Mark S

The Spera Recovery Center provides a safe, recovery-friendly environment for detoxification, brief residential treatment, and ongoing recovery support services for individuals and families struggling with addiction.

Clients attend daily 12-step meetings and are introduced to the recovering community, as well as the philosophies and traditions of 12-step programs. Spera Counselors complete initial assessments, monitor withdrawal from alcohol and other drugs, develop treatment plans, facilitate groups, and help develop sustainable plans for continuing recovery.

Dawn Farm believes in the power of the recovering community. We rely on this community to show Spera residential first hand that they can get better.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

Anna’s Bio

Anna is the Coordinator of the Spera Recovery Center. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the detox center, including supervising the Spera staff, assisting with client intakes and their programs, facilitating the needs of clients at Spera in correlation with the other services offered by Dawn Farm.

Tell us more about yourself and how you came to
tell us more about

Why Spera for you?
What is special about Spera?
How does Spera and the recovering community interface?

Tell us about yourself,
how did you come to Dawn Farm?
What is Spera?
Why is Sera separate from the farm?

Tell us about the detox center?
this detox medically supervised.
Are there doctors and or nurses on staff?
Is medication used in this process?

How do you define success at Spera?

How is mental illness handled,
do you admit people with co-existing or comorbid diagnoses?
If so, how do they handle that?
And if not, what do they recommend?

Walk us through a day for a client, what does that look like?
How long is the stay?

Tell us about discharge, do you develop an action plan?
What does that look like?

Are you seeing new addiction patterns?

Do your clients go to meetings?
Who provides support to your clients?
what does a coordinator do?
What would you say to the person who is considering treatment?
What would you like to say to our audience?

Advice
What was the #1 thing that has held Spera back in working with alcoholics and addicts?
What is the best advice you ever received regarding running Spera Recovery Center?
What is something that is working in your facility today?
What is the best recovery book you have read?

Hope
What do you want to say to the new person?

Check out this episode!

Step 11 reads: Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

Prayer and meditation are keys to emotional and physical wellness. While being different in the object of focus, these two practices nevertheless both are spiritual exercises. Prayer and meditation can also get us in touch with our own feelings.

Prayer and meditation are whatsoever you allow them to be, but it should quiet the mind and restore the spirit. For some people, meditation might be gardening, a long hike, or painting.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

What comes first to mind when you hear the expression “Prayer and Mediation?”

How difficult is it for you
to ask for help from a recovering friend?
How difficult is it for you to trust?

How difficult for you is it to reach out to something spiritual and ask for help?

What is prayer to you?
How do you pray?
How long do you pray?

Why do you pray?
Why should the new person pray?

Meditation is the practice of watching one’s thoughts, reactions, and emotions from a slight distance, enough to observe them with more clarity.
What is meditation to you?
How do you meditate?
What small steps have helped you in the process of using prayer and mediation?

Do you pray in the morning
Do you pray at night?
Do you pray in a specific place?
What do you pray about?

What is answered prayer to you?
Have you ever had a prayer answered?

For me, strong feelings can come up when I pray.
After I came came through the fog of early recovery, feelings begin to surface, feeling like anxiety and . Prayer can help me sort through some of these feelings.

What do you when your prayer is dry and hollow?

How is prayer and meditation important to your recovery?

When we retire at night, we constructively review our day. Were we resentful, selfish, dishonest or afraid? Do we owe an apology? Have we kept something to ourselves which should be discussed with another person at once? Were we kind and loving toward all? What could we have done better? Were we thinking of ourselves most of the time? Or were we thinking of what we could do for others, of what we could pack into the stream of life? But we must be careful not to drift into worry, remorse or morbid reflection, for that would diminish our usefulness to others. After making our review we ask God’s forgiveness and inquire what corrective measures should be taken.

On awakening let us think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking, especially asking that it be divorced from self-pity, dishonest or self-seeking motives. Under these conditions we can employ our mental faculties with assurance, for after all God gave us brains to use. Our thought-life will be placed on a much higher plane when our thinking is cleared of wrong motives.

In thinking about our day we may face indecision. We may not be able to determine which course to take. Here we ask God for inspiration, an intuitive thought or a decision. We relax and take it easy. We don’t struggle. We are often surprised how the right answers come after we have tried this for a while.
Thoughts?

What would you say to the new guy?

We have Calls

Check out this episode!

Maplegrove Treament Center has a storied history here in the southeast Michigan area in the field of addiction treatment.

According to The Maplegrove website: The Maplegrove Center, has a team of addiction experts providing personalized care for patients. They have an in-depth understanding of the disease of addiction and treatment and they use their experience and training to create treatment plans tailored to each patient’s needs.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

Chris is a Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor.
Chris has a myriad of experience within healthcare management
Chris has been Director of Behavioral Health
He has also been Director of Health Professional Recovery Programs
Chris has developed and implemented an embedded therapist program and launched telemedicine within outpatient facilities.
Chris has also worked with evidence based practice models that included Stage of Change, Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, and overall assisted in a the treatment of addiction with special attention to co-occurring disorders
Chris is also active with community awareness around mental health and addiction.

Ok, Chris, now it’s your turn

Tell us more about Maplegrove,
What is Maplegrove about and
What makes Maplegrove special?

Why Maplegrove for you?

Tell us about the history of The Maplegrove Center
What sets The Maplegrove Center apart from other treatment facilities?

Joe/Chris
The first thing many want to know is how successful is Maplegrove in the treatment of addiction.

How successful is Maplegrove and How do you measure success?
What has changed over your years of service in the treatment process?

Joe/Chris:
Tell us about residential and outpatient treatment options
and how does a client know which is right for them?

Andy: How did you get to Maplegrove’s doors?

Joe/Chris
You offer outpatient and intensive outpatient, what is the difference?
You offer Medical Assisted treatment for addictions, Why?

Andy: What was your experience at Maplegrove?
What were your days like?
How was your treatment structured?

Joe/Chris
Tell us more about Addiction Care for Women and Addiction Care by Profession.

Joe/Chirs
What are some of the obstacles to recovery for your clients?

Andy
What were your obstacles to going to treatment?

Joe/Chris
How can therapy help recovery?
What relationship do you see between trauma and addiction?

Joe/Chris
How has medical marijuana affected treatment at The Maplegrove Center?

Joe/Chris
What is in the future of the recovery for Maplegrove?

Joe/Chris
Tell us a success story.

What would you say to the new person about treatment to the person thinking about it.

We Have Calls

Kathy from Georgia
https://www.google.com/voice/fm/00557165274674955804/AHwOX_DkDlIhqSDxeMULmqY2_-WNPFs5J6RAsoMAzlahnjeo-jVtBIx8x2DsNulmJYuQg3VolzzfrFn4O8TVxU82JpUFICGteIWNSE9UIAJQiptqKJ-WUl9YWzH2JAh8dxooF7vYPLF3dnO6KcDGsu8x_3FGtX7Nmg

Advice Joe/Chris/Andy
What was the #1 thing that has held Maplegrove back in working with alcoholics and addicts?
What is the best advice you ever received regarding running Maplegrove Center?
What is something that is working in your facility today?
What is the best recovery book you have read?

Hope
What do you want to say to the new person?

Check out this episode!

The remainder of the Joe and Charlie Episodes will now be available for Premium Members.  Thank you for supporting the podcast by becoming Premium.  The show would not be online without Premium Members

Premium Membership  Premium members are the main reason why Recovered Podcast is still online.  If you want to help us continue to help the new guy, watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium.

You will see several references on this site to “Joe & Charlie”. Their names are sometimes heard at local Twelve Step meetings. So, who exactly are Joe and Charlie? They were two long-recovered alcoholics who traveled the world for several decades, sharing their insights into the Big Book of AA. Because all Twelve Step programs are derived from the AA Big Book, I suspect their recordings might help anyone in ANY Twelve Step program….not just AA.

The Big Book Study (officially called “The Big Book Comes Alive”) recordings are not conference-approved literature. Any sponsee interested in listening to the series should ask their sponsor first. I can recommend the talks with confidence because many long-sober speakers have openly given credit to Joe and Charlie with their own recovery. I have heard people say said they never really “got” how Twelve Step recovery works until they heard the free-wheeling and good-natured recordings of Joe P and Charlie McQ. I know that was true for me.

If you want Recovered Podcast to come to you so you can share your story with us, please reach out to mark@recoveredcast.com and let me know.  We would love to come to your roundup, your conference, your event, your open talk….whatever, we want to carry your message to the person who still suffers.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

Who’s going to the 2020 International Convention?

So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit.  If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you!

If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group.

Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com

This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party.  Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. 

Check out this episode!

“Singleness of purpose” is essential to the effective treatment of alcoholism. The reason for such exaggerated focus is to overcome denial. The denial associated with alcoholism is cunning, baffling, and powerful and affects the patient, helper, and the community. Unless alcoholism is kept relentlessly in the foreground, other issues will usurp everybody’s attention.

“Singleness of Purpose” is necessary to overcome denial, is even more compelling. Given a choice, nobody wants to talk about alcoholism. In contrast, drug addiction commands newspaper headlines, research funding and the attention of clinical audiences.

Our difficulties with alcohol is the one common thing that all AAs have.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

That is what we will talk about tonight. Tonight, the topic is “Singleness of Purpose.”

What first comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Singleness of Purpose?”
Where do you want to start?
First thoughts?

What does “Singleness of Purpose” mean to you?
Why is Singleness of Purpose an AA tenet, why is Singleness of Purpose important to AA?
Is singleness of purpose for individuals or for the group?
Why?

Why is Singleness of Purpose important for the new guy? Why is it important for the new guy to have closed meetings focused only on alcohol?
Why is it important to you for the discussions at the closed AA meeting to stay focused on alcohol?

Singleness of purpose is born out of Traditions 3 and 5. So let’s review:
Tradition 3 – The only requirement for A.A. membership is a desire to stop drinking.
Tradition 5 – Each group has but one primary purpose — to carry its message to the alcoholic who still suffers.

What does Tradition 3 mean to you?
What does tradition 5 mean to you?

Have you attended a closed meeting where someone shares about drug use?
How did that affect you?
Did it endanger your recovery?

Do you have to be an alcoholic to be a member of AA?
What if the addict has a desire to stop drinking and stop using drugs, can they attend closed AA meetings?
What about open meetings?

What if the drug addict wants to stops drugs but not alcohol, can they attend closed meetings?
What about an alcoholic who smokes weed, can they attend closed AA meetings?

Have you ever seen someone challenged about drug talk at a closed meeting?
What happened?

If someone is going on and on about drug use, how do you think that situation should be handled?

What would you suggest to the drug addict who wants to get clean?
If the drug addict wants to go to closed AA meetings, what suggestions would you give to that person?

How to handle dually addicted alcoholics who persist in talking about other problems in closed meetings?

What would you say to the new guy?
What would you say to the new guy?

Check out this episode!

Today, Recovered on the Road is in Ypsilanti Michigan which is a suburb just west of Detroit.  The reason we are in Ypsilanti tonight is because of our very special guest Suzie M. Suzie has a story of hope and we want Suzie to share her story the new person.  

If you want Recovered Podcast to come to you so you can share your story with us, please reach out to mark@recoveredcast.com and let me know.  We would love to come to your roundup, your conference, your event, your open talk….whatever, we want to carry your message to the person who still suffers.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

Check out this episode!

This episode is exclusively for Premium Members.  This episode is recorded with my new mobile equipment from my hotel room at the Soaring Eagle Casino Waterpark Resort.

Thank you for supporting the podcast by becoming Premium.  The show would not be online without Premium Members

Premium Membership  Premium members are the main reason why Recovered Podcast is still online.  If you want to help us continue to help the new guy, watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium.

If you want Recovered Podcast to come to you so you can share your story with us, please reach out to mark@recoveredcast.com and let me know.  We would love to come to your roundup, your conference, your event, your open talk….whatever, we want to carry your message to the person who still suffers.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

Who’s going to the 2020 International Convention?

So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit.  If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you!

If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group.

Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com

This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party.  Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. 

Check out this episode!

This time of year, right after the winter holidays, many of us see an onslaught of newcomers at our meetings. The holidays provide an excellent opportunity for our active disease to take over our lives and the consequences of these behaviors result in us on the doorsteps of AA looking for help. The reality of these events is that we come in but we don’t stay in. We relapse.

That is what we are going to talk about tonight. Tonight, we talk about relapse. We are going to talk about some of the circumstances of relapse, how difficult it can be to came back into the fellowship after a relapse. Tonight, we might talk about relapse prevention. We may also discuss the dangers of relapse especially after a long period of sobriety. But most of all, we are going to talk about hope. Relapse is not really part of the program, but it may be part of your process to a healthier and happier way of life. A life that lead you to become happy, joyous, and free.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

We do you want to say first
about this topic “Relapse”?

Have you ever relapsed?
Have you had a sponsee relapse and how did it affect you?
What were the circumstances?

How was it coming back into the program, how long were you out there?
How much sobriety did you have at the time of your last relapse?

How have you helped someone come back into the program after a relapse?
How difficult was it for your sponsee?

Why did it work, recovery that is, this time?
What have you seen work for someone who relapsed but then get soe clean time?

What is it like to be out there using know you should be in the program?
Have you ever talked with someone who was out there and knew they should be back in?

What was the fear that delayed you from returning?
What was it like the morning after a relapse?
How were you received when you came back after your relapse?

Is a relapse ever good?

Let’s talk about the solution.
What are some of the triggers you have to be aware of to prevent relapse?

Withdrawal symptoms (anxiety, nausea, physical weakness)
Post-acute withdrawal symptoms (anxiety, irritability, mood swings, poor sleep)
Poor self-care (stress management, eating, sleeping)
People (old using friends)
Places (where you used or where you used to buy drugs)
Things (that were part of your using, or that remind you of using)
Uncomfortable emotions (H.A.L.T.: hungry, angry, lonely, tired)
Relationships and sex (can be stressful if anything goes wrong)
Isolation (gives you too much time to be with your own thoughts)
Pride and overconfidence (thinking you don’t have a drug or alcohol problem, or that it is behind you)

At the top of the show, I mentioned that relapse is not an event, but rather relapse is part of a recovery process.
Do you agree with this?
What does that statement mean to you?

Relapse is a process, it’s not an event. In order to understand relapse prevention, we have to understand the stages of relapse.
Emotional relapse – your emotions and behaviors are setting you up for a possible relapse in the future. This is when relapse begins, when negative emotions are left to grow and fester.
Mental relapse – Thinking about using
Physical relapse – using

What part of the program helps you to prevent a relapse?
Steps
Prayer
Service work
Sponsor
Fellowship
Not using

Check out this episode!

Emotional sobriety or emotional recovery is an important phase in addiction recovery. Reaching this stage pushes recovery from simply abstaining from an addictive behavior to creating a lifestyle that reaches deeper emotional balance.  It helps us reach a place in our lives where we truly feel emotionally whole.

If you want Recovered Podcast to come to you so you can share your story with us, please reach out to mark@recoveredcast.com and let me know.  We would love to come to your roundup, your conference, your event, your open talk….whatever, we want to carry your message to the person who still suffers.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

What first comes to mind on this topic,
where do you want to start tonight?

For you, What is Emotional recovery?
the development of much more real maturity and balance (which is to say, humility) in our relations with ourselves, with our fellows, and with God.

Have you ever worked on emotional recovery?
How are you emotionally inebriated?

What types of emotions are most vulnerable to instability in recovery?
Those adolescent urges that so many of us have for top approval, perfect security, and perfect romance — urges quite appropriate to age seventeen — prove to be an impossible way of life when we are at age forty-seven or fifty-seven.

What character asset (virtue) is most needed to achieve emotional recovery? Why?
Humility

For you, why are peace and joy illusive?
How shall our unconscious be brought into line with what we actually believe, know and want!

For you, what is the main barrier to emotional stability?
dependence on people to supply his needs

What was his solution to the problem
To love others first regardless if it is returned

What is the root of the problem?
unhealthy dependency and its consequent unhealthy demand

How does dependency on others contribute to your emotional state?
Have you ever tried to do your best yet still feel bad about yourself?
How do facts and feelings about you affect you?

Have you had different phases in your recovery, how has your recovery matured?

What are your triggers for emotional instability?
When are you most vulnerable to emotional outbursts?

How has the fellowship helped you with emotional recovery?
How do the steps help you with emotional recovery?
How does servicework help you with emotional recovery?
How does spirituality help you with emotional recovery?

Check out this episode!

The remainder of the Joe and Charlie Episodes will now be available for Premium Members.  Thank you for supporting the podcast by becoming Premium.  The show would not be online without Premium Members

Premium Membership  Premium members are the main reason why Recovered Podcast is still online.  If you want to help us continue to help the new guy, watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium.

You will see several references on this site to “Joe & Charlie”. Their names are sometimes heard at local Twelve Step meetings. So, who exactly are Joe and Charlie? They were two long-recovered alcoholics who traveled the world for several decades, sharing their insights into the Big Book of AA. Because all Twelve Step programs are derived from the AA Big Book, I suspect their recordings might help anyone in ANY Twelve Step program….not just AA.

The Big Book Study (officially called “The Big Book Comes Alive”) recordings are not conference-approved literature. Any sponsee interested in listening to the series should ask their sponsor first. I can recommend the talks with confidence because many long-sober speakers have openly given credit to Joe and Charlie with their own recovery. I have heard people say said they never really “got” how Twelve Step recovery works until they heard the free-wheeling and good-natured recordings of Joe P and Charlie McQ. I know that was true for me.

If you want Recovered Podcast to come to you so you can share your story with us, please reach out to mark@recoveredcast.com and let me know.  We would love to come to your roundup, your conference, your event, your open talk….whatever, we want to carry your message to the person who still suffers.

Our generous Recovered Podcast Community allows us to be self supporting and not rely on outside contributions.  If you would like to join us, there are two ways.

1. Episode Sponsorship  We will recognize you by first name only at the top, mid, and end of the episode.  Any amount will qualify.
2. Premium Membership  This is the single most effective way to support the show.  Watch the video in its entirety and learn how to become Premium

Call Us Now  http://recoveredcast.com/speakpipe

Who’s going to the 2020 International Convention?

So, listeners, join us at The 2020 International Convention of AA in Detroit.  If you are coming into town for the convention, the Recovered Podcast wants to meet you!

If you would like to get all the information regarding the Recovered Podcast at the 2020 International Convention, just email me and we will get you on our google group.

Just email me at mark@recoveredcast.com

This google group will be notified with all the Recovered Podcast Plans for the convention and will have all the information about how to find our tailgate party.  Right now, our google group has been provided with maps and general information about Detroit. 

Check out this episode!