OLEAN — Robert Lindsey remembers the call from his uncle who was desperate for someone to help his son who, in an alcoholic rage, had destroyed furniture in his home and had threatened his wife and children.

Mr. Lindsey visited his cousin in jail the next day and eventually his cousin sought treatment that would lead to his recovery and turn his life around.

Mr. Lindsey, who is the president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc., was the guest speaker Thursday during the annual dinner for the Council on Addiction Recovery Services Inc. (CAReS) at the Pulaski Club of Olean.

Prior to the meeting, Mr. Lindsey spoke with the Times Herald about his agency and affiliates such as CAReS in providing prevention, intervention, treatment and recovery support to individuals with alcoholism and drug dependency.

* For complete stories, subscribe to the Olean Times Herald E-Edition. Please note that the e-Edition is separate from this partial listing. You have to log in under HOME and E-EDITION at the top of the web page. The e-Edition is in a PDF format. *

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA), 16 million people in the U.S. are dependent on, or abuse alcohol, while only one million seek help of any kind.

Houston, TX. (PRWEB) October 21, 2011

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAA), 16 million people in the U.S. are dependent on, or abuse alcohol, while only one million seek help of any kind. For Dr. Frank Gibson, founder of Access Health Partners and developer of an innovative, in-home system called the Last Call Program, that’s a glaring problem.

“Sadly, numbers don’t lie, and those statistics meant that fully 15 million people were struggling with drinking issues all on their own with precious few options,” said Dr. Gibson, who also founded the largest integrative medical clinic of its kind called Tortoise Clinic in 1991. “They can either check themselves into a rehab center, spend tens of thousands and lose time at work, and live in fear that others might find out… or join a very public organization where their issues would be publicly aired in front of a group – not a viable option for many people.”

Dr. Gibson says the Last Call Program is an eight-week system that tackles both the educational, and more importantly, the chemical root cause of alcohol abuse in the body and brain – all from the comfort of home.

“We believe there are two categories of drinkers,” he said. “One group has absolutely no issues drinking socially, and controlling their consumption. Unfortunately, for the other group, a gradual chemical shift begins to take place in their bodies and minds… turning a controlled social drinker into the problem drinker.”

Dr. Gibson stresses that the Last Call Program, which can be reviewed in detail at http://downtoearthvideo.com/, was not created to compete with other programs or church groups. “On the contrary, if somebody is part of church group or other type of program, we totally encourage and applaud their participation. Our goal is to focus on the hardcore chemical side of addiction.”

He says that two all-natural supplements – Sobrexa and Kalmaro – are used in the Last Call Program to tackle the chemical side of an individual’s alcohol cravings and potential withdrawal symptoms. Sobrexa, he said, was formulated to reduce excessive cravings of alcohol.

“Clients receive nine bottles of Sobrexa in liquid dropper form, and consume the entire contents over the eight-week program,” he said. “By the way, it does not make alcohol taste bad, and there have been no known side effects in over a decade of use.” He added that Kalmaro, the second supplement used in the program, was also designed to lesson withdraw symptoms.

In one study, 1136 individuals were put on the Last Call Program, and were monitored after six months, and again after 12 months. Of the 1136 study patients, 955 participants reported that the program worked with 100 percent success, ending the cravings and the urges to over drink, which translated to an 84 percent success rate.

“Look, there’s probably nothing more destructive in this country that what’s happening with alcohol, “said Dr. Gibson. “You just can’t imagine how gratifying it is to be involved with a family torn apart by alcohol abuse, and see it restored. Our goal is to attack the problem at the source, where the chemical imbalance occurs in the body. And with an 84 percent success rate, our work has been more than just promising… I believe it offers hope to millions.”

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Keith Baxter
downtoearthvideo.com
888-901-9874
Email Information

Transforming health promotion, prevention, treatment and recovery

Press Release Source: Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse On Friday October 21, 2011, 8:30 am EDT

OTTAWA, ONTARIO–(Marketwire -10/21/11)- The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) will host its biennial Issues of Substance (IOS) conference in Vancouver, British Columbia from November 6-9, 2011.

The harmful use of alcohol and other drugs and substances costs $40 billion per year. In efforts to invest funding effectively and maximize results for all Canadians, IOS 2001 will, among other things, focus on achieving efficiencies over the entire continuum of care-from research and prevention work to the delivery of treatment and recovery services.

IOS is Canada’s premier national conference on alcohol, drugs and other substances. The theme of IOS 2011 is Transforming health promotion, prevention, treatment and recovery.

Keynote speakers include Hugh Evans, co-founder and CEO of the Global Poverty Project; Dr. Patricia Conrod, developer of the most successful drug and alcohol prevention program for young people in the UK; and Joe Roberts, Skid Row CEO. Sessions and workshops will include subjects that focus on mental health and addictions, the challenges of concurrent disorders, and best and emerging practices. Other sessions will address the unique challenges of Aboriginal, First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples in Canada.

Conference information

 Dates:     Sunday, November 6 to Wednesday, November 9, 2011Location:  Hyatt Regency Vancouver
           655 Burrard Street
           Vancouver, British Columbia

Media attendance:

Media are invited to attend the conference. If you are interested in attending all or part of the conference, please notify the CSSA.

Key speakers/events:

Visit the Keynotes and Entertainment page on the IOS 2011 Web site.

Visit the program page for more information about plenary sessions and workshops.

Media services:

 --  On-site media room with Internet access
--  Access to keynote speaking events, plenary sessions and workshops
--  Spokespersons available on-site or by telephone

About CCSA:

With a legislated mandate to reduce alcohol- and other drug-related harms, the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) provides leadership on national priorities, fosters knowledge translation within the field and creates sustainable partnerships that maximize collective efforts. CCSA receives funding support from Health Canada.

This year, my 10-year-old son has begged to be allowed out on his own with a gang of friends for Halloween. No adult tagging along, not even a discreet 12 steps behind. My husband was willing, in exchange for a share of the loot. I hesitated: He often walks home from school, but never after dark on a candy rush. And as any media-saturated parent knows, the real spooks on Halloween night are deviant strangers lurking in the shadows (or hiding behind some unknown neighbour’s front door), poisoned Tootsie Rolls and distracted drivers. Who says the night of trick or treating is all about scaring the kids?

More related to this story But maybe parents like me are scaring ourselves silly. Lenore Skenazy, the controversial author of Free-Range Kids, who famously earned applause and scorn for allowing her nine-year-old to ride the subway alone in New York, says the idea that a parent wouldn’t happily set their child free to haunt the streets on Halloween is just one more sign of how overprotective we’ve become about our kids’ safety. The rise of indoor Halloween parties in lieu of trick or treating especially irritates her. After all, what’s the take home? That one night a year, the neighbours really do turn into psychotic child killers?“When you say, it’s all too dangerous because your children don’t know how to cross the street, and all your neighbors are awful and they might want to kill your child, then you are giving up on your neighborhood and your child.” You are also accepting, points out Ms. Skenazy, that your parenting is so lousy you haven’t taught your daughter well enough to use her own wits, and refuse a stranger’s request to come inside their home.Still, the right age for an unsupervised Halloween is the subject of debate. Last year, parenting experts on the Today Show agreed on 13 years old – even though some U.S towns have tried to cut off trick or treating at age 12. (So you can’t go out alone until you’re old enough not to want to go out at all?) Kirsten Gane of Safe Kids Canada holds firm on 9, the age when research shows most children are mature enough to act safely, even in the excitement of the evening. Ms. Skenazy sets an individual benchmark: “If your parent let you go out at a certain age – and your child is at least as intelligent and competent as you (which most parents like to think that their kids are), why wouldn’t you give them the same opportunity, considering the dangers are exaggerated and the joy is not?”Haylie Langwald, an Edmonton mom, says there’s no way her seven-year-old daughter will be heading out alone. At 10, however, she’d consider it – with a responsible group of friends and a time limit. “I have a few worries,” she wrote in an e-mail, “from strangers wandering around, to neighbours inviting my child inside (and because they live close by they go in willingly), to my own children acting like brats getting caught up in the excitement of Halloween.”Gillian Irving, a Toronto mom, has been allowing her 11-year-old son Aiden to trick or treat with his friends since he was 9. But she’s also one of the few moms she knows who lets her children (Aiden and his younger sister) walk the five blocks home from school. On Halloween night, her neighbourhood is teeming with families. She knows every third kid who arrives at her door. “Of course, I want them to be safe, but I spend a lot of time training them and then I kind of let them go,” she says. “In order to acquire a skill you actually have to do it.” Paying attention while crossing the street is her chief worry; she thinks the stranger-danger is exaggerated.

Australian Defence Force (ADF) members have a lower rate of alcohol dependence than the general community, but think about committing suicide more often, a new study shows.

The detailed survey of mental health issues among ADF members also found a rate of mental disorder similar to the broader community, with 22 per cent experiencing it in the previous 12 months.

Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon will officially release key findings of this study at the Australian Military Medicine Association Conference in Melbourne on Friday.

Mr Snowdon said the 2010 ADF Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study was the first comprehensive investigation of the mental health of a full-time, serving defence force population.

He said the study confirmed that mental disorder was as common in the ADF as in the wider Australian community, with about half of ADF members experiencing a mental disorder at some point in their lifetime.

“Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders and of these disorders, post-traumatic stress is higher than the Australian community,” he said.

“What makes ADF people different is their exposure to high-risk situations and as a result there is a higher occurrence of PTSD than in the Australian community, making this an area where we are concentrating our efforts.”

The study found that:

• Alcohol disorder was significantly lower in the ADF, with most of the disorder in males in the 18-27 age group. ADF females aged 18-27 have much lower rates of alcohol disorder than their community counterparts.

• ADF personnel reported thinking of committing suicide and making a suicide plan at a higher rate than the Australian community. The number of suicide attempts was not significantly greater than in the general community and actual reported deaths by suicide were lower than the general community.

Defence Force chief General David Hurley said there was still reluctance among ADF personnel to seek help for mental illness, stemming from a fear that having a mental disorder may affect their career.

“The ADF is working hard to change that perception, providing a range of support to people who are experiencing mental health disorders,” he said in a statement.

“Importantly, we have changed our policies and procedures to give us more flexibility with managing recovery times, with discharge from the Defence Force being an option of last resort.”

• Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, or MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78

Australian Defence Force (ADF) members have a lower rate of alcohol dependence than the general community, but think about committing suicide more often, a new study shows.

The detailed survey of mental health issues among ADF members also found a rate of mental disorder similar to the broader community, with 22 per cent experiencing it in the previous 12 months.

Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon will officially release key findings of this study at the Australian Military Medicine Association Conference in Melbourne on Friday.

Mr Snowdon said the 2010 ADF Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study was the first comprehensive investigation of the mental health of a full-time, serving defence force population.

He said the study confirmed that mental disorder was as common in the ADF as in the wider Australian community, with about half of ADF members experiencing a mental disorder at some point in their lifetime.

“Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders and of these disorders, post-traumatic stress is higher than the Australian community,” he said.

“What makes ADF people different is their exposure to high-risk situations and as a result there is a higher occurrence of PTSD than in the Australian community, making this an area where we are concentrating our efforts.”

The study found that:

• Alcohol disorder was significantly lower in the ADF, with most of the disorder in males in the 18-27 age group. ADF females aged 18-27 have much lower rates of alcohol disorder than their community counterparts.

• ADF personnel reported thinking of committing suicide and making a suicide plan at a higher rate than the Australian community. The number of suicide attempts was not significantly greater than in the general community and actual reported deaths by suicide were lower than the general community.

Defence Force chief General David Hurley said there was still reluctance among ADF personnel to seek help for mental illness, stemming from a fear that having a mental disorder may affect their career.

“The ADF is working hard to change that perception, providing a range of support to people who are experiencing mental health disorders,” he said in a statement.

“Importantly, we have changed our policies and procedures to give us more flexibility with managing recovery times, with discharge from the Defence Force being an option of last resort.”

• Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, or MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78

Burning Tree, a long term drug abuse program in Texas announces its discovery to an approach for relapse prevention that continues to achieve sustainable results for drug addicts.

Dallas, Texas (PRWEB) October 20, 2011

A drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility in the second largest state in the U.S. announces how it is getting results in a key area of treatment. Clients at Burning Tree in Texas are discovering an approach to relapse prevention that is significantly reducing the risk of returning to a lifestyle of substance abuse. Relapse prevention is part of the design of programs at Burning Tree customized for each person in treatment and recovering.

One factor in Burning Tree’s success rate with relapse prevention is creating a Relapse Prevention Plan that takes into account each factor that contributes to an individual’s risk of using alcohol or drugs again. These measures consider high risk situations that may differ from person to person. Part of the Relapse Prevention Plan involves knowing these situations still exist and preparing for how to react should one encounter them.

The Relapse Prevention Plan for each person at Burning Tree is also influenced by core personality and lifestyle challenges. Without addressing these underlying issues, the likelihood of long-term recovery is sharply reduced. A core personality issue could be an avoidance of genuine pain and opting for pleasure associated with drug use instead. A related core lifestyle issue could be associating with others who also avoid authentic emotions in favor of chemically-enhanced ones.

Responding to a relapse while still in treatment is another valuable aspect of the Relapse Prevention approach at Burning Tree. The long-term residential aspect of the program allows addiction specialists to track the progress made by those in treatment as well as the challenges they face in real time. A relapse during treatment provides insight to both the staff and the individual who is learning to follow the prevention plan.

The threat of relapse increases once the initial treatment period is over as full recovery on one’s own presents a set of daily challenges to avoid high risk situations and old habits. To address these ongoing risks, another element of the Relapse Prevention approach at Burning Tree includes the coordination of specific types of resources to work together to continuously assist in the recovery efforts. This list may include 12 Step programs, group therapy, sponsors, and family support. It also entails, in many cases, plans to change jobs, homes and one’s social circle, if necessary.

The Relapse Prevention approach by Burning Tree has allowed those in treatment to begin recovery with the tools to effectively respond to the people and places that present the risk of relapse. By becoming understanding their own limits and becoming better equipped to handle them, these clients have successfully transitioned to healthy, productive lives. They also serve as a testament to the benefits of treatment in a long term rehabilitation facility that caters to the unique needs and conditions of each individual.

Burning Tree operates two long term drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities in Texas, one outside of Dallas and one outside of Austin. Contact admissions representatives at 866-287-2877 with inquiries about services and referrals. A comprehensive look at the services provided and views of the facility are available online at http://www.burningtree.com.

###

Michael Smith
Burning Tree
866.287.2877
Email Information

The detailed survey of mental health issues among ADF members also found a rate of mental disorder similar to the broader community, with 22 per cent experiencing it in the previous 12 months.

Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon will officially release key findings of this study at the Australian Military Medicine Association Conference in Melbourne today.

Mr Snowdon said the 2010 ADF Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study was the first comprehensive investigation of the mental health of a fulltime, serving defence force population.

He said the study confirmed that mental disorder was as common in the ADF as in the wider Australian community, with about half of ADF members experiencing a mental disorder at some point in their lifetime.

“Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorders and of these disorders, post-traumatic stress is higher than the Australian community,” he said.

“What makes ADF people different is their exposure to high risk situations and as a result there is a higher occurrence of PTSD than in the Australian community, making this an area where we are concentrating our efforts.”

The study found that:
* Alcohol disorder was significantly lower in the ADF, with most of the disorder in males in the 18-27 age group. ADF females aged 18–27 have much lower rates of alcohol disorder than their community counterparts.

* ADF personnel reported thinking of committing suicide and making a suicide plan at a higher rate than the Australian community. The number of suicide attempts was not significantly greater than in the general community and actual reported deaths by suicide were lower than the general community.

Defence Force chief General David Hurley said there was still reluctance among ADF personnel to seek help for mental illness, stemming from a fear that having a mental disorder may affect their career.

“The ADF is working hard to change that perception, providing a range of support to people who are experiencing mental health disorders,” he said.

“Importantly, we have changed our policies and procedures to give us more flexibility with managing recovery times, with discharge from the Defence Force being an option of last resort.”

If you need support or information about suicide prevention contact Lifeline 13 11 14, Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467, or MensLine Australia 1300 78 99 78.

The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana hosted its Annual Dinner and Meeting on Oct. 11 at the Hunter Building of First United Methodist Church.

A crowd of approximately 250 guests saw the election of new board members and officers, presentation of the Wayne Drewry and Jack Elbert Awards, and closing anecdotes from featured guest speaker Teddy Allen.

New Executive Director of the Council, Dan Schoettle, who was hired in August, spoke briefly and shared with the audience his vision for the organization as it closes in on a new year.

Jim Madison, Jim Conerly, and Diana Hall joined the Board of Directors, and the elected officers for 2012 include Judy Williams, President; Bonnie Bolton, Vice President of Operations; Al Childs, Vice President of Development; Jim Van Hook, Secretary; Jim McClelland, Treasurer; and Jim Holt, Immediate Past President.

Julia Blewer was honored with this year’s Wayne Drewry Award, an award given out each year to an individual or organization who has made outstanding and distinguished contributions in the field of alcoholism and drug abuse. Julia’s late husband, Edwin L. Blewer, Jr., is an honorary board member and was a recipient of the same award in 1989.

The Jack Elbert Employee of the Year Award went to Larry Hamilton, a chef at the Buckhalter Recovery Center.  Jack Elbert served on the Board of Directors for nearly 20 years, and the award in his name is given each year to an employee of the Council who has gone above and beyond in their work to treat those who suffer from the disease of addiction.

Featured guest speaker Teddy Allen closed the banquet with his own unique look at life.  Allen, a well-known and highly read Louisiana journalist, covered local sports for Shreveport, Monroe, and New Orleans dailies from 1984 until 1990 and has written columns for the News-Star and The Times for the past 21 years.

The Council was founded in 1958 to inform prevention and treatment for alcoholism and otherdrug-related problems.

The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana hosted its Annual Dinner and Meeting on Oct. 11 at the Hunter Building of First United Methodist Church.

A crowd of approximately 250 guests saw the election of new board members and officers, presentation of the Wayne Drewry and Jack Elbert Awards, and closing anecdotes from featured guest speaker Teddy Allen.

New Executive Director of the Council, Dan Schoettle, who was hired in August, spoke briefly and shared with the audience his vision for the organization as it closes in on a new year.

Jim Madison, Jim Conerly, and Diana Hall joined the Board of Directors, and the elected officers for 2012 include Judy Williams, President; Bonnie Bolton, Vice President of Operations; Al Childs, Vice President of Development; Jim Van Hook, Secretary; Jim McClelland, Treasurer; and Jim Holt, Immediate Past President.

Julia Blewer was honored with this year’s Wayne Drewry Award, an award given out each year to an individual or organization who has made outstanding and distinguished contributions in the field of alcoholism and drug abuse. Julia’s late husband, Edwin L. Blewer, Jr., is an honorary board member and was a recipient of the same award in 1989.

The Jack Elbert Employee of the Year Award went to Larry Hamilton, a chef at the Buckhalter Recovery Center.  Jack Elbert served on the Board of Directors for nearly 20 years, and the award in his name is given each year to an employee of the Council who has gone above and beyond in their work to treat those who suffer from the disease of addiction.

Featured guest speaker Teddy Allen closed the banquet with his own unique look at life.  Allen, a well-known and highly read Louisiana journalist, covered local sports for Shreveport, Monroe, and New Orleans dailies from 1984 until 1990 and has written columns for the News-Star and The Times for the past 21 years.

The Council was founded in 1958 to inform prevention and treatment for alcoholism and otherdrug-related problems.