O:9:"MagpieRSS":24:{s:6:"parser";i:0;s:12:"current_item";a:0:{}s:5:"items";a:10:{i:0;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:83:"Sober Curious? Why People Who Aren?t Alcoholics Give Up Drinking | Recovery Gazette";s:4:"link";s:108:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/sober-curious-why-people-who-arent-alcoholics-give-up-drinking-recovery-gazette/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Recovery News Now";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Mon, 17 Jan 2022 05:23:57 +0000";s:8:"category";s:17:"Alcohol Treatment";s:4:"guid";s:108:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/sober-curious-why-people-who-arent-alcoholics-give-up-drinking-recovery-gazette/";s:11:"description";s:752:"
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/sober-curious-why-people-who-arent-alcoholics-give-up-drinking/ If you?re anything like me, you?re halfway through dry January and longing for February 1st. After two weeks without alcohol (with a slip here and there, if we?re being honest), I have to say that quitting alcohol has been hard. The hardest part was going out with friends and hanging out […]
If you?re anything like me, you?re halfway through dry January and longing for February 1st. After two weeks without alcohol (with a slip here and there, if we?re being honest), I have to say that quitting alcohol has been hard. The hardest part was going out with friends and hanging out with others who drink. But I can?t deny the benefits I?ve felt. Not wasting my precious weekend days on hangovers or dealing with the dreaded hangxiety was amazing.
All of this got me thinking what it?s like for people who not only have a dry January, but live a dry life. After speaking to Brett Phillips for another article about sober curiosity, I became curious myself. The sober curious movement, so to speak, is when someone chooses to be sober both physically and mentally for health reasons as opposed to someone who is sober because of an alcohol abuse problem. In other words, people who are soberly curious don?t consider themselves alcoholics but still choose not to drink.
Hope Woodard is one of those people. The Brooklyn-based TikTok creator and social media strategist quit drinking three months ago after getting into an argument with her roommate that she realized would never have happened if she hadn?t been drinking.
?Drinking just causes so much chaos in my mind, and I think it?s so easy to laugh about it,? she says. ?I thought, ?I?m tired of making this a lighthearted thing.’?
During that time, she has shared her experience with her 100,000 followers and has stated that she is not necessarily in recovery. Their drinking didn?t ?get out of control all the time,? but the times they ?got out of control weren?t worth it.?
This content is imported from TikTok. You may find the same content in a different format or more information on their website.
?I was tired of wasting time with a hangover,? she shares in a TikTok. ?And I definitely relied on alcohol in social situations. Instead of dealing with my fear, I would just drink my fear away? and the next day I would wake up even more scared.?
Hope is not alone in this. More and more people are giving up alcohol, not because they identify as alcoholics, but because the benefits of sober living outweigh the downsides. ?People?s drinking has increased tremendously during the pandemic,? said Amanda E. White, licensed professional consultant and author of Not Drinking Tonight. ?I think more people than ever are realizing that they may need to reevaluate their relationship with alcohol.?
For anyone dating or having a social life, giving up alcohol can seem almost impossible. ?Most of your social life revolves around screwing around and giving up alcohol. It?s like relearning how to just hang out with people because you really like them,? says Hope. ?The chaos caused by drinking doesn?t really distract you anymore. Any problem in your life, you are responsible for it.?
This content is imported from TikTok. You may find the same content in a different format or more information on their website.
In the 90+ days that Hope hasn?t drunk, she?s noticed that candy is a lot sweeter. ?It?s like there?s a 20 percent increase in saturation,? she says. And life?s rich moments, as she calls them, are rarer but more enjoyable. ?When you?re drunk, life feels so naturally rich. When you?re sober, you kind of have to earn those experiences, don?t you? It?s like eating a really good ice cream, running euphorically or going dancing. I find these experiences feel so real.?
All of this isn?t to say that everyone should give up drinking, but most of us never get a chance to think about it, says Amanda. ?Society never really talks about it. Only alcoholics stop drinking. There are so many mental and physical health benefits of taking a break. More importantly, it?s hard to know how much alcohol you?re using as a social lubricant or coping with stress without taking a break.?
This content will be imported from {embed-name}. You may find the same content in a different format or more information on their website.
Felicia LaLomia Food and Culture Editor Felicia LaLomia is Food & Culture Editor for Delish.
This content is created and maintained by a third party and imported to this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may find more information about this and similar content on piano.io
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/sober-curious-why-people-who-arent-alcoholics-give-up-drinking/ If you?re anything like me, you?re halfway through dry January and longing for February 1st. After two weeks without alcohol (with a slip here and there, if we?re being honest), I have to say that quitting alcohol has been hard. The hardest part was going out with friends and hanging out […]
If you?re anything like me, you?re halfway through dry January and longing for February 1st. After two weeks without alcohol (with a slip here and there, if we?re being honest), I have to say that quitting alcohol has been hard. The hardest part was going out with friends and hanging out with others who drink. But I can?t deny the benefits I?ve felt. Not wasting my precious weekend days on hangovers or dealing with the dreaded hangxiety was amazing.
All of this got me thinking what it?s like for people who not only have a dry January, but live a dry life. After speaking to Brett Phillips for another article about sober curiosity, I became curious myself. The sober curious movement, so to speak, is when someone chooses to be sober both physically and mentally for health reasons as opposed to someone who is sober because of an alcohol abuse problem. In other words, people who are soberly curious don?t consider themselves alcoholics but still choose not to drink.
Hope Woodard is one of those people. The Brooklyn-based TikTok creator and social media strategist quit drinking three months ago after getting into an argument with her roommate that she realized would never have happened if she hadn?t been drinking.
?Drinking just causes so much chaos in my mind, and I think it?s so easy to laugh about it,? she says. ?I thought, ?I?m tired of making this a lighthearted thing.’?
During that time, she has shared her experience with her 100,000 followers and has stated that she is not necessarily in recovery. Their drinking didn?t ?get out of control all the time,? but the times they ?got out of control weren?t worth it.?
This content is imported from TikTok. You may find the same content in a different format or more information on their website.
?I was tired of wasting time with a hangover,? she shares in a TikTok. ?And I definitely relied on alcohol in social situations. Instead of dealing with my fear, I would just drink my fear away? and the next day I would wake up even more scared.?
Hope is not alone in this. More and more people are giving up alcohol, not because they identify as alcoholics, but because the benefits of sober living outweigh the downsides. ?People?s drinking has increased tremendously during the pandemic,? said Amanda E. White, licensed professional consultant and author of Not Drinking Tonight. ?I think more people than ever are realizing that they may need to reevaluate their relationship with alcohol.?
For anyone dating or having a social life, giving up alcohol can seem almost impossible. ?Most of your social life revolves around screwing around and giving up alcohol. It?s like relearning how to just hang out with people because you really like them,? says Hope. ?The chaos caused by drinking doesn?t really distract you anymore. Any problem in your life, you are responsible for it.?
This content is imported from TikTok. You may find the same content in a different format or more information on their website.
In the 90+ days that Hope hasn?t drunk, she?s noticed that candy is a lot sweeter. ?It?s like there?s a 20 percent increase in saturation,? she says. And life?s rich moments, as she calls them, are rarer but more enjoyable. ?When you?re drunk, life feels so naturally rich. When you?re sober, you kind of have to earn those experiences, don?t you? It?s like eating a really good ice cream, running euphorically or going dancing. I find these experiences feel so real.?
All of this isn?t to say that everyone should give up drinking, but most of us never get a chance to think about it, says Amanda. ?Society never really talks about it. Only alcoholics stop drinking. There are so many mental and physical health benefits of taking a break. More importantly, it?s hard to know how much alcohol you?re using as a social lubricant or coping with stress without taking a break.?
This content will be imported from {embed-name}. You may find the same content in a different format or more information on their website.
Felicia LaLomia Food and Culture Editor Felicia LaLomia is Food & Culture Editor for Delish.
This content is created and maintained by a third party and imported to this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may find more information about this and similar content on piano.io
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1642397037;}i:1;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:99:"The groundbreaking sober living registry that never was ? Orange County Register | Recovery Gazette";s:4:"link";s:126:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-recovery-gazette-2/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Recovery News Now";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sun, 16 Jan 2022 21:23:00 +0000";s:8:"category";s:17:"Alcohol Treatment";s:4:"guid";s:126:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-recovery-gazette-2/";s:11:"description";s:1097:"
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-3/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register/ Then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, then-Supervisor Michelle Steel (center) and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in 2018 detail allegations of fraud against five doctors, two administrative officials and four body brokers for exploiting drug users to obtain insurance for dangerous drugs billing for surgeries […]
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register/
Then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, then-Supervisor Michelle Steel (center) and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in 2018 detail allegations of fraud against five doctors, two administrative officials and four body brokers for exploiting drug users to obtain insurance for dangerous drugs billing for surgeries and unapproved medications . (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Lives were at stake. Action had to be taken. Fast.
?(T)here is an urgent need to protect victims who are currently being harmed by unscrupulous operators of illegal addiction treatment facilities and body brokers who seek to profit from victims? addiction,? Orange County CEO Frank Kim told the in October 2018 county regulators.
Predators roamed sober apartment buildings and AA meetings, preying on recovering users who agreed to receive unnecessary surgeries in exchange for money, Kim told supervisors. ?Many of these patients/victims came from abroad and upon returning home developed serious side effects from the surgery,? he wrote.
The proposed solution: A revolutionary ?Sober Living Registry? that would require private providers of addiction treatment in Orange County to publicly disclose their money-making partners ? sober living homes, blood and urine testing labs, pharmacies, and the like. It has been touted as a first-of-its-kind attempt to bring transparency to an industry riddled with fraud and abuse.
If the state didn?t crack down, local leaders said, Orange County would. The county supervisors ? all but one ? welcomed the idea. Hopes were high.
But today, more than three years later, the planned register does not exist.
Information is power
The idea was that the registry would provide consumer-oriented information and not medical advice.
?This is really just a start for addiction treatment centers to provide information about affiliates. So if there?s a conflict of interest, that?s open,? Tracy Hughes, the then-assistant prosecutor who did much of the legwork on the new law, said back in 2018.
?This is the model that qualified care facilities use. They must identify companies in which they own 5 percent or more. We?re trying to protect people by bringing a little more light into the darkness.?
The registry would also make it easier for law enforcement and the district attorney to prosecute bad actors. Companies that fail to register honestly and fully would face fines of up to $1,000 and jail terms of up to six months.
?There is an urgent need to protect the victims,? ??Kim told supervisors in 2018.
Dillon DeRita had a tattoo of the Serenity Prayer on his left forearm. DeRita died in Orange County rehab. (Photo courtesy of Rich DeRita)
Yes, the state has collected data on licensed facilities, but only the bare essentials ? name, address, phone number, and the like. But county officials thought that wasn?t enough. ?If you look at what this regulation does, it goes well beyond the state registry,? Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said at the time.
?It?s something that gives our law enforcement agencies the opportunity to act and our prosecutor to act and drive bad players out of this field. The existing state register does not go far enough. It doesn?t connect those dots for us.?
Orange County?s groundbreaking sober living registry would allow officials to connect those dots.
?We must act now,? Bartlett told her colleagues in 2018. ?Life is at risk.?
MY
The issues considered critical when Bartlett said this hasn?t gone away.
When Justice Department officials announced criminal charges against 10 local rehab operators in December 2021, they found that Orange County has overtaken South Florida as the statewide epicenter for rehab crime.
Many drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Orange County are still run by people with little or no medical background. Many patients and their insurance companies are still placed with the highest bidder. Many investors still own invisible, interconnected webs of rehab centers, sober houses, pharmacies, and testing centers that drain patients and insurance money with no regard for medical care.
Many rehab patients still die needlessly.
Three years after saying a registry was essential to solving these problems, county officials now say they are living up to the letter of the law by linking to state licensing data ? the very data whose inadequacy fueled Orange County?s efforts from the start to winged.
?Is that enough? Is that enough?? Pauline Colvin, spokeswoman for Bartlett, asked. ?Not according to the boss. She?d like to do more with the registry.?
File Photo: Gabe Chaves found the late Timmy Solomon asleep on a piece of plastic behind a recycling bin in a San Clemente parking lot in 2017. A bed awaited Solomon in a sober apartment building in Whittier. (Mindy Schauer, personnel file)
Only one other supervisor remains on the board at the end of 2018 ? Andrew Do. Michelle Steel is now a congresswoman. Neither has engaged in registration, and supervisors Doug Chafee and Don Wagner have not responded to requests for comment.
However, Supervisor Katrina Foley ? who was recently elected to the board and led Costa Mesa?s successful charge of regulating sober dormitories as that city?s mayor ? said Orange County could do better.
?Improved coordination and transparency would help law enforcement and the Insurance Commissioner enforce the law against unscrupulous operators,? Foley said via email. ?These goals could be advanced through a revised county registry, model city ordinance, or other policy initiative. All options are on the table.?
Kim, then and now the county executive officer, said his office is run by the board of directors.
?We are currently re-evaluating how we can improve the integrity of the database so that it is useful to the intended audience,? spokeswoman Molly Nichelson said via email.
The Southern California News Group has been asking about the status of the sober living registry for months. Officials didn?t respond.
After a public records request was filed in the summer to understand the registry?s development, documents began to trickle out ? but they were mostly already available public agenda reports, newsletters, and SCNG?s own stories. So far, nothing has surfaced that sheds light on how the registry was intended to be structured or why officials decided to link to the state?s website after it was specifically found to be inadequate.
Todd Spitzer, left, and Tony Rackauckas were embroiled in a political feud for years. (Stock photos by Orange County Register/SCNG)
District Attorney Massoud Shamel said that OC Health Care Agency had provided the relevant documents it could find but that privileged communications between lawyer and client were not released.
The district attorney?s office ? where the registry idea was born ? said it had no responsive documents, officials said.
Politics could have an impact on how the registry has evolved. Or not.
battle
In 2018, Todd Spitzer and Tony Rackauckas were involved in an extraordinarily bitter race for district attorney.
Longtime DA Rackauckas proposed the registry to the Orange County Board of Supervisors just weeks before the November election. Spitzer was one of those overseers.
?Talk about a joke just before an election,? said Spitzer at the time. ?There was only one reason to put that on the agenda and we all know what it is.?
Rackauckas denied any political motivation and said his office had been working on the issue for more than a year. The action came as part of the SCNG?s ongoing investigation into fraud, sexual assault and deaths in the private addiction treatment industry.
The register overruled Spitzer?s objections. Rackauckas lost the DA race to Spitzer. It is unclear how the registration went on after that.
The responsibility for this was unusual. The OC Health Care Agency would gather information and the Attorney?s Office would use that information to root out potential wrongdoing. Spitzer?s office said it had no record of SCNG?s request for the register, despite the fact that the prosecutor?s office is where it began; and declined to comment or provide any further details on this story.
Rackauckas also did not respond to requests for comment.
Rose and Allen Nelson from Santa Monica hold up a picture of their late son Brandon Nelson. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Current state law requires licensed or certified treatment centers to disclose some business relationships to state officials, but this information is not currently publicly available.
How can invisible partners and financial connections be lethal? Santa Monica?s Rose and Allen Nelson know it all too well.
Her son Brandon was 26 when he went to what was said to be a top-notch government health facility in 2018 for a mental health crisis. But shortly after suffering a debilitating psychotic breakdown, Brandon ended up in an unlicensed ?sober state.? Residence for Psychiatric Facilities? operated by Sovereign.
He didn?t get medication on time because his prescription went to a pharmacy owned by the CEO, rather than one that might fill it faster.
Left to his own devices, Brandon Nelson used his sweatpants and the sprinkler on the ceiling to hang himself.
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-3/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register/ Then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, then-Supervisor Michelle Steel (center) and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in 2018 detail allegations of fraud against five doctors, two administrative officials and four body brokers for exploiting drug users to obtain insurance for dangerous drugs billing for surgeries […]
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register/
Then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, then-Supervisor Michelle Steel (center) and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in 2018 detail allegations of fraud against five doctors, two administrative officials and four body brokers for exploiting drug users to obtain insurance for dangerous drugs billing for surgeries and unapproved medications . (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Lives were at stake. Action had to be taken. Fast.
?(T)here is an urgent need to protect victims who are currently being harmed by unscrupulous operators of illegal addiction treatment facilities and body brokers who seek to profit from victims? addiction,? Orange County CEO Frank Kim told the in October 2018 county regulators.
Predators roamed sober apartment buildings and AA meetings, preying on recovering users who agreed to receive unnecessary surgeries in exchange for money, Kim told supervisors. ?Many of these patients/victims came from abroad and upon returning home developed serious side effects from the surgery,? he wrote.
The proposed solution: A revolutionary ?Sober Living Registry? that would require private providers of addiction treatment in Orange County to publicly disclose their money-making partners ? sober living homes, blood and urine testing labs, pharmacies, and the like. It has been touted as a first-of-its-kind attempt to bring transparency to an industry riddled with fraud and abuse.
If the state didn?t crack down, local leaders said, Orange County would. The county supervisors ? all but one ? welcomed the idea. Hopes were high.
But today, more than three years later, the planned register does not exist.
Information is power
The idea was that the registry would provide consumer-oriented information and not medical advice.
?This is really just a start for addiction treatment centers to provide information about affiliates. So if there?s a conflict of interest, that?s open,? Tracy Hughes, the then-assistant prosecutor who did much of the legwork on the new law, said back in 2018.
?This is the model that qualified care facilities use. They must identify companies in which they own 5 percent or more. We?re trying to protect people by bringing a little more light into the darkness.?
The registry would also make it easier for law enforcement and the district attorney to prosecute bad actors. Companies that fail to register honestly and fully would face fines of up to $1,000 and jail terms of up to six months.
?There is an urgent need to protect the victims,? ??Kim told supervisors in 2018.
Dillon DeRita had a tattoo of the Serenity Prayer on his left forearm. DeRita died in Orange County rehab. (Photo courtesy of Rich DeRita)
Yes, the state has collected data on licensed facilities, but only the bare essentials ? name, address, phone number, and the like. But county officials thought that wasn?t enough. ?If you look at what this regulation does, it goes well beyond the state registry,? Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said at the time.
?It?s something that gives our law enforcement agencies the opportunity to act and our prosecutor to act and drive bad players out of this field. The existing state register does not go far enough. It doesn?t connect those dots for us.?
Orange County?s groundbreaking sober living registry would allow officials to connect those dots.
?We must act now,? Bartlett told her colleagues in 2018. ?Life is at risk.?
MY
The issues considered critical when Bartlett said this hasn?t gone away.
When Justice Department officials announced criminal charges against 10 local rehab operators in December 2021, they found that Orange County has overtaken South Florida as the statewide epicenter for rehab crime.
Many drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Orange County are still run by people with little or no medical background. Many patients and their insurance companies are still placed with the highest bidder. Many investors still own invisible, interconnected webs of rehab centers, sober houses, pharmacies, and testing centers that drain patients and insurance money with no regard for medical care.
Many rehab patients still die needlessly.
Three years after saying a registry was essential to solving these problems, county officials now say they are living up to the letter of the law by linking to state licensing data ? the very data whose inadequacy fueled Orange County?s efforts from the start to winged.
?Is that enough? Is that enough?? Pauline Colvin, spokeswoman for Bartlett, asked. ?Not according to the boss. She?d like to do more with the registry.?
File Photo: Gabe Chaves found the late Timmy Solomon asleep on a piece of plastic behind a recycling bin in a San Clemente parking lot in 2017. A bed awaited Solomon in a sober apartment building in Whittier. (Mindy Schauer, personnel file)
Only one other supervisor remains on the board at the end of 2018 ? Andrew Do. Michelle Steel is now a congresswoman. Neither has engaged in registration, and supervisors Doug Chafee and Don Wagner have not responded to requests for comment.
However, Supervisor Katrina Foley ? who was recently elected to the board and led Costa Mesa?s successful charge of regulating sober dormitories as that city?s mayor ? said Orange County could do better.
?Improved coordination and transparency would help law enforcement and the Insurance Commissioner enforce the law against unscrupulous operators,? Foley said via email. ?These goals could be advanced through a revised county registry, model city ordinance, or other policy initiative. All options are on the table.?
Kim, then and now the county executive officer, said his office is run by the board of directors.
?We are currently re-evaluating how we can improve the integrity of the database so that it is useful to the intended audience,? spokeswoman Molly Nichelson said via email.
The Southern California News Group has been asking about the status of the sober living registry for months. Officials didn?t respond.
After a public records request was filed in the summer to understand the registry?s development, documents began to trickle out ? but they were mostly already available public agenda reports, newsletters, and SCNG?s own stories. So far, nothing has surfaced that sheds light on how the registry was intended to be structured or why officials decided to link to the state?s website after it was specifically found to be inadequate.
Todd Spitzer, left, and Tony Rackauckas were embroiled in a political feud for years. (Stock photos by Orange County Register/SCNG)
District Attorney Massoud Shamel said that OC Health Care Agency had provided the relevant documents it could find but that privileged communications between lawyer and client were not released.
The district attorney?s office ? where the registry idea was born ? said it had no responsive documents, officials said.
Politics could have an impact on how the registry has evolved. Or not.
battle
In 2018, Todd Spitzer and Tony Rackauckas were involved in an extraordinarily bitter race for district attorney.
Longtime DA Rackauckas proposed the registry to the Orange County Board of Supervisors just weeks before the November election. Spitzer was one of those overseers.
?Talk about a joke just before an election,? said Spitzer at the time. ?There was only one reason to put that on the agenda and we all know what it is.?
Rackauckas denied any political motivation and said his office had been working on the issue for more than a year. The action came as part of the SCNG?s ongoing investigation into fraud, sexual assault and deaths in the private addiction treatment industry.
The register overruled Spitzer?s objections. Rackauckas lost the DA race to Spitzer. It is unclear how the registration went on after that.
The responsibility for this was unusual. The OC Health Care Agency would gather information and the Attorney?s Office would use that information to root out potential wrongdoing. Spitzer?s office said it had no record of SCNG?s request for the register, despite the fact that the prosecutor?s office is where it began; and declined to comment or provide any further details on this story.
Rackauckas also did not respond to requests for comment.
Rose and Allen Nelson from Santa Monica hold up a picture of their late son Brandon Nelson. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Current state law requires licensed or certified treatment centers to disclose some business relationships to state officials, but this information is not currently publicly available.
How can invisible partners and financial connections be lethal? Santa Monica?s Rose and Allen Nelson know it all too well.
Her son Brandon was 26 when he went to what was said to be a top-notch government health facility in 2018 for a mental health crisis. But shortly after suffering a debilitating psychotic breakdown, Brandon ended up in an unlicensed ?sober state.? Residence for Psychiatric Facilities? operated by Sovereign.
He didn?t get medication on time because his prescription went to a pharmacy owned by the CEO, rather than one that might fill it faster.
Left to his own devices, Brandon Nelson used his sweatpants and the sprinkler on the ceiling to hang himself.
In 2021, Clark County saw the biggest spike in drug overdose deaths in five years ? which one health official said stems from changes in the illegal drug market. Clark County Health Officer Dr. Eric Yazel said at least three-quarters of the 73 overdoses deaths recorded last year involved the highly potent opioid fentanyl, and […]
In 2021, Clark County saw the biggest spike in drug overdose deaths in five years ? which one health official said stems from changes in the illegal drug market.
Clark County Health Officer Dr. Eric Yazel said at least three-quarters of the 73 overdoses deaths recorded last year involved the highly potent opioid fentanyl, and many also involved methamphetamine.
That?s a big change from the mainly heroin-driven deaths in recent years, which Yazel attributed to a shift in the drug supply.
?The ability of these chemical labs to synthesize those compounds is what the big game changer has been,? he said. ?They?re not dependent on large volumes of product, there are no crops they have to worry about. Their only limit is how much chemical supply they can get.?
This shift will be a big focus of this year?s Drug Facts Week, hosted by grassroots community organization Clark County CARES.
Monday through Thursday, there will be in-person and livestreamed discussions on the current state of substance abuse in Clark County, the social and economic impacts and paths to recovery.
Sam Quinones, author of the books ?Dreamland,? which focused on the rise of opioids, and ?The Least of Us,? the transition to meth and fentanyl and the fallout from that, will be the keynote speaker. Sunday evening, there will be a candlelight vigil at the base of the Big Four Bridge in Jeffersonville for those experiencing or lost to addiction.
Yazel said he thinks this year?s event will be one of the most important they?ve had, along with the one at the start of the opioid crisis that helped kick start new recovery initiatives.
?Well now, I think we?re talking about completely different issues,? he said, of this year?s discussions. ?Fentanyl and methamphetamine supply, we?re talking about social issues from COVID-19, just a lot of different things.?
Clark County CARES was started in 2015, in the wake of the intravenous drug-fueled HIV outbreak in neighboring Scott County and as opioids started to take a hold in Clark County. It was founded by community members impacted by addiction and now includes health care providers, law enforcement and those in recovery.
Member Carolyn King said the group has helped raise awareness and implement programming changes, which have in the past few years cut down on the overdoses.
The loneliness and isolation brought by the pandemic may have been a driver in some of the rise in substance use, she said.
?But I think introducing fentanyl [and meth]?it?s easy to access, it?s cheap and it?s adding to the overdoses right now,? she said.
Yazel said the current trends may be more difficult to address, as there isn?t as much evidence-based treatment for meth, and so much of it is cut with fentanyl.
?I?m really concerned,? he said. ?You?re having a drug that no one is having much success getting off of, combined with essentially the most dangerous substance that we?ve ever seen ? as far as abuse goes ? in fentanyl. It?s just a deadly combination that?s really worrisome.?
Asked if this phase of the addiction crisis is worse than the start of opioids in the area around 2015, King said the overall issue is bigger than that.
?We?ve got to find out how to stop people from needing to use alternative substances in the first place,? she said, adding that alcohol kills many more people than drugs, just more slowly.
King said those working to address overdoses need to explore why people are feeling a lack of connection or despair that drives them to substance abuse.
?I think until we really get that drilled down and get to the root cause, it?s going to continue to be a problem,? she said.
In 2021, Clark County saw the biggest spike in drug overdose deaths in five years ? which one health official said stems from changes in the illegal drug market. Clark County Health Officer Dr. Eric Yazel said at least three-quarters of the 73 overdoses deaths recorded last year involved the highly potent opioid fentanyl, and […]
In 2021, Clark County saw the biggest spike in drug overdose deaths in five years ? which one health official said stems from changes in the illegal drug market.
Clark County Health Officer Dr. Eric Yazel said at least three-quarters of the 73 overdoses deaths recorded last year involved the highly potent opioid fentanyl, and many also involved methamphetamine.
That?s a big change from the mainly heroin-driven deaths in recent years, which Yazel attributed to a shift in the drug supply.
?The ability of these chemical labs to synthesize those compounds is what the big game changer has been,? he said. ?They?re not dependent on large volumes of product, there are no crops they have to worry about. Their only limit is how much chemical supply they can get.?
This shift will be a big focus of this year?s Drug Facts Week, hosted by grassroots community organization Clark County CARES.
Monday through Thursday, there will be in-person and livestreamed discussions on the current state of substance abuse in Clark County, the social and economic impacts and paths to recovery.
Sam Quinones, author of the books ?Dreamland,? which focused on the rise of opioids, and ?The Least of Us,? the transition to meth and fentanyl and the fallout from that, will be the keynote speaker. Sunday evening, there will be a candlelight vigil at the base of the Big Four Bridge in Jeffersonville for those experiencing or lost to addiction.
Yazel said he thinks this year?s event will be one of the most important they?ve had, along with the one at the start of the opioid crisis that helped kick start new recovery initiatives.
?Well now, I think we?re talking about completely different issues,? he said, of this year?s discussions. ?Fentanyl and methamphetamine supply, we?re talking about social issues from COVID-19, just a lot of different things.?
Clark County CARES was started in 2015, in the wake of the intravenous drug-fueled HIV outbreak in neighboring Scott County and as opioids started to take a hold in Clark County. It was founded by community members impacted by addiction and now includes health care providers, law enforcement and those in recovery.
Member Carolyn King said the group has helped raise awareness and implement programming changes, which have in the past few years cut down on the overdoses.
The loneliness and isolation brought by the pandemic may have been a driver in some of the rise in substance use, she said.
?But I think introducing fentanyl [and meth]?it?s easy to access, it?s cheap and it?s adding to the overdoses right now,? she said.
Yazel said the current trends may be more difficult to address, as there isn?t as much evidence-based treatment for meth, and so much of it is cut with fentanyl.
?I?m really concerned,? he said. ?You?re having a drug that no one is having much success getting off of, combined with essentially the most dangerous substance that we?ve ever seen ? as far as abuse goes ? in fentanyl. It?s just a deadly combination that?s really worrisome.?
Asked if this phase of the addiction crisis is worse than the start of opioids in the area around 2015, King said the overall issue is bigger than that.
?We?ve got to find out how to stop people from needing to use alternative substances in the first place,? she said, adding that alcohol kills many more people than drugs, just more slowly.
King said those working to address overdoses need to explore why people are feeling a lack of connection or despair that drives them to substance abuse.
?I think until we really get that drilled down and get to the root cause, it?s going to continue to be a problem,? she said.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1642357370;}i:3;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:99:"The groundbreaking sober living registry that never was ? Orange County Register | Recovery Gazette";s:4:"link";s:124:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-recovery-gazette/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Recovery News Now";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sun, 16 Jan 2022 13:21:27 +0000";s:8:"category";s:17:"Alcohol Treatment";s:4:"guid";s:124:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-recovery-gazette/";s:11:"description";s:992:"
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register/ Then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, then-Supervisor Michelle Steel (center) and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in 2018 detail allegations of fraud against five doctors, two administrative officials and four body brokers for exploiting drug users to obtain insurance for dangerous drugs billing for surgeries and unapproved medications . […]
Then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, then-Supervisor Michelle Steel (center) and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in 2018 detail allegations of fraud against five doctors, two administrative officials and four body brokers for exploiting drug users to obtain insurance for dangerous drugs billing for surgeries and unapproved medications . (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Lives were at stake. Action had to be taken. Fast.
?(T)here is an urgent need to protect victims who are currently being harmed by unscrupulous operators of illegal addiction treatment facilities and body brokers who seek to profit from victims? addiction,? Orange County CEO Frank Kim told the in October 2018 county regulators.
Predators roamed sober apartment buildings and AA meetings, preying on recovering users who agreed to receive unnecessary surgeries in exchange for money, Kim told supervisors. ?Many of these patients/victims came from abroad and upon returning home developed serious side effects from the surgery,? he wrote.
The proposed solution: A revolutionary ?Sober Living Registry? that would require private providers of addiction treatment in Orange County to publicly disclose their money-making partners ? sober living homes, blood and urine testing labs, pharmacies, and the like. It has been touted as a first-of-its-kind attempt to bring transparency to an industry riddled with fraud and abuse.
If the state didn?t crack down, local leaders said, Orange County would. The county supervisors ? all but one ? welcomed the idea. Hopes were high.
But today, more than three years later, the planned register does not exist.
Information is power
The idea was that the registry would provide consumer-oriented information and not medical advice.
?This is really just a start for addiction treatment centers to provide information about affiliates. So if there?s a conflict of interest, that?s open,? Tracy Hughes, the then-assistant prosecutor who did much of the legwork on the new law, said back in 2018.
?This is the model that qualified care facilities use. They must identify companies in which they own 5 percent or more. We?re trying to protect people by bringing a little more light into the darkness.?
The registry would also make it easier for law enforcement and the district attorney to prosecute bad actors. Companies that fail to register honestly and fully would face fines of up to $1,000 and jail terms of up to six months.
?There is an urgent need to protect the victims,? ??Kim told supervisors in 2018.
Dillon DeRita had a tattoo of the Serenity Prayer on his left forearm. DeRita died in Orange County rehab. (Photo courtesy of Rich DeRita)
Yes, the state has collected data on licensed facilities, but only the bare essentials ? name, address, phone number, and the like. But county officials thought that wasn?t enough. ?If you look at what this regulation does, it goes well beyond the state registry,? Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said at the time.
?It?s something that gives our law enforcement agencies the opportunity to act and our prosecutor to act and drive bad players out of this field. The existing state register does not go far enough. It doesn?t connect those dots for us.?
Orange County?s groundbreaking sober living registry would allow officials to connect those dots.
?We must act now,? Bartlett told her colleagues in 2018. ?Life is at risk.?
MY
The issues considered critical when Bartlett said this hasn?t gone away.
When Justice Department officials announced criminal charges against 10 local rehab operators in December 2021, they found that Orange County has overtaken South Florida as the statewide epicenter for rehab crime.
Many drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Orange County are still run by people with little or no medical background. Many patients and their insurance companies are still placed with the highest bidder. Many investors still own invisible, interconnected webs of rehab centers, sober houses, pharmacies, and testing centers that drain patients and insurance money with no regard for medical care.
Many rehab patients still die needlessly.
Three years after saying a registry was essential to solving these problems, county officials now say they are living up to the letter of the law by linking to state licensing data ? the very data whose inadequacy fueled Orange County?s efforts from the start to winged.
?Is that enough? Is that enough?? Pauline Colvin, spokeswoman for Bartlett, asked. ?Not according to the boss. She?d like to do more with the registry.?
File Photo: Gabe Chaves found the late Timmy Solomon asleep on a piece of plastic behind a recycling bin in a San Clemente parking lot in 2017. A bed awaited Solomon in a sober apartment building in Whittier. (Mindy Schauer, personnel file)
Only one other supervisor remains on the board at the end of 2018 ? Andrew Do. Michelle Steel is now a congresswoman. Neither has engaged in registration, and supervisors Doug Chafee and Don Wagner have not responded to requests for comment.
However, Supervisor Katrina Foley ? who was recently elected to the board and led Costa Mesa?s successful charge of regulating sober dormitories as that city?s mayor ? said Orange County could do better.
?Improved coordination and transparency would help law enforcement and the Insurance Commissioner enforce the law against unscrupulous operators,? Foley said via email. ?These goals could be advanced through a revised county registry, model city ordinance, or other policy initiative. All options are on the table.?
Kim, then and now the county executive officer, said his office is run by the board of directors.
?We are currently re-evaluating how we can improve the integrity of the database so that it is useful to the intended audience,? spokeswoman Molly Nichelson said via email.
The Southern California News Group has been asking about the status of the sober living registry for months. Officials didn?t respond.
After a public records request was filed in the summer to understand the registry?s development, documents began to trickle out ? but they were mostly already available public agenda reports, newsletters, and SCNG?s own stories. So far, nothing has surfaced that sheds light on how the registry was intended to be structured or why officials decided to link to the state?s website after it was specifically found to be inadequate.
Todd Spitzer, left, and Tony Rackauckas were embroiled in a political feud for years. (Stock photos by Orange County Register/SCNG)
District Attorney Massoud Shamel said that OC Health Care Agency had provided the relevant documents it could find but that privileged communications between lawyer and client were not released.
The district attorney?s office ? where the registry idea was born ? said it had no responsive documents, officials said.
Politics could have an impact on how the registry has evolved. Or not.
battle
In 2018, Todd Spitzer and Tony Rackauckas were involved in an extraordinarily bitter race for district attorney.
Longtime DA Rackauckas proposed the registry to the Orange County Board of Supervisors just weeks before the November election. Spitzer was one of those overseers.
?Talk about a joke just before an election,? said Spitzer at the time. ?There was only one reason to put that on the agenda and we all know what it is.?
Rackauckas denied any political motivation and said his office had been working on the issue for more than a year. The action came as part of the SCNG?s ongoing investigation into fraud, sexual assault and deaths in the private addiction treatment industry.
The register overruled Spitzer?s objections. Rackauckas lost the DA race to Spitzer. It is unclear how the registration went on after that.
The responsibility for this was unusual. The OC Health Care Agency would gather information and the Attorney?s Office would use that information to root out potential wrongdoing. Spitzer?s office said it had no record of SCNG?s request for the register, despite the fact that the prosecutor?s office is where it began; and declined to comment or provide any further details on this story.
Rackauckas also did not respond to requests for comment.
Rose and Allen Nelson from Santa Monica hold up a picture of their late son Brandon Nelson. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Current state law requires licensed or certified treatment centers to disclose some business relationships to state officials, but this information is not currently publicly available.
How can invisible partners and financial connections be lethal? Santa Monica?s Rose and Allen Nelson know it all too well.
Her son Brandon was 26 when he went to what was said to be a top-notch government health facility in 2018 for a mental health crisis. But shortly after suffering a debilitating psychotic breakdown, Brandon ended up in an unlicensed ?sober state.? Residence for Psychiatric Facilities? operated by Sovereign.
He didn?t get medication on time because his prescription went to a pharmacy owned by the CEO, rather than one that might fill it faster.
Left to his own devices, Brandon Nelson used his sweatpants and the sprinkler on the ceiling to hang himself.
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/the-groundbreaking-sober-living-registry-that-never-was-orange-county-register/ Then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, then-Supervisor Michelle Steel (center) and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in 2018 detail allegations of fraud against five doctors, two administrative officials and four body brokers for exploiting drug users to obtain insurance for dangerous drugs billing for surgeries and unapproved medications . […]
Then-Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, then-Supervisor Michelle Steel (center) and Supervisor Lisa Bartlett in 2018 detail allegations of fraud against five doctors, two administrative officials and four body brokers for exploiting drug users to obtain insurance for dangerous drugs billing for surgeries and unapproved medications . (Photo by Michael Fernandez, Contributing Photographer)
Lives were at stake. Action had to be taken. Fast.
?(T)here is an urgent need to protect victims who are currently being harmed by unscrupulous operators of illegal addiction treatment facilities and body brokers who seek to profit from victims? addiction,? Orange County CEO Frank Kim told the in October 2018 county regulators.
Predators roamed sober apartment buildings and AA meetings, preying on recovering users who agreed to receive unnecessary surgeries in exchange for money, Kim told supervisors. ?Many of these patients/victims came from abroad and upon returning home developed serious side effects from the surgery,? he wrote.
The proposed solution: A revolutionary ?Sober Living Registry? that would require private providers of addiction treatment in Orange County to publicly disclose their money-making partners ? sober living homes, blood and urine testing labs, pharmacies, and the like. It has been touted as a first-of-its-kind attempt to bring transparency to an industry riddled with fraud and abuse.
If the state didn?t crack down, local leaders said, Orange County would. The county supervisors ? all but one ? welcomed the idea. Hopes were high.
But today, more than three years later, the planned register does not exist.
Information is power
The idea was that the registry would provide consumer-oriented information and not medical advice.
?This is really just a start for addiction treatment centers to provide information about affiliates. So if there?s a conflict of interest, that?s open,? Tracy Hughes, the then-assistant prosecutor who did much of the legwork on the new law, said back in 2018.
?This is the model that qualified care facilities use. They must identify companies in which they own 5 percent or more. We?re trying to protect people by bringing a little more light into the darkness.?
The registry would also make it easier for law enforcement and the district attorney to prosecute bad actors. Companies that fail to register honestly and fully would face fines of up to $1,000 and jail terms of up to six months.
?There is an urgent need to protect the victims,? ??Kim told supervisors in 2018.
Dillon DeRita had a tattoo of the Serenity Prayer on his left forearm. DeRita died in Orange County rehab. (Photo courtesy of Rich DeRita)
Yes, the state has collected data on licensed facilities, but only the bare essentials ? name, address, phone number, and the like. But county officials thought that wasn?t enough. ?If you look at what this regulation does, it goes well beyond the state registry,? Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said at the time.
?It?s something that gives our law enforcement agencies the opportunity to act and our prosecutor to act and drive bad players out of this field. The existing state register does not go far enough. It doesn?t connect those dots for us.?
Orange County?s groundbreaking sober living registry would allow officials to connect those dots.
?We must act now,? Bartlett told her colleagues in 2018. ?Life is at risk.?
MY
The issues considered critical when Bartlett said this hasn?t gone away.
When Justice Department officials announced criminal charges against 10 local rehab operators in December 2021, they found that Orange County has overtaken South Florida as the statewide epicenter for rehab crime.
Many drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers in Orange County are still run by people with little or no medical background. Many patients and their insurance companies are still placed with the highest bidder. Many investors still own invisible, interconnected webs of rehab centers, sober houses, pharmacies, and testing centers that drain patients and insurance money with no regard for medical care.
Many rehab patients still die needlessly.
Three years after saying a registry was essential to solving these problems, county officials now say they are living up to the letter of the law by linking to state licensing data ? the very data whose inadequacy fueled Orange County?s efforts from the start to winged.
?Is that enough? Is that enough?? Pauline Colvin, spokeswoman for Bartlett, asked. ?Not according to the boss. She?d like to do more with the registry.?
File Photo: Gabe Chaves found the late Timmy Solomon asleep on a piece of plastic behind a recycling bin in a San Clemente parking lot in 2017. A bed awaited Solomon in a sober apartment building in Whittier. (Mindy Schauer, personnel file)
Only one other supervisor remains on the board at the end of 2018 ? Andrew Do. Michelle Steel is now a congresswoman. Neither has engaged in registration, and supervisors Doug Chafee and Don Wagner have not responded to requests for comment.
However, Supervisor Katrina Foley ? who was recently elected to the board and led Costa Mesa?s successful charge of regulating sober dormitories as that city?s mayor ? said Orange County could do better.
?Improved coordination and transparency would help law enforcement and the Insurance Commissioner enforce the law against unscrupulous operators,? Foley said via email. ?These goals could be advanced through a revised county registry, model city ordinance, or other policy initiative. All options are on the table.?
Kim, then and now the county executive officer, said his office is run by the board of directors.
?We are currently re-evaluating how we can improve the integrity of the database so that it is useful to the intended audience,? spokeswoman Molly Nichelson said via email.
The Southern California News Group has been asking about the status of the sober living registry for months. Officials didn?t respond.
After a public records request was filed in the summer to understand the registry?s development, documents began to trickle out ? but they were mostly already available public agenda reports, newsletters, and SCNG?s own stories. So far, nothing has surfaced that sheds light on how the registry was intended to be structured or why officials decided to link to the state?s website after it was specifically found to be inadequate.
Todd Spitzer, left, and Tony Rackauckas were embroiled in a political feud for years. (Stock photos by Orange County Register/SCNG)
District Attorney Massoud Shamel said that OC Health Care Agency had provided the relevant documents it could find but that privileged communications between lawyer and client were not released.
The district attorney?s office ? where the registry idea was born ? said it had no responsive documents, officials said.
Politics could have an impact on how the registry has evolved. Or not.
battle
In 2018, Todd Spitzer and Tony Rackauckas were involved in an extraordinarily bitter race for district attorney.
Longtime DA Rackauckas proposed the registry to the Orange County Board of Supervisors just weeks before the November election. Spitzer was one of those overseers.
?Talk about a joke just before an election,? said Spitzer at the time. ?There was only one reason to put that on the agenda and we all know what it is.?
Rackauckas denied any political motivation and said his office had been working on the issue for more than a year. The action came as part of the SCNG?s ongoing investigation into fraud, sexual assault and deaths in the private addiction treatment industry.
The register overruled Spitzer?s objections. Rackauckas lost the DA race to Spitzer. It is unclear how the registration went on after that.
The responsibility for this was unusual. The OC Health Care Agency would gather information and the Attorney?s Office would use that information to root out potential wrongdoing. Spitzer?s office said it had no record of SCNG?s request for the register, despite the fact that the prosecutor?s office is where it began; and declined to comment or provide any further details on this story.
Rackauckas also did not respond to requests for comment.
Rose and Allen Nelson from Santa Monica hold up a picture of their late son Brandon Nelson. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Current state law requires licensed or certified treatment centers to disclose some business relationships to state officials, but this information is not currently publicly available.
How can invisible partners and financial connections be lethal? Santa Monica?s Rose and Allen Nelson know it all too well.
Her son Brandon was 26 when he went to what was said to be a top-notch government health facility in 2018 for a mental health crisis. But shortly after suffering a debilitating psychotic breakdown, Brandon ended up in an unlicensed ?sober state.? Residence for Psychiatric Facilities? operated by Sovereign.
He didn?t get medication on time because his prescription went to a pharmacy owned by the CEO, rather than one that might fill it faster.
Left to his own devices, Brandon Nelson used his sweatpants and the sprinkler on the ceiling to hang himself.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1642339287;}i:4;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:99:"?Zoom meetings weren?t for me? There were people a long time sober who relapsed? | Recovery Gazette";s:4:"link";s:124:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-recovery-gazette-3/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Recovery News Now";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sun, 16 Jan 2022 05:20:25 +0000";s:8:"category";s:17:"Alcohol Treatment";s:4:"guid";s:124:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-recovery-gazette-3/";s:11:"description";s:1030:"
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-3/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed/ Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will. Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine. Source: Noel Considine The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, […]
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed/
Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will.
Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine.
Source: Noel Considine
The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing could hide from it.
For hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine, Covid-19 has affected two important pillars of his life. Sporting events were initially wiped from the calendar as the pandemic took hold, before the eerie matches played in empty stadiums ushered in the gradual return to normal operations.
The GAA season was also violently ended, causing disruption to the Wexford hurlers Considine was working with at the time. He joined them under Davy Fitzgerald before the long drive from his home in Galway forced him to resign towards the end of 2020.
Considine is now working with the Kerry Hurlers as his coaching career continues to grow. He also hopes to launch his own coaching project in the future.
The second aspect of his life hit by Covid relates to his ongoing journey with alcoholism. He hates the word alcoholic but accepts that he has to live with the title.
The Clarecastle native has been candid about his long battle with sobriety in the past, including a candid interview with The42 in 2020.
For the better part of a decade, he was happily sober. But Covid, he says, has really called into question the rehabilitation work he?s done so far.
And during AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] is an essential service providing life-saving treatments to its members, it too has been restricted by the virus, forcing meetings to take place on online platforms.
?It was different,? Considine explains to The42 of adapting to the new dynamic during lockdown.
?I hate the word alcoholic, but we are and our medicine is AA. It?s like a diabetic who has to take insulin. It?s our lifeline. I want to be content sober and not what is called a ?dry drunk.? A ?dry drunk? is someone who lives the life of a drunk without alcohol. The only way I can be content sober is to practice the 12 Steps of AA.
?A very large proportion of them go to AA meetings and get to connect with like-minded people. Thinking can be very crazy sometimes and I need AA for that.
?Unfortunately, I haven?t had that in a very long time. I know many people who have relapsed, and there have also been people who have been sober for a long time who have relapsed.
?That?s why it was hard for me to be fair. I?ve done a few Zoom meetings and they?ve been nice, but that?s Zoom [meetings] wasn?t for me, it wasn?t personal enough. It?s like a safety net. If I don?t go to a meeting for three weeks, I know in the back of my mind that if I have to go tonight, I can sit in a car and go to a meeting. It?s there for me
?That safety net often gets you through. If it?s not there, it?s a different story. No one expected it, so no one was trained or prepared for it. Nobody knew what to expect. So we winged it a bit.?
The fear of relapse came to Considine?s mind. He has endured many stumbling blocks on the road to leaving the addict?s life behind, and he has seen others fall recently.
He could understand the struggle of her panties. But Considine?s own path to recovery has gifted him with a strong sense of belief that he will never relapse.
?To be fair, I?ve struggled with alcoholism since I was 18 and I?ve struggled to admit and accept that I?m an alcoholic. I now fully accept that I am an alcoholic, end of story. I have no doubt about that.
?So the fact that I have such a strong acceptance means I accept that I?m an alcoholic and that I can never safely drink again. That was a blessing for me, but if I hadn?t had the acceptance I have and just admitted it, I probably would have relapsed.
?But thankfully I?m in a very strong place right now and the biggest thing I have is that I?m so grateful for the gift of sobriety. This is the greatest gift I will ever receive. The higher power in my life took away the compulsion to drink.
?I will not rise in the morning without saying my few prayers, reading my 24-hour book, and I will not go to sleep at night without thanking this higher power, the God of my understanding. It only takes five minutes and if I?m not grateful enough to ask Him for help in the morning, I don?t deserve the gift of sobriety.
?Somewhere in a good book it says there will come a time when your only defense against the first drink will be your higher power. I think Covid was my test and my higher power got me through it. He didn?t sober me up to screw it up again, so I was convinced.
?Now I have good people in my life too, but that?s really my greatest ally.?
****
After his stint with the Wexford Hurlers ended, Considine knew he wanted to work with an inter-county team again. His native Clare was certainly on his mind at the time and he offered his coaching services to the Banner.
A vacancy didn?t materialize for him, however, but he did accept a role with the Kerry Hurlers after being approached by manager ? and former Waterford star ? Stephen Molumphy.
Kerry is more than a rising team in hurling. They reached the final of last year?s Joe McDonagh Cup, where they lost to a strong Westmeath side, and last weekend celebrated a three-point win over Tipperary in the Munster Hurling Cup.
There are four keepers in the kingdom under Considine?s supervision ? Louis Dee, Cormac Slattery, Conor Bohane and Martin Stackpoole.
?It was a no-brainer because I like him a lot [Molumphy] anyway,? says Considine.
Source: Cathal Noonan
?It?s a fantastic opportunity and I know he?s going to achieve a lot as a manager and I wanted to be part of his line-up. He?s an army officer and everything about him is 100% meticulous and I knew I was going into a constellation worth tackling.
?There?s no shortage of slingshot skills in Kerry. You can hurl all. They?re actually one of the most comfortable teams I?ve ever seen on the ball. If a few small things can be adjusted and have a slightly different mentality to what they?ve had for a few years, change a few small things and I think the future is bright for Kerry Hurling.
?Kerry isn?t far away.
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?I?m just loving it at the moment. I?m really looking forward to developing four goalkeepers who probably never had the chance to be developed as well as I am able to develop them. They all want to learn. They seem to appreciate that I?m there and it?s just a new challenge.?
Considine has worked with a number of top-flight goalkeepers, including Wexford?s Mark Fanning and Clare?s Eibhear Quiligan. Various clubs were also under his supervision working alongside goalkeepers Shane Gohery and John Mitchell at Tynagh Abbey/Duniry in Galway. Considine?s son Aaron is the current coach of Toomevara from Tipperary and has also taken over from his father there.
With all this experience and expertise already gathered, Considine wants to branch out and start his own coaching business. The form and structure of this new project is not yet finalized in his mind, and it is unlikely to become operational later this year.
Money is not a motivating factor for Considine, who works as a car saleswoman during the day. He just wants to help goalies in hurling and camogie improve their craft.
?It?s something I?m going to sit down and implement very soon,? he begins.
?I?m not sure if I would get mobile with that or if I would have a building. The business plan is not complete.
?I have someone who is willing to sponsor me and support me financially. It?s just for me to find the time to sit down and get it right.
?I just love coaching. I want to coach each team?s coaches on how to train goalkeepers.
?If I make this my full-time job, then of course I have to make a living from it. The least important part of my coaching is the cost. I?d probably be the kind of Eejit to break out of this because I?m more interested in getting a player to play county than making money from it.
?I spend as much time on the phone with my goalkeepers as I do on the field. And I care about her, and I care about her life and what?s going on. It?s not a job and I think that?s why I?m the best at it.
?For all my goalkeepers, I know the name of their girlfriend or partner, their parents, where they work or what they work for. I know when you have a fight with your girlfriend. We talk about everything and vice versa.
?I want all my goalkeepers to enjoy scoring, that?s the most important thing. You are in the most privileged position on the pitch. Look at the people who went before you, all the great goalkeepers. We continue this tradition and are fortunate to be next in line.?
If you would like to speak up or have concerns about alcoholism you can contact Pieta House, Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland or the HSE Addiction Services.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-3/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed/ Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will. Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine. Source: Noel Considine The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, […]
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed/
Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will.
Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine.
Source: Noel Considine
The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing could hide from it.
For hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine, Covid-19 has affected two important pillars of his life. Sporting events were initially wiped from the calendar as the pandemic took hold, before the eerie matches played in empty stadiums ushered in the gradual return to normal operations.
The GAA season was also violently ended, causing disruption to the Wexford hurlers Considine was working with at the time. He joined them under Davy Fitzgerald before the long drive from his home in Galway forced him to resign towards the end of 2020.
Considine is now working with the Kerry Hurlers as his coaching career continues to grow. He also hopes to launch his own coaching project in the future.
The second aspect of his life hit by Covid relates to his ongoing journey with alcoholism. He hates the word alcoholic but accepts that he has to live with the title.
The Clarecastle native has been candid about his long battle with sobriety in the past, including a candid interview with The42 in 2020.
For the better part of a decade, he was happily sober. But Covid, he says, has really called into question the rehabilitation work he?s done so far.
And during AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] is an essential service providing life-saving treatments to its members, it too has been restricted by the virus, forcing meetings to take place on online platforms.
?It was different,? Considine explains to The42 of adapting to the new dynamic during lockdown.
?I hate the word alcoholic, but we are and our medicine is AA. It?s like a diabetic who has to take insulin. It?s our lifeline. I want to be content sober and not what is called a ?dry drunk.? A ?dry drunk? is someone who lives the life of a drunk without alcohol. The only way I can be content sober is to practice the 12 Steps of AA.
?A very large proportion of them go to AA meetings and get to connect with like-minded people. Thinking can be very crazy sometimes and I need AA for that.
?Unfortunately, I haven?t had that in a very long time. I know many people who have relapsed, and there have also been people who have been sober for a long time who have relapsed.
?That?s why it was hard for me to be fair. I?ve done a few Zoom meetings and they?ve been nice, but that?s Zoom [meetings] wasn?t for me, it wasn?t personal enough. It?s like a safety net. If I don?t go to a meeting for three weeks, I know in the back of my mind that if I have to go tonight, I can sit in a car and go to a meeting. It?s there for me
?That safety net often gets you through. If it?s not there, it?s a different story. No one expected it, so no one was trained or prepared for it. Nobody knew what to expect. So we winged it a bit.?
The fear of relapse came to Considine?s mind. He has endured many stumbling blocks on the road to leaving the addict?s life behind, and he has seen others fall recently.
He could understand the struggle of her panties. But Considine?s own path to recovery has gifted him with a strong sense of belief that he will never relapse.
?To be fair, I?ve struggled with alcoholism since I was 18 and I?ve struggled to admit and accept that I?m an alcoholic. I now fully accept that I am an alcoholic, end of story. I have no doubt about that.
?So the fact that I have such a strong acceptance means I accept that I?m an alcoholic and that I can never safely drink again. That was a blessing for me, but if I hadn?t had the acceptance I have and just admitted it, I probably would have relapsed.
?But thankfully I?m in a very strong place right now and the biggest thing I have is that I?m so grateful for the gift of sobriety. This is the greatest gift I will ever receive. The higher power in my life took away the compulsion to drink.
?I will not rise in the morning without saying my few prayers, reading my 24-hour book, and I will not go to sleep at night without thanking this higher power, the God of my understanding. It only takes five minutes and if I?m not grateful enough to ask Him for help in the morning, I don?t deserve the gift of sobriety.
?Somewhere in a good book it says there will come a time when your only defense against the first drink will be your higher power. I think Covid was my test and my higher power got me through it. He didn?t sober me up to screw it up again, so I was convinced.
?Now I have good people in my life too, but that?s really my greatest ally.?
****
After his stint with the Wexford Hurlers ended, Considine knew he wanted to work with an inter-county team again. His native Clare was certainly on his mind at the time and he offered his coaching services to the Banner.
A vacancy didn?t materialize for him, however, but he did accept a role with the Kerry Hurlers after being approached by manager ? and former Waterford star ? Stephen Molumphy.
Kerry is more than a rising team in hurling. They reached the final of last year?s Joe McDonagh Cup, where they lost to a strong Westmeath side, and last weekend celebrated a three-point win over Tipperary in the Munster Hurling Cup.
There are four keepers in the kingdom under Considine?s supervision ? Louis Dee, Cormac Slattery, Conor Bohane and Martin Stackpoole.
?It was a no-brainer because I like him a lot [Molumphy] anyway,? says Considine.
Source: Cathal Noonan
?It?s a fantastic opportunity and I know he?s going to achieve a lot as a manager and I wanted to be part of his line-up. He?s an army officer and everything about him is 100% meticulous and I knew I was going into a constellation worth tackling.
?There?s no shortage of slingshot skills in Kerry. You can hurl all. They?re actually one of the most comfortable teams I?ve ever seen on the ball. If a few small things can be adjusted and have a slightly different mentality to what they?ve had for a few years, change a few small things and I think the future is bright for Kerry Hurling.
?Kerry isn?t far away.
SEE SPORTS DIFFERENT
Get closer to the stories that matter with exclusive analysis, insights and discussions in The42 Membership.
become a member
?I?m just loving it at the moment. I?m really looking forward to developing four goalkeepers who probably never had the chance to be developed as well as I am able to develop them. They all want to learn. They seem to appreciate that I?m there and it?s just a new challenge.?
Considine has worked with a number of top-flight goalkeepers, including Wexford?s Mark Fanning and Clare?s Eibhear Quiligan. Various clubs were also under his supervision working alongside goalkeepers Shane Gohery and John Mitchell at Tynagh Abbey/Duniry in Galway. Considine?s son Aaron is the current coach of Toomevara from Tipperary and has also taken over from his father there.
With all this experience and expertise already gathered, Considine wants to branch out and start his own coaching business. The form and structure of this new project is not yet finalized in his mind, and it is unlikely to become operational later this year.
Money is not a motivating factor for Considine, who works as a car saleswoman during the day. He just wants to help goalies in hurling and camogie improve their craft.
?It?s something I?m going to sit down and implement very soon,? he begins.
?I?m not sure if I would get mobile with that or if I would have a building. The business plan is not complete.
?I have someone who is willing to sponsor me and support me financially. It?s just for me to find the time to sit down and get it right.
?I just love coaching. I want to coach each team?s coaches on how to train goalkeepers.
?If I make this my full-time job, then of course I have to make a living from it. The least important part of my coaching is the cost. I?d probably be the kind of Eejit to break out of this because I?m more interested in getting a player to play county than making money from it.
?I spend as much time on the phone with my goalkeepers as I do on the field. And I care about her, and I care about her life and what?s going on. It?s not a job and I think that?s why I?m the best at it.
?For all my goalkeepers, I know the name of their girlfriend or partner, their parents, where they work or what they work for. I know when you have a fight with your girlfriend. We talk about everything and vice versa.
?I want all my goalkeepers to enjoy scoring, that?s the most important thing. You are in the most privileged position on the pitch. Look at the people who went before you, all the great goalkeepers. We continue this tradition and are fortunate to be next in line.?
If you would like to speak up or have concerns about alcoholism you can contact Pieta House, Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland or the HSE Addiction Services.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1642310425;}i:5;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:99:"?Zoom meetings weren?t for me? There were people a long time sober who relapsed? | Recovery Gazette";s:4:"link";s:124:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-recovery-gazette-2/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Recovery News Now";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sat, 15 Jan 2022 21:19:02 +0000";s:8:"category";s:17:"Alcohol Treatment";s:4:"guid";s:124:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-recovery-gazette-2/";s:11:"description";s:936:"
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed/ Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will. Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine. Source: Noel Considine The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing […]
Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will.
Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine.
Source: Noel Considine
The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing could hide from it.
For hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine, Covid-19 has affected two important pillars of his life. Sporting events were initially wiped from the calendar as the pandemic took hold, before the eerie matches played in empty stadiums ushered in the gradual return to normal operations.
The GAA season was also violently ended, causing disruption to the Wexford hurlers Considine was working with at the time. He joined them under Davy Fitzgerald before the long drive from his home in Galway forced him to resign towards the end of 2020.
Considine is now working with the Kerry Hurlers as his coaching career continues to grow. He also hopes to launch his own coaching project in the future.
The second aspect of his life hit by Covid relates to his ongoing journey with alcoholism. He hates the word alcoholic but accepts that he has to live with the title.
The Clarecastle native has been candid about his long battle with sobriety in the past, including a candid interview with The42 in 2020.
For the better part of a decade, he was happily sober. But Covid, he says, has really called into question the rehabilitation work he?s done so far.
And during AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] is an essential service providing life-saving treatments to its members, it too has been restricted by the virus, forcing meetings to take place on online platforms.
?It was different,? Considine explains to The42 of adapting to the new dynamic during lockdown.
?I hate the word alcoholic, but we are and our medicine is AA. It?s like a diabetic who has to take insulin. It?s our lifeline. I want to be content sober and not what is called a ?dry drunk.? A ?dry drunk? is someone who lives the life of a drunk without alcohol. The only way I can be content sober is to practice the 12 Steps of AA.
?A very large proportion of them go to AA meetings and get to connect with like-minded people. Thinking can be very crazy sometimes and I need AA for that.
?Unfortunately, I haven?t had that in a very long time. I know many people who have relapsed, and there have also been people who have been sober for a long time who have relapsed.
?That?s why it was hard for me to be fair. I?ve done a few Zoom meetings and they?ve been nice, but that?s Zoom [meetings] wasn?t for me, it wasn?t personal enough. It?s like a safety net. If I don?t go to a meeting for three weeks, I know in the back of my mind that if I have to go tonight, I can sit in a car and go to a meeting. It?s there for me
?That safety net often gets you through. If it?s not there, it?s a different story. No one expected it, so no one was trained or prepared for it. Nobody knew what to expect. So we winged it a bit.?
The fear of relapse came to Considine?s mind. He has endured many stumbling blocks on the road to leaving the addict?s life behind, and he has seen others fall recently.
He could understand the struggle of her panties. But Considine?s own path to recovery has gifted him with a strong sense of belief that he will never relapse.
?To be fair, I?ve struggled with alcoholism since I was 18 and I?ve struggled to admit and accept that I?m an alcoholic. I now fully accept that I am an alcoholic, end of story. I have no doubt about that.
?So the fact that I have such a strong acceptance means I accept that I?m an alcoholic and that I can never safely drink again. That was a blessing for me, but if I hadn?t had the acceptance I have and just admitted it, I probably would have relapsed.
?But thankfully I?m in a very strong place right now and the biggest thing I have is that I?m so grateful for the gift of sobriety. This is the greatest gift I will ever receive. The higher power in my life took away the compulsion to drink.
?I will not rise in the morning without saying my few prayers, reading my 24-hour book, and I will not go to sleep at night without thanking this higher power, the God of my understanding. It only takes five minutes and if I?m not grateful enough to ask Him for help in the morning, I don?t deserve the gift of sobriety.
?Somewhere in a good book it says there will come a time when your only defense against the first drink will be your higher power. I think Covid was my test and my higher power got me through it. He didn?t sober me up to screw it up again, so I was convinced.
?Now I have good people in my life too, but that?s really my greatest ally.?
****
After his stint with the Wexford Hurlers ended, Considine knew he wanted to work with an inter-county team again. His native Clare was certainly on his mind at the time and he offered his coaching services to the Banner.
A vacancy didn?t materialize for him, however, but he did accept a role with the Kerry Hurlers after being approached by manager ? and former Waterford star ? Stephen Molumphy.
Kerry is more than a rising team in hurling. They reached the final of last year?s Joe McDonagh Cup, where they lost to a strong Westmeath side, and last weekend celebrated a three-point win over Tipperary in the Munster Hurling Cup.
There are four keepers in the kingdom under Considine?s supervision ? Louis Dee, Cormac Slattery, Conor Bohane and Martin Stackpoole.
?It was a no-brainer because I like him a lot [Molumphy] anyway,? says Considine.
Source: Cathal Noonan
?It?s a fantastic opportunity and I know he?s going to achieve a lot as a manager and I wanted to be part of his line-up. He?s an army officer and everything about him is 100% meticulous and I knew I was going into a constellation worth tackling.
?There?s no shortage of slingshot skills in Kerry. You can hurl all. They?re actually one of the most comfortable teams I?ve ever seen on the ball. If a few small things can be adjusted and have a slightly different mentality to what they?ve had for a few years, change a few small things and I think the future is bright for Kerry Hurling.
?Kerry isn?t far away.
SEE SPORTS DIFFERENT
Get closer to the stories that matter with exclusive analysis, insights and discussions in The42 Membership.
become a member
?I?m just loving it at the moment. I?m really looking forward to developing four goalkeepers who probably never had the chance to be developed as well as I am able to develop them. They all want to learn. They seem to appreciate that I?m there and it?s just a new challenge.?
Considine has worked with a number of top-flight goalkeepers, including Wexford?s Mark Fanning and Clare?s Eibhear Quiligan. Various clubs were also under his supervision working alongside goalkeepers Shane Gohery and John Mitchell at Tynagh Abbey/Duniry in Galway. Considine?s son Aaron is the current coach of Toomevara from Tipperary and has also taken over from his father there.
With all this experience and expertise already gathered, Considine wants to branch out and start his own coaching business. The form and structure of this new project is not yet finalized in his mind, and it is unlikely to become operational later this year.
Money is not a motivating factor for Considine, who works as a car saleswoman during the day. He just wants to help goalies in hurling and camogie improve their craft.
?It?s something I?m going to sit down and implement very soon,? he begins.
?I?m not sure if I would get mobile with that or if I would have a building. The business plan is not complete.
?I have someone who is willing to sponsor me and support me financially. It?s just for me to find the time to sit down and get it right.
?I just love coaching. I want to coach each team?s coaches on how to train goalkeepers.
?If I make this my full-time job, then of course I have to make a living from it. The least important part of my coaching is the cost. I?d probably be the kind of Eejit to break out of this because I?m more interested in getting a player to play county than making money from it.
?I spend as much time on the phone with my goalkeepers as I do on the field. And I care about her, and I care about her life and what?s going on. It?s not a job and I think that?s why I?m the best at it.
?For all my goalkeepers, I know the name of their girlfriend or partner, their parents, where they work or what they work for. I know when you have a fight with your girlfriend. We talk about everything and vice versa.
?I want all my goalkeepers to enjoy scoring, that?s the most important thing. You are in the most privileged position on the pitch. Look at the people who went before you, all the great goalkeepers. We continue this tradition and are fortunate to be next in line.?
If you would like to speak up or have concerns about alcoholism you can contact Pieta House, Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland or the HSE Addiction Services.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed/ Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will. Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine. Source: Noel Considine The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing […]
Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will.
Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine.
Source: Noel Considine
The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing could hide from it.
For hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine, Covid-19 has affected two important pillars of his life. Sporting events were initially wiped from the calendar as the pandemic took hold, before the eerie matches played in empty stadiums ushered in the gradual return to normal operations.
The GAA season was also violently ended, causing disruption to the Wexford hurlers Considine was working with at the time. He joined them under Davy Fitzgerald before the long drive from his home in Galway forced him to resign towards the end of 2020.
Considine is now working with the Kerry Hurlers as his coaching career continues to grow. He also hopes to launch his own coaching project in the future.
The second aspect of his life hit by Covid relates to his ongoing journey with alcoholism. He hates the word alcoholic but accepts that he has to live with the title.
The Clarecastle native has been candid about his long battle with sobriety in the past, including a candid interview with The42 in 2020.
For the better part of a decade, he was happily sober. But Covid, he says, has really called into question the rehabilitation work he?s done so far.
And during AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] is an essential service providing life-saving treatments to its members, it too has been restricted by the virus, forcing meetings to take place on online platforms.
?It was different,? Considine explains to The42 of adapting to the new dynamic during lockdown.
?I hate the word alcoholic, but we are and our medicine is AA. It?s like a diabetic who has to take insulin. It?s our lifeline. I want to be content sober and not what is called a ?dry drunk.? A ?dry drunk? is someone who lives the life of a drunk without alcohol. The only way I can be content sober is to practice the 12 Steps of AA.
?A very large proportion of them go to AA meetings and get to connect with like-minded people. Thinking can be very crazy sometimes and I need AA for that.
?Unfortunately, I haven?t had that in a very long time. I know many people who have relapsed, and there have also been people who have been sober for a long time who have relapsed.
?That?s why it was hard for me to be fair. I?ve done a few Zoom meetings and they?ve been nice, but that?s Zoom [meetings] wasn?t for me, it wasn?t personal enough. It?s like a safety net. If I don?t go to a meeting for three weeks, I know in the back of my mind that if I have to go tonight, I can sit in a car and go to a meeting. It?s there for me
?That safety net often gets you through. If it?s not there, it?s a different story. No one expected it, so no one was trained or prepared for it. Nobody knew what to expect. So we winged it a bit.?
The fear of relapse came to Considine?s mind. He has endured many stumbling blocks on the road to leaving the addict?s life behind, and he has seen others fall recently.
He could understand the struggle of her panties. But Considine?s own path to recovery has gifted him with a strong sense of belief that he will never relapse.
?To be fair, I?ve struggled with alcoholism since I was 18 and I?ve struggled to admit and accept that I?m an alcoholic. I now fully accept that I am an alcoholic, end of story. I have no doubt about that.
?So the fact that I have such a strong acceptance means I accept that I?m an alcoholic and that I can never safely drink again. That was a blessing for me, but if I hadn?t had the acceptance I have and just admitted it, I probably would have relapsed.
?But thankfully I?m in a very strong place right now and the biggest thing I have is that I?m so grateful for the gift of sobriety. This is the greatest gift I will ever receive. The higher power in my life took away the compulsion to drink.
?I will not rise in the morning without saying my few prayers, reading my 24-hour book, and I will not go to sleep at night without thanking this higher power, the God of my understanding. It only takes five minutes and if I?m not grateful enough to ask Him for help in the morning, I don?t deserve the gift of sobriety.
?Somewhere in a good book it says there will come a time when your only defense against the first drink will be your higher power. I think Covid was my test and my higher power got me through it. He didn?t sober me up to screw it up again, so I was convinced.
?Now I have good people in my life too, but that?s really my greatest ally.?
****
After his stint with the Wexford Hurlers ended, Considine knew he wanted to work with an inter-county team again. His native Clare was certainly on his mind at the time and he offered his coaching services to the Banner.
A vacancy didn?t materialize for him, however, but he did accept a role with the Kerry Hurlers after being approached by manager ? and former Waterford star ? Stephen Molumphy.
Kerry is more than a rising team in hurling. They reached the final of last year?s Joe McDonagh Cup, where they lost to a strong Westmeath side, and last weekend celebrated a three-point win over Tipperary in the Munster Hurling Cup.
There are four keepers in the kingdom under Considine?s supervision ? Louis Dee, Cormac Slattery, Conor Bohane and Martin Stackpoole.
?It was a no-brainer because I like him a lot [Molumphy] anyway,? says Considine.
Source: Cathal Noonan
?It?s a fantastic opportunity and I know he?s going to achieve a lot as a manager and I wanted to be part of his line-up. He?s an army officer and everything about him is 100% meticulous and I knew I was going into a constellation worth tackling.
?There?s no shortage of slingshot skills in Kerry. You can hurl all. They?re actually one of the most comfortable teams I?ve ever seen on the ball. If a few small things can be adjusted and have a slightly different mentality to what they?ve had for a few years, change a few small things and I think the future is bright for Kerry Hurling.
?Kerry isn?t far away.
SEE SPORTS DIFFERENT
Get closer to the stories that matter with exclusive analysis, insights and discussions in The42 Membership.
become a member
?I?m just loving it at the moment. I?m really looking forward to developing four goalkeepers who probably never had the chance to be developed as well as I am able to develop them. They all want to learn. They seem to appreciate that I?m there and it?s just a new challenge.?
Considine has worked with a number of top-flight goalkeepers, including Wexford?s Mark Fanning and Clare?s Eibhear Quiligan. Various clubs were also under his supervision working alongside goalkeepers Shane Gohery and John Mitchell at Tynagh Abbey/Duniry in Galway. Considine?s son Aaron is the current coach of Toomevara from Tipperary and has also taken over from his father there.
With all this experience and expertise already gathered, Considine wants to branch out and start his own coaching business. The form and structure of this new project is not yet finalized in his mind, and it is unlikely to become operational later this year.
Money is not a motivating factor for Considine, who works as a car saleswoman during the day. He just wants to help goalies in hurling and camogie improve their craft.
?It?s something I?m going to sit down and implement very soon,? he begins.
?I?m not sure if I would get mobile with that or if I would have a building. The business plan is not complete.
?I have someone who is willing to sponsor me and support me financially. It?s just for me to find the time to sit down and get it right.
?I just love coaching. I want to coach each team?s coaches on how to train goalkeepers.
?If I make this my full-time job, then of course I have to make a living from it. The least important part of my coaching is the cost. I?d probably be the kind of Eejit to break out of this because I?m more interested in getting a player to play county than making money from it.
?I spend as much time on the phone with my goalkeepers as I do on the field. And I care about her, and I care about her life and what?s going on. It?s not a job and I think that?s why I?m the best at it.
?For all my goalkeepers, I know the name of their girlfriend or partner, their parents, where they work or what they work for. I know when you have a fight with your girlfriend. We talk about everything and vice versa.
?I want all my goalkeepers to enjoy scoring, that?s the most important thing. You are in the most privileged position on the pitch. Look at the people who went before you, all the great goalkeepers. We continue this tradition and are fortunate to be next in line.?
If you would like to speak up or have concerns about alcoholism you can contact Pieta House, Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland or the HSE Addiction Services.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1642281542;}i:6;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:56:"Opinion | Less Is More in Providing Pain Relief to Teens";s:4:"link";s:83:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/opinion-less-is-more-in-providing-pain-relief-to-teens/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Recovery News Now";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sat, 15 Jan 2022 18:21:36 +0000";s:8:"category";s:13:"Recovery News";s:4:"guid";s:83:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/opinion-less-is-more-in-providing-pain-relief-to-teens/";s:11:"description";s:663:"
One of my most prized “possessions” is a video of one of my teen patients doing gorgeous gymnastic backflips following her recovery from scoliosis surgery. Her grace and flexibility do more than remind me of a successful patient experience — they remind me of the power of questioning the “standard” approach. After decades of surgeons […]
One of my most prized “possessions” is a video of one of my teen patients doing gorgeous gymnastic backflips following her recovery from scoliosis surgery. Her grace and flexibility do more than remind me of a successful patient experience — they remind me of the power of questioning the “standard” approach.
After decades of surgeons managing patients’ post-operative pain with highly addictive opioids, the U.S. opioid crisis is forcing providers to rethink that strategy, especially as we learn that almost half of pediatric opioid prescriptions are high risk. This also can affect teens as they become adults: In a sample of nearly 27,000 teens followed throughout adulthood, 45.7% reported past-year prescription drug misuse (PDM) at least once during the 32-year study period. Among those who reported PDM, 40% reported poly-PDM (misuse of more than one prescription drug class in the same time period).
It’s top-of-mind in scoliosis surgery.
Scoliosis occurs when the curve of the spine is 10 degrees or more. My patients, however, can endure dramatic, organ-crushing curvatures — 76 degrees, for example, and sometimes more than 100 degrees.
The procedure to correct it is complex, exposing the entire spine, ripping apart muscles and inserting rods and screws. Sometimes I cut four or five ribs to make my young patients’ chests look “normal.” Imagine the post-surgical pain.
It had been common to allow patients to manage their post-operative pain via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), pain medication at the touch of a button. Patients would use the PCA for a few days in the hospital, receive oral and/or IV pain medication and go home with a prescription for 2 or 3 weeks of medication.
Eventually though, we were confronted with difficult facts: 10 to 15% of patients undergoing scoliosis surgery experience prolonged opioid use. And, if this occurs before high school, our patients faced a 30% chance of becoming dependent on opioids as adults. We also couldn’t ignore that hospitalization times and post-surgical prescriptions weren’t mindful of how long it takes to develop an addiction — just 5 days.
It was time to assess whether patients could be comfortable with less medication. It was a sensitive proposition given our patients’ ages and the complex nature of the procedure. But if reconsidering our pain-relief strategy meant keeping back-flipping kids from the clutches of addiction, then it was our obligation to try.
Questioning our methods worked. We’ve been able to reduce the opioids we give these kids by 80% — and we’ve now been using this protocol successfully for 3 years. Others are beginning to explore this too.
Now anesthesiologists are administering micro-doses of pain medication directly to the spine, epidural-style. We’re giving patients about 3 days of pain medication while they’re in the hospital, followed by over-the-counter acetaminophen. The PCAs are gone.
We know it’s working because of what we’re not seeing: itching, constipation, and depression. We’re removing catheters sooner. Our teen patients are more alert and cooperative. They’re participating in their own care. Most importantly, about 90% of our patients are home in 3 or 4 days. When they used a PCA, hospital stays were 5 to 7 days.
Families have been supportive as we explain our pain management approach before surgery. They too want to prevent kids’ risk for future addiction.
It can be difficult to question a longstanding strategy, especially one involving young patients who face a complex procedure, followed by a potentially painful recovery. It took cooperation and thoughtful execution among surgical staff and anesthesiologists, and clear communication with our patients and their families. But if the approach makes a dent in opioid dependence — and inspires a few backflips — the effort is worthwhile.
Vishal Sarwahi, MD, is director of Northwell Health’s Center for Minimally Invasive Scoliosis Surgery and the Center for Advanced Pediatric Orthopedics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center.
One of my most prized “possessions” is a video of one of my teen patients doing gorgeous gymnastic backflips following her recovery from scoliosis surgery. Her grace and flexibility do more than remind me of a successful patient experience — they remind me of the power of questioning the “standard” approach. After decades of surgeons […]
One of my most prized “possessions” is a video of one of my teen patients doing gorgeous gymnastic backflips following her recovery from scoliosis surgery. Her grace and flexibility do more than remind me of a successful patient experience — they remind me of the power of questioning the “standard” approach.
After decades of surgeons managing patients’ post-operative pain with highly addictive opioids, the U.S. opioid crisis is forcing providers to rethink that strategy, especially as we learn that almost half of pediatric opioid prescriptions are high risk. This also can affect teens as they become adults: In a sample of nearly 27,000 teens followed throughout adulthood, 45.7% reported past-year prescription drug misuse (PDM) at least once during the 32-year study period. Among those who reported PDM, 40% reported poly-PDM (misuse of more than one prescription drug class in the same time period).
It’s top-of-mind in scoliosis surgery.
Scoliosis occurs when the curve of the spine is 10 degrees or more. My patients, however, can endure dramatic, organ-crushing curvatures — 76 degrees, for example, and sometimes more than 100 degrees.
The procedure to correct it is complex, exposing the entire spine, ripping apart muscles and inserting rods and screws. Sometimes I cut four or five ribs to make my young patients’ chests look “normal.” Imagine the post-surgical pain.
It had been common to allow patients to manage their post-operative pain via patient-controlled analgesia (PCA), pain medication at the touch of a button. Patients would use the PCA for a few days in the hospital, receive oral and/or IV pain medication and go home with a prescription for 2 or 3 weeks of medication.
Eventually though, we were confronted with difficult facts: 10 to 15% of patients undergoing scoliosis surgery experience prolonged opioid use. And, if this occurs before high school, our patients faced a 30% chance of becoming dependent on opioids as adults. We also couldn’t ignore that hospitalization times and post-surgical prescriptions weren’t mindful of how long it takes to develop an addiction — just 5 days.
It was time to assess whether patients could be comfortable with less medication. It was a sensitive proposition given our patients’ ages and the complex nature of the procedure. But if reconsidering our pain-relief strategy meant keeping back-flipping kids from the clutches of addiction, then it was our obligation to try.
Questioning our methods worked. We’ve been able to reduce the opioids we give these kids by 80% — and we’ve now been using this protocol successfully for 3 years. Others are beginning to explore this too.
Now anesthesiologists are administering micro-doses of pain medication directly to the spine, epidural-style. We’re giving patients about 3 days of pain medication while they’re in the hospital, followed by over-the-counter acetaminophen. The PCAs are gone.
We know it’s working because of what we’re not seeing: itching, constipation, and depression. We’re removing catheters sooner. Our teen patients are more alert and cooperative. They’re participating in their own care. Most importantly, about 90% of our patients are home in 3 or 4 days. When they used a PCA, hospital stays were 5 to 7 days.
Families have been supportive as we explain our pain management approach before surgery. They too want to prevent kids’ risk for future addiction.
It can be difficult to question a longstanding strategy, especially one involving young patients who face a complex procedure, followed by a potentially painful recovery. It took cooperation and thoughtful execution among surgical staff and anesthesiologists, and clear communication with our patients and their families. But if the approach makes a dent in opioid dependence — and inspires a few backflips — the effort is worthwhile.
Vishal Sarwahi, MD, is director of Northwell Health’s Center for Minimally Invasive Scoliosis Surgery and the Center for Advanced Pediatric Orthopedics at Cohen Children’s Medical Center.
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1642270896;}i:7;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:99:"?Zoom meetings weren?t for me? There were people a long time sober who relapsed? | Recovery Gazette";s:4:"link";s:122:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-recovery-gazette/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Recovery News Now";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sat, 15 Jan 2022 13:16:01 +0000";s:8:"category";s:17:"Alcohol Treatment";s:4:"guid";s:122:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed-recovery-gazette/";s:11:"description";s:824:"
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed/ Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will. Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine. Source: Noel Considine The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing could hide from it. […]
Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will.
Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine.
Source: Noel Considine
The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing could hide from it.
For hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine, Covid-19 has affected two important pillars of his life. Sporting events were initially wiped from the calendar as the pandemic took hold, before the eerie matches played in empty stadiums ushered in the gradual return to normal operations.
The GAA season was also violently ended, causing disruption to the Wexford hurlers Considine was working with at the time. He joined them under Davy Fitzgerald before the long drive from his home in Galway forced him to resign towards the end of 2020.
Considine is now working with the Kerry Hurlers as his coaching career continues to grow. He also hopes to launch his own coaching project in the future.
The second aspect of his life hit by Covid relates to his ongoing journey with alcoholism. He hates the word alcoholic but accepts that he has to live with the title.
The Clarecastle native has been candid about his long battle with sobriety in the past, including a candid interview with The42 in 2020.
For the better part of a decade, he was happily sober. But Covid, he says, has really called into question the rehabilitation work he?s done so far.
And during AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] is an essential service providing life-saving treatments to its members, it too has been restricted by the virus, forcing meetings to take place on online platforms.
?It was different,? Considine explains to The42 of adapting to the new dynamic during lockdown.
?I hate the word alcoholic, but we are and our medicine is AA. It?s like a diabetic who has to take insulin. It?s our lifeline. I want to be content sober and not what is called a ?dry drunk.? A ?dry drunk? is someone who lives the life of a drunk without alcohol. The only way I can be content sober is to practice the 12 Steps of AA.
?A very large proportion of them go to AA meetings and get to connect with like-minded people. Thinking can be very crazy sometimes and I need AA for that.
?Unfortunately, I haven?t had that in a very long time. I know many people who have relapsed, and there have also been people who have been sober for a long time who have relapsed.
?That?s why it was hard for me to be fair. I?ve done a few Zoom meetings and they?ve been nice, but that?s Zoom [meetings] wasn?t for me, it wasn?t personal enough. It?s like a safety net. If I don?t go to a meeting for three weeks, I know in the back of my mind that if I have to go tonight, I can sit in a car and go to a meeting. It?s there for me
?That safety net often gets you through. If it?s not there, it?s a different story. No one expected it, so no one was trained or prepared for it. Nobody knew what to expect. So we winged it a bit.?
The fear of relapse came to Considine?s mind. He has endured many stumbling blocks on the road to leaving the addict?s life behind, and he has seen others fall recently.
He could understand the struggle of her panties. But Considine?s own path to recovery has gifted him with a strong sense of belief that he will never relapse.
?To be fair, I?ve struggled with alcoholism since I was 18 and I?ve struggled to admit and accept that I?m an alcoholic. I now fully accept that I am an alcoholic, end of story. I have no doubt about that.
?So the fact that I have such a strong acceptance means I accept that I?m an alcoholic and that I can never safely drink again. That was a blessing for me, but if I hadn?t had the acceptance I have and just admitted it, I probably would have relapsed.
?But thankfully I?m in a very strong place right now and the biggest thing I have is that I?m so grateful for the gift of sobriety. This is the greatest gift I will ever receive. The higher power in my life took away the compulsion to drink.
?I will not rise in the morning without saying my few prayers, reading my 24-hour book, and I will not go to sleep at night without thanking this higher power, the God of my understanding. It only takes five minutes and if I?m not grateful enough to ask Him for help in the morning, I don?t deserve the gift of sobriety.
?Somewhere in a good book it says there will come a time when your only defense against the first drink will be your higher power. I think Covid was my test and my higher power got me through it. He didn?t sober me up to screw it up again, so I was convinced.
?Now I have good people in my life too, but that?s really my greatest ally.?
****
After his stint with the Wexford Hurlers ended, Considine knew he wanted to work with an inter-county team again. His native Clare was certainly on his mind at the time and he offered his coaching services to the Banner.
A vacancy didn?t materialize for him, however, but he did accept a role with the Kerry Hurlers after being approached by manager ? and former Waterford star ? Stephen Molumphy.
Kerry is more than a rising team in hurling. They reached the final of last year?s Joe McDonagh Cup, where they lost to a strong Westmeath side, and last weekend celebrated a three-point win over Tipperary in the Munster Hurling Cup.
There are four keepers in the kingdom under Considine?s supervision ? Louis Dee, Cormac Slattery, Conor Bohane and Martin Stackpoole.
?It was a no-brainer because I like him a lot [Molumphy] anyway,? says Considine.
Source: Cathal Noonan
?It?s a fantastic opportunity and I know he?s going to achieve a lot as a manager and I wanted to be part of his line-up. He?s an army officer and everything about him is 100% meticulous and I knew I was going into a constellation worth tackling.
?There?s no shortage of slingshot skills in Kerry. You can hurl all. They?re actually one of the most comfortable teams I?ve ever seen on the ball. If a few small things can be adjusted and have a slightly different mentality to what they?ve had for a few years, change a few small things and I think the future is bright for Kerry Hurling.
?Kerry isn?t far away.
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?I?m just loving it at the moment. I?m really looking forward to developing four goalkeepers who probably never had the chance to be developed as well as I am able to develop them. They all want to learn. They seem to appreciate that I?m there and it?s just a new challenge.?
Considine has worked with a number of top-flight goalkeepers, including Wexford?s Mark Fanning and Clare?s Eibhear Quiligan. Various clubs were also under his supervision working alongside goalkeepers Shane Gohery and John Mitchell at Tynagh Abbey/Duniry in Galway. Considine?s son Aaron is the current coach of Toomevara from Tipperary and has also taken over from his father there.
With all this experience and expertise already gathered, Considine wants to branch out and start his own coaching business. The form and structure of this new project is not yet finalized in his mind, and it is unlikely to become operational later this year.
Money is not a motivating factor for Considine, who works as a car saleswoman during the day. He just wants to help goalies in hurling and camogie improve their craft.
?It?s something I?m going to sit down and implement very soon,? he begins.
?I?m not sure if I would get mobile with that or if I would have a building. The business plan is not complete.
?I have someone who is willing to sponsor me and support me financially. It?s just for me to find the time to sit down and get it right.
?I just love coaching. I want to coach each team?s coaches on how to train goalkeepers.
?If I make this my full-time job, then of course I have to make a living from it. The least important part of my coaching is the cost. I?d probably be the kind of Eejit to break out of this because I?m more interested in getting a player to play county than making money from it.
?I spend as much time on the phone with my goalkeepers as I do on the field. And I care about her, and I care about her life and what?s going on. It?s not a job and I think that?s why I?m the best at it.
?For all my goalkeepers, I know the name of their girlfriend or partner, their parents, where they work or what they work for. I know when you have a fight with your girlfriend. We talk about everything and vice versa.
?I want all my goalkeepers to enjoy scoring, that?s the most important thing. You are in the most privileged position on the pitch. Look at the people who went before you, all the great goalkeepers. We continue this tradition and are fortunate to be next in line.?
If you would like to speak up or have concerns about alcoholism you can contact Pieta House, Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland or the HSE Addiction Services.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/zoom-meetings-werent-for-me-there-were-people-a-long-time-sober-who-relapsed/ Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will. Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine. Source: Noel Considine The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing could hide from it. […]
Looking back now at the worst parts of the lockdown, he believes the Covid pandemic has been a test of his will.
Hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine.
Source: Noel Considine
The virus has impacted the world in every way imaginable ? socially, economically, physically and spiritually. Nothing could hide from it.
For hurling goalkeeping coach Noel Considine, Covid-19 has affected two important pillars of his life. Sporting events were initially wiped from the calendar as the pandemic took hold, before the eerie matches played in empty stadiums ushered in the gradual return to normal operations.
The GAA season was also violently ended, causing disruption to the Wexford hurlers Considine was working with at the time. He joined them under Davy Fitzgerald before the long drive from his home in Galway forced him to resign towards the end of 2020.
Considine is now working with the Kerry Hurlers as his coaching career continues to grow. He also hopes to launch his own coaching project in the future.
The second aspect of his life hit by Covid relates to his ongoing journey with alcoholism. He hates the word alcoholic but accepts that he has to live with the title.
The Clarecastle native has been candid about his long battle with sobriety in the past, including a candid interview with The42 in 2020.
For the better part of a decade, he was happily sober. But Covid, he says, has really called into question the rehabilitation work he?s done so far.
And during AA [Alcoholics Anonymous] is an essential service providing life-saving treatments to its members, it too has been restricted by the virus, forcing meetings to take place on online platforms.
?It was different,? Considine explains to The42 of adapting to the new dynamic during lockdown.
?I hate the word alcoholic, but we are and our medicine is AA. It?s like a diabetic who has to take insulin. It?s our lifeline. I want to be content sober and not what is called a ?dry drunk.? A ?dry drunk? is someone who lives the life of a drunk without alcohol. The only way I can be content sober is to practice the 12 Steps of AA.
?A very large proportion of them go to AA meetings and get to connect with like-minded people. Thinking can be very crazy sometimes and I need AA for that.
?Unfortunately, I haven?t had that in a very long time. I know many people who have relapsed, and there have also been people who have been sober for a long time who have relapsed.
?That?s why it was hard for me to be fair. I?ve done a few Zoom meetings and they?ve been nice, but that?s Zoom [meetings] wasn?t for me, it wasn?t personal enough. It?s like a safety net. If I don?t go to a meeting for three weeks, I know in the back of my mind that if I have to go tonight, I can sit in a car and go to a meeting. It?s there for me
?That safety net often gets you through. If it?s not there, it?s a different story. No one expected it, so no one was trained or prepared for it. Nobody knew what to expect. So we winged it a bit.?
The fear of relapse came to Considine?s mind. He has endured many stumbling blocks on the road to leaving the addict?s life behind, and he has seen others fall recently.
He could understand the struggle of her panties. But Considine?s own path to recovery has gifted him with a strong sense of belief that he will never relapse.
?To be fair, I?ve struggled with alcoholism since I was 18 and I?ve struggled to admit and accept that I?m an alcoholic. I now fully accept that I am an alcoholic, end of story. I have no doubt about that.
?So the fact that I have such a strong acceptance means I accept that I?m an alcoholic and that I can never safely drink again. That was a blessing for me, but if I hadn?t had the acceptance I have and just admitted it, I probably would have relapsed.
?But thankfully I?m in a very strong place right now and the biggest thing I have is that I?m so grateful for the gift of sobriety. This is the greatest gift I will ever receive. The higher power in my life took away the compulsion to drink.
?I will not rise in the morning without saying my few prayers, reading my 24-hour book, and I will not go to sleep at night without thanking this higher power, the God of my understanding. It only takes five minutes and if I?m not grateful enough to ask Him for help in the morning, I don?t deserve the gift of sobriety.
?Somewhere in a good book it says there will come a time when your only defense against the first drink will be your higher power. I think Covid was my test and my higher power got me through it. He didn?t sober me up to screw it up again, so I was convinced.
?Now I have good people in my life too, but that?s really my greatest ally.?
****
After his stint with the Wexford Hurlers ended, Considine knew he wanted to work with an inter-county team again. His native Clare was certainly on his mind at the time and he offered his coaching services to the Banner.
A vacancy didn?t materialize for him, however, but he did accept a role with the Kerry Hurlers after being approached by manager ? and former Waterford star ? Stephen Molumphy.
Kerry is more than a rising team in hurling. They reached the final of last year?s Joe McDonagh Cup, where they lost to a strong Westmeath side, and last weekend celebrated a three-point win over Tipperary in the Munster Hurling Cup.
There are four keepers in the kingdom under Considine?s supervision ? Louis Dee, Cormac Slattery, Conor Bohane and Martin Stackpoole.
?It was a no-brainer because I like him a lot [Molumphy] anyway,? says Considine.
Source: Cathal Noonan
?It?s a fantastic opportunity and I know he?s going to achieve a lot as a manager and I wanted to be part of his line-up. He?s an army officer and everything about him is 100% meticulous and I knew I was going into a constellation worth tackling.
?There?s no shortage of slingshot skills in Kerry. You can hurl all. They?re actually one of the most comfortable teams I?ve ever seen on the ball. If a few small things can be adjusted and have a slightly different mentality to what they?ve had for a few years, change a few small things and I think the future is bright for Kerry Hurling.
?Kerry isn?t far away.
SEE SPORTS DIFFERENT
Get closer to the stories that matter with exclusive analysis, insights and discussions in The42 Membership.
become a member
?I?m just loving it at the moment. I?m really looking forward to developing four goalkeepers who probably never had the chance to be developed as well as I am able to develop them. They all want to learn. They seem to appreciate that I?m there and it?s just a new challenge.?
Considine has worked with a number of top-flight goalkeepers, including Wexford?s Mark Fanning and Clare?s Eibhear Quiligan. Various clubs were also under his supervision working alongside goalkeepers Shane Gohery and John Mitchell at Tynagh Abbey/Duniry in Galway. Considine?s son Aaron is the current coach of Toomevara from Tipperary and has also taken over from his father there.
With all this experience and expertise already gathered, Considine wants to branch out and start his own coaching business. The form and structure of this new project is not yet finalized in his mind, and it is unlikely to become operational later this year.
Money is not a motivating factor for Considine, who works as a car saleswoman during the day. He just wants to help goalies in hurling and camogie improve their craft.
?It?s something I?m going to sit down and implement very soon,? he begins.
?I?m not sure if I would get mobile with that or if I would have a building. The business plan is not complete.
?I have someone who is willing to sponsor me and support me financially. It?s just for me to find the time to sit down and get it right.
?I just love coaching. I want to coach each team?s coaches on how to train goalkeepers.
?If I make this my full-time job, then of course I have to make a living from it. The least important part of my coaching is the cost. I?d probably be the kind of Eejit to break out of this because I?m more interested in getting a player to play county than making money from it.
?I spend as much time on the phone with my goalkeepers as I do on the field. And I care about her, and I care about her life and what?s going on. It?s not a job and I think that?s why I?m the best at it.
?For all my goalkeepers, I know the name of their girlfriend or partner, their parents, where they work or what they work for. I know when you have a fight with your girlfriend. We talk about everything and vice versa.
?I want all my goalkeepers to enjoy scoring, that?s the most important thing. You are in the most privileged position on the pitch. Look at the people who went before you, all the great goalkeepers. We continue this tradition and are fortunate to be next in line.?
If you would like to speak up or have concerns about alcoholism you can contact Pieta House, Alcoholics Anonymous Ireland or the HSE Addiction Services.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
";s:14:"date_timestamp";i:1642252561;}i:8;a:11:{s:5:"title";s:89:"Lee Butler is hosting a Sober Rave for clubbers going through recovery | Recovery Gazette";s:4:"link";s:118:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery-recovery-gazette-3/";s:2:"dc";a:1:{s:7:"creator";s:17:"Recovery News Now";}s:7:"pubdate";s:31:"Sat, 15 Jan 2022 05:13:08 +0000";s:8:"category";s:17:"Alcohol Treatment";s:4:"guid";s:118:"https://recoverynewsnow.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery-recovery-gazette-3/";s:11:"description";s:978:"
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery-3/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery/ 01/13/2022 DJ Lee Butler is hosting a sober rave this month for clubbers recovering from their alcohol or drug addictions and the friends and family who support them. Freedom To Party will feature live and house music by DJs, as well as guest […]
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery/
01/13/2022
DJ Lee Butler is hosting a sober rave this month for clubbers recovering from their alcohol or drug addictions and the friends and family who support them.
Freedom To Party will feature live and house music by DJs, as well as guest speakers aimed at inspiring people in their fight against addiction.
There will be a strict ban on drinks or drugs, with a completely dry bar, and Lee says he hopes it will be a chance to send the message that being in recovery doesn?t mean not going out or having a great night to have .
?Even though it?s a sober night, for some people ? no matter what stage of their recovery they?re at ? it can still be really disheartening to be in this environment of house and rave music now that they?re not actively doing anything drinking or taking drugs,? he explains.
?I was wary of people going there and then feeling really uncomfortable, so I wanted to make sure there was still a recreational element.
?I want the message to get through regularly throughout the night why we?re doing this and how awesome it is. To remind people how they turned things around and how bad life was compared to today.
?That way, not only does it feel like a complete reminder that her addiction can use against her by saying, ?I remember you were in that environment and you used alcohol and drugs.?
?And it?s not just for people in recovery, it?s for people who are supporting them in their recovery to come and have a night without alcohol or drugs with them and see that you don?t have to do that.
?My addiction tried to convince me that if I stopped drinking and using drugs I?d be boring, but actually I?m funnier and more social now than ever. I was a mess before.?
This is the second sober rave Lee has organized ? the previous one was at The Brink on Parr Street which has now closed.
But it?s the first since he created the Break Free recovery program, which helps people get on top of their addictions and get their lives back.
?Your addiction tells you there are all these things you can?t do anymore, like go clubbing or go to the game. My addiction reminded me that I?ve been drinking and using everywhere ? funerals, weddings, at home, in the pub, everywhere, and that?s true for most people.
?And if you try to avoid those places for the rest of your life, then you have no life.
?One of the most important things to understand is that what you want and what your addiction wants are two different things. My addiction developed from 1989 and at first I loved using drugs but that use turned into abuse and that abuse turned into an addiction that was very painful and took away from me all the things I love.
?To get this new life, you have to start living your life again and be the one making the decisions. Don?t let addiction do it for you.?
You can find out more about Break Free here on the Instagram page.
Lee and his two co-founders launched the Break Free program nine months ago after sharing his own recovery.
?I?ve been doing this publicly for about four years and it?s gotten so overwhelming with the amount of people coming forward that I couldn?t personally help everyone. I had a choice to stop being vocal or passionate, or I had to build something that could cater to everyone.
?We now have 90 people with us and we have two group meetings a week, a walk and talk on a Saturday morning at Croxteth Park, a training session on a Monday evening and a 24-hour What?s App group in case anyone has problems.
?People can be afraid to go to other groups or to their doctor because they fear their children will be taken away from them or they will lose their job, but they grew up with me, they heard me on the radio, I am one from them.
?They?ll write to me and say they?re having a really hard time, they can?t stop doing drugs, drinking every weekend, their partner kicked them out, those are the usual things. I am in touch with hundreds every day, talking to them about it and getting them to make a safe plan.?
Lee hopes events like Freedom To Party will show people how good life can be after addiction.
Break free Liverpool
?One of the things I?m passionate about is giving people hope because that?s what addicts don?t have. They?re so down and convinced they?re on this hamster wheel, but they can?t stop. I am living proof that everything your addiction is telling you is not true, in my actions and in my life.
?Once you seek support and the rewards come, you don?t want to lose them. Four and a half years later I hear no more about my addiction. I?ve changed, I?ve learned, I?ve made a new life for myself, and nothing that a drink or a drug could offer would convince me to give it all back.?
The Freedom to Party Sober Rave takes place on Friday, January 28 from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at the District in the Baltic Triangle. You can book tickets here.
Reach out to The Guide Liverpool on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or email [email protected]theguideliverpool.com.
You can visit the Liverpool Directory here to find the city?s best food, drink, shopping and attractions.
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery-3/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery/ 01/13/2022 DJ Lee Butler is hosting a sober rave this month for clubbers recovering from their alcohol or drug addictions and the friends and family who support them. Freedom To Party will feature live and house music by DJs, as well as guest […]
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery/
01/13/2022
DJ Lee Butler is hosting a sober rave this month for clubbers recovering from their alcohol or drug addictions and the friends and family who support them.
Freedom To Party will feature live and house music by DJs, as well as guest speakers aimed at inspiring people in their fight against addiction.
There will be a strict ban on drinks or drugs, with a completely dry bar, and Lee says he hopes it will be a chance to send the message that being in recovery doesn?t mean not going out or having a great night to have .
?Even though it?s a sober night, for some people ? no matter what stage of their recovery they?re at ? it can still be really disheartening to be in this environment of house and rave music now that they?re not actively doing anything drinking or taking drugs,? he explains.
?I was wary of people going there and then feeling really uncomfortable, so I wanted to make sure there was still a recreational element.
?I want the message to get through regularly throughout the night why we?re doing this and how awesome it is. To remind people how they turned things around and how bad life was compared to today.
?That way, not only does it feel like a complete reminder that her addiction can use against her by saying, ?I remember you were in that environment and you used alcohol and drugs.?
?And it?s not just for people in recovery, it?s for people who are supporting them in their recovery to come and have a night without alcohol or drugs with them and see that you don?t have to do that.
?My addiction tried to convince me that if I stopped drinking and using drugs I?d be boring, but actually I?m funnier and more social now than ever. I was a mess before.?
This is the second sober rave Lee has organized ? the previous one was at The Brink on Parr Street which has now closed.
But it?s the first since he created the Break Free recovery program, which helps people get on top of their addictions and get their lives back.
?Your addiction tells you there are all these things you can?t do anymore, like go clubbing or go to the game. My addiction reminded me that I?ve been drinking and using everywhere ? funerals, weddings, at home, in the pub, everywhere, and that?s true for most people.
?And if you try to avoid those places for the rest of your life, then you have no life.
?One of the most important things to understand is that what you want and what your addiction wants are two different things. My addiction developed from 1989 and at first I loved using drugs but that use turned into abuse and that abuse turned into an addiction that was very painful and took away from me all the things I love.
?To get this new life, you have to start living your life again and be the one making the decisions. Don?t let addiction do it for you.?
You can find out more about Break Free here on the Instagram page.
Lee and his two co-founders launched the Break Free program nine months ago after sharing his own recovery.
?I?ve been doing this publicly for about four years and it?s gotten so overwhelming with the amount of people coming forward that I couldn?t personally help everyone. I had a choice to stop being vocal or passionate, or I had to build something that could cater to everyone.
?We now have 90 people with us and we have two group meetings a week, a walk and talk on a Saturday morning at Croxteth Park, a training session on a Monday evening and a 24-hour What?s App group in case anyone has problems.
?People can be afraid to go to other groups or to their doctor because they fear their children will be taken away from them or they will lose their job, but they grew up with me, they heard me on the radio, I am one from them.
?They?ll write to me and say they?re having a really hard time, they can?t stop doing drugs, drinking every weekend, their partner kicked them out, those are the usual things. I am in touch with hundreds every day, talking to them about it and getting them to make a safe plan.?
Lee hopes events like Freedom To Party will show people how good life can be after addiction.
Break free Liverpool
?One of the things I?m passionate about is giving people hope because that?s what addicts don?t have. They?re so down and convinced they?re on this hamster wheel, but they can?t stop. I am living proof that everything your addiction is telling you is not true, in my actions and in my life.
?Once you seek support and the rewards come, you don?t want to lose them. Four and a half years later I hear no more about my addiction. I?ve changed, I?ve learned, I?ve made a new life for myself, and nothing that a drink or a drug could offer would convince me to give it all back.?
The Freedom to Party Sober Rave takes place on Friday, January 28 from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at the District in the Baltic Triangle. You can book tickets here.
Reach out to The Guide Liverpool on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or email [email protected]theguideliverpool.com.
You can visit the Liverpool Directory here to find the city?s best food, drink, shopping and attractions.
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Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery/ 01/13/2022 DJ Lee Butler is hosting a sober rave this month for clubbers recovering from their alcohol or drug addictions and the friends and family who support them. Freedom To Party will feature live and house music by DJs, as well as guest speakers aimed at inspiring […]
DJ Lee Butler is hosting a sober rave this month for clubbers recovering from their alcohol or drug addictions and the friends and family who support them.
Freedom To Party will feature live and house music by DJs, as well as guest speakers aimed at inspiring people in their fight against addiction.
There will be a strict ban on drinks or drugs, with a completely dry bar, and Lee says he hopes it will be a chance to send the message that being in recovery doesn?t mean not going out or having a great night to have .
?Even though it?s a sober night, for some people ? no matter what stage of their recovery they?re at ? it can still be really disheartening to be in this environment of house and rave music now that they?re not actively doing anything drinking or taking drugs,? he explains.
?I was wary of people going there and then feeling really uncomfortable, so I wanted to make sure there was still a recreational element.
?I want the message to get through regularly throughout the night why we?re doing this and how awesome it is. To remind people how they turned things around and how bad life was compared to today.
?That way, not only does it feel like a complete reminder that her addiction can use against her by saying, ?I remember you were in that environment and you used alcohol and drugs.?
?And it?s not just for people in recovery, it?s for people who are supporting them in their recovery to come and have a night without alcohol or drugs with them and see that you don?t have to do that.
?My addiction tried to convince me that if I stopped drinking and using drugs I?d be boring, but actually I?m funnier and more social now than ever. I was a mess before.?
This is the second sober rave Lee has organized ? the previous one was at The Brink on Parr Street which has now closed.
But it?s the first since he created the Break Free recovery program, which helps people get on top of their addictions and get their lives back.
?Your addiction tells you there are all these things you can?t do anymore, like go clubbing or go to the game. My addiction reminded me that I?ve been drinking and using everywhere ? funerals, weddings, at home, in the pub, everywhere, and that?s true for most people.
?And if you try to avoid those places for the rest of your life, then you have no life.
?One of the most important things to understand is that what you want and what your addiction wants are two different things. My addiction developed from 1989 and at first I loved using drugs but that use turned into abuse and that abuse turned into an addiction that was very painful and took away from me all the things I love.
?To get this new life, you have to start living your life again and be the one making the decisions. Don?t let addiction do it for you.?
You can find out more about Break Free here on the Instagram page.
Lee and his two co-founders launched the Break Free program nine months ago after sharing his own recovery.
?I?ve been doing this publicly for about four years and it?s gotten so overwhelming with the amount of people coming forward that I couldn?t personally help everyone. I had a choice to stop being vocal or passionate, or I had to build something that could cater to everyone.
?We now have 90 people with us and we have two group meetings a week, a walk and talk on a Saturday morning at Croxteth Park, a training session on a Monday evening and a 24-hour What?s App group in case anyone has problems.
?People can be afraid to go to other groups or to their doctor because they fear their children will be taken away from them or they will lose their job, but they grew up with me, they heard me on the radio, I am one from them.
?They?ll write to me and say they?re having a really hard time, they can?t stop doing drugs, drinking every weekend, their partner kicked them out, those are the usual things. I am in touch with hundreds every day, talking to them about it and getting them to make a safe plan.?
Lee hopes events like Freedom To Party will show people how good life can be after addiction.
Break free Liverpool
?One of the things I?m passionate about is giving people hope because that?s what addicts don?t have. They?re so down and convinced they?re on this hamster wheel, but they can?t stop. I am living proof that everything your addiction is telling you is not true, in my actions and in my life.
?Once you seek support and the rewards come, you don?t want to lose them. Four and a half years later I hear no more about my addiction. I?ve changed, I?ve learned, I?ve made a new life for myself, and nothing that a drink or a drug could offer would convince me to give it all back.?
The Freedom to Party Sober Rave takes place on Friday, January 28 from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at the District in the Baltic Triangle. You can book tickets here.
Reach out to The Guide Liverpool on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or email [email protected]theguideliverpool.com.
You can visit the Liverpool Directory here to find the city?s best food, drink, shopping and attractions.
Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery-2/ Originally posted on: https://recoverygazette.com/lee-butler-is-hosting-a-sober-rave-for-clubbers-going-through-recovery/ 01/13/2022 DJ Lee Butler is hosting a sober rave this month for clubbers recovering from their alcohol or drug addictions and the friends and family who support them. Freedom To Party will feature live and house music by DJs, as well as guest speakers aimed at inspiring […]
DJ Lee Butler is hosting a sober rave this month for clubbers recovering from their alcohol or drug addictions and the friends and family who support them.
Freedom To Party will feature live and house music by DJs, as well as guest speakers aimed at inspiring people in their fight against addiction.
There will be a strict ban on drinks or drugs, with a completely dry bar, and Lee says he hopes it will be a chance to send the message that being in recovery doesn?t mean not going out or having a great night to have .
?Even though it?s a sober night, for some people ? no matter what stage of their recovery they?re at ? it can still be really disheartening to be in this environment of house and rave music now that they?re not actively doing anything drinking or taking drugs,? he explains.
?I was wary of people going there and then feeling really uncomfortable, so I wanted to make sure there was still a recreational element.
?I want the message to get through regularly throughout the night why we?re doing this and how awesome it is. To remind people how they turned things around and how bad life was compared to today.
?That way, not only does it feel like a complete reminder that her addiction can use against her by saying, ?I remember you were in that environment and you used alcohol and drugs.?
?And it?s not just for people in recovery, it?s for people who are supporting them in their recovery to come and have a night without alcohol or drugs with them and see that you don?t have to do that.
?My addiction tried to convince me that if I stopped drinking and using drugs I?d be boring, but actually I?m funnier and more social now than ever. I was a mess before.?
This is the second sober rave Lee has organized ? the previous one was at The Brink on Parr Street which has now closed.
But it?s the first since he created the Break Free recovery program, which helps people get on top of their addictions and get their lives back.
?Your addiction tells you there are all these things you can?t do anymore, like go clubbing or go to the game. My addiction reminded me that I?ve been drinking and using everywhere ? funerals, weddings, at home, in the pub, everywhere, and that?s true for most people.
?And if you try to avoid those places for the rest of your life, then you have no life.
?One of the most important things to understand is that what you want and what your addiction wants are two different things. My addiction developed from 1989 and at first I loved using drugs but that use turned into abuse and that abuse turned into an addiction that was very painful and took away from me all the things I love.
?To get this new life, you have to start living your life again and be the one making the decisions. Don?t let addiction do it for you.?
You can find out more about Break Free here on the Instagram page.
Lee and his two co-founders launched the Break Free program nine months ago after sharing his own recovery.
?I?ve been doing this publicly for about four years and it?s gotten so overwhelming with the amount of people coming forward that I couldn?t personally help everyone. I had a choice to stop being vocal or passionate, or I had to build something that could cater to everyone.
?We now have 90 people with us and we have two group meetings a week, a walk and talk on a Saturday morning at Croxteth Park, a training session on a Monday evening and a 24-hour What?s App group in case anyone has problems.
?People can be afraid to go to other groups or to their doctor because they fear their children will be taken away from them or they will lose their job, but they grew up with me, they heard me on the radio, I am one from them.
?They?ll write to me and say they?re having a really hard time, they can?t stop doing drugs, drinking every weekend, their partner kicked them out, those are the usual things. I am in touch with hundreds every day, talking to them about it and getting them to make a safe plan.?
Lee hopes events like Freedom To Party will show people how good life can be after addiction.
Break free Liverpool
?One of the things I?m passionate about is giving people hope because that?s what addicts don?t have. They?re so down and convinced they?re on this hamster wheel, but they can?t stop. I am living proof that everything your addiction is telling you is not true, in my actions and in my life.
?Once you seek support and the rewards come, you don?t want to lose them. Four and a half years later I hear no more about my addiction. I?ve changed, I?ve learned, I?ve made a new life for myself, and nothing that a drink or a drug could offer would convince me to give it all back.?
The Freedom to Party Sober Rave takes place on Friday, January 28 from 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. at the District in the Baltic Triangle. You can book tickets here.
Reach out to The Guide Liverpool on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or email [email protected]theguideliverpool.com.
You can visit the Liverpool Directory here to find the city?s best food, drink, shopping and attractions.
Todd Spitzer, left, and Tony Rackauckas were embroiled in a political feud for years. (Stock photos by Orange County Register/SCNG)
Rose and Allen Nelson from Santa Monica hold up a picture of their late son Brandon Nelson. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
File Photo: Gabe Chaves found the late Timmy Solomon asleep on a piece of plastic behind a recycling bin in a San Clemente parking lot in 2017. A bed awaited Solomon in a sober apartment building in Whittier. (Mindy Schauer, personnel file)
