a new perspective

completed my 8 week stay at
St Gregory Retreat today.

the Life Process program used
here was designed by Dr.
Stanton Peele. I read his book
"The Truth about Addiction &
Recovery" a year ago, and was
impressed by his approach.

I have to admit I learned more
about recovery in these 8 weeks
than all my trips to rehab and
subsequent years in aa.

the major difference involves
not viewing substance abuse as
a disease nor declaring powerlessness.

without getting into a DSM-IV debate,
the practical elements of these views
are eliminating the "crutch" associated with
the disease concept, and realizing we have
the power within ourselves to identify and
correct the habits and behaviors that lead
to addiction.

I now understand the value of exercise,
socializing, performing community service
and goal setting, when seeking recovery.

there is so much more than just staying
away from a drink or drug; it's living
up to one's potential, remaining
responsible, accountable and reliable.

drug & alcohol antics

latest headlines from About.com/Alcoholism;

Pamela Bach Sentenced 90 Days in DUI Case
Pamela Bach, ex-wife of actor David Hasselhoff, has been sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading no contest to a drunken driving charge from November. She received 60 of those days in jail because she was on probation for a previous DUI offense when she was arrested in November with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.14.

Cameron Douglas Sentenced to Five Years
Facing an alleged 10-year "mandatory" sentence of 10 years in federal prison for trafficking large amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine, Cameron Douglas, son of actor Michael Douglas, was sentenced to only five years by U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. The sentence came after many of Douglas' famous relatives wrote letters supporting a lesser sentence.

Corey Dillon Arrested For Drunk Driving
Corey Dillion, former New England Patriots running back, was arrested in Malibu, California on suspicion of drunk driving. Police said when they stopped him for driving too slow, Dillion exhibited "multiple symptoms of being under the influence."

Mexican Drug Kingpin Sentenced in Oregon
The Mexican leader of one of the biggest methamphetamine-producing organizations in Oregon has been sentenced to 30 years behind bars. Jorge Ortiz-Oliva, 40, was the boss behind three meth "super labs" and dozens of marijuana grow operations, according to investigators.

Different Sentences for Repeat Drunk Drivers
An Indiana judge may have some explaining to do concerning two recent sentences he handed down. A male driver with five previous convictions was given four years in jail, while a female defendant with three previous drunk driving convictions, was given probation and had her charge reduced to a misdemeanor.

Liquor Commissioner Charged With Drunk Driving
Richard Simard was charged with drunk driving after he was stopped by police for driving erratically and he failed a field sobriety test. Simard, who refused to take a breath test, is one of New Hampshire's state liquor commissioners.

Previous Headlines

Willie Nelson's Band Members Face Charges
Saying famous people are not above the law, a North Carolina prosecutor is pursuing charges against six members of Willie Nelson's band on drug and alcohol offenses. The charges stem from a search of the band's bus in January in which police seized substances which are being tested at the state crime lab. Nelson was not on the bus at the time.

Girlicious Singer Pleads Not Guilty to Cocaine Charge
Natalie Nicole Mejia, a member of the pop music group Girlicious, has entered a not guilty plea to charges of possession of cocaine with intent to sell. Mejia was arrested in March with a dozen bags of cocaine in her purse during a traffic stop. She claimed she didn't know how the drugs got into her Gucci bag.

Kentucky Assistant Coach Charged With DUI
For University of Kentucky assistant basketball coach Rod Strickland, failing several roadside sobriety tests after being stopped for running a red light was not a new experience. It turns out Strickland has had three previous drunk driving arrests. He was also charged with failure to maintain insurance and improper registration.

Drunk Granny Wrecks Car With Kids in Backseat
A Tennessee woman is facing nine different charges after she crashed her car in Memphis. The problem for Sharon Kimbrough was not that she wrecked her car, but she was drinking and had three grandchildren - ages 3, 2 and 1 - unbuckled in the backseat at the time.

Third-Grader Gives Out Heroin at School
Police have arrested the mother of an 8-year-old who had 80 bags of heroin in his backpack at school. Police may not have found the small baggies, stamped with the words "Trust Me" on them, except the third-grader was handing them out to his friends at school.

Man Sets Home Ablaze With Pot Bong
If you want to clean your marijuana bong, you might not want to do so by soaking it with alcohol and setting it on fire. That was what a New Mexico man tried when he set his mobile home on fire. He was arrested when an off-duty deputy saw him driving away from the burning trailer

Monday quotes

Don't let anyone steal your dream. It's your dream, not theirs.

Dan Zadra


What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

Ralph Waldo Emerson


Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself.

Michel de Montaigne


It is folly for a man to pray to the gods for that which he has the power to obtain by himself.

Epicurus


We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.

Aristotle


There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, learning from failure.

Colin Powell


A man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.

Mark Twain


Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.

Unknown


Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting

Elizabeth Bibesco


Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.

Peter Drucker


There is nothing more genuine than breaking away from the chorus to learn the sound of your own voice

Po Bronson


God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say “thank you?”

William A. Ward

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.William Arthur Ward

cognitive-behavioral therapy

from behavioralassociates.com;

the method of treatment that focuses on
helping someone learn and use new
thinking skills to modify negative behavior.

it is comprised of both cognitive
(pertaining to the mental processes of
perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning),
and behavioral factors.

the stratagies of the therapy are to uncover
irrational and problematic thinking modes
that often accompany psycholgical distress.

basically, how you think is how you feel.
the goal is to challenge and change negative,
self-defeating thoughts.

behavioral techniques work along the premise
that maladaptive behavires are learned, and
can be unlearned as well.
the tools used are training in assertiveness,
relaxation and desensitivation to feared objects.

together, cognitive and behavioral strategies
create a balanced approach to understanding
and treating common life problems.

by examining how we view ourselves and
our enviornment, the goal is to effect positive
and lasting change through modification of
maladaptive thoughts or behaviors.

our feelings are influenced by the ways we
view life events.
by changing these thoughts, one can change
resulting feelings as well.

Friday questions

how many hours do you spend

online per week?

who is the most mature person

you know?

what do you do for recreation?

when is the best time of your day?

where is the other sock that's always

missing from the laundry?

why is an exercise plan so difficult

to maintain?

do you play or watch any sports?

behavior pyramid

written in 1954, Motivation and Personality,

by Abraham Maslow, contains what the

author proposed as a hierarchy pyramid

representing various needs that motivate

human behavior.

at the top of the pyramid is self-actualization;

basically to become everything one is capable

of becoming

* esteem needs-

the human desire to be accepted and valued

by others. also the value of self-esteem

and self-respect.

* love and belonging-

generally involving family, intimacy and

friendship.

*Safety needs-

among these are health, personal and

financial security and also accident

avoidance.

* biological & physiological needs-

certainly the most obvious and

required for survival.

air, water and food, shelter, sleep

and to propagate future generations,

sex

quite the fascinating approach,

considering it was conceived

over 50 years ago.

online help

found an interesting online site;

Drinkaware.co.uk, based in England
complete with features, facts, tips
and questions about alcohol

just one of many available sources of

useful information . whatever the medium,

be it press, tv or internet, there is always

a fresh perspective on the issues of addiction

king baby 3

I want what I want and now;

who cares about why, if or how

why should I grow up,

I'm a "toys-r-us" kid

it's never mattered what

I said or did

just go along and say yes

that's been the way all along

how dare you now try to digress

okay, I'll be good and play

along for a while;

just remember the bottom line

is to always make me smile

April is...

alcohol awareness month-

initially geared toward teens and young
adults at prom and graduation time,
alcohol awareness is expanding to
other groups as well

getting the message to pregnant

women who still may be unaware
of the risks involved even with
moderate drinking, is crucial.

senior citizens are becoming an
increasing group who are much
more difficult to identify and
address by health care workers.

professionals and white collar
workers who may be developing
patterns of abuse without even
realizing it.

the most obvious group is college
students. dealing with peer pressure
and what's become almost a rite
of passage and is expected.

Monday quotes

* I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.
Thomas Alva Edison

Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, and virtue is doing it.
David Starr Jordan

Learn the richness of solitude and quiet. That "still small voice" is yearning to be heard.
Susan Jeffers

Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.
Henri Bergson

You have achieved success if you have lived well, laughed often and loved much.
Anonymous

Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.
Dr. Joyce Brothers

Defeat is simply a signal to press onward.
Helen Keller

If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Mary Pickford

* Happiness is something that comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaving open.
Rose Lane

What happens to a man is less significant than what happens within him.
- Louis L. Mann

Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
- Soren Kierkegaard

Luck is when opportunity knocks, and you answer.
- Anonymous

The miracle is this – the more we share, the more we have.
- Leonard Nimoy

Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.
- Walter Anderson

You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.
- Shira Tehrani