What Does the in the Rooms Logo Mean? April 18, 2009
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For those of you unfamiliar with the In the Rooms logo, it is the image of a tree with 12 different colored leaves on it; but, what exactly does it represent? After reading a recent newsletter, I found out that the logo symbolizes the 12 steps traditions, and the spiritual premises maintained as part of the lifestyle philosophy. In the Rooms added that “When we were originally developing our logo, we decided to go with the tree as it is a symbol of strength, growth and life. Just as with a tree, we believe that if we nurture and care for our community, it will grow and prosper.”
In the Rooms is a new social networking site that is specifically designed for addicts in recovery within the rehabilitation community. Within In the Rooms, members are able to utilize cutting edge technology to meet other like-minded people, upload photos, post videos, create blogs, and most importantly, share their experience, strength and hope about recovery. Among the many members is the musician, Richie Supa, who wrote a song especially for In the Rooms. To date, the website’s mantra has been the word H.I.T.C.H. which stands for Help, Inform, Touch, Connect and Heal; the site has said the acronym helps sum up their mission.
1996 Welfare Reform Act Still Effects Ex-Drug Offenders April 7, 2009
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According to an independent study group out of the nation’s capital, it is estimated that approximately 92,000 women and 135,000 children have been negatively affected by the 1996 Welfare Reform act that prohibits ex-drug offenders from receiving federal assistance like welfare and food stamps.
However, many of the state’s that originally voted for the bill have slowly but surely been passing legislature to repeal the 1996 Welfare Reform act. For example, in October of 2004, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the California state government decided to reinstate eligibility for ex-drug offenders as part of the Drug Policy Alliance.
For all the state’s that repealed the 1996 Welfare Reform act, it seemed that the bill was completely discriminatory in that sex offenders or murders were not barred from federal assistance, while drug offenders, most of whom were in recovery and in desperate need of services, were disqualified from any form of aid.
The latest to join the fight was the Missouri state government. Democratic senator, Yvonne Wilson, out of Kansas City is sponsoring new legislation that would reinstate food stamp eligibility to more than 15,000 Missourians with drug convictions. For Missourians and their state government, it is a matter of doing the right thing to ensure economic justice for ex-drug offenders.
HalfwayHouseInFlorida.com Offers Free Help for Recovering Addicts February 16, 2009
Posted by inrecovery in : United States , add a commentHalfwayHouseInFlorida.com is a new free resource for recovering addicts and alcoholics. HalfwayHouseInFlorida.com has a great new free website with an excellent resource of links to other recovery related sites. HalfwayHouseInFlorida.com has referred hundreds of people to reputable halfway houses and will continue to refer people to appropriate solutions based on their individual needs.
HalfwayHouseInFlorida.com has been running a free referral service for addicts and alcoholics looking to live in a drug-free environment. We know the recovery community of Delray Beach, Florida well, where there are 100’s of meetings for addicts and alcoholics to attend.
A halfway house is a place that your recovering addicts can call home, this allows them to continue recovery and test driving what they have learned in treatment without the additional more intense outside influences that brought them into recovery in the first place. They are in an environment that is safe and structured and among those who are dealing with very similar and real issues and fears. Many at this point still doubt their future of living a sober life.
The term sober ‘living home’, has often been used interchangeably with halfway house. In many ways they are very much alike. The purpose is often the same. A sober living home has become a resource for those who have already completed a drug or alcohol program successfully.
A Halfway House in Florida can be a great step in the right direction of recovery from drug addiction and alcoholism. In Florida, halfway houses have been around many years and for various reasons. While most notably known to house criminals after their release, they are becoming increasingly popular in providing a sober living environment for those battling alcohol and drug addiction in Florida.
They are intended to be a “half way” point in treatment in which the abuser has successfully completed some type of in-patient or out-patient treatment, and is just not ready to be cast directly back into their former day to day lives.
Let HalfWayHouseinFlorida.com years of experience help guide you in the right direction, call or visit us today. We can be reached by telephone at 888.469.8777 or stop by our website at http://www.HalfwayHouseInFlorida.com .
Rising Above the Influence: A True Story about Alcohol, Drugs and Recovery February 13, 2009
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With Afghanistan reigning as the world’s largest producer and exporter of heroin, is it any surprise that our troops are coming back from the Middle East with “collateral damage” drug addictions?
“The US military claims that soldiers are regularly tested for drug use,” says Stephen Della Valle, author of the new addiction and recovery memoir Rising Above the Influence. “Yet, the Army and Air Force say that they had no positive tests for heroin in Iraq and Afghanistan. Does that seem likely?”
Much like it was in Vietnam, military personnel serving in the Middle East today report long shifts and a lot of boredom, sometimes leading to experimentation with drugs. “And heroin is so easily available over there, especially in Afghanistan,” notes Mr. Della Valle. “You can get it pretty much anywhere.”
The Department of Defense reports that over 1.5 million veterans have served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of those, 119,000 have sought medical or mental health assistance through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans have reported suffering from many issues that could contribute to, or be caused by, the silent epidemic of drug use among soldiers, including:
- Anger and aggression issues at a rate of twenty-two percent after deployment, a fifteen-percent divorce rate after combat deployment,
- Joblessness among fifteen percent of veterans between the age of twenty and twenty-four – that’s three times the national average
- Low unit morale in Iraq reported by over fifty percent of soldiers
Concussions suffered by ten percent of troops during combat in Iraq, resulting in headaches, sleep disturbance, memory loss and behavior issues after coming home
“With all the pressure they’re under,” says Mr. Della Valle, “it’s easy to see why soldiers might turn to drug abuse. The problem is getting the military to admit that it’s a problem—and getting these soldiers and veterans the help that they need.”
Stephen Della Valle is president of the board of directors at Turning Point rehabilitation center in Verona, New Jersey. Currently celebrating twenty years of sobriety, he lives in Oak Ridge, New Jersey, with his wife, Donna. He has three children.
Rising Above the Influence is available now on Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and at fine bookstores everywhere.
