CLICK HERE FOR THOUSANDS OF FREE BLOGGER TEMPLATES »

Saturday, December 31, 2011

top substance abuse stories of 2011

the top 10 from About.com/alcoholism;


1. Government Cracks Down on "Fake Cocaine" Bath Salts

One of the biggest drug abuse issues of the year involved an increase in emergency room visits by young people using products sold as "bath salts," which are basically fake cocaine. After several states began to ban the sale of the products, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration banned the chemicals used to make fake cocaine nationwide.


2. Survey Shows Large Increase in Marijuana Smokers

When the latest government study indicated a huge 20% increase in the number of Americans 12 and older who said they smoke marijuana, the question arose as to whether this reflected an actual increase in smokers or did it reflect whether changing attitudes caused more people to admit they smoke weed. Regardless, illegal drug use in general is increasing.

3. Florida Begins Drug-Testing Welfare Recipients

In one of the most controversial moves of the year, Florida became the first state to initiate drug screening for all adults applying for the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. Applicants will have to pay to take the drug screening tests and will be reimbursed if they qualify for the program

4. Singer Amy Winehouse Dead at 27

British singer Amy Winehouse's long battle with substance abuse came to an end when she was found dead in her London home. Family members speculated that she died as a result of severe alcohol withdrawal symptoms, but her autopsy revealed that she had a fatal blood-alcohol level at the time of her death.

5. "No Refusal" Strategy Stops Drunk Drivers

Law enforcement officials across the nation found a new tool in the crackdown on drunken drivers. By having judges on call during "no refusal" campaigns, officers can quickly get warrants to take blood samples from drivers who refuse to submit to breathalyzer tests.

6. Hepatitis C Cases Decline Dramatically

Injection-drug users still make up about 46% of all newly diagnosed cases of acute hepatitis C, but new cases of the virus have declined by 90% between 1994 and 2006, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clean blood supply and safe needle-exchange programs were credited with the dramatic drop.

7. Using Medical Marijuana Can Get You Fired

A federal judge ruled that employers have the right to fire employees who test positive for marijuana even if they live in a state where medical marijuana is legal and they have a prescription to use the drug for a legitimate medical purpose.

8. Florida Cracks Down on "Pill Mills"

A new Florida law established a prescription drug-monitoring database system to fight the state's huge oxycodone sales problem. The system will be funded by local law enforcement agencies using forfeiture funds. Pharmaceutical companies are specifically forbidden to fund the monitoring system.

9. Pharmacies Enter Prescription Drug Abuse Fight

The growth in prescription drugs abuse, ruled this year as an epidemic, prompted the National Association of Chain Drug Stores to join the effort to fight the problem. The association supported steps by Congress to reduce prescription drug abuse, misuse, diversion and fraud.

10. Ecstasy Safety Campaign Draws Criticism

DEA
A safety campaign aimed at reducing harm among young Los Angeles ravers who use the drug ecstasy drew fire from critics, who claimed it was sending the wrong message. The Department of Public Health's flyers were designed to minimize potential harm, but critics said the message should be there is no safe way to use the drug.


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

the disease concept

excellent view from Psychology Today
by Lance Dodes M.D.


For many decades it's been widely accepted that alcoholism (or addiction) is a disease.  The "disease concept" is taught in addiction training programs and told to patients in treatment programs.  It is unquestioned by public figures and the media.  But is it true?  And if it is not true, is there a better and more helpful way to define addiction?


Widespread enthusiasm for the disease model, however, has led to willingness to overlook the facts.  Addiction has very little in common with diseases.  It is a group of behaviors, not an illness on its own.  It cannot be explained by any disease process.  Perhaps worst of all, calling addiction a "disease" interferes with exploring or accepting new understandings of the nature of addiction.


But if we are to scrap the disease concept and replace it with something valid, our new explanation must retain all the beneficial aspects of the old disease idea.  It must not allow moralizing or any other negative attributions to people suffering with addictions.  In fact, we'd hope an alternative explanation would have more value than the disease label, by giving people with addictions something the disease concept lacks: an understanding that is useful for treating the problem.

Despite all its past helpfulness, then, we are better off today without the disease idea of addiction.  For too long it has served as a kind of "black box" description that explains nothing, offers no help in treatment, and interferes with recognizing newer ways to understand and treat the problem.
And there is one more advantage.  If we can eliminate the empty "disease" label, then people who suffer with an addiction can finally stop thinking of themselves as "diseased."




ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Monday quotes

Love thy neighbor as thy self, but choose thy neighborhood.
- Louise Beal

The finest kind of friendship is between people who expect a great deal of each other but never ask it.
- Sylvia Bremer

 Success is getting what you want. Happiness is liking what you get.
- H. Jackson Brown Jr.

The manner of giving is worth more than the gift.
- Pierre Corneille

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
- Bill Cosby

When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.
- Wayne Dyer

Some of us might find happiness if we quit struggling so desperately for it.
- William Feather

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

When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
- Jimi Hendrix

We sometimes get all the information, but we refuse to get the message.
- Cullen Hightower



ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

weekly roundup

celebrity substance abuse news
from About.com/Alcoholism;


Brooke Mueller Enters Long-Term Treatment
Charlie's Sheen's ex wife, Brooke Mueller has checked herself into rehab after her arrest for cocaine possession and assault. "Brooke has decided to remove herself from the media spotlight so she can focus on her recovery without distraction," her spokesperson said in a statement.

Lindsay Lohan Doing Well on Probation
Superior Court Judge Stephanie Sautner praised actress Lindsay Lohan for "doing well" under the terms of her probation. Since Nov. 2, Lohan has worked 12 days at the L.A. County morgue and has completed five court-ordered therapy sessions.

Judy Collins's New Book: Suicide, Alcoholism, Nude Photos
In a new book, Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: My Life in Music, folk singer Judy Collins talks candidly about her long battle with alcoholism. "I didn’t take a lot of drugs, because I thought they would interfere with my drinking," the legendary singer admits.

Charlie Bell Shows Up Drunk at DUI Court Date
Golden State Warriors guard Charlie Bell was arrested last week when he showed up in Flint, Michigan for a hearing on his October DUI charge he was intoxicated. Authorities said Bell was over the legal limit when he arrived in court. He spent several hours in custody.

Mitchel Musso Pleads Not Guilty to DUI
Hannah Montana movie star Mitchel Musso has entered a not guilty plea to driving under the influence. The underage actor had a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 when he was stopped for failing to slow down near a traffic crash site.

Bears Receiver Sam Hurd Arrested on Drug Charges
Chicago Bears receiver Sam Hurd has been arrested in a drug sting from trying to buy drugs from an informant and an undercover agent. Police said Hurd was trying to negotiate the purchase of five to 10 kilograms of cocaine and 1,000 pounds of marijuana a week.



ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, December 19, 2011

monday quotes

Do you wish people to think well of you? Don't speak well of yourself.
- Blaise Pascal

Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom.
- General George Patton

Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.
- John Petit-Senn

The only real mistake is the one from which we learn nothing.
- John Enoch Powell

I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.
- J. B. Priestley

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

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

Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be.
- Karen Ravn

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.
- Donna Roberts

It is not fair to ask of other what you are not willing to do yourself.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

celebrity updates

the latest substance abuse news
from About.com/Alcoholism


Brooke Mueller Arrested in Aspen
Charlie Sheen's ex-wife Brooke Mueller has been arrested in Aspen, CO for assault and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. The arrest came after a woman told police that Mueller had assaulted her in a nightclub. A court date is scheduled for Dec. 19.

Former Miss USA Arrested on DUI Charges
After first denying that she was even in Michigan, former Miss USA Rima Fakih admitted that she had been arrested for drunken driving in Highland Park. Following her arrest, Fakih tweeted "I'm NOT in Michigan and I'm NOT in jail! Wrong Fakih."

Former Miami Dolphin Busted for Drugs
Former Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Igor Olshansky got caught in a police crackdown that included 279 arrests. The 29-year-old posted a $100 bond after he was caught with 19 grams of marijuana, from which he was rolling a joint when cop arrived.

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt Resigns After DUI
Randy Babbitt, chief of the Federal Aviation Administration, has stepped down from the position following his arrest for drunken driving in Fairfax City, VA. Police stopped Babbitt after they spotted him driving on the wrong side of the road.

Seahawk Raheem Brock Charged with Drunk Driving
Raheem Brock, defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks, will finally face charges for his November 2010 arrest for driving his Bentley at 90 mph. The case file was apparently misplaced and forgotten by police until a reporter called last week to check the status.

Math Professor, 74, Accused of Running Meth Lab
A 74-year-old Boston professor has been arrested for running a methamphetamine lab with her son out of her home. Irina Kristy was charged with distribution of meth, conspiracy to violate the drug law and drug violation in a school zone.


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, December 12, 2011

monday quotes

A child needs your presence more than your presents.
- Jesse Jackson

Forgiveness is the highest and most difficult of all moral lesson.
- Joseph Jacobs

The people who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed.
- Lloyd James

 Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.
- Thomas Jefferson

The Trouble with life in the fast lane is that you get to the other end in a hurry.
- John Jensen

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.
- Lyndon Baines Johnson

I have accepted fear as a part of life - specifically the fear of change. I have gone ahead despite the pounding in the heart that says: turn back.
- Erica Jong

Never let inexperience get in the way of ambition.
- Terry Josephson

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






ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Saturday, December 10, 2011

unnecessary holiday panic

in the rooms this time of year, there
is always talk of the pressure of holidays
and the temptation to drink

well guess what, for many the thought
of a drink occurs all year long

the stress of the holidays is there for
most people, and all the fuss alky's
express during these times is unwarranted

just go with the flow; if you know you are
going to be uncomfortable, choose your
situations wisely.

no matter where you are or who you're
with the decision is up to you...deal with it





ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Sunday, December 4, 2011

weekly roundup

this week's list of celeb antics
from About.com/Alcoholism;


Courtney Love Is Lindsay Lohan's Sober Coach?
This could be a case of the blind leading the blind. Courtney Love, who has had her own widely publicized substance abuse meltdowns, is reportedly giving Lindsay Lohan advice on how to stay clean and sober. "I've taken up Lohan because nobody else will. She's further down the line than I was, because there was no TMZ then," Love said.

Griffin O'Neal Pleads Guilty to DUI
Another son of actor Ryan O'Neal is in trouble for substance abuse. Griffin O'Neal has pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and possession of a firearm by a felon after a head-on crash which injured another driver. Police said he was high when he veered into on-coming traffic.

Lil Boosie Gets 8 Years in Drug Case
Baton Rouge rapper "Lil Boosie," whose real name is Torrence Hatch, has been sentenced to eight years on drug charges. He pleaded guilty to trying to smuggle codeine, marijuana and ecstasy into prison where he was already serving time.

D.A. Vows Hard Line on Former Convict
Prosecutors have vowed to treat drunk driving charges very seriously against a man who was once prosecuted as a juvenile on homicide charges. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Carmody said he will "take very seriously" the DUI charges against Sean O. O'Neill Jr.

Doctor Accused of Selling Oxycodone Out of His Car
A New York doctor has surrendered to authorities to face federal charges of illegally selling prescriptions for oxycodone. Investigators said 60-year-old Dr. Leonard Stambler was driving around in his car delivering prescriptions for powerful pain killers to his clients.

Drunk Driver Hits Two Police Cars
It probably didn't take long for El Paso police to figure out that Marco Antonio Medina was driving while intoxicated. The 32-year-old crashed his vehicle into two police cars that were blocking the center lane of Mesa Street.


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

quotes for today

There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.
- Ansel Adams

 Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
- Joseph Addison

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

Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.
- Muhammad Ali

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

Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone.
- Robert Allen

Dream big dreams, then put on your overalls and go out and make the dreams come true.
- Fred Van Amburgh

Living a life of integrity is one of the greatest missions we can undertake.
- Greg Anderson


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Saturday, November 19, 2011

weekly review

the week's news of substance abuse
from About.com/Alcoholism


Court Orders Lindsay Lohan's Father to Treatment
Michael Lohan, father of actress Lindsay Lohan, has been sentenced to two years of probation, the first four months of which will be spent in a residential treatment center in Florida. The sentence came after he entered a no contest plea to domestic violence charges.

Missouri Coach Suspended After DWI Arrest
Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel has been suspended for the final game of the season and his salary has been frozen for a year after his arrest for drunken driving. The disciplinary steps taken by the university could end up costing Pinkel $300,000, more if the Tigers go to a bowl game.

Driver Was Drunk in Wrong-Way Crash
Driving under the influence proved deadly for a 39-year-old Georgia man after he drove the wrong way on Interstate-20 in DeKalb County near Atlanta. Gene Jones faces multiple charges in connection with a crash that killed Doraville police Detective Robert Wilson.

Woman Drove Drunk With 3 Kids in Car
A Connecticut woman driving with three children in the car is facing three counts of risk of injury to a child, driving while under the influence and running a traffic light. Police said Cynthia Aragon, 49, was so drunk she couldn't get her license out of her wallet.

DUI Suspect Accidentally Sets Car on Fire
It was a bad day for 20-year-old Becca Voss of Louisville, Kentucky. Not only was she arrested for driving under the influence, after being stopped for speeding, she dropped a lit cigarette in the door of the car setting the vehicle on fire.

Foreclosures Offer Opportunity for Pot Growers
The large increase of home foreclosures in the Las Vegas is providing opportunities for marijuana growers. Authorities have busted 153 indoor marijuana grow operations and have seized more than 13,000 plants last year, compared to 18 busts and 1,000 plants in 2005.

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, November 14, 2011

monday quotes

Regardless of how much patience we have, we would prefer never to use any of it.
- James T. O'Brien

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

Being Politically Correct means always having to say you're sorry.
- Charles Osgood

Intelligence lies within a creative mind, Not extensive memory.
- Christopher Acedillo

Thoroughly to teach another is the best way to learn for yourself.
- Tryon Adams

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

Every truth has two sides. It is well to look at both before we commit ourselves to either side.
- Aesop
I'm not afraid of storms for I'm learning how to sail my ship.
- Louisa May Alcott


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Sunday, November 13, 2011

this weeks celebrity antics

news of celebs and substance abuse
from About.com/Alcoholism


Lindsay Lohan's 30-Day Sentence Lasts Five Hours
Here's a great lesson for the youth of America: If you get in trouble with the law and don't follow the terms of your probation repeatedly over a period of four years, you may have to spend five hours in jail. That's about how long Lindsay Lohan was there for her latest "30-day" sentence.

Lindsay Lohan Poses for Playboy
Youth lesson No. 2: If you behave outrageously enough to become famous then you can take your clothes off for Playboy and make a million dollars. Lindsay Lohan rushed to get her Playboy shoot done just in case her jail term was extended for more than a few hours.

Lindsay Lohan's Father Appears in Court
And finally a tip for parents: The best way to prevent your kids from becoming involved in drugs and alcohol is to be a good example. Tell that to Michael Lohan, Lindsay's dad, as he agreed to a permanent injunction to stay 500 feet away from his girlfriend, Kate Major.

Ryan Merriman Taken to Jail on DUI Charge
Final Destination 3 star Ryan Merriman has been arrested for drunken driving. Police said he failed a field sobriety test after they observed him rolling past the limit line at a red light in Newport Beach, CA.

Rodney King Pleads Not Guilty to DUI
Rodney King has entered not guilty pleas to charges stemming from his DUI arrest in Moreno Valley, CA, in July. King was charged with driving under the influence and driving with a blood-alcohol content above the legal limit. Police said he was also under the influence of marijuana at the time.

Spurs General Manager Blames DWI on Diabetes
R.C. Buford, general manager of the San Antonio Spurs, has been charged with driving while intoxicated and having an open container in his vehicle. Buford was arrested after a single-car crash. In a statement, the Spurs said the crash "was precipitated by a severe low blood sugar reaction." Buford is diabetic.

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, November 7, 2011

monday quotes

Each relationship you have with another person reflects the relationship you have with yourself.
- Alice Denille

We cannot become what we need to be, remaining what we are.
- Max Depree

Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.
- Wayne Dyer

It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
- Epictetus

You know you're getting old when everything hurts. And what doesn't hurt doesn't work.
- Hy Gardner

The person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused.
- Shirley Maclaine

I'm fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.
- George McGovern


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Saturday, November 5, 2011

weekly roundup

more celebrity news from About.com/Alcoholism;


Back to Jail For Lindsay Lohan Again
The probation sentence for a 2007 DUI conviction that should have ended years ago, has been extended until next March for Lindsay Lohan because she can't stay out of trouble. The 25-year-old actress has until Nov. 9 to report to jail for yet another probation violation.

Jeremy Mayfield Arrested For Meth Possession
Former NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield has been arrested at his North Carolina home and charged with possession of 1.5 grams of methamphetamine. Mayfield was suspended indefinitely in 2009 by NASCAR for violating the substance abuse policy.

Singer-Songwriter Twinkle Accused of DUI
The singer-songwriter Twinkle, whose real name is Schascle Yochim, has been arrest for DUI after police thought she was asleep behind the wheel. Yochim told police that she was returning from an A.A. meeting and had not been drinking, but failed a field sobriety test.

Detroit's Wallace Gets Drunk-Driving Plea Deal
Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace has pleaded guilty to driving and possessing a firearm under the influence of alcohol, agreeing to a plea deal that dropped felony firearm charges against him. Wallace had a blood-alcohol level of 0.14 when he was stopped in September.

DUI Charges Against Ryan Rottman Dropped
Nickelodeon's Gigantic star Ryan Rottman has dodges DUI charges by pleading to a lesser charge of alcohol-related reckless driving, a misdemeanor. He was given three years probation, a $390 fine and ordered to take a three-month alcohol education class.

'Pill Mill' Crackdown Leads to 22 Arrests
A federal crackdown on Florida "pill mills" that illegal distribute prescription drugs continued with the arrest of 22 people. Those arrested included five doctors and two pharmacists. More than 100 people have been arrested in the crackdown.


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, October 31, 2011

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

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

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

We sometimes get all the information, but we refuse to get the message.
- Cullen Hightower

If what you did yesterday seems big, you haven't done anything today.
- Lou Holtz

It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.
- Lena Horne

Some people pay a compliment as if they expected a receipt.
- Kin Hubbard

After the game the king and the pawn go in the same box.
- Italian Proverb

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





ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Friday, October 28, 2011

celebrity news

latest headlines about celeb substance abuse
from About.com/Alcoholism;


 Lohan's Dad Arrested After Balcony Chase
Actress Lindsay Lohan's estranged father, Michael Lohan, has been hospitalized for observation after being arrested for the second time in a week on domestic violence-related charges. Police said Lohan jumped from a third-story balcony when police responded to a 9-1-1 call at his girlfriend's apartment.

Steven Tyler: Substance Abuse 'Not the Issue'
Steven Tyler, injured in a fall in a hotel shower in Paraquay, said his mishap had nothing to do with substance abuse. "People thinking that is natural and normal, it still bothers me," said the Aerosmith frontman. "But it's something I have to deal with for the rest of my life."

Michael Douglas' Son Pleads Guilty to Drug Charge
Cameron Douglas, 32-year-old son of actor Michael Douglas, has entered a guilty plea to new charges stemming from arranging for drugs to be delivered to him in prison. Under the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to add only 1-1/2 years to the sentence he is presently serving for trafficking drugs.

Drunk Driver Hits Cop Head-On
A 50-year-old California man has been charged with felony driving under the influence after colliding head-on with another vehicle in Murrieta. It didn't take long for the police to arrive on the scene. Deepmohinder Singh Kapur, 50, crashed into a Riverside County Gang Task Force officer's vehicle.

87 Year Old Arrested With 228 Pounds of Cocaine
When 87-year-old Leo Sharp was pulled over for an improper lane change, he refused to let Michigan State Trooper search his car. After calling a drug-sniffing dog to the scene, troopers found 104 bricks of cocaine with an estimated value of $3 million in his car.

NYC Doctor Arrested Twice in 2 Days for DWI
A New YOrk City doctor with homes on Park Avenue and in Ancramdale has been arrested twice in one weekend for driving while intoxicated. She was first arrested after she reported her vehicle stolen and police found it on her property crashed down a large embankment. She was arrested the next day speeding with a blood-alcohol level of 0.19.

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Friday, October 21, 2011

quotes for today

Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.
- Lauren Bacall

 You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you're going to live. Now.
- Joan Baez

There is a way to look at the past. Don't hide from it. It will not catch you - if you don't repeat it.
- Pearl Bailey

Luck? I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it, and I'm not afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work - and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't.
- Lucille Ball

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
- Carl Bard

You grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself.
- Ethel Barrymore

An error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.
- Orlando A. Battista

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

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melody Beattie

Listening to your heart is not simple. Finding out who you are is not simple. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to get to know who you are and what you want.
- Sue Bender

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

more celeb news

the week's celebrity substance abuse news
from About.com/Alcoholism;


Lindsay Lohan Booted From Community Service Program
Actress Lindsay Lohan is having a bit of trouble meeting the community service requirements of her probation. She has been kicked out of the L.A. Downtown Women's Center program where she was supposed to serve 360 hours because she missed nine scheduled appointments and left early when she did show up. She is now supposedly working with the Red Cross.

Alice Walton Arrested for DWI on Birthday
The second richest woman in America, Alice Walton, daughter of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, was arrested for driving while intoxicated and spent the night in jail on her 62nd birthday. She failed field sobriety tests and refused to take a breathalyzer. It's not her first drunk driving arrest.

SC Quarterback Fails Alcohol Test, Dismissed
After being given five "second chances" by South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier, quarterback Stephen Garcia has finally been dismissed from the team after failing an alcohol test. Garcia had agreed to submit to random testing as a condition of his reinstatement last Spring.

Ex-Weezer Bassist Mikey Welsh Found Dead
A drug overdose is suspected in the death of former Weezer bass player Mikey Welsh who was found dead after not checking out of a Chicago hotel room. Welsh, 40, had predicted his death on Twitter two weeks earlier saying, "Dreamt I died in Chicago next weekend (heart attack in my sleep). Need to write my will today."

Amy Winehouse's Father to Write Book
Book publisher HarperCollins said Mitch Winehouse, father of singer Amy Winehouse, will write a memoir, "Amy My Daughter," which is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2012. Proceeds will go to the foundation that he started in Amy's name.

Woman Tries to Buy Pot on Craigslist
Well, she wanted to meet new people. A New Mexico woman has been arrested after posting an ad on Craisgslist saying she was new in town and "looking for Mary Jane." Anamicka Dave was arrested when Roswell police officers posing as sellers showed up at the appointed time.



ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Saturday, October 15, 2011

weekend quotes

Men, it has been well said, think in herds; it will be seen that they go mad in herds, while they only recover their senses slowly, and one by one.
- Charles Mackay

Often the difference between a successful man and a failure is not one's better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on his ideas, to take a calculated risk-and to act.
- Maxwell Maltz

To succeed in life you need to be three main things - original, innoavative and creative.
- John Mamo

Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can't build on it; it's only good for wallowing in.
- Katherine Mansfield

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
- Maori proverb

Challenges are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.
- Joshua J. Marine

Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned.
- Peter Marshall

One can go back toward safety or forward toward growth.
- Abraham Maslow

The difficulties, hardships and trials of life, the obstacles... are positive blessings. They knit the muscles more firmly, and teach self-reliance.
- William Matthews

You wouldn't worry so much about what someone else is thinking about you if you knew how seldom they do.
- Dr. Phil McGraw's Father



ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Saturday, October 8, 2011

celebrity antics

this week's celebrity roundup from About.com/Alcoholism;



Kurt Angle's DUI Charge Dropped
After viewing the evidence, Virginia Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Michael Fleming decided to drop DUI charges against TNA Impact Wrestling's Kurt Angle and charge him with reckless driving instead. At the time of his September arrest, Angle had a blood-alcohol level of 0.912.

Jani Lane Died of Alcohol Poisoning
Warrant lead singer Jani Lane died as a result of apparent alcohol poisoning, according to the Los Angeles County coroner's office. The 1980s glam rocker was found dead August 11 in a hotel room in Los Angeles with a half-empty vodka bottle nearby.

Steel Magnolia's Joshua Scott Jones Enters Rehab
The male half of the country singing duo Steel Magnolia, Joshua Scott Jones has entered a treatment center for alcohol and substance abuse. His girlfriend and singing partner Meghan Linsey began playing scheduled tour dates this week without him.

Another Mike Ditka Son Charged With DUI
Driving under the influence charges have been filed against another one of former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka's sons. Mark E. Ditka recently was charged with DUI for the third time, while his older brother Michael P. Ditka recently got his fourth drunk driving charge.

Jordan Schafer Arrested on Drug Charge
A Florida traffic stop resulted in felony marijuana charges against Houston Astros outfielder Jordan Schafer. Police said Schafer pulled his Land Rover with the windows down next to a police cruiser and the officers noticed a strong marijuana smell. Because it was felony possession, police seized the Land Rover.

Green Bay's Johnny Jolly Arrested on Drug Charge
For the third time in three years, Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Johnny Jolly has been arrested on drug charges. Jolly was arrested for possession of a compound containing codeine after police saw him throw a bag out of the window of his vehicle.




ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Sunday, October 2, 2011

monday quotes

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; but remember that what you have now was once among the things you only hoped for.
- The Vatican Sayings, Epicurus

Get off it, over it and on with it. It's time to live your life.
- Vicky

When we seek to discover the best in others, we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.
- William Arthur Ward

Luck is when opportunity meets preparation.
- Denzel Washington

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

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
- Edith Wharton

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.
- William Allen White

There are thousands of reasons why you cannot do what you want to. All you need is one reason why you can.
- Willis R. Whitney

Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
- John Wooden



ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Friday, September 23, 2011

quotes for today

Anyone can enjoy good days; those who find ways to enjoy bad days have something going for them!

It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference.

To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.

Be careful of your thoughts, they may become words at any moment.

We have enough youth, how about a fountain of smart?

The word listen contains the same letters as the word silent.

Don't go through life, grow through life.-Eric Butterworth

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength. - Corrie TenBoom

Keep your face to the sunshine and you will not see the shadows. - Helen Keller

People who are wrapped up in themselves make very small packages.

Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened.

A man may make many mistakes, but is not a failure until he starts blaming someone else for them.

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

this week's celebrity antics

more celeb news of substance abuse
from About.com/Alcoholism;


Redmond O'Neal Admits to Using Drugs in Rehab
Redmond O'Neal, the son of Ryan O'Neal and the late Farrah Fawcett, may be facing serious jail time after he admitted to a judge that he had taken drugs smuggled into him in his rehab facility. O'Neal could face up to nine years in jail if the judge chooses to revoke his probation.

Disney's Shelby Cobra Arrested for DWI
Former Disney star and lead singer of the defunct band KSM, Shelby Cobra has been arrested in Los Angeles for driving under the influence. Police said the 18 year old had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.15 when she was arrested.

Wrestler Matt Hardy Arrested for Another DWI
Matt Hardy, former WWE and TNA professional wrestler, has been arrested for driving while impaired less than a month after a previous DWI. Hardy had no alcohol in his system, police said, but when he was stopped he "had slow and slurred speech, sleepy eyes and a very lackadaisical demeanor."

Jockey's DUI Case Deferred One Year
Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel will have one year to complete treatment for alcohol abuse as part of a diversion program for his driving-while-intoxicated arrest. His driver's license was also suspended for 30 days.

Rappers Paul Wall and Baby Bash Arrested
Rappers Paul Wall and Baby Bash have been arrested in El Paso, TX on a possession of marijuana charge. Ronald Ray Bryant (Baby Bash) and Paul Michael Slayton (Paul Wall) were charged with having less than 2 ounces of marijuana in a drug-free zone.

Pitcher Curtis Leskanic Four Times Legal Limit
Former Major League pitcher Curtis John Leskanic was charged with DUI and child neglect when he was found passed out in his pickup truck with his sleeping but unrestrained 5-year-old daughter in the truck. Police said Leskanic had a blood-alcohol level of 0.331, more than four times the legal limit.


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

quotes for today

The future must be seen in terms of what a person can do to contribute something, to make something better, to make it go where he believes with all his being it ought to go.
- Frederick R. Kappel

 Wisdom is the reward for a lifetime of listening... when you'd have preferred to talk.
- D.J. Kaufman

Since we cannot change reality, let us change the eyes which see reality.
- Nikos Kazantzakis

My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.
- Clarence Buddinton Kelland

Doubt yourself, and you doubt everything you see. Judge yourself and you see judges everywhere. But if you listen to the sound of your own voice, you can rise above doubt and judgement, and you can see forever.
- Nancy Kerrigan

 The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.
- B.B. King

Never, if possible, lie down at night without being able to say: I have made one human being, at least, a little wiser, a little happier, or a little better this day.
- Charles Kingsley

Today is the day in which to express your noblest qualities of mind and heart, to do at least one worthy thing which you have long postponed.
- Grenville Kleiser

Often the search proves more profitable than the goal.
- E. L. Konigsburg

If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.
- Jack Kornfield


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, August 29, 2011

Monday quotes




I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.
-Jimmy Dean

Each relationship you have with another person reflects the relationship you have with yourself.
- Alice Denille

We cannot become what we need to be, remaining what we are.
- Max Depree

I forgive myself for having believed for so long that... I was never good enough to have, get, be what I wanted.
- Ceanne DeRohan
No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it to anyone else.
- Charles Dickens

Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong.
- John Diefenbaker

The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for.
- Maureen Dowd

Forget mistakes. Forget failure. Forget everything except what you're going to do now and do it. Today is your lucky day.

- Will Durant
 He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.
- Epictetus

Yesterday is ashes; tomorrow is wood. Only today does the fire burn brightly.
- Old Eskimo saying



ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Thursday, August 25, 2011

quotes for today



"Due to circumstances beyond your control, you are master of your fate and captain of your soul."


"If you are able to state a problem - any problem - then the problem can be solved."
-- Dr. Edwin S. Land


If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for


Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values


Sometimes, its what you dont do, that makes you who you are.


If you are too busy to laugh, you are too busy.


If you are willing to admit faults, you have one less fault to admit.


It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference.


To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.


The world of tomorrow belongs to the person who has the vision today.

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

celebrity roundup

news of the week of celebrity run-ins;


Amy Winehouse's Ex Plans to Write Book
Blake Fielder-Civil, former husband of deceased British singer Amy Winehouse, plans to write a book about their troubled marriage. Fielder-Civil is currently serving a 32-month sentence in prison for burglary and possession of a fake firearm. Winehouse died last month at age 27.

Actor Orlando Brown Arrested for DUI
Former star of the TV series "That's So Raven," Orlando Brown has been arrested for suspicion of drunker driving. The 23-year-old rapper was released on his own recognizance after spending a night in the Los Angeles Police Department's Hollywood station.

Jalen Rose Released From Jail
Former NBA player and ESPN analyst Jalen Rose has been released from a Detroit jail after serving time for a drunk driving conviction. Rose served 16 days of a 20-day sentence that his attorney said was excessive for a first time offender.

Broncos Kicker Matt Prater Arrested for DUI
Matt Prater, place kicker for the Denver Broncos is facing charges of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. Police reports said that Prater backed his Chevy Trailblazer into an unoccupied sedan parked outside a motel.

Secret Service Agent Arrested for DUI
A Secret Service agent apparently assigned to President Barak Obama's bus trip to the Midwest, has been arrested in Iowa for driving under the influence. Police said Daniel L. Valencia, 40, was off duty when he was arrested.

Police Chief Arrested on DUI Charges
The Police Chief of Chillicothe, Illinois has been charged with driving under the influence in Peoria County. When police stopped Steve Maurer because the tail lights on the trailer he was pulling were not working, they smelled alcohol on his breath.


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

quotes for today




A tiny change today brings us to a dramatically different tomorrow. There are grand rewards for those who pick the high hard roads, but those rewards are hidden by years.
- Richard Bach

We look into mirrors but we only see the effects of our times on us - not our affects on others.
- Pearl Bailey

A safe but sometimes chilly way of recalling the past is to force open a crammed drawer. If you are searching for anything in particular you don't find it, but something falls out at the back that is often more interesting.
- James M. Barrie

You grow up the day you have your first real laugh at yourself.
- Ethel Barrymore

An error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.
- Orlando A. Battista

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

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melody Beattie

Listening to your heart is not simple. Finding out who you are is not simple. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to get to know who you are and what you want.
- Sue Bender

You stand outside the circle and wonder why you feel left out, unaware that you need your own permission to join the others - not theirs.
- Rusty Berkus

Reason often makes mistakes, but conscience never does.
- Josh Billings, pen name of Henry Wheeler Shaw


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, August 15, 2011

celebrity updates

this week's celebrity antics
from About.com/Alcoholism;


Wire Actress Pearson Pleads Guilty in Drug Case
Caught on a telephone wiretap, actress Felicia "Snoop" Pearson has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin the day before her trial was scheduled to begin. She was sentenced to time served and three years probation. Pearson, 31, played a drug gang assassin on HBO's The Wire. The plea deal allows her to continue her acting career, her attorney said.

Rapper Big Boi Arrested on Drug Charges
Grammy award winning OutKast rapper Big Boi, whose real name is Antwan Patton, has been charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. Miami-Dade police said the rapper was arrested for possession of ecstasy and Viagra.

Rapper "Kid" Reid Arrested for Skipping Court
Former Kid 'n Play rapper Christopher "Kid" Reid was arrested at his Los Angeles home after he failed to appear at a court hearing regarding his 2010 drunk driving conviction. He was supposed to show up in court July 25 at a hearing to show proof that he had completed all of his probation requirements.

Vikings Quarterback Rhett Bomar Arrested
Minnesota Viking quarterback Rhett Bomar has been arrested for drunk-driving by police in Mankato. Bomar was stopped following a Saturday night Vikings practice and was held in jail until Sunday evening.

Economy Forces Cutbacks in War on Meth
The economy is taking a toll on the war on meth in some cities. According to The Associated Press, law enforcement officials in states where most of the nation's methamphetamine is produced have drastically reduced their efforts to pursue the manufacturers simply because they cannot afford the cost of cleaning up the toxic waste created by the labs.

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, August 1, 2011

Mondy quotes

Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.
- Lauren Bacall

One must always maintain one's connection to the past and yet ceaselessly pull away from it.
- Gaston Bachelard

There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.
- James Baldwin

Luck? I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it, and I'm not afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work - and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't.
- Lucille Ball

You must learn day by day, year by year, to broaden your horizons. The more things you love, the more you are interested in, the more you enjoy, the more you are indignant about--the more you have left when anything happens.
- Ethel Barrymore

The plans differ; the planners are all alike...
- Frederic Bastiat

The finest kind of friendship is between people who expect a great deal of each other but never ask it.
- Sylvia Bremer

Let's dare to be ourselves, for we do that better than anyone else.
- Shirley Briggs

 Always tell the truth, not only because it is the decent thing to do, but because it gives you such an advantage over the man who is trying to remember his lies!
- Sam Brookes

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Thursday, July 28, 2011

celebrity update

latest news about celebs and substance abuse
from About.com/Alcoholism;


Joanne Baldwin Sentenced to 10 Days in Jail
Joanne Baldwin, wife of actor Daniel Baldwin, promised a judge that she will get help for her drinking problem as soon as she served a 10-day sentence for violating probation on a previous DUI charge. "Obviously, alcohol has not been your friend," Judge Bruce Shepley said.

Rapper DMX Released From Arizona Prison
Rapper DMX has been released from a prison in Arizona after serving an extra week on his one-year sentence due to failing a drug test while behind bars. The rap star, whose real name is Earl Simmons, was jailed for repeated probation violations.

Rapper Lil Boosie Indicted on Drug Charge
Rapper Lil Boosie, whose real name is Torrence Hatch, already serving time and facing murder charges in another case, has been indicted for trying to smuggle a codeine mixture known as "sizzurp" into prison. He is serving time at Angola in Louisiana.

Hilton Brother to Compensate Drunk Driving Victim
Paris Hilton's younger brother, Barron Hilton, has been ordered by a California court to pay $4.9 million to a gas station attendant he struck while driving drunk. Hilton was 18 when he hit Fernando Mendoza Tellez with his Mercedes-Benz.

'James Bond' Actress Dies Drinking Drain Cleaner
It was determined that the cause of death of Angela Scoular, a former actress in two James Bond movies, was due to drinking drain cleaner containing sulfuric acid and pouring it over her body. The 65-year-old actress fought a long battle with alcoholism, bipolar disorder, bowel cancer and anxiety over debts incurred from manic shopping trips.

Corey Dillon Pleads No Contest To Reckless Driving
Former Bengals running back Corey Dillon avoided driving under the influence charges by pleading no contest to reckless driving stemming from his April 2010 arrest near Malibu. He was sentenced to two years of probation, a 12-hour alcohol program and ordered to pay a $250 fine.

Boogaard Brother Arrested on Drug Charge
Aaron Boogaard, brother of New York Rangers player Derek Boogaard, has been charged with possession of illegal prescription pills on the same night his brother died from an overdose. Family members said the charges had "nothing to do" with his brother's death.

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

quotes for today


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

Only as high as I reach can I grow,
Only as far as I seek can I go,
Only as deep as I look can I see,
Only as much as I dream can I be.
- Karen Ravn

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

The secret of success is to do common things uncommonly well.
- John D. Rockefeller

It is not fair to ask of other what you are not willing to do yourself.
- Eleanor Roosevelt

Happiness is not a state to arrive at, but a manner of traveling.
- Margaret Lee Runback

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.
- Russian Proverb

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Sunday, June 19, 2011

weekly roundup

the latest celebrity news from About.com/alcoholism;

Estella Warren Charged with DUI, Resisting Arrest
"Planet of the Apes" actress Estella Warren has been officially charged with driving under the influence, hit-and-run, battery on a police officer and resisting a police officer. The charges stem from an incident last month after she crashed her Toyota into several cars in West Los Angeles.

Justin Timberlake 'Absolutely' Smokes Pot
When asked in a Playboy interview if he smoked marijuana, Justin Timberlake replied "absolutely." He told the magazine, "The only thing pot does for me is it gets me to stop thinking. Sometimes I have a brain that needs to be turned off. Some people are just better high."

Former "CSI" Star Gary Dourdan Busted for Drugs
Troubled former CSI actor Gary Dourdan is facing drug possession charges after he crashed his vehicle into several parked cars. The 44-year-old actor apparently had several ecstasy pills in his possession when he was stopped by police.

Sly Stone Pleads Not Guilty to Cocaine Charge
Funk rock legend Sly Stone, whose real name is Sylvester Stewart, has entered not guilty pleas to possession of rock cocaine. Stone was charged in April after the 68-year-old Sly and the Family Stone frontman was searched during a minor traffic stop.

Mavs' Stevenson Arrested for Public Intoxication
NBA champion Dallas Mavericks guard DeShawn Stevenson has been arrested for public intoxication at an apartment complex in Irving, TX. Police said Stevenson did not know where he was and failed several field sobriety tests.

Parents Jailed After Baby Drinks Meth-Laced Juice
Lee Haas, 29, and Angela Haas, 25, of Great Falls, MT, have been arrested after they allowed their 1-year-old daughter to drink orange juice that had been mixed with methamphetamine. A social worker notified police after tests showed the baby had high levels of meth in her system.

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, June 13, 2011

Monday quotes

When you feel that you have reached the end and that you cannot go one step further, when life seems to be drained of all purpose: What a wonderful opportunity to start all over again, to turn over a new page.
- Eileen Caddy

Don't let anyone steal your Dreams. Follow your heart, no matter what.
- Jack Cainfield


Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.
- Eddie Cantor

You really have to look inside and find your inner strength, and say, "I'm proud of what I am and who I am, and I'm just going to be myself."
- Mariah Carey

Be more concerned with your character than with your reputation. Your character is what you really are while your reputation is merely what others think you are.
- Dale Carnegie

The most wasted of all days is that on which one has not laughed.
- Nicolas Chamfort

Be ready when opportunity comes. Luck is the time when preparation and opportunity meet.
- Roy D. Chapin Jr.

If you're still hanging onto a dead dream of yesterday, laying flowers on its grave by the hour, you cannot be planting the seeds for a new dream to grow today.
- Joyce Chapman

And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.
- Jerry Chin

Life is not always what one wants it to be, but to make the best of it as it is, is the only way of being happy.
- Jennie Jerome Churchill


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Friday, June 10, 2011

weekly roundup

latest celebrity news and substance abuse
from About.com/alcoholism;

Willie Nelson Settles Marijuana Case With $500 Fine
Country singing legend Willie Nelson has agreed to a plea deal that provides that he pays a $500 and serve 30 days on probation for a marijuana possession charge. He was arrested last November when border agents in Texas found marijuana in his tour bus.

Vincent D'Onofrio Helps Raise Money for Meth Victims
Actor Vincent D'Onofrio visited Utah to help raise money for public safety workers who have been exposed to toxins while cleaning up methamphetamine labs on the job. The "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" star's visit benefited police officers, firefighters and military personnel.

Mark Grace Arrested for DUI
Former Chicago Cubs star Mark Grace has been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Arizona Diamondbacks television announcer was stopped on Memorial Day after police saw him weaving in traffic.

Rapper Flo Rida Charged With DUI
Rapper Flo Rida, whose real name is Tramar Dillard, was charged with driving under the influence after Miami Beach police saw his Bugatti being driven erratically. The rap star reportedly asked the police to allow him to walk home after he failed a field sobriety test.

Pennsylvania Legislator Busted for DUI
State Rep. John Galloway of Pennsylvania has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after he was seen failing to stop at a stop sign. He failed a field sobriety test and refused to take a breath test, a decision that will cost him his license for one year.

Woman Facing 6th DUI Shows Up Drunk
When an Illinois woman showed up for a hearing on her sixth DUI charge, she found herself having her bailed revoked. She showed up at the hearing intoxicated. Police said when she was arrested for her latest DUI, she recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.30 almost four times the legal limit.


ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Monday quotes


Learning is finding out what you already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know it just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, teachers.
- Richard Bach

There is a way to look at the past. Don't hide from it. It will not catch you - if you don't repeat it.
- Pearl Bailey

There is never time in the future in which we will work out our salvation. The challenge is in the moment; the time is always now.
- James Baldwin

Luck? I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it, and I'm not afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else: hard work - and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't.
- Lucille Ball

If you wait until you can do everything for everybody, instead of something for somebody, you'll end up not doing anything for anybody.
- Malcolm Bane

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.
- Carl Bard

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
- Melody Beattie

Don't tell God about your big problems, tell your problems about your big God.
- Rev. Michael Beckwith

Listening to your heart is not simple. Finding out who you are is not simple. It takes a lot of hard work and courage to get to know who you are and what you want.
- Sue Bender

Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing well those you do hold.
- Josh Billings, pen name of Henry Wheeler Shaw

Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me.
- Carol Burnett
ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, May 30, 2011

Monday quotes


Sometimes you just have to take the leap, and build your wings on the way down.

Always know in your heart that you are far bigger than anything that can happen to you.
- Dan Zadra

A half truth is a whole lie.
- Yiddish proverb

There is a magnet in your heart that will attract true friends. That magnet is unselfishness, thinking of others first. When you learn to live for others, they will live for you.
- Paramahansa Yogananda

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

It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.
- Zig Ziglar

An authentically empowered person lives their life in love and trust.
- Gary Zukav

A bad day only comes in your own hands.
- Christopher Acedillo

Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.
- Joseph Addison

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

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Friday, May 27, 2011

weekly roundup


this week's adventures in celebrity substance
abuse from About.com/Alcoholism;

Lindsay Lohan Placed Under House Arrest
Actress Lindsay Lohan violated her probation on a DUI charge, stole a $2,500 necklace from a Venice Beach jewelry store and still managed to avoid jail time. The former Disney star was fitted with an ankle bracelet tracking device and placed under house arrest after showing up three weeks early to begin serving her so-called 120 days in jail sentence.

Oscar De La Hoya Enters Rehab
Friends said former boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya was battling cocaine and alcohol problems before checking himself into a California rehab facility. Friends told reporters the boxer's substance abuse problems began after having fidelity problems in his marriage.

Pete Doherty Jailed for Cocaine Possession
Just before he was scheduled to perform a concert in Scotland, Pete Doherty was sentenced to six months in jail for cocaine possession. The Babyshambles frontman has a long history of drug abuse problems.

Estella Warren Tries to Escape DUI Arrest
"Planet of the Apes" and "Kangaroo Jack" actress Estella Warren has been arrested for felony drunk driving after crashing her car into three parked cars and then trying to flee from police custody. The former Victoria's Secret model wiggled out of her handcuffs, kicked a policeman and tried to run out of the police station.

ESPN's Jalen Rose Pleads Guilty to DUI
Former University of Michigan and NBA basketball star Jalen Rose has pleaded guilty in a Michigan court to driving under the influence. The ESPN analyst was arrested March 11 after crashing his Escalade in Detroit.

DUI Charges Against Braves' Derek Lowe Dropped
Drunken driving and reckless driving charges have been dropped against Atlanta Braves pitcher Derek Lowe after prosecutors said the arresting officer "jumped to a conclusion and made a lot of mistakes."

photo from Motifake.com
ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, May 23, 2011

Monday quotes


Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.

Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength. - Corrie TenBoom

The truth is like ice water, it shocks you when it hits you, but no one's ever died from it.

People who are wrapped up in themselves make very small packages.

Don't cry because its over, smile because it happened.

Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers. - Voltaire

Conscience is the inner voice that warns us somebody is looking. - H. L. Mencken

Live simply so that others may simply live... - Gandhi

Children will soon forget your presents, they will always remember your presence. - Dobson
It's all right to hold a conversation, but you should let go of it now and then. - Richard Armour

You can't get ahead while getting even. - Dick Armey

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, May 16, 2011

Monday quotes


"God may give you seeds but he won't plant them for you"

It takes both sunshine and rain to make a rainbow.

You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future.

Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind.

You can't make footprints in the sands of time by sitting on your tush.

If it is not right, do not do it; if it is not true, do not say it.
--Marcus Aurelius

Anyone can enjoy good days; those who find ways to enjoy bad days have something going for them!

It's not what you've got, it's what you use that makes a difference.

To make mistakes is human; to stumble is commonplace; to be able to laugh at yourself is maturity.

Your talent is God's gift to you. How you use it is your gift to God.

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, May 9, 2011

Monday quotes


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

Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep.
- Denis Waitley

Your life work is a statement of who you are. If it is not, then why are you doing it?
- Neale Donald Walsch

Flatter me, and I may not believe you.
Criticize me, and I may not like you.
Ignore me, and I may not forgive you.
Encourage me, and I may not forget you.
- William Arthur Ward

The most popular persons are those who take the world as it is, who find the least fault.
- Charles Dudley Warner

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

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

There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.
- Edith Wharton

I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday and I love today.
- William Allen White

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Thursday, May 5, 2011

disease concept origins


The "recovery" community's adoption of the disease concept began with an early AA member named Marty Mann. Her efforts, combined with a somewhat dubious scientist named E.M. Jellinek, began national acceptance of the disease concept.

It was Jellinek's "scientific" study that opened the door for the medical communities' support. E.M. Jellinek's study was funded by the efforts of Marty Mann. And, like so many other circumstances involving Jellinek and Marty Mann, the study was bogus if not outright fraudulent.

The surveys he based his conclusions on were from a hand picked group of alcoholics. There were 158 questionnaires handed out and 60 of them were suspiciously not included. His conclusion was based on less than 100 hand picked alcoholics chosen by Marty Mann.

Mrs. Mann, of course, had a personal agenda to remove the stigma about the homeless and dirty alcoholic or "bowery drunk" in order to gain financial support from the wealthy. By removing the stigma, the problem becomes one of the general population, which would then include the wealthy.

The first step was Jellinek publishing his findings in his book "The Stages of Alcoholism." Later, E.M. Jellinek was asked by Yale University to refute his own findings. He complied. E.M. Jellinek's Stages of Alcoholism did not stand up to scientific scrutiny.

Earlier in this century, the validity of the disease concept was often debated in medical circles.

However, in 1956 the American Medical Association (AMA) proclaimed alcoholism an "illness." Then, in 1966, the AMA proclaimed alcoholism a disease.

The decision was wrapped in controversy. Historically, Marty Mann had her hand in much of this and manipulated information and doctors into agreeing with the disease concept. Marty Mann used her position as founder of the NCA (National Counsel for Alcoholism) to promote the disease concept through Jellinek and a somewhat clandestine relationship with the founder of the NIAAA (National Institute for Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse) whose founder worked with Marty Mann during the institute's early development.

The founder of NIAAA (Smithers) was a major contributor to and promoter of the disease concept. It was his money that funded Jellinek's work at Yale. Smithers was also responsible for gaining insurance coverage for patients in treatment (hence the 28 day program).

Smithers was certainly not altruistic in his efforts. At that time he had already launched a treatment program for which he was lobbying for insurance payments.

Acceptance by the medical community was the only way this could happen; alcoholism had to be a medical problem in order for medical insurance to pay for programs. We can see the influence of these "advances" everyday in treatment programs. Today the treatment industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, with insurance paying the lion's share of the costs.

While it can be argued that Smithers's efforts played an important role, it was Jellinek's study that was such a monumental turning point for the supporters of the disease concept it.

The current disease paradigm was, in part, developed and promulgated by Jellinek and various other partial participants with personal agendas.

Nonetheless, it was Jellinek's "Stages of the Alcoholic" that led to diagnosing alcoholism as a disease and eventually to the medical acceptance of alcoholism as a disease. Astoundingly, the inception of the current disease and treatment paradigm is based on fraud.

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Monday, May 2, 2011

Monday quotes


My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.
- Jim Valvano

It is easier to do a job right than to explain why you didn't.
- Martin Van Buren

He who is calm disturbs neither himself nor others.
- The Vatican Sayings, Epicurus

Any man who has been a teacher retains something of a student within him.
- Alfred de Vigny

There can be no rainbow without a storm and a cloud.
- F.H. Vincent

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

Losers make promises they often break. Winners make commitments they always keep.
- Denis Waitley

The best philosophy is to do one's duties, to take the world as it comes, submit respectfully to one's lot, and bless the goodness that has given us so much happiness with it, whatever it is.
- Horace Walpole

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

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar

Sunday, May 1, 2011

the day in pictures...













photos from Motifake.com

ODAT Online Recovery Blogs

Stumble Upon Toolbar
 
ga.js