LIVING PROOF RECOVERY JOURNAL

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1 FOR US, BY US SUMMER 2015 LIVING PROOF RECOVERY JOURNAL INSIDE THIS ISSUE: CAPE MAY ZOO 1 G.E.T. 2 CORE CLASSES 2 DON T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF 3 FOR US, BY US 4 WORKSHOPS/ GROUPS 5 RECOVERY CENTER INFORMATION 6 SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: Original hope-inspired material by Living Proof Recovery Center members C-WEP and staff completing education goals CAPE MAY ZOO 2015 In March of 2015 the Living Proof Recovery Center visited Cape May Zoo in beautiful Cape May County New Jersey. It was a little early in the season. It was rainy and some of the animals were pretty shy, but we had a great time in nature and enjoying each other s company. Cape May Zoo is absolutely beautiful and the animals seem so close. The best part is the African savannah portion where you can see Giraffe, Antelope and Zebra all frolicking in the same habitat!

2 PAGE 2 G.E.T. MEMBERS EMPOWERING THEMSELVES On June 6, 2015, the Living Proof Recovery Center s youth program, G.E.T. Girls Empowering Themselves, held a car wash to raise funds for a summer field trip. G.E.T. raised over $ between washing cars, selling baked goods, raffles, and generous donations. The girls worked really hard and because of their great efforts, they will be taking a field trip to the JCC Camp in Medford! CORE CLASSES Living Proof Recovery Center is pleased to announce that one staff, two C-WEP and one volunteer have successfully completed their CORE training. It is designed to offer consumer participants with a broad spectrum of training and education in areas that are fundamental to providing non-clinical services to other mental health consumers. These participants engaged in Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) classes as well. Some of the CORE training classes included: Overview of Mental Health, Overview of Co-Occurring Disorders, Understanding the Assessment Process, The Dimensions of Wellness and Understanding Culture and Its Impact on the Helping Process. Upon completion of the classes, supervised hours and Practicum, these participants can submit their applications to the New Jersey Certification Board to be considered for Certified Recovery Support Practitioner (CRSP) credentials. We wish them luck in all of their education goals! For more information on Consumer Connections CORE training visit : mhanj.org/consumer-connections-core-training Education is the key to unlock the golden door of freedom. George Washington Carver CLIMBING OUT OF THE DARKNESS KYM B. One month has passed since I wanted to end my life. My life has been a series of highs and lows, anxiety, depression, paranoia and obsessive actions and thoughts. It's hard to fathom that I had been suffering so badly that suicide was my only choice. Between counselors, doctors, failing medications and appointments, my life, my pain was becoming a burden I could not bear with anymore. I at times, could not see a future with me in it. Attempting to get out of bed for appointments, for self care was so intense, I thought it easier to end it all. Fortunately my supportive partner helped me gain the assistance I needed in my crisis. Accompanying me to the hospital for a 'mental health' check in the crisis unit bolstered me back to the living. Something inside me knew I had to get well for my family. A diagnosis of Bipolar II Disorder, Mild OCD, and PTSD helped me understand what was going on inside of my brain and to my body. The proper medication, therapy, crisis intervention and my group time at Living Proof has sustained me, so I can focus on my mental illness and my recovery. It seems unreal to think I would choose to end my own life a life which is so precious and full of love and hope. But when your world is collapsing all around you, giving up feels easy. Notice when a friend or family member is struggling and extend support, hug or a listening ear. Helping someone who may not be taking care of themselves could save a life. Let's connect with others who have mental illness and let them know life is worth living. Extend a helping hand, it could save a life. I know it did mine.

3 PAGE 3 DON T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF JEANNINE D. How can people say, 'Don't sweat the small stuff,' when it s all small stuff? Literally everything in life is small stuff. The greatest pleasures in life can be small stuff, simple things. The best things in life are free,' and 'enjoy the simple stuff, enjoy the little things..'. are all contradictions to that statement. I am guessing what they mean when they say 'Don't sweat the small stuff.' I guess they mean, by saying that -- to appreciate everything, EVEN the Small Stuff. Don't sweat it-- Appreciate it. Appreciate IT ALL. Even the everyday annoyances. What is a great ice cream sundae without a hotter than average day to go along with it? What is a larger than normal paycheck without a few extra hours of work put in? Appreciate that larger paycheck! You deserve it! What is playing a really great card game without having to really shuffle the deck a bit before you play? What I am saying is - Life is made of small stuff. Life IS ALL the little things. It is how you look at the little things that makes all the difference. Life is made up of little things. Life is made up of smiles from kids when you make them a really good meal, or you teach them something that they never would think of. But in order to get those smiles, you have to put some work in. Those little extra things you have to do that you think don't make a difference, but can make a meal, or make someone's entire day. The hello you say to a stranger on the street. The personal story you decide to tell someone when they are feeling down, that maybe, by sharing a bit of yourself, just maybe that person will start to feel a little better. The extra thing that was missing from your meal that you feel would make the meal, so you decide to go out to the store just one more time to buy that special thing. You are a limited edition. There is no traffic along the extra mile, so you might as well go for it! This shows that going the extra mile ALWAYS makes a difference. Not only in your life, but in the lives of everyone around you; everyone in your life, your circle, your community, and EVEN the WORLD. YOU make a difference. And it is you. Just by being you. Just by being alive. YOU. YOU are a limited edition. Is there a clone of you? NO WAY. You are You, and there is nobody else out there like you. Start by appreciating YOU. Appreciate the uniqueness that YOU bring to the table. Don't think of what you're not, what you can't do...think of Who you ALREADY are and what you CAN DO. And I say, Yes, sweat the small stuff. All of it. Enjoy all of it. Go the extra mile. Be the best YOU possible. Because there's nobody on Earth like you, and there never will be again. So go be YOU, my friend. YOU'LL never regret it.

4 PAGE 4 FOR US, BY US ANONYMOUS What does it means to say For us, by us? This question can be answered in a variety of ways. One way is to determine that the words for us mean of or pertaining to people of a certain group. This can be a social class, a religious group, a racial or ethnic group or even a political group. Perhaps a second meaning can be exclusivity. By us, could mean performed by the same groups that were mentioned above or performed by an exclusive group. In the case of the Living Proof Recovery Center, anyone can be a for us - by us. Many people have walked through the doors since they opened in November There have been people seeking treatment, people in active addiction trying to receive information for themselves or others, people with specific goals to enhance their lives, family members looking for answers, and people in recovery seeking to maintain their recovery and help others. There have been people with mental diagnoses and people that had more questions than answers. The common bond between all of the people coming through these doors has been HOPE. One acronym for the word HOPE is Hold On Pain Ends. People without hope are being inspired by others experience or knowledge to find even the smallest glimmer of hope for themselves. Addictions to substances like drugs or alcohol can rob a person of everything, including their last breath. When someone seeks help from the obsessive and compulsive behaviors that are associated with addiction to drugs or alcohol, they may reach out to anyone who is willing to listen. They don t care if a person has been in treatment or knows about treatment or recovery. They don t even care if they ve burned all of their bridges! They just want the pain to end. This is where HOPE comes in. Family members, friends, loved ones (who are still willing to help), neighbors, community members reach out to help that addict who is suffering. They ask questions. They drive people to rehabs or treatment facilities. They refer the addict to someone who knows or understands addiction or recovery. They get people to the for us, by us. The moral of this story is - You never know where your help is going to come from. Educate yourself on addiction and recovery. You may just be the HOPE for someone who can t find it in themselves!

5 PAGE 5 New Workshops and Groups Do you have a story, idea, poem, or anything else you d like to share? Would you like to volunteer at Living Proof Recovery Center and giveback to the community? Want to become a member and receive the great benefits of free events, workshops, and more? It s as easy as contacting us! Send us an recoverycenter@centerffs.org Call us: (856) There are many new workshops/groups at LPRC, so please attend and help us spread the word! Yoga for Recovery Spiritual Experiences Arts and Crafts Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) Men s and Women s Recovery Groups Journaling for Recovery Self Esteem Controlling the Storm: The Anger Within Gratitude For a detailed description of activities times of these new groups, please see our current calendar or visit our website or Facebook page. FREE lunch at Living Proof Recovery Center! Every Thursday & Friday 10am-2pm Food provided courtesy of:

6 PAGE Somerdale Road Voorhees, NJ Phone: The Living Proof Recovery Center is a welcoming and safe place of hope and support for all members of the recovery community. Living Proof was created for individuals in recovery and maintained by individuals in recovery. Located in Camden County, NJ, Living Proof offers a full calendar of daily activities. Hours of Operation: Monday: 12-9pm Tuesday: 12-9pm Facebook.com/LivingProofRC Wednesday: 12-9pm Thursday: 12-9pm Friday: 12-4pm, 6-9pm Saturday: 10am-9pm Sunday: Closed