tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6242696003110717362024-02-01T22:09:41.886-05:00Living in the Shadows in Prince Edward IslandRose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-12035424712934836162021-03-02T12:43:00.000-05:002021-03-02T12:43:55.154-05:00GOOD NEWS IN 2021<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1d-urR0MIOeQU69HKKWuXzGPaRLwh2bkIb8QwjtGPAADRShjoFvl_pPpRB4Mng58VF1jW2ugX5wlnhDs36RPn-f3bEq1lcxn01_D-mkLILodU7sje5JyolnyFG57onr5UURb_ze_rm88/s2048/Rose_40s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1365" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD1d-urR0MIOeQU69HKKWuXzGPaRLwh2bkIb8QwjtGPAADRShjoFvl_pPpRB4Mng58VF1jW2ugX5wlnhDs36RPn-f3bEq1lcxn01_D-mkLILodU7sje5JyolnyFG57onr5UURb_ze_rm88/s320/Rose_40s.jpg" /></a></div><p>Hello friends,</p><p>It warms my heart to see how many people still visit my blog daily for support and inspiration. Thank you!</p><p>I've been keeping busy since retiring from my advocacy work five years ago, and my family remains healthy. We are incredibly grateful for that.</p><p>I will be making an exciting announcement this year and you are the first to know that I have something in the works. Please keep checking back and follow me by email. The option is available on the right side of your screen. That way, you won't miss the announcement! </p><p>Have a great day!</p><p>With much love, Rose</p>Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-28580826040605711102016-02-11T15:02:00.004-05:002016-02-11T15:16:33.691-05:00If love was enough<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bbgKa6OHYPjoz3gPYUAsoDWp57vi23TRV06Fr68Oj0DiLx65uCLysDBamsJBxJgGmjbyD923gooy40TdJnJrhbhc9EOJ_QcP8PZG6h5fgIaL6yK6aI7cA6JVZs2my677XRqe2wn1gyh7/s1600/mom+grief+png.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bbgKa6OHYPjoz3gPYUAsoDWp57vi23TRV06Fr68Oj0DiLx65uCLysDBamsJBxJgGmjbyD923gooy40TdJnJrhbhc9EOJ_QcP8PZG6h5fgIaL6yK6aI7cA6JVZs2my677XRqe2wn1gyh7/s400/mom+grief+png.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If
love was enough<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">By Rose Barbour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My mother wasn’t June Cleaver<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She wasn’t meant to be<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My childhood wasn’t perfect<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But I knew she loved me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Her laughter would light up a
room<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She was understanding and kind<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She had a beautiful heart of
gold<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">With a serious illness
intertwined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">There were times she fought so
hard<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">To keep her sickness at bay<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">At other times she buckled<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And struggled to find her way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If love was enough to save her<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She’d be here with us today<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Instead we’ve said good-bye<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Because addiction doesn’t work
that way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She loved us and we loved her<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But her battle has been lost<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Like so many others before her<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She paid the highest cost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">A beautiful soul with a loving
heart<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Has now been laid to rest<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">With aching hearts we will miss
her<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Cause our mom was the best.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Written
with love for a dear family friend who lost her mother way too soon.</span></i><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-69234658409628979092016-02-05T09:46:00.000-05:002016-02-05T09:47:46.531-05:00Can’t keep a passionate woman down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjB8NJ3u0cojJ_aZ7_diVp9chZ0mKMGtsgf4FGI5LiUjMXcvByZJYcHAYaIl051dB0Bo6ZzmRfe5RrP0mWK1jVZx_v7WNSYJI3w2e4GwH0xj-1jjb-df6zDUUKemowT8lj_MccweNHKLgQ/s1600/For+Facts+Sake.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjB8NJ3u0cojJ_aZ7_diVp9chZ0mKMGtsgf4FGI5LiUjMXcvByZJYcHAYaIl051dB0Bo6ZzmRfe5RrP0mWK1jVZx_v7WNSYJI3w2e4GwH0xj-1jjb-df6zDUUKemowT8lj_MccweNHKLgQ/s320/For+Facts+Sake.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Dear friends,</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I am really enjoying my
retirement from addiction advocacy work. You never know how time-consuming
something is until you stop doing it! It was an amazing five years, though, and
I have no regrets. I learned a lot about something (addiction) that I knew
nothing about, and I met some really great people along the way, many of whom
will be lifelong friends, I’m sure!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I’m filling up my time enjoying
the simple life. I’ve discovered a passion for baking. I love trying new
recipes and seeing how they turn out. I also enjoy making double batches so
that I can share with others. It feels
good to spread some love through baking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My 4-year-old granddaughter
loves our baking time. She gets to pick what we bake when she comes over for
her sleepovers. One of her favourite things is cupcakes because she gets to
pick what colour icing we’ll have. I always let her pick three different
colours. One day, she chose pink, green and purple. </span><span style="background: white; font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I told her that I'd never made purple icing before but that
we would give it a try. I explained how we would have to mix blue and red to
get purple and then hope that it turns out for us. She stirred the icing with
great anticipation as it turned different shades and then eventually purple.
She said, "Nanny, it worked! We're geniuses!"</span> <span style="background-color: white; font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt;">This is just one of the many memories created during
my first month of retirement. Life is good!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">While I am retired from addictions advocacy, I did take the
opportunity to do a couple of things that I felt were important to the cause. As my beautiful friend, Roni Power, says, “You can’t keep a
passionate woman down.” She is right so I will continue to contribute to the
conversation from time to time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">First, I was interviewed by Aaron Sankin with <i>The Daily Dot </i>who was doing a story on
the addiction research that University of Prince Edward Island is conducting on
the program CBT4CBT. Anyone who has ever followed my work knows that I am
always advocating for as many treatment and recovery options to be available as
possible. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. This was a great opportunity
to help spread the word about a promising new option. <i><a href="http://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/features-issue-sections/15680/drug-addiction-recovery-program-cbt4cbt/" target="_blank">The online program that may revolutionize addiction treatment</a>. </i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I also wrote an opinion piece for <i>The Guardian</i> about the legalization of marijuana because there are
a lot of myths out there that keep getting spread around. I wanted to make sure
that people who haven’t done the research on it themselves had an opportunity
to hear from a few reputable organizations that are in favour of legalization
and why. Please take the time to get informed before supporting any initiative
that wants to keep things as they are. The definition of insanity is doing the
same thing over and over and expecting different results. <i><a href="http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Opinion/Letter-to-editor/2016-02-02/article-4423423/Legalization-of-Marijuana%3A-Good-drug-policy/1" target="_blank">Legalization of Marijuana: Good Drug Policy</a> </i>. Here is CAMH’s “<a href="http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/about_camh/newsroom/news_releases_media_advisories_and_backgrounders/current_year/Pages/CAMH-releases-new-Cannabis-Policy-Framework.aspx" target="_blank">Cannabis Policy Framework</a>” that I mentioned in the letter. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> Thank you for
visiting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-31846799007823385592015-12-31T07:44:00.002-05:002015-12-31T07:44:46.298-05:00Thank you for walking with me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBMg_24VRjcu6__1DgPLb_NJoSaTe8cKyR-_9cj2Z-vkD_lkN22nMJ-Aup9cYumpgpEB-fyxaGC9voMnvOKiGgIMGRdXHfItlA0dhBemHcYYbJco8biIO43RjQpTs9Z17lKwXApiIYiUa/s1600/thank-you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEBMg_24VRjcu6__1DgPLb_NJoSaTe8cKyR-_9cj2Z-vkD_lkN22nMJ-Aup9cYumpgpEB-fyxaGC9voMnvOKiGgIMGRdXHfItlA0dhBemHcYYbJco8biIO43RjQpTs9Z17lKwXApiIYiUa/s320/thank-you.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My friends,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">On this final day of my
addictions advocacy work, I wanted to take the time to say thank you for being
part of my journey and for allowing me to be a part of yours. Since I announced
my retirement from advocacy work earlier in the month, I’ve received some
beautiful messages that really touched my heart. This whole journey has been filled with
beautiful connections with people that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
Thank you for walking with me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Though I am writing this final
good-bye with tears in my eyes, my heart is happy. I am looking forward to what
the next phase of my life will bring. I’m ready to take on new challenges and to
create great memories with my family.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If you are in a battle with an
addiction (yours or a loved one’s), please don’t ever give up. Recovery is possible for everyone. There are
no lost causes. Where there is life, there is hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I wish you all the best in
2016!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">With love and appreciation,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-90872187609813863002015-12-06T11:00:00.000-05:002015-12-06T11:00:48.854-05:00Time to say Good-Bye!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFp6T09QfNeCzyNzwQvNP23buyfv6x7pz9tW6-2ONPjbQdcLHujOMzjspTZDqddhJeMgFP5bs_q7RVULjZjGDTsR4pCg7sHvd_x7nNs5wQrtRHG36jy4Jof_Bjeh3H_25gjJbY9wOQc89/s1600/Good+bye+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLFp6T09QfNeCzyNzwQvNP23buyfv6x7pz9tW6-2ONPjbQdcLHujOMzjspTZDqddhJeMgFP5bs_q7RVULjZjGDTsR4pCg7sHvd_x7nNs5wQrtRHG36jy4Jof_Bjeh3H_25gjJbY9wOQc89/s320/Good+bye+collage.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Dear friends and family,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It is with a peaceful heart
that I announce that on January 1, I will be saying good-bye to my advocacy
work, and hello to the next chapter of my life. After five years of complete dedication
to the cause, it is time. I am looking forward to a slower pace in life and
just enjoying all that life has to offer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I started my journey to
advocacy in 2011 when I began to get educated about addiction and joined the
newly formed committee called “Island Addiction Movement”. At that time, I
never could have imagined where this was going to take me. It has been an incredible
journey that has forever changed who I am in some really good ways. I am much
stronger and confident now because I know what I’m capable of. I also don’t
sweat the small stuff. These are all good things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My advocacy work kept me very
busy on top of working my full-time job and, of course, being there for my
beautiful family. But, I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. I was doing
exactly what I was meant to be doing. I knew that with every ounce of my being.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I have been healed for four
years now, and my son is over two years into his healing and recovery. We are
blessed and grateful. It is time to move on and enjoy our lives free from
addiction, knowing that we helped in some way to make the journey a little less
hard for others who came, or will come, after us. While the system is still not perfect, it is
much better than it was when our son reached out for help years ago. We have
done what we set out to do. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Through tears and smiles, I
took a walk down memory lane by creating a <a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/p/summary-of-advocacy-work.html" target="_blank">summary of my advocacy work</a> so that
I would have something to look back on. I am so glad that I did that because I
had already forgotten about some things. I am posting it on
my blog to share with anyone who is interested in the hopes that it will
inspire others to find their voices, even in a small way. If you do find yours, I guarantee that you
will not only empower yourself, but you will empower so many others, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I am proud of what I’ve
accomplished and I have no regrets. Every time I penned a letter, walked up to
a podium, researched addiction, or something else, I did it with love and
compassion, wanting nothing more than to help people who were hurting. I would
regularly ask God to give me guidance on what He wanted me to do next, if this
was indeed what He wanted me to be doing. Needless to say, He kept me busy! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I could not have accomplished any
of it without the support of my loving husband and beautiful children and
granddaughter. However, I owe the biggest thanks to my son because none of this
would have been possible without his permission to share parts of his life with
you. He is my hero. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I am so grateful for the
friends that I made along the way, and for the people who trusted me with their
deepest secrets and worst fears when they reached out to me for help. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I am also thankful for people like
Karen Mair from CBC who was always so supportive and had us on her show to talk
about things that we were doing, and Jim Day from the Guardian who was the
first reporter that I spoke to when our family went public and he was so kind to
this nervous mom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I am grateful for those of you
who followed my work by visiting my blog, sharing my posts, and so on, and to those
of you who invited me to be part of your events. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Thank you all! I reached people
because of YOU!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Although, I am no longer going
to be involved with addiction and advocacy, many of the things I was involved
with will continue. Roni Power will continue to be an admin on our various
Facebook groups, including the Island Addiction Movement. Our fantastic SMART
Recovery team will continue on with the meetings, and Roni will continue to run
the family support group that we started together. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I will continue to co-chair our
SMART Recovery family & friends group and post daily on my blog and
Facebook pages until December 31<sup>st</sup>. I may post on my blog from time
to time in the future, if something inspires me to do so. Please be sure to
bookmark or follow my blog so that you will receive any new posts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In closing, I would like to ask
Premier Wade MacLauchlan, Health Minister Doug Currie, and others in government
to incorporate the recommendations that the Mental Health and Addictions
Advisory Council will be putting before them at some point. As a member of the
Advisory Council, I worked hard and I know that the others at the table did as
well. Please don’t let the document collect dust. This issue is too important
to the lives of all Islanders (whether they realize it right now or not).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Thank you all for everything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Much love and peace,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Rose <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">PS: Here is the link to my <a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/p/summary-of-advocacy-work.html" target="_blank">SUMMARY OF ADVOCACY</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-62406628410433277872015-11-05T08:47:00.001-05:002015-11-07T08:20:00.577-05:00Grieving Moms on Harm Reduction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND9OaFJOe_rQRBx4cf-IeUWqpL6VHDxMjA57g2rgcMiEI71BYrp0PedELDAzwfD3jBbLtw0mvvTdamF9DJbiYPovpnEZLT35JAhp6N7_2XGYNs78WxpIdToXe6IwxFNKmOQPT_9scmHGg/s1600/HR+photo+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND9OaFJOe_rQRBx4cf-IeUWqpL6VHDxMjA57g2rgcMiEI71BYrp0PedELDAzwfD3jBbLtw0mvvTdamF9DJbiYPovpnEZLT35JAhp6N7_2XGYNs78WxpIdToXe6IwxFNKmOQPT_9scmHGg/s320/HR+photo+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Left to right:
Ronnie Power, organizer and addictions advocate; Donna May, mumsDU panellist;
Petra Schulz, mumsDU panellist; Barb MacKay, attendee; Rose Barbour, organizer
and addictions advocate; Donald MacPherson, Director of Canadian Drug Policy
Coalition and event sponsor</span></i><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Our <i>Harm Reduction: A Family Focus</i> panel presentation on October 29<sup>th</sup>
was a very powerful event. Our room at the Reach Centre was packed. Outside, we
filled two parking lots. Our panel members were knowledgeable and experienced.
Our audience was engaged. We couldn’t have asked for anything more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The stigma with harm reduction
and addiction treatment programs is deadly. Ronnie Power (co-organizer) and I
have known many people who felt rushed to come off of their addictions medication
(methadone, suboxone) or who felt they had to hide that they were on
medications instead of being able to fully embrace and celebrate their new life
in recovery. Some would even go so far as to tell them "you're not clean" or "you've just traded one drug for another."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This pressure on individuals to come off of the very medication
that is saving their lives can lead to relapse and/or death. There are other
harm reduction programs that are also stigmatized despite the important work
that they do. This is why we chose harm reduction as the topic of discussion. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">There are many harms associated
with drug and alcohol use that affect individuals, families and communities.
Harm reduction reduces these harms through evidence-based solutions. Not everyone is able to obtain abstinence
right away so we have to meet them where they’re at. As Tom Adams, Addictions
System Navigator, said in his presentation, “Abstinence says we can’t help you
unless you give it all up whereas harm reduction says ‘come on in and we’ll
help you with that problem that has been giving you so much grief’.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Both of our moms, Donna and Petra, feel that if they had known about or understood harm reduction programs better their children might still be alive today. Petra shared, </span><span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">“Had we not pushed him so much
to get off things and on with life, it would have maybe given him a better
chance. Harm reduction is one of the greatest kept secrets. If there is a
message that I have for parents it is to keep them safe so they can make a
better decision on another day.” Donna feels that her tough love approach caused her to miss some pivotal moments where she could have helped to set a new path for her daughter, which may have resulted in a different outcome. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">This
is why they travel the country to educate. They don't want another family to
have to bury a loved one because they don't have the right information.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thank you to our major sponsor the
<i><a href="http://drugpolicy.ca/" target="_blank">Canadian Drug Policy Coalition</a> (CDPC)</i>
and our other sponsors <i><a href="http://www.mumsdu.com/meet-the-moms.html" target="_blank">mumsDU</a>, <a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/p/smart-recovery-family-friends-new.html" target="_blank">SMARTRecovery PEI</a></i>, and the <i><a href="http://peireachfoundation.ca/" target="_blank">Reach Centre</a></i>. This event was part of a cross Canada
conversation on drug policy and harm reduction that the CDPC has started this
fall.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thank you to our panel members: Donald MacPherson, Director, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, Donna May, mumsDU, Petra Schulz, mumsDU, Ann Marie Carr, Public Health Nursing, Needle Exchange Program and Tom Adams, Addictions System Navigator.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Here is the entire presentation that was taped by Pat Martel.
Please watch and share.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jKYNB9KpOFA" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Please click <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-drug-abuse-panel-1.3293998" target="_blank">here</a> to listen to the interview that
Donna May from mumsDU and I did on CBC’s Island Morning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Here are some photos from the
evening.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNAnZOSr-BZ48xguUx14oBTphODhQ3siRXs3rXTfgqQw6Byqg1b43rwXhQDd9R__sOeZ3OPXyrQPcelJ_h_lUs19texr11hZEuAL6-nT4vHjuOG_NSOAegFXzAyDuYc3ukVOgpr1Sg3hs/s1600/HR+photo+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHNAnZOSr-BZ48xguUx14oBTphODhQ3siRXs3rXTfgqQw6Byqg1b43rwXhQDd9R__sOeZ3OPXyrQPcelJ_h_lUs19texr11hZEuAL6-nT4vHjuOG_NSOAegFXzAyDuYc3ukVOgpr1Sg3hs/s320/HR+photo+3.jpg" width="216" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB4b-bBSt0TGeJ-M3tKONfNuWDme-Tza1Regm3hXmTdtW3yU5luCzivPDCFZA9Maq5dH_ekx7OC61PqHQclca9lV-lGr8Z7cN1Ud7a5J7QsmqJrOxKoYdtydpxSGn5fKgqccHeiaveNG6/s1600/HR+photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieB4b-bBSt0TGeJ-M3tKONfNuWDme-Tza1Regm3hXmTdtW3yU5luCzivPDCFZA9Maq5dH_ekx7OC61PqHQclca9lV-lGr8Z7cN1Ud7a5J7QsmqJrOxKoYdtydpxSGn5fKgqccHeiaveNG6/s320/HR+photo+1.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HPdJfTmJn-udnv2uazSbCm0m0YR0hnRXth0UxHT0RPSzsFbwlJTGF05neCLEAHWJDZMEsc-17BZb5sI0ZHwNkew_1hWXcbyQMbkDaxCIqh0fv0zUAoFaTtkrTTuRamG0uhe8BsQV5NAx/s1600/HR+photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HPdJfTmJn-udnv2uazSbCm0m0YR0hnRXth0UxHT0RPSzsFbwlJTGF05neCLEAHWJDZMEsc-17BZb5sI0ZHwNkew_1hWXcbyQMbkDaxCIqh0fv0zUAoFaTtkrTTuRamG0uhe8BsQV5NAx/s320/HR+photo+2.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElSiCpgzChhi5XojTRN4V0c1DVOjCfWddDHD00ybvNtXiwu6bQF69icTvYEf6yqHQWUj9fekdIV0jkfIBCiGlRmyBucvUZn2nhO8RU26MNUMwZKahIxjqc3on9_9iK2lHrHnE7Ss4Jpr9/s1600/HR+photo+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElSiCpgzChhi5XojTRN4V0c1DVOjCfWddDHD00ybvNtXiwu6bQF69icTvYEf6yqHQWUj9fekdIV0jkfIBCiGlRmyBucvUZn2nhO8RU26MNUMwZKahIxjqc3on9_9iK2lHrHnE7Ss4Jpr9/s320/HR+photo+4.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RhNDI0YlosM9PZHHR8Fx_kGsfkNTeME5moQrjhZjPpf0K2z-FexduAyISqHlizOCzKpx3Kn6Njn0XxSSOU5847PEpnjs3PzmfchtaFU_j14TfjhkXl069Rp8RpElCWtyuF3LJt9Cikei/s1600/HR+photo+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RhNDI0YlosM9PZHHR8Fx_kGsfkNTeME5moQrjhZjPpf0K2z-FexduAyISqHlizOCzKpx3Kn6Njn0XxSSOU5847PEpnjs3PzmfchtaFU_j14TfjhkXl069Rp8RpElCWtyuF3LJt9Cikei/s320/HR+photo+5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmlLDG7LmaEWkSZMLNx9oHuon7o6MEVKELvQlGjDmrsXnp2jVRRnj91mybqGcU2FMFYmJ6bqOpE56DNZ8d3C_JlSpLiaamMYVbayo7cAMeRhdi_JnWCtK-ervlWc57ECfZgs5_t-V2KYw/s1600/HR+photo+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmlLDG7LmaEWkSZMLNx9oHuon7o6MEVKELvQlGjDmrsXnp2jVRRnj91mybqGcU2FMFYmJ6bqOpE56DNZ8d3C_JlSpLiaamMYVbayo7cAMeRhdi_JnWCtK-ervlWc57ECfZgs5_t-V2KYw/s200/HR+photo+6.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Thank you to those who came out
to the presentation, our fabulous volunteers, and to the visitors on my blog for reading about it and
watching the video. Together, we can end the stigma and save lives.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "bell mt" , "serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-57145200330138305912015-10-16T06:04:00.000-04:002015-10-29T13:59:20.338-04:00Harm Reduction: A Family Focus (EVENT)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/d2witIDmKFY/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d2witIDmKFY?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: #141823; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: #141823; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Harm Reduction: A Family Focus</b></div>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><i style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="background: white;">Because it could be anyone's child</span></i></span></div>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Ronnie Power and Rose Barbour are pleased to
invite you to a powerful and important panel presentation entitled “Harm
Reduction: A Family Focus”.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Harm reduction aims to keep people safe and
minimize death, disease, and injury from high risk behaviour such as drug use.
It involves a range of support services and strategies to enhance the
knowledge, skills, resources, and supports for individuals, families and
communities to be safer and healthier.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Our major sponsor, the Canadian Drug Policy
Coalition, is bringing people in from across Canada to join our panel to share
their stories and knowledge with Islanders. The goal is to educate i<span class="textexposedshow">ndividuals, families, professionals, and the public on the
importance of harm reduction in our province as it pertains to drug use. PEI
has harm reduction programs that are saving lives every day. We’ll hear more
about them as well.<br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Panelists will include:</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow"><b>Donna May</b>, moms united and mandated to saving the lives of Drug Users (Toronto)</span><br />
<span class="textexposedshow"><b>Petra Schulz</b>, </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="background: white;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="background: white;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow">moms united and mandated to saving the lives of Drug Users</span></span></span></span> (Edmonton)</span><br />
<span class="textexposedshow"><b>Donald
MacPherson</b>, Executive Director, Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (Vancouver)</span><br />
</span></span></span><span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="background: white;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show"><b>Ann Marie Carr, </b>Health PEI<b>, </b></span></span><span class="fsl"><span class="text_exposed_show">Public Health Nursing, Provincial Needle Exchange Program</span></span></span><br />
<span class="textexposedshow"><b>Tom Adams</b>, </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt;">Addictions System Navigator, Health PEI, Addictions Services</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="background: white;"><span class="textexposedshow">
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Sadly, two of our panelists, Donna and Petra, have
lost children to addiction. Connected by grief, they joined with other moms to form a group called
“moms united and mandated to saving the lives of Drug Users” (mumsDU). As
panelists, they will share their stories of loss and how access to harm
reduction programs may have saved their children. They share their powerful and
painful stories to raise awareness in the hopes of affecting change so that
another mother doesn’t have to bury her child.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><br />
<br /><span class="textexposedshow">You can get more information about our panelists on
their websites:</span><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Canadian Drug Policy Coalition:</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textexposedshow"><a href="http://drugpolicy.ca/" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://drugpolicy.ca/</span></a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">moms united and mandated to saving the lives of Drug
Users:<a href="http://www.mumsdu.com/" style="cursor: pointer;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3b5998;">http://www.mumsdu.com/</span></a></span><br />
<br /><span class="textexposedshow">Place: Reach Centre, 223 Mason Road, Stratford</span><br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Date: October 29, 2015</span><br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm</span><br />
<span class="textexposedshow">Cost: FREE</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="background: white;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow">RSVP: Rose at behindtheaddiction@gmail.com or Ronnie at 902-892-4643</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="background: white;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="background: white;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow">We hope to see you there!</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="background: white;"><span class="textexposedshow"><span class="textexposedshow"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-74170205559702561242015-10-09T20:29:00.000-04:002015-10-09T20:29:23.921-04:00A great success!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOCXTA2IignaJb1wXBxANHV7RTfzZgWZRBZItCwc54uExiIO0PYT5CXm__PNQmZUggb6fYN2KLLu-2BVDUnpUkHntR5JprGCo9PUgpNls1n41P7G0AGb55FyHt-uFICmc0Pkbuy7jH3O1/s1600/Nicole+Roni+Cheryl+and+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOCXTA2IignaJb1wXBxANHV7RTfzZgWZRBZItCwc54uExiIO0PYT5CXm__PNQmZUggb6fYN2KLLu-2BVDUnpUkHntR5JprGCo9PUgpNls1n41P7G0AGb55FyHt-uFICmc0Pkbuy7jH3O1/s320/Nicole+Roni+Cheryl+and+me.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 150%;">Left to right:
Nicole Publicover, Roni Wakelin Power, Cheryl Roche, and Rose Barbour</span> </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The <i>Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Possible </i>book launch and signing on
Tuesday was a great success. Thank you to all who came out to purchase
books in support of the Reach Centre, a wonderful and important program for
young Islanders in recovery. I am thrilled to tell you that you helped to raise
almost $1,000. Well done everyone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Tomorrow (October 10<sup>th</sup>),
I will be going up to my old stomping grounds in West Prince for a book signing
at JC Handyman Services & Sales in Alberton from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. All
proceeds from the book sales will also support the Reach Centre. Looking
forward to seeing everyone!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-6725657473434429342015-09-20T09:08:00.000-04:002015-09-20T10:02:23.625-04:00When crazy ideas become reality!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlSEwI-D3SdUhRX9xT8n-2eRZfLfT3th1oPvxZB15IKvOvEbD5dmeqvwdzlj10wEpKO9FwpZIqluk52A3qSss0LB9CZGrfBZMBkAuGk0WaSVz8uL2Lv83q1eCTPtOmezNtIElWGGag5AC/s1600/Think+Possible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUlSEwI-D3SdUhRX9xT8n-2eRZfLfT3th1oPvxZB15IKvOvEbD5dmeqvwdzlj10wEpKO9FwpZIqluk52A3qSss0LB9CZGrfBZMBkAuGk0WaSVz8uL2Lv83q1eCTPtOmezNtIElWGGag5AC/s320/Think+Possible.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">What an exciting month it has
been! I announced in August that the
story I submitted to <i>Chicken Soup for the
Soul: Think Possible</i> had made it to the final selection round. I am so
happy to tell you that it was successful in that final round and will be
published. The book will be available for sale on October 6<sup>th</sup>! I
still have to pinch myself. How my crazy idea to submit a story about addiction
came to this I'll never know! It is such an amazing opportunity to raise
awareness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I didn’t think it could get any
better than that until I received another email from the good folks at Chicken
Soup. They told me that as a contributor<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textexposedshow">to the book, I have the option to help local charities raise
money through their special charity program. I was all over it! What another incredible
opportunity!! The two charities that I have chosen are the Reach Centre because
of the life-changing work they do for young people in recovery and the University
of Prince Edward Island’s (UPEI) Student Affairs, which does a wonderful job of
raising awareness and offering support to students through their various mental
health initiatives.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Reach and UPEI’s Student Affairs
will each be selling books at various locations in Charlottetown. Reach will
also be selling books across the Island. I will post an update when the locations
are identified! That way, if you plan to buy the book, you may be able to get
one in your area while supporting great charities in the process. The books
also make great Christmas presents! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">For my followers across Canada, the
USA, and around the world, when you purchase a book in your own
community, you will also be helping to raise awareness about addiction, especially
if you give the book to someone who doesn’t understand it. The book will be filled with inspiring stories
so they will likely really enjoy it without realizing they are getting educated
at the same time! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">If you are a family that has been
affected by addiction, I hope that you find inspiration and empowerment in my story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Your support of addiction
awareness and my chosen charities (if you are on PEI) through the purchase of <i>Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Possible </i>would
be very much appreciated!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">PS: I do not receive any
royalties from book sales. The opportunity that <i>Chicken Soup</i> has given me to
bring my message to a wider audience while also helping two of my favourite
charities with their important work is absolutely PRICELESS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-88746533994710799542015-08-09T10:20:00.000-04:002015-08-09T10:22:57.280-04:00Updates and Opportunities<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpZ6w5E0qxGDBTtykDaKK4rlqa3OR86bKZhEO8uf22MZXf-vHkeRU2vEq8HyW6OYFFDbbM8vnxrauq8dq07ToqSaxaLelh6C2noCFuf8y5cg2x13BBX_QCkanviNkdMipu2vrLrTaB-A_/s1600/time-to-update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUpZ6w5E0qxGDBTtykDaKK4rlqa3OR86bKZhEO8uf22MZXf-vHkeRU2vEq8HyW6OYFFDbbM8vnxrauq8dq07ToqSaxaLelh6C2noCFuf8y5cg2x13BBX_QCkanviNkdMipu2vrLrTaB-A_/s320/time-to-update.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I can’t believe how long it has
been since I last posted! Time certainly does fly by when you’re busy enjoying
this beautiful gift of life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Although I hadn’t written in
my blog for a while, I continued to keep busy in my advocacy and other
addictions work so I thought I’d give you a bit of an update on some of the
things I've been doing. Please note the opportunities for you to get involved if you
wish to do so. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Our SMART Recovery meetings are
going great thanks to our wonderful team of facilitators and, most importantly,
the inspiring individuals who attend our meetings. We’ve met some amazing
people, and I know I speak for every member of our team when I say that we want
them all to make it. Being a SMART Recovery facilitator is truly one of the
most rewarding things I’ve ever done. We’ll
be holding another information session soon for anyone interested in learning
more about becoming a facilitator. Please check back for details.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Nicole Publicover and I had the
opportunity to meet with the residents of both Talbot House and Lacey House recently
to share information with them about SMART Recovery. The residents and staff at
both homes made us feel so welcome. We’ve received tremendous support for SMART
Recovery from the management and staff of addictions services who are glad that
their clients now have even more programs available to support their recoveries.
There are great people working in the system, that’s for sure. We are grateful
for their support. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I also keep busy as a member of
PEI’s Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Council. It has been a great
experience and I look forward to putting our recommendations forward when the
time comes. I will be forever grateful to Health Minister Doug Currie and Chief
Mental Health and Addictions Officer Dr. Rhonda Matters for offering me a seat
at the table even though I’d spent a couple of years (at that time) in the
public eye exposing the gaps in the system, which I painfully discovered when
my son tried to access help. I was critical of the government’s handling of the
mental health and addictions file, which desperately needed an investment. Minister
Currie could have chosen someone who has never been a thorn in his side, but he
didn’t. That meant a lot to me and said a lot about the level of commitment to
this important cause. There have been a lot of improvements over the past
couple of years but there’s still work to do!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Roni Wakelin Power and I are
partnering with a national organization to host a couple of free events in the
fall (one for professionals and one for the public). We’ve been busy working
out the details, including picking the topic that we felt would be most
beneficial and a speaker who is well-versed in that area. The national
organization is covering the expenses, including flying in the guest speaker. We’ll
have local speakers as well. This is a wonderful opportunity for our Island
community. Stay tuned for more details!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Roni and I are regular guest
speakers at Jim Good’s family program at the Provincial Addictions Treatment
Facility in Mt. Herbert. We spoke to another one of his groups this summer. It
feels good to share information and spread some hope. We’ve both sat in those
chairs at one time or another and know how helpless and scared we felt at that
time. We want the families to know they are not alone and that there is hope
for recovery for them and their loved ones.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Nicole and I also had the opportunity
to be guest speakers in one of my daughter’s high school classes in June. The topic
was mental health. I think I was more nervous about this talk than any of the
others I’d given (except for my very first one) because my daughter was going
to hear me speak publicly for the first time. It went well and the students
were engaged. My daughter and her partner did such a great job with their part
of the presentation. I was a proud mom that day (and everyday!).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I recently received word that a
story I had submitted to “Chicken Soup for the Soul” has made it to the final
selection round. I still have to pinch myself. I can’t believe it! My story is about
addiction but the topic of the book is something else altogether. This means
that if my story makes it into the book, I will reach many people who may or may
not have any experience with addiction. This is a wonderful opportunity to open
minds and hearts. I should know in September whether or not the story will be
in the book. Fingers crossed! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I saved the best update for last!
Our son is now 22 months into his recovery and doing great. He graduated from
Holland College in the spring and is now working and enjoying all of the things
that life has to offer. We were so proud to watch him walk across the stage at
the graduation ceremony to get his diploma. That piece of paper represents so
much more than the new skills and knowledge he’s acquired in his field. It
represents hope and love and all that is possible in recovery. We are truly
blessed. Individuals can and do recover. Never give up!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">I hope to see you at our next SMART
Recovery Facilitator session and/or at our public event in the fall! Together
we can make a difference.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Enjoy the rest of the summer!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-4461260977962589232015-04-28T17:08:00.002-04:002015-04-28T17:13:12.663-04:00Mama, Don't Give Up!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvundJjfltTumkSU0PZNH3DosYYCiD49hJpgptTOfOmK6a6sWnacw2TQV-jPlGDIM0-P2Xup_-862hJQL-u1xWQ2MJI0cnG1XdwNDw0hjkKR_x9sQfMPZs65a0qBLOYmSTKhu4VKpDHws/s1600/Addiction+9.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRvundJjfltTumkSU0PZNH3DosYYCiD49hJpgptTOfOmK6a6sWnacw2TQV-jPlGDIM0-P2Xup_-862hJQL-u1xWQ2MJI0cnG1XdwNDw0hjkKR_x9sQfMPZs65a0qBLOYmSTKhu4VKpDHws/s1600/Addiction+9.jpeg" height="191" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #333333; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">This song came to me
one night. The words kept running through my head all day until I put them down
on paper. While I write a lot of poetry about our family’s experience with
addiction, this is the first time a song came to me. It was also strange that
it came in the voice of a person struggling with addiction who wants recovery,
rather than in the voice of a mother, which is the voice I use in my writings.
Because it was such a different experience, I didn’t know what to make of it. I
sent it to JD to see what he thought. He worked his magic and turned it into
this beautiful song that is simple like it was in my dream but, hopefully,
powerful as well. The struggle is very real for our loved ones. We hope this
song gives them a voice, even if it is just a small one. We hope you like it!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6mSA_8p7Ns" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Mama, Don’t
Give Up!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">By: Rose Barbour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I’m dying on the outside<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">And screaming within<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">It’s a deadly game<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">That no one wins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The people that I’ve hurt <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">At every turn <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The roads I’ve travelled <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The bridges I’ve burned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Mama, I hurt so bad <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">From this life I’m living <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The addiction that I have <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Is so unforgiving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Through the darkness <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">There’s a glimmer of hope <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">That I might break free <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">If I can somehow cope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">With nothing to lose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I’m taking control <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Reclaiming my life <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">And my heart and soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Chorus<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Mama, I hurt so bad <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">From this life I’m living <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The addiction that I have <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Is so unforgiving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Please forgive me <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">For the pain I’ve caused <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I hate myself <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">But I was so damn lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Turning a nightmare<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Into a dream<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The power is in me<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I want to believe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">So, Mama, don’t give up <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I am on my way <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Keep your hope alive <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">And continue to pray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Who I was<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Is not who you see<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">This life is hell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">It has hardened me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Please forgive me <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">For the pain I've caused <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I hated myself <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">But I was so damn lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">So, Mama, don’t give up <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I am on my way <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Keep your hope alive <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">And continue to pray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Song Lyrics by Rose Barbour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Music by JD White<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<div style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2015/04/mama-dont-give-up.html">http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2015/04/mama-dont-give-up.html</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-78420890068132080672015-04-03T08:40:00.003-04:002015-04-03T08:41:50.155-04:00SMART Recovery is growing!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTK5vAU5tRJr3L7JA9V5-mKdL5u9a8V0lD-QGatLByTX5XXXStY8AZwyr9UGVvQWpXEnzETnaPj0INFmpfd6cr8PlH02xvMBVBPG0D326TAPD1p_ISX7RXlrXIUl7nND7iFrmCkDu7oah/s1600/susana-make-a-difference.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCTK5vAU5tRJr3L7JA9V5-mKdL5u9a8V0lD-QGatLByTX5XXXStY8AZwyr9UGVvQWpXEnzETnaPj0INFmpfd6cr8PlH02xvMBVBPG0D326TAPD1p_ISX7RXlrXIUl7nND7iFrmCkDu7oah/s1600/susana-make-a-difference.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">We
are so pleased to announce that we now have 3 SMART Recovery meetings in
Queen’s County:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>Mondays</i>
at 7:00 at the Reach Centre in Stratford<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>Wednesdays</i>
at 7:00 at the Trinity United Church (Richmond Street Entrance), 2<sup>nd</sup>
Floor, Classroom 12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><i>Saturdays</i>
at 2:30 at Mt. Herbert Addictions Treatment Facility (this is a <b>closed</b> group for patients only)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We
currently have several people registered to become facilitators and many others
who are interested. We are hoping that by the summer time we will have SMART
Recovery meetings most nights of the week.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We
are holding an information session on Saturday, April 11<sup>th</sup> from 1 to
3 for people who are signed up for the facilitator training or interested in it.
If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Rose at <a href="mailto:behindtheaddiction@gmail.com">behindtheaddiction@gmail.com</a> or
Nicole at 902-620-0000.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">We
need people from all over the Island to volunteer so that we can bring this
wonderful program to all Islanders who need it. If you want to make a
difference in your community, this is a good opportunity to do so. There is not
one community that hasn’t been impacted by addictions in some way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Here is the SMART Recovery website where you can learn more about the program: </span><a href="http://www.smartrecovery.org/" style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;" target="_blank">http://www.smartrecovery.org/</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 37.3333320617676px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 37.3333320617676px;">Come out and join our SMART Recovery PEI team!</span> </div>
<br />Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-73012474723308380922015-03-22T11:02:00.000-04:002015-03-22T11:03:03.735-04:00Silent Screams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CeYiF4YlNVhCSkctWinaTLBjcH1LHRzDSg6M0MicWToQ2TLKWc9J5iXjlKNdxQ9VrrK1OdLu-I_nG9khrG8E_o4XoDqMW0f_G0QMvKEvwIshVHimCyDc3E3gXRWFX1q91zpvX9TSD_3_/s1600/Silent+Scream+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_CeYiF4YlNVhCSkctWinaTLBjcH1LHRzDSg6M0MicWToQ2TLKWc9J5iXjlKNdxQ9VrrK1OdLu-I_nG9khrG8E_o4XoDqMW0f_G0QMvKEvwIshVHimCyDc3E3gXRWFX1q91zpvX9TSD_3_/s1600/Silent+Scream+photo.jpg" height="265" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Silent
Screams<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">By: Rose Barbour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The storm clouds are all around
her<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She prays they’ll go away<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The blue sky of yesterday<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Is now an ominous gray.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The wind is picking up<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Through the streets she roams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Looking for her child<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So she can bring him home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The lightning spreads across
the sky<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Threatening to strike<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She fears for his safety<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Her chest is feeling tight.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She can’t find him anywhere<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The streets are so mean<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She looks to the sky and weeps<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">God, help me please!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Her cries are drowned out<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">By the chaos all around<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The rain is beating down on her<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">While the thunder pounds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She takes refuge from the storm<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Needing a new plan<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Questioning a life <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">That is so hard to understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">She slowly starts to leave <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Hanging tight to her phone<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Shaking like a leaf<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And feeling so alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">There’s no family she can call<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">No friends to lend an ear<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Just her silent screams<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And a pillow full of tears.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Addiction has stolen her child<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And it mocks her love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It hurts like hell<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But she’ll never give up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Written by:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Rose Barbour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Bell MT, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 37.3333320617676px;"><a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2015/03/silent-screams.html">http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2015/03/silent-screams.html</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">While
the journey with an addicted child is like being caught up in a terrifying and
threatening storm that we have no control over, we can never lose hope. Individuals
and families do recover.....all the time. Never give up!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-55175670304265153742015-03-17T12:04:00.000-04:002015-03-18T19:43:58.196-04:00Rock Bottom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h4Ofo0_S0ZdMOyuLQtyodbo0Mr-eLVJhOGU4MKnci-4qehF1RwiQWiwazoCxEhOZ3kiUWo9ZFGkoav2_w10NZEebb1hpZam_Wn6SXC814MzHGZWjK3HWeOX3EBgoKsNdrV-L54nqfQKI/s1600/unstoppable+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4h4Ofo0_S0ZdMOyuLQtyodbo0Mr-eLVJhOGU4MKnci-4qehF1RwiQWiwazoCxEhOZ3kiUWo9ZFGkoav2_w10NZEebb1hpZam_Wn6SXC814MzHGZWjK3HWeOX3EBgoKsNdrV-L54nqfQKI/s1600/unstoppable+2.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Rock bottom is a sad and
hopeless place where the tears flow freely and energy, peace and happiness are
but a memory. I found myself there after years of dealing with my son’s
addiction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I am a take charge type of
person so when I found out that my son was struggling with addiction I naturally
jumped into action trying to help him. Sadly, no matter what I tried to do or
how much encouragement I provided, it didn’t work. His drug use continued to escalate
causing his mental, emotional and physical health to spiral down even further,
and mine did, too. I was out of ideas and out of hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I couldn’t stand to see my son self-destructing.
I worried every day that he would die. This constant worrying affected my
mental health. The lady who many people have described as “the most positive
person I have ever met” was dealing with depression. I was shocked with the
diagnosis but as I reflected on how I was feeling, it began to make sense. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I didn’t like rock bottom; not
at all. I wanted out of there and fast! I knew that I wasn’t going to be any
good to my son, my other children or my husband if I was sick and couldn’t get
out of bed. I needed to do something. Knowing that I had no control over my son,
I started focusing my energy on the one person that I could control: me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My first step to my own
recovery was to reach out to other families who were dealing with addiction. There
is something very healing about being around people who understand. They don’t
judge because they, too, found out the hard way that this can happen to any
family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My husband and I also got
educated quickly about addiction. When it comes to this misunderstood and
stigmatized illness, education is very important. As family members, we are
better equipped for the difficult journey when we know and understand what we
are up against. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In our search for information,
we looked for credible sources just like we would if our son had any other
serious health issue. The more my husband and I learned the more effective we
became at parenting our son through his addiction while maintaining a healthy and close relationship with him. Of course, there are never
any guarantees. Sadly, some of the most loving parents educated in addiction have
lost children. One thing is for sure, though, family members have nothing to
lose by getting educated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Today, I am healthy, informed
and empowered, and rock bottom is but a memory. As for my son, he got the help that he needed and is now 17-months into his recovery and a
full-time college student. He is healthy and happy and his life is moving
forward. We are so grateful for the gift of recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Never give up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-70201585475805955382015-02-04T08:55:00.000-05:002015-02-15T11:06:14.210-05:00SMART Recovery on PEI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iOw5chtcP8q0u91BzqTtB93sVsMb1xuzdz7j3rMOul1BQrtZfJQ4gWHXL8GF2sjuAGi5k2JtU57YydAHqKkNLz3o6rT_d1zFo2enEO-nWJFUVrTG7jDOqp5sRptyHs2xOB-hoRLF2tmW/s1600/SMART-Recovery-Self-Management-and-Recovery-Training-carl-van-vuuren.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6iOw5chtcP8q0u91BzqTtB93sVsMb1xuzdz7j3rMOul1BQrtZfJQ4gWHXL8GF2sjuAGi5k2JtU57YydAHqKkNLz3o6rT_d1zFo2enEO-nWJFUVrTG7jDOqp5sRptyHs2xOB-hoRLF2tmW/s1600/SMART-Recovery-Self-Management-and-Recovery-Training-carl-van-vuuren.png" height="135" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I am happy to tell you that Islanders now have options when it comes to recovery programs. Like many others, our son
did not care for 12-step meetings like NA. While they have helped millions of people to find recovery, the format was not for him. However, 12-step meetings seemed to be the only
option around, leaving people like my son with no outside support system that
they could relate to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">While
searching for an alternative program, I found <a href="http://www.smartrecovery.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">SMART Recovery</span></a>. I thought
it sounded great. It is not a 12-step program so Islanders would have a choice. It
would also be a good complement to AA/NA for those who have found recovery
there. It wasn’t offered here on PEI so I took the training with the
plan to start a meeting. Here is some additional information on the program:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">SMART
stands for “Self-Management and Recovery Training”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">4-POINT
PROGRAM</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Their
4-Point Program offers tools and techniques for each point:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">1.
Building and Maintaining Motivation<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">2. Coping
with Urges<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">3.
Managing Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviours<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">4. Living
a Balanced Life<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">THE
APPROACH</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">• Teaches
self-empowerment and self-reliance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">• Provides
meetings that are educational, supportive and include open discussions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">•
Encourages individuals to recover from addiction and alcohol abuse and live
satisfying lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">• Teaches
techniques for self-directed change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">• Supports
the scientifically informed use of psychological treatments and legally
prescribed psychiatric and addiction medication.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">• Works on
substance abuse, alcohol abuse, addiction and drug abuse as complex maladaptive
behaviors with possible physiological factors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">• Evolves
as scientific knowledge in addiction recovery evolves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">• Differs
from Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and other 12-step programs.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">SMART
RECOVERY VS 12-STEPS</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><a href="http://www.smartrecovery.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">SMART Recovery</span></a> has a
scientific foundation, not a spiritual one. The program teaches increasing
self-reliance, rather than powerlessness. The meetings are discussion meetings
in which individuals talk with one another, rather than to one another. They
encourage attendance for months to years, but probably not a lifetime. There
are no sponsors in <a href="http://www.smartrecovery.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">SMART Recovery</span></a>. They
also discourage use of labels such as "alcoholic" or
"addict".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br />
I know many people who have found recovery in the rooms of 12-step meetings.
The comparison above is just that - a comparison. It is by no means saying that
one type of meeting or method is better than the other. It is only meant to
show the differences. You may actually enjoy both types of meetings. In the end,
we all want recovery for you. You can decide what's right for you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Nicole
Publicover, the wonderful youth addictions worker at the <a href="http://peireachfoundation.ca/" target="_blank">Reach Centre</a>, and I are
both now trained in SMART Recovery, and we are so pleased to be bringing it to PEI. The
first meeting will be held on Monday, February 9<sup>th</sup> at the Reach
Centre, 223 Mason Road in Stratford. We will be offering childcare and
transportation from Charlottetown for those who need it. If you need either of these services, please send me an email at <a href="mailto:behindtheaddiction@gmail.com">behindtheaddiction@gmail.com</a> to make arrangements.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Rose</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Here is
our recent interview with CBC’s Karen Mair where we discuss the SMART Recovery
program: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="348" src="http://www.cbc.ca/i/caffeine/syndicate/?clipId=2651751346" width="620"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-39599346683082557732015-01-24T21:15:00.000-05:002015-01-25T12:10:02.386-05:00Anthony's Act: A Loving Tribute<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_ZoJKcbVFRawtJLAhr-hSiwEtMiLBB9hCBbg-sWlSRTDo5rx_DTKj_DLy9Im4o1DAiUnkzz5CPHxzjelG4cZxFiT22YQ82o48CI_qYc2hMyOPh5WWO1ooQl4PqzsblqQzFeLvcElBUTt/s1600/Anthony's%2Bphoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_ZoJKcbVFRawtJLAhr-hSiwEtMiLBB9hCBbg-sWlSRTDo5rx_DTKj_DLy9Im4o1DAiUnkzz5CPHxzjelG4cZxFiT22YQ82o48CI_qYc2hMyOPh5WWO1ooQl4PqzsblqQzFeLvcElBUTt/s1600/Anthony's%2Bphoto.jpg" height="320" width="237" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
received an email yesterday from Valerie Fiore, a mother who lost her son to addiction.
So heartbreaking! She was wondering if I would write a poem about her son,
Anthony. Gulp! My poetry comes from a deep place in my heart because it is
about my son and my experience as a parent. I’ve never tried to write about
someone else, a stranger, although I know that many of our journeys are very
similar. I didn't want to let her down or promise something that I couldn't
deliver. I said that I would try and, hopefully, something would come to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Valerie
sent me some information about Anthony, and it touched my heart. We were off to
a good start! I downloaded a photo of him and put it in my Word document for
inspiration. He was so beautiful, just like all of our kids. I prayed last
night for the words that would properly capture this young man’s essence and
his life’s journey. I sat down today to write and the words came to me and so
did the tears. I am so grateful and relieved that I was able to give this to
her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Please
read the poem (written from Valerie to Anthony), then sign the
<a href="http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/anthonys-act" target="_blank">petition</a> and share with your friends. Together,
we can make a difference.</span><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Anthony’s Act<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">A beautiful blessing, my dark-haired boy<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Sent from above, full of love and joy.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The years passed quickly, with my little cub
scout<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">A very bright boy, never going without.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Vacations filled with laughter, and lots of
plans<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Lazy days at the beach, on Florida’s white
sands.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">A normal childhood, in a loving home<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">This was Anthony’s life, before he began to
roam.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">He reached that age, where independence is
sought<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Looking for acceptance, but it would be hard fought.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Bullies and rejection, took the joy from his
heart<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">No longer feeling worthy, he began to fall
apart.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Keeping the pain to himself, he did the best he
could<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">To find a place to belong, but the situation
wasn’t good.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Slipping further away, our boy became distant<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">His drug use escalated, in what seemed like an
instant.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">He made it to college, where things became
worse<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Pills became a memory, with the heroin curse.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Hearing this news, we picked up our son<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Badly needing treatment, if this battle was to
be won.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Ninety days of inpatient, gives them the best
chance<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But, insurance doesn’t cover this; it is a life
and death dance.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The short-term stays were not enough, our boy
needed longer<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Recovery homes in unhealthy areas, made the
cravings stronger.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We fought all we could, and begged and pleaded<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Please keep our boy, give him what is needed.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">After a tough six year battle, he began to heal<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">For eight wonderful months, it hardly seemed
real.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Laughing again, and calling me mudder<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Spending time with Nick, his beloved little
brother.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">A new job and car, and cooking meals for his
pack<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">So thankful to God, I cried, “I got my Anthony
back”.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We began to feel hopeful, that this time he may
have made it<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">But hope turned to despair, when I found him in
our basement.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Good-bye our dear Anthony, you are loved beyond
words<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">I miss your beautiful smile, and your laughter,
now unheard.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Your life had meaning, you didn’t die in vain<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In your memory we fight, to save others from
this pain.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We made a promise to you, son; a solid pact<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">That we would make a difference, through the
Anthony’s Act.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">We will not let one more suffer, as companies
earn high profits<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">In your name, we stand, as we try to stop it.</span></i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Written
by: Rose Barbour in memory of Anthony and all those who’ve been lost to this
terrible epidemic and those still in the trenches. Things need to change. Please sign the <a href="http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/anthonys-act" target="_blank">petition</a>! <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: Bell MT, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 37.3333320617676px;"><a href="http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/anthonys-act" target="_blank">http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/anthonys-act</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-10521838469434761992015-01-17T13:17:00.003-05:002015-01-17T16:46:53.300-05:00Playing Doctor is a Deadly Game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WwhxadmmVwceMsizHGSf6JNFK1SCj4g9pOvzn3qrLbC1SQGd2gFlKuaX_CvYabOyZI2MFeGD1c8B5r7UnIdmhyvnxt56Ywm98ATHENNsoMA2FYM7kqiMBh33xnuD7WZslm1MAVlemcYx/s1600/medications+work+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WwhxadmmVwceMsizHGSf6JNFK1SCj4g9pOvzn3qrLbC1SQGd2gFlKuaX_CvYabOyZI2MFeGD1c8B5r7UnIdmhyvnxt56Ywm98ATHENNsoMA2FYM7kqiMBh33xnuD7WZslm1MAVlemcYx/s1600/medications+work+2.jpg" height="200" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">When my
husband and I first started out on this journey with our son, we didn’t know
much about addiction. But, we did know that people could die from it, and that was
enough to scare us half to death. We couldn’t afford to be complacent so we jumped
into action. We had a lot to learn in a short amount of time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">There’s
a saying that a worried mother does better research than the FBI. Well, that
was certainly the case here. I left no stone unturned searching for information
about addiction. My experience in preparing and writing research papers really
came in handy because I knew the value in finding reputable sources. I could also
easily identify writings that were based on personal opinion only, not on evidence.
There is a lot of that out there, by the way!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I also
talked to people in recovery who took the time to share their experience,
strength and hope with me. I have nothing but love and respect for each and
every one of them for what they taught me and the care they showed in my time
of need. Unfortunately, though, many of them were anti-methadone (most people
are because we only hear the bad stuff – this needs to change) and this, sadly,
made me anti-methadone, too, for a little while. I was easily influenced
because I hadn’t researched methadone at that point in time. They had more
experience so if they said methadone was not a good thing, who was I to argue?
That is why when our son first started talking about getting on the waiting
list for methadone, I turned my nose up at the idea but, thankfully, he put his
name on the list anyway. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">To
prepare for our son to be on methadone, I started doing research on it. I
discovered that the consensus from the leaders in health (World Health Organization,
for example) is that medications like methadone and suboxone are very effective
in the treatment of opioid addiction, especially when combined with other
therapies. With this newfound knowledge, I was so glad that my son was on the
waiting list for methadone. I prayed the call to start the program would come
before it was too late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The
call finally came fifteen months ago, and his whole life changed thanks to
methadone. He got healthy physically, mentally and emotionally. He is
independent and self-sufficient. He is a successful full-time college student. He
is a contributing member of the household. He is a taxpayer. He is everything
that a person his age should be. We have our son back. We are blessed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">After
being on methadone for ten successful months, our son decided that he wanted to
try to slowly taper off of it. We were nervous about this because he was doing
so well on the medications and we were VERY proud of him. He was and is very
smart about his recovery and loves having his life back so that helped to put
our minds at ease about the taper and to trust in the process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">His
taper has been very successful so far. There was only one time where he had to
ask to go back up and stay at the previous level a little bit longer. We told him
that there is no shame in having to go back up in dosage or in staying on
methadone long-term, for that matter. He knows that we are proud and supportive
of him no matter what. There is no stigma, judgement or pressure in our
house....just two proud parents who are so grateful to have their son back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I am
writing this today because I do not want another family to turn their nose up like
we did at the very treatment that just may save their loved one. Let your loved
ones choose the path that is right for them, and be supportive and proud of
him/her for doing so. This world is not kind to people who struggle with
addiction and it is not easy to stay in recovery regardless of the path you’re
on so family support is crucial. Look at
your child on medications with pride, not disappointment or disgust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">We
should always follow the advice of medical experts on the treatment of any
disease and be open to “whatever works” for each person. It is their life after all! There are far too many “doctors” out there when it comes to
addiction and it is a deadly game they are playing. Playing doctor is a fun
game for kids, but it is not so fun for adults in the real world when lives are
at stake. It is a fact that addiction kills many people; most of whom couldn’t
get the proper level of help, wouldn’t reach out for help because of stigma, or
who felt forced to end their treatment too soon. That is sad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The
reality is that recovering from the disease of addiction no more qualifies one
to provide medical advice on the disease than recovering from heart disease
qualifies one to provide medical advice on that disease. If you had a serious
disease, would you want to be treated by a medical professional trained in the
disease or someone who has recovered from it but has no medical training? People
in recovery from diseases have an important place in the continuum of care in
the role of after-care support, not treatment provider. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I am
quite sure that my views, which are based on scientific evidence, do not make
me popular with some people in the recovery community and I am okay with that.
What I am not okay with is people dying while we try to fit them into a box
when it comes to their recovery. Our knowledge of addiction has changed in the
last 80 years but our treatment and recovery programs have not kept pace. We
would not accept this for any other illness and I personally will not accept it
for addiction either. I will make waves, tick people off, and continue to fight
to have addiction treated like any other serious health issue because lives
depend on it. I hope that you will care enough to get informed, too. Did you
know that addiction-related deaths are decreased by 50% with methadone and
suboxone? These medications are effective treatments for this
deadly disease. It is time to end the stigma!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">My
friend, Ronnie, and I have also created a Facebook group called <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/366065130239098/" target="_blank">Take it to the MAT</a> </i>for people in PEI
(and elsewhere) on medication assisted treatments (MAT) and their families. It is also for people who are considering this
option and want some reliable information. Please join us if you meet the criteria. We’d
love to support and empower you and your loved one in reaching and maintaining
the beautiful gift of recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2015/01/playing-doctor-is-deadly-game.html">http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2015/01/playing-doctor-is-deadly-game.html</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Please click <a href="http://eicnetwork.tv/Events/SAMHSA_June2014/TabId/1052/VideoId/1314/A-MultiDimensional-Look-At-Substance-Use-Disorders-Andor-Mental-Health-Issues-Their-Treatment--Recovery-January-14th-Webcast.aspx" target="_blank">HERE</a> to watch an informative video featuring </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #2e3d47; font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Michael
P. Botticelli, Acting Director of the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP) and Dr. Melinda Campopiano, Medical Officer for the
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>at<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>SAMHSA and Board Certified Family
Medicine Physician who discuss the benefits of medication assisted treatment at
the <b>12:00 minute mark.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-26263280794502013262015-01-02T20:24:00.000-05:002015-01-02T23:05:27.746-05:00We Need YOU!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLffQSgpehbxL_X1PsEhtWQwVjppHSy9a-EXNQswLIqCIXLB_ioEwiD_3YtcfS2zPAw9b0wiLVQ100C1TstIM9snhj5yyF96jB-5fTBYUHEo5xDExQIv78kUZ-bbD1REd2-sylISJPdDQC/s1600/A+kind+gesture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLffQSgpehbxL_X1PsEhtWQwVjppHSy9a-EXNQswLIqCIXLB_ioEwiD_3YtcfS2zPAw9b0wiLVQ100C1TstIM9snhj5yyF96jB-5fTBYUHEo5xDExQIv78kUZ-bbD1REd2-sylISJPdDQC/s1600/A+kind+gesture.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">We
Need YOU!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">By:
Rose Barbour<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">We
are in the midst of an epidemic, and things need to change<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It
will take a big movement so we need you to engage<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">You
can help by getting informed and spreading the word<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">People
are dying by the thousands, haven’t you heard?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Engaging
can be as simple as sharing the stories you see<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">From
brave families dealing with addiction, trying to educate you and me <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Don’t
scroll by with indifference and ignore their great pain<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Read
the story, feel their words, and share it again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It
takes courage to tell your story despite the stigma and shame<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Knowing
that some people will look at you as the person to blame<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But
what choice do we have when so many are dying?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The
stakes are too high, we can never stop trying.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">No
one thinks it will happen to them, their kids are doing great<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">They’ve
loved them and talked to them so they should be safe<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It
is a shock when you realize that addiction doesn’t care<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It
takes all that you believed to be true and turns it into a nightmare.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Great
changes can only happen when good people care enough <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">To
take a stand for something even though it can be tough<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">You
see, today it is me that hurts and tomorrow it could be you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Don’t
wait until it happens to find out what I’m saying is true.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">We
need those who've been affected and compassionate people like you<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">To
take a stand together because it is the right thing to do<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">We
can take back our communities by helping people to get well<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Or
you can accept the status quo and pray that you don’t face the same hell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Written by: Rose Barbour on
behalf of all advocates working hard every day to help those struggling with
addiction and their families. Please join us in trying to stop the spread of
this epidemic. A great place to start is by sharing this message to help us to educate.
Thank you!<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2015/01/we-need-you.html" style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 19px; line-height: 37.3333320617676px;">http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2015/01/we-need-you.html</a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></i></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-12079882550223905042014-12-30T13:56:00.000-05:002015-01-03T07:09:26.594-05:00Anniversary: Turning a negative into a positive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWoG4AAMwruze6THw3SJbsx84wKy2_0iVv3BLrFJJONkYxfpunGt_AzOquH7jHX5ykQEA88F1K-tUOTSTxhbWttEQ3Y8ZGYnh6-l5i7njpWyrtSlXXMP0eUAw3BQfdUfPef1oMXkcLjfR/s1600/never-give-up-on-something.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWoG4AAMwruze6THw3SJbsx84wKy2_0iVv3BLrFJJONkYxfpunGt_AzOquH7jHX5ykQEA88F1K-tUOTSTxhbWttEQ3Y8ZGYnh6-l5i7njpWyrtSlXXMP0eUAw3BQfdUfPef1oMXkcLjfR/s1600/never-give-up-on-something.jpg" height="320" width="192" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">On
January 1<sup>st</sup>, my blog will be two years old. The response to it was
more than I ever could have imagined. Since I started it in 2013, it has been
visited 181,000 times! That is 181,000 opportunities to bring comfort to
individuals and families struggling with addiction and to educate those who
are looking for more information on the disease. It just goes to show the power
we ALL have within us to make a difference when we set our minds to it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
was also not expecting to develop a following from all over the world. The majority
of my visitors come from Canada, USA, Ukraine, France, Germany, United Kingdom,
Russia, Turkey, Moldova and China but they have also come from Belgium, Czech
Republic, India, Poland, and Ireland. Sadly, it goes to show that addiction is hurting
people worldwide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Anyone
who knows me personally knows that I am an introvert by nature who puts my head
down and does what needs to be done without fanfare. However, it warms my heart
to know that I am bringing comfort to so many. It wasn’t that long ago that
Mike and I felt very much alone in our journey. I would’ve loved to have a blog
to go to where I could read about other people’s experiences and know that we were
not alone. I am happy to be a resource like that today for other people on this
journey. I thank God for giving me the ability to express myself in writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
recently received a touching email (below) that captures perfectly what I’d
always hoped my blog would do for people who are hurting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="background: white; color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">You don't know me and I don't know you but
somehow about a year and a half ago I was at my wits end. My loved one was in
active addiction and I was online trying to find some guidance to deal with
what this was doing to me personally. I stumbled upon something you had written
and I cried as I read. There was someone out there and real that knew exactly
how I felt! I began following all your inspirational posts! This morning I read
your <a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2014/12/merry-christmas.html" target="_blank">Christmas</a> post and I realized I had to say thank you to you! My loved one
has found his way to asking for help and actually getting on the methadone
program! It has been about 4 years since I realized he was struggling with
addiction and since he made the first promise to quit! It has been a very long
road to say the least! And I am fully aware this too may not be the end of this
road but this morning singing in the kitchen baking with my children and my
loved one actually participating! I am hopeful! I wish much happiness and joy
to you and yours! And I will never be able to thank you enough for all the
rough patches you unknowingly got me through! Thank you!</span></i><i><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In
addition to my blogging, I keep very busy with my other advocacy and support work,
which includes my daily postings (365 days per year). I will continue to work
hard to raise awareness, build compassion, educate and advocate for more
services until such time that addiction is treated like any other serious
illness. A few of my highlights from
2014 include:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Joining the Province’s Mental Health and
Addictions Advisory Council where I share my experience and knowledge as we
work to develop long-term strategies for PEI.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Co-founding the 3 C’s Family Support Group with
Ronnie Power in order to provide more support to family members of those
struggling with addiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Being an advisor and volunteer for the Reach
Foundation, which supports youth in recovery and their families.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Co-hosting an event for Chris Cull who rode his
bike across Canada to raise awareness about the prescription drug epidemic
while filming footage for a documentary he is working on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-left: 18.0pt; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Becoming a featured blogger on a popular
addiction website with over 20,000 members.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I’ve
also been blessed with many other opportunities to help others through writing,
music, video, media and public speaking. I never wanted to have anything to do
with addiction but, unfortunately, we don’t get to choose what our journey in
life will be. However, we do get to choose how we handle our challenges. I chose
to turn our family’s experience into something good by being a positive voice
for those struggling with addiction and their families and I have no regrets. With that in mind, I
look forward to seeing what 2015 brings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
saved the best to last. The biggest highlight of my year and the greatest gift
of all in 2014 was my son’s recovery, which is now 15 months in length. All
three of our kids are healthy and happy and we are so grateful. We want for
nothing except to have other families experience this joy as well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">There
is still a lot to be done to ensure that addiction is treated like any other
serious illness but <u>together</u> we will get there. Please continue to read
and share my posts so that the people who need to see them (which is
everybody!) will. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Thank
you for being part of my family’s journey. Sending you many warm wishes for a
healthy and happy 2015!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-88173546394329649262014-12-28T12:49:00.000-05:002014-12-28T12:54:13.156-05:00My Methadone Story by Elizabeth A. Clark<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvM2Ggz8vQpF3eqSihZbGUlpFfNlnPAjF5mdblnEPTM4pKx94ku0lhWmN1ddLobZxmCwswR92TyqoXNBvGQhvZQ15Stt8g1oR-FkhCyIHqQmKjXeh6TYlrFaqLGSYolSoT3FBL0nYEhPri/s1600/Freedom+from+pain+boxing+glove+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvM2Ggz8vQpF3eqSihZbGUlpFfNlnPAjF5mdblnEPTM4pKx94ku0lhWmN1ddLobZxmCwswR92TyqoXNBvGQhvZQ15Stt8g1oR-FkhCyIHqQmKjXeh6TYlrFaqLGSYolSoT3FBL0nYEhPri/s1600/Freedom+from+pain+boxing+glove+image.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">This is a
guest post by Elizabeth A. Clark, a lady in long-term recovery on
methadone. She is sharing her story in
the hopes of educating about medication assisted treatment and to try to break
down the unfair stigma attached to it. We are in the midst of an epidemic that
is killing thousands of people each year. We can help by getting educated on
ALL the available treatment options and by supporting whatever works for each
individual. Let the STIGMA stop with you!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Elizabeth’s story<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">In active
addiction, I was neither unique nor remarkable. I experimented lightly with
alcohol and pot in high school. After graduation, I began using pharmaceuticals
and eventually found myself addicted to Dilaudid. As my use increased, I became
involved in ever increasing levels of crime and was soon arrested for this.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I was
convicted and court mandated into rehab where I was detoxed off Dilaudid,
counseled and went to classes and meetings. I was released after 30 days with
no clue how to recover and maintain recovery. I really didn't want to stop
using Dilaudid. If anything, without it my life was just more painful. I didn't
want to give up the only thing that ever made me feel normal and good, but I
also didn't want to go to prison for breaking the law.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">At meetings,
many of my fellow AA/NA members were still using and drinking, which meant that
I couldn't even find sober friends at a 12 step meeting. Since I had let go of
my old friends, I became isolated, lonely and miserable. I "white
knuckled" abstinence as long as I could stand it. Finally, I told my poor
mother that I hoped God would grant her the serenity to accept the fact that I
was going back out to rejoin my old friends. Obviously, that did not work out
well. I was soon re-addicted and breaking the law. Mom gave me the option of
either moving out or going back to rehab. I chose rehab. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I spit out
and injected all the Dilaudids used for detox and left this time with a bad
attitude and a bigger habit than I had when I went in. I continued to use after
this. I was very depressed and hopeless. Because I was lousy at crime, I was
arrested again in no time. I went back to rehab again as I awaited my court
date. This time the judge mandated me to a program over a thousand miles from
home. I went to a 12 step abstinence based program. I was more appreciative of
the precarious position I had gotten myself into, so I gave it my very best
effort. I abstained, made friends, had sponsors, sponsored people, led
meetings, did my inventory, went to sober activities, worked, and lived on my
own. In spite of all this, something was still missing and I was miserable. I
lost my sobriety after 9 1/2 months, and was addicted to Dilaudid again within
a couple weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">During this
period of active addiction, I met people who were on methadone maintenance
treatment (MMT). After talking to them, I decided that if I was incapable of
giving up opiate addiction, I'd be much better off taking something that was
legal. I knew MMT was a serious step, but I was desperate at this point. I got
on the program in 1981. I drank my dose daily, got counseling, worked full
time, met my first husband, went back to college at night, got married and
slowly tapered off methadone after about two years.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I felt great
after tapering, but within a week, the devil brought an old friend to my door at 1:00
a.m. When I saw the friend's constricted pupils and her state of
relaxation and normalcy, I felt cravings like I'd never before experienced. I
knew in my heart that a relapse was rapidly approaching so I decided to get
back in MMT before it happened. I have remained on methadone since that time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I was on methadone
and my life was better, but because I was so very much indoctrinated in 12 step
ideology, I still viewed myself as a hopeless addict who couldn't make it
without a replacement drug. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">At this time
I went to a low dose clinic and because my dose was much too low, I began
taking Valium with it in order to enhance its strength. Over time, this grew
into one of the worst periods of my life. Valium led to Xanax, which led to
losing most of what was dear to me. I eventually elevated my dose, but because
of my abuse of methadone and dual addiction to Valium/Xanax, I had no idea
whether or not it was a stable dose for me. Methadone combined with Xanax
became my drug of choice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I lost my
job, marriage, home, car, phone, cable TV and anything resembling a normal
life. I depleted my bank account and ruined my credit. I was spending all my
time with my new boyfriend, who was a methadone abuser. I was getting no
counseling and faking negative urinalyses. I had no positive friends and no
support from anyone but my mother, who was many miles away and not totally
aware of my downward spiral. I was a functioning addict who worked while my
boyfriend, who later became my second husband, stayed home and sold Xanax and
methadone. We were eking our way through life in poverty and misery, high 2/3
of the time and dope sick the other 1/3. I knew I needed to make some drastic
changes but was so down and out that I didn't know where to begin. I also knew
that I could never have a better life if my husband and I stayed together. I
loved him, but it was killing me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Sometimes a
tragedy can lead to redemption. On April 5, 2004, my husband went to sleep and
did not awaken. In the period immediately following his death, I was all alone
and still taking Xanax along with my methadone. For the first time in a long
time, I was afraid. I realized just how vulnerable I was when all alone and
intoxicated. I was scared of what might happen if I had a seizure from Xanax
withdrawal while alone. I had no job, car, phone or family in the area. What
would I do if I ever feared for my life, since I had no phone?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">With the
death of my husband, there were no longer any ties keeping me where I was at. I
packed a few boxes and suitcases, gave away or abandoned the rest of my
belongings and rode a Greyhound bus back home. I was unwilling to cause any
more pain in my elderly Mom's life, so I took my last Xanax on that bus. I was
finally at a point where I really wanted to end all the drama and danger of a
life of poverty and misery that revolved around drug abuse. I wanted stability,
productivity, health, enrichment, and positive relationships with family and
friends. I wanted to prove myself as an honest and trustworthy person. I wanted
redemption and a fresh start. I also knew it was impossible to have these
things while engaging in drug abuse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">At this
point in my life, I still believed the things I was taught by 12 step programs.
I didn't think sobriety was possible while I was still on methadone. However, I
knew a better life was possible if I took my methadone properly and abused no
other drugs. After 23 years of MMT, I felt as if I had "slipped through
the cracks" at the clinic and was a loser because I was still on
methadone. I had much to learn.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I have had a
series of good counselors at my current clinic, but the greatest aid to my
recovery came from membership and participation in Facebook methadone support
groups. In them I found other long term MMT patients, some on methadone even
longer than my 33 years. I met and developed close relationships with many of
the group members. I know I can rely on and give support to all of them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The most
important thing I learned from the groups was that being on methadone does not
disqualify me for sobriety. I simply take it as a maintenance medication in
order to lead a normal life and avoid relapse. I learned to stop using
stigmatizing language such as "clean" or "dirty" to
describe urinalysis results, "addict" instead of person with a
substance use disorder, "detox" instead of taper, and derogatory
terms like "liquid handcuffs" and "junkie." I learned that
abstinence is not possible or even recommended for some people and it is ok for
me to stay on methadone for the rest of my life if I want to do that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I want all people
addicted to opiates and their families to be aware that methadone is a good
option for people who repeatedly fail at abstinence. I want them to know that
MMT can work for anyone who wants to recover and can greatly reduce the harm
involved in the drug abusing lifestyle while they are deciding. I spent many
years in MMT before I chose recovery and now have over ten years of sobriety. I
want parents to stop having to bury their children from overdoses after they
have been released from abstinence based rehabs with low tolerances and
unprepared to deal with life without medication. I want people to stop being
afraid of methadone. I want them to know that the methadone myths are untrue. I
never again want to hear methadone called "meth." This confuses
ignorant people, causing some to think we receive doses of methamphetamine at a
methadone clinic. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I'd love to
see an end to the battle between NA and people on MMT. I want people to know
that there are different ways of treating addiction for different individuals
and sometimes MMT works when NA fails. I want people to accept methadone as a valid
treatment. It reduces the incidence of future crime and allows people to be
better parents. I want people to view methadone in the same way that they view
insulin dependence, dialysis and the taking of hormones, blood pressure,
cholesterol and mental health meds. I never want anyone to not be hired or lose
a job because they are on MMT.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">This sounds
like a tall order, but I believe that most of the things I want are possible if
we continue to advocate and if people who are thriving while in methadone are
willing to "come out of the methadone closet" and stand as examples
of what is possible when a formerly hopeless addict decides to work hard and
achieve sobriety through MMT. I hope that sharing my story will help in some
small way to tear down the stigma by showing what can be accomplished by one
person in recovery on methadone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Expert opinions on Methadone
from a few of the leaders in health:</span></i><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">World
Health Organization: “New WHO guidelines confirm that, even after 40 years,
substitution therapies such as methadone are still the most promising method of
reducing drug dependence.” </span><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/3/08-010308/en/" target="_blank">http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/86/3/08-010308/en/</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health:<b> </b>“Methadone maintenance is a long-term treatment.
Length of treatment varies, from a year or two to 20 years or more. This
prolonged treatment with proper doses of methadone is medically safe and is one
of the most effective treatments currently available for opioid addiction.” <a href="https://www.blogger.com/goog_73137412"> </a></span><span style="background: white; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><a href="http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/methadone/Pages/methadone_dyk.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/health_information/a_z_mental_health_and_addiction_information/methadone/Pages/methadone_dyk.aspx</a></span></span><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Center for Disease
Control: “Methadone maintenance is the most effective treatment for opiate
addiction.”</span><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"> <span style="color: windowtext; mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/idu/facts/MethadoneFin.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.cdc.gov/idu/facts/MethadoneFin.pdf</a></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></span></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-43980629167624438012014-12-24T21:28:00.000-05:002014-12-24T21:28:18.610-05:00Merry Christmas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9nr-rUHrGJsh-LM1VykMY3r1Ekz-OuSSe3rNEbUlXKGPlWUGvJiFjukOwaXmspXBHKhxQDTYuJviKdtP3YnYGI1_ZqCOzl2GwJqwCq7DskoUGyuSCfmi28_4U8zzjojiwXsuJyQrgTFt/s1600/Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis9nr-rUHrGJsh-LM1VykMY3r1Ekz-OuSSe3rNEbUlXKGPlWUGvJiFjukOwaXmspXBHKhxQDTYuJviKdtP3YnYGI1_ZqCOzl2GwJqwCq7DskoUGyuSCfmi28_4U8zzjojiwXsuJyQrgTFt/s1600/Christmas.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">On this Christmas Eve I am
feeling so much joy that it makes me teary-eyed. I am walking around singing
Christmas carols and enjoying the true spirit of the season. My mind is free of
worry and my heart is full of happiness because all three of our kids are
healthy this Christmas. We want for nothing. We have everything. I don’t know
what tomorrow will bring but that’s okay. All I have is right now and we are
feeling blessed today…..very blessed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">If I had some type of magic wand
that I could wave I would give this gift of peace and joy to you as well, but I
don’t. I know that there are so many hurting hearts out there and it weighs
heavily on me. I had one for years and there was no singing of carols or
feelings of joy at Christmas time….there was just existing and trying to make
it through the day with a smile. I understand how you feel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Without that magic wand, all I
can offer you this Christmas is my love and support whether you are the
individual struggling with addiction or the person who loves someone who is. I
can also give you my promise that I will not leave you behind. Like any good
soldier in battle (and this is a battle), I will stay right beside you and
continue to fight for more services, raise awareness, build compassion, and
educate so that every individual and family has an opportunity to get well. I
KNOW that recovery is possible for each and every person. There are no hopeless
cases. Never give up! Keep your hope alive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Merry Christmas to all the
wonderful visitors to this blog, and many warm wishes for a Healthy and Happy
New Year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Rose<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-33855466470551950602014-12-20T07:20:00.000-05:002014-12-20T07:20:28.974-05:00A True Champion: Dr. Leo Killorn<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PPDeM0dKsJ1RW1SrvDZKZITWKyJE9NSqVt7MF7GpDjH-Cc2RUadmMoy6XSI1RXZ05VeO5QO1aS3i2FGdEAr6pwq62SMM3xd-fgWe5WNEOUBkX46m4DynaKm4q04jMVjgGCk5jxCH4uOj/s1600/Dr.+Killorn+image+One+day+you'll%2Bjust%2Bbe%2Ba%2Bmemory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PPDeM0dKsJ1RW1SrvDZKZITWKyJE9NSqVt7MF7GpDjH-Cc2RUadmMoy6XSI1RXZ05VeO5QO1aS3i2FGdEAr6pwq62SMM3xd-fgWe5WNEOUBkX46m4DynaKm4q04jMVjgGCk5jxCH4uOj/s1600/Dr.+Killorn+image+One+day+you'll%2Bjust%2Bbe%2Ba%2Bmemory.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">If you live in PEI and have any
experience with addiction, you most likely recognize the name Dr. Leo Killorn,
which often comes up in conversations around treatment. He ran the Alcohol and Drug Treatment
Institute in Charlottetown. As a medical doctor, also in recovery, he
understood addiction on many levels and had compassion for his patients. This
combination of education, personal experience, and compassion made him very
good at what he did. The fact that people still talk about him, more than
twenty years after his death, shows the impact that he made in the lives of
individuals, families, and the Island community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">As someone who is also
passionate about addiction and its toll on individuals, families and societies,
I regret not meeting Dr. Killorn and hearing his thoughts first-hand. Since he has
been gone for many years now, I would have to settle with second-hand stories…….or
so I thought! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">At an event last spring where I
spoke about addiction, I met Dr. Killorn’s son, Joe. He mentioned to my friend,
Ronnie, and me that he had tapes of his father speaking that we could listen to
if we were interested. I was so surprised, thrilled, and deeply touched. This is truly one of the most touching things
to happen to me on this journey through addiction. I can’t express how much it
meant to me that I was actually going to hear Dr. Killorn speak, something I
never dreamed was possible. Ronnie was grateful, too. She had known Dr. Killorn
and thought the world of him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The first CD I listened to was
of Dr. Killorn’s personal struggle with alcoholism. I was so impressed with the
things that he said. I grabbed a pen and started taking notes. I can’t tell you
how many times I laughed out loud at his stories. He clearly had a great sense
of humour. I am sure that served him well in his career. I thoroughly enjoyed
this talk.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The other tapes included
interviews and talks that he had given. He truly was an incredible man. He was
up to date on all the latest research and findings in the field of addiction.
He travelled across Canada and the USA to investigate what others were doing
and he appeared to read extensively on the topic. When he found something
promising, he implemented it in his treatment centre. I was struck by how advanced
he was in his knowledge and how open he was to trying new things. He was way
ahead of his time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Dr. Killorn spoke about the
disease of addiction like he would any other disease and he tried to educate the
public about it. He was a true champion for the cause and we need more people
like him. A doctor’s voice carries a lot of weight when it comes to educating
and building compassion around the serious disease of addiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I am so thankful that Joe took
the time to introduce himself to me and that he was generous enough to share
something so important to him. Thanks to those tapes, I now have a greater
sense of who Dr. Killorn was as a person and doctor. As I watched and listened
to him speak, I was in awe of him. I also felt a sense of sadness that someone
so wonderful is gone. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I now know why people thought
so highly of him. His patients would never have felt judged. Instead, they
would have felt that Dr. Killorn cared about them and wanted them to succeed.
Ronnie has a wonderful story that proves how much he actually did care and what
lengths he’d go to help someone. When her father was a patient at the Treatment
Institute, he needed to leave during the day for work. Dr. Killorn gave him
permission to do this, but the good doctor would spend most of the day in the parking
lot of the garage where he worked to make sure that her dad didn’t drink. When
he got off work, Dr. Killorn drove him back to the Treatment Institute for the
night. What a wonderful man!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Rose</span>Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-13363292461888882712014-12-07T10:03:00.000-05:002014-12-07T11:24:09.742-05:00Deeper than the hurt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_xHzOUsYDZkDOaW0rqOc8akFXQ8Wh8UmYOxwjVIOkuhgll27PoDHpvwGPtBR1__KYpuWZOUMN6E9GSwSPnVD-VrIuCgL2hNOwr0iG5Qa2H_M27hoLRxSI_7uEh96KlXoOcVreV8Ui_Yn/s1600/deep-love-quotes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9_xHzOUsYDZkDOaW0rqOc8akFXQ8Wh8UmYOxwjVIOkuhgll27PoDHpvwGPtBR1__KYpuWZOUMN6E9GSwSPnVD-VrIuCgL2hNOwr0iG5Qa2H_M27hoLRxSI_7uEh96KlXoOcVreV8Ui_Yn/s1600/deep-love-quotes.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Deeper than the hurt<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">By Rose Barbour</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This
can’t be happening to us<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It
seems so unfair<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">A
home full of love<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">How
did it get in here?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Claimed
by a disease<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Ruthless
and cold<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My
child is in a dark world<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Where
souls are sold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It
is hell on earth<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Watching
my baby slowly die<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">God
please help us<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I
don’t want to say good-bye.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">So
many sleepless nights<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Spent
tossing and turning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I’m
praying for a miracle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">My
stomach keeps churning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">There
are no guarantees<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Some will never get well<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">This
life is hard<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">It
is worse than hell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">But despite the heartache<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And all the work<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">I love my child<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Deeper
than the hurt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2014/12/deeper-than-hurt.html" style="font-family: 'Bell MT', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2014/12/deeper-than-hurt.html</a></div>
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Written with love for every
parent whose child is struggling with addiction. W</span></i><i style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;">e are the ones who have had our
love tested in ways that others could not even imagine, yet it endures through
all the pain. It is unconditional love and it runs deep. Addiction may redefine
how we love but it will never change our level of love. We will always love
deeper than the hurt.</span></i><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></i></div>
<br />Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-16841244539970842122014-11-09T14:57:00.000-05:002014-11-09T15:02:55.475-05:00A Deeper Kind of Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BDgTLLb-YDmI2y-DFHrm9ZRkkZX_cHB93atoL744QSP8hke_azkE_rlO26mva_BeA7INOgsEU2hOCfJLvz05DQbUsR3oLff6YCPAWH9MBWldg0OrkCsx4nCnWLKfFydBVX9kAaqpDI-R/s1600/unconditional-love1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-BDgTLLb-YDmI2y-DFHrm9ZRkkZX_cHB93atoL744QSP8hke_azkE_rlO26mva_BeA7INOgsEU2hOCfJLvz05DQbUsR3oLff6YCPAWH9MBWldg0OrkCsx4nCnWLKfFydBVX9kAaqpDI-R/s1600/unconditional-love1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><b>A
guest post by Geri Barcheski, a loving mom who lost her son to addiction:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I
believe we are sent into each life time to learn and be taught very valuable
lessons. Some we are reluctant to learn and afterwards we have that aha moment. I've learned so very much in this lifetime of
50 years so far.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The
lessons have been hard, very hard, but the ways in which I've been given to
learn them have been the experiences of my life. And what I have learned so far
is this:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">We are
brought here to learn to give love and to take love. We are here to learn about
the value of it and all the many facets of love.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">And it
is not always the easy kind of love like when you fall head-over-heels in love
with someone and you experience a whirlwind of emotions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">And
not just the kind of pure joy and love that you feel when your amazing infant
smiles at you or holds your finger with their little hand for the first time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">But we
are here to learn about a deeper kind of love. Unconditional love. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Sometimes
it comes in the form of a relationship gone wrong with someone that's loved and
hurt you. But sometimes it comes from loving someone so deep that we must love
them deeper than the wounds they created within us. Sometimes this someone is
our parents but mostly I think it's our children often suffering from an
addiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">It
isn't fair, it seems so unjust. Somehow, it seems the world has tilted on us a
little too far over. I felt this way about my mother and father. Though I'd
loved them, I resented the normal family life I never had in the crazy dysfunctional
family I grew up in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">And
yet with my mom, being the second parent to pass and me taking care of her for
a few years, I grew impatient at the end. And in my grief, I realized the
lesson of love I was being taught. It was this: have as few regrets as possible
in loving the ones in our hearts. Give of self even when we feel we are
entitled and have earned the right to be selfish and to put ourselves first, especially
when we feel we have been taken advantage of. These are the times we are being
tested to come to know the many facets of love. Of the pain it takes to love.
And to show our love even if it doesn’t seem to be reciprocated or appreciated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The
same holds true in loving our children in the throes of addiction, which we all
know now is a brain disease.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">If God
himself said to me in the wake of losing my son that He would wipe out the
memory of him so that I would not have to live this pain till my last breath, I
would turn Him down without a second’s hesitation because even through the pain,
the anguish, the heartbreak and the loss, I would not take away one second of
the love he gave to me and brought to my life. I loved him deeper than the
hurt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">And I
wish I had known that everything I worried about like how others would think I
was less of a mother for having an addict for a child was so lame. The fact is
I was more of a mother because I loved beyond all reason - when it was hard.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I wish
I had known how insignificant the material treasures were; the jewelry and
money and other missing things like my crystal figurines and my daughter’s gold
necklace. They mean absolutely nothing in the loss of the child who was the one
who took them. If God said I'll give him back to you and you will have nothing
ever again, I would jump at it without a second’s hesitation.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">But
the lesson doesn't allow for that. I was given a bad hand to play in this life.
Some cards I've played very badly. And those are the regret cards. Some cards I
played from my heart without any logic or sense for doing so. Those are my
saving grace cards, which help me balance the regrets. Yet the regrets are
still there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I wish
I could have known about this multifaceted level of loving before.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I know
this: the night my son passed at a friend’s house was just hours after he stood
in front of me and his little sister as he was going out for the evening. He
kissed us and hugged us both and told us he loved us as he always did, and she
and I said the same to him. I had some inkling that he might have been growing
weak. This was just a few weeks after treatment that was too short of a stay
thanks to insurance. But I know looking back that if it had to be, it was one
card I didn't have to put in the regret pile that cold rainy January morning.</span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2014/11/a-deeper-kind-of-love.html">http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2014/11/a-deeper-kind-of-love.html</a></span><br />
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #141823; font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></div>
Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-624269600311071736.post-68205952717221827052014-11-01T13:20:00.000-04:002014-11-01T13:21:11.637-04:00Why is this acceptable?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PDWrLB1vztFAa3EDAR7eEYRi20n7Mao0RBmevoghSiWAup3XJ-Ic1BZBlfcGsUCDFaHncjZcOj2j9f4U9T3VOVjNgpOrB6sqYdMdNXXIoPnos-jXTaBTacTEAmMiZ-TgIiTWQN-7BpFl/s1600/Now+that+is+shocking+to+go+with+insulin+spoof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2PDWrLB1vztFAa3EDAR7eEYRi20n7Mao0RBmevoghSiWAup3XJ-Ic1BZBlfcGsUCDFaHncjZcOj2j9f4U9T3VOVjNgpOrB6sqYdMdNXXIoPnos-jXTaBTacTEAmMiZ-TgIiTWQN-7BpFl/s1600/Now+that+is+shocking+to+go+with+insulin+spoof.jpg" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-CA</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Both Type-II diabetes and addiction
are diseases that have genetic and lifestyle elements to them, which is why
they are often compared when it comes to treatment. The parody below covers
what it would look like if we treated people with diabetes like we treat people
with addiction. It is a real eye-opener.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span class="normaltext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">The Use of Insulin in</span></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span class="normaltext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">the Treatment of
Diabetes: </span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
<span class="normaltext">An Analogy to </span></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span class="normaltext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Methadone Maintenance </span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></b><span class="normaltext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 150%;"></span></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: center;">
<span class="normaltext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">by J. Thomas Payte, M.D.*</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
</span></b><span class="normaltext"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">A five-year study was conducted on 300
insulin-dependent diabetics. The purpose of the study was to determine if the
use of insulin resulted in any long-term benefit to diabetics. The concept was
based on two widely accepted hypotheses: (1) that a formerly insulin-dependent
diabetic could learn to live a comfortable and responsible life without
insulin, provided that he or she wanted to badly enough; and (2) that the use
of any exogenous substance to replace or simply substitute for a deficient
endogenous substance is conceptually unacceptable to modern scientific thinking
and may be inherently evil. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
<br />
<span class="normaltext">It is obvious that exogenous insulin, being highly
suspect at the outset, should be used in the lowest possible doses and for the
shortest time possible. In this study, treatment with insulin was limited to
two years and the daily dose was limited to a maximum of 40 units. The post-treatment
follow-up period varied from three days to three years, depending on the duration
of survival. During the treatment phase (insulin maintenance), random urine
samples were collected under direct supervision and tested for glucose at least
weekly. A positive urine glucose resulted in a warning to the patient. After
three positive urine tests, the dose of insulin was reduced by five units daily
for each positive urine test. This policy was intended to increase motivation
on the part of the patient to provide urine specimens negative for glucose. If
positives continued, the insulin was eventually discontinued and the patients
were placed in the follow-up group. The authors of the study felt that patients
would have a better chance of re-entry into insulin maintenance at a later date
if (a) the patients survived and (b) patients accepted full responsibility for
their insulin dependence and were willing to go to any lengths to recover. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="normaltext">All patients were required to endure one hour of
individual or group counseling each week, which addressed such subjects as meal
planning, hygiene for the feet, pancreatic imagery, and dietary assertiveness.
Counseling patients fell into one of three categories: those who had no need or
desire for counseling; those who might need counseling but were entirely
unwilling to participate; and those who both wanted and needed extensive
counseling, but the counselors were so busy spending an hour a week with the
others that they were unable to meet the increased demands and needs of this
group. Avoiding this bothersome, time-consuming, and costly process of individualized
treatment also served to reduce the risk of enabling the patients' maladaptive
behaviors by what could seem to be a reward system. The resulting uniformity of
service assured that the needs of no one were met. It was hoped that by making
the treatment unpleasant that motivation for recovery would be enhanced. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="normaltext">Half the participants failed to complete the two-year
treatment with insulin maintenance. Some patients simply dropped out of
treatment, but most were terminated for continued glucose-positive urines. This
was despite repeated warnings and in absolute defiance of the reductions in
insulin dosage with each glucose-positive urine. It was concluded that this
population is poorly motivated, difficult to work with, and is lacking the
resources needed to effect the major life changes required for recovery. Many
of this group died during follow-up. Some survived with amputations, blindness,
neuropathies, and other conditions associated with the unhealthy life-styles of
the diabetic. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="normaltext">The remaining half did manage to complete the two-year
treatment and even appeared to experience relatively good health and seemingly
normal functioning. Of course, this illusion of apparent good health was at the
expense of continuing to maintain the insulin-dependent status with daily
insulin. Some investigators speculated that insulin might be continued over a
longer period of time and at higher doses. This notion was quickly rejected as
being absurd because good health should not be obtained at just any cost. As
the patients approached the two-year period, the insulin doses were tapered
over the final two months. All subjects began having positive urine tests and
again were showing active insulin-dependent diabetes. The obvious conclusion is
that insulin does not help the insulin-dependent diabetic and is not effective
in treatment. The high mortality rate of post-treatment patients suggests that
insulin may have had some delayed, deadly toxic effects. This concept should be
the subject of future research. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="normaltext"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">COMMENT: </b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</b><span class="normaltext"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span class="normaltext"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This "insulin
spoof" was originally written with the idea to share it among friends and
colleagues. Somewhat surprisingly, the spoof was well received by many who
urged that it be shared with a wider audience. Initially, the intention was to
transpose rather typical and illogical clinical thought processes about
methadone maintenance to another more familiar chronic and incurable disease. </span></span><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
<br />
<span class="normaltext">The transposition to a disease that is much more widely
understood made the line of reasoning clearly absurd in the new context. Yet
when this pseudo logic is applied to chronic opioid dependence and methadone
maintenance, few people find anything wrong or out of place. One might conclude
that the vision of some is clouded by the philosophical and ideological
considerations that erect barriers to understanding, accepting, and
implementing this lifesaving treatment modality for those chronic intractable opioid
addicts who need it. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="normaltext">Any humor in this parody is quickly lost when one
estimates the loss of life and other costs associated with untreated opiate
addiction that can be attributed to a persistent shortage of methadone
treatment slots. This shortage is due, in part, to persistent negative
attitudes toward the methadone treatment modality. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="normaltext">*Chairperson, Committee on Methadone Treatment, American
Society of Addiction Medicine; Founder and Medical Director, Drug Dependence
Associates, 3701 West Commerce Street, San Antonio, Texas 78207</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span class="normaltext"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Originally printed in the Journal of
Psychoactive Drugs, Vol. 23(2), Apr-Jun 1991</span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Sincerely,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="font-family: "Bell MT","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Rose</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2014/11/why-is-this-acceptable.html">http://shadowsinpei.blogspot.ca/2014/11/why-is-this-acceptable.html</a><br />
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Rose Barbourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03494703820579288675noreply@blogger.com2