Addiction Recovery/Steven Tyler

Addiction recovery is not like horseshoes or hand grenades.
There’s no “almost”.
You’re either all in or you’re fooling yourself.

The recovery journey is unique to the individual.
Relapse is often part of the odyssey.
The 
challenge, if relapse occurs, is to get up, dust yourself off and begin again.  

Recovery resources come in many forms, including outpatient treatment,
inpatient treatment,  sober living facilities and 12 Step methodology
groups such as AA, NA and Al-Anon.

Hopefully, the one in recovery is hard at work employing a combination
of these resources to achieve their ultimate goal – a lifetime of healing.  

The journey is long and winding and the work doesn’t allow for vacations. 

On the September 10 episode of Dr. Oz, Steven TylerAerosmith’s
frontman was unguarded when talking about his life long struggle with
substance abuse.  He was a seasoned drug addict for many years and
in the process, he lost himself and much more.     

“My sobriety cost me nothing less than everything”, says Tyler.
That’s a lot.

Throughout those years, he was in and out of recovery.

In 2009, Tyler fell off the stage during a tour performance and, subsequently endured multiple surgeries.
He didn’t follow his recovery program and kept tempting painkillers at his bedside.
Tyler talks about “euphoric recall” and how strong the force is.  
“I can’t take anything mood altering, ’cause if I do, I like to ride it”.
Spoken like a true rock star.

He checked in to the Betty Ford Center and found a mentor in Dr. Harry Haroutunian, author of Being Soberwho is also in recovery.  He was promoting Haroutunian’s book on Dr. Oz.

Tyler can’t say that relapse isn’t in his future, but for today, he is on fire
and back to doing what he loves most.

His story is a lesson in resilience.

  

 

The Anonymous People

I watched the trailer for the new documentary, The Anonymous People, and it took my breath away. 

“This is our Black Plague”, says actor Kristen Johnston, speaking to an audience. She’s talking about addiction. 

And this film is a rallying cry for changing public policy on addiction and challenging our private assumptions about the over 23 million people impacted in this country.   A rush of emotion hit me at 1:04 in the clip with the words,“our country is trying to incarcerate our way out of the problem”. 

Leading the charge are legions of recovering people who are finding their voices, no longer willing to live in anonymity.





The JHW Foundation, Inc., in Richmond, VA. is proud to present a screening of The Anonymous People at The Westhampton Theater on Wed., Oct. 23 at 7:30.

Please click on the link below to purchase your ticket.

 

Mary Oliver, “The Journey”

Mary Oliver is considered to be one of the greatest contemporary American poets. She is recognized for powerful renderings of nature through her words. 

This poem is about listening to our conscious and our heart in order to find our own authentic voice.  Through this voice we can arrive at a place of security and peace.  

My friend and writing mentor, Constance, shared this with me and I had to pass it on.

“THE JOURNEY”

 One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice —
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.

“Mend my life!”
each voice cried.

But you didn’t stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do —
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Southwest Trip List

1 week trip to the Southwest
visiting friends and my children = 

2 flights –
   1 at the crack
1 late luggage arrival –
   checked through to Salt Lake,
   went first to Detroit ?
3 nights with friends in Utah
2 back to back stomach bugs
2 hikes –
   carrying tail end of stomach bug
1 touristy chairlift ride
1 rainy outdoor evening concert and picnic –
   Railroad Earth and Bruce Hornsby
1 sushi dinner party
1 uneventful flight to CO
1 fairly flexible husband – to be determined
1 airconditioned rental car
2 luxury hotels
1 unairconditioned daughter’s car
5 edgy restaurants
1 cookout for 20 plus East Coast 20 somethings
1 amazing home cooked Italian dinner with SC friends
1 trendy Farmer’s Market
1 circuitous trip to Red Rocks (without water)
1 Mexican lunch in Morrison, CO.
1 airport hotel
2 uneventful flights –
  1 at the crack
1/4 passengers still in sleepwear
1 husband happily waving goodbye
1 drive back from PA.
1 reunion with Ginny
1 familiar and really comfortable king size bed

There is absolutely no place like home.