Search results for: 'Maybe I had something to contribute, something. It would be meaningless to apologize for'

Featuring John Bradshaw!
Ruben, a recovering heroin addict, recounts clearly and openly how addiction has affected his life and continues to affect it today.

This 38-minute introductory program teaches the viewer to turn former street skills into "street smarts" for staying clean and sober. Seven recovering addicts from urban neighborhoods who are now doing well describe the real situations they face every day-- and how they deal with them so that they don't pick up. They stress 8 essential skills:

* Accepting disappointments without resorting to drug use

* Coping with chronic stress

* Resisting the lure of "easy money"

* Avoiding going back to the old spot

* Resisting the pull of the street life

* Planning to handle offers

* Maintaining complete abstinence

* Using a support system.

This 38-minute program focuses on dealing with relationships when the client is in early recovery (and beyond). It teaches the viewer to anticipate and prepare for the challenging high-risk situations that come up with families, partners and children. Topics include:

* Coping with an unsupportive or dysfunctional family

* Avoiding the trap of rescuing others

* Avoiding new romantic involvements for the first year

* Men's ans women's issues in early recovery

* Dealing with the triggers involved in sex

* Issues related to safe and sober sex

* Dealing with guilt over past parenting mistakes

* Coping with the stress of parenting in recovery

This 39-minute program focuses specifically on early recovery, teaching the viewers to prepare for the challenging high-risk situations they will inevitably encounter in their first weeks and months back in the community. Specifically, it covers these essential teaching points:

* Make a housing plan before leaving prison or rehab

* Arrange to live in a safe and sober housing situation

* Avoid living with any active drug or alcohol abusers

* Get rid of any drug supplies or paraphernalia you still have

* Prepare to handle the inevitable triggers and cravings

* Plan ahead to handle running into "get-high buddies" and dealers

* Put together a support system--and use it

This 40-minute program focuses on coping with the various powerful emotions that come up in early recovery ( and throughout life)--without drugs or alcohol. It teaches the viewer to anticipate and prepare for " emotional danger zones." Topics include:

* Specific tools for dealing with feelings, such as

--"Sit through them" without using

--Get the feelings out: talk, cry, write, find some physical release

-- Find ways to clam and soothe yourself

* Specific emotional "dangerzones," with examples of how to cope with each:

-- Anger

-- Feelings related to racism and discrimination

-- Shame

-- Feelings related to past abuse

-- Guilt

-- Self-pity

-- Feelings stemming from chronic illness, such as HIV

This 38-minute program focuses on long-term recovery goals related to work, money, school and recreation. It shows how building a satisfying, well-rounded life is the best relapse prevention. Also illustrated are the relapse traps clients run into when dealing with work, money, school and recreation--and how to overcome them. The main teaching points include:

* The importance of getting and keeping work

 * Strategies for coping with relapse traps on job

 * Dealing with financial stress and money management

 * Furthering education (examples from acquiring literacy to going to college)

* Service: Giving back to the community

* Having fun clean and sober

* Reclaiming long-term dreams