Just A Little Willingness

Despair is the basic "affect" of the newcomer to recovery. Affect is what psychologists and psychiatrists call the basic emotion projected by a person. By the time we finally "hit our bottom" as a result of the ravages of addiction we have truly surrendered. We have given up on other people, on ourselves, and even on a God of any kind!

Recovery, from day one, becomes a matter of possibility. Possibility is just a glimmer of light flickering through the ink-like darkness of our soul. During our first meeting we experience other people demonstrating that they too walked through that door at some point in the past, that they stayed and began their own recovery process, and that IT WORKED!

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Where Is The Spirit World?

We are living in a world that is undergoing a profound transition. Sir Isaac Newton and his crew from the "Age of Enlightenment" divided the universe neatly into matter and energy and then figured out the basic rules governing motion for matter. They thus pushed mankind forward to eventually develop just about everything we have and are today. However, since the 1920's, a new age has begun; it is the age of quantum physics. Quantum physics says that energy and matter are totally interchangeable, and that energy is not emitted, absorbed, or transmitted continuously, but in discrete units (quanta). These quanta are probaly as photons of light. Remember; "I am the light."

Everyone of us uses the new principles of quantum physics every day. Turn on the radio, TV, microwave, or your cell phone and you are there. With your TV remote you are aligning your receiver (i.e., your television) with the energy field that is present for the channel that you want to watch. That channel is there and available in a specific energy field 24/7. Cell biologists now know that every cell, organ, organ system, and whole organism is also a receiver. Your brain could not mathematically store all of the information that you would need to function as a human. However, all of the information...the "channels" that you need to function, is available, 24/7, in energy fields throughout the universe. Every "hunch," impulse, desire, thought, emotion, etc. comes from that field. That field exists in dimentions beyond our understanding, yes, but it is very real.

That field has been measured, quantified, and recorded using probes. The old medical science that once used the EEG. The electroencephalogram picked up energy from your brain as it was transmited through metal electrodes that were implanted just below the skin on your skull. It has now been replaced by the MEG (the magneto encephalograph). Guess what. That signal is not limited by time and space. Sensitive MEG's can pick up your thought energy from a distance of 20 miles. Spy satellites can easily photograph your body's total energy field from outer space and show some miliraty technician that picture on a screen half way around the world in an instant. That technician can save your energy field as a file and access it 100 years from now. So here is the punchline; where is the spirit world? It is within you, around you, and outside of you. It has always been and it will always be! So do we ever die? NO!

Hey, Sir Isaac. Don't you wish that you were alive today to see all of this?

Oh, wait a minute; I forgot; YOU ARE!

Ken P., one author of the new book We Codependent Men-We Mute Coyotes

copyright 2011, Recovery Trade Publications.

WHO AND WHAT IS MYTHERAPYJOURNAL.COM ??? I would like to invite your patients and you to use MyTherapyJournal.com, the only therapy-oriented online journaling tool. You should consider this online service, as we continue to sign up new treatment centers who are providing this innovative service to their patients. I would like to share how the scientific proven benefits of journaling can be a great benefit to set you apart from other treatment centers, as well a provide an impactful tool to your patients/clients. PLEASE TAKE A TOUR AT: www.mytherapyjournal.com/take_a_tour 3 key benefits for patients: 1. My Journal Entries - Patients create their personal Journal and start writing daily feelings, thoughts, dreams and hopes in a customized and password-protected journal. 2. My Progress Questions and Progress Graph - Patients visualize their progress with a user-friendly, personalized graph and start tracking their journey. Patients select from pre-set progress questions relating to distinctive categories or simply create their own in collaboration with the therapist in less than 5 minutes. 3. Affordable and secure online service based on the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy, which is revolutionizing therapy via the online medium. Awards to date: To date, MyTherapyJournal has won several entrepreneurial competitions and articles have been published in Forbes, Daily Business Review, Psychology Today, CNN, Miami Herald, and more. Additionally, the American Psychological Association (APA) gave permission for MyTherapyJournal to launch at their prestigious annual conference back in 2007. Members to date: Today, MyTherapyJournal counts over 2,500 members including therapists, clinics, treatment centers, soldiers, health organizations, and individuals seeking self-help. To name a few clients, MyTherapyJournal is the exclusive provider of online journaling for the Williamsville Wellness Center, non-gambler.com, among others. 3 distinctive ways to buy memberships: 1) Treatment Centers: You can provide the patient/client with a membership upon arrival. Upon completion of program patient/client has the option to extend membership at their own expense. Clinicians have been using this tool for keeping track of matters related to their sessions with patients as well. 2) Individual Membership purchased by Therapist for Patient/Client: You can buy individual memberships for patients/clients. You can offer this service as part of your consultancy fees and treatment costs. This option allows you to create a username and password for your patient/client and thus have full access. It also allows you to be able to use our tool during sessions from your own office. For some lower functioning clients or for people of lesser means, this would ensure that the value of our services would ensue. 3) Individual Membership purchased by Patient/Client: You can recommend to a patient/client to buy an individual membership on their own at standard membership pricing starting as low as $7.95 per month - At this point, a patient/client has the option to provide you with full access to their information or not. The patient/client can grant you full access by simply sharing his or her username and password with you, at which point you will be able to view and change anything you want (e.g. create a new category for the patient/client to track). Why Journal? The Science of Journaling Over the last 20 years, the journal has been empirically shown to make therapy more effective and to diminish symptoms of depression, anxiety, panic, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress, and many other disorders, even for those who aren't seeing a mental health practitioner. Likewise, its demonstrated benefits include better physical health (i.e. blood pressure, immune functioning) and an overall improved mood. Why is My Therapy Journal .com the #1 Source for Online Journaling? MTJ is the first-ever, therapy-oriented online journaling tool. It provides the most private and secure venue available for both individuals and organizations who wish to not only journal, but also track progress of personally set goals using graphing software based on cognitive behavioral therapy. It presents you a journal that talks back and promises to aid anyone desiring to grow. What Are The Benefits of Journaling?: Journaling has been scientifically proven to provide a host of health benefits including: decreasing the symptoms of asthma, arthritis, and other health conditions; improving cognitive functioning; strengthening the immune system, preventing a host of illnesses; counteracting many of the negative effects of stress. Furthermore, anyone who journals will tell you that it "just feels good." I'll bet you write (or word process) daily. Journaling (or keeping letters or diaries) is an ancient tradition, one that dates back to at least 10th century Japan. Successful people throughout history have kept journals. Presidents have maintained them for posterity; other famous figures for their own purposes. Oscar Wilde, 19th century playwright, said: "I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read on the train." Who is Using Our Online Journaling and Progress Graph Tool? MTJ Is For... HEALTH PROVIDERS: Treatment Centers = Some of these include university and college psychological centers of both large and small institutions. Centers dedicated to specific populations such as people with HIV+ and AIDS, people with disabilities, LGTBQ individuals, survivors of trauma or abuse, and/or members of AA, NA, Al-Anon, Alateen, etc. Hospitals and Health Clinics = Some of these include clinics for people recovering from an addiction such as heroine, alcohol, gambling, sex, or even overspending. Hospital departments dealing with everything from trauma, chronic illness, and chronic pain to treatment adherence, post-operation recovery, and grief due to loss of a loved one. Insurance Organizations = Insurance companies utilize our tool as part of health packages. These sometimes accompany treatment with mental health or medical professionals, and sometimes they don't. It also helps clients keep track of how effective different treatments have been over a long period of time. Mental Health Providers = Both the journaling and progress tracking components of MTJ are invaluable tools for mental health providers. It not only allows for the provider to have observable results of the treatment at hand, but it also allows the treatment to remain ongoing through the week, even in the provider's absence. Psychodynamically-oriented therapists use MTJ for the journaling component of it whereas CBT-oriented therapists use it for the progress tracking graph. Psychiatrists use it to help clients track symptoms and how certain medications might be affection these. Life coaches appear to utilize both the journaling and graphing components with their clients. Family and couple therapists also do this, and find themselves tailoring the graphing questions so that all members in the family track the same behavior and/or emotion simultaneously. Military = The number of American and Canadian troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan is enormous, and the population of them with PTSD is as well. Both the journaling's ability to allow for clients to create chronological narratives of their experience and the emotions associated with them, and the progress graph's ability to have them observe themselves objectively, prove to be invaluable components of treatment and re-adjustment into civilian life. Health Research Institutions = Pharmaceutical companies aiming at having their medications tested by human participants use MTJ as a simple, and cost-effective way of tracking the results of their medication on any target symptom or population. Data is collected by each participant's self-report and is delivered already graphed and mapped out chronologically. Participants also use the other benefits of MTJ and feel empowered by their ability to track their own reactions to the new medication. INDIVIDUALS: One group of people who are using MTJ are individuals who simply love journaling and having their journals communicate with them. Adolescents, college students, stay-home parents, young professionals, insightful adults, and techno-savvy grandparents. Basically, anyone who is self-curious, who feels relief in expressing themselves through writing, and/or who enjoys seeing concrete evidence of their progress via our Progress Graph. Another group of people are those undergoing painful, confusing, difficult, and/or daunting times in their lives. It also for people living with the reality of having emotional, physical, mental, and/or cognitive difficulties. This is everyone who suffers from depression, anxiety, panic, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress, obsessive-compulsions, mania, panic, and/or who has symptoms of any mental disorder. Some of these individuals are receiving some service from a mental health provider, and some are not. For some people, MTJ compliments their work with a professional, and for others, seeking professional help is something they are not at all interested in. Finally, another group of individuals are those who fall in both the above groups, in some way or another. We believe most of our clients are in this third group. Life is usually ever-changing, and our states of being are too. Anyone who is uncomfortable with the idea that a written journal might be ever found by their parents, siblings, housemates, roommates, boyfriend/girlfriend, colleges or strangers. About the Team: Alexis Saccoman - Chief Psychology Consultant and Co-founder A graduate of Brown University, Alexis is a clinical psychology trainee pursuing a doctorate in clinical psychology (Psy.D.) at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. Alexis has a Masters degree in clinical psychology and holds a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through his professional and volunteer activities, he has clinical and hospital experience working with groups including adolescents and geriatric inpatients, children with pervasive developmental disorders, HIV+ terminal patients, first-year college students, and families. He has also served as a trilingual medical interpreter and court mediator. He is currently in practicum with a caseload of ten clients (ages 18-50) - all endorsing Axis I diagnoses - of diverse ethnic, S.E.S., and LGTB backgrounds. With his dual passion for psychology and facilitating people's potential for growth, he especially enjoys his role as a mentor to younger generations. Rodolfo Saccoman - CEO and Co-founder A graduate of the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, with an MBA degree from University of Miami. Rodolfo has dedicated his career at understanding people's dreams and developing proven online presences to embrace user's needs and wants. Like his brother Alexis, he has lived in five countries and developed a keen appreciation and respect for different cultures and human kind's search for peace and compassion. Both brothers recognize the importance and potential of communication in helping people attain their goals and live happier lives. Noel Elman - Chief Scientist and Co-founder Currently pursuing post-doctoral studies at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Noel earned a Bachelor of Science and Master's of Science in electrical engineering at Cornell University and has a Ph.D. from Tel Aviv University. His research focuses on the development of implantable Bio-MOEMS (Biological and Micro-Opto-Electro-Mechanical-Systems) devices for drug-delivery systems and cancer monitoring. A scientist, he is also a fervent believer in exploring your inner-self to achieve well-being. I CAN OFFER YOU SPECIALS BESIDES WHAT IS ON THE WEBSITE! ASK ME HOW!?! For any and all questions please contact me at: Tim Nicola Sales Manager MyTherapyJournal.com Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Direct: 561-860-3073

ADDICTION & THE THIRST FOR WHOLENESS

By Robert Mittiga

(Program Director GATS Counselling & Treatment Services)

At one time or another, most of us feel some degree of emptiness, loneliness, inadequacy, idealism, or spiritual longing.   We recognize the discontent, the desire to escape pain, and the tendency to seek answers in activities, substances, or relationships. This sense of restlessness and the spiritual longing is familiar to many of us. Over the many years of treating addiction and co-dependency I have heard many people talk about a non-specific hunger for something that seems to be missing in their lives.   They describe a gnawing emptiness within that is never filled.   This insistent stirring from within is so intense that it can, at times, be painful.  It seems to originate at one’s very core, and for some of us, it feels even stronger than our sexual drive or our hunger for food.  

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The Greatest Loss is Personal Freedom

By Ken P.

"So you we want to change the world," says the now old Beatles song.

The original revolutionaries were people like Thomas Paine, the radical ne'er do well who failed everything he tried in England, fled to The Colonies to find his fortune, and was swept up in the cause for liberty. Thomas Paine wrote what proved to be the precursor to the Declaration of Independence in a little pamphlet he called "Common Sense." He personally printed copies of this revolutionary idea that The Colonies should declare their independence from England on a hand-press, then sold 100,000 copies of it on the street, starting with his neighbors for customers! Don't scoff; if you project the 100,000 copies he sold upon today's population relative to the population of the colonies, Thomas Paine would have sold 20,000,000 copies through today's outlets like book stores and Amazon.com!

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MIDDLE AGED BABY BOOMERS AND ADDICTION

A woman enters my office disheveled, thin, mid forties, with hollow eyes.  It is as if the sparkle in her eyes ceased to exist a very long time ago.  She tells me she has been drinking and is using methamphetamines.  I am not surprised to hear this because lately my practice has been filled with middle aged baby boomers seeking help for their serious addictions.  Whether it is alcohol, cocaine, crack, methamphetamines, pain killers, heroine, or smoking marijuana, many have crossed the line into addiction.  Their lives have become unmanageable and they have lost their ability to control their use.  Some believe they can just cut down, but as addiction specialists, we know it is impossible once you have crossed that invisible line into dependency.   One of their defense mechanisms is "denial" so they can still continue their love affair with drugs or alcohol.  Addiction is the only disease that tells them in the most insidious of ways, "I don't have a problem or disease."  It can be very difficult treating someone who doesn't think they have a problem.  However, on some level this particular woman who landed in my office may already know an issue exists, but can't bare to admit it. 

So what brings this middle aged woman into see me with such desperation on her face?  Her husband has told her if she doesn't stop using, he will leave her and take the children with him.  She tells me she can't imagine not using meth. "It gives me energy to deal with my four kids and keeps my weight down."   I am sure it might be hard to believe that someone in middle age, a soccer mom and a wife feels this way.   It is no longer teenagers or urban minorities taking the lead, although there still is an epidemic of young addicts out there.   These  all American business men, stay at home moms, career women and even the elderly  are filling the treatment centers and therapists offices and some, never make it.   In a recent study, it was revealed that drug deaths from illicit drug over doses had risen 800 per cent since 1980.  One of the fastest growing abuses is pain killers with suburbia filled with these individuals.   It has long been known that there are many reasons for the abuse, but for the middle aged the reasons may be not only the genetic predisposition, but as a buffer to numb the pain of divorce, un-employment, an empty nest, retirement, trauma or illness.  Depression may be one of the biggest culprits to addiction, with it being the highest amongst the ages of 45 to 60.

The "free love" generation of "sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll" has taken a turn; many would have never expected drug addiction to be their legacy.  Often long standing drug abusers find when the marijuana stops working; they often go to stronger drugs.  For some it is losing their children, a job, a spouse, or homelessness that leads them to seek help.

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        I am aware that these words will only reach a select few. I am writing to anybody who has reached their true "bottom" and given up on the whole life process. If you are like me, you were brought to this point by the impact of the two diseases of addiction and codependency. If you have just started reaching out for help through one of the 12-step programs, then continue reading. If you are just miserably despondent right now due to these diseases you might want to seriously consider asking for help. 

   When we 12-steppers begin to attend meetings we bring our bodies to some point in time and space where other people have gathered who are struggling with problems similar to our own. There is a great deal of hope for us as we walk through that meeting room door for the first time because when our body goes there our mind goes with it. In my case, when I stayed for a period of time with an open mind I was forced to accept the fact that there were people there whose problems were at least as great as mine, and that they were handling them with dignity.

   I learned eventually that it was impossible to hold two totally opposite beliefs in my mind at the same time. For example, I could not continue indulging in childish self pity while being grateful that my problems were not as great as those of another. In open discussions during meetings I heard others sharing squarely where they were emotionally, relationally, mentally, maybe even spiritually at that moment. Sometimes I heard somebody who was demonstrating the self pity right in front of me. Instead of passing judgment I saw suddenly how those words could just as easily have come right out of my mouth!

   That "A-HAAAA!" moment reduced me to the proper perspective. I had a moment of humility where I made a conscious decision to change my thinking. That was the moment when real change happened. In time, after practice, my new "attitude of gratitude" became such a deeply engrained part of my thinking that I became what I was thinking...grateful!

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Men are confused. We are taught early in the game a basic lie. We are taught as little boys that emotions (yes, I'm goanna talk about the "F" word here guys, feelings), are bad and WRONG. We therefore confuse emotions with faults (short-comings if you are a 12-stepper, sins if you are many Christians).

As a man in al-Anon, a 12-step program for people who are being adversely effected by somebody else's drinking, I have listened to men speak during meetings about how hard they are working to overcome such feelings as fear, guilt, and...heaven forbid...ANGER!

‘Ya think that they will ever really eliminate those feelings's...is that gonna happen? Is that even desirable?

Here are some questions to ponder; if feelings are sins, why did God make them a part of us? If we had no feelings, what kind of beings would we be? If anger is a short-coming, then how could the only perfect man who walked the earth (Jesus) show it so obviously and so often?

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Love the Addict, Hate the Disease.

 

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   This post is strictly for experienced 12-step people. Most others will not understand it.

   After taking the first three steps, beginning steps 4-9, the "clean house" steps, is not a matter of choice if you are at all committed to recovery. It is just not possible to stretch to a higher level of consciousness if you are burdened beneath a half of a lifetime of shortcomings.

   The fourth step inventory presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pause in your daily life of coping with the tyranny of the urgent to pause and peer carefully back at every situation that caused you to evolve into the person you have become. Few people ever have the chance to take responsibility for what they have done or not done with their life in the middle of it!

   Responsibility is the exact opposite of blame. Responsibility looks forward to eventual betterment of the self, blame looks backward, searching for anyone who can be blamed for every negative outcome.

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