April:May 2015 Living Large

By KEVIN MCLAUGHLINDirector of Recovery Allies of West MI

Who is “The Recovery Community”?

Part of my job is to organize the “recovery” community. How can we organize the commu-nity if we don’t know who they truly are. Those who suffer consequences due to a substance addiction do not all look alike, nor are the paths they take to become free of that addiction all the same. The more I learn about recovery and the people in it, the more I learn that the paths out of addiction are varied. I think many of us make an assumption that in general the recovery community is made up of people that have messed up their lives really badly. They have legal issues, medical issues and money issues. There is a certain image that comes to mind when we hear the word alcoholic or drug addict. Unfortunately, this negative image is not only true coming from the general population (those who don’t have negative consequences due to use) but some of those in active recovery as well. If those of us in recovery have a mis-

guided notion of what we look like, how can we expect those that don’t look like that to change? And how can we reach those that don’t fit that description? In an effort to help as many people as pos-sible, we need to change the distorted image we have of those with addiction. . This message is for those in recovery, for those that simply chose not to drink or use drugs, for those struggling in active addiction, and for those who treat people for addiction. Let’s look at the clinical categories for people with addiction. The categories are separated into three groups: mild, moderate and severe. I think that the general population and the treatment industry think of ALL people with addiction as being in the last category of severe. This is due to the fact that by the time this person surfaces for help , they are in the later stages of addiction. Before we go on about the two categories of mild to moderate we need to talk about the three different ways people identify themselves who are no longer using.

Recovery Identity It is important to know that for 5 to 10% of the drinking population (regardless of their

socio-economic status), addiction is a normal side effect of continued use of a drug. Remembering that, lets look at three kinds of recovery identity or association to recovery. First is called recovery neutral. This person says simply “I don’t drink”. They never

connected to the recovery community and never had a need to. They had problems of some sort and just stopped. Typically these people don’t have any trouble saying they “had a few problems” which is why they quit. If asked how long they have been in recovery they may say, “what do you mean?” Labeling it and counting the days isnot a part of quitting for them. Next is the recovery negative identity. For this person it is a bad or shameful thing to be associated with the recov-ery community. This person doesn’t tell anyone they have a history. They fear judgment and stig-matization. For many it’s for good reason. The

employer may change their attitude about an otherwise stellar employee, which may result in a missed promotion or a change in position. But for most, experiences like those aren’t necessary for the feelings of shame to exist. The last group is the recovery positive group. The person in this group is proud of the achievement of such a monumental change in themselves. They have no problem sharing their

story especially in the hopes of helping someone else. Now that we understand how people may think of themselves in relation to no longer using substances, we can look at the mild and moderate groups. The mild to moderate group identifies typically with the recovery neutral group and very often is made up of kids. The group is also made up of young profes-sionals, stay at home moms and dad’s and lastly retired people. I propose that we develop adifferent language to get this group’s attention. If they only have a few consequences it is more likely they will fall into the “recovery neutral” group. If we suggest a lifetime of abstinence we usually lose them. If we say that recovery is a journey and will require a ton of work for a long time we could lose them. If we say they have to change everything especially friends we lose them. So why not change our approach?! We could start by listening to the individual and actually believe them when they say “I don’t think I’m an alcoholic”. They may not be. But

RecoveryALL IES

ADVOCATE • CELEBRATE • EDUCATE

recoveryallies.usKevin McLaughlin, Executive Director

Recovery Community Organization (RCO)Phone: 616-262-8531• Email: [email protected]

J U S T A L I T T L E M O R E CHANGE REQUIRED

See CHANGE page 3

INSIDE THIS ISSUE• Pathways to Recovery

• Recovery Residence List

• Felony Friendly Employers List

• Upcoming Training & Events

• “Not-God” Excerpt

• Rat Park Experiment

• From the Sober Kitchen & Sober Entertainment

For past issues of Living Large, email us at [email protected] and we will send you an electronic copy.

What is a RCO? Recovery Community Organization

Recovery Allies is a grass roots organization that is for the people, by the people. We are considered a “peer run organization” and have 501 c3 nonprofit status. We are funded by individuals and families affected by addiction, by private philanthropy and grants issued by the state for peer run organizations as well as various other organiza-tions that want to see change. We are one of over 95 in the nation at this time and have taken many cues from those that have been doing it for a long time. We Advocate, Cel-ebrate and Educate (ACE). The national RCO Faces and Voices of Recovery have this on their web site: “Recovery community organizations (RCOs) are the heart and soul of the recovery movement. In the last ten years, RCOs have proliferated throughout the US. They are demonstrating leadership in their towns, cities and states as well as on the national landscape. They have become major hubs for recovery-focused policy advocacy activities, carrying out recovery-focused community education and outreach programs, and becoming players in systems change initia-tives. Many are also providing peer-based recovery sup-port services. RCOs share a recovery vision, authenticity of voice and are independent, serving as a bridge between diverse communities of recovery, the addiction treatment community, governmental agencies, the criminal justice system, the larger network of health and human services providers and systems and the broader recovery support resources of the extended community.”

Living LargeAPRIL/MAY 2015 DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN RECOVERY

A PUBLICATION OF RECOVERY ALLIES OF WEST MICHIGAN

For 5 to 10% of the drinking population, regardless of

their socio-economic status, addiction is a normal side effect

of continued use of a drug.

APRIL/MAY 2015 n Living Large 2

RECOVERY RESIDENCESRECOVERY RESIDENCESUNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY HEALTH FIRST STEP HOUSE – WOMAN’S HOME Contact: Rose Simmons Phone: 616-452-3226 Ext. 3037 Mailing Address: 904 Sheldon Ave. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507 E-mail: [email protected] Website: umchousegr.org Home Address: 922 Sheldon Ave. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507

HOUSE OF BLESSINGS – WOMAN’S HOME Contact: Shellie Cole-Mickens Phone: Update soon! Address: 938 Humbolt Street Southeast Grand Rapids, MI 49507 918 Hall Street Southeast Grand Rapids, MI 49507

NEXT PHASE – WOMAN’S HOME Contact: Freddy Martin Phone: 616.450.0686 Address: 368 Senora Ave Southeast Grand Rapids, MI 49508

SACRED BEGINNINGS – WOMAN’S HOMES Contact: Leslie Borrego Phone: 616-890-8278 E-mail: [email protected] Home Address: 1165 Hermitage SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 1366 Elliott SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507 Website: www.sbtp.org

STEP FORWARD RECOVERY HOMES Address: Grandville Area Contact: Jo Ringnalda Phone: 616-662-0881

THE COMFORT HOME Address: South East Grand Rapids area

Contact: Ron and Laurie DeBose Phone: 616-459-1930

MY SISTER’S HOUSE (WOMEN IN RECOVERY) Address:761 Bridge Street NW Phone: 616-235-0223

RECOVERY ROAD LLC – MEN’S AND WOMEN’S HOMES Contact: Shelly Demull Website: recoveryroadllc.com Home Address: 961 Alpine NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504 3036 Perry SW Wyoming, MI 49519

HOPE HOUSE – MEN’S HOME Contact: Matt Matlock Phone: 616-915-4664 or 616-246-6369 Mailing Address: 1036 Alexander SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507

NEXT PHASE RECOVERY – MEN’S HOME Contact: Freddy Martin Phone: 616-450-0686 Address: 1145 Alexander SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507

RECOVERY ROAD CHARITIES – TWO HOUSES FOR MEN Address: Alpine and Kentwood locations Phone: 616-915-0594

FAITH CHARITY RECOVERY CENTER – COUPLES HOME Address: 2219 Horton Ave SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507 Contact: Dan or ZoeAnn Phone: 616-247-4744 or 616-808-5106

BUILDING MEN FOR LIFE Address: Ottawa County Contact: Jeff Vantrees Phone: 616-393-2188

TOUCHSTONE RECOVERY Address: 138 Travis St SE Contact: Kevin O’Hare Phone: 616-558-4958, Cell: 734-309-3091THE LODGE Address: 1079 Dahila Ave., Wayland MI 6-bed Men’s Recovery Home with live-in recovery coach. Contact: Katherine O’Hare Phone: 616-558-4958

PINE REST JELLEMA HOUSE Contact: Derrick Jackson Phone: 616-222-6861 Mailing Address: 523 Lyon Street Grand Rapids, MI 49508

GRAND RECOVERY Address: PO Box 1060, Grand Rapids, MI Contact: Sanford Cummings Phone: 616-516-6537

WHAT IS RECOVERY? FIVE CLASSES OF RECOVERING INDIVIDUALSBy Recovery Research Institute This article was published in the Recovery Research Institute’s March newsletter (http://www.recoveryanswers.org to subscribe). The article and study supports the idea that we need to open ourselves up to who recovers and how. It is a little biased…however they recognize the bias in the “For Scientist” bullet point. That indicates the shift in recognizing that who we are asking to take these surveys are usually people “in recovery” and even more important, have a twelve step background. We are starting to be able to reach people that otherwise would not even bother to respond to “recovery survey” simply by recognizing that they exist. Recovery, as defined by the Betty Ford Institute Consensus Panel, refers to “a voluntarily maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety, personal health, and citizenship.” However, there are many paths to recovery and ways in which it is conceptualized. Some may define it as a reduction in drug and alcohol use so as to not disrupt daily functioning while others may not identify as being in recovery at all despite long-term abstinence following a past issue with substance misuse. Understanding these different recovery dimensions from the perspectives of those with first-hand experience can inform national and international recovery agendas and policies. Witbrodt and colleagues used data from the “What is Recovery?” project, an internet based survey of 9341 people who identify as being in recovery, having recovered, in medication-assisted recovery (e.g., taking methadone), or having had a problem with alcohol or drugs (but no longer do), to determine how definitions of recovery distinguish the very people they refer to. The survey asked individuals to rate 39 elements of recovery as they pertain to their personal definition of recovery with the following scale: 1) definitely belongs in your definition of recovery, 2) somewhat belongs in your definition of recovery, 3) does not belong in your definition of recovery, but may belong in other people’s definition of recovery 4) does not really belong in a definition of recovery. The recovery elements were then grouped into conceptual domains—abstinence, spirituality, essentials of recovery, enriched recovery, and uncommon elements—for the purpose of the analysis. Elements that were rated as a 1 (definitely belongs) or a 2 (somewhat belongs) were considered to be personally endorsed by participants. The authors derived five classes of participants from the survey data: 12-step traditionalist, 12-step enthusiast, Secular, Self-reliant, and Atypical. The sample (n = 9341) was over half female, and about three quarters of participants were over age 35. Alcohol was the primary problem substance. Three-quarters self-identified as “in recovery”, and most participants were in their self-defined status of recovery for over 5 years. 12-step traditionalists (n = 4912) comprised the majority of the sample and were the most abstinence-oriented group with the greatest

percentages of participants indicating abstinence elements belonged in their recovery definition (see figure 1). Over 90% of participants in this class were currently abstinent from both alcohol and drugs. Eighty-five percent of participants had attended over 90 12-step meetings. This class strongly endorsed spirituality elements. For example, 93% would definitely include “open-minded about spirituality” and 91% would definitely include “feeling connected to a spiritual force” in their definitions of recovery. The strong endorsement of abstinence and spiritual elements mirrors the beliefs of the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. This class strongly endorsed all 15 essential elements of recovery (e.g., “dealing with mistakes” and “taking care of my mental health”) and all 10 enriched recovery elements (e.g., “improved self-esteem” and “learning how to get support I need”) with at least 90% of participants selecting “definitely belongs” for all elements in these domains. Over 80% identified as being “in recovery” (see figure 2). 12-step enthusiasts (n = 2014) were similar to the 12-step traditionalists with strong endorsement of abstinence elements (see figure 1 above). A lower percentage of participants reported abstinence from both drugs and alcohol (85% for 12-step enthusiasts vs. 91% for 12-step traditionalists) and the proportion attending over 90 12-step meetings was slightly lower for this class (80% for 12-step enthusiasts vs. 85% 12-step for traditionalists). The endorsement of spirituality elements was more moderate as compared to 12-step traditionalists with higher percentages selecting “somewhat belongs”. This class personally endorsed all essential elements, but to a lesser degree (i.e., fewer “definitely belongs” and more “somewhat belongs”) than the 12-step traditionalists. 12-step enthusiasts strongly supported four enriched elements (“process of growth and development, “reacting in a more balanced way”, “taking responsibility”, and “living a life that contributes”) with over 90% selecting “definitely belongs”. Over three quarters identified as being “in recovery” (see figure 2). Secular class members (n = 980) reported lower endorsement of abstinence elements as compared to 12-step traditionalists and enthusiasts (see figure 1). Less than two thirds were abstinent from both alcohol and drugs; about a quarter still consumed alcohol. This class reported less participation in 12-step meetings with only 38% attending over 90 meetings. Endorsement of spirituality elements was relatively low with more responses of “may belong in other’s definition” and “does not belong” than seen with the previous two classes. This class personally endorsed one unusual element—“recovery is physical and mental in nature and has nothing to do with spirituality or religion”—with over three quarters selecting “definitely belongs”

or “somewhat belongs”. Secular members personally endorsed a majority of the essential elements though to a lesser degree than 12-step traditionalists and enthusiasts. Over 90% strongly endorsed half of the enriched elements, including the same four endorsed by 12-step enthusiasts. This class was characterized by younger age and shorter duration of recovery status as compared to the other five groups. Sixty percent identified as being “in recovery” while 20% selected “used to have a problem” (see figure 2). Self-reliant class members (n = 1040) were supportive of the abstinence elements. Over three quarters reported abstinence from both alcohol and drugs. This group had a higher proportion that attended more than 90 lifetime 12-step meetings than the secular group (65% vs. 38%). This group generally endorsed spirituality definitions, but about a quarter selected “may belong in others’ definition” for a majority of these elements. Self-reliant members had low endorsement of essential elements compared to the previous groups. Support for enriched recovery elements was also lower than seen in the previous groups. This class was labeled “self-reliant” due to low endorsement of the following:

“learning how to get support”, “helping other”, “giving back”, “being able to have relationships”, and “having non-using friends”. About two thirds identified as being “in recovery” (see figure 2). Atypical class members (n = 382) had mixed support for abstinence elements with the lowest percentages of the overall study population selecting “definitely belongs” (see figure 1). About two thirds reported abstinence from alcohol and drugs and one quarter still consumed alcohol. Support for spirituality elements was mixed. Over 60% reported that “religious in nature” does not belong in their definition of recovery. Support for essential and enriched elements of recovery was not strong overall. Only half identified as being “in recovery” (see figure 2). This group had the highest reported rate of natural recovery (>10%).

In Context There are approximately 25 million individuals in remission from substance use disorders in the United States alone. Although remission is conceptualized as having met—but no longer meeting—DSM criteria for substance use disorder, this may be conceptually distinct from recovery. However, it appears that few individuals consider themselves as being in

Recovery Status by Class (Figure 2)

Abstinence elements indicated as “definitely belongs” in recovery definition (Figure 1)

Living Large n APRIL/MAY 2015 3

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recovery who are not in remission from SUD. This study provided an important framework for distinguishing between different profiles of recovering individuals through the creation of five classes. As treatment programs and methodologies change over time, so may definitions of recovery. For example, 12-step traditionalists, the largest class in the study, represents an older generation that focuses on following the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. As non-12-step mutual-help groups (e.g., SMART Recovery) become more accessible, recovering individuals may be more likely categorized in the secular group, which in this sample, was generally younger and had fewer years in recovery. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the atypical class constituted the smallest proportion of the sample and had the lowest endorsement for most elements, which points to a group of individuals that is hard to target but who may still be in need of supportive services. While the emergence of different recovery profiles in this study cannot be linked to changes in the addiction and recovery field over time, the findings of this study provide a means for grouping individuals in recovery. With this greater understanding of what recovery means to certain individuals, continuing care and supportive services might be tailored towards specific audiences. Future studies may

look at replicating this methodology with survey data from other populations to see if participants cluster into similar classes. Since 59% of the study population reported alcohol only as their primary substance of choice, it is important to investigate definitions of recovery in populations using primarily other drugs.

Bottom Line • For individuals seeking recovery: It may be important to think about your own definition of recovery so you can seek services that align with your preferences.

• For family members: Treatment services work differently for different people. If your family member in recovery has struggled to attend mutual-help meetings or outpatient appointments in the past, a different mode of treatment may better suit their personal needs and improve results. Recovery elements endorsed by a large proportion of participants in all classes included “being able to enjoy life” and “taking responsibility”. Focusing on common elements such as these can help give you sense of what to encourage.

• For scientists: The recovery classes derived from this study may be specific to this survey population. In order to generalize

these classes to the U.S. population, replication of this study with a representative sample of individuals in recovery would be necessary. For example, a substantial majority of individuals were over 35 years old, though the modal patient in SUD treatment is 29 or younger. After better establishing recovery definitions for a broader population, future studies and programs can incorporate these ideas.

• For policy makers: Understanding the variety of recovery experiences and definitions is particularly important with recent promotion of recovery as “a formal area of focus” by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. This is essential for the expansion of community-based strategies for long-term recovery support.For treatment professionals and treatment systems: Understanding your patients’ definition of recovery may help when targeting the right services for them. In contrast, there are elements of treatment that still might need to be offered irrespective of how a patient defines their recovery.

Source - Witbrodt, J., Kaskutas, L. A., & Grella, C. E. (2015). How do recovery definitions distinguish recovering individuals? Five Typologies. Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

The following is the obituary of one of the most influential people in the field of recovery and addiction treatment Ernest Kurtz. Many of you may have read the book “The Spirituality Of Imperfection” or “Not-God” that he wrote. His contributions were many and he will be missed. There is a video interview of him done by Bill White on williamwhitepapers.com that is very worthy of your time if you are interested in learning more about him and his life.

Kurtz, Ernest 9/9/1935 - 1/19/2015 Age 79, died Monday January 19 of pancreatic cancer at his home in Ann Arbor, MI.. He was the author of Not-God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous (1979), The Spirituality of Imperfection (1992) and Experiencing Spirituality (2014) with Katherine Ketcham, Shame and Guilt: Characteristics of the Dependency Cycle (1981), 90 Meetings in 90 Days (1984), A.A.: The Story (1988), and The Collected Ernie Kurtz (1999), as well as a multitude of monographs and articles on the intellectual significance of A.A., recovery, and spirituality. His collected papers are available at http://www.williamwhitepapers.com/ernie_kurtz/. Ernest Kurtz was born in Rochester, NY, the son of Edward and Josephine Kurzejewski. He entered St. Bernard’s Seminary and College where he earned a BA in philosophy and then entered the priesthood in 1961 and served as a priest in Our Lady of Good Counsel parish in Rochester, New York from 1961 to 1966. He entered Harvard University in 1966, where he earned Ph.D. in the History of American Civilization in 1978. He is survived by his wife of thirty-four years, Linda Farris Kurtz of Ann Arbor, and his sister, Mary Ann Kurtz Allen of Concord, MA. Not God was originally a Harvard doctoral dissertation completed in 1978 and then published as a book by Hazelden in Center City, MN. The book has been read by scores of recovering people and their families as well as researchers and scholars over the years and is still in print. His research in the A.A. Archives was unprecedented and informed much of the A.A. story he told, but in addition, Kurtz’ analysis of the source of A.A.’s ideas, the origins of the “big book,” its development in the Great Depression directed attention to

the fellowship’s historical significance in the larger context of American history. Kurtz’ analysis of A.A.’s spirituality helped many members appreciate A.A.’s understanding of a higher power and the Twelve Steps and to see how they differed from formal religion. Kurtz left the priesthood in the late 1970s and took his first post-Ph.D. teaching position at the University of Georgia in 1979. He taught for many years at the Rutgers University Summer Schools on Alcohol Studies and at the School of Social Service Administration Summer Institutes. He taught briefly at Loyola University of Chicago before becoming Director of Research and Education at Guest House in Lake Orion, Michigan. He later moved to Ann Arbor where he consulted at the Center for Self-help Research and with researchers in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. He will be remembered for his lectures and workshop presentations throughout the United States and the rest of the world, and later for his mentorship to many new scholars in the field and for his contributions to the AA History Lovers webgroup. His work continued up until four days before his death. A memorial service is scheduled for April 22, 2015 1 PM at Dawn Farm on Stoney Creek Road in Ypsilanti. Donations in his honor can go to Dawn Farm at dawnfarm.org/donate-now/

then again they might. I also find that by sharing my path (ie my early reluc-tance to be labeled or join the recovery community,) the ground is laid for further discussion. My experience has been that the more I learn about them and adapt my language to fit their situation, the more engaged in change these people become. Another fascinating thing I’m finding is that many people are “coming forward” and sharing that this is exactly their experience with addiction. Some have failed treatment yet ultimately reached a place of overall well being without “joining” a recovery program. One reason they typically don’t talk about this within recovery communities is that their

experience is often challenged, discredited, or discounted. When coaching a person, seeking wellness and recovery, I absolutely love the response a person, usually young, gives when they hear thesewords: “you may not be an alcoholic”, or “you don’t need to attend a support group to get well,” or “you don’t have to identify with the recovery community or call yourself any-thing other than human.” It is as if a heavy weight is lifted off their shoulders. For those unfamiliar with the history of treatment, labeling is a necessary thing used to establish a system of being able to pay for treatment. To treat someone we need a diagnosis and the ability to measure the effectiveness. Labels

serve a purpose for that goal; let’s use them just for that. I think we should be allowed to define ourselves. We at Recovery Allies have had to open ourselves up to some new and different ideas and facts and then take the next steps and make a sincere effort at changing such things as our language and assumptions of what the recovery com-munity looks like. The result so far is people who don’t fit the image of an alcoholic or drug addict are coming to us and talking. They are doing so because they have a desire to help those that may identify with their story. After saying all this, the funny thing is, it seems like people that don’t identify or relate to those in the recovery community look an awful lot like someone who does……

CHANGE continued from cover

Ernest Kurtz with Bill White

Ernest Kurtz(1935-2015)

APRIL/MAY 2015 n Living Large 4

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1 cup dried banana chips½ cup honey-roasted peanuts½ mini dark chocolate chips

So I was watching a movie starring Matthew McConaughey. He’s got that pearly white smile, that blond hair and a body of a Greek god. So that was the moment. I decided right then and there that if I never exercised I would never look like that. I remembered what happened to the frog who decided to jump off the log. Nothing. All he did was decide. So I paused the movie, got up off the couch, did one push up and one sit up, sat back down and started the movie. Even though I was kind of being funny (it is indeed a true story) I felt immediately like a “part of”, like a member of the group of people that actually do exercise. It was a good lesson. It taught me that a little at a time does it. It taught me that the act of “doing” meant as much to me as the outcome did I eventually got up to three rounds of one and could actually see a little resemblance. You might say that delusions of grandeur were what motivated me at that time. Now I am okay with who I am and don’t hold myself to unrealistic goals – like trying to look like a man that’s ten years younger, blond and a foot taller than me. I eat better and exercise now because I understand something about the relationship my physical body has with the quality of my sobriety. In early recovery, experiencing cravings are common in most people. Some of us had our bell rung so loud that it’s almost like the craving was knocked out of us for a little while. If that’s the case, try to avoid using candy or cupcakes to pat your self on the back. It could come back and bite you in the you-know-what. And that you-know-what will be even bigger, making for an easier target! If, however, you are having powerful cravings, specifically those caused by drug use, they can be tamed by candy or chocolate. At that point, anything is better than using again. The Big Book of Alcoholics says something to the effect of: “to ward off those early cravings, have a little piece of hard candy – it will bring a pleasant sensation to the mind”. True. I’d like to take the liberty and add the word ‘temporarily’. One reason we feel good when we eat sugary foods is because the sugar affects the same part of the brain as does alcohol and drugs. We can get a similar feeling although maybe not so intense. The feeling we get from eating a warm brownie covered with vanilla ice cream topped with hot fudge is wonderful. It just so happens that we find great comfort in food – sweet, salty, crispy, melty food. But mostly sweet. The unfortunate truth is that there are potential undesirable side effects to that approach. So we eat that candy to feel a little better. We eat some more because it works. Things aren’t getting better fast enough in our lives, so we eat some more. It feels good. We haven’t started feeling the results of our sometimes difficult recovery work yet so we still feel the weight of the world on our shoulders. It’s only natural that we desire to feel better. So we reach for more. Then we feel a little guilt. A little weight gain is the first thing we notice. No problem;

we’ll deal with that later. A lack of energy occurs but we don’t necessarily make the connection. After all, we’ve eaten poorly for a while now and gotten by… We experience rapids mood changes but we figure (and very well have been told) that it’s due to our detoxing and part of the withdrawal process. We also have become very irritable. Again we assume this is part of coming back to reality. Lets take a little closer look at it. If I gain a little weight and don’t lose it like I think I will, I need new clothes. If I have financial problems, I can’t go out and get new clothes. But I still need some so I go to a second hand store, find a little something that doesn’t fit so well and my self-esteem goes down just a little more. I already feel bad about myself, but now I feel worse. I think to myself – “boy, recovery is great!” I need to lose weight and I know from my past experience just how to do it…For many using drugs one more time to lose weight is a logical thought process. Besides weight gain, eating sugar and junk foods have three major side effects. When we have a spike in blood sugar, in rushes the glut of insulin, which eats up the extra and then the needed sugar. That’s called a sugar crash. During a crash we have no energy. After a crash we feel even worse. Grumpy is what I was called during this phase. I went from feeling bad, so I ate, to great because I ate, to grumpy because I ate. The peaks are pretty high and the valleys are very low. Discouragement leads to hopelessness. When I’m hopeless I’m much more likely to go back to the old ways. Another fact is that our bodies are usually undernourished. We have received a large percentage of our caloric needs from alcohol (drug users may have experienced no appetite which leads to eating whatever it is we can force down – like ramen noodles or Doritos – usually not something very nutritious). Our bodies need our attention. We need a daily multi-vitamin, a balanced diet made up of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, a proper amount of fiber, low fat protein, and some light exercise. And remember a little change at a time is OKAY! We tend to work on our mental health and our spiritual health but completely and totally forget about our physical health. If you want to stay sober and actually enjoy recovery, listen to your body and get it what it needs!! So when you feel that sugar craving, one great alternative to that cupcake is homemade trail mix. So let me get this straight – I can minimize my chance of relapse and drastically improve my life in early recovery just by trying to look like some famous actor?! Here’s a recipe I found in a book called, The Sober Kitchen written by Liz Scott. It’s loaded with protein, fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin E. It’s a little sweet, a little salty, a little crunchy.

From the Sober Kitchen:So I was watching a movie...

The Sober Chef

If your company hires us folks... please let us know and we will add you to the list!

Living Large n APRIL/MAY 2015 5

UPCOMING TRAINING & EVENTS

RECOVERY COACH TRAININGJune 1st - 5th, 2015 • 8:30am to 4:00pm

282 Leonard NW, Grand Rapids MI 49504-4274SUNDAY Midnight Courage Good Start 8:00am Fellowship Week-Enders - C NOON Freedom Celia Street - C NOON Fellowship Celia Street 12:30pm Unity Women’s Way - C 5:30pm Fellowship Fifth Tradition 6:45pm Fellowship Big Book Study MONDAY Midnight Courage Good Start 6:30am Fellowship Early Risers - C NOON Freedom Celia Street - C NOON Fellowship Celia Street 4:00pm Fellowship Search for Serenity - C 5:30pm Fellowship Fifth Tradition 7:00pm Fellowship Young People 8:00pm Fellowship Celia ST - C TUESDAY Midnight Courage Good Start 6:30am Fellowship Early Risers - C 8:00am Unity Primary Purpose NOON Freedom Celia Street - C NOON Fellowship Celia Street 4:00pm Fellowship Search for Serenity - C 5:30pm Fellowship Fifth Tradition 7:00pm Fellowship Young People 8:00pm Fellowship Celia ST - C WEDNESDAY Midnight Courage Good Start 6:30am Fellowship Early Risers - C NOON Freedom Celia Street - C NOON Fellowship Celia Street 4:00pm Fellowship Search for Serenity - C 5:30pm Fellowship Fifth Tradition 7:00pm Fellowship Young People 7:00pm Unity Women’s Stag - C 8:00pm Fellowship Celia ST - C

THURSDAY Midnight Courage Good Start 6:30am Fellowship Early Risers - C 8:00am Unity Primary Purpose NOON Freedom Celia Street - C NOON Fellowship Celia Street 4:00pm Fellowship Search for Serenity - C 5:30pm Fellowship Fifth Tradition 7:00pm Fellowship Young People 8:00pm Fellowship Celia ST - C FRIDAY Midnight Courage Good Start 6:30am Fellowship Early Risers - C NOON Freedom Celia Street - C NOON Fellowship Celia Street 4:00pm Fellowship Search for Serenity - C 5:30pm Fellowship Fifth Tradition 7:00pm Unity Young People 8:00pm Courage 12 & 12 Forward - C 8:00pm Fellowship Men’s Stag - C SATURDAY Midnight Courage Good Start 8:00am Fellowship Week-Enders - C 10:00am Unity Celia Street 10:00am Freedom Ladies Stag NOON Freedom Celia Street - C NOON Fellowship Celia Street 5:30pm Fellowship Fifth Tradition 6:45pm Auditorium Speaker’s Meeting 7:00pm Fellowship Young People

SOUTH ALANO CLUB MEETINGSCLOSED MEETINGS – C.GR.ALANOCLUB.ORG

SUNDAY 9:30 am Balcony Sunday Morning Group 9:30 am 1 Expect A Miracle - C 9:30 am 2 Al-Anon Sun A.M. 9:30 am 3 Breakfast Group - C n  No Noon Meeting On Sundays 2:00 pm A Sunday Serenity Group 5:30 pm Balcony Friendship Group 8:00 pm Balcony Young People’s AA 8:00 pm A Sun Night Men’s Stag - C 8:00 pm B Sun Night Beginners Group 8:00 pm 2 Sunday Night Al-Anon 8:00 pm 5 AA 12 & 12

MONDAY 9:00 am A Eye Opener Group 9:00 am 2 Al-Anon Step To Serenity 9:00 am 1 Breathe Easy Noon Balcony Noon Balcony Group Noon A AA Lunch Group - C Noon 1 Surrender Group Noon 3 No First Drink Noon B NA–Keep Coming Back Noon 4 Noon Promises Group Noon 5 Keep On Growing Womens Stag Noon * AA in the Country 5:30 pm 1 Friendship Group - C 5:30 pm A Unwinder’s Group 5:30 pm B Free Pizza Group

8:00 pm Balcony Life Club 8:00 pm 3 NA Open To Change

TUESDAY 9:00 am A Eyeopener Group 9:00 am 1 Breathe Easy Noon Balcony Noon Balcony Group Noon B AA Beginners Group - C Noon A AA Group -Issues & Tissues Noon 1 Surrender Group Noon 2 Al-Anon Noon 3 No First Drink Noon 4 Noon Promises Group 4:00 pm Balcony Food Addicts 5:30 pm 1 Friendship Group - C 5:30 pm A Unwinder’s Group 5:30 pm B Free Pizza Group 6:00 pm 3 Womens Way Thru Steps 8:00 pm 2 Al-Anon Tues Step Mtg 8:00 pm 3 24 Hours Group

WEDNESDAY 9:00 am A Eyeopener Group 9:00 am 2 Courage To Change (Al-Anon) 9:00 am 1 Breathe Easy Noon Balcony Noon Balcony Group Noon A Men’s Stag Lunch Group - C Noon 1 Surrender Group Noon 3 No First Drink

Noon 2 Al-Anon Noon B NA-Keep Coming Back Noon 4 Noon Promises Group Noon * AA in the Country 5:30 pm Balcony Friendship Group - C 5:30 pm B Free Pizza Group 6:00 pm 2 Al-Anon 8:00 pm 3 Barefoot Group 8:00 pm B Bond Street (Men’s Stag) - C 8:00 pm B Bond Street Group - C 8:00 pm A Women’s Big Book Study 8:00 pm 1 Men’s Stag - Exp Str, Hope 8:00 pm 2 Al-Anon Wed Men’s Stag

THURSDAY 9:00 am A Eyeopener Group 9:00 am 1 Breathe Easy Noon Balcony Noon Balcony Group Noon A AA Lunch Group - C Noon 1 Surrender Group Noon 3 No First Drink Noon 4 Noon Promises Group Noon 2 Al-Anon 5:30 pm Balcony Friendship Group - C 5:30 pm B Free Pizza Group n  Club Closes At 7:00 pm

FRIDAY 9:00 am A Eyeopener Group

9:00 am 1 Breathe Easy Group 9:00 am 2 Stepping Stones (Al-Anon) Noon 2 Al-Anon Noon Balcony Noon Balcony Group Noon A AA Lunch Group - C Noon B NA-Keep Coming Back Noon 1 Surrender Group Noon 3 No First Drink Noon 4 Noon Promises Group Noon 5 Big Book Study Noon * AA in the Country 5:30 pm 1 Friendship Group - C 5:30 pm B Free Pizza Group 7:00 pm Balcony KCCO Speakers Meeting 8:00 pm 1 Men’s Stag- Honesty Group 8:00 pm A Fri Night AA (Mixed) 8:00 pm 2 Fri Night Open Al-Anon

SATURDAY 8:00 am Balcony Food Addicts 9:00 am A Eyeopener Group 9:00 am 1 Breathe Easy Group 9:00 am 3 John Wayne - Men’s Stag - C Noon A Heavy Smokers Noon 1 Saturday Surrender Group Noon Balcony Men’s Stag Noon 2 Al-Anon Sat Sunshine Noon 3 Sat Noon Men’s Stag n  Club Closes At 2:00 pm

NORTH ALANO CLUB MEETINGS NON-SMOKING FACILITY. CLOSED MEETINGS – C. 1020 COLLEGE NE, GRAND RAPIDS – *GR.ALANOCLUB.ORG

About This Training: Recovery Allies of West Michigan is hosting the RCA five-day training opportunity. The training is designed to prepare participants for employment as a Recovery Coach as well as inform those that want to attend that may not be seeking employment as one. The training will provide participants with an in-depth and comprehensive training experience focused on the development of the skills required for a person to responsibly provide the services of a Recovery Coach. The training will provide participants tools and resources useful in providing recovery support services and will emphasize skills needed to link people in recovery to needed supports within the community. The cost of this training is $400.00 and worth 32 MCBAP hours. Lunch is included.

Who Should Attend: The RCA is open to individuals who have an interest in providing support, mentorship, and guidance to persons with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders. Individuals who are interested in the RCA must be approved for participation by their employer, a coordinating agency or endorsed by someone in the community that can speak as a reference. RCA participants should themselves be individuals in stable recovery, as it is important to those served that their coach have a personal understanding of addiction and recovery. Email registration to [email protected] and call 616-262-8531 to pay by phone with credit card.

• Learning Objectives for the Recovery Coach Academy: • Describe the roles and functions of a Recovery Coach• List the components, core values and guiding principles

of recovery• Build skills to enhance relationships

• Discuss co-occurring disorders and medicated-assisted recovery

• Describe stages of change and their applications• Address ethical issues• Experience wellness planning• Practice newly-acquired skills

CALEDONIA ALANO CLUB 204 E MAIN ST • CALEDONIA

SUNDAY 9:00am 7:00pm

MONDAY 7:00pm -

Women Only 7:00pm - Men Only

TUESDAY 6:30am NOON 7:00pm

WEDNESDAY 7:00pm

THURSDAY 6:30am NOON 7:00pm

FRIDAY 7:00pm

SATURDAY 10:30am 7:00pm

AA IN THE COUNTRYGROUP MEETS MODAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS AT NOON

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH 9669 KRAFT AVE SE • CALEDONIA

APRIL/MAY 2015 n Living Large 6

Sober Entertainment: Books, Movies & TV Shows to Check Out

Books:Slaying the Dragon: Bill WhiteThe Art of Happiness: Dali LamaThe Spirituality of Imperfection: Earnest KurtzThe Book Of Alcoholics AnonymousThe Road Less Traveled: M. Scott PeckMy Stroke of Insight: Jill Bolt TaylorSecret of the Ages: Robert CaulierThink and Grow Rich: Napoleon HillBoundaries: Townsend and Cloud The Brain Mechanic: Spencer LordThe Success Principles: Chicken Soup DudeProof of Heaven: Eben AlexanderBrain Wars – Mario Beauregard Adult Children of Alcoholics: Dr. Janet G. WoititzFacing Codependence: Pia MelodyThe Intimacy Factor: Pia MelodyFacing Love Addiction: Pia MelodyGetting the Love You Want: Harville Hendrix

And Anything Written By…Anne LamottMartin Luther King JrBill WilsonBill White

Movies & TV Shows:The Anonymous PeopleElementary on CBSSaving Mr BanksRunning From CrazyLindsyAll About Ann28 DaysPaying it ForwardMy Name Is Bill WThe Days Of Wine And RosesWhen A Man Loves A WomanDrunksWhen Love Is Not Enough – The Lois Wilson StoryThe Basketball DiariesClean And SoberThe Lost Weekend

Letter from the President & CEO

Justin Luke Riley

President & CEO

Dear Friends, Youth in recovery deserve a voice, YPR is that voice.

First and foremost, I want to thank all of our dedicated YPR chapter leaders, for without each of them we would not be where we are today. Our leaders and members demonstrate the power of the following state-ment: People in recovery deserve a voice, YPR is that voice. Our chapters have stepped up with deep conviction, bravery, and determination. They show that people in recovery are valuable, that they matter and that they deserve a voice. YPR is that voice, that beacon of hope. Because of you, recovery advocacy is now in 35 different communities and shining brighter every day. Youth in recovery deserve a voice, YPR is that voice.

Many of us know how marginalized and stigmatized people in or seeking recovery are, particularly young people. Often, people in recovery are not given the opportunity to share their recovery stories publicly. For this reason, YPR is setting out on a mis-sion to make sure that sharing your success or showing that you support young people in recovery is simpler than ever before; because spreading

hope about young people in recovery shouldn’t be complicated. Showing that you are proud to be in recovery or that you support youth in recovery should be as easy as 1, 2, 3. Here’s how we are going to do it:

1. Become a YPR Supporter: This will allow you as an individual to say, “Yes, I support the recovery movement. I do believe that youth in recovery deserve a voice. I am that voice.” Whether you’re the proud parent of some-one in recovery, you are in recovery yourself, have a family member or friend who is alive today because of recovery; or you simply want to show your support for this movement, YPR has a role for you. Please stay tuned for more information about the benefits and activities of our new Supporter program coming soon!

2. Become a YPR Chapter Member: For individuals who have more time for in-person meetings and face-to-face involvement, join a YPR chapter near you to become a recovery advocate. Find a local chapter by clicking here (youngpeopleinrecovery.org). Individuals of all ages are welcome, whether you are a young person in recovery or simply wish to do more to support young people in recovery in your community.

3. Start a YPR Chapter: Make sure your community has all the resources it needs to help young people in recov-ery by starting a new chapter in your area. YPR National will provide you with all the materials you need and will support and assist you every step of the way. If you are a young person in recovery or know a young person in recovery who would like to start a chapter, go to youngpeopleinrecovery.org/start-a-ypr-chapter/.

We want to improve the experience of being a YPR chapter leader, member and supporter by making it less time-consuming, more convenient and more fun by equipping you with more easily accessible resources that better serve you and your community. To achieve this, we will be communicating with you on a more regular basis, in the form of monthly e-blasts like this one, as well as expanding our current communication channels on social media like Facebook, Twitter and our epic, new YouTube channel. We also plan to offer more virtual platforms for live connections and trainings, like utilizing Google Hangouts and launching YPR Connect 2.0 with even more materials that you have requested. We have also added two full-time positions to the YPR National staff to make sure we have the capacity to serve our supporters, members and chapter leads even better. Furthermore, we have welcomed a number of new Board members to our leadership team. They bring valuable talents, experience and expertise to YPR. We are very grateful for their time and generosity in Board service. YPR is made possible because of you, because you believe that youth in recovery deserve a voice and that YPR is that voice. We look forward to working with you! Most sincerely,

Justin Luke RileyPresident & CEO

Saturday, May 2, 2015 12:30 pm until Midnight

Event Location: North Alano Club, 1020 College NE, Grand Rapids MI

Dinner: $25 ticket includes registration (available at KCCO office)

Registration only: $12 (at Roundup only)

Main Speaker, ‘Deacon’ Pete C from Belleville, MI AA Movies by District 7 Catered Dinner Buffet District 7 & Area 34 Archives Sobriety Countdown Jail Sale Raffle ARM – Assoc Recovering Motorcyclists District 7 Literature Al-Anon Speaker, Aaron C Al-Anon Activity Room Make Your Own Sundae Bar MCYPAA Room Alkathon Room AA History T-Shirt Sales District 7 Special Needs

SPONSORED BY YOUR KENT COUNTY CENTRAL OFFICE

Living Large n APRIL/MAY 2015 7

866/852.4001pinerest.org/addiction-services

Recovery is PossiblePine Rest offers a full continuum of addiction services. With one call, we can guide you through the process of inquiry, assessment and admission to the most appropriate level of care. We will assist you with understanding your insurance benefit or what other sources of funding might be available, and we’ll qualify you or your loved one for treatment.

Our commitment is to treat you and your family with a welcoming heart, provide compassion and understanding in time of need and offer hope for recovery through excellent care.

• Individual Outpatient Therapy at 14 licensed locations• Intensive Outpatient Therapy (IOP) in Grand Rapids and

Kalamazoo• Outpatient Opioid Detoxification• Residential Detoxification• Residential Addiction Services• Short-Term Residential Services• Transitional Recovery Housing• Integrated Substance Use/Psychiatric Inpatient Services • Partial Hospitalization Program• Relapse Prevention Groups• Intervention and Family Services

Pass It On… An Evening with Bill W. & Dr. Bob transports you to the late 1940’s as if you are at an old time recovery meeting with the beloved co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous as the keynote speakers. They tell their stories, share their experience, strength and hope, dramatize key events such as their legendary drinking sprees and the extraordinary night they met in Akron Ohio in 1935. Bill W. and Dr. Bob regale the audience with fascinating and hilarious yarns about the early history of A.A. including writing and publishing the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, creating the 12 Steps and how they overcame tremendous obstacles as they struggled to develop their new program of recovery and pass it on to others who were still suffering. This unique celebration of sobriety delivers the message of hope, help and the miracle of recovery serving as the centerpiece for The National Recovery Education Campaign. Pass It On was created to raise awareness about the solution to Amer-ica’s Number One Public Health Issue the disease of Alcoholism and Addiction. Pass It On An Evening with Bill W. & Dr. Bob has created excitement among audiences and recovery communities in dozens of cities across the United States and Canada. This dynamic two man show features nationally acclaimed professional actors Gary Kimble and John Schile.

Saturday, May 2 2015 Noon until Midnight

North Alano Club - 1020 College NE, Grand Rapids $25 Ticket - Includes Registration & Dinner (available at KCCO office)

$12 - Registration Only (at Roundup only)

Main Speaker - ‘Deacon’ Pete C from Belleville MIAA Movies by District 7 Catered Dinner Buffet District 7 & Area 34 Archives Sobriety CountdownJail Sale RaffleARM - Assoc Recovering Motorcyclists District 7 Literature Al-Anon Speaker, Aaron C MCYPAA Room Alkathon Room AA History T-Shirt Sales District 7 Special Needs

SPONSORED BY YOUR KENT COUNTY CENTRAL OFFICE

Coming to

West MI

this spring!

APRIL/MAY 2015 n Living Large 8

Rat Park was a study into drug addiction conduct-ed in the late 1970s (and published in 1980) by Canadi-an psychologist Bruce K. Alexander and his colleagues at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. Alexander’s hypothesis was that drugs do not cause addiction, and that the apparent addiction to opiate drugs commonly observed in laboratory rats exposed to it is attributable to their living conditions, and not to any addictive property of the drug itself. He told the Canadian Senate in 2001 that prior exper-iments in which laboratory rats were kept isolated in cramped metal cages, tethered to a self-injection ap-paratus, show only that “severely distressed animals, like severely distressed people, will relieve their dis-tress pharmacologically if they can.” To test his hypothesis, Alexander built Rat Park, an 8.8 m2 (95 sq ft) housing colony, 200 times the floor area of a standard laboratory cage. There were 16–20 rats of both sexes in residence, an abundance of food, balls and wheels for play, and enough space for mat-ing and raising litters. The results of the experiment appeared to support his hypothesis. Rats who had been forced to consume morphine hydrochloride for 57 consecutive days were brought to Rat Park and giv-en a choice between plain tap water and water laced with morphine. For the most part, they chose the plain water. “Nothing that we tried,” Alexander wrote, “... produced anything that looked like addiction in rats that were housed in a reasonably normal environ-ment.” Control groups of rats isolated in small cages consumed much more morphine in this and several subsequent experiments. The two major science journals, Science and Na-ture, rejected Alexander, Coambs, and Hadaway’s first paper, which appeared instead in Psychopharmacol-ogy, a respectable but much smaller journal in 1978. The paper’s publication initially attracted no response. Within a few years, Simon Fraser University withdrew Rat Park’s funding.

The Disease Model of Drug Addiction The disease model explains addiction with refer-ence to the action of drugs on the reward pathways in the limbic system. Researchers say that opiates cause changes in the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway that produce feelings of pleasure. It is not disputed that some substances cause withdrawal symptoms after repeated use, leaving the user in distress if they stop using. Where scientists differ is over the extent to which certain substances can be said to rob the user of self control, causing not only withdrawal— but a drug addiction, defined as “a behavioral pattern of drug use, characterized by overwhelming involvement with the use of a drug (compulsive use), the securing of its supply, and a high tendency to relapse after withdrawal.” In the 19th century, drug addiction was regarded as a sign of akrasia, immorality, or weakness of the will. However 20th century brain research replaced this moral model with a disease model of addiction, according to which addiction to a drug is a by-product of the chemical structure of the drug itself. Accord-ing to social psychologist Stanton Peele, the disease model states that “Tolerance, withdrawal, and crav-ing are thought to be properties of particular drugs, and sufficient use of these substances is believed to give the organism no choice but to behave in these stereotypical ways.” This view of drug addiction is reflected in the policies of the War on Drugs and in slogans such as “Heroin is so good. Don’t even try it once,” or “Crack cocaine is instantly addictive.” Scientists adhering to the disease model be-lieve that behavior is “the business of the brain,” according to Avram Goldstein, Professor Emeritus of Pharmacology at Stanford University, and a leading researcher into drug addiction.[8] Goldstein writes that the site of action of heroin and all other addictive drugs is a bundle of neurons deep in the brain called the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway, a reward pathway that mediates feelings of wanting and moti-vation. Within this pathway, heroin causes dopamine neurons to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that determines incentive salience and causes the user to want more. Dopamine neurons are normally held in check by inhibitory neurons, but heroin shuts these down, allowing the dopamine neurons to become overstimulated. The brain responds with feelings of euphoria, but the stimulation is excessive, and in or-der to protect itself against this, the brain adapts by becoming less sensitive to the heroin. This has two consequences, according to the dis-

ease model. First, more heroin is required to produce the high, and at the same time, the reward pathway becomes less sensitive to the effects of endorphins, which regulate the release of dopamine, so that with-out heroin, there is a persistent feeling of sickness. After repeated intake, the user becomes tolerant and dependent, and undergoes withdrawal symptoms if the heroin supply is terminated. As the feelings of withdrawal worsen, the user loses control, writes Goldstein, and becomes an addict.

Studies of Isolated Labo-ratory Animals Generally Support the Disease Model Diagram from the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse of a rat self-administering a drug. Professor Avram Goldstein writes: “A rat addicted to hero-in is not rebelling against society, is not a victim of socioeconomic circumstances, is not a product of a dysfunctional family, and is not a criminal. The rat’s behavior is simply controlled by the action of hero-in (actually morphine, to which heroin is converted in the body) on its brain.”

According to Alexander, the disease model makes either of two claims:• Claim A: All or most people who use heroin or co-caine beyond a certain minimum amount become ad-dicted.• Claim B: No matter what proportion of the users of heroin and cocaine become addicted, their addiction is caused by exposure to the drug.

Rat Park ExperimentPeople are entitled to their own opinion. People are not entitled to their own facts. U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick MoynihanWhat follows is a summary of an experiment that has drawn much attention since it was done is the late 1970’s. Although it doesn’t’ prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that environment has more to do with addiction than any thing else, it does suggest that it plays a very critical role in the acquiring of an addiction and the continued use of a substance. The Wikipedia summary does a good job of presenting both sides of the story. My hope is that you will come away a better understanding of what Recovery Allies does and hopes to do and how our world today is the perfect petri dish for ad-diction to flourish. We hope to create a petri dish post the initial treatment experience (or better yet before it ever gets to the point where that is needed) where recovery can flourish. It’s that simple.

Living Large n APRIL/MAY 2015 9

Several decades of animal studies have been seen as supporting these claims. Avram Goldstein wrote in 1979: “If a monkey is provided with a lever, which he can press to self-inject heroin, he establishes a regular pattern of heroin use — a true addiction — that takes priority over the normal activities of his life ... Since this behavior is seen in several other animal species (primarily rats), I have to infer that if heroin were easily available to everyone, and if there were no social pressure of any kind to discourage heroin use, a very large number of people would become heroin addicts. Twenty years later, Goldstein maintains the same position. In a paper delivered to a 1997 U.S. meth-adone conference, he wrote: “Every addictive drug used by people is also self-administered by rats and monkeys. If we arrange matters so that when an an-imal presses a lever, it gets a shot of heroin into a vein, that animal will press the lever repeatedly, to the exclusion of other activities (food, sex, etc.); it will be-come a heroin addict. A rat addicted to heroin is not rebelling against society, is not a victim of socioeco-nomic circumstances, is not a product of a dysfunc-tional family, and is not a criminal. The rat’s behavior is simply controlled by the action of heroin (actually morphine, to which heroin is converted in the body) on its brain.” Against this, Alexander argues that the main evi-dence for the belief in drug-induced addiction comes from “the testimonials of some addicted people who believe that exposure to a drug caused them to ‘lose control’,” and from some “highly technical research on laboratory animals”. He argues that this weak evi-dence has been embellished in the news media to the

point where it has acquired the status of an unassail-able fact, whereas the great bulk of historical and clin-ical evidence, he says, runs against it. He writes that, although the use of opiates in the United States and England during the 19th century was greater than it is now, the incidence of dependence and addiction never reached one percent of the population and was declining at the end of the century. In Britain, he writes that heroin has been widely used in medication for coughs, diarrhea, and chronic pain until the pres-ent day; in 1972, British doctors prescribed 29 kilo-grams of heroin to patients, which he writes amounts to millions of doses, yet a 1982 study of the statistics on iatrogenic addiction in the UK showed a “virtual absence” of such addicts. Recent research confirms that many people use heroin regularly for years, for either recreational or medical purposes, without be-coming addicted.

The Rat Park Experiments In Rat Park, Alexander built a short tunnel large enough to accommodate one rat at a time. At the far end of the tunnel, the rats could drink a fluid from one of two drop dispensers, which automatically recorded how much each rat drank. One dispenser contained a morphine solution and the other plain tap water. Alexander designed a number of experiments to test the rats’ willingness to consume the morphine. Rats have a sweet tooth, so in “The Seduction Exper-iment,” the researchers exploited the rats’ apparent sweet tooth to test whether they could be enticed to consume morphine if the water was sweet enough. Morphine in solution has a bitter taste for humans, and appears to have the same effect on rats, Alexan-der writes, since they shake their heads and reject it as they do with bitter quinine solutions. The Seduc-tion Experiment involved four groups of rats. Group CC was isolated in laboratory cages when they were weaned at 22 days of age, and lived there until the experiment ended at 80 days of age; Group PP was housed in Rat Park for the same period; Group CP was moved from laboratory cages to Rat Park at 65 days of age; and Group PC was moved out of Rat Park and into cages at 65 days of age. The caged rats (Groups CC and PC) took to the morphine instantly, even with relatively little sweet-ener, with the caged males drinking 19 times more morphine than the Rat Park males in one of the ex-perimental conditions. But no matter how sweet the morphine became, the rats in Rat Park resisted it. They would try it occasionally — with the females try-ing it more often than the males — but invariably they showed a preference for the plain water. It was, writes Alexander, “a statistically significant finding.”[1] He writes that the most interesting group was Group CP, the rats who were brought up in cages but moved to Rat Park before the experiment began. These animals rejected the morphine solution when it was stronger, but as it became sweeter and more dilute, they began to drink almost as much as the rats that had lived in cages throughout the experiment. They wanted the sweet water, he concluded, so long as it did not disrupt their normal social behavior. Even more significant, he writes, was that when he added a drug called Naloxone, which negates the effects of opioids, to the morphine-laced water, the Rat Park rats began to drink it. In another experiment, he forced rats in ordinary lab cages to consume morphine for 57 days on end, giving them no liquid to drink other than the mor-phine-laced solution, then moved them into Rat Park, where he allowed them to choose between the mor-phine solution and plain water. They drank the plain water. He writes that they did show some signs of dependence, but no sign of addiction. There were “some minor withdrawal signs, twitching, what have you, but there were none of the mythic seizures and sweats you so often hear about ...” Alexander believes his experiments show that animal self-administration studies provide no empir-ical support for the theory of drug-induced addiction, and that the theory has no other strong basis in em-pirical science, although it has not been disproven. “The intense appetite of isolated experimental ani-mals for heroin and cocaine in self-injection experi-ments tells us nothing about the responsiveness of normal animals and people to these drugs. Normal people can ignore heroin ... even when it is plentiful

in their environment, and they can use these drugs with little likelihood of addiction ... Rats from Rat Park seem to be no less discriminating.”

Reaction to the Experiment The two major science journals Science and Na-ture rejected Alexander’s first paper, which was pub-lished in Psychopharmacology, a specialty journal. Several later studies did appear to confirm its findings — for example, Bozarth, Murray and Wise in 1989, also published in Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. Writer Lauren Slater, Alexander’s daughter-in-law, interviewed psychiatrist Herbert Kleber, direc-tor of the substance-abuse division of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, and a former U.S. deputy drug czar, on what was wrong with Rat Park. He replied that the experiment was “ingenious,” but suggested that Alexander may have

distorted the data in the hope of provoking a public debate, and that the study had methodological flaws, though he did not state examples. Slater quotes Kle-ber as saying he believes Rat Park’s problem was that it was conducted in Vancouver, the “scholarly equiva-lent of the tundra.” Some further studies failed to reproduce the original experiment’s results, but in at least one of these studies both caged and “park” rats showed a decreased preference for morphine, suggesting a genetic difference. In any case, the publications did draw attention to the idea that the environment that laboratory animals live in might influence the out-come in experiments related to addiction. As of 2006, papers from the series of experiments have been cit-ed more than 100 times, and similar studies on the influence of living conditions on the consumption of other drugs have been published. Alexander was disappointed by the reception, and still speaks of the experiments enthusiastically. Since 1985, Alexander has been exploring addiction in human beings by way of historical and anthropo-logical studies of many cultures. His newest book, The Globalization of Addiction: A study in poverty of the spirit argues that cultural dislocation of human beings instigates addictions of all sorts, including addictions that do not involve drugs, just as isolation instigates drug consumption in laboratory animals.

a study into drug addiction

APRIL/MAY 2015 n Living Large 10

AA is likely the most well known pathway to recovery even though it is not the one most commonly used. Only a small percentage of the 25,000,000 people reportedly in recovery use it. For those that chose it whole-heartedly, it is very effective and has saved countless lives. Whether it is your pathway or not the fact that the history of Alcoholics Anonymous is fascinating and Ernest captures that. He was the first person to be invited into the “vault “ of AA archives and probably attended more AA meetings than any other person without a lived experience of alcoholism. This is a tribute to the incredible contributions he made in his life and career.

Excerpt from Not-God by Ernest KurtzAbout the Book Not-God is a fascinating, fast-moving, and authoritative account of the discovery and development of the program and fellowship that we know today as Alcoholics Anonymous. Easily readable, Not-God contains more anecdotes and excerpts from the diaries, correspondence, and occasional memoirs of A.A.’s early figures than are heard in a hundred A.A. meetings. Kurtz traces the interesting debts that A.A. owes to such persons and groups as the psychiatrist Carl Jung, American philosopher William James, Akron social matron Henrietta Seiberling, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr., as well as the Oxford Group of Frank Buchman, a few Irish-American Catholic priests, and fundamentalist religion. Beginning with the well-known visit between the sober Ebby T. and the drunken Bill Wilson, Kurtz documents Wilson’s spiritual awakening (or “hot flash” as the first fifty A.A.s called it), his desire to tell other alcoholics what he had discovered, and his ever-growing conviction that to stay sober he must work with other alcoholics. The story relates the importance of the Oxford Group to the development of A.A., the painful writing of the Big Book, even the problems caused over the years by Wilson’s unofficial status as “Head of A.A.,” and the fight involving the A.A. Board of Trustees. All is told in the context of two important points: Wilson and the first recovered alcoholics were keenly aware of their own limitation as alcoholics, and—more important—they discovered a health and wholeness, a maturity, as sober individuals within the fellowship of A.A. Ernest Kurtz was given full and complete access to the archives of the General Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous in New York. His unhindered research, coupled with extensive interviews of surviving early members and friends of A.A., has resulted in an account with documented accuracy. Not-God clearly details the slow but unswerving development of a program of recovery for alcoholics, and it carries the message that Alcoholics Anonymous as a program and as a fellowship has to give to the United States of America in the middle third of the twentieth century.

Introduction The term not-God is the theme around which this history of Alcoholics Anonymous is recounted and its interpretation offered. The exact phrase appears nowhere in either the published literature of Alcoholics Anonymous or the primary sources used in this research, yet the two senses contained in this expression not only pervade the written documents but also lie at the heart of the A.A. fellowship and program. “Not-God” means first “You are not God,” the message of the A.A. program. As is clear from the epigraph on page vii — a pungent reminder drawn from the very heart of “How It Works,” the key fifth chapter of the book Alcoholics Anonymous — the fundamental and first message of Alcoholics Anonymous to its members is that they are not infinite, not absolute, not God. Every alcoholic’s problem had first been, according to this insight, claiming God-like powers, especially that of control.

But the alcoholic at least, the message insists, is not in control, even of himself; and the first step towards recovery from alcoholism must be admission and acceptance of this fact that is so blatantly obvious to others but so tenaciously denied by the obsessive-compulsive drinker “Historically, it has been the concept of divinity, the notion of the deity, that includes the idea of absolute control. The program of Alcoholics Anonymous, then, teaches first and foremost that the alcoholic is not God. This insight rules each of the Twelve Suggested Steps, although it is appropriately most clear in the First: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable” (emphasis added). But Alcoholics Anonymous is fellowship as well as program, and thus there is a second side to its message of not-God-ness. Because the alcoholic is not God, not absolute, not infinite, he or she is essentially limited. Yet from this very limitation — from the alcoholic’s acceptance of personal limitation — arises the beginning of healing and wholeness. It is this facet of the message of “not-God” that Alcoholics Anonymous as fellowship lives out. To be an alcoholic within Alcoholics Anonymous is not only to accept oneself as not God; it implies also affirmation of one’s connectedness with other alcoholics. It is this connection that historically has provided for hundreds of thousands of people a way out of active alcoholism and the path into a life of health, “happiness, and wholeness. The invitation to make such a connection with others and the awareness of the necessity of doing so arise from the alcoholic’s very acceptance of limitation. Thus, this second message that affirms limitation is well conveyed by the hyphenated phrase, “not-God. The form “not-God” further reminds that affirmation is rooted in negation, that the alcoholic’s acceptance of self as human is founded in his rejection of any claim to be more than human. And the hyphen — a connecting mark — reminds of the need for connectedness with other alcoholics that A. A. as, fellowship lives out and enables. The fulfilling of the implications of being not-God, the living out of the connectedness with others that comes about from the alcoholic’s very limitation, is the story of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is this story, this history, that this book narrates. “Not God,” then, and “not-God”: the alcoholic as essentially limited, but able to find a healing wholeness in the acceptance of this limitation. It is the author’s hope that this distinction is less cute than memorable, for it is his conviction that this twofold message is one that not only the alcoholic but also “mankind needs to hear and perhaps, then, even to heed.”

I - Beginnings

NOVEMBER 1934-JUNE 1935The Limitations of the Drinking Alcoholic On a dank, cold afternoon in late November 1934, two men sat kitty-corner at the kitchen table of a brownstone house at 182 Clinton Street, Brooklyn, New York. The home, only partially heated, clearly had seen better days. In the hurriedly tidied kitchen hung the faintly sweet aroma of stale alcohol. On the white-oilcloth-covered table stood two glasses, a pitcher of pineapple juice, and a bottle of gin recently retrieved from its hiding place in the overhead tank of the toilet in the adjacent bathroom. The visitor, neatly groomed and bright-eyed, smiled in gentle but pained mirth as he surveyed the scene; his tall, thin, craggy-faced host laughed a bit too loudly, anxious less over his careless attire and the patches of whiskers

Not-God A History of Alcoholics AnonymousBy Ernest Kurtz

Living Large n APRIL/MAY 2015 11

on his quickly shaved face than at the announcement his friend, an old drinking-buddy, had just made.1 “No, thanks, I don’t want any. I’m not drinking.” “No drink? Why not? Are you on the water wagon?” “No, I don’t mean that. I’m just not drinking today.” “Not drinking today!’ Ebby, what’s gotten into you?” “Well, I don’t need it anymore: I’ve got religion.” “The host’s eyes and heart dropped. Religion. His mind wandered as his guest continued to speak. His first thought: “Good! That means more for me!” Now he did not need to worry about replenishing his supply should his wife return home before the visitor left. Although somewhat pleased with that realization, within his mind jarred a less happy awareness. As much as he had looked forward to swapping tales with an old pal, that happy prospect had now suddenly palled — “got religion” indeed! He knew that his friend had been a too-heavy drinker. “Had his alcoholic insanity become religious insanity?” Uninspiring and tawdry as that scene was, a profound significance and a deep irony lay buried within it. The significance: what was witnessed was the birth of the idea of Alcoholics Anonymous. The irony: the carefully groomed, dry, religion-spouting visitor, Edwin T. — nicknamed “Ebby” — would die three alcohol-sodden decades later, a virtual ward of charity; his cynical, moody, too loudly talking and laughing host — William Griffith Wilson — would after this one last binge never drink another drop of alcohol. As “Bill W.,” he would give America and the world a program and a fellowship to which in time over one million people would offer allegiance as being for them literally life-saving. The birth of an idea: such moments of origin are always difficult to pinpoint, and Alcoholics Anonymous itself cherishes the memory of a different “founding moment.” Yet here, in this kitchen, on that dark November afternoon, a seed was planted in Bill Wilson’s own understanding that his alcohol-numbed brain could

neither then drown nor later wash away — the seed that he eventually nurtured and cultivated into the core of the program and fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous: “In the kinship of common suffering, one alcoholic had been talking to another.”…….. “That such conversation could be helpful was an important idea. Ideas, of course, do not spring from nothingness. The origins and paths of the concepts that had led to this idea help to explain its development into the program and fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous. Sometime in 1931, another man, a young, talented, and wealthy financial wizard, had found himself on the verge of despair over his inability to control his drinking. Having attempted virtually every other “cure,” he turned to one of the greatest medical and psychiatric talents of the time, traveling to Zurich, Switzerland, to place himself under the care of Dr. Carl Gustav Jung. For close to a year, Rowland H. worked with Jung, finally leaving treatment with boundless admiration for the physician and almost as much confidence in his new self. “To his consternation, Rowland soon relapsed into intoxication. Certain that Jung was his last resort, he returned to Zurich and the psychiatrist’s care. There followed, in Bill Wilson’s words written to Dr. Jung in 1961, “the conversation between you [and Rowland] that was to become the first link in the chain of events that led to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous.” That conversation, in Wilson’s and Jung’s later memory, had made two points. “First of all, you frankly told him of his hopelessness, so far as any further medical or psychiatric treatment might be concerned.” Second, in response to Rowland’s frantic query whether there might be any other hope, Jung had spoken of “a spiritual or religious experience — in short, a genuine conversion,” cautioning, however, “that while such experiences had sometimes brought recovery to alcoholics, they were … comparatively rare.”6 Concerning the first point, Wilson wrote to Jung: “This candid and humble statement of yours was beyond doubt the first foundation stone upon which our society has since been built.” In response to the second statement, which offered a slender thread of hope, Rowland had joined the Oxford Group, “an evangelical movement then at the height of its “success in Europe.” In recalling to Jung this channeling of his idea, Wilson — who was linked to Rowland H. through their mutual friend Ebby T. — stressed the Oxford Group’s “large emphasis upon the principles of self-survey, confession, restitution, and the giving of oneself in service to others. “Within the Oxford Group, Rowland had found “the conversion experience ” “that released him for the time being from his compulsion to drink.” Returning to New York City, he joined and became active in the Oxford Group at its United States headquarters — the Calvary Episcopal Church of Rev. Dr. Samuel Shoemaker. Alcoholics had not been a primary interest of Oxford Group adherents in America or in Europe, but Rowland chose to devote to such sufferers his efforts at living out and promoting his own conversion experience. Thus, in August 1934, hearing that his old friend Ebby T. was threatened with commitment to an institution because of his drinking, Rowland H. intervened, and with his friend Cebra G., pledged for Ebby’s parole, leading him to the Oxford Group and so to his first period of sobriety. “For Ebby, indeed, did “get the message.” Accepting that his only hope lay in a conversion experience, that such was the function of religion, and that the Oxford Group was the most famed and the most respectable evangelical expression of religion in America at that time, he joined and found in it “friendship and fellowship of a kind he had never known.” Then, in a flush of confident enthusiasm, the hallmark of any experience of conversion, Ebby in turn sought out the most hopeless and most self-destructive drinker he knew — his old friend, Bill Wilson. “The judgment and feeling were mutual. Wilson had long since marked Ebby an utterly hopeless case, even promising himself to stop drinking should he ever get as bad as that. As tough as things had been for Bill Wilson up to the day of that November 1934 visit, he had never been threatened with commitment to an institution … “well, hardly ever.”10William Griffith Wilson had been born, “fittingly enough” — his biographer noted — “in a small room behind the bar,” on 26 November 1895, the first of the two children of Gilman and Emily Griffith Wilson. Yankees of Scots-Irish stock, Bill’s parents had both grown up in East Dorset, Vermont, where he himself was born. In spite of their shared background, the Wilson’s marriage was not happy, and one night in 1905 — after a long and largely silent evening “buggy-ride with his puzzled but apprehensive son — Gilman Wilson deserted his family. Of this childhood trauma, one of his earliest recollections, Bill Wilson later nursed a memory and interpretation perhaps not unusual in such situations. “If only his parents had loved him more they wouldn’t have separated. And this meant if he had been more lovable, it never would have happened. It always came around to that. It was, it had to be, his fault. He was the guilty one.

Little evidence remains of how the lad interpreted his next separation…….

APRIL/MAY 2015 n Living Large 12

“The roads to recovery are many and that the resolution of alcoholism by any

method should be a cause for celebration by A.A. members.” – Bill Wilson, 1944

Recovery Allies recognizes that there are many pathways to recovery. Below are some that we know of. One way to advocate is to start one in your community!!

Some of the many pathwaysn Alcoholics Anonymous – www.aa.orgn Narcotics Anonymous – www.NA.orgn Al-Anon – www.ola.is.orgn Other A’sn Women in Sobriety – www.womenforsobriety.orgn Men for Sobriety – www.womenforsobriety.orgn Rational Recovery – www.rational.orgn Moderation Management – www.moderation.orgn HAMS – Harm Reduction Abstinence and

Moderation Support – http://hamsnetwork.orgn White Bison – www.whitebison.orgn S.O.S Secular Organization for Sobriety –

www.sossobriety.org

n Life Ring – www.unhooked.comn SMART Recovery: Self-Management and

Recovery Training-www.smartrecovery.orgn Celebrate Recovery – www.celebraterecovery.comn HAHA – Health and Healing Advocate'sn Pagans for Sobriety

Online Resourcesn Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Administration (SAMHSA) – www.samhsa.govn U.S. Department of Health and Human Services –

www.hhs.govn National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) –

www.drugabuse.govn 24/7 Help Yourself – www.24/7helpyourself.comn Sober Recovery – www.soberrecovery.comn Cyber Recovery – www.cyberrecovery.netn Addiction Tribe – www.addictiontribe.net

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Crystal King

Meet Our Board Members & Staff

Mark Thomson

Director of Special Projects D.A. Blodgett -

St John’s

Crystal KingCase Manager/Advocate

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Case Manager/Advocate & Certified Peer

Recovery Coach forArbor Circle

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President of Promises of Hope Inc

Nonprofit

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Program Director at West Brook

Recovery Center

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Turning Point Programs

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Owner VandenBosch Counsel-ing Services, PLC

Kristin ReininkIntake Coordinator and

Recovery Coach Sanford House

Karima Diggs- Holmes

Recovery CoachArbor Circle

Steve AlsumExecutive Director

Grand Rapids Red Project

John RhodesCADC

Juvenile Court

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Crystal King is currently working as a Case Manager/ Advocate and Cer-tified Peer Recovery Coach with Ar-bor Circle’s Enhanced Women’s Ser-vices Program. Crystal is a CCAR Certified Recovery Coach Trainer, PL-LTB-SP ( LIES That Bind Service Provider), Seeking Safety Trainer and a person in long term recovery. I have not found a reason to use any mind or mood altering substance in over 8 years. Crystal recently grad-uated Grand Rapids Community College with an Associates of Arts/MACRAO with an emphasis on So-cial Work and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s of Social Work degree at Grand Valley State Universi-ty. Crystal has worked in residential treatment facilities for several years at Pine Rest Christian Services and Our Hope Association. Crystal is a proud board member of Recovery Allies of West Michigan (RAWM) her hard won experience along with her compassion for those suffering with trauma and addictions is what motivates me to advocate, educate and celebrate change.

LAUGHING Matters

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

Except for bears, bears will kill you.