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4th National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery: Thriving in Changing Times

One of the key elements to the recovery community is the community, the strong network that alcoholics and addicts use to lean on in times of struggle. Staying connected to your peers who are also working for a better life through recovery is so important; how well one stays connected to the community will make or break one's success. Within the 12 Step community there are a number of ways one can reach out on top of one's daily or weekly meetings that can help strengthen one's recovery and help give back to the community that has helped them. Every year countless conferences are held all over the world that bring hundreds and thousands in recovery together.

Thriving in Changing Times will be the theme of this year's National Conference on Women, Addiction and Recovery. It will happen at the Chicago Marriott Downtown, Magnificent Mile, on July 26-28, 2010. "The conference is grounded in the principles of recovery and gender-responsive, trauma-informed care", according to JoinTogether.

The conference offers opportunities to explore a wide array of topics such as the following:

• family-centered treatment
• health policy affecting women's treatment
• women and the criminal justice system
• co-occurring mental and health conditions
• comprehensive recovery support for women
• using technology in innovative ways
• culturally responsive approaches
• workforce development strategies

Speakers include:

Joan Borysenko, Ph.D., Stephanie Covington, Ph.D., Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D., Carol McDaid, Lisa Najavits, Ph.D., Francine Ward, J.D., Hon. Pamela S. Hyde (invited), Hon. R. Gil Kerlikowske (invited), Hon. Richard M. Daley (invited), Ijeoma Achara, Ph.D., Hortensia Amaro, Ph.D., Aida Giachello, Ph.D., Nancy Young, Ph.D. among others!

Sponsored by:
the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in partnership with Treatment Alternatives for Safe Communities (TASC).

Co-Sponsored by:
NASADAD Women's Service Network; The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare; and State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS); in partnership with SAMHSA's Addiction Technology Transfer Center (ATTC) Network.

Danger Not Only From The Alcohol, but, Also Poor Decision Making That Accompanies It

In the 21st century the dangers of alcohol are well understood, if consumed heavily. Those who drink alcohol excessively are in danger not only from the alcohol, but, also poor decision making that accompanies it. There are not many things that humans consume that wear on the body like alcohol; coupled with poor eating habits, no exercise, and unsafe decision making, the disease of alcoholism is complex and composed of many factors. These factors can determine the rate of deterioration on the human body.

Findings from a recent study were published in the journal Addiction Research and Theory which researched the decision making process of heavy drinkers. 7,884 hospital patients in Oregon and Washington were used for the study, they found that people who had an average of three or more alcoholic drinks daily, had a much greater chance of: having poor eating habits, were less likely to see their doctors regularly, and would hardly ever wear their seat belt. Interestingly, the study found that heavy drinkers were less likely to think that they could change their own health behaviors and that literally the state of their health was out of their hands. Whereas, those who drink less and are considered to be moderate drinkers, were more likely to report good health than light drinkers, heavy drinkers, and abstainers.

Last Thursday, we discussed the potential health benefits of moderate drinking. It would seem like this study lends it support to the theory that moderate drinking can reduce your chances of cardiovascular problems like heart disease.

The fact is, alcohol is a symptom of the problem, what actually deteriorates the alcoholic is the disease itself. Alcohol itself has killed very few people, the disease of alcoholism has taken and will continue to take the life of countless people. That is why substance abuse treatment facilities are putting more emphasis on nutrition and physical exercise, to help re-teach sound health practices to the alcoholics who over many years have forgotten what a balanced diet actually is. "Physicians should not only be concerned about patients' heavy drinking, but also these other health-related practices," said study author Carla Green of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research.

Moderate Alcohol Consumption Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease

There has been a debate within the world of health over the benefits, if any, of drinking alcohol moderately. There have been several studies over the years that claimed small amounts of alcohol could decrease your chances of cardiovascular problems. Eight published studies regarding the subject, which involved more than 16,000 heart patients, concluded that there are good signs that moderate alcohol consumption reduces the risk of heart disease, by raising the level of "good" cholesterol. Kenneth J. Mukamal at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston led the research review.

The research group determined that people who drank alcohol moderately had a lower chance of dying from heart problems like stroke or disease; light drinkers risk was reduced by 31 percent, while moderate drinkers had any even lower risk at 38 percent. However, they are quick to point out that any drinking to the excess will cancel out the helping properties the alcohol may of had. Coupled with the review, there was another study done by Simona Costanzo of Catholic University in Campobasso, Italy. They determined, "Cardiovascular patients should be informed that low-to-moderate alcohol consumption (1 drink/day for women or up to 2 drinks/day for men) should not be harmful to their health". Costanzo's study echoed the American study regarding excessive drinking and it removing any chance of health benefits.

Alcohol is actually ethanol, which also powers things like automobiles; it is hard to see how ethanol, which is poisonous to the human body, could be good for you. What these studies fail to mention is the damage alcohol, even moderately consumed, is doing to other parts of your body. Maybe alcohol is good for your heart, but it is in no way good for your liver and even more importantly your brain. If doctors and scientist encourage people to drink in order to save their heart, we may have people start drinking who never should have been drinking in the first place, i.e. someone born with the disease of alcoholism, who cannot stop once they start. There is no question, at the end of the day it is probably safer to abstain from alcohol than it is trying to control it in order to save your heart.

Affordable Health Care America Act Signed Today

Doug Mills/The New York Times

"We have just now enshrined, as soon as I sign this bill, the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care," President Obama declared.

A big day in Washington D.C. and a monumental day for the nation, as we move forward towards affordable health care and the removal of pre-existing conditions which, for years, has kept millions of people uninsured. Today, Obama, armed with pen, signed his health care overhaul; this bill is, perhaps, the biggest act of social legislation in decades. Obama used twenty pens in the signing of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which he planned to pass out as tokens to key lawmakers. The Affordable Health Care Act has been a dream for many politicians for 40 years, starting with the late Senator Ted Kennedy in 1970 when he introduced the idea to provide national health insurance. In the audience, Representative Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island (perhaps one of the most important players in the quest for this health bill), held his father's original bill from 1970 which he gifted to Obama with a personal message inside.

Passed by the House on Sunday night by a vote of 219-212, the bill will provide coverage to the estimated 30 million people who do not have it, as well as:

• require most Americans to have health insurance coverage
• add 16 million people to the Medicaid rolls
• would subsidize private coverage for low- and middle-income people
• cost the government about $938 billion over 10 years
• estimated that the bill would reduce the federal deficit by $138 billion over a decade

The battle is far from over and there will be many who are not happy about the signing of this bill. There are always two sides to every argument and there will be a lot more said about this subject before any recognizable changes can be seen within our health care system. No longer will Americans be disenfranchised regarding their health care. In the recovery community countless people will be able to get health insurance for the first time. This bill will have lasting effects perhaps unlike anything seen since the 30's regarding social legislation. We will be following this story.

"Our presence here today is remarkable, and improbable: with all the punditry, all of the lobbying, all of the game-playing that passes for governing in Washington, it's been easy at times to doubt our ability to do such a big thing, such a complicated thing; to wonder if there are limits to what we as a people can still achieve." -President Obama-

Rapper DMX Violating Probation

DMX was arrested in Arizona on Tuesday, after violating his probation by regularly using illegal drugs during the last nine months. The artist whose real name is Earl Simmons, reportedly admitted to his probation officer that he had regularly used cocaine for almost a year. DMX has been in and out of jail for drug related offenses over the years, he had been ordered to comply with the terms of his treatment plan and was not, Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio told Reuters. He is being charged with five counts of violating the terms of his probation. Simmons has run into a lot of trouble in Arizona especially, he was serving probation for throwing a food tray at a detention officer inside a Phoenix jail last year; he also had to serve 90 days in jail on drug, theft, and animal abuse charges.

"We would hope that he is finally sent to prison," Arpaio said. "We've arrested him five times already. How many times do you have to violate the law"? Simmons is no stranger to jails and institutions and it seems clear that locking him up for drug possession is not the right answer - he clearly needs treatment. DMX has sought out the help of Dr. Drew Pinsky to help the rapper clean up his life by helping get into treatment. Gary Jenkins, DMX's lawyer, thinks that the he would be better off in a drug rehab than behind bars, he believes the solution to his client's addiction problems is Celebrity Rehab host, Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Simmons was booked into a Phoenix jail late Tuesday afternoon and was isolated from other inmates, sheriff's officials said. Jenkins said to TMZ, "He's been battling addiction for some time and he's in need of treatment. We're hoping that maybe Dr. Drew might be able to help him." We have seen time and time again that drug addicts need treatment help, not punishment.

Teens Huffed Inhalants Before Other Drugs

A study shows that twelve year-olds are more likely to have tried huffing than any other drug. The National Inhalant Prevention Coalition published startling results, finding that more 12-year-olds have huffed dangerous inhalants than have used marijuana, cocaine and hallucinogens combined. Teenagers have been known to huff, will breathe in the fumes of just about any chemical solvents or condensed gases to achieve the desired euphoria and disorientation. Getting one's hands on solvents like Dust Off are as easy for teenagers to acquire as it is for the chemicals to kill them. In many cases parents never expect that their children would be consuming these household chemicals that it often goes undetected, inevitably ending with the death of a child.

There is no way to drug test your kids to find out if they have been huffing. "Parents can't see the signs," said Rachelle Gardner, Fairbanks' director of adolescence. "It's not a long-lasting affect like with marijuana or alcohol. You can't see them drunk and you can't see them stoned". You have to be 18 to buy keyboard cleaners and other inhalants like them, which does have some effect and prevents some kids from getting their hands on the potentially dangerous chemicals. Kids still find a way and keyboard cleaner around the house should be locked up or at least out of sight.

Here are some signs that your child might be huffing:

• chronic sore throat
• runny nose
• moody
• exhausted

Huffing is extremely dangerous and every parent should be aware of the dangers. Teenagers are curious people, it would be a shame if their curiosity brought them harm. Legal household substances including: aerosol sprays, nail polish, gasoline and air conditioner refrigerant should be closely monitored according to 6News. Huffing is the most popular in the Mid West but it happens all over the country by countless teens who are not aware of the inherent dangers.

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