NEWSLETTER
The Spiritual Side of Sobriety
 | A conversation with Rev. Shelagh MacKinnon, Spiritual Director of the Orchard
Part of our task in early recovery is to rediscover the sacred in ourselves and in life. Spirituality delivers what drugs and alcohol promised. Drugs and alcohol promised to always be there for us, not to put demands on us, not to sabotage us; but experience shows this is not true. Through drugs and alcohol we have been held hostage to a disease process that is incurable and progressive. The spiritual life is a complete life -- it is not an addition to life.
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Alcohol-related Disease kills 36,000 Annually in US
While alcoholism causes an estimated 79,000 deaths per year in the United States close to half of these deaths (approximately 36,000 annually) result from chronic alcohol-related illnesses, rather than acute causes such as motor vehicle crashes and falls. Unlike other drugs, alcohol disperses in all body tissues and therefore has the potential to harm many organ systems. You may be aware of diseases associated with alcoholism, such as cirrhosis of the liver, but stroke is also a major killer of alcoholics, not to mention many other diseases. These are listed in the charts at the following website.
A Mother's Thanks
 | (From an e-mail sent to one of the Orchard counselors)
...thinking about how far my son has come in the past three months just blows me away. I remember lying in bed one morning in early December, desperately asking God for a miracle... and a few weeks later he gave me one. If you had told me five months ago that I would be sitting here on the eve of the anniversary of my son's third month of sobriety with a big smile on my face I would have told you, you were crazy. God works in strange ways doesn't He? Thank you so very, very much for being one of his guiding lights along the way, helping me make the right decisions for Mark and myself and believing that miracles can happen. I am so very grateful! In a couple of weeks we will start our next journey as my son returns home, re-enters the workforce and the real world once again... Y. P. |
Interview with Major Addiction Specialist Available Online
 | As part of a documentary on addiction, available at the Home Box Office website, you can watch Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse; address a wide range of issues such as: addiction as a brain disease; the stigma associated with addiction; the adolescent addict; relapse; and the effectiveness of combining behavioral therapies with medication. While Volkow argues that addiction is a chronic, relapsing disease of the brain, she also stresses the brain's enormous capacity to recover with the right comprehensive treatments.
HBO website - be sure to click on HBO USA.
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Book Review: Tails of Recovery, Addicts and the Pets That Love Them
 | Tails of Recovery is a collection of poignant stories from recovering addicts about the pets in their lives. In therapy settings pets have been shown to help many people, including recovering addicts, address issues of honesty, control, anger, trust and self-esteem, while providing unconditional love. This book is a narrative examination of the disease of addiction, its effects on the pets in addicts’ lives before and after recovery and how pets aid the recovery and healing process. More... |
Orchard Alumni Retreat Lifts Off
 | "I didn't expect to enjoy it so much," said one alumnus about the retreat. "The poetry workshop was great, I learned some important messages from the meetings, and I really enjoyed the entertainment."
The retreat was held April 23-24 at Wolf Creek Lodge near Princeton. |
Thanks for Letting Us Know
We at the Orchard appreciate the following alumni who chose to celebrate sobriety milestones with us. Congratulations to Chrisitne, Celeste, Joe, Bill, Claire, Bruce, Monica, John, Graham, Rosemary and Alvaro who celebrated sobriety milestones of from one to eight years. Please contact us at alumni@orchardrecovery.com to let us know the sobriety milestones you are celebrating.
Walnuts are a Great Brain Food
 | Walnuts develop three dozen neurotransmitters for your brain. Walnuts are packed with vitamin E as well as fatty acid omega-3 which is vital to the brain. Walnuts can improve brain function and memory. They can even lift your mood. They improve artery function after a high fat meal. Walnuts promote heart health -- and what's good for your heart is good for your brain! They can help prevent cognitive decline as you age. Walnuts can help your brain get a good, natural night's sleep. Some studies seem to indicate that walnuts even play a role in reducing cancer.
For more information on brain foods and a great video, see www.terrysmall.com/bb_41.asp
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