The Struggle Within

 

Live in the moment, not the past. Although your past may have been your detriment it has also been your teacher. It should not
hang over your heads like an ominous cloud but as a reminder of who we are not today.  We all come to those forks in the road
when we've lived on addiction avenue. Be it alcohol, drugs, sex, gambling, over eating etc., we are responsible for the
decisions we make as they pertain to our own lives. No one and nothing else is to blame. The struggle within is a constant thing.
And although the road can be hard and even over whelming that doesn't mean we should abuse ourselves and commit slow suicide. In a
clear state of mind, you will see how much you've missed while living in your addictive state.

Sadly some will never come
to that understanding. We go through experiences in our lives with the hope of learning about how to live life. Everyday is a new
start for all of us. We decide as soon as we wake, how our day will be.

Even when stress and absurdities creep in. Its how we
perceive things that will be our compass to how we feel and live. Two things are for certain. It is certain you will end up in jail or
die if you don't stop being an addict. Its only a matter of time. And it is certain you can change your life and get the help
you need to change for the better. Many people have proven that to be a fact. You certainly do have a choice. You choose whether to give in and continue down your path of destruction. Fight the struggle
within you with all of your might. We all deserve to live happily and only by giving into the negatives because they seem to make
things easier, are we defeated by the struggles within. Strive to be happy. 

Copyright(c)2013.The Struggle Within.Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

Early Prevention Will Save Our Childrens Brains

"Early use of drugs increases a person's chances of more serious drug abuse and addiction." Remember, drugs change brains - and this can lead to addiction and other serious problems. So preventing early use of drugs or alcohol may reduce the risk of progressing to later abuse and addiction." So should we pass a new law for schools to make it mandatory for all children in elementary, middle and high schools to take a course in drug and alcohol abuse? A course that would make them aware of the preventions and reasons why younger people begin to use drugs and alcohol. i.e. peer pressure, family influence, friends influence, TV shows and movies that influence people to use alcohol and drugs. In early adolescence, when children advance from elementary through middle school, they face new and challenging social and academic situations. Often during this period, children are exposed to abusable substances such as cigarettes, alcohol and even marijuana for the first time. When they enter high school, teens may encounter greater availability of drugs, drug abuse by older teens, and social activities where drugs are used. No doubt the temptation can be difficult. 9 times out of 10 children will be exposed to these things by people they consider to be friends.

With parents and teachers working together they can help our children to learn how to cope with these pressures. Helping children to see the damage drugs and alcohol causes their brains, what children can do about it, to give children empowerment and an edge to overcome this epidemic. This will help them along their path when they come into these kinds of situations as they grow. I've heard people say; "When I was young we did all kinds of drugs and drank alcohol whenever we could." I often wonder what percent of those people are really where they want to be in their lives? Drug abuse effects our brains a lot more than you can imagine. Children need to be made aware of the ill-effects drugs and alcohol have on their still-developing brains. The human brain is the most complex organ in the body. This three-pound mass of gray and white matter sits at the center of all human activity. All of the different sections of our brains are meant to work together. You need it to learn, drive a car, to enjoy a meal, to speak, to breathe, to create an artistic masterpiece, and to enjoy everyday activities. In brief, the brain regulates your basic body functions; enables you to interpret and respond to everything you experience; it shapes your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Early prevention will save our childrens brains.

Drugs are chemicals. They work in the brain by tapping into the brain's communication system and interfering with the way nerve cells normally send, receive, and process information. Although drugs mimic brain chemicals, they don't activate nerve cells in the same way as a natural neurotransmitter and they lead to abnormal messages being transmitted through the network. In a nutshell, drug addiction erodes a person's self-control and ability to make sound decisions, while sending intense impulses to the brain to take drugs. The destruction can be dangerous and deadly. What about science validated programs? Can they really help? Yes! Research shows that these programs have been rationally designed based on current knowledge, rigorously tested, and shown to produce positive results. Scientists have developed a broad range of programs that positively alter the balance between risk and protective factors for drug abuse in families, schools, and communities. While many events and cultural factors affect drug abuse trends, when youths perceive drug abuse as harmful, they reduce their level of abuse. For more information about Drug Abuse Prevention, please visit this link for FREE information.

Parents and Educators - National Institute on Drug Abuse  



 

 

Copyright(c)2013.Early Prevention Will Save Our Childrens Brains. Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.  

Drug Abuse In America - How does it effect our children?

DRUGS ABUSE. It sounds bad, doesn't it? It is bad. It ruins people, it ruins lives, it kills. Did you know that drug abuse can start with children as young as those in elementary school grades? Sad to say it can. Today’s youth face many risks, including drug abuse, violence, and HIV/AIDS. Responding to these risks before they become problems can be difficult.  But by seeing these problems early on and responding to them with care, proper help and understanding, we can do what is needed to help those heading down the destructive path that will only lead to worse outcomes. Drug abuse has serious consequences in our homes, schools, and communities. Researchers [like NIDA- National Institute on Drug Abuse] are also studying older teens who are already using drugs to find ways to prevent further abuse or addiction. You can also find relevant information about drug abuse at: www.drugabuse.gov. Prevention science has made great progress in recent years. Many prevention interventions are being tested in "real-world" settings so they can be more easily adapted for community use. Scientists are studying a broader range of populations and topics. They have identified, for example, effective interventions with younger populations to help prevent risk behaviors before drug abuse occurs.
 
Sometimes people are so busy with their own lives they overlook or ignore a problem such as, drug abuse, becoming a problem. Whether this problem is with themselves, other adults in the home and especially children. Because some parents get so involved with their work and trying to provide for their family, they forget the most important factor of taking care of their family. That is being there for their families. Being an active member of their families development, social structure, activities like school, neighborhood friends and their families, teachers, and other important occurrences in your families lives. Although this can be difficult to do, a parent must make time to the best of their ability to "show up" and be there for their family. Its important to be apart of the development and functions of the family unit. Research has shown that when families that do things together, spend quality time together, they are less likely to have addiction problems than families that live like strangers in the same home.  Of course its not an easy task. This is also why young people that marry will want to plan out their lives together. Plan out having children. Plan to have a plan. Then make that plan the most important part of your lives together. Benjamin Franklin quoted: "If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!" Something to keep in mind as you travel through your journey.

The risk of becoming a drug abuser involves the relationship among the number and type of risk factors (i.e. deviant attitudes and behaviors) and protective factors (i.e. parental support.) The potential impact of specific risk and protective factors changes with age. For example, risk factors within the family have greater impact on a younger child, while association with drug-abusing peers may be a more significant risk factor for an adolescent. While risk and protective factors can affect people of all groups, these factors can have a different effect depending on a person’s age, gender, ethnicity, culture, and environment. Its a fact that when you plant your seed in "good soil" and nurture your garden, it grows healthy. Well why not the same principle for human beings?  Grant it, we'd be kidding ourselves to think that we are the perfect parent. There is no such thing. But as a parent, we fall back on the positive teachings of our parents, we can grow in wisdom, experience and guidance. Parental monitoring and supervision are critical for drug abuse prevention. These skills can be enhanced with training on rule-setting; techniques for monitoring activities; praise for appropriate behavior; and moderate, consistent discipline that enforces defined family rules.

We all know the destructive nature of drug abuse, as well as alcohol abuse. Prescription drug abuse is more apparent than illegal drugs, in some places. Without people getting involved in this planetary epidemic, we will surely stay on the course to moral crumbling. Our greatest asset is our children, they are the future. With proper efforts we can certainly put a big dent in this problem across America. There is always hope. And depending on how your perpective is about your own life, you have the power to make a difference. Whether you're just starting out as a young adult, or you're a veteran survivor of your youth. We have to care. We have to make ourselves aware of this problem and do something about it. It can start in our own homes, right now! By looking into places for help, such as, local area recovery and rehabilitation services, the cdc - wonder program, doing your own research about preventatives, becoming apart of a clean and sober household, can be the main factor in knowing what to do, when to do it and how to help loved ones that may fall into this very destructive way of life. Even though drug abuse in America is in full force, we can do things about it in our own homes, with our families, our social structure. But we have to be willing to take that step to be involved. Are you willing? Are you able? Then lets get busy!

 

 

Copyright(c)2013.Drug Abuse In America - How does it effect our children? Written by Sherrie Vitello.All Rights Reserved.

 

How Do I Reach Out For Help - What About Support Groups?

Someone has stated that they don't quite understand this sobriety thing, how to reach out or get connected. A lot of people feel that way when first changing their lives for the better. When you've realized that you need to change you've just done what you question. You have already begun reaching out. At this point, getting involved in a home group is very beneficial to you. You can find a variety of information online. GO! You'll see. Be sure to ask where you can get a schedule-book with all the locations and time-schedules in it. Don't feel bad about going to meetings, everyone there has the same goal, more than less. Even though at first we all may feel awkward at an unfamiliar place. Stick with a place for a few visits and get a feel for the group. If you're not comfortable with a place go to another place. Until you feel comfortable about going there all of the time. Its a process, so take your time. But GO! At first it may seem like its useless but it isn't. Then again you may find a place right off that you'll feel really good about. You may also want to check out the selected groups for men or women only. The first step is recognizing that you have to change, so you are already on your way to changing for the better. Now you need to learn the tools of how to deal with keeping to it. Remember how far you would go to get your DOC? (works for Drink or Drug of choice.) Use that same persistence and desire to get the support & learn the tools you need to stick to your sobriety.
Its ALL worth it.  

 

This is one journey that is more successful when you have support from others. Because addiction is very stubborn about staying in your life. It will cause you to have cravings and triggers influenced by the social structure you are subjected to everyday. Its a monkey on your back and its holding on to you very strongly. You'll need to learn how not to give in to it. Because of all the influence there is in society for most of us it can be difficult to overcome, at first. But by having support and direction from your group, you will become strong enough to overcome those influences that would otherwise get the better of you. If you are fortunate enough to connect  with  a "good" sponsor, its a very good idea to do so. You may have to go through a couple of sponsor's though before you find one that really is active in helping you stay clean and sober. But don't despair, you will find one. Although some people may not be as genuine as others, you can connect with the right person. Don't give up trying. A sponser can become an important associate in your journey to staying clean and sober. Look for someone who has been clean and sober for more than 2 years. In doing so, this person has honed the tools for staying away from the addiction. You want someone who has a positive outlook and solid emotional stability. So look for these qualities before you ask someone to be your sponsor.

 

 

What about relationships? One rule of thumb you should always stick to during recovery and that is, NEVER get romantically involved with your sponsor, people in your group, or even people outside of your group. Especially within your first year of going to meetings. Why is this important? Because when you're in the first stages of recovery you are not emotionally ready or prepared to take on any issues that come with a relationship. Just the common events of it can be stressing. A lot of times when things get stressed or go wrong in a relationship, it can cause you to relapse. Sometimes it can cause worse things to happen as well. Its safer for your sobriety and for you to keep any outside emotional demands from occurring. If you're already in a relationship, hopefully your partner is attending meetings as well. Either for themselves or to learn how to support the partner in recovery. Both people in a relationship will need to learn how to deal with sobriety whether both are addicts or not. Also remember just because you are going to a meeting place where most people are working at the same thing, sobriety, don't think that everyone there is a wonderful, trust worthy, supportive person. Even though we'd like to think that about everyone, there will be some people there with their own agenda. They may not be as genuine about their sobriety as others. Something else to keep in mind.

 

                            

All in all attending a support group for any addiction is a very useful tool for people. You get from it what you want by attending. Take the time to talk to someone who has been going to meetings for a long time. Someone who has been clean and sober for a while. You can feel their inner-strength, self assurance and positive attitude. It doesn't matter how many people are at a meeting either. You can attend a small group or a large group, its up to you. But going is key to feeling better and staying clean and sober. You are going because you want to learn to live life on life's terms, without having to use drugs or alcohol to exist. The cravings diminish overtime, the triggers are kept at bay because you've learned how to deal with them. You wake up and actually feel grateful for the day. Like a lot of things, you get out of it what you put into it. But you have to make up your mind to go everyday even more than once a day if necessary. This is your journey to sobriety. You are going to these meetings to help yourself get on the road of a clean, sober and happy life. This is the most important thing you can do for yourself and your life. You have to take it serious in order for your recovery to be achieved. And it can be achieved even if you're at that point of your addiction where you believe you can't exist without your DOC. As a matter of fact its when you think that.. that its time to get the help you need. Its time to get your life back. Just Go!

 

 

 

Copyright(c)2013.How Do I Reach Out For Help - What About Support Groups? Written by SherrieVitello. All Rights Reserved.

A Hassle Free Life? Dealing With Life's Terms.



Look around you. You may see alot of people whose lives you think are perfect, but the fact is that nobody's life is perfect. Not even the "wonderful-life family" down the block, the ones with the 2 wonderful children, wonderful house, cute little doggie, 2 new cars, 3 huge flatscreen tv's, a John Deer Riding lawnmower and a wonderful weed and crab-grass-free lawn. Although it may not look like it from the outside, everyone has daily stress, absurd situations and problems. There is no one on the planet that has a hassle free life. No matter how good things look. The universe just doesn't work that way. There may be days when life seems idyllic, so enjoy them while they last because the universe is just getting wound up to throw you a curve ball. Its not a matter of IF it will happen, its WHEN. There comes a day when the car breaks down, the cable goes haywire, the dog runs away, you couldn't pay a bill, your nice new truck got broke into overnight, the lawn is sprouting weeds and the mower needs repair and you've just found out that your place of employment is downsizing.

Its no wonder that sometimes daily lives can become overwhelming. Its enough to drive a person crazy. Sometimes it does, sometimes we just break down. Yet basically people find ways to work through the absurdities and pressures and we strive to be happy. For some, they aren't taught about the tools or coping skills necessary to help work through life's daily pressures and stress. Perhaps their parents weren't taught to have solid coping skills either. We can begin to turn to outside influences. Befriending a person who is of good character and influence makes for a good example. Usually a positive influence talks the talk and walks the walk. Just as negative influences will have negative effects. Other influences can be forms of overdone stimulation, like drugs, alcohol, gambling, sex, overeating etc. People do these things in order to feel better and to help forget the negatives in their lives. Its an easy way out of dealing with the pressures and not living life on life's terms.

We convince ourselves that we need this outside stimuli in order to feel good about ourselves. But we don't and its only temporary. We usually regret this later on after a bad habit has become an addiction. Maybe, at this point of your life, yours isn't exactly what you had hoped it would be. You may even think of your life as a mess. That's not okay. Unless you've given up on yourself and your life, we all have a responsibility to ourselves and our loved ones. People who have set goals, achieved things, created a life with structure and purpose always feel more complete and happy. If all you do is wake up everyday, do drugs or drink alcohol, you don't do anything constructive, your life will become one stagnant, sad existence. Even in the face of loss, due to a tragic storm, foreclosure on your home, loss of your job, loss of a loved one, whatever the case.

People can and will always rebuild themselves and their lives. Its in our innate nature to survive. To come full circle and back to a plateau of stability. You may not get back everything material you've lost and may not achieve every goal you've had on your bucket list. But by aiming high to reach your goals, you will certainly land above where you are now. Fighting the "good fight" to survive and exist in a state of gratitude or completeness is not an unrealistic aspiration. All things are possible when we believe in it enough to try. Your goal isn't perfection, but progress, day to day, month to month, year to year.  If you can look back and see that progress, know you're moving on, you gain fortitude and motivation which gives you wings. You're doing fine. As you progress, you compare life now with life 6 months ago or even a year ago. You see the progress you've made. It feels good and gives you direction and structure. Which are vital keys to feeling productive, content and living more happily.

*If you're in recovery, and this is your beginning, first off, you are not alone. For some people, the first year of getting back on solid ground, is a case of one step forward two steps back. You may finish the first few weeks not noticeably advanced from the day you started your journey. Perhaps you were in such a dense fog of addiction, for so long, that now you feel you are incapable of dealing with everyday life situations. If this is your case, you should embrace that fact and get the help you need. It may take a little longer for someone with that scenario to see improvements, but they will. Inevitably, in such a case, the time it takes to build a solid foundation for recovery is prolonged but still possible. Many of these people aren't ready to move on after a year or even 2 years. That could be your situation. If it is, don't despair. You have already started improving your life by acknowledging that you need to be in recovery. That's awesome! You're building a foundation for that new positive, productive person you will become. If you rush through that foundation then you're sure to regret it when the walls cave in on you. Take the time you need or you may find yourself relapsing and having to begin over again on a new road to recovery.  All life is precious, share your knowledge and help those who need help. You'll be a better person in doing so. Enjoy the day.


Copyright(c)2013.A Hassle Free Life? Dealing With Life's Terms.Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.
 

RISE!

People need to be their best friend instead of their worse enemy. Loneliness and Alienation is a state of mind and can be prevented. You have to channel negative feelings like boredom or hopelessness into something constructive. I tell people this because its true. Once you've decided to commit to a sober and clean lifestyle you can develop forms of thinking that are productive instead of destructive.

You wonder why life sucks for you. You think its all your fault or someone else's. You think you'll never get out of the rut you're in, you are depressed, you feel hopeless, you look down on yourself..... when you reach this point, its time to look up! Change your thinking, transform your life. The choice has always been our own.

"Set yourself free from your addictions"

 

There are many ways to get help if you're in need of it. Some places cost money, some places are free. Because the state of our outlook about our lives depends on our perception of it, its important to remember that there is always hope, there is always help. You have to make the move for yourself in order to get the tools you need to work through the problems you're facing.

 

The wonderful thing about life is WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE. Sometimes things happen in our lives that make us feel useless, hopeless or you may feel like its just not worth living. But you're wrong. We are put here, in this life, for a very short time, when you consider the entire spectrum of the universe. What matters is what we do with the time we are given. Your life isn't meant to be lived in a chaotic, addictive, angry, hateful or unhappy state. You are a loving, giving, spiritual being.

 

Through self pity and a hopeless driven existence you've forgotten how wonderful of a human being you are. Sometimes people just don't want to be hurt so they hide away in addictions. They alienate themselves because they think they won't be hurt by anyone by being that way. But in reality, that person is actually hurting themselves and with some help and support, people in this state CAN change for the better. And live a much more positive life that they truly desire.

 

 

 

So reach out, take it upon yourself to get the help you need. Stop doing things that are bad for you. Stop allowing addiction and falsehood to run your life. Once you believe that there is a better way, a happier way to exist, commit to the change. You can fight off the dependence of addiction, whatever it may be and let go of the fear that you can't live without it. Because you can. 

YOU WILL RISE.   

 

 

 

Copyright(c)2013. Rise! Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

 

 

 

Way Beyond The Time For Change

What if you woke up one morning and realized
you're the dissappointment?

So it's 6:30am and time to wake up. For the longest time you can remember feeling like crap as soon as you became conscious. You would almost come to tears because you knew it was time to get up and face the day. (Same s**t, different day) was how you felt. Until of course you got your fix for the day. Once you started using you loved waking up, because you knew you would be able to get your morning fix and feel right again. Knowing it sounds ridiculous, even sad, that you looked forward to using just so you'd feel right. But sad to say, that's what happens when a person is an addict. Everything seems better when we've had our DOC (drug of choice.)Until things start to fall apart, you get into trouble, or you just ignore your addictive lifestyle. It will keep snow balling out of control, until you realize how altering your thoughts of addiction causes change.

In the beginning of using, we believe its new, satisfying, even exciting to know you're about to get your fix. But after awhile its just an addiction, ball and chain, monkey on your back. It becomes a problem in one way or another. Things start going wrong for you, family and some friends stop coming around you, good relationships fall away, you get into trouble. You know in your heart that you're not living the way you were meant to. What if you woke up one morning and realized you're the dissappointment? The addict thinks how good it would feel to feel right without having to use. Its alarming to know how many are functioning addicts. They go to work and confront the day with confidence. Nothing bothers them, so long as they have their stash so they could bump themselves up (when needed) throughout the day. And no one knew of their ball and chain of addiction. As their addiction progresses, they wanted it even more, to feel this way clean. Although they love the way their drug of choice made them feel, they knew in their hearts this could not last. The addict comes to a fork in the road of their lives. They wonder why things don't go better for them.They will either get help and stop using and change their lives for the better or they will continue down their road of self destruction and give up on themselves. That is such a shame and a waste because life itself, is a gift.

Example photo:
Left pic is how Ann looked at
her worst time as a addict.
Right pic is how she
looks now clean
and happy.

In this example this addict decided to stop killing themselves and changed for the better. So how do they feel now? Now that they are no longer using? Since it's been about a year now they actually do feel good when they wake up. It took looking inside of oneself and some attitude adjustments to change the negative feelings into positive ones. Alot of meetings and positive readings. But when you want something so bad it hurts, you'd be surprised how strong you can become. For most, what they've learned was that they have to change how they feel about their lives, about themselves. It can take some time, but it can be accomplished. When the addict gets sick of being sick, realization of knowing you need to change is the first step to recovery.

Humans can achieve alot more than they think they can once they get passed the fear of being without the addiction and giving themselves a chance to achieve a better way of living. If we think of the possibilities instead of the obstacles, focus on the things we want, NOT the things we don't want, attract the positive, we can do wonders with ourselves and our lives. But you have to be willing to look at yourself, see what you've become, know you ARE more than your addiction or a quick fix. For the amount of people in the U.S. alone, all of the experience people have gained going through recovery and overcoming their addictions, still those who are stuck in their addictions will rarely heed the advice of those who've been through it and have come out on the otherside, free of their addiction. When the fear of getting high becomes greater than the fear of being clean, you'll know it's way beyond the time for change.

Enjoy the day.

Written by Sherrie Vitello/inserts by Celeste Vitello(c)2011.Way Beyond The Time For Change.All Rights Reserved.

                  

Shadow of my Pen            

Shadow of my pen
caught my tired eye
Writing without reason
Follows my desire
Walk along beside me
Tip by tip we blend
Feeling all the rhythm
Flowing through my hand

All the letters bouncing
A bigger life than I
As my pen it dances
Where I choose to fly
Will I share my passion?
To keep my dream alive
Or will I let it slip?
Without the will to try



Stumbled down I have
Lied there reaching out
For anything to help me
Understand what life's about
Now I see this purpose
It has brought me to my knees
But this never ending circus
Keeps me in displease

Still I keep on writing
Through my sense of doubt
Just so I can show you
What I think life's about.

Taken from her book; an inspirational read that touches on emotions, realization & acceptance with the dilemma of addiction:  Through This Addicts Eyes  By:  Celeste Vitello
(Thanks for reading!)Read more & find it here:  http://bit.ly/Throughthisaddictseyes

Beating Your Addiction - How Do You Make Changes for the Better?

These steps really work. If you've been to NA or AA meetings then you know the do's & don'ts that are meant to help you stay clean & sober. Sure it takes commitment & hard work BUT you can be successful at depleting your addiction & staying clean. Plus the benefits of participating in these activities goes above & beyond just staying clean & sober. The health benefits both mentally & physically are phenomenal. Putting this into your daily lifestyle will make it become habit. A good habit too. As you progress with your routines if you start to feel like you're getting bored with the samething day after day...well, change it up alittle. But don't give up on it. Never give up on yourself. You are totally worth the effort. You deserve to live a happy life. You only get one, so make it count. Let go of the past mess ups, absurdities, addictions & guilt. Start a new life for yourself & loved ones Now! You'll find that as you go along with your changes, it does get easier to overcome the triggers & cravings. At times you may feel as though you're getting no where, but know this, with every effort you put into changing your lifestyle the stronger you get & more results you'll see as you go.  Learning to love yourself can seem difficult but given a chance you will learn to live & let go. And you'll be so much happier, you'll be able to deal with situations as they come along. Whether good or bad. You will have faith in yourself even more so. Its a matter of YOU taking the steps to MAKE the changes. It's your choice, you can't place blame on anyone or anything else. If you truly want to live a addiction free life...then make the choice to do so.

There IS Hope - Never Give Up!

When we are in our addiction..we believe that we are alright. We fool ourselves into thinking that we are doing fine. We have our drink or drug of choice & the world seems surmountable. But whats really going on with us is, we are headed for a "head on collision" with life. We WILL hit bottom at some point. Hopefully it won't be at the medical examiners office. If we're lucky we will have a rude awakening...in jail. Or perhaps with a friend who will have the courage & love for us to tell us we need to STOP KILLING OURSELVES! If we're sick enough of being sick, we'll listen, get help & change our lifestyle. We will realize that we can exist without our addiction. We will learn to overcome the triggers & cravings that can cause us to relaspe. We will see that we were so wrong about how we saw our lives & we will do all we can to make it better & to make ammends for all the wrong we did to our loved ones & others. Eventually as life happens...we will have the opportunity to help someone else that is walking the same path we just walked. We will reach out to help them. And once we've helped them & we see that our efforts were not in vain..at that moment we'll realize just how fortunate we are to have come through the haze of our addiction. There is always hope! Never give up!  

How Addiction Effects Our Life of Purpose.

"The purpose of life is a life of purpose" When I read this quote I realized that this is what everyone needs to live by in order to feel content, gratitude and happy about their lives. Having a purpose. When a human-being has no purpose in their lives they are much more susceptible to staying or becoming addicts. Be it drugs, alcohol, over-eating, over-shopping, to name a few. Everyone of us feels the need to have purpose, be needed, feel worthy, have approval, even being looked up to. When we lack those feelings we feel empty inside and we tend to "make up" (sort of speak) for that emptiness. We do that by developing habits. Some people develop good habits and some people develop bad habits. When we are addicts we need to stop the bad habit and replace it with a good habit. So its stand to reason that when a person doesn't have these emotional-tanks filled to some degree, they are more likely to fall off the path of staying clean and sober.

We must continue at all costs to strive to have purpose in our lives. It won't be given to us. With purpose we are given the air under our wings that lifts us up away from our unhealthy addictions. Why does having a life of purpose effect us so much? I did some research about this and found some very interesting facts about how "purpose" effects our brains. Because of our limbic system located in our brains. This part of our brain directs emotion and behavior. The limbic system sets the emotional tone of information before it reaches the cortex, where most of our thinking and learning takes place. Our limbic system interprets and directs emotions and behavior. Then these emotions are sent to the cortex where it is processed. When we have purpose in our lives we have emotions of fulfillment and contentment. This is a positive state of mind and our limbic system interprets this as positive information.

Which gives us a feeling of purpose and directs our behavior to achieve and meet our goals. Of course when our feelings get hurt or we have emotional trauma in our lives, it makes us feel unhappy as if we have no purpose at all. Especially when we have not learned how to cope with or deal with negative situations very well. These kinds of emotions can lead us to finding ways to comfort ourselves, over eat, self medicate or drink too much, to forget how we're really feeling. And this happens alot to alot of people. Now think for a moment just how using drugs, alcohol or overeating (which are the 3 most common forms of addiction) will effect us. First by using artificial stimulus (some-thing external that influences an activity such as drugs, alcohol, over eating) we end up saturating our brains due to the overflow of chemicals. Drugs, alcohol or overeating effect our brains by acting to enhance or interfere with the activity of neuro- transmitters and receptors within the synapses of the brain.

Our brains are made up of neurons ( aka nerves) so whatever drugs or chemicals we put into our bodies will get to our brains but the effects are destructive not productive. This is why after so many years of drug addiction, alcoholism or over eating the effects on our brains and bodies start to take over. We've all seen people that have been addicts for a long time and the abuse they subject their bodies to, the end results are unpleasant to see. Whenever you think about something, sense something or do something, what is happening at the level of the brain is that various neurons are sending information to one another concerning what you are thinking, sensing or doing. It is at the level of this inter-neuron communication that most drugs have their effects. Either by over stimulating or preventing proper function. So the idea that we are making ourselves feel better by continuing with an addiction is in reality a harmful and false state of mind. And we cause more damage to our brains than we truly know or want to admit to.

Because our addictive thinking has clouded our reasoning and doesn't want us to stop being addicts. It's a demon we have to fight in order to gain control over our health and quality of life. When you really think about how addictions effect your brain and body to this degree. You can build on that knowledge of how to start stopping your addiction. We all know that addiction isn't good for us. But when we step back and see the true damage and we learn how our addictions really hurt us and how it disrupts our lives. We can then see that it's up to us as an individual to stop blaming everyone and everything else, take responsibility for your actions and to get the help
needed to stop being an addict. To allow ourselves to gain control and achieve a positive lifestyle, state of mind and a happier life. It is only when the addict can addmit they have this problem, they can't fix it alone and they reach out for help that they are truly on the path to recovery. We can then understand the true meaning of "getting high on life!"  Enjoy the day.

Thank you for reading, please pick up your FREE gift:   Discover Your Life Purpose
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  Copyright(c)2011-2012. How Addiction Effects Our Life of Purpose. Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

Addiction and Denial - The 2 Components That Make Up Addiction.

   I was researching some ideas about articles on addiction and I came across Dr.  Robert Lefever's video's. I reviewed a few of them and found that they really focus on the indepth problems of addiction. The how's, why's, what can be done, how can I help myself, etc. The 3 most common addictions are alcohol, drugs, and eating disorders(both anorexia & bulimia.) The one thing I found was although we don't recognize it when we're actively in our addiction, we do have control over what happens to us. Once we accept the fact that we need to get help. We can overcome the powers of the addiction. But we first have to acknowledge and except that we need help to fight our problem.

Take a moment and have a look at this video, which is informative and very helpful for any of us either just beginning to get clean and sober or to help us stay on track of our sobriety. Dr.  Lefever makes some really "right on the head" points. He knows what will work for addicts who want to change for the better. He himself was an addict for 21 years, he didn't think he had a problem either, like alot of addicts think. Until the pain of his addiction was so bad that he had to make a change. Watch the video, you'll see what I mean. It just might help to get someone back on the right track to living instead of killing themselves.
Thanks for watching and reading my post. Enjoy the day!

Dr Robert Lefever-MA, MB, B Chir. - In 1986, Founded The PROMIS Recovery Centre, which pioneered and developed a new approach combining the benefits of several proven therapeutic models. The approach was so radical it was initially met with scepticism by the medical press. However, word rapidly spread, through patients’ recommendations, that the approach was miles ahead of anything else available. We quickly established ourselves as the only place to go.

What Can I Do About CRAVINGS or TRIGGERS?

Steps for Dealing With the Triggers That Lead You Back to Your Addiction

Get off the Addiction Ride to No Where!

Ok, you've made your choice. You've decided to stop using drugs or drinking alcohol. You believe in going to meetings for support, you read all the material written about addictions, you've decided to stay away from friends that use or drink and you're determined, this time, to make it. To not be an addict any longer. You want to wake up feeling good about living without having to pop a pill or take a drink of alcohol. Things are going ok, but could be better. You still have the "CRAVING MONSTER" on your back. You come into situations, whether negative or positive, that use to be triggers that made you use or drink before. Whether it is a happy time, a cook-out event, visiting relatives or friends, you use to have a drink, pop a pill, snort or shoot your drug of choice. But now you have to deal with these events without falling back on your addiction. It sucks! It's hard, but you tell yourself you're not going to give into those cravings or triggers. Sometimes when we are deciding to truly stop using or drinking, we fear knowing that we will have withdrawal symptoms, we think that we can't survive without our drug or drink of choice. We miss and desire that first hit feeling we get when we use or drink. It's very powerful. This is where we face our demon. Whether it's drugs or alcohol, we have to face this craving and deal with it properly. How many times have you had that strong craving for either your drug or drink of choice, even after a long time of being clean or sober?

"I'm not giving into this craving!"

You've been thru detox, you've been weaned off of your drugs or alcohol, you're clean, sober, straight, dry however you call it. So why are you still experiencing these cravings? Sometimes it's so strong that you think you'll fall back into your addiction. Sometimes people do. But you are at the end of your rope of using or drinking. You want the desire for this addiction gone! What can you do? When you crave your drugs or drink, you need to deal with the craving quickly. If you don't you can find yourself right back in the same chaos of using or drinking again. Feeling this craving, desire, hunger for, compulsion doesn't mean you have to give into it. You can start by reducing the things you use to do that would always be a trigger for you to use or drink. You will have to stay away from certain places and friends that influence you to stay in the addictive behavior. A true friend would not try to make you use or drink, when they know you're trying to quit. Cravings happen to everyone when they are changing their addictive ways into non-addictive ways. But they do eventually stop being so over bearing. By getting into things that are positive influences for you is another way to curb cravings and triggers. Start by developing a healthier outlook towards your life. Start by learning to live a more balanced life. Remember this most of all. Just because you have a craving or you come into a trigger moment, doesn't mean you have to use or drink. You don't have to give into it. Change your behavior and you'll change the addiction.

"I'm so glad you spoke with me...I feel better now."

If you have a sponser call them right away for support. They can be very helpful to you. If you go to meetings, get to one. Find comfort from your spouse or good friends, just talking about how you're feeling can help the craving subside. The power of prayer can help. Take a moment to recall all of the problems you have had because you were drunk or too high. Occupy your mind with something fun that doesn't involve using or drinking. Play a game with your children, go to a park and run thru the exercise routines along the path. Go see a movie you're interested in watching. Play tennis, go swimming. Get into playing a sport like baseball or bowling and go play. Paint that area in your home thats in need of a lift. Rearrange your furniture. Take a hot shower or bath. Whatever you choose to do that can help you to take your mind off of that craving. Learn to fall back on those things instead of giving into your craving. You'll find that when you stick with this method it really does work. Because cravings are fleeting. Exercising is a perfect way to get rid of cravings. Because exercising releases chemicals in our brains such as Endorphin, which helps to decrease stress, gives us a euphoric feeling, and helps to decrease appetite(for those trying to lose weight)and improves our immunity system. Serotonin is another neurochemical released in our brains when we exercise. It is a natural mood enhancer and decreases symptoms of depression. BDNF aka brain derived neurotrophic factor also released into the brain when we exercise. It has been shown to help reduce the symptoms of depression and also enhance brain health and memory.

There are many other ways to feel good naturally without having to use a chemical or drink alcohol. Think of all the things you can do sober. Its also a hell of alot healthier for us. Over time people are successful and they find their own strategies for dealing with their cravings and triggers, and you can too. But when we first start out it would be better for us to have support from others that have been there and done that, and are now no longer addicts. Thats the main goal. You want to no longer be an addict. You want to find ways to overcome your cravings and triggers. I guarantee you this, if you truly want to no longer be an addict, by following the above advice, it will work, if you just give it a chance to work for you. After all when you can wake up everyday and start your day without having to use or drink. You face the day with a positive outlook. You feel good physically and emotionally. You can handle the routine of life-pressures that will always be there. You know you are able to handle life on a clean, sober, capable, positive mind. When you know you don't need or want to drink or use any longer, its a thing of the past. Then you'll know you can handle your cravings and triggers. With each day that goes by, you get stronger and those cravings and triggers get weaker. You gain control over yourself. You are truly happy and grateful. Take it one day at a time. You can do it. Enjoy the day.



For other inspirational reading visit: http://myselfselfhelp.blogspot.com
Read more about the benefits of Exercise at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/320144-does-exercise-release-a-chemical-in-the-brain/#ixzz1c2e6POQr


Copyright(c)2011.What Can I Do About CRAVINGS or TRIGGERS? Written by Sherrie Vitello. All Rights Reserved.

We Weren't Put on this Earth to Exist in a Haze of Addiction

How often in our addictions have we thought about how much longer we could last doing this to ourselves? If you're like most people you've probably thought about it enough to recognize that you have a problem. There is no shame in knowing you have an addiction. The shame is knowing you have an addiction and doing nothing about it. Addiction effects so many people in many forms, everyday. So it's not something new to society. We all know of the destruction addiction causes us when we don't turn away from it. Why we begin to use drugs and alcohol we all know it's due to something lacking in our lives, a way to soothe our minds, something lacking in our character, or the way we may have been raised. We all need to have an outlet to relieve some of the daily pressures we face in our lives. But we don't need to take the easy way out and use drugs and alcohol for this reason. 

Sure it's easy to get drugs and alcohol. Alot of our friends and family may contribute to the ease of obtaining it. Perhaps thats why we use it so easily, because it's so easy to come by. Remember...just because man has legalized alcohol and it's easy to get, doesn't mean it's there for us to abuse. It's countless how many people abuse it everyday. Just because there are drugs available on the streets in every city, doesn't mean we have to go get them.  Just because some of our "friends" use drugs and alcohol doesn't mean we have to use them. Besides "true friends", those who really care about you, don't push there addictions on you. How many of us have had "friends" like that in our lives? 

For some people growing up was difficult, alot of bad things happened. Some people didn't have the kind of parents that would tell them of the dangers in the world. Some people grew up with all the material things they wanted, but not the emotional building blocks they needed. Some grew up with loving caring parents who did all they could to protect their children from the threats of the world....and still these children have tried drugs and alcohol. They believe they found a way to ease the discomfort and pain that comes with life. For the lucky ones who tried drugs or alcohol once or twice and found it was not for them, they were able to stay away from addiction. So why did addiction effect those who didn't want to walk away from it?  Why are so many able to just say no?  Could it be that we are born with some sort of brain damage? Something deep inside that medical science has yet to find a cure for?

Is addiction purely an emotional hook?  Whatever the case may be we as human beings have the ability to make a choice. We choose the road we want to walk, no one else can do that for us. The ones that took alittle longer to learn that drugs and alcohol were no good for them, got addicted easily. It's a difficult cycle to break free from, especially once we believe we can't live without it.  But we can!  We weren't put on this earth to exist in a haze of addiction.
Someone very close to me once wrote: "When the pain of getting high...is greater than the fear of getting clean, you'll be ready for change."  How many of you have reached that point?  Be honest with yourself and read that quote again.  These questions in this post are here for you to ask yourself and answer honestly. If you really want your life to change, for the better, then you have to get serious about your addiction and let it go.  It can be as easy as turning your back to it and walking away. The help is there. Are you ready? 

Written by: Sherrie Vitello
Copyright (c)2011 We Weren't  Put on this Earth to Exist in a Haze of Addiction. All Rights Reserved.
        

The Choice Is Yours.

We all know that planning ahead is always a good idea. Although sometimes in our lives things just pop-up unexpectedly.  What I'm talking about is your future. When I was growing up no one ever discussed with me the ideals of having a successful career, or going on to college.  I wished they did.  As I grew older and more independent I remember thinking how great it's going to be to have my own car, party with friends, my own place to live, my independence, no one telling me what to do, earning my own money. 

Although I did acquire all those things...I forgot about having to pays bills, the stress of getting up and going to work, sexual pressures, making sure I had enough money for food. But mostly...how was I going to take care of my 3 beautiful little girls?  Sure I did the marriage thing, had children, got divorced.  Then it was up to me to make it through each day, this time with my 3 baby girls. What was I going to do?  I've pretty much learned early in life that it's better to count on yourself then other people. Of course sometimes your family or close friends can be a life saver. 

I was determined to be able to take care of my girls. At that time...that bottle of wine was getting better looking everyday. Since I married young and began a family young(like alot of folks), all that thinking of being on my own, having my own place to live, supporting my own life, was now a distant memory. Now I had to think about surviving the bills, supplying food and meeting the needs of 3 daughters. Yup...I was in control. (Not!!) The point I'm making here is things in life can happen unexpectedly or planned. It's really up to what choices we make in our lives. 

If we decide to marry young, we can put off creating a family and continue with careers, schooling etc.  We can continue getting our lives together so our futures won't be an unexpected happening.  Or stay single and do the same thing. Again...choice is always up to us.  So what are you going to do?  You can only use drugs and alcohol so long before it catches up to you. By way of physical destruction, emotional hangovers, break downs, or death.  Or you can choose a better way. Plan for a better future. You, as individuals, are worth pursuing a better way of life. 

This is one thing about the American Way, I love. We have a choice to end up on the streets or living in a decent place. Once we realize that using drugs and drinking alcohol is a road to destruction, we can begin to heal ourselves by breaking the habit. But again...it's your choice.  I know 'the addicts thinking' will say: "...it's because of that, or this person that I'm like this..."  WRONG!  We each made the choice to take that drink and to do those drugs ...remember?!...and now you're so screwed up that you can't even reason clearly
as to how you got this way. Now it's your choice to get yourself out of this hell you're living or stay that way and end up where you really don't want to be.  It's a difficult process...it's not easy, I'm not going to bullshit you.  But you MUST remember...you are worth having a good life and being happy. Yes, you can be happy. Once you get your head out of the clouds and come to alittle clarity, you'll begin to see that there is a better way of living. So it's up to each of us, individually, to make our choices for our lives. I hope that all of us can make a positive choice, a good choice for all concerned. 

We weren't put on this earth to exist in the haze of addiction.  We can have control over our lives, if we just stick to being good to ourselves and caring about how we live. Put out the effort to create a better life. It will happen. The choice is yours.

Written by: Sherrie Vitello,  Enjoy the day.

Parents and The Addict-Child

Parents blame themselves alot of the time when their child has been found out to be using drugs or alcohol. We wonder 'what did we do wrong?'...'didn't we love our child enough?'...'was it the way I lived my life?' Sometimes this can cause a parent so much stress that they begin using just to keep the guilt away.  Of course, that's not the normal reaction, but it does happen. A parent can begin to feel affraid of their own child. But with diligence, honesty, and reaching out for help, a parent can find ways to help their child.

Often when a child is using they isolate themselves, they withdraw from family. From friends who don't use. They begin to lie to their parents. They can even steal from family members, friends, from work, even from strangers. An addict does these things because the greatest fear an addict has is not being able to feed their addiction. Don't get me wrong not all addicts steal, but there is a majority that do things that they would never do when clean and sober. It can become a nightmare for both addict and the parents.

As the addict-child begins sinking into their down fall of addiction, they may overdose themselves, they have seen friends overdose or maybe even die. They begin to justify why they use. The addict-child will convince themselves that they cannot live without their drug of choice. They convince themselves that their addiction makes their lives feel right. But that's just the addiction taking over. The addicts family feels powerless as well. Eventually the addict will lose everything, they could even get arrested, or end up in the hospital. Hitting bottom is the term for this.

What can a parent do?  It's not an easy ride, that's for sure. Once a parent is sure that their child is using, onething a parent can do is NOT become an enabler. Seek help for dealing with addictions that can be utilized and can help a parent cope and deal with this problem. Their are many resources in our communities that can assist in getting your child back on the right track. But be honest about this to yourself, the child, now an addict will probably go kicking and screaming. It may even take several attempts before the addict-child will see the light. But be diligent, don't give up. Their addiction is usually the addict-childs only way of crying out for help.
Note: These resolves can also help adult-addicts get the help they need.

Written by: Sherrie Vitello