Fall 2011 Newsletter
Transcription
Fall 2011 Newsletter
Employee Spotlight: Bill Woodbury Bill Woodbury, LAADC, has been the Program Director at New Found Life for over six years. He is a valued and loyal employee. Bill's wisdom and knowledge have served to help New Found life grow into the treatment center it is today. His experience in the business and his quiet, capable manner add a wonderful dimension to our staff. His amazing sense of humor has been a blessing when things get too serious. He is a great example of Alcoholics Anonymous and walks the way he talks. He has been an avid supporter of the Family Program here and is one of our best speakers. We are indeed fortunate to have a man with Bill's talents as a member of our amazing team. I came to New Found Life about 15 years ago. I was a full blown freebase addict and alcoholic. I hit my bottom using every cent and losing my job. I was humiliated and degraded. I had to drop out of nursing school, and my mother was caring for my 7 year old son. I was too busy partying and feeling hungover to be a mother. I did anything and everything including selling Staff Updates! We welcome to the NFL team Karen Brockman, Brooke Watkins, Rick Weisz & Erin Wood Zero Tolerance for Untreated Addiction terms. I believe I spent 90 days there and have always been grateful for the opportunity. I met my future husband at an NA dance and most of the women including Mary Ann and Ed went to my wedding! I slipped after 5 years, but picked myself up and got right back in AA. Oh I finished nursing school and beside my RN degree I recently obtained a Masters degree in Health Care. I also live in Hawaii in a dream home in the rainforest. Life is not always perfect, but I take it a day - sometimes a minute at a time. I always think about where I came from. From the streets in the barrio getting beaten up, to how far I have come and truly have no regrets. -Patrice J. A tree planted at Recreation Park in Long Beach to memory of Matt B. who passed away in January of this year Inside this issue: Zero Tolerance John Frederick received his Drug and Alcohol Counseling Certification from Centuar University 1 Greetings from Texas 1 Residential Treatment Services Kelly Konrady is now a CADC II, John Perez is now a CADC II, Tracie Temple is a CADC II and now holds a Master of Arts in Forensic Psychology Continuing Care life! Kristin VT lives in order and on the spiritual path. Thank you very much.!! start on a beautiful Jennifer S. Extended Care you NFL for a solid Theresa C. We both have moved from the Long Beach area but still want to be connected with the organization which was instrumental in getting our comprehensive gender specific programs for men & women psychiatric care individual & group counseling sharp 12-step focus life skills training a growth schedule based on all aspects of recovery education & study groups individual attention family participation July 21st. Thank I’m an alumnus of New Found Life. I am Karl T’s wife and my name is Primary Care I Celebrated 2 September 18, 2011! By the grace of God! I’ll share a story next year – when it’s my birthday month! NFL allowed me to have to sit still, feel, and own my reality … and then worked with me to begin to learn a new way to live my life one day at a time …. It is never too late … as long as one is still breathing … many thanks to NFL … God Bless You All, xoxo custom treatment plans specialty groups including yoga and music therapy Alumni News 2 Alumni Birthdays 2 Wash Your Mouth Out 3 Holiday Party 3 Employee Spotlight 4 Staff Updates 4 NFL Services 4 2211 East Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90803 800-635-9899 newfoundlife.com info@newfoundlife.com 4 Winter 2011 Greetings from Texas! Deborah Jay years of sobriety on I celebrated 7 years of sobriety on Please pray for the families of our friends Alumni Christie L., Cory B. and Joel V. who passed away. Send your alumni news and pictures to alumninews@newfoundlife.com Recovery...It’s a Beautiful Thing! myself for the next hit. I moved into the house on Ocean after spending 30 days in a rehabilitation hospital. I thought the home was beautiful and Ed, Mary Ann and the women that lived there were very supportive. I learned to be disciplined, go to meetings, and most important how to live life on life's Once we decide that untreated addiction is as unacceptable as drunk driving, we will begin addressing addiction differently. Imagine a time when it will be unthinkable not to intervene when someone we love becomes alcoholic or addicted to other drugs. Ignoring a friend or relative’s problem will feel as wrong as handing the car keys to someone who is inebriated. Families will be able to depend upon most everyone to help them, because almost no one will find it tolerable to support ongoing addiction. Those who become addicted will get help years or even decades sooner, and families will escape endless days of anguish and distress. Small children will know they can depend upon non-addicted family members to protect them from the pain of growing up in alcoholic homes. It’s not only the addict who needs help. Addiction changes the family, friends and peers, too. The longer someone is subjected to another person’s alcoholism, the further they diverge from the world of the well‐adjusted. Addiction begins to chip away at their integrity. The people closest to the addict begin behaving in ways counter to their deeply held convictions. They give money to addicts, telling themselves it’s going to the rent when it’s paying for cocaine; they watch as someone gets behind the wheel drunk, but consider it excessive to call the police; they allow children to fend for themselves in alcoholic homes by professing that youngsters don’t notice the problem. They say: I won’t put up with this for another minute. But they do. Addiction creates unmanageability and families respond by trying to bring things back into balance. The trouble is that the disease of addiction always knocks everyone off center again. As a result, two things begin to happen: 1.) Families try harder to create balance, and 2.) Families grow more accustomed to being off balance. Trapped in this alcoholic system, everyone scrambles to find safety. Each calamity is met with a corresponding survival skill. The alcoholic family must twist and bend their behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and spirits in an attempt to compensate for the negative consequences caused by addiction. Over time, family survival skills harden into character defects and spill into every area of life, negatively affecting relationships with others. Without the benefits of family recovery, these defects are commonly passed from generation to generation. Intervention provides a roadmap back to family integrity. It is a return to our deepest commitments and convictions. The intervention process changes family thinking patterns. It moves families and friends toward a sense of purpose, productive behavior, accurate thinking, and clear goals. Intervention is not just for the recovery of addicts; it’s a way of thinking that helps everyone who participates. Intervention puts the entire family back on course. (ZERO, continued on page 3) Hello to all at NFL. Best wishes to both employees and residents from Texas. For those that count days of sobriety, I am about 2,295 days since I left NFL on I believe March 13th, 2005. My life, of course, has greatly improved since my check in, on an early December day in 2004. Now at age 58, I am continually rewarded by the benefits of the education I received while earning that black t-shirt (thanks Kelly). That’s 90 days at NFL - that tradition is unknown by some. Here are some of the actions that have kept me sober all this time: “Stay in AA! Do not lax on this. Think before you speak or act. If possible be a sponsor at all times. Be honest, guilt is deadly.” To the current residents my advice is mostly to have patience. Time can be your best friend. You may not believe that life can ever be good between you, your family, your friends, and your employer. I did not believe, I was dead inside, scared of everything and my future and my past. Again, time was all I needed. My life is way better than good. It is actually great. Please add me to your next alumni birthday bulletin. My sobriety date is December 10, 2004. 2 years ago my mother passed away. I felt, as she did, a great comfort in the fact that I had been sober for years at that point. She loved me and trusted me at the end. Something I would not have had without the guidance and skills of all the hardworking people at NFL. Thanks a million!! My 21 year old son, who said in 2004 that he never wanted to see ne again, he also says he is surprised at his new dad. He too loves and trusts me now. My wife, who left me, justifiably, has asked me to return and live with her now. These are not miracles. These are the results of my decision not to chase them, but to create a new me. Time and sobriety allowed them to watch from a far and see the person they used to love had again become a good man. I am forever grateful to Ed, Jim K, Kelly, Gary, Brooke, Joe, Bill , Tracey, Farmer and all of NFL past present and future! …from Dallas Texas, Danny M. 1 Wash Your Mouth Out Family Weekend’s Equine Therapy by Rev. Leo Booth I've been involved in a conversation at my recovery meetings concerning foul or dirty language; language that, until recently, nobody would use in the presence of their parents or any children. It seems to me that language at meetings is deteriorating, especially the use of the "F"word,"MF"or"SofaB". It has become an equal opportunity practice, many females enthusiastically participating. Jeremy and Lauren’s daughter Grace I hope to graduate in the next couple Music Therapy years but I celebrated 2 years on November, 1st, 2011-god willing. Music Therapy at NFL NFL and AA work!! -Chad B. I love the newsletter and keeping in touch. I lived at NFL from Feb 95-96. I moved back to Connecticut in 1997 and have been sober ever since. I have a Tiffany Y’,s son born July, 2011 huge debt of gratitude to Mary Ann and Ed Spatola and the NFL alumni. In love and service, Dawn J. Congratulations to: Alumni Adam J. whose daughter Sophia Emma was born in July Jeremy and Lauren Frank who welcomed baby Grace in June (congrats to Ed and Mary Ann Spatola too for the birth of their 8th grandchild) Ed & Mary Ann Spatola who are welcoming their 9th grandchild this spring Alumni Steve M. who was married in October! Alumni Merri L. who received her Bachelor of Science in Microbiology Bill Woodbury’s daughter, Rori, who graduated from LBCC in May Alumni, Wha D. who battled and is recovering from cancer!! If your name and sobriety date were not included on this page and should have been, please contact us. We apologize for the error. 2 Chelsea Hiers (NFL employee Brooke’s daughter) Alumni Birthdays! April Jenny R. 4 yrs Bob T. 11 yrs Tracy S. 5 yrs Tiffany Y. 2 yrs Michelle B.1 yr Jeanine S.5 yrs Wendy W. 6 yrs Mike N. 7 yrs Kristen Mc. 13 yrs Joel S. 5 yrs May Renee M. 1 yr Neza C. 10 yrs Andrew R. 5 yrs Robert T. 17 yrs Lindsay S. 8 yrs Heather T. 4 yrs Ken M. 2 yrs Tiffany W. 3 yrs Meghan W. 3 yrs Asia C. 5 yrs Barbara L. 14 yrs Rhonda F. 9 yrs Bruce B. 3 yrs June Daniel U. 6 yrs Jane O. 11 yrs Aaron B. 1 yr Cristin I. 8 yrs Scott R. 5 yrs Leamon S. 14 yrs Michael B. 11 yrs Lucious H. 11 yrs Scott L. 1 yr Bill B. 14 yrs Marilyn C. 1 yr Dominique M. 5 yrs July Kim Z. 4 yrs Brooke W. 1 yr Lisa W. 9 yrs Chad Mc. 10 yrs Darlene Z. 5 yrs Ryan M. 3 yrs Michael F. 15 yrs Ali C. 7 yrs Stephanie D. 8 yrs Hans T. 16 yrs Elle C. 1 yr Karen V. 5 yrs Patrice Q. 4 yrs Kristin V. 2 yrs Jeff L. 10 yrs Tobin W. 2 yrs Rani F. 10 yrs Mia P. 5 yrs Rob E. 7 yrs August Andy L. 7 yrs Tony M. 7 yrs Kalene M. 1 yr Sara S. 4 yrs Paula L. 1 yr Joel L. 11 yrs Bruce P. 6 yrs Eddie D. 14 yrs Sam K. 3 yrs Doug E. 2 yrs September Dianne L.3 yrs Matt L. 6 yrs Tristan T. 5 yrs Scott G. 2 yrs Ed C. 17 yrs Patti S. 1 yr Jenny R. 1 yr Jennifer S. 7 yrs Tom S. 2 yrs Ann M. 5 yrs Ryan S. 7 yrs Travis C. 2 yrs November Amanda R. 2 yrs Warren W. 11 yrs Bernadette P. 7 yrs Some people, at my meetings, say that this is not a serious issue and that people come to meetings for alcohol or substance abuse issues, not issues of swearing. Now anybody who knows me knows I'm not a prude. (If we ever meet get me to tell you the peacock joke). However, surely you would agree that there is swearing and swearing; using the word "bloody" doesn't seem to rank with words like "MF" or "S of a B" . An occasional expletive can be very effective but it is effective because it is occasional. When foul language becomes almost every other word...Houston we have a problem. My mother was very strict concerning swearing; it was not acceptable language. I've heard her say to visitors at our home, go wash out your dirty mouth with soap. Also, we say in Twelve Step that our foundation is spiritual, we are seeking to be better people, more respectful and caring; does such aspirations square with indiscriminate use of expletives? My sense is that many of us laugh or cheer the person on because we are embarrassed. The swearer's utter lack of discretion becomes embarrassing in the extreme; shame is hiding behind merriment! Why do people swear? Well, some say it is because they are not educated. They are unable to speak in sentences. They tumble into profanity. I don't agree. Many of the people who use foul or dirty language at meetings are educated; indeed some are writers or teachers. Of course, some are not educated, but they are surely smart enough to know if the profane language they are using could ever be acceptable to a group that is based around a spiritual awakening. They may not be educated but they are not stupid. Some say people today are not aware that they are swearing. Oh really. I'm not talking about bloody or hell no. Oh no, I'm referring to "M-Fer", "S of a B", "F you" and worse. I know that some people in the meetings have suffered brain damage but I refuse to believe that they don't know what they are sharing. And, yes, some suggest that society is not what it was thirty years ago. And I agree. Again, I need to remind everyone that I am not a prude and I've skated the line often...but rarely have I publicly embraced profanity. And when I did it was always followed by an immediate apology. Today I have a sense of what a spiritual program sounds like. Our society is constantly changing and the use of swear words has definitely escalated in the public arena. But we have not reached the point where profanity, foul language is acceptable in society at large or in recovery meetings. Some protest, but it's a men's stag meeting? Okay it's a stag meeting but using language that a man would never use in the presence of his daughter or grandmother is not a sign of mature masculinity. And although people laugh, is it really funny? Humor in recovery groups needs to be respectful. In my personal recovery I've followed a plan that has worked for many years, I do the opposite of what I did as a drunk. Stealing is replaced by giving; gossip by face-to- face conversations; anger is morphed into gentleness; arrogance becomes kindness... profanity is transformed into respect for people and language. On Saturday, November 26th we celebrated our annual holiday gathering. This year’s event took place at the Westin hotel in downtown Long Beach. Guests were treated to food, Christmas carolers and a visit from Santa! More than 200 alumni, friends and family celebrated the holiday season and sobriety at the party! Many were able to share at the meeting that followed the festivities. (ZERO, continued from page 1) Once an intervention is complete, family and friends benefit from their own recovery program in Al‐Anon. The 12-steps for families helps transform character defects–isolation, fear, perfectionism, anger, resentment, controlling behavior– into positive ways of living with others. After all, it’s the spirit of each member of the family that determines the quality of family life. Going to Al‐Anon is a small step that leads to unexpected and powerful changes. When families say, “We wish he would just stop drinking,” what they are really hoping for is to reclaim a healthy, loving relationship with the alcoholic. However, if abstinence comes without recovery– for both the alcoholic and the family–relationship problems don’t disappear. They frequently get worse. When families understand that Al‐Anon helps them develop interpersonal skills that promote loving, healthy relationships, they find working their own 12-step programs relevant. Family is our springboard into life. If our family life is robust and healthy, we have a head start on the world. But when addiction distorts and twists our households, we are at a disadvantage. We cannot sacrifice the sanctity of our lives to the rapacious nature of addiction. We are given only one life to live, and it is precious. Each of us, including the addicted person, has a responsibility to stop addiction from stealing away with the best of our lives. Debra Jay is co-author of “Love First,” and author of “No More Letting Go: The Spirituality of Taking Action Against Alcoholism and Drug Addiction.” To contact Ms. Jay, go to www.lovefirst.net. We occasionally see a statement in our meetings that reads: Profanity is not a sign of spiritual growth. And I agree. 3