Blog Archives

How to Tell Your Story

9/29/2014

This blog was written by:
An anonymous attendee of the Recovery Summit on September 19th

How do we tell our story? How do we even begin to talk about our story? To speak words out loud for others to hear? Just that can be scary. By talking out loud, we are opening up. We are sharing our deepest fears, our deepest secrets, and our deepest dreams. We have suddenly become vulnerable.
Now that is scary.

What will this person think of me if I am completely open and honest? Will they accept me? Will they criticize me? Will they think there is something wrong with me? These thoughts cross our minds, especially when we care what that other person thinks of us. For example, as I sit here, I am already contemplating how much of “my story” that I want to tell. Do I tell a story? Or do I stay vague and keep from getting personal?

Story time: it was my first sleep over. We are curled up in blankets and chatting the night away. Out of nowhere, I blurt a VERY embarrassing question. I immediately regret asking such a question the second the words leave my mouth! How stupid was I? I do not know this person THAT well. We were in the beginnings of the “friends” stage. And here I am, completely vulnerable, holding my breath and waiting for an answer. Thank goodness they answered easily. They did not judge me. They did not think I was weird. It turns out that they had the same thoughts and we were able to have a pretty good conversation on an embarrassing subject.

What is my point? In order to tell your story, you must first take the risk and begin talking. Who do you talk to? That is completely up to you, whether that be a friend, family member or a counselor. A very wise person once explained that while we may be sitting there worried about what that person is thinking of us - that person is on the other side having those same thoughts!

How do you tell your story? In your own words and through your own experiences. Sometimes it is self-healing to share your words. You can educate others. Your shared experiences can help others understand what you are going through. Addiction is a foreign subject to me. Well, I take that back. Alcoholism runs in my family. Frankly, alcohol scares me. I have reached several instances in my drinking, looking in the mirror and not liking the reflection that appeared back at me. It brought back too many bad memories. Memories that I did not want to relive in my current life. I have control now. I can stop from going down that path.

You have control. Whether you believe that or not, you can make a decision each day. Each day is a new day. And I dare you to tell your story. Find a person and start sharing your story. Maybe the next person you talk to will be the person who helps you stumble to the path that you only wish to seek.

It Helps to Be Prepared

9/16/2014

This blog was written by:
Patti Waits, M.Ed., LPC, LICDC (ADAMH Consumer and Family Advocate)
&
Jamie Cook (ADAMH Public Relations Assistant)

It’s hard to think ahead to a potential weather disaster when the sun is still shining and the temperatures are warm. In fact, over the past summer I found it easy to imagine that it might never rain here again when I was desperately trying to save my wilting tomato vines and drooping front stoop flowers. But what happens when my desperate rain-dance is a little too effective? How do you prepare for the unexpected?

Is it really going to happen here?

In Fairfield County, where we’re nestled near the Hocking Hills, it’s easy to get comfortable with our fairly mild weather. We’ve been lucky to avoid most of the major disasters that have devastated near-by states. But, two years ago the unexpected happened when the Doracho moved through central Ohio. For some residents, it simply meant going back to basics as we waited for our power to be turned back on and our roofs to be patched. But for others, the disruption in their daily lives and the community services they receive was devastating.

Why do I need to be prepared?

Experts in disaster preparedness say that the more prepared you are for an emergency or crisis, the safer and more comfortable you’ll be until help arrives. That means that everyone should maintain some supplies on hand in case of a weather disaster. It’s especially important for people with disabilities or special health needs to be prepared for the unique challenges they could face when basic services are not available. Electricity, water, sewer, and telephone services could all be compromised in the event of a big storm. As we’ve seen in the past, it could take a few days to have some of these services turned back on. Having a plan in place can help you get through an emergency more safely.

What do I need to do to be prepared?

It’s important to plan to make it on your own for at least three days. Make the plan, write down the plan, and share it with family, friends, care givers, and others in your personal support system. Aim to have at least three dependable people prepared to help you if a disaster strikes.

FEMA recommends that you keep the following things on hand in an “emergency supply kit”:

Water (one gallon per person per day)
Food (a 3 day supply of non-perishable food)
Radio (battery powered or hand-crank powered)
Flashlight and extra batteries
First Aid kit
Whistle
Dust mask
Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties
Wrench or Pliers
Can opener

It maybe also be important to consider any special health concerns you face, so that your access to your medications is not compromised by the disaster.

Hopefully the most severe weather disaster we face in the coming years is wilted plants and dried out lawns. However, should the unexpected happen, these tips can help you feel confident that you will be able to face the challenges of a disaster.

Additional Resources:

Federal Emergency Management Agency -- http://www.fema.gov
Fairfield County Emergency Management Agency -- http://www.fairfieldema.com
Fairfield County Sheriff's Office -- http://www.sheriff.fairfield.oh.us

Detox and Inpatient Treatment

9/4/2014

This blog was written by:
Anonymous

My experience in detox was a good one. I was able to get into a program that keeps people anywhere from 3 days to 30. I needed detox because I had not only been strung out on pain pills; I was also addicted to tranquilizers. Those are a little more serious in terms of needing to be withdrawn in a medical environment. With the opiates, I might have wanted to die, but the actual medical threat of that happening was much less serious.

In the intake they went through my belongings and made sure that I was not taking in any drugs, weapons, books, etc. The books we were allowed to read while in the program were AA and NA type literature and not novels or other reading materials. They pretty much wanted us to focus on recovery while we were there.

I was upset when I got to the facility and the doctor there informed me they would be taking away my Klonopin. I had not abused it, I thought, and so could not understand the need for this. He told me that addicts will abuse pretty much any drug that changes their mood, and that Klonopin could indeed change my moods and be addictive.

I had a roommate, another woman who was coming off of heroin .The room was clean and plain, pretty much like you would expect in a hospital environment, even though the treatment center was not a hospital. We were kept busy day and night. We had three good meals a day. We attended morning devotions, lectures, AA and NA meetings, group therapy, and individual therapy. We did have some free time in the evenings, but even that was spent in a group watching movies, or eating pizza or some other treat.

We were not allowed to have sugar or caffeine and for me this was an additional hassle because I am a heavy user of both. I was especially unhappy about the caffeine part. We were allowed to go outside on a patio with supervision, and smoke a few times a day. Not all treatment facilities will allow this. They kept the cigarettes and lighters behind a desk and these were locked up.

The staff there was made up of doctors, nurses, counselors, social workers, and aides. Many of the people on staff were in recovery themselves and this helped me to feel safe. I did not feel judged by the staff, rather I believed they really wanted to help me. Some of them were stricter on the rules than others. Some had a sense of humor, some of them…not so much.

My only complaint about the place I went to was that in the beginning they told me they thought I was “pretty sick” and needed to stay at least 30 days. Then they checked my insurance. I was told how much better I was doing and that a short term stay would be fine for me. They recommended that I do 90 AA meetings in 90 days and released me five days into my stay. While I was a little upset at first, this has turned out to be a true blessing for me. I have been sober and clean now for 7 years. I credit most of that to my twelve step program but had I not had that initial treatment, I might not have followed through.

My advice if you have a chance to go to treatment is go. Listen, pay attention, take their suggestions, focus on yourself and not on other people. Learn about your illness and what you have to do to take care of yourself.

How to Tell Your Story

It Helps to Be Prepared

Detox and Inpatient Treatment

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