nobody can contribute to the best of humanity who does not make the best out of himself.

- Johann Gottfried Herder

I've been searching for days, for the exact red for this rose. Yet I don't have the color, that He chose.

- Toon Hermans

My basic principle is that you don't make decisions because they are easy; you don't make them because they are cheap; you don't make them because they're popular; you make them because they're right.

- Theodore M. Hesburgh

Some of us think holding on makes us strong; but sometimes it is letting go.

- Hermann Hesse

The best things in life are never rationed. Friendship, loyalty, love do not require coupons.

- George T. Hewitt

disease concept part 2

continued from saturday

While many advocate for its benefits, the disease concept has proven to be far more damaging to the substance abuser then anyone could have predicted.

Therapists claim the disease concept helps the patient to understand the seriousness of [his/her] problems.

But in reality, this idea has backfired.

The disease concept strips the substance abuser of responsibility. A disease cannot be cured by force of will, therefore, adding the medical label transfers the responsibility from the abuser to others. Inevitably they become unwilling victims, and inevitably they take on that role.

In retrospect then, the disease concept has effectively increased alcoholism and drug abuse. Furthermore, its only benefit has been vast monetary reward for the professionals’ and governmental agencies responsible for providing recovery services. Specifically, it has not offered a solution for those attempting to stop abusive alcohol and drug use.

Further, it is beyond the grasp of logic for medical professionals to prescribe meeting attendance as a remedy for an “incurable” medical ailment, not to mention a contradiction to the supposed nature of the problem.

Medical professionals are admittedly incapable of helping drug addicts and alcoholics so they pass the buck. But, because of recidivism rates and treatment failure, the buck is passed right back.

The disease, as described by 12 steppers, is all powerful; it is a separate entity and without meetings it will destroy them. But, with some thought one realizes, these ideas are mutually exclusive. To point out the obvious, if someone is “powerless” they would, by definition, not be able to control themselves, not even one day at a time.

The absurdities do not stop with 12 Step groups; professionals contribute their own set of absurdities. For example, the AMA’s definition of alcoholism is: “Alcoholism is an illness characterized by preoccupation with alcohol and loss of control over its consumption, such as to lead usually to intoxication if drinking; by chronicity, by progression and by a tendency toward relapse.

It is typically associated with physical disability and impaired emotional, occupational and/or social adjustments as a direct consequence of persistent excessive use (Langone 27).”

A natural assumption would be that the classification of a disease requires that characteristics and symptoms can be measured or observed.

While the majority of diseases fit this requirement, substance abuse does not.

the disease concept

some crucial digression from the widely
accepted and certainly flawed "disease concept"
of addiction so prevalent in society today

from the site, AddictionInfo.org;

History and science have shown us that the existence of the disease of alcoholism is pure speculation. Just saying it’s so, doesn’t make it true.

Nevertheless, medical professionals and American culture lovingly embraced the disease concept and quickly applied it to every possible deviant behavior from alcohol abuse to compulsive lecturing.

The disease concept was a panacea for many failing medical institutions adding billions to the industry and leading to a prompt evolution of pop-psychology.

Research has shown that alcoholism is a choice, not a disease, and stripping alcohol abusers of their choice, by applying the disease concept, is a threat to the health of the individual.

In a recent Gallup poll, 90% of people surveyed believe that alcoholism is a disease. Most argue that because the American Medical Association (AMA) has proclaimed alcoholism a disease, the idea is without reproach.

But, the fact is that the AMA made this determination in the absence of empirical evidence. After reviewing the history of the decision, it would not be unreasonable to suggest that the AMA has been pursuing its own agenda in the face of evidence negating the validity of alcoholism.

While the AMA has made extraordinary contributions in the mental health field, it is not outside the box. The AMA is a part of the capitalist paradigm that is necessary for our society to function.

The promulgation of the disease concept, in conjunction with AMA approval, has created a multi-billion dollar treatment industry that contributes billions to the health care industry.

But, with their status, mistakes in classifications can and do result in disastrous consequence. While the AMA’s classifications for the most part are accurate, the organization is not without error. Since its inception the AMA has made classifications of varying “deviant” behaviors without scientific research to validate its claims.

And, for whatever reason, the definition of a disease, as set forth by the AMA, is a malleable and all inclusive definition allowing for the inclusion of almost every deviant behavior. As a result, every unwanted behavior can be medicalized and medically treated thereby providing professionals with more patients and more income.

to be continued tomorrow...

this week's fail

the never-ending saga of substance abusers in the news
from About.com/Alcoholism;


Hofstra Basketball Coach Tim Welsh Charged With DWI
Hofstra's brand new basketball coach has gotten off on the wrong foot. Tim Welsh, who was hired March 31 by Hofstra, was pulled over by police after he was seen sleeping behind the wheel at a green light. His blood-alcohol content was over twice the legal limit at 0.18.

'Pill Mill' Trial Begins for Kansas Doctor
Was Dr. Stephen Schneider and his wife and nurse Linda Schneider illegally providing painkillers to drug addicted patients for profit, or was he a champion of pain patients who suffer because doctors are too reluctant to prescribe pain medications? A jury will decide in what is expected to be a two-month trial.

Pilot Who Sold Drug-Test-Beating Mix Pleads Guilty
A U.S. Airways Express pilot has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the government by selling a powdered drink mix over the Internet designed to help drug users pass federal drug tests. Stephen Sharp, 41, could face five years in prison for operating the website yourintheclear.com from November 2006 through May 2008. Prosecutors did not say how many customers Sharp sold his mix to.

Man Convicted Of Murder In DUI Crash
A California man who was driving his friend's car when he decided to flee from police and crashed it into a tree has been convicted of second degree murder. Prosecutors said Jason Pappas had a blood-alcohol level of 0.25 and was literally falling-down drunk when he sped away from an attempted traffic stop and killed his friend, Gregory Fisher, a passenger in the vehicle.

Woman to Serve 15 Days for Son's Overdose Death
A Washington D.C. area woman whose 5-month-old son overdosed on heroin was convicted of felony child neglect and sentenced by the jury to 30 days in jail. Because of overcrowding at the Fairfax County jail, Marilyn R. Rischl, 36, will serve only 15 days behind bars.

Drunk Delivers Groceries To Wrong House
Stephen Paladino was trying to do a good deed by delivering a bag of groceries and a watermelon to his ex-wife's house. He just showed up at the wrong house obviously intoxicated. When the owner called police and gave them his license number, they arrested Paladino on his fourth DUI. His blood-alcohol level was 0.30.

exercise, addiction & stress

several studies have concluded there are
mental benefits to regular exercise.

we are familiar with the release of endorphins
that occurs during exercise; the brain's natural
pain relievers often called "runners high".

a 5 year university study has just been started
to determine the mechanism for how exercise
may prevent relapse.

a chemical called galanin(new to me), which
increases during workouts, appears to reduce
cravings associated with stress.

quote from Medical News Today;

"This research will provide new insight into how regular exercise may attenuate drug abuse in humans," said David Weinshenker, associate professor of human genetics in Emory University's School of Medicine, and a co-principal investigator on the project. "More importantly, it may reveal a neural mechanism through which exercise may prevent the relapse into drug-seeking behavior."

Monday quotes

A psychiatrist is a fellow who asks you a lot of expensive questions your wife asks for nothing.
- Joey Adams

Our real blessings often appear to us in the shape of pains, losses and disappointments.
- Joseph Addison

Be content with your lot; one cannot be first in everything.
- Aesop

You can tell more about a person by what he says about others than you can by what others say about him.
- Leo Aikman

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them and try to follow where they lead.
- Louisa May Alcott

Four things come not back: the spoken word, the spent arrow, the past, and the neglected opportunity.
- Omar Idn Al-Halif

Life brings simple pleasures to us every day. It is up to us to make them wonderful memories.
- Cathy Allen

You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.
- James Allen

Life is a series of experiences...of beginnings. You are always in training for a time yet to come.
- Wally Amos

What allows us, as human beings, to psychologically survive life on earth, with all of its pain, drama, and challenges, is a sense of purpose and meaning.
- Barbara De Angelis

I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires.
- Susan B. Anthony

A friend is someone who sees through you and still enjoys the view.
- Wilma Askinasnew

What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.

- J. Sidlow Baxter