recover

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Let’s kick off this episode with the basic question on chairing meetings.

Chris, What does a meeting chairperson do?

What is the most important thing a chair person does? Shows up on time

What requirements are there to be a chairperson?

Is service work found in the big book or in the 12 and 12?

Why do we do service work?

How does service work affect you?

Talk about the spiritual component of service work.

What changes have you noticed in yourself as a result of service work?

Want to take some phone calls?

Can service work be done wrong?

Talk about motives relative to service work.

Is sponsoring someone servies work.

Is being a sponsee service work?

Is sharing at meetings service work?

Can not-sharing at a meeting be service work?

What has been you experience being a chairperson

Funniest moment

Scariest moment

Weirdest moment

Other service work available

AA vs alanon, is there a difference?

think outside the box, say anonymous donations, web site master, writing letters to editors

Role of the sponsor in service work

Can you do service work outside a meeting?

explain.

Can you do service work outside AA say at your school or work

Can you do service work for non AAs, does that count?

Special App Owner Open Talk From Laura B. – Recovered 510

By: Mark S

July 12, 2014

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This Open Talk is exclusively for our Recovered App owners. Thanks for the support! If you upgrade to Premium, your contribution will help keep us on the web.

In the Extras area of the App, we have links to websites we like. Just tap the lower case “e” located at the lower right hand of iPhone sceen and then tap links Remember, in this same area of the app, we have the Big Book, the 12 and 12, along with a daily reader. Please support Sober Life Mouthwash, your support of this product supports the podcast.

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Conventions – Recovered 509

By: Mark S

July 9, 2014

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Ckips

Our first conference or recovery conventions can be exciting..

It can also be a disaster, depending on your expectations.

Tonight, we will talk about our experience attending them

We will talk about what to expect, what to pack, what to leave at home

Let’s start at the beginning,

What is a recovery conference?

Where are they held?

How do you find out about them?

How long do they last?

What are some of the typical formats?

Do you have to attend everything?

Are there al-anon events?

What social activities?

Are there meetings available?

We have a full bank of calls,

Would you like to take some calls?

BRONTE – ARROW BELOW

thoughts about what Bronte had to say

Want to take another call?

Alex – tab above

Can you purchase recovery material?

What other things/activities are there?

What are the costs

What has been your experience?

What conferences have you attended?

How were they structured?

What was your best experience?

What was your worst experience?

Best speaker?

Worst speaker?

What recommendations would you give to the newcomer?

What tips?

What to pack?

Food?

International in Atlanta 2015

TC Round up – October 31 – Nov 2 Anna and I will be speaking

any relationship?

Final Thoughts?

Premium Open Talk From Bob M. – Recovered 508

By: Mark S

July 4, 2014

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Al-Anon Vs AA – Recovered 507

By: Mark S

July 1, 2014

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CLICK HERE FOR PHONE CALL

Clips

Al Franken and Al-Anon

CLICK HERE

What is AA

CLICK HERE

How Al-Anon works

CLICK HERE

Tonight, our

Recovery Topic is

Al-Anon Vs AA

What is AA?

What is Al-Anon?

What does a closed AA meeting look like?

What does a closed Al-anon meeting look like?

How does an Open AA meeting differ?

Is there such a thing as an Open Al-Anon meeting?

Are there combined closed meetings?

What is the purpose of an AA meeting?

What is the purpose of the Al-Anon meeting?

Cristie, would you like to take some calls?

Full bank of calls, want to take another Cristie?

alcoholism is a disease, what was your initial reaction to this statement?

What are your views now?

Is this a struggle?

what is your understanding of willpower and it’s role in the disease and in recovery?

For the AA, what does step one mean

For the al-anon, what does Step one mean?

after step five we see our character defects

for the typical AA, what are common character defects?

For the typical al-anon, what are common character defects?

Amends

What amends are typical for the AA

What are typical amends for the al-anon?

what can aa learn from al anon

what can al-anon’s learn from aa

Do you belong?

AA 20 Questions

Do you lose time from work due to drinking?

Is drinking making your home life unhappy?

Do you drink because you are shy with other people?

Is drinking affecting your reputation?

Have you ever felt remorse after drinking?

Have you gotten into financial difficulties as a result of drinking?

Do you turn to lower companions and an inferior environment when drinking?

Does your drinking make you careless of your family’s welfare?

Has your ambition decreased since drinking?

Do you crave a drink at a definite time daily?

Do you want a drink the next morning?

Does drinking cause you to have difficulty in sleeping?

Has your efficiency decreased since drinking?

Is drinking jeopardizing your job or business?

Do you drink to escape from worries or trouble?

Do you drink alone?

Have you ever had a complete loss of memory as a result of drinking?

Has your physician ever treated you for drinking?

Do you drink to build up your self-confidence?

Have you ever been to a hospital or institution on account of drinking?

Al-Anon 20 Questions

1. Do you worry about how much someone drinks?

2. Do you have money problems because of someone else’s drinking?

3. Do you tell lies to cover up for someone else’s drinking?

4. Do you feel that if the drinker cared about you, he or she would stop drinking to please you?

5. Do you blame the drinker’s behavior on his or her companions?

6. Are plans frequently upset or canceled or meals delayed because of the drinker?

7. Do you make threats, such as, “If you don’t stop drinking, I’ll leave you”?

8. Do you secretly try to smell the drinker’s breath?

9. Are you afraid to upset someone for fear it will set off a drinking bout?

10. Have you been hurt or embarrassed by a drinker’s behavior?

11. Are holidays and gatherings spoiled because of drinking?

12. Have you considered calling the police for help in fear of abuse?

13. Do you search for hidden alcohol?

14. Do you ever ride in a car with a driver who has been drinking?

15. Have you refused social invitations out of fear or anxiety?

16. Do you feel like a failure because you can’t control the drinking?

17. Do you think that if the drinker stopped drinking, your other problems would be solved?

18. Do you ever threaten to hurt yourself to scare the drinker?

19. Do you feel angry, confused, or depressed most of the time?

20. Do you feel there is no one who understands your problems?

any relationship?

Special App Owner Open Talk From Rodney P. – Recovered 506

By: Mark S

June 25, 2014

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Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms – Recovered 505

By: Mark S

June 24, 2014

Call us at 1-734-288-7510

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References

http://www.thefix.com/content/paws

A Primer on Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

Sleep problems, irritability, emotional outburst, these are common when we first come into AA

Your initial thoughts?

Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms or PAWS.

When we stop using drugs and alcohol, some of us suffer as our body adjusts. These physical manifestations of this adjustment are known as PAWS, Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms.

So let’s start at the beginning and define some terms.

OK, Cristie, PAWS what is it, what is your understanding.

What is it? What is the Definition?

What were some of your symptoms?

How long did they last?

Did you know that you were suffering from withdrawal?

Are they still ongoing?

Did they taper off?

Do they come back? If so when?

What are the symptoms? How long do they last?

Some symptoms may include:

Difficulty with Clear Thinking – such as trouble with problem-solving, reasoning, processing thoughts, and concentrating.

Difficulty with Managing Stress – such as trouble coping with stress or even recognizing it.

Difficulty with Managing Emotions – such as feeling extreme emotions, overreacting, depression, feeling numb, or under-reacting.– such as insomnia, sleep apnea, sleeping too much, or not being able to keep a regular sleep cycle.

Difficulty with Physical Coordination – such as trouble with balancing, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and reflexes.

Difficulty with Memory – such as short-term or long-term memory loss.

for me, I had

my acute symptoms were:

sweats

shaking

could not sleep

I knew these things were happening because of withdrawal

But my post acute included:

anxiety

difficulty focusing

anger/emotional

dry skin, my face peeled

my eyes changed, need bifocal glasses

I didn’t understand that these things were happening as a result of alcohol withdrawal

I just thought that I was a miserable guy and that my life sucked

We have some call on hold, Cristie, you want to take a call?

https://www.google.com/voice/fm/00557165274674955804/AHwOX_AIthcPWA3zlyoj-k1vxLQ3talcpJntVaZqKzwKzWjBOJC_LDVBbk56nr_HY5O18B934jKGU2TE1HBAxYVXBDVck8Xt-Dz4gpkXzeaQK9sSIzr2EjlREzmyuNLnj4d6koRbFyzp7JrBFRYbPgD3gkW1QxbSkQ

Now let’s look at the science, what is physically going on?

What is the cause?

What is the Neuroscience?

Corey to fill in here?

Primarily, these drugs hijack the brain’s reward circuits, a prime moving part of which is dopamine. In the case of drug abuse and dopamine, the brain not only becomes tolerant, but it also gets primed for an excess of dopamine, meaning the user eventually experiences a simultaneous lack of dopamine with increased signaling for that circuit. In other words, not only does an addict feel bad without the drug, his focus turns solely to it to make him feel good again.

However, dopamine’s not the only culprit. Building upon decades of research, key brain structures have been implicated in addiction—the nucleus accumbens and the amygdala—as well as several key neurotransmitters, including dopamine, but also opioid peptides, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate. Scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina and others are beginning to look beyond neuronal misfiring in reward and pleasure regions—these explain how drugs take hold of the brain, but they don’t explain why addiction is so hard to beat. New research on glutamate finds that drug addiction can be viewed as impaired reversal learning, and this can be attributed to disrupted glutamate signaling.

Like to take another call?

https://www.google.com/voice/fm/00557165274674955804/AHwOX_Cw-mVor8WPZ407xZg95E6C8fen5HP68EkWibyiWsWXDyVidzwCOTf80rLOXjCGHfZlHVQZO88jnJhaG4a2S7nV_h8ubq44Z63KmU9hN59Kyiq8Fd4kbJ_qTsU4AmtBDI0cYNGd79Ao_YLCihcDdrz7m3OG6w

Here at the Recovered Podcast, we are all about solutions. Now that we have defined the problem and that problem looked like for us. Let’s talk about how we are working on the solution. What has been our experience.

How did you cope?

Did you pursue treatment? What types? What types are available?

Did you use any medicines in rehab or outpatient?

What would you say to the new person?

First of all, I got treatment

I saw a psychiatrist and starting working on some stuff

I also saw a therapist who is in recovery

I was prescribed some meds, which I took according to instructions

I simplified my life. I focused on meetings, work and family life, everything else was on hold for about a year

Big decisions such as whether we would get divorced or sell the house was put on hold for one year.

I started to look for a hobby, which lead me to podcasting

I studied recovery

Prayer – serenity prayer over and over

I started smoking

Despite the intensity of the cravings in the acute stage, many addicts are able to resist them, only to relapse later during the post-acute stage. This is because substance abusers are often well-prepared for the strong physical symptoms that accompany abstinence, but they are not ready at all for the scary and unfamiliar emotions they are suddenly forced to deal with after the onset of PAWS. That is why knowledge is the most important defense an addict can have against PAWS; as long as they know what to expect, they will not be taken by surprise when the various manifestations of the post-substance abuse blues descend upon them. When dealing with bouts of PAWS, recovering addicts should remain calm and relaxed, realizing that this too shall pass and that all of their inner turbulence is just a natural and unavoidable consequence of getting clean and sober.

The best strategy for coping with the negative emotions and loss of focus and motivation associated with PAWS is to scale things down and to simplify. Outside of work, days and nights should be filled with small activities that bring pleasure, such as playing sports or games, exercising, reading, taking nature walks, journal writing, pursuing favorite hobbies, and so on. Generally anything that does not involve too much time or effort is acceptable; however, it is not a good idea to while away the hours by surfing idly on the internet or by vegging out in front of the television, since passive, unfocused pursuits like these can actually reinforce a negative mindset and end up making a person feel worse rather than better. Activities that require real effort and concentration in manageable doses, which is what recovering addicts dealing with the symptoms of PAWS should be looking for.

Another thing that has worked for many is a change in diet that replaces the typical junk food and processed fare with plentiful helpings of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and lentils, brown rice, lean meats, etc. Healthy foods are the building blocks of a healthy body, and there is every reason to believe that improving the nutritional quality of the things we consume can help a damaged brain restore itself to proper working order much more quickly. Avoiding substances like caffeine and refined sugar is also important to recovering addicts, since these products cause spikes in energy levels followed by crashes, which recreates the effects of drugs and alcohol in a milder form and could ultimately trigger dangerous new cravings for something stronger.

More than anything, recovering addicts taking the long march through the post-acute stage of withdrawal need the support of their counselors and their peers. Appointments with therapists should be made regularly and kept, support group meetings should be attended religiously, and no one who goes to either should be reluctant to share a single detail about what they have been feeling and experiencing with PAWS. The kind of advice, encouragement, and understanding that recovering addicts will receive from support groups and in counseling sessions during this time will be invaluable, and the odds of surviving this difficult and taxing stage of recovery will be improved exponentially for those who are smart enough to take advantage of these priceless resources.

Call In and Contribute to the Show

By: Mark S

June 20, 2014

734-288-7510

On Monday June 23, our next studio episode will be on Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms or PAWS. Call in and answer the following question…

What withdrawal symptoms did you suffer with when you stopped using drugs and alcohol?

Your call may go something like this…

Hi, my name is Mark and when I stopped drinking I had difficulty sleeping. My mind would race all night long. So my sponsor told me to read my big book. That worked, it put me right to sleep.