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Austin Recovery would like to wish a happy early Mothers Day to all moms out there! Today, we have a special blog post by some of our moms in the Austin Recovery Family House program. Family House is an intensive 90-day residential program for mothers who can bring up to two children under the age of six into Austin Recovery with them, helping them to break the cycle of addiction in their families. Our contributers today, Danielle, Nina, and Desiree are special women and mothers, and we are happy to have them here at Austin Recovery–thank you ladies!
“Being at Austin has allowed me to learn why it’s important to love myself. I feel very good about myself because I am happy and healthy and able to think clearly and to understand why it is important to be and stay sober for my children. Austin Recovery has allowed me an opportunity to reestablish a positive relationship with my children and be a positive mother.
Thank you Austin Recovery for showing me I am a good mother and sober-free is the best way for me.”
–Danielle, 5-11-2012
“I can honestly say I love Austin Recovery. I am so grateful for the opportunity to make changes in my life for me and my kids.”
–Nina, 5-11-2012
“Austin Recovery has made me a better mom in helping me learn how to be a sober mom for my precious daughter Aniah. I am very thankful to have got the opportunity and this chance to be in treatment. I am a totally different person than I was when I got here. I have learned coping skills and also have gained tools to continue to be a sober mommy after completion of this program.”
–Desiree, 5-11-2012
Today’s contribution is from Guest Blogger Marisa Morales, MPA, Human Resources Generalist at Austin Recovery. Marisa writes about her personal experiences celebrating Cinco de Mayo and clarifies the popular misconception behind the celebration of this special Mexican holiday. Enjoy!
Growing up as a Mexican-American in a Texas border town, I often saw celebrations for Cinco de Mayo (5th of May) and the Diez y Seis de Septiembre (16th of September). While my family never celebrated either one, it was often a great excuse to go out to eat and enjoy great Mexican food at a restaurant that was observing the Holiday with meal deals! I do not have any memories of learning about the Holiday in school, but it seems that in recent years I have noticed more celebrations on May 5th.
People often think of Cinco de Mayo as Mexico’s Independence Day, but it is not. Mexico’s Independence Day is celebrated on September 16th. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The battle was a David versus Goliath victory for the Mexican militia over the French army. The Mexican victory was short lived; the French eventually ended up sending 30,000 more troops to Mexico and occupied the country from 1864 to 1867.
The Holiday is regional and mostly celebrated in the state of Puebla, with some limited recognition in other Mexican states. In recent years the Holiday has become very popular in US cities with a large Mexican population, such as Arizona, California, and Texas. In these states the Holiday is mostly spent celebrating Mexican culture, such as food, music, art and customs unique to Mexico. Cinco de Mayo celebrations tend to draw out many traditional Mexican symbols such as the Virgen de Guadalupe, mariachi music, balie folklorico and pictures of Cesar Chavez. TIME magazine reports that “Cinco de Mayo started to come into vogue in the 1940’s when America saw the rise of the Chicano movement.”
 As the Holiday approaches, I feel a sense of pride as a Mexican-American; my ancestors fought to not be invaded by a foreign crown that would have eventually take away their Mexican way of life. I really like the idea that people celebrate this Holiday and learn a little bit about Mexican culture and that brave militia that won that battle on May 5, 1862. This year, I will celebrate the Holiday and spend this Cinco de Mayo with a few of my family members and friends, have a traditional Mexican meal, listen to mariachi music, and honor the Battle of Puebla.
“[Cinco de Mayo] gives us an opportunity … to really get a jump-start on the summer beer-selling season” New York Times Business section; May 2, 2003. Accessed October 30, 2007
”Mexico’s Lasting European Influence.” By Jose Antonio Burciaga. Free Lance-Star Publishing. May, 2007. (First released in The Hispanic News Link. 1981.)”. Banderasnews.com. http://www.banderasnews.com/0705/edat-frenchdefeat.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
Gateway to Recovery - May 2 & 9, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Gateway to Recovery series provides information on how to detect addiction and what friends and families can do to help those needing treatment. This information series is free and often the first step in helping people find treatment and begin the healing process. Gateway to Recovery is facilitated by Mary Boone and is held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the first and second Wednesday of each month at Austin Recovery (8402 Cross Park Dr., Austin, TX, 78754). Click here for more information.
Second Saturday Workshop – May 12, 10 a.m. to 12 noon
“Navigating Adolescent Substance Abuse” presented by Lori K. Holleran Steiker, Ph.D., CISW, ACSW.
Join Lori Holleran Steiker, Ph.D, ACSW, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work for a discussion of Adolescents Substance Abuse. Dr. Holleran Steiker will braid her personal, professional, and research perspectives in order to explore the current issues related to adolescent substance abuse. She will discuss the dilemmas that adolescents encounter, the elements of evidence-based prevention programs, what parents or friends can do upon discovery of a child’s experimentation (or beyond), how to recognize adolescent substance problems, and how to effectively intervene when a substance problem develops. Second Saturday Workshops are held the second Saturday of each month except December and are free to the public. No registration is required. 2 CEUs available to LCDC, ADC, LMSW and LCSW. Second Saturday is held at Austin Recovery (8402 Cross Park Dr., Austin, TX, 78754). Click here for more information. Austin Recovery Alumni Events Join the Austin Recovery Alumni for fun events and fellowship throughout the week. Events include Sunday Night Alumni Speaker Meetings, Big Book study groups, Musical Journey, skating, hikes around Lady Bird Lake, drum circles, bowling nights, game nights, evenings at the coffee shop and more. For more information, contact Austin Recovery Alumni and Volunteer Coordinator Jeff Kamen at 512-697-8513 or click on the Alumni events link on www.AustinRecovery.org.
Volunteer Opportunities at Austin Recovery Austin Recovery is always looking for volunteers to provide additional support to our clients in residential addiction treatment in the following areas: financial planning, parenting skills, healthy relationships, job readiness/interviewing skills,stress management, anger management, self-esteem and abuse issues. We also need volunteers for clerical work, yoga, arts and crafts, dance, spa days (pedicures, manicures, hairstyling), recreation and weightlifting. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Austin Recovery Alumni and Volunteer Coordinator Jeff Kamen at 512-697-8513 jkamen@austinrecovery.org.
More about Austin Recovery Austin Recovery is the largest drug and alcohol addiction treatment center in Central Texas. We are CARF-accredited and provide effective and compassionate chemical dependency treatment at very affordable rates. Our transformational treatment model brings about in-depth cognitive, behavioral and spiritual changes essential for overcoming addiction. We offer a number of programs includingmedical detox and separate men and women’s campuses for 30-day and 90+ day programs. Our Family House Program allows women to bring two children under the age of six with them to treatment. Austin Recovery also offers free intervention classes, outpatient services, alumni support, family programs, aftercare and community.
 Bangor Daily News. Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday.
Today’s post was written by Austin Recovery Outreach & Marketing Assistant, Caitlin Quinn. The blog post today looks at the Drug Enforcement Agency’s recent findings on the nation’s increasing problem with prescription medication drug abuse and the initiative to stop it.
 Have you ever heard of Take-Back Day, as in National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day? With the country’s recent heavy rise in prescription drug abuse, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is trying to understand how this dangerous trend escalated so quickly. Short answer: it looks like the drugs are just too easy to access. You may have guessed it, but most black market medication is legally obtained from doctors. The remainders of pills in our medicine cabinet is then very often given or sold to family and friends to abuse.
The DEA hired Quest Diagnostics to provide statistics of prescription drug abuse in a sample of all ages and incomes, both men and women. Researchers studied 76,000 urine samples taken in doctors’ offices and at Quest patient centers. Looking at patients’ prescriptions as well as the amount prescribed by their doctor, Quest compared their findings to what was actually found in the urine sample. Within that sample, they found that 63% of the patients who were prescribed medication disobeyed doctor’s orders. Around 40% were found skipping dosages of their prescriptions, either because the patients couldn’t afford the cost or instead chose to sell them illegally. More, in 60% of the samples, they found medications that were not prescribed to the patents such as painkillers, sedatives, or amphetamines.
The DEA’s fourth annual initiative to stop easy access to an abundance of powerful pills will be tomorrow at locations nationwide. DEA officers will be collecting and destroying your unused medications from 10am-2pm tomorrow. Just last year, the DEA claims to have collected almost half a million tons of pills from across the country. With more than sixteen million Americans abusing prescription drugs in 2009, it is a good opportunity to help protect loved ones from a dangerous and addictive medicine cabinet. To find your Take-Back Day drop-off location, click here.
Wall Street Journal. (2012). Study Shows Widespread Misuse of Prescription Drugs. Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2012). Prescription Medications. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov
Bangor Daily News. (2010). Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Saturday. Retrieved from http://www.bangordailynews.com
Here at Austin Recovery, we are striving to be a more ecologically-conscious organization. As part of these efforts we now have a Green Team who is working on initiatives to reduce waste, promote sustainability, and lower the carbon footprint of our organization. Being Earth Month and Earth Week (with Earth Day being this Sunday, April 22nd), it has been a busy time for the Green Team! Chair of our Green Team is Jodie Hooks, Accounts Payable Clerk. She has provided us with today’s guest blog post on Earth Day – a little about the history of the day, as well as some ways you can celebrate. Enjoy, and Happy Earth Day!
Earth Day
 The celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd began in the United States in 1970 and was the brainchild of Senator Gaylord Nelson, who had long pondered about finding a way to “put the environment into the political ‘limelight’ once and for all” (his words). There are actually two Earth Day celebrations (the other one is held in March on the equinox, see “Tips”) but this blog focuses on the April 22 Earth Day, which is now celebrated in most countries of the world. Earth Day is a perfect time to reflect about what you are doing to help protect the environment. There are many ways that you can celebrate alone and with others.
- Plant a tree. As the date also roughly coincides with U.S. Arbor Day, over time Earth Day has taken on the role of tree-planting. Planting trees helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cleans pollution, secures soil in place to prevent erosion, and provides homes for a lot of biodiversity.
- Make nature crafts at school or home. Get together with your family and build a birdhouse or make a bird feeder to encourage the local bird population, which plays an important role in every ecosystem. Use objects that would’ve otherwise been thrown away to create beautiful works of art.
- Reduce, reuse and recycle all day long. Buy as little as possible and avoid items that come in lots of packaging. Support local growers and producers of food and products – these don’t have to travel as far and so reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Take your drink container with you, and don’t use any disposable plates or cutlery. Recycle all the things you do use for the day or find other uses for things that you no longer use. Carry a cloth bag for carrying things in and recycle your plastic bags
- Rid litter. Rid litter from our roadways. Many groups use the weekend of Earth Day to clear roadways, highways and neighborhood streets of litter that has accumulated since the last clean-up day. Many companies donate gloves and bags for clean-up groups and villages organize bag pick-ups. Once the group has collected the trash and placed the recycled bags along the road, get the public works department to pick the bags up. It’s a wonderful community project. Great for scout troops, rotary clubs and the like.
- Create a “Green Team” at work!!! Get everyone involved at your place of business to create a “waste free” facility!
Today’s guest blog post was written by Linda Mikesic, LCSW, LCDC, Director of Clinical Services at Austin Recovery. Linda is going to share more about family dynamics and family systems with respect to recovery. Take it away, Linda!
Families in Recovery
Linda Mikesic, LCSW, LCDC
Austin Recovery Director of Clinical Services
 According to a 1991 California study, about 43% of U.S. adults – 76 million individuals – have been exposed to alcoholism in the family. That is, in the last few decades, about 76 million people either: grew up with an alcoholic, married an alcoholic or problem drinker, or had a blood relative who was an alcoholic or problem drinker. It is important to consider treatment and/or self-help services for the family members of alcoholics and problem drinkers, as these circumstances stress the entire family system. The more enmeshed the family becomes in their addict’s life, the more destructive the family relationships can be, both for the addict and for his/her family. Therefore it is important to consider some form of treatment or self-help program for family members.
Growing up in a household with active alcoholism can be traumatic, scary and crisis-driven. Family members learn the fight/flight/freeze response to frightening or upsetting events in the household. Rules are inconsistent or confusing and children often adopt hyper-responsible or parenting roles at an early age. A sense of healthy autonomy is often non-existent. Children who grow up in such confusion often become adults believing that sharing feelings is a sign of weakness and that going outside the family system for help is disloyal. This increases the risk that these individuals will also become addicted to substances. The rule in families becomes: Don’t talk, feel, trust, ask or think, because these activities are simply not safe.
Families are complex, interactive, and organized. The family system has dynamics unique to the family – characteristics that the individuals do not necessarily exhibit except when the family system is put together in an interactive context. When alcoholism is added to the family system, the family’s ability to manage emotions and a range of interactions is jeopardized, and the family makes adjustments to avoid change or conflict, or even admitting that there is a problem. Addiction, emotional intensity and dysfunctional behaviors go hand in hand. Usually, for the alcoholic to maintain the belief that his/her drinking is not a problem, the family must collude. The alcoholism consumes the family and everyone has a part in the problem. Family beliefs and unhealthy roles allow the addictive behavior to continue. Many family members of a chemically dependent individual deny their loved one’s addiction for a long time, and sometimes an earth-shattering event has to occur to force the family to face the reality of the situation. Even then, because the family has forgotten its identity apart from the addiction, some families strongly believe that they cannot be happy unless their loved one stops drinking or drugging. Attention to the addicted family member intensifies and a family member’s need to control is “off the chart”. The family is overwhelmed by the addiction and often individual needs for the rest of the family members are put on hold. The focus must return to valuing each individual in the family and honoring good boundaries and positive family dynamics.
With help and support, families can become healthier themselves even if their loved one continues to live in his/her active addiction. One of the first steps for families struggling with addiction is to become educated about what addiction is, how it affects individuals and how it can affect family systems. In this respect, addiction is similar to other diseases, as the more you understand about it, the more likely you are to become part of the solution rather than engaging in behaviors that maintain the disease, such as enabling. Learning the difference between enabling and supporting your loved one is an essential part of families in recovery. Support allows for natural consequences to occur by respecting accountability for all family members. “Bailing out” a loved one robs him/her of the consequences necessary for positive change. Families often accept behaviors of their addicted one that would be inexcusable if it were someone outside the family system or if addiction was not involved. For each family member to be happy, one must identify where the line is, the boundary, and respect this boundary when it is crossed by allowing consequences. Allowing crises to happen can be very helpful recovery responses. Supportive behaviors also include verbalizations of encouragement when your loved one is making even small steps towards recovery. However, if you are in a place of anger, setting healthy distance is necessary to allow individual work to occur before addressing the situation from a place of emotions. Scolding, criticizing, shaming, and rejecting are never effective ways to encourage a person to change. “If you can’t help an addict, at least don’t hurt him.”
Families in recovery focus on the family rather than just the individual. Each person in the family system is equally important and has the right to set healthy boundaries and not to self-destruct if another family member is in crisis such as active relapse. Establishing clear and flexible boundaries between subsystems is important. Creating an environment that is consistent and dependable is conducive to families in recovery. Consistent means avoiding ultimatums and threats based on feelings and following through on boundaries even when you don’t want to. For instance, if you have an agreement that a loved one will move out if s/he relapses, stick to this and effect the move. An important part of families in recovery is reorganization of the family structure shifting power to parents, adult-adult roles, children to children roles, etc. Eliminating problem coalitions and triangles is another goal for families in recovery. All family members need to develop a sense of accountability, improved communication and increased adaptability. The family increases problem-solving skills and positive creativity in dealing with stress or issues.
Addressing addiction in the context of all family members is essential. Helping family members identify their individual needs refocuses families on recovery rather than on the addiction itself.
While your loved one is in treatment, it is a good time to focus on your own recovery. All family members need to step out of their own family system for support since the family structure has become so unhealthy during the drinking process. Individual recovery has a profound effect on the entire family system providing the framework for healthy growth and change. However, early recovery for families can typically feel frightening, confusing, and chaotic as homeostasis is threatened and moving away from what was normal can result in anxiety and uncertainty. It is important to recognize that the more you cope with the reality, the less terrifying it becomes. Some of the anxiety is derived from the need to control and in family recovery, as you deny this impulse; you must also learn to cope with overwhelming feelings by specific healthy behaviors such as journaling or exercise. The individual family members’ shift focus off the family and onto external systems of support such as therapy and/or self-help groups. Family members begin working through their denial and increase awareness in their loss of control over others. Family recovery involves building trust to openly discuss the alcoholism and recovery in a useful way. Healthy families have freedom of expression even if their feelings may lead to reactions of another. Not “walking on eggshells” is important in recovery. Learning how to use “I” statements such as “I am concerned and worried about you when you stay out all night” is appropriate when this is the honest feeling and not an attempt to get the loved one worked up. If the loved one begins an argument, you have the right to not react to everything said and to walk away. Al- Anon teaches family members to let go of expectations, controlling, and passing judgment.
Stepping outside the family system for support is an essential ingredient for families in recovery. Moving towards stability is a factor in early recovery as the family is moving towards a safe environment mixed with hope, predictability, and consistency. Detachment from the old family system, dominated by crisis or trauma, continues as individual recoveries are underway. Self-examination and self-development are key areas of concentration. Family focus is on education, recovery language, and basic family responsibilities, especially healthy parenting. The family system supports recovery principles including individual recovery. The foundation for a new system is being prepared and change is gradual, not fast paced. This change does not pose a threat since the system has become flexible and can adapt. The new system incorporates both individual and system needs without sacrificing either. Crisis is minimal and when it occurs, the family has developed coping skills to manage the crisis without falling apart. Intimacy and openness has evolved and change is constant.
Help and support are available. It is important to know that recovery is available – both for the addicted individual and for the family. With time, patience, and hard work, families can and do become healthier!
References
- Schoenborn, CA (September 1991). “Exposure to Alcoholism in the Family: United States, 1988″. Advance Data 30 (205): 1–13. ISSN 0147-3956. PMID 10114780
- Brown S, Lewis V, Liotta, A. The Family Recovery Guide: A map for healthy growth. Oakland, CA: Publishers Group West., 2000.
- Conyers, B. Addict in the Family: Stories of loss, hope, and recovery. 2003 by Hazelden Foundation
- Copello A, Velleman R, Templeton, L. Family interventions in the treatment of alcohol and drug problems. Drug and alcohol review, July 2005, 24, 369-385
- http://www.alcohol-information.com/Alcohol_Statistics.html
There are a lot of holidays this weekend, Passover, Easter, and Vesak (Buddha’s birth) to name a few. As part of our ongoing diversity initiatives, a few members of our internal Diversity Task Force have written blog posts to share information and experiences around two of these holidays today. For more blog posts on diversity, click here. The first part of today’s blog is on Easter, and is contributed by Austin Recovery’s Katie Compton, CFLE, and Parent Educator for our CRADLES project. The second part of the blog is on Vesak (Buddha’s birth) and is contributed by Lynda Guerrero, UR Account Specialist at Austin Recovery. Enjoy!
Easter
By Katie Compton, CFLE
 What comes to mind when you think about Easter? As a child I often thought of Easter baskets, egg hunts, pastel candies, and bunnies. Then as a teenager, I transitioned to celebrating the end of lent, being a part of Passion plays at church, and the deeper meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. But, my most meaningful insight about Easter came when I visited Israel in my late twenties. Easter is recognized as a defining moment in Christianity as it marks the day Jesus ascended to Heaven and brought new life to the world. Many Christians accept that Jesus traveled through Israel and spent much of his later time in Jerusalem but I was never before aware of the dispute surrounding the location of the crucifixion, entombing, and resurrection until I experienced my own voyage through the famous city of faith.
Many holy sites in Israel are shadowed with disagreements. Some as to which religion they belong to (like the Dome of the Rock), others as to differing scientific evidence (like the location of the city’s outer walls), and a few to varying cultural interpretations (like if Jesus was born in a cave). But the disagreement that brought the most interest to me was the debate between whether the Church of the Holy Sepulchre or the Garden Tomb was the authentic place for Jesus’s last few days in Jerusalem.
  First, I walked along the Stations of the Cross through the Muslim marketplace alleys that led to the church of the Holy Sepulchre where the Greek Orthodox Church recognizes both Golgotha (site of the crucifixion) and Jesus’s tomb. We waited in line to touch the “hole” from the cross and then moved to another space inside the enormous church that secures and protects the small burial tomb. Tourists from many religions took in the awe of the gilded walls, extensive mural paintings, and the realization that they may be standing where Jesus once was. The experience was overwhelming and left memories imbedded in all of my senses that I can still recall.
 A few days later, we visited the “alternative” site of Calvary called the Garden Tomb. We were shown the claimed sight of the crucifixion from afar (it was on top of a mountain side) and then were taken inside their site of the tomb. They showed many facts and research that authenticated their site, understanding that it was not as well recognized. The atmosphere was as its name suggests, encompassed by a lush garden. As a part of this tour, the group shared a holy communion and we were given time to reflect in silence and prayer. The experience here was also overpowering and became quickly entrenched in my being.
From this experience, I have found the value of trusting my higher power and even rejecting tradition or scholarly knowledge as I allowed my soul to confirm where the authentic presence of God was for me. Words cannot describe the connection I felt with my savior and the flush of the Holy Spirit I sensed. I encourage followers of all faiths to visit Israel and experience the amazing journey through the holy sites so that you too can come to your own conclusion as to where the physical location of a Christian’s most spiritually significant story occurred, on Easter Sunday.
Vesak
By Lynda Guerrero
 - Photo Source: Boston.com
Vesak is not necessarily a holiday as much as it is a festival that celebrates the life, journey and death of this worlds Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. It is celebrated in the spring at various points depending on which calendar the people follow. I know that some cultures will start to celebrate it in the next few weeks, but I usually observe it during the Indonesia Mahayana (a subdivision of Buddhism) festival. The festival is usually in may but because of leap year is in June this year.
Siddartha was born under very unusual circumstances. Queen Maha Maya had a dream that a large white elephant had used its tusk to open her right side and entered her body on the night Siddhartha was conceived. Queen Maya, waning to be close her family when the baby came, decided to journey to her father’s kingdom. On the way Siddhartha was born. While holding onto a Sal Tree, Queen Maya lifted her right arm and from her side gave birth to the miraculous baby.
Twenty-nine years after his birth the spoiled prince who had never seen unpleasantness went on a trip outside of the palace walls. On this trip he saw first and old man, then a diseased man, then a dead man. Not being familiar with these images he questioned his escort who explained that men age, get sick and die. Lastly he saw an ascetic, a person who lives with only what they absolutely need to survive. Overcome with sadness at what he had seen and confusion over the disparity between the village and the palace Siddartha decided to leave the palace. His journey then took many turns in search for the one truth. Eventually resolved to find the truth he parched himself under a Bodhi tree and there after 3 days he became fully enlightened in wisdom and compassion. This is the day he became Buddha. From that day forward he was resolved to help others reach a higher level of enlightenment in their own lives.
Buddhism is one of the very first world philosophies considered to be a religion. Many of the major world religions have fundamentals that can be traced back to Buddhism. It has influenced art, history, culture, family structure, and the image of self in the “Eastern” world and it continues to become more and more popular in the United States and the other “Western” countries Buddha Gautama is the embodiment of what each Buddhist practices to become. This festival honors the only person in this cycle to have accomplished that transformation.
Boston.com ran a picture blog on the festival in Indonesia last year. If you are interested in checking out some of the way Buddhist observe check out the post.
Gateway to Recovery – April 4 & 11, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Gateway to Recovery series provides information on how to detect addiction and what friends and families can do to help those needing treatment. This information series is free and often the first step in helping people find treatment and begin the healing process. Gateway to Recovery is facilitated by Mary Boone and is held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the first and second Wednesday of each month at Austin Recovery (8402 Cross Park Dr., Austin, TX, 78754). Click here for more information.
UT Presentation at Austin Recovery – April 13, 9 a.m. to 12 noon
“The Practice of Recovery: A Buddhist Approach to Healing Addiction” presented by Kevin Griffin, Author.
In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to explore the uses of Buddhist practices and teachings in addiction treatment and recovery. Blending mindfulness and the 12 Steps, author and teacher Kevin Griffin will address how fundamental Buddhist teachings like the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, Loving kindness, and others can apply to addictions recovery. The workshop will include lecture, discussion, and interactive exercises, as well as an introduction to mindfulness meditation. 3 CEUs available. Click here to RSVP. Presentation is held at Austin Recovery (8402 Cross Park Dr., Austin, TX, 78754). Click here for more information.
Second Saturday Workshop – April 14, 10 a.m. to 12 noon
“Feeling Good in Recovery: Using a Bio-Psycho-Social Approach to Living Healthy the Natural Way” presented by Susan Hardwicke LCSW; CHt, Psychotherapist/Hypnotherapist
Being new to recovery is difficult enough… having “brain fog” and feeling like everything is “out of whack” is something no one talks about. In this workshop, you will learn new coping skills, including the use of foods and other techniques to reduce stress and clear the fog, followed by a guided meditation. The bio-psycho-social approach is the crux of speaker Susan Hardwicke’s training; meaning looking at your environment (your family, your background, your past and present) to find the keys to healing. Looking at all areas of a person’s life (for example, what you do with yourself, if you exercise, what you believe, what you eat), as the details are very important to healing. Come with questions regarding recovery and health. Second Saturday Workshops are held the second Saturday of each month except December and are free to the public. No registration is required. 2 CEUs available to LCDC, ADC, LMSW and LCSW. Second Saturday is held at Austin Recovery (8402 Cross Park Dr., Austin, TX, 78754). Click here for more information.
Austin Recovery Alumni Events
Join the Austin Recovery Alumni for fun events and fellowship throughout the week. Events include Sunday Night Alumni Speaker Meetings, Big Book study groups, Musical Journey, skating, hikes around Lady Bird Lake, drum circles, bowling nights, game nights, evenings at the coffee shop and more. For moreinformation, contact Austin Recovery Alumni and Volunteer Coordinator William Miley at 512-426-5571 or click on the Alumni events link on www.AustinRecovery.org.
Volunteer Opportunities at Austin Recovery
Austin Recovery is always looking for volunteers to provide additional support to our clients in residential addiction treatment in the following areas: financial planning, parenting skills, healthy relationships, job readiness/interviewing skills,stress management, anger management, self-esteem and abuse issues. We also need volunteers for clerical work, yoga, arts and crafts, dance, spa days (pedicures, manicures, hairstyling), recreation and weightlifting. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Austin Recovery Alumni and Volunteer Coordinator William Miley at 512-426-5571 wmiley@austinrecovery.org.
 You may have noticed that we have changed our blog a bit. One of these changes is categorizing our blog posts for the reader to more easily be able to access information that interests them. Today we have added a new category, “Scientific,” where we can highlight new and recent scientific information as it pertains to addiction and recovery. Today’s post was written by Austin Recovery Outreach & Marketing Assistant, Caitlin Quinn. Caitlin has taken on the challenge of being our Scientific blog writer, so she will be keeping her ear to the ground for the latest and greatest scientific news in the addiction and recovery world, and summarizing for us and our blog-reading pleasure.
The blog post today examines a recent study of the brain on the hereditary link in addiction by Dr. Karen Ersche of the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute at Cambridge University. Great new information! Thanks for sharing, Caitlin!
Hereditary Link in Addiction
They did it. Scientists were finally able to prove a hereditary link in addiction. After all that angsty shop we talk, it’s true— inherited genes and brain chemistry have a definite part to play in the development of addiction. In February, the journal Science reported the findings of a sibling study done in Britain that looked at common ties of addiction in addicts and their healthy siblings. Led by Dr. Karen Ersche of the Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute at Cambridge University, Erche and her team proved a correlation between addiction and genealogy by looking at 47 addicts, 49 of their healthy brothers and sisters of similar age and intelligence, and 50 unrelated and sober volunteers. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse says of the experiment, “This is an elegant design that allows them to say, ‘No, this was not something that relates to the drug exposure, this has something to do with heritability.’”
 Brains Scans from the study (2012). Focusing on the subjects’ brain activity and ability to control impulse behavior, the neuroscientists found brain irregularities in the siblings’ identical to the chronic addicts’. A chronic person of addiction has an abnormality in the prefrontal cortex (or self-control command center) and a larger putamen (responsible in habit behavior). Significantly, that chronic addict’s healthy sibling shares those same traits in their brains. Ersche notes, “It has long been known that not everyone who takes drugs becomes addicted, and that people at risk of drug dependence typically have deficits in self-control. Our findings now shed light on why the risk of becoming addicted to drugs is increased in people with a family history of drug or alcohol dependence: parts of their brains underlying self-control abilities work less efficiently.”
Ersche’s study shows that some siblings who are prone to addiction are able to remain resilient against drugs and alcohol, and that is remarkable—biology does not have to dictate your fate. What does this mean in terms of recovery for the sibling addicted? We’ll find out, but meanwhile, let’s be conscious of the cycle of addiction in our families because we have a power to stop it.
University of Cambridge. (2012). Siblings’ brain scans could hold the key to drug addiction. Retrieved from http://www.cam.ac.uk/
Time. (2012). Siblings Brain Study Sheds Light on the Roots of Addiction. Retrieved from http://healthland.time.com
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