interesting book

from Amy Lynn Coy sharing her

journey through addiction and recovery

titled; From Death do I Part;

How I Freed Myself from Addiction

quote from the book;

It was never satisfying for me to hear, “You are an alcoholic because you have a disease,” or, “It’s in your genes.” For me, such generic explanations of my very personal problems were no help at all. I wanted to understand what was going on with me emotionally in the way I understood what was going on with my body in the yoga class. That way, I would not feel helpless—as I could sense I was not.

I made the choice to quit using alcohol and drugs. In that choice was a commitment to find out how to significantly improve my life—not merely to deny myself the use of substances. Because of that commitment, I needed a deeper understanding of my psychological patterns. So I decided that since it was me who was struggling, then I was my best subject for study. I began to carry out that study by using the powerful tool of self-observation.

Friday questions

are you a morning person or

more of a night-owl?

have you read the book" The

Alcoholism & Addiction Cure",

advertised on TV?

what is the most difficult or elusive

aspect of recovery for you?

have your social circles changed

since starting recovery?

how informed are family, friends

and co-workers, concerning

substance abuse and treatment?

managing anger

article from About.com/Alcoholism;

Everyone gets angry occasionally, but alcoholics and addicts tend to have problems managing and expressing anger appropriately. For many, feelings of anger can be a trigger for a relapse, because that is how they dealt with anger in the past - using drugs to suppress or numb their feelings.

If you are trying to maintain long-term abstinence and sobriety, it is important that you learn how to recognize your anger and express it appropriately, rather than allow it to jeopardize your recovery. Anger is a normal and natural human emotion; how you handle your anger makes the difference.

Not Handling Anger Appropriately

According to National Institute on Drub Abuse (NIDA) researchers, alcoholics and addicts may have problems dealing with anger for the following reasons:

They fail to recognize the feeling or understand the reason for it.

Because of their addiction, they may not have learned to express anger in a healthy, productive manner.

They may have learned unhealthy ways to express anger from parents or other role models.

Addiction can impede self-learning and emotional growth of addicts, stunting their emotional maturity.

Many addicts are angry at themselves, but blame others, misdirecting their anger at those around them.

Monday quotes

I learned inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic, striving, but it comes to us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.

- Brenda Ueland

Happiness is to be found along the way, not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it is too late.

- Robert R. Updegraff

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit.

- Peter Ustinov

He who is calm disturbs neither himself nor others.

- The Vatican Sayings, Epicurus

Reality is the leading cause of stress -- for those in touch with it.

- Jane Wagner

Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.

- Denis Waitley

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.

- William Arthur Ward

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

- William Arthur Ward

Success is not measured by th position one has reached in life, rather by the obstacles overcome while trying to succeed.

- Booker T. Washington

Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.

- Denzel Washington

Friday questions

do you believe there is a genetic component

to addiction, or the "skip a generation" theory?

has your comfort level with family or friends

who drink, changed over time?

when, if ever, does the sight or smell of a

former favorite drink, look appealing to you?

if spirituality is crucial to recovery, how is it

possible for non-believers to remain sober?

what is the most common reason you hear

that people state as the reason for relapse?

latest news

Lindsay Lohan Checks Into Sober House

Actress Lindsay Lohan has hired celebrity attorney Robert Shapiro and checked herself into a sober living house that the lawyer started after his son died of an overdose. Shapiro, who became famous representing O.J. Simpson, told reporters he took her case only after she agreed to do her jail time and comply with her probation terms. Lohan is due back in court to report for jail this week.

Student Dies of Apparent Alcohol Poisoning

Authorities said that University of Idaho senior, Benjamin Harris, died of respiratory arrest due to alcohol poisoning at the Sigma Nu fraternity house. Police said Harris died after a night of drinking to celebrate his 21st birthday.

Officers Charged With Stealing Dealer's Heroin

Three Philadelphia police officers have been charged with stealing $15,000 worth of heroin from a drug dealer during a staged traffic stop and seizure. Federal authorities said the scheme was discovered when they tried to sell 300 grams of the drug to an undercover agent.

N.J. Court Reverses DUI Conviction

The New Jersey Supreme Court overturned a drunk driving conviction for Salvadoran native German Marquez because he didn't understand the consequences of refusing to submit to a breath test. The police read him the standard warning, but it was in English. The court said police have to warn drunk drivers in a language that they understand.

Court Rules in Favor of Drunken Driver

In 2009, Illinois police arrested 22-year-old Brittany Meye when they smelled a strong odor of alcohol on her and her passenger when they stopped to get gas at 3:30 a.m. They arrested her before she could drive away. Incredibly, a state court of appeals threw out the conviction because they said the officer should not have stopped her if his only reason was the smell of alcohol.

Man Arrested With 257 Pounds of Marijuana

If you are going to be transporting large amounts of marijuana on an Interstate highway, it might be best to try to maintain your traffic lane. Livingston Sylvester Roach, 42, of DeKalb County, Georgia was busted with 257 pounds of pot in Spartanburg, South Carolina when deputies saw him failing to stay in his lane. Roach gave the deputies permission to search his car, then ran into the woods where he was captured later.

depression quiz

found an interesting depression quiz

on howstuffworks.com

got all correct except for the one

about post-partum depression

give it a try at-

http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/depression/facts/depression-quiz8.htm

Monday quotes

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

- Rabindranath Tagore

Examine the contents, not the bottle.

- The Talmud

I make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes.

- Sara Teasdale

Happiness comes from spiritual wealth, not material wealth... Happiness comes from giving, not getting. If we try hard to bring happiness to others, we cannot stop it from coming to us also. To get joy, we must give it, and to keep joy, we must scatter it.

- John Templeton

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 better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.

- James Thurber

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.

- Brian Tracy

It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.

- Harry S. Truman

Dwell upon the brightest parts in every prospect... and strive to be pleased with the present circumstances.

- Abraham Tucker

Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.

- Martin Fraquhar Tupper

A person is a person because he recognizes others as persons.

- Desmond Tutu

Friday questions

are you still able to plan for the future

while practicing one day at a time?

was there a a primary purpose for

your substance abuse; such as escape,

euphoria or pain relief?

what's the most dramatic change in

your life since beginning recovery?

are family members out of the "walking

on egg shells" phase of living with you?

what aspects of recovery methods do

you think need to improved or modified?

weekly antics

celebrity and infamous weekly roundup

from About.com/alcoholism;

Charlie Sheen's Court Date Postponed Again
Actor Charlie Sheen was scheduled to enter a plea this week on charges stemming from a drunken Christmas Day dispute with his wife, but the court date has once again been delayed. Sheen's attorney said he needs more time to work out details of the plea agreement with prosecutors. The plea was also scheduled last month but postponed at the last minute.

Lindsay Lohan's Lawyer Quits
The attorney for actress Lindsay Lohan during her DUI probation hearing, Shawn Chapman Holley, has reportedly resigned as the "Mean Girls" star's lawyer, saying she was "extremely disappointed" by the outcome of the hearing. The announcement came before a story was leaked in which Lohan said she was not going to jail and planned to appeal the judge's decision to sentence her to 90 days.

George Michael Drives Car Through a Storefront
British singer George Michael has once again had problems driving. This time he crashed his Range Rover into a London storefront of Snappy Snaps, a photo developing business. Michael, 47, was reportedly trying to drive home of the London gay pride parade at the time of the smashup.

Jeremy Trueblood Charged With Public Intoxication
Tampa Bay Buccaneers right tackle Jeremy Trueblood was charged in Greenville, Indiana with public intoxication after police received a call from a gas station clerk about two men disrupting business at the store before leaving in a vehicle driven by a third person, reportedly Trueblood's mother.

JaMarcus Russell Arrested for Drug Possession
JaMarcus Russell, former Oakland Raiders quarterback and free agent, has been arrested in Alabama for possession of a controlled substance. During an undercover operation, police arrested Russell at his home for possession of codeine syrup, for which he had no prescription.

Dmitri Young Arrested For Drug Possession
Former major league baseball player and current minor league coach Dmitri Young has been arrested in Illinois for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Young played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals.

2 Frat Brothers Sentenced in Alcohol Hazing Death
Two former students at California Polytechnic State University have been sentenced to jail terms for their part in the hazing of Carson Starkey that left the freshman dead from alcohol poisoning. Adam Marszal and Russell Taylor, both 23, entered no contest pleas and were sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years probation.

Monday quotes

The winds of grace are always blowing, but you have to raise the sail.

- Ramakrishna

The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you on to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.

- Dan Rather

It has never been my object to record my dreams, just the determination to realize them.

- Man Ray

I don't intend for this to take on a political tone. I'm just here for the drugs.

- Nancy Reagan

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

- Ambrose Redmoon

There are two types of people: those who GET IT and those who DON'T. If they GET IT, there's nothing to explain and if they DON'T, there's no point in trying to explain.

- Paul Reiser

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

- Agnes Repplier

You either have your results or you have your reasons.

- Randy Revell

For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, He writes--not that you won or lost--but how you played the Game.

- Grantland Rice

No matter what a man's past may have been, his future is spotless.

- John R. Rice

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

- Donald Riggs

interesting article...

from Stanton Peele, originator of the

Life Process Program used at St.

Gregory Retreat in Iowa.

he writes about the olympic skier

Bode Miller;

Bode's medal marked a personal comeback - from a drinking problem. Miller was a 24-year-old sensation in the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, winning two silver medals. Then, in 2006, in Turino, he failed to medal despite being considered the best skier in the world.

Instead, Miller boasted about his late-night partying, claiming he performed several times while intoxicated. In a notorious 60 Minutes interview, Bode quipped that it's not easy "to ski when you're wasted" (a comment for which he apologized profusely).

He had alcoholic written all over him, right? When you impede your performance in your principal life endeavor due to drinking - Houston, we have a problem.

But the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has announced that "Alcoholism Isn't What It Used to Be." They meant their research shows that most alcoholics don't go to AA or to treatment, but that most recover anyway - while continuing to drink. And Miller is the poster boy for this narrative. He veered into excessive, unhealthy drinking - perhaps he would have qualified for a diagnosis of alcoholism (or "dependence").

Then he veered back. He never entered AA, or declared that he was an alcoholic. In fact, in his interviews, he claims he hasn't changed at all. Instead he changed his approach to his profession and, at the age of 32, he was the first one on the course every morning.

He also had a child between Olympics.

But he didn't give up drinking, to judge from headlines like, "Bode Miller Girlfriend, Get Ready to Party." However, pointing out he has several more races he is entered in, Miller himself said after the race that he was going to bed early.

What is the message from the Bode Miller story? Pick one:

You are the master of your own destiny.

Focus on your purpose in life.

Don't make wise-ass comments on national television.

Get up earlier than your competitors.

Stay true to your true self.

But make needed adjustments.

Monday quotes

Pursue truth and people will be true to you.

- Arthur Twining Hadley

If you have accomplished all that you have planned for yourself, you have not planned enough.

- Edward Everett Hale

I want to be different. Just like all the other different people I want to be like. I want to be just like all the different people and assert my individuality along with others who are different like me.

- John S. Hall

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

If a kid asks where rain comes from, I think a cute thing to tell him is 'God is crying', And if he asks why God is crying, another cute thing to tell him is 'Probably because of something you did.

- Jack Handy

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

- Patty Hansen

The nice thing about egoists is that they don't talk about other people.

- Lucille S. Harper

The 3 hardest tasks in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, "I was wrong."

- Sydney J. Harris

Friday questions

have you made any amends to family,

friends or co-workers?

do you believe recovery is possible

without reliance on a higher power?

are you ever frustrated with the

politics or personalities in the rooms?

can you socialize with family or friends

who drink?

has your relationship status changed

since starting recovery?