Burlington, Vermont – November 3, 2011

Alcoholism is regularly referred to as a family disease, affecting not only the addict but everyone else who lives in the home.

“People see alcoholism with bad attached to it, with judgement attached to it,” said a mother of two who knows the stigma surrounding alcoholism and didn’t want to be identified. She’s been sober eight years, but says alcoholism once held her family hostage. “I would basically put the kids to bed and say, I deserve this — I deserve to drink, and so I drank at home alone. It was a pretty lonely disease,” she said.

The illness not only drags the addict, but also their loved ones through the ups and downs of the disease says Hannah Rose with the Turning Point Center. “Are they going to be under the influence? What is their mood going to be? What’s their stability? There’s the embarrassing things that the person with the disease may do out in public.”

Rose now runs the Burlington-based recovery and support center but she’s also a recovering alcoholic and knows first hand about the love-hate relationships many families share with their addict. “I think the family has the absolutely hardest job because it’s impacting their life too,” she said.

A life alcoholics say can be paved with broken promises, poor parenting and deep regrets. “Once it’s said, you can’t unsay it. you can’t undo it,” said Dick, a recovering alcoholic. “Today I’m working on amends with my children.”

Experts say living with an alcoholic can put tremendous stress on both a marriage and a family. Children tend to internalize their parent’s drinking and often blame themselves for the problem.
“I can’t even have alcohol in my house without my daughter saying no! because my daughter would cry every time I drank,” said Jennifer Ploof, a recovering alcoholic.

Health professionals say children of alcoholics are at a greater risk for birth defects, depression, anxiety, eating disorders and suicide attempts. They’re also three to four times more likely to become addicted to alcohol than other kids. And one in four will become alcoholics themselves.

“I knew I wasn’t giving my kids the utmost attention they should have. I don’t mean I left my kids behind or alone or I beat them, I just mean that I wasn’t mentally there 100-percent of the time,” said the mother of two.

But in many alcoholic homes domestic violence, verbal abuse and neglect is elevated. Keeping the family together, and healthy, during this lifelong disease can be a challenge.
“Often times while the alcoholic doesn’t seek help on their own, the family member is really struggling and doesn’t know where to go or who to turn to,” said Barbara Cimaglio with the Vermont Department of Health.

Al-Anon is one option. It’s a support group for families of alcoholics. Meetings are anonymous and can help families cope with their secret. “Family members that have made it through and stayed with someone to actually reach recovery are some of the most courageous people that I’ve ever met,” Rose said.

“I have had plenty of stuff thrown at me in sobriety,” the mother said. For this mom, a 12 step program, support groups, and exercise help her battle the disease.  A lifelong fight to stay sober. “And that’s what recovery has done for me. It’s made me a part of something again when I was in a very lonely, lonely world,” she said.

Friday, in part three of our series, we’ll tackle treatment — talking to alcoholics about the rough road to recovery and rewards they’ve re-discovered in sobriety.

Alcoholism: A Family Secret – Part 1

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After recently hearing about the death of Pastor Kim Hall, who served at Hunters Glen Baptist Church in Plano for 20 years, Pastor Hess Hester of Southern Hills Baptist Church in Tulsa said he felt led to address the problem some pastors may have in sharing personal issues.

Hall was found dead in a hotel room in the early morning of Oct. 22. Plano police, who discovered the body, said they believe he died of a self-inflicted gunshot, according to news reports.

“Frankly, I’ve been a bit astonished at the lack of any kind of conversation or expressions of sympathy that I’ve seen,” Hester stated in his blog post at Pastors.com. “Surely there are communities of pastoral leadership out there where there have been. I just haven’t seen it.”

“Regardless of whatever the circumstances were which led to Pastor Hall taking his life, a comrade has fallen, a fellow warrior has gone down, and it has been too quiet,” Hester continued. “We should be talking about it. I don’t mean talk of speculation about why he may have pulled the trigger, but why life had to arrive at such a painful place that the desire to end his private pain was greater than his desire to continue living and ministering.”

Hester told The Christian Post that he started Celebrate Pastors in Recovery, a program based on Saddleback Church’s general Celebrate Recovery ministry, six years ago in order for church leaders to feel comfortable sharing just such pain. CR is based on biblical principles combined with a version of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

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“For years and years we continued to ignore the reality of the silent pain that so many pastors go through and it is a silence sometimes of their own choosing. They find it very difficult to find a safe place in which to share whatever their pain may be,” Hester said.

“Six years ago I started Celebrate Pastors in Recovery under the umbrella of Celebrate Recovery. It’s a tool for pastors to find a safe place to share their pain, hang-ups, and habits,” he said. “When something like this happens it’s a very stark, painful reminder of the great need for it.”

Even though he implemented the CR program at his own church nearly 10 years ago, it wasn’t until Hester realized he had his own issues that he launched the program for pastors.

“About four years into the process I entered into what I like to refer to as my own perfect storm, [involving] personal, church staff, and congregational issues,” Hester explained. “I just realized I need this myself to deal with my own hurts, hang-ups, and habits. So I invited local pastors to join with me in doing a 12-step group just for pastors.”

The idea of having recovery groups exclusively for pastors and their wives wasn’t met approvingly by some CR leaders, he said.

“Long-time CR people might ask, ‘Why can’t they be like the rest of us and join a group and just open up?’ And my response is always [to ask] ‘have you ever been a pastor?’”

“The reason pastors need groups is that it is still rare to find a church in which a pastor can feel completely safe in terms of his confidentiality and his struggles and issues that he would want to open up about,” Hester said. “If the church is doing Celebrate Recovery then they are a leg up on the potential for that taking place.”

Hester said he does not know how many CPR programs there are in the United States, but he is continuing to develop the website, cprpastors.com, as a place where pastors can connect and start groups of their own.

“It’s an enormous need and for pastors and spouses of pastors,” he said. “We are slowly seeing groups spring up and we are trying to provide a central place where people can make contact and develop groups in their area or unique nature of what we do.”

Celebrate Recovery was founded in 1991 by Pastor John Baker of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., with the approval of lead pastor Rick Warren. The program has been adopted by churches, prisons and ministries worldwide.

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Consumer advocate website reviews the latest non-traditional treatments for alcoholism, calls an ancient supplement more than just a potent “buzz kill,” but a potential cure for those people interested in stopping drinking.

Houston, TX. (PRWEB) November 03, 2011

Downtoearthvideo.com, a consumer advocate website that reviews the latest non-traditional treatments for alcoholism, calls an ancient supplement more than just a potent “buzz kill,” but a potential cure for those people interested in stopping drinking – or cutting back significantly.

In story published November 2, 2011, in downtoearthvideo.com, Sobrexa – a supplement with origins dating back more than thousand years – is becoming increasingly popular in the treatment of problem drinking, binge drinking, and chronic alcoholism. According to the website, the trademarked supplement is formulated from an ancient herb called kudzu, a fast-growing Asian vine that has long been known for it’s natural soothing effect.

“This herb has been used for a myriad of purposes for hundreds of years,” said senior editor Joe Brown. “However, we’ve know now that Sobrexa also has the surprising ability to literally short-circuit a person’s chemical reaction to alcohol, and by doing so, inhibit the ‘buzz’ sensation from drinking. Obviously, when you throw a roadblock in front of the endorphins stimulated by alcohol – you’re going to pour cold water on any motivation to tip a glass in the first place.”

Brown said that one of the most prominent programs incorporating Sobrexa as a focal part of its alcohol treatment regimen is a multi-prong system called Last Call. “Clearly, this type of at-home stop drinking program isn’t for everybody,” he said. “But for those people who would rather not share their personal problems with others in a biblically-based setting (such as AA), in home programs such as Last Call are rapidly becoming an attractive alternative. However, the bottom line is… will the supplement-based treatment really help people stop drinking?”

Brown says that nobody knows for sure just how this deep-rooted herb works in the brain, “But we now have more than merely antidotal evidence that suggests it does have a rather rapid effect on those people who are motivated to end their addiction and stop drinking.”

According to downtoearthvideo.com, “a study conducted with 1136 individuals were put on the Last Call Program, and were monitored after six months, and again after 12 months. Of the 1136 people who took part in the study, 955 participants reported that the program worked with 100 percent success, ending their cravings and the urges to over drink. We were surprised by such a high success rate – 84 percent – and while more research and data is needed, the system’s future to help the millions of alcoholics seems bright at this point.”

Brown, a former alcoholic himself who beat his addiction through non-traditional programs and supplements, says that far too many people who really want to stop drinking suffer in shame with their problem. “We believe there are cutting-edge, new programs and supplements that can be effective in treating this often-misunderstood disease. Our job is to look beneath the marketing hype of many of these programs for the scientific truth.”

The website points out that the vast majority of people simply won’t, or can’t afford to check themselves into a rehab center, spend tens of thousands, and lose time at work while living in fear that others might find out. “Still others, like myself, are not comfortable sharing our stories in such a very public way. And while AA and other support groups are wonderful for some people, for other alcoholics… it’s a nightmare, and they’ll never even give it a try.”

According to downtoearthvideo.com, research shows there are two categories of drinkers. “One group has absolutely no issues drinking socially, while the other group seems to experience a gradual chemical shift in their bodies and minds… turning the controlled social drinker into an alcoholic,” Brown said. “We believe it’s possible for alcoholics to regain control, and even enjoy an occasional drink socially if they wish. And that’s what our website is all about – reviewing the latest programs, techniques and products that could positively impact the lives of alcoholics and their families.

The website noted that most striking differences between Last Call and other programs is the fact that people are still allowed to drink socially after completing the system. “We talked to one graduate of the program who didn’t want her named used on our website, and she said, ‘I knew I was heading for trouble when I started choosing restaurants by the wine list. The program worked for me, and I still enjoy an occasional glass of wine, but I’m no longer obsessed with drinking.’”

For those interested in learning more about Sobrexa, and how it can help people stop drinking, information and the latest scientific review materials can be downloaded for free at http://downtoearthvideo.com/416/alcoholism-2.html.

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Keith Baxter
Alcoholism
888-901-9874
Email Information

Suncoast Rehab Center recovers a mother from alcohol addiction and returns her to her son.

Spring Hill, FL (PRWEB) November 03, 2011

Suncoast Rehab Center addresses a mother’s alcohol addiction and saves her from a life of uncontrollable drinking and possible early death due to alcohol related causes such as an accident, alcohol poisoning or another seizure. Upon completing the Narconon long term residential program delivered at Suncoast Rehab, Julie M. returned home to her son who now has restored his faith in her.

Julie tells her story, “I really wanted to quit drinking, and had made many sincere attempts to do so, but sooner or later I would drink again…my history includes several detoxes and stays in rehabs, therapy, participation in AA, all done with the hope of getting and  remaining sober.”

“By the time I got to SRC I was already thinking insanely. I would often think “if only I could sober up, and get the house fully cleaned, then I can die.”  My concern was that after I died my mother-in-law would come to clean out the house I live in with my son and husband, of all my belongings and then would discover my secret, that my bedroom was a huge mess.   Sounds crazy right!  I sure was.”

“Today, thankfully to the excellent staff and the program of study that is taught at Suncoast Rehab Center, I think with much better reasoning skills,” says Julie.

“While at Suncoast Rehab Center, I was given the necessary help and guidance to start repairing the two most important relationships in my life: my relationship with my son, and my relationship with myself.  Due to my horrible behavior while drunk, I was ruining my relationship with my son.  He was losing any faith he had left in me, with each relapse;”  says Julie.

As Julie continued her sobriety her son regained his faith in her and he sent her a birthday card in June with these words, “Dear Mom, I am so proud of how far you have come over the last year, not just in terms of your sobriety, but as a person too.  And I am so happy to have you back.  Love, Bobby”

Then, back in August, Julie’s husband set up a scenario, trying his best to get her to drink.  He started a vicious argument, full of threats, and then came home from an overnight trip with a cooler of vodka and beer, and continued to yell at her.  “Had I not learned what information is contained in Book 5 (Narconon Ups & Downs of Life Course) I believe I definitely would have gotten drunk.” Julie did not start drinking and is still sober.

“These days I like myself more. I’m thinking clearer. I have hope again for my future! Now I am happy. I want to thank you and everyone else at Suncoast Rehab Center for teaching me all that you did, you truly have saved my life,” concludes Julie.

Julie could have lost her son forever and ended up alone or in an early grave. Instead, today she is living a productive, sober life free of alcohol.

Suncoast Rehab Center has an outstanding success rate of 76% of graduates achieving recovery from addiction. Suncoast graduates are followed up with 2 years of after treatment and are still drug-free. The answer to this high rate of success lies with their experienced staff and use of the Narconon program. The Narconon program not only detoxifies the addict’s body from drug and alcohol toxins and thereby eliminates cravings, they also train their students on specific life skills courses that address the reasons they sought out drugs or alcohol to begin with. The student leaves Suncoast alcohol or drug-free and with new life skills and knowledge with which to handle life’s problems.

Suncoast Rehab Center, located in Spring Hill, Florida, is a private non-profit agency that is licensed by the State of Florida. The Rehab is dedicated to expanding their drug education and prevention efforts so new addicts are not made while daily assisting those in their alcohol drug rehab program to overcome the agony caused by substance abuse so they can again live happy and productive lives without drugs. If you or someone you know needs help with an alcohol or drug abuse problem, call a certified counselor day or night for real help NOW 1-800-511-9403.

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Eric Mitchell
Suncoast Rehab Center
800-511-9403
Email Information

When Zach Myers set out to become an Eagle Scout, at age 14, he did not plan to become a local celebrity. He did not plan to place a huge replica Civil War cannon on the Blackburn Park bluff standing in its own brick and stone enclosure. He did not plan to become a keynote speaker for local civic groups.

By the time of the Eagle Scout Court of Honor, which was held Oct. 21 at the Holiday Inn, Six Flags, he was a different person from the shy boy who didn’t know how to make a speech 18 months earlier.

“I’ve learned so much in my Eagle Scout project,” Zach said. “I went from a person who was afraid to talk in a crowd to making speeches almost everywhere and learning how to explain my project.”

In his work to place a Civil War cannon in Blackburn Park, Zach gained a place in local history, gaining celebrity status that many adults only dream of.

“The whole thing got bigger and bigger,” he said. “I just wanted to put a little cannon up there, but so many people wanted to help and they had their own ideas.”

Zach knew that being an Eagle Scout means you have demonstrated the ability to stick with a program to the end and he quickly agreed to incorporate the ideas of others in his project even though each additional step meant raising more funds and making more speeches.

Zach comes from a line of Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts. His Great-Grandfather Charles Henry Close Jr. achieved the rank of Eagle Scout March 25, 1925, one of the first Eagle Scouts in the St. Louis region.

His Uncle Greg Myers, father Steve Myers and cousin Eric, Greg’s oldest son, are all Eagle Scouts.

Eric Myers served as master of ceremonies for his cousin’s Court of Honor. Ken Etter and Dave Patton led the candle lighting ceremony that signified the 12 steps of Scouting.

Bob Myers, Greg and Steve’s father, was a Boy Scout who did not became an Eagle Scout, but without his leadership the two brothers may not have reached the rank.

Originally, it was their mother, Edna Close Myers, daughter of Charles Henry Close Jr., who kept the family enjoyment of Scouting alive.

“She was our Webelos leader,” Steve Myers said. “My dad was her assistant.”

When the brothers crossed over to Boy Scouts, Bob Myers became the assistant scoutmaster and encouraged his sons to earn one badge after another and finally attain the rank of Eagle Scout.

“He not only moved us through the badges,” Steve Myers said. “He brought other boys in our troop along. One boy in particular, who did not have a father, received special attention from the assistant scoutmaster.”

When the former Scouts returned from California for a high school reunion he ran into Steve.

“You may not remember me,” Steve said.

“I do,” the visitor said. “And I remember your dad. He was exactly the kind of man that I thought a man should be and that is what I modeled my life with my sons.”

His son, the former Boy Scout said, had recently achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.

“It can get in your blood,” Steve Myers said. “My dad helped Greg and me through all the ranks and we helped our sons through the ranks. It was what I wanted to do, to help Zach become an Eagle Scout.”

State Sen. Brian Nieves delivered a proclamation from the state Senate to the new Eagle Scout, which he read as part of the celebration.

“Being an Eagle Scout is a mark of leadership that will stay with you for the rest of your life,” Nieves said. “You will always remember that you achieved a rank that few people achieve.”

For most, squeezing a lifetime down to 150 words would be difficult.

But for Caledonia’s Claudia Shipley, it was simple. She just started with the bad stuff.

“It’s all that I went through to get to this point in my life,” she said. “So it gets better.”

It began a few weeks ago on Facebook. Shipley is pretty new to the social networking site – just 14 friends. But after a laidback day of patrolling her page, a banner advertisement caught her eye.

It asked for her life story in 150 words.

“I can do that,” she said to herself.

The contest was held by Reader’s Digest as an outlet for people to share their personal stories with a wide audience the publication’s 30 million readers. The winners will be selected Dec. 31, and then the grand prize winner’s story will appear in the magazine early next year. The grand prize winner and runners up will be selected from the top 100 stories that receive the most votes from the public. Several thousand stories are in the running.

Shipley isn’t much of one for attention. But she was “in a mood” the day she submitted her story.

“I just needed to vent,” she said. “I didn’t need to stop and think. I just typed.”

Shipley was nearing the end of the divorce from her husband of 29 years. She had been through a mid-life career change and the stillbirth of her last child. On top of that, there was the Thyroid cancer.

Her divorce dragged out two years. It was within the last few days that the divorce was finalized. But it was worth it – she needed it to start living for herself again.

“He defined my life for so long,” she said. “I needed to redefine me.”

It was 13 years ago that Shipley lost her third child when he was stillborn. His name was Asa. It would have been her second son.

She was told by a family member that God had a plan and her son was in a better place. Shipley didn’t agree.

“The best place for a son is with his mom,” she said.

It triggered a faith change from Catholic to a religion Shipley won’t put a name to. One belief, for sure, is that she will see her son again.

Next: a career change at 38 years old. It came after buying a horse with bad feet but not being able to find anyone to take care of it.

For years, she had been an office manager. That was set aside when Shipley went to horse shoeing school. It was 12 weeks long and taught by an instructor who didn’t think women should be in the profession, Shipley said. One of three women in the 14-person class, Shipley passed.

At 42 years old and the high point of her new career, Shipley was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and Grave’s disease.

A fist-sized goiter was thought to be just a malfunctioning thyroid, Shipley said. When it started affecting her breathing, she demanded something be done. After surgery, Shipley found out the mass was cancerous.

“The doctor said I was lucky to be here,” she said. “If we waited any longer, it would have spread and I would’ve died.”

Shipley compares herself to a dandelion.

“Cancer couldn’t kill me and you can’t kill a dandelion,” she said.

She takes time everyday to admire the dandelions in her yard.

To vote for her story, go to www.rd.com through Nov. 15.

City plans to fix roof, construct DCI building, fire lobbyist – to listen to the broadcast — CLICK HERE

By KVOW/KTAK News Director Leslie Stratmoen

RIVERTON, Wyo. — Riverton city officials have decided to pay for roof repair at the county’s only alcohol recovery transition home located in Riverton. During its meeting last night, the Riverton City Council voted to give $3,000 to the Fremont County Alcohol Crisis Center to help pay for the roof at the center’s Mountain View Transitions on Main Street.

Riverton’s City Administrator Steven Weaver said the CEO of the Wind River Casino in Riverton has stepped up to pay the remaining $2,900 to cover the repair. Administrator comments

The city administrator said the city will pay for the roof by using money from its contingency account. He described that a fund as about $12-15,000 set aside for incidental expenses.

Mayor Ron Warpness

Riverton Mayor Ron Warpness supported the payout. Mayor comments.

Riverton city officials also decided to move forward on building a new facility for the local branch of the Division of Criminal Investigation on the Municipal Airport grounds. Right now, the DCI pays $12,000 a year to rent an office at City Hall. In the new building that yearly rent would go up to $32,000.

City Administrator Weaver said it was the city’s airport manager Bill Urbigkit who brought the idea to the council. Administrator comments.

The cost to put up the building is estimated at $375,000, and would be built through a loan from the Federal Aviation Association that helps develop lands surrounding airports.

In other matters, the city council decided to terminate its relationship with LRG Lobbying Services for representation in Washington, D.C.  Riverton City Councilwoman Mary Ellen Christensen was the only one voting to keep lobbyist LaVera Leonard on to lobby for the Job Corps Center. Councilwoman comments.

The city councilwoman wanted the city to keep paying the lobbyist’s fee of $4,000 a month as security that the feds do indeed award money to Riverton to build the only Job Corps facility in the state. The funds have been promised, building designed and curriculum developed, but the money’s not yet in hand. The lobbying contract ends in January which means a yearly savings to the city of $48,000.

The discussion aired on the Chit Chat show, Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2011. To listen to the interview with News Director Leslie Stratmoen — CLICK HERE

Cru, a Christian student organization at the University, hosted a movie screening of “Beware of Christians” Tuesday in the Student Union Theater.

The film tells the story of four young men: Alex Carroll, Matt Owen, Michael Allen and Will Bakke, four recent college graduates who went on a quest to find the true meaning of their beliefs. After being raised in the Christian faith, they realized the biases they learned in our American society shaped their idea of Jesus.

Bakke said the group felt disconnected spiritually and didn’t understand why they were following Jesus.

That’s when the group decided to leave America for a tour around the world. The quartet ventured all over, from London to Budapest, and from Barcelona to Munich, in order to reexamine certain issues they were facing in their faith.

Allen said the experience was different from anything he had ever experienced. He said the trip allowed all of them to be out of their comfort zone and vulnerable to letting God in.

After visiting 10 European countries, the group grew to understand their beliefs and found redemption in living a godly life. They joyfully gave up themselves to the word.

The inspiration behind the film came from the group’s first movie, One Nation Under God. When traveling across the United States seeking to find other perspectives about beliefs, they realized how much uncertainty plagued most people when it came to what they believe in.

Once they realized there was a need to answer their questions, Allen said the group realized their mission. He said they knew they weren’t the only ones dealing with these uncertainties.

The idea for the film was formed, focusing on specific issues such as materialism, sexuality, alcoholism and entertainment, he said. It also touched on the youth population’s faith, or lack thereof.

“Culture makes it hard to be involved with a church or faith,” Allen said. “When you see others asking the similar questions you may have, it makes it easier to understand.”

Bakke said it’s easy for students to justify living a college lifestyle when all of their friends are doing it but young people have to live for God, not just themselves.

Now, the group tours the country, bringing their film to universities in hopes of inspiring college students. The cast members of the film were present at the screening to discuss the message of the film and their story.

Taylor Carver, Cru member and agricultural business senior, said the issues the film presents are important to the student body, because of their relevance. These issues, which college students face on a daily basis, were key in Cru’s decision in hosting the movie screening.

“The movie allows us to look at the issues from a Christian stand point,” Carver said. “It exposes a godly perspective for a college lifestyle.”

Carver said he encourages students to get involved with their faith and beliefs.

Students who attended the event said they felt the issues were important to them as well.

Microbiology sophomore Katherine Timm said religion should be important and she decided to attend the screening because she liked the message behind the film.

“I like the focus of ‘Why we believe’ when it comes to Christianity,” Timm said.

English sophomore Kellie Albrecht said she believes it is encouraging to see people live out their faith.

“I wanted to be as equally encouraged to live a life for Jesus,” Albrecht said.

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Contact Lauren Duhon at lduhon@lsureveille.com