Sunday, May 31, 2009

Tell all your friend

Tell all your friends about Intervention A&E Monday 9pm. My Dad is a retired fireman, this story strikes the heart.. See how you can help somenone you love from an addiction... Please tell everyone you know to watch it. Twitter and Facebook all your friends.. Thanks!!

Friday, May 29, 2009

The weekend is here!

The weekend is here!!! And I am staying HOME... Hope you all have a great one..

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Friday, May 22, 2009

Click on link for Video of Graduation

"Intervention" star speaks at drug court graduation
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http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=videoplayer&vid=528


Video By: Kirk Barron
Edited By: Kirk Barron
Published at: May 20, 2009 08:00 PM
Ken Seeley, founder of Intervention 911 and star of the hit A&E television show "Intervention," visited Stockton on May 20 for the San Joaquin County Drug Court's 2009 graduation and encouraged graduates to stay involved in the program to get through the challenges of overcoming their addictions.

Intervention911: Drug Court Graduation

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090521/A_NEWS/905210313

Drug Court Graduation


Hope rules stage at the Hope
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By Scott Smith
Record Staff Writer
May 21, 2009 6:00 AM

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Was in N. CA yesterd

Was in N. CA yesterday Drug Court Graduation.. http://htxt.it/o5Nv

How can we help our heroes?

Army blasted for letting drug abusers slide
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Army commanders are failing to punish or seek treatment for a growing number of soldiers who test positive for substance abuse, possibly because they don't want to lose any more combat troops, the Army's vice chief of staff has warned.
In a May 8 memo to commanders provided to USA TODAY, Gen. Peter Chiarelli said hundreds of soldiers involved in "substance abuse-related misconduct (including multiple positive urinalyses)" were not processed for possible discharge. He also noted that many are not referred to the Army Substance Abuse Program for help.


WAR SPENDING: Addition to bill raises questions

What "worries me the most is that commanders feel a requirement to keep their numbers up" for combat deployments, Chiarelli said in a meeting with top staff officers Monday. He said non-commissioned officers told him this during visits to six Army installations recently to examine strain on soldiers and address the record number of suicides in the Army.

He says identifying and treating substance abuse will help improve the Army's mental health care and curb suicides, which reached a record 142 confirmed or suspected cases in 2008.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: United States | Claire McCaskill | Rand | Gannett Company
He found many cases where soldiers tested positive for substance more than once, Chiarelli wrote in the memo.

At one installation where about a thousand soldiers screened positive by urinalysis, 373 had failed the same drug test in the past, in some cases up to seven times, says Brig Gen. Colleen McGuire, head of the Army's Suicide Prevention Task Force. Other installations reported similar numbers, she says.

"I am asking you to ensure that soldiers are provided the help that they need when they need it," he told commanders in the memo, "and that regulatory requirements regarding the referral and initiation of separation processing of substance abusers are enforced."

In January, with 24 possible suicides, more soldiers killed themselves than died in combat. Since March, numbers appear to be declining, though Chiarelli cautioned against being overly optimistic.

Sen. Claire McCaskill, who introduced a bill to improve military substance abuse treatment, says she was encouraged by Chiarelli's action but cautioned against placing too much emphasis on punishment over treatment.

"Army leaders seem to have finally gotten the message," says McCaskill, D-Mo.

USA TODAY reported a 25% increase in five years among soldiers treated for substance abuse.

Military drug and alcohol counseling programs were created by Congress in 1971 after reports of widespread drug abuse among troops in Vietnam.

The military needs a greater understanding of substance abuse, says Terri Tanielian, co-author of a RAND Corp. study last year into war-related mental health and brain injury cases. "I just don't think we know enough," she says.

Army leaders have launched several efforts to stop the rising number of suicides, including suicide-awareness training for soldiers and the suicide prevention task force.

Chiarelli, who oversees the efforts, is personally briefed each month on every new suicide. He assembles top Army commanders in a Pentagon briefing room where they receive details of each case by video-teleconference and discuss lessons learned and possible intervention strategies.

Teen Drug Use

May 21, 2009

New Partnership Research: More Parents Aware of Teen Rx Drug Abuse. Are You?

A new national study of parents’ attitudes about teen drug abuse released by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America and the MetLife Foundation shows strong increases in parents’ awareness of teen abuse of prescription medications.
The 14th annual Parents Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) revealed that the number of parents who mistakenly believe that abusing prescription medicines is “much safer” than using illicit street drugs dropped by nearly half in a single year’s time — from 19 percent in 2007 to just ten percent in 2008. Major progress was also reported regarding beliefs about the addictive potential of some prescription medicines when misused. In 2007, 24 percent of parents believed that intentional abuse of prescription medicines would not be addictive. In 2008, that number decreased significantly to 11 percent.
This heightened awareness has not yet resulted in an increase in the number of parents talking with their kids about the risks of prescription drug abuse, although the study did show that parent-teen discussions about the risks of abusing over-the-counter cough medicine have increased nearly 18 percent, with 65 percent of parents reporting these discussions, versus 55 percent in 2007.

Ken Seeley Speaks at Stockton Drug Court Graduation

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=videoplayer&vid=528

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090521/A_NEWS/905210313

Sunday, May 17, 2009

President Obama is o

President Obama is on TV live right now. Is he a preacher also? I am holding back the tears, such a powerful message that we all have to love each other.

If you like interven

If you like intervention you have to see the opening show this season next Monday 25, it is a GREAT story. Broke my heart when i did it.....

Saturday, May 16, 2009

who ever thought 6 a

who ever thought 6 am flights are ok??? scheduling them is not right and even more nuts for taking one....

who ever thought 6 a

who ever thought 6 am flights are ok??? scheduling them is not right and even more nuts for taking one....

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Dear Ken,

My name is Leon G., I reside in Memphis, TN and wanted to write to you and share how your services have given me a new life. I called to speak witha coordinator in April 2007, regarding my mothers addiction to pain pills and opiates. I was a regular viewer of your show and for some reason felt an urge to reach to you guys for help.

I spoke with Jeffrey and explained the unmanageability and pain my mothers addiction was causing her and us as a family. We talked for a solid hour as he discussed the co-dependencies, disease and the solutions that intervention 911 could assist with in getting her into treatment. Jeffrey coordinated a discussion with the family members that had the same concerns as I, via e tel-conference. We all left that conversation with allot of questions and fears that it may be to late for my mother to get treatment. A week or so later my grandma passed and I flew to Utah where she resided and we had an informal intervention, not able to facilitate the one with intervention 911 as planned. I called Jeffrey and explained the circumstances with my grandma passing and asked for some direction into getting her into treatment. Jeffrey was able to get someone to agree to much needed discount and had an interventionist fly in that night.

Nancy was picked up and escorted my mother to treatment in San Diego at scripps. (Jeffrey can explain in further detail the extra lengths he and nancy went to to facilitate her acceptance into a hospital). A few weeks later I flew to San Diego to go through a "family"week as they explained the treatment process, disease concept and what recovery and aftercare was. I knew when I got there that I had an ongoing problem using drugs. I asked allot of questions and had been to a couple Naranon meetings before the trip. Her counselor gave her several recommendations and the one that stood out the most to me was 90 meetings in 90 days. I flew home a few day later to take those suggestions myself.

My first NA meeting i had been clean 15 days and picked up a white key tag. Fearful of what was to come I was told to keep coming back, That the program worked if i worked it. I made 96 meetings in 90 days, got a sponsor and jumped head first into the fellowship of recovering addicts in NA. Today words cant describe the gratitude I have for the clear message of hope that Jeffrey told me about. I have worked really hard in my recovery thus far, completing my first 12 steps, being involved with the area service committee and celebrate 2 years tonight at my homegroup.

I wanted to write to you direct and let you know that this story was the start of my process in finding a new way to live. That the services intervention 911, and the people associated with making sure that a hopeless and desperate addict can stop using, loose the desire to use and experience a new way to live really work. I am interested into giving back my experience and wanting to pursue a career within this field and who knows?, maybe a member of your team. Thanks so much for all the hard work you and your team do, It has made a difference in my life and believe that it can make a difference in others to.

With gratitude,

Leon

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

I am still looking f

I am still looking for 5 people that would like to work with me on having a better life... Please send this to all your friends..

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Happy Mothers Day to

Happy Mothers Day to all you mom's.......

Will Legalizing Marijuana Help the Economy?




The debate is on! Much like the legalization of alcohol boosted the economy in the late 1930's, various groups are looking seriously at legalizing marijuana to boost the economic crisis of today.
What are the pros? What are the cons?
The pros are that, indeed, there is money to be made for the federal and state governments if marijuana is legalized and taxed. In fact, big money.
However, one element that is being clearly ignored is the issue of substance abuse directly related to marijuana use.

Marijuana-addiction.net states:
"Marijuana side effects wreak havoc on the brain when the drug is used habitually. The natural chemical balance of the brain is disrupted affecting the pleasure centers and regulatory systems. The ability to learn, remember and adapt quickly to changes is impaired by marijuana use. Depression often occurs with marijuana usage, which feeds into the cycle of more drug use to treat the pain created by drug use. This cycle of addiction is very powerful and users soon find that they cannot stop using the drug even if they want to."

So, perhaps the legalization and taxation of marijuana would stimulate the economy, but so do cigarettes, alcohol and prescription pain medication, all of which have caused huge negative consequences.

As a country, we need to really think this one through. Is it worth it? Is it best for our nation's youth in the long run? What are we communicating to our children... that for a price, we are willing to sacrifice their future?

More often than not, even when the direct of effects of marijuana use do not result in negative consequences, it can easily be labeled as a "gateway drug". Numerous recovering addicts have pegged their initial innocent use of pot to lead to more dangerous and more addictive drugs such as methamphetamine, heroin and the list goes on.

Marijuana... at least it's not crack. Or is it?

Paula Admits Drug Abuse and Treatment



If you are anything like me, you noticed Paula Abdul's seemingly weird and erratic behavior on American Idol in past seasons. I figured she was either just a little odd or more probable, she was taking some type of medication that resulted in her "interesting" behavior on the show.
In a recent Ladies Home Journal interview, Paula has admitted that for the first time in 12 years, she is no longer dependent on prescription pail killers. (Side note: go Paula!)
There are a couple things about this interview I'd like to bring to the surface. First, Paula states that she never taped a show under the influence of medication. However, what is common knowledge within the addiction and recovery community is that drugs and alcohol have lasting effects. Perhaps a person is not under the direct influence at any given time, but their behaviors and tendencies often have changed due to the consistent use of the drug. This may, not for sure, be the case for Ms. Abdul.
One of the reasons Paula gave LHJ for her ongoing use of prescription medication was to deal with chronic pain as a result of being diagnosed with a condition known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome. She mentioned that she didn't want to be "counted out" and continued to take the painkillers in order to keep up with hectic shooting schedules and commitments. This sounds about right. Once a person is dependent on a drug, it often seems impossible to be without it due to both the withdrawal symptoms they may suffer by quitting and also the time involved in starting a program of recovery.
Fortunately, Paula checked herself into rehab and is on the straight and narrow this season. Every drug, whether legally prescribed or not, will eventually take it's toll. Dependency on anything, especially drugs and alcohol, becomes often more debilitating than the condition it was originally prescribed for.
Kudos to Ms. Abdul to realizing there was a problem and taking the steps necessary to deal with it. She has become a shining example to us that there is always help and hope for an addict willing to recover.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Safe Prescription Drug Disposal



70% of minors who have tried prescription drugs admit to getting them from their parent or family member. Although prescription drugs, especially pain killers, are regulated by the government, it is extremely important for them to be regulated at home also.
There are going to be instances where the use of painkillers or other addictive prescription medications are necessary and if used responsibly, don't pose a problem. However, once the need for the drugs has passed and they are no longer necessary, drugs such as these should be disposed of and disposed of properly.
Here are some top-of-mind ideas for disposing of drugs responsibly to minimize the chance of these highly addictive drugs getting into the wrong hands:

1. Mix medicines in a sealable plastic bag with water and coffee grounds, kitty litter or sawdust, which speeds their decomposition.

2. Double bag it and throw it in your household garbage.

3. Destroy prescription labels or other information.

Keeping drugs lying around for no reason is not responsible and can lead to negative, even destructive, consequences. If the temptation is not there, the problem will not be either. Many pharmacies also offer a Safe Drug Disposal Program. Check locally in your area.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Al-Anon Journey Series Introduction

One of the most important elements of an intervention is FAMILY. Besides being physically part of the intervention, the family plays a huge role in helping their loved one stay sober. I do want to clarify though, that the choice to get and stay healthy is always a choice that only the addict can make. However, in an effort to support the addict in their recovery and to give recovery every opportunity to be long-lasting, the family themselves needs to take their own steps toward healthier living. In every intervention that takes place, the family is not just encouraged, but asked to COMMIT to participating in a wonderful little program called Al-Anon.

Recently I was a part of an intervention on someone very close to me. The intervention itself did more than I ever expected it to: it showed me how destructive and unhealthy my life had become. Alcoholism and drug addiction do not just affect the addict; as the addiction progresses, so does the level of unhealthiness within the family unit. So... upon realizing this and being truly appalled at the state of affairs in my own life, I have embarked on a new journey: Al-Anon. I have been a member of Alcoholics Anonymous for nearly 5 years and have realized only recently that I am not just an alcoholic, but also quite codependent.

I will begin documenting my journey, my progress and in the process, hopefully reaching out to other family members who may be in the same situation. Look for more installments on a regular basis as we go through this journey together...