Thursday, October 29, 2009

Looking forward to s

Looking forward to seeing Jane on her show tonight!! Tune in.. http://htxt.it/YyBm

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Halloween and Beyond

Halloween and Beyond: 10 Ways to Trick Your Teen Into a Healthy, Drug-Free Lifestyle http://htxt.it/1clC

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

This just in from: J

This just in from: James Van Praagh Getting ready for Halloween. I have a lot of radio to do. I am on LOVELINE with Dr. Drew this evening. Come hear me on KROCK tonight at 10PM

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Keeping the Ball Rolling

By Lisa. M. WenDell, Intervention Coordinator, i911

www.intervention911.com / 866-888-4911

Sometimes when I am working with a family, I find myself in a situation where the addict is in desperate need of help but naturally doesn’t want it, the family is financially able to do an intervention and the treatment center has been selected, but the intervention is not moving forward. We are stalled. Why? Most likely fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of more regret over failed attempts to “do the right thing” for the addict in the past or fear of the intervention “not working”.

I love analogies and I liken this situation to bowling, specifically bowling with children, only because in this game there are bumpers. Addiction, alcoholism or any other destructive behavior is the line of bowling pins. The love and unity of the family is the bowling ball. Intervention911 are the bumpers on the side. The only thing that needs to happen is for the ball to keep rolling.

Addiction is a force to be reckoned with. Anyone who has the mistaken assumption that addiction can be overcome with willpower or strong determination has never found themselves in the throes of addiction or watched a loved one slowly die from this debilitating disease. There are few things that can conquer it. Love alone cannot tear it down, time will not heal it and allowing the addiction to “run its course” is not the solution. However, an intervention seems to roll all these into one: with the love of the family and friends of the addict plus the rapid presentation of consequences (in fact, speeding up the natural course of addiction), there is hope.

The bowling ball represents this hope. When a family unites together, decides they will no longer sit back and watch the disease progress and stands against the addiction, there is a powerful strength created. Sounds simple, right? Enter the bumpers.

Intervention911’s team of coordinators, professionals, interventionists and specialists are the bumpers that keep the ball on track. They are able to keep the family focused, prevent and eliminate obstacles and tackle anything standing in the way of the addict’s life being saved through the process of intervention. Without that team, a family can expect a gutter ball most of the time. I911 gently guides the family down the lane and stays committed until the “pins” of addiction are knocked down.

When I think of an intervention as a bowling analogy it all makes perfect sense. However, as I said, there are those situations where the process isn’t moving forward, for one reason or another. The solution is to keep the ball rolling. Once a family can trust the i911 team and let go of the ball, a change is bound to happen. Th ball makes it’s way toward the pins and the bumpers keep the ball on track. One way or another , there will be a result. The only fear that should be crippling a family in crisis is the FEAR OF DOING NOTHING. Dwight Eisenhower said “the best thing you can do is the right thing, the second best thing you can do is the wrong thing and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” I wholeheartedly agree.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Tomorrow starts a gr

Tomorrow starts a great few days.. I911 is having meeting in FL... Looking forward to seeing everyone..

Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD)

There are so many grassroots organizations that started with a heartfelt desire to make a positive change. MADD is an organization that is one of the best prevention programs that has changed our Nation, passing legislative laws to keep commuters and pedestrians safe.

Here is a brief history of MADD, keep in mind MADD was developed in 1980 after the very liberating 70's, the 70's were a time of major change. MADD was one of the loudest voices spearheaded by 2 women who demanded safety, support and safer laws during a time when drinking and driving were a social norm. Could you imagine a time when it was okay to drink and drive? Thanks to our predecessors the streets have an extremely low tolerance law, allowing us all to commute, walk, bike, skate, jog or however we choose to get around - safely (most of the time).

The disease of addiction does not care about safety or laws, children or the parents of children who have suffered great loss. As much as society advocates safety: no tolerance for drunk driving , babies in carseats and people commuting in general; people continue to drink and drive. Allowing someone to drive while intoxicated is the biggest mistake that does not have to happen. If someone you love is affected by alcohol, Intervention 911 is here day or night to support and give the solution.

The misconception is that alcohol is okay, because it is sold in stores. Alcohol is the 2nd most deadly drug in America and surprisingly enough tobacco is #1!!!!

www.intervention911.com / Ph# 866-888-4911

"History of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)"

In 1980 a young girl by the name of Carrie Lightner was walking to a church carnival. 13 year old Carrie was struck with a car, driven by a drunk driver. The impact was so hard that it knocked her out of her shoes and threw her 125 feet into the air, cutting her life short. 125 feet is approximately the width of 2 telephone poles. The impact was so hard and sudden that little Carrie never even knew what hit her.

The drunk driver did not even bother to stop and see if Carrie was alright, instead he chose to try and hide the damages to on his vehicle. His wife found this behavior very strange and turned him into the police. The man was arrested, only to find out that he was a repeat offender of driving while intoxicated.

The heartache pain of losing a child sent Carrie's mother, Candice Lightner on a mission to seek justice and help other people who suffer at the careless hands of drunk drivers. Along side of Candice was her friend and colleague Sue LeBrun-Green. Together they would spearhead an organization that would change our Nation and the lives of countless people.

In 1980 drunk driving was not on society's radar, it was a social norm. Thousands of people were dyeing each year. Marilyn Sabin Alcohol Coordinator for the “California Office of Traffic Safety” had kept trying to push a DUI Bill that continued to fail. Yet, $35 million was being spent on alcohol safety programs and nothing was working.

The first office that "Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)" set up was in Carrie Lightner's still decorated bedroom. This was truly a grassroots program fueled by the pain, love and anguish of a broken hearted mother. Candice Lightner was unaware of the explosive change she was soon to make in the shattered lives of families, victimized by drunk drivers.

The wheels of the new MADD organization gradually began to turn. The beginning was slow; they gathered statistical information, reached out to other victims and disseminated written newsletters. Their main objective was to figure how to stop getting the run-around from the judicial system?

Candice and Sue instantly made an impact throughout communities. Victims of drunk drivers began pouring in with questions and were in need of support, faster than the small organization could answer. Within 4 months MADD became a corporation.

The changes were heartfelt and obvious, even politicians began to return their calls. MADD grew from coast to coast and the demand to create a drunk driving task force became eminent. Cindy Lamb and her 5 month old baby were the victims of a drunk driving accident, her baby became the youngest person to become a paraplegic. Cindy started the Maryland chapter.

People questioned the morale of MADD, asking why are they all so angry? In response: a paralyzed baby, a deceased or badly burned child is right enough for any mother, father or family member to be angry!

At this point Cindy Lamb and Candice Lightner went National to Capitol Hill, demanding legislation be passed on tougher drunk driving laws. On October 1, 1980 the shift that would change drunk driving forever began to happen. Victims and volunteers would come together and joined forces, even housewives got involved -- they all united in the fight to change legislation.

A woman and her husband were involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver, the husband was severely injured and this is how the Milwaukee chapter of MADD got started. This was the chain reaction of MADD, people in abundance got involved in order to improve laws and support each other through the pain of losing loved one’s or dealing with the grief of life altering experiences caused from drunk driving.

MADD was sprouting up everywhere and growing like wildfire, everyone wanted a solution to drunk driving and MADD was at the forefront of this demand. MADD's passion to reach out and help people was obvious and loud throughout communities. Through MADD people got to reach out to one another, give support in the process of mourning, mount the pain of loss and navigate their way through the judicial system. A majority of MADD's volunteers are people who have suffered loss due to drunk driving - all too well, understanding each other’s pain.

This little grassroots organization that started in May of 1980, in just one month had grown into 11 chapters with 6 more still forming. By 1982 MADD had 100 chapters, this program was such a success that President Reagan invited MADD to participate in the commission on drunk driving. During that same year a bill was also passed awarding funds to highways with anti-drunk driving efforts. Those that did not participate did not receive funds.

The year 1982 was a good year for MADD, anti-drunk driving laws were passed in 24 states, by 1983 it grew to 35 states. Imagine, it took only one mothers pain and anguished loss to cause such a massive and profound movement.

Funds are necessary for MADD to survive, in the beginning of its tenure large insurance companies donated money and amazingly enough the founders of these companies were in one form or another, victims of alcohol related incidents. Since then, MADD has formed other ways of raising money, please refer to www.madd.org to get further information.

MADD has taken on and accomplished legislative laws, impacted communities and had an iconic impression throughout the nation from generations past and generations to come. In 1984 the uniform drinking age was passed to 21 years of age. This had a diverse explosion and MADD was the spearhead of this change.

By the end of 1984 MADD had 330 chapters in 47 states. MADD was a force of change and emotional support held together by people whose lives had been negatively affected by drunk drivers. In 1985 Candice left MADD and the organization was taken over by a board of corporate members. MADD had become financially solvent. Financial issues were galore, due to the capacity MADD had grown into. The executive board worked hard and managed to stabilize and organize MADD in order to continue its life saving crusade.

The main objective of MADD is to help victims be healthy again - for MADD this is not a financial intake.

On May 14, 1988 the worst drunk driving accident in history happened. A drunk driver drove head on into a bus full of young people returning home from a church outing. 24 young people and 3 adults died that day. The few survivors were mortified with memories of watching their friend’s burn to death. MADD was the only organization on the scene, giving support to the families of the victims. One more time, MADD was there to pick up the pieces of the careless decision an intoxicated person made by choosing to drive.

By 1990 MADD's message was loud and began to have a significant effect. Alcohol related traffic accidents had dropped by 44,400 and at the same time the BAL law changed from .10 to .08. Mad stood stern and proved that .10 was too high of an alcohol level to get behind the wheel of an automobile -- one more time MADD was successful in passing another safety law.

These changes have not been easy, many hours and devotion is put into passing laws by the volunteers that make MADD what it is. MADD -- one leaf at a time has turned the once hushed topic of drinking and driving into a loud voice that will never again be silenced -- giving justice, support and change where it was much needed.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Both Sides of the Fence

Being a member of a team of interventionists and professionals in the field of drug and alcohol abuse; specifically providing intervention and recovery services, there is rarely anything as heartbreaking as watching an intervention fall apart.

We have seen interventions that went as smoothly as anyone could have dreamed, and we’ve seen interventions that were reminiscent of an episode of “Cops.” In the intervention field of work, we have seen both types succeed with great results.

Unfortunately, there are those cases where the alcoholic or addict is reaching out for help, begging to be “saved” and more than willing to go to treatment, when something happens to throw a wrench in the process. Sometimes the family is that wrench.

Day after day, my team and I at Intervention 911 does what we do best: we work with families in crisis that need the professional guidance to break the unhealthy cycle of addiction and move the situation into a state of positive change. We come armed with knowledge, experience and credentials galore. More importantly, we come with compassion, a listening ear and a heart for recovery.

From my own experience, being part of an intervention as a family member is an extremely scary and difficult thing. We know we need a professional’s guidance, we know we should trust their direction and yet, when the rubber meets the road, we are the only ones that can make that life-saving decision to hold firm to the healthy boundaries we know are right. This is the most critical time in an intervention. I can’t tell you it is comfortable or pleasant because it isn’t.

What I can tell you is that the level of discomfort is nothing compared to the remorse and guilt felt after an unsuccessful intervention, knowing that I contributed to the sickness of a loved one by not taking a stand for their wellness.

This is my story entirely. I was on board to get my loved one help, I headed up the organization of the intervention and kept everything on my family’s end moving in the right direction. I was excited to know that I had someone I could trust coming in to guide my family through this effective, yet fear-ridden process. I wrote a letter filled with love and healthy boundaries to present at the intervention and hoped that the rest of the family believed in this process as much as I did.

However, when the time came to present my healthy boundaries to my loved one and execute on those consequences, I just couldn’t do it. I pulled back, took the control away from the Interventionist and even though “my way” hadn’t worked at all thus far, decided that “my way” would work better than the tried and true process we were supposed to be engaging in.

Let me tell you how my story ended: my loved one didn’t get help that day, my family was more fractured than ever before, and had I found a rock large enough to accommodate myself and my shame, I would’ve been more than happy to crawl under it and never come out. To this day, if I could do it again, I would do it differently. I would step back, listen to the guidance I was being given no matter how difficult it would be, and trust the process.

As a family member who has been through the intervention process, I now see that even if I had to stand by my boundaries and endure a measure of pain in doing so, it couldn’t have been any more painful that the life I was living watching my loved one die.

The problem is that because addiction is progressive and is a family disease, over time the family becomes accustomed to the pain, we lower our expectations for happiness and gear up for survival mode. We try to arrange every piece of the puzzle to just keep the peace in the family. In doing so, we not only lose ourselves but we continue to enable the addict to live in the sickness. Not only that, we stay in the sickness with them.

When an intervention takes place, one way or another, there will be a life altering change. If the family engages properly, takes direction from the professionals, that change can be positive. It may not look like the picture we had in our head, it may not “feel good” immediately, but change will happen. Either our loved one will chose to get well or we have the privilege of not having to stay sick any longer. In most cases, we get both.

As a member of the Intervention 911 team, I know that intervention’s work, but as with anything, an intervention has got to be a united endeavor. The family needs us, but we need the family too. We need the family to stick to their commitment to bring about change, no matter how hard the initial discomfort feels. We need the family to trust our experience and motives.

Most of all, we need the family to let us guide them through this process with love and compassion. If the family can do that, the result will be good. Nothing changes until something changes. Together, the Intervention911 team and the family reaching out for support can bring about miracles.

We have seen lives change, children grow up with sober parents, marriages saved and relationships healed. Trust. Strength. Unity. These are necessary ingredients to a successful intervention. If you trust us, we can offer you the strength you need by working with you and for you to stop the sickness and support the wellness of not just the addict, but the family as a whole.

www.intervention911.com / PH# 866-888-4911

Why does the redeye

Why does the redeye always seem good when your planning it but the day you land you feel like dying???

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Thank you everyone f

Thank you everyone for your kind words and support... BUT I have to ask you to please keep watching the show and PLEASE tell everyone you know about it. This show saves lives and is changing millions of people's views regarding addiction. So I would say tell everyone you know to tune in Monday’s at 8 and 9 pm to A&E and if they are not home to tivo it… We need to help as many people as possible and this show does educate the public on the ugly face of addiction.. Thank you again!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Going to dentist...

Going to dentist... Anyone want to take my place???? Love it when it is over but urrrrr not happy on the way there..

Thursday, October 1, 2009

September - Recovery Month!

What a busy and exciting month of September it has been! I went to the Recovery Rally in New York where thousands were in attendance to celebrate and share a strong message of recovery.
We marched from NY City to Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge. It was a very uplifting and enriching experience.

President Obama proclaimed the month of September as “Recovery Month”. What a wonderful and positive way to spread a strong message. For those of us who have the blessing of recovery and those who are struggling in their addiction – Recovery Month is a powerful way to spread the message to people that overcoming their addictions can be a cause for celebration.

Recovery month brings addicts and alcoholics from all walks of life together, celebrating unity and strength in numbers. The most amazing part of making the decision to surrender and get clean is that we don’t have to do it alone and we join a community of people that support, struggle and feel the same way.

Read this article I found in the Clarksdale Press Register. If you think you might have problem with substances or alcohol, or maybe you are questioning the addiction of someone you love, feel free to contact us at: 866-888-4911 / www.intervention911.com.


Article from: http://www.pressregister.com/articles/2009/09/24/news/doc4abb76cdcfe6b466605007.txt Written by: Karen Casey

September is recovery month for addicts

By KAREN CASEYSpecial to The Press Register
Thursday, September 24, 2009 8:52 AM CDT

Addiction wears many faces. They might be homeless alcoholics or millionaire doctors hooked on opiates; housewives eating themselves into oblivion or teenagers starving, exercising and cutting; or the rich and poor who have gambled their lives away.

"As technology has spread throughout the world, many have found themselves addicted," says Barbara Joy, author of Easy Does It, Mom. All forms of addiction - including texting, cell phones, email, eBay, online pornography, online gambling, and blogging - are equally serious. It can be more difficult for those with seemingly "healthy" addictions such as working, cleaning, and exercising to separate the benefits from the problems caused by their obsessive behavior.
However, any time the behavior is causing life problems, and the person can't stop doing it, that person has crossed into addiction.

Addiction can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnic group, or financial status. "Given the right set of circumstances, I believe any person can become addicted to one thing or another," offers Barb Rogers, author of 12 Steps That Can Save Your Life. Unfortunately, most people don't seek help for their addictions until the consequences have stripped them of families, jobs, self-respect, and all hope.

Perhaps 20 percent of the population are addicts, and it's said that each addict affects at least 6 other people, many of whom are codependents, or enablers. In a nutshell, co-dependency means a loss of self. If you care for rather than about an addict, you might well be a codependent, and your main job is to accept is that you simply cannot control the behavior of any one else, even if that person is a child or spouse. "The best-case scenario for a codependent is that he or she will learn enough self-love to stop believing it is necessary or possible to save another person from addiction or trouble of any kind," asserts Rachael Brownell, author of Mommy Doesn't Drink Here Anymore. Just as addicts need help in recovery, those who care for them may also be in need of a program and a support system such as al-anon.

Codependents may be clear about the fact that a loved one is an addict, but
how can we tell if we, ourselves, are addicts? If we question our own behavior, and we feel anxiety or panic when we try to give it up, then we probably do have an addiction problem.

September is a key month for addicts and their loved ones, because it has been designated Recovery Month which is an annual observance that highlights and celebrates the societal benefits of substance abuse treatment. It promotes the message that recovery from substance abuse, in all its forms, is possible, and it provides a platform to celebrate those in recovery as well as those who serve them. Joy says, "It also serves to inform and educate the public on substance abuse as a national health crisis. As more people become educated, the stigma associated with addiction and treatment is reduced. When we have an accurate understanding of the disease, we are better able to support treatment programs, those who serve in the field, and those in need of treatment."

Media coverage given to celebrity addicts, such as Michael Jackson, Heath Ledger, and Anna Nicole Smith, may exacerbate the problem. When addicts don't want to give up their addictions, they will grab onto any excuse or justification to continue. It's easy for addicts to feel that, if the best personal doctors and private clinics in the world can't help celebrity addicts, then there's no hope. The truth is that recovery from addiction doesn't require a celebrity's wealth or status. "It's an inside job, and nothing - not celebrity or money - can do it for us," says Rogers.

Recovery means 'to recover one's life,' and there's no single method that works for everyone. "Addicts in recovery believe that whatever works for them is the best program. For many people, recovery involves a 12-step program, but there are alternatives: behavior modification programs, one-on-one treatment programs, holistic addiction treatment centers, and the like," Joy points out.

"You can get clean and sober without a 12-steps program, but you will be doing it alone. Why would you want to, when you could have a community to help you?" wonders Bucky Sinister, author of Get Up: A 12-Step Guide to Recovery for Misfits, Freaks & Weirdo’s.

One thing that most addicts are not seeking is a magic cure for theiraddictions. "If there were a pill, or new therapy innovation that thedoctors promised me would cure my addictions so that I'd never have to attend meetings, or work steps again, I'd have to say, 'no, thank you.' This12-step journey is something I wouldn't have missed for the world. Workingthe steps has taken me to places within, and outside, myself where I neverimagined I would go. It's brought me together with others whom I wouldotherwise never have met. It's helped me resolve my past issues, and shownme a well-worn path that led me to a life beyond my wildest dreams. It wasthe most difficult thing I've ever done," concludes Rogers, "and I would doit all over again.

"Karen Casey is the author of "Change Your Mind and Your Life Will Follow."

Visit her online at www.womens-spirituality.com.