April is Alcohol Awareness Month!

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1 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 4 HOPE - CHOICE - EMPOWERMENT - RECOVERY CULTURE - SPIRITUALITY April 2015 Quotes of Inspiration Be thankful for what you are now and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow. ~Anonymous from HealthyPlace.com Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced. ~James Baldwin When something bad happened you have three choices. You can either let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you. ~Anonymous I love the person I ve become, because I fought to become her. ~Kaci Diane Recovery: It will be challenging. It will also be worth it. You will relapse, and that s ok, as long as you keep fighting. ~Anonymous from HealthyPlace.com Community Connections April is Alcohol Awareness Month! April has been recognized as Alcohol Awareness Month since Each anniversary is a prime time to educate ourselves on alcoholism and the multitude of ways it can affect our lives. Of all the different challenges that those in recovery may be struggling to overcome, alcohol and drug use is probably the one that pops in the general public s mind. However, since alcohol is a legal substance the dangers of alcohol use can often be dismissed since many may say, It doesn t affect ME like that! or If it was that bad, it wouldn t be legal. However, the detriments of alcohol can be connected to traffic fatalities, violence, dropping out of school, overdosing, unsafe sex and many other consequences. The first step to truly understanding the effects of alcohol is education on the many and varied effects of alcohol and how many people are affected including family members of those dependent on alcohol and victims of traffic fatalities that may have never had a drop of alcohol themselves. Consider some of those effects of alcohol: 88,000 deaths are annually attributed to excessive alcohol use Up to 40% of hospital beds (excluding maternity and intensive care) are for those that need treatment from effects of alcohol consumption Long-time, excessive use can lead to dementia, stroke, psychiatric problems, social problems, an increase risk of cancer and many other health issues. When alcohol has become a major part of the way we function because it s what we think of when we want to relax or to go to sleep or to wake up, it can be very difficult to find a new way to live. However, we can recover! One of the ways we can do that is by coming up with a plan for how we want to live our daily lives by writing our WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan) and by formulating a support system with our families or by going to Alcoholics Anonymous or other support groups. For details on Wellness classes, Peer Support and possible Resource Connections, call Recovery Innovations at Recovery Innovations extends heartfelt THANKS and APPRECIATION to the organizations that provide class locations, presentations, services and referrals. Our connections with others, provide opportunities and environments that empower people to recover, to succeed in accomplishing their goals, and to reconnect with themselves, others and meaning and purpose in life.

2 2 WELLNESS CITY GREENVILLE: The Road So Far... As a mile marker in my life I have arrived at 14 years clean. How did this happen? Did this really happen to me? It is beyond anything I had envisioned when I had stopped using drugs. I had begun seeking recovery in 1986 in my adolescence. My clean date of when I had gotten clean is March 3, 2001 and as you can see I nearly have as much time clean in recovery as I have had in recovery. A few slogans come to mind but this one in particular sticks out the most, a new idea cannot be grafted on to a closed mind. In all that has changed for me, what I am most grateful for is a constantly changing perspective on life. After so many attempts and so many failures my faith in anything at all was non-existent. Hope for me was just exhausted. I saw the world as I saw myself, with narrow chances of success and no chance at happiness. When I renewed my personal commitment to my recovery, change did not happen overnight and things did not instantly get better. There is a lot of work involved in recovery and a whole lot of hanging in there. That has not changed! But it is through diligence and perseverance that has allowed my closed mind to open it to what was already there, success and happiness. I cannot achieve this by myself; my hope was attained by the other people before me that passed the torch of recovery. It is in this continuous passing of the torch process I grow my hopes and fulfill my own happiness. ~William McMillian, NC-CPSS Wellness City Greenville

3 3 Community Building Team: Joyce s Journey My name is Joyce Lively. I am a participant in the Community Building Program. I love the Community Building Team. I feel like they were sent to me like angels. After my accident, I couldn t work anymore and lost my house. After a bad break-up of my three year relationship, I became severely depressed and tried to end my life with an overdose. I ended up in an adult care home. When my disability assistance ended, I got kicked out of the adult care home.. I had little to no support from friends and family. I was bounced around from couch to couch. The last place I stayed was a little camper, sleeping on a love seat with no heat or running water. I had to bathe in the river when it was warm outside. Then out of nowhere it seemed, Tammy Askew of ECBH Transitions to Community Living contacted me and introduced me to the Community Building Program. When Jennifer (My Peer Recovery Coach) came into my life, it was like a breath of fresh air. I fell right in love with her and Recovery Innovations. It has been quite a journey, but with lots of patience and dedication I am now in my own home again. We went shopping for everything I would need to get started in my new life. They helped me straighten out some of my past credit issues and past challenges with the system. I have my dog Charlie with me and my son comes to visit me. I love cooking and taking care of my home and decorating has been very enjoyable. I am working my WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan), using my wellness tools for any triggers that may arise and loving my independence. My name is Jennifer Marshall. I am a Peer Recovery Coach with Recovery Innovations. Joyce and I connected right away. We have many things in common from past traumas and successes to beliefs and values. Joyce is a jewel and brings great joy to my heart. Joyce, Tammy Askew of ECBH s Transition to Community Living Team and I worked diligently to find Joyce a home of her own and be able to have her little doggie Charlie with her. I am so happy to see her in her own home, regaining her independence, living her life and remembering who she is as a person. I am so proud of Joyce. She is a wonderful strong lady and willing to do what it takes to be the best she can be!

4 Wellness City Voice 4 STAFF CORNER ~ Loyal Osterlund MY TIME AT WELLNESS CITY I have been with Recovery Innovations for over 5 years now. I started with RSA, Kim Talbot, who is now with ECBH. She was a kind and generous boss, always giving of herself to others and putting citizens first, at all times. For the past 2 years, Bill Barrow has been the RSA. He is a competent and caring boss as well as a friend, just like Kim. I have seen a number of Peer Support Specialists as well. I miss many of them and one of them has passed on. Time changes things but I still feel comfortable in my position here at Wellness City of New Bern. I have had the chance to share myself with others and my experience, strength and hope with both employees and citizens as the years have passed and I have been enriched in the process. I am always looking for ways to be a better Peer Support Specialist and study materials that enrich my knowledge. As I look forward, I m sure I ll have new experiences to share and be a part of. I am thankful for my job and thankful to my higher power for bringing me to this challenging vocation. ~Loyal Osterlund, NC-CPSS Wellness City of New Bern CITIZEN SPOTLIGHT: William Lassiter Dear VOICE Newsletter, Hello! My name is William the Great! I am doing fine and I have found friends and happiness at Wellness City of New Bern. Susie, another citizen at Wellness City of New Bern, invited me to come here. I have attended classes like Computer Basics and learned how to use the computer. I voluntarily contribute to Wellness City of New Bern by keeping the grounds clean. I enjoy looking at recovery movies on the big screen television. I eat too much on Fridays when food is served. John, Certified Peer Support Specialist, supports me on my road to recovery. Sincerely, William Lassiter In a world full of hate, it s important to hope. ~Michael Jackson QUOTE OF THE MONTH: Be thankful for what you are now and keep fighting for what you want to be tomorrow. ~Anonymous / HealthyPlace.com

5 5 Outreach Wellness City: My Journey in Recovery Hi! I m Jeff Payne, a North Carolina Certified Substance Abuse and Peer Support Specialist employed by Recovery Innovations (RI) as an Outreach Facilitator. I previously worked for RI when they had the RRC in Jacksonville, NC. I have been in Recovery for about 21 years. In recovery from what, you might ask? Alcohol / Alcoholism, absolutely; Mental Health, I have multiple diagnosis and a VA disability; and life in general, births, deaths, marriages, divorces, moves, cancer survivor, etc. My recovery journey began in mid-april I had decided to kill myself and drove to the center span of the Newport Pell Bridge, road deck 215 above the water, climbed up onto the 2 wide railing and was holding onto a lamp post deciding which way to go. Ultimately, I drove to the Newport Naval Hospital and asked for help. Due to the intricacies of military medicine, I was not involuntarily committed but set up with a counselor appointment the following week. That counselor was the person who saved my life. He said he could not help me unless I did something about my drinking and sent me to an AA meeting. I have not had a drink since then, April 20, I have done my best to work the AA program from that point on. I married a woman who was in the program, retired from the Coast Guard, got a job working as the 2 nd shift supervisor at a 16 bed residential substance abuse treatment facility for teenage boys and became a Rhode Island Certified Substance Abuse Counselor. I would have told you I was doing great in my recovery. In 2004 my wife, who had 13 years of sobriety, relapsed. When she told me she was not ready to give up drinking I decided I had to leave for my own safety and moved to North Carolina. It was here that I met and married Anne, the love of my life; I didn t know life could be this good. Job wise things just didn t work out as planned in North Carolina, I ended up being unemployed for 2 ½ years and in the depths of despair. I d sent off to many job applications to count and just could not get anything going until I saw a help wanted ad in the Sunday newspaper, Recovery Innovations was about to open the RRC in Jacksonville and needed Peer Support Specialists. I applied online got a call back on Sunday afternoon, did a phone interview and was asked to be at the facility Monday morning. Recovery Innovations philosophy and concept on recovery changed my life. Before I had just been focused on my alcoholism and not seeing the complete person centered concept of recovery. As a part of the job I had to take WRAP which really brought home the mental health aspect of recovery that I so needed. I have learned that there is so much more I can do and accomplish and I have so much I can share to help others. To me the best example of what I can do is running. My wife started run/walking to lose weight, when I met her she just done a 10K and she got me started going with her, I had never run anything before. After a while her Doctor said we could do a ½ marathon, 13.1 miles, we said no we can t, do you know how far that is? That s much too far for us. Dr. Beth said Oh, yes you can! this went back and forth until we finally gave in and did it. Well, wouldn t you know, pretty soon Dr. Beth said how about a marathon? Once again the no, we can t do that and the yes, you can started back up. On the day before my 60 th birthday we ran a full, 26.2 mile marathon, what a sense of pride, accomplishment and self-empowerment I felt when I crossed that finish line! IF I can do this I can do anything I put my mind to. I think about all those training days and runs when my mind and body was busy telling me it was exhausted and it would be OK to stop no one would know, but then I would say I can make it to the next mail box or the next street sign and keep going. You may not run a marathon, but when you are presented with what seems to be impossible you can make it to the next mailbox and then just the next street sign. That is recovery, learning that you have the ability and strength within you to push yourself to amazing distances and then look back and say Wow, I did that, now what s next? It s my hope and desire that as a peer counselor I can help provide the support for others so they can do it too. By: Jeff Payne, CPSS Outreach Facilitator Outreach Wellness City

6 6 Durham Wellness City Wheel of Recovery A citizen directed approach to Wellness centered discussions By Rick Owen, Peer Support Specialist Durham Wellness City Everyone at Durham Wellness City has been enjoying an exciting new class.wheel of Recovery. This class creates a fun atmosphere in which we can discuss a wide variety of recovery subjects. Wheel of Recovery was developed out of feedback from citizens and staff who noticed that over the holidays they were challenged by various thoughts and emotions. When it came time to develop a new topic for a class, it seemed that an hour spent each week discussing a variety of recovery subjects might help us all to identify those challenging thoughts, talk about them, and gain support from the Wellness City community. During the first Wheel of Recovery class, the citizens were asked to share whatever topics they had on their minds and wanted to discuss. The list included items from life s daily challenges to experiences that may have lead to the citizen s current state of mind. Resulting from this conversation a list of thirty eight topics were selected for discussion, including: acceptance, boundaries, humility, manners in mixed company, personal responsibility, ruminating, triggers, trust, self-love, early childhood experiences and restarting your day. One Dimension of Wellness was included weekly to keep the class grounded in RI s mission. Now we needed a wheel to launch the class. This exercise was akin to the NASA engineer s challenge in the movie Apollo 13 when they dumped whatever was available in the spacecraft to build a filter. We used an old bicycle wheel, binder clips, 3x5 cards, holiday lights and tape to create our festive wheel. Each week, the class response was tracked by the level of interactive discussion and given a rating of HIGH, MODERATE or LOW; with LOW rated topics removed from the wheel and replaced with new topics. Feedback from citizens was very positive for both the interactivity of choosing topics and the ability to spin the wheel to lead a topic discussion. The opportunity to develop the list of topics, rate the class interest based on discussion energy and choose which topics to replace has been empowering and has encouraged a strong sense of pride and leadership within the class. The Wheel of Recovery class has been a great deal of fun to manage and, hopefully, it will continue to give the participants a needed outlet to discuss topics that are relevant to daily life.

7 7 Henderson Recovery Response Center: Alcohol Addiction and Co-Occurring Mental Health Disorders Alcohol addiction, also known as alcoholism, is a chronic, progressive, brain-based, and potentially lethal disease. Persons with alcoholism frequently experience a persistent craving for, increased tolerance of, and physical dependence on alcohol. This maladaptive pattern of alcohol use often continues despite the person experiencing serious physical or mental health problems and consequences in social, family, occupational, financial, and recreational areas. Alcoholism is caused by a combination of biological, genetic, psychological, environmental, and social factors, including frequency of use, the age at which alcohol was first consumed, the person s age, gender, and family history of alcoholism (nine out of 10 male children of alcoholics become alcoholic; 6 out of 10 female children of alcoholics become alcoholic), and general health conditions. Alcoholism can lead to a number of health problems, including diabetes, hypertension, heart damage, cirrhosis of the liver and other liver damage, chronic gastritis, and pancreatitis. In addition, alcohol dependence has been associated with elevated risk for many types of cancers. The association between alcohol/drug use and mental health disorders is well-established, with practitioners recognizing the need to treat both disorders concurrently to promote improved treatment outcomes. At the Recovery Response Center (RRC), many of our guests describe how feelings of depression, anxiety, and thoughts to harm themselves were triggered, or worsened, by the use of alcohol as a way to self-medicate and attempt to cope with these distressing feelings and thoughts. The RRC provides a combination of non-hospital medical detoxification and psychosocial support services to these guests to assist them in their recovery and help them to identify their strengths and the tools they can use to remain abstinent and pursue important goals. Through the use of peer support and the gaining of skills to enhance self-esteem and empowerment, our guests learn to reconnect to themselves and others, and recognize that alcohol use has interfered with their wellness and the use of their strengths to achieve. In this recovery environment, hope and choice are restored, reducing the stigma associated with both challenges and preparing the individual to return to the community with greater self-acceptance and belief in the opportunities in their lives. During April, Alcohol Awareness Month, it is important to recognize that those individuals who suffer from mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder are also particularly at risk for alcohol abuse in their attempts to self-medicate. If you or a loved one have concerns about having a drinking problem, the following questions are helpful to consider: Do you feel guilty or ashamed about your drinking? Do you lie to others or hide your drinking habits? Do you drink to cope with uncomfortable or distressing feelings and thoughts? Do you have friends or family members who worry about your drinking? Do you black out or forget what you did while you were drinking? Do you regularly drink more than you intend? Do you continue to drink even though your alcohol use is causing problems in your relationships or to your health or mental health? Recovery is an ongoing process, requiring time, patience, and use of the tools to enhance hope, choice, and personal responsibility. At Recovery Innovations, we recognize the courage it takes for someone to admit they have a problem with alcohol and are looking for support on their path to recovery. At the RRC, the support of medical, peer, and clinical professionals is provided in an atmosphere of hope and empowerment for the guest facing the challenge of alcohol addiction. In partnership, the guest can move forward in their recovery plan knowing they are not alone and fully accepted for the wonderful people they truly are. Dr. Jerry Fishman, Regional Director, Recovery Services Administrator Henderson, NC RRC

8 Wellness City Voice Our Mission To create opportunities and environments that empower people to recover, to succeed in accomplishing their goals, and to reconnect with themselves, others and meaning and purpose in life. Recovery Innovations Is a nonprofit organization offering recovery-based services in Arizona, California, Delaware, North Carolina, Texas, Washington state and New Zealand. Recovery Response Center 300 Parkview Drive West Henderson, NC Phone: Joy Brunson-Nsubuga, Clinical Director: Durham Wellness City 401 E. Lakewood Avenue, Suite E1-A Durham, NC Phone: Kim Chansen, Recovery Services Administrator: Wellness City Greenville 2407 S. Memorial Drive Greenville, NC Phone: Sonia Tucker, Recovery Services Administrator: Wellness City of New Bern 1311 Health Drive New Bern, NC Phone: Bill Barrow, Recovery Services Administrator: Community Building Team Jim Harrison, Team Lead: Outreach Wellness City Sonia Tucker, Recovery Services Administrator: Susan Hall, Team Lead: Contact for details on Craven, Jones, Pamlico & Pitt Counties AND Dave Edmonds, Outreach Coordinator: Contact for details on Beaufort, Currituck, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell & Washington Counties Ron Lowe, Outreach Coordinator: Contact for details on Bertie, Camden, Chowan, Gates, Hertford, Martin, Northampton, Pasquotank, & Perquimans Counties Recovery Innovations has earned the Joint Commission s Gold Seal of Approval Find our Wellness City Voice Newsletters, as well as our monthly class Calendars online at