Monday Motivational

 

Greetings to our readers! 

This week’s motivation comes from our friends, the butterflies. Each fall, monarch butterflies in Maine begin an unbelievable journey to a hilltop in Mexico. How do they do it? They focus on the goal, not the difficulties. Each day they take their bearings and set off, allowing their instincts and desire to steer them. They accept what comes, some winds blow them off course, and others speed them along. They keep flying grouped together until, one day, they arrive. 

This week, let’s focus not on what our wings can do separately but what we can accomplish when we work together to achieve our goals.

Happy Monday from your friends at the Credo Community Center!

It matters.

This week's motivation comes from the starfish story. 

A young girl was walking along a beach upon which thousands of starfish had been washed up during a really terrible storm. When she came to each starfish, she would pick it up, and throw it back into the ocean. People watched her and chuckled from afar as she repeated this over and over again. She had been doing this for some time when a man approached her and said, “Little girl, why are you doing this? Look at this beach! You can’t save all these starfish. 

You can’t begin to make a difference!” The girl seemed crushed, suddenly deflated. But after a few moments, she took a breath, bent down, picked up another starfish, and hurled it as far as she could into the ocean. 

Then she looked up at the man and replied, “Well, I made a difference to that one!” This week, let’s remember even if you a receiving resistance, laughs, or criticism it is important to keep moving because making a difference to even just one can save a life. 

It matters to that one.

The Drug Laws That Changed How The US Punishes

There was a very interesting report this morning regarding the Rockefeller Drug Laws on the National Public Radio's Morning Edition entitied The Drug Laws That Changed How The US Punishes: Tough-on-crime policies enacted 40 years ago in New York became the new normal across the country.
Please take a few minutes to read the article or listen to the comentary at: http://www.npr.org

Credo Family Support Group

Did you know that the Credo Community Center offers a Family Support group free of charge?

The Family Support Group at the Credo Community Center offers family members of loved ones struggling with addiction the opportunity to have an outlet to share your experiences, ask questions about addiction, and network with other family members in support & hope. Groups are hosted at our Outpatient Clinic located at 595 West Main Street in Watertown.

Recovery is not just a journey for the addict but also to the family impacted as well. It is important for family members to stay informed and knowledgeable so that they may be empowered with information when dealing with difficult situations that may arise with their loved one who has an addiction. In addition, Family Support Group is an excellent opportunity to grow your support network and learn from other individuals who may have experienced some of the same events that you are facing. 

Addiction is a family disease. We can help.

Please view the brochure for our Family Support Group and find out ways that you can connect for support and guidance as a family member. 

Wishing you a very Credo Holiday

Greetings readers!

On any given week the Monday Motivational usually comes from a fun story I find that teaches a funny little lesson out of something either difficult or funny.

This week's motivation is inspired by the Christmas Eve Mass at the Emmanuel Church here in Watertown which is something a tad bit more local.

When I walked into church on Christmas Eve I had the wonderful experience of being able to see poinsettias all around the alter. They were gorgeous with bright red leaves and some sprinkled with glitter. These poinsettias accented the happy spirit and candles so well for the evening before Christmas. As I was taking a look at them I really began to think of all of the many things I was appreciative for this past year.

After taking my seat I began to thumb through my program. During a few occasions I saw Clients from the women's house smile and say hello to me and also had the opportunity to be at the receiving end of a hug from a parent who attends our Family Group here at Outpatient. I know we often joke that sometimes it never feels like we leave work but truly it was a Credo family affair at the Candle Light service.

Before the service started I resumed looking through my program to find the list of memorials and honorary for the poinsettias that had just made me reflect about what I was grateful for. I scanned the list to see the names of my great grandparents and other people who I recognized. Last but certainly not the least at the very bottom of the program it read:

"In Honor of...Our Friends From Credo, Given By. Anonymous"

I thought for this week's motivation I would attach a copy of the program and also the beautiful poinsettias for everyone to enjoy. As I was admiring the beautiful leaves and thinking about what I was grateful for it was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture for someone to be thankful for everything that we do for the people we help.

This week, I encourage everyone to look for signs that remind you Credo is so special. They may not be as clear (especially on rough days) as the writing in the program but the next time you see a poinsettia in person I hope you remember that this holiday season "Anonymous" was touched enough by the services Credo provides to name a poinsettia in our honor and to call us their friends.

Synthetic Marijuana

As if parents did not already have enough to worry about, with 43% of high school seniors reporting having used drugs at least once, now there is synthetic marijuana -- a product legally marketed as herbal incense that will reportedly get you high if you smoke it.
If your child is using the "legal bud" or the "fake weed" products, you should be concerned.

Synthetic Marijuana Gaining Popularity
Fake weed products are legal, and their use has grown since they were first introduced in 2002. They don't trigger a positive result on a urine drug test and are marketed as being "100% organic herbs," insinuating that they are natural and completely safe.

Legal, But Not Natural
The truth is, none of the products on the market are completely natural. They all have been found to contain various synthetic cannabinoids, chemicals produced in laboratories originally to help scientists study the cannabinoid system in the human brain.
These chemicals are indeed completely legal, so far, but what effect they may have on the human body is a mystery. No studies have been published testing the effects of the chemicals on users, so we know nothing about their possible side effects.
Even the online stores that promote and sell the legal weed products do so with disclaimers such as "we make no claims in regards to the effects of these products on the human body, mind or soul."

Street Names of Synthetic Marijuana
There are dozens of products today that are being sold as herbal smoking blends, legal bud, herbal smoke, marijuana alternatives, fake weed or herbal buds. Some of the brand names of the synthetic marijuana products include: Blaze, Blueberry Haze, Dank, Demon Passion Smoke, Genie, Hawaiian Hybrid, K2, Magma, Ninja, Nitro, Ono Budz, Panama Red Ball, Puff, Sativah Herbal Smoke, Skunk, Spice, Ultra Chronic and Voodoo Spice.

For More Information or to Read this entire Article go to: http://alcoholism.about.com/od/tipsforparents/a/legal_bud.htm

New - Family Support Group

Credo Community Center for the Treatment of Addictions is very pleased to announce we have added The Family Support Group to our already vast variety of group settings. The Family Support Group is designed for adults who have been impacted by alcohol or substance abuse by family members. The Family Support Group will be held at the Credo Community Center Outpatient Clinic located at 595 West Main Street in Watertown NY, 13601. The first group will be held on September 12th, 2011 from 5:45pm - 6:45pm and will continue on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month at the same time. Please feel free to contact us for any additional information at (315) 788-1530. This Group is open to the community and there is no fee to participate.