1. SEX ADDICTION: LURKING IN     THE SHADOWS- Coming in     February!! 2. JANUARY SHOW THEME:     OVERVIEW OF ADDICTION     TREATMENT 3. THIS WEEK'S SHOW: "NOW'S     THE HARD PART...SAYING     GOOD-BYE TO OUR DRUG" 4. STRAIGHT TALK FROM THE     DOC: "WHEN IT'S NO LONGER     FUN..." by Dr Steve 5. THOUGHT FOR RECOVERY-     HONESTY IN RECOVERY By     Bob Munck 6. HYTHIAM IS OUR CORPORATE     SPONSOR 7. SIGN UP FOR THE FLASH! 8. ARCHIVES- LISTEN TO PAST     SHOWS 9. RECOVERY RADIO A NOT-     FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

1. SEX ADDICTION: TO BE ADDRESSED IN FEBRUARY
 SEX ADDICTION: LURKING IN THE SHADOWS

What better month than February to discuss Sex, Love, and Addiction?? We will wish you a Happy Valentine's Day...all month!!

Sex Addiction is among the biggest emerging addictions in the nation. The ubiquity of internet pornography is the driver of perhaps this most pervasive yet unappreciated addiction in the United States today. Sex Addiction destroys lives and families in ways that are no different from drugs or alcohol.

In February, we will discuss this "under the radar" addiction all month in a 5-part special series. We are proud to announce that we will be joined by several stellar guests, all of whom are eminent and widely respected experts and professionals in the realm of sex addiction treatment. We have invited Dr. Patrick Carnes, PhD, the author of the seminal book on Sex Addiction: "Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction" He is one of earliest pioneers in this area, and is widely-acknowledged as the "father of sex addiction treatment".

In addition, we have confirmed as guests Maureen Canning, MA, Clinical Consultant for the Sexual Disorder Services at The Meadows in Wickenburg, AZ; Sharon O' Hara, MA, formerly the Program Director for the Sexual Dependency Unit at Del Amo Hospital in Torrance, CA, and now in private practice; Rob Weiss, LCSW, Director of the Sexual Recovery Institute - Los Angeles, and "Frank L", a founder of Sexual Compulsives Anonymous (SCA), the first of the 5 now-existing 12-Step recovery programs for sex and relationship addictions.

You will not want to miss this blockbuster series on the biggest evolving addiction in America!!

Sex Addiction has remained a "beneath the surface" addiction for years, during a time when addiction to drugs and alcohol has gradually become more accepted and understood by the public at large. Why is this so? Why has Sex Addiction remained poorly-understood, and why do Sex Addicts continue to be marginalized in society, and considered to be "pariahs"??

The main reason is SHAME. Pure and simple; Shame. In America, sex has historically been a subject that has been difficult to talk about openly. Sex is a natural, normal, and necessary aspect of human existence; yet has been looked at through a moral filter since the time of the Puritans. We want it, we do it, we need it, we love it, but we don't want to discuss it, at least not openly and objectively.

But sex can be a so-called "behavioral addiction", similar to over-or-under eating, gambling, shopping, and so on. Such "behaviors" can kick-in our brain's dopaminergic synapses, leading to "highs" that are similar to those experienced by drug users. The same model of addiction that applies to drugs and alcohol can be used to explain why sex behaviors can become real "addictions", complete with ALL of the same adverse effects and outcomes as drug and alcohol addiction.

Sex Addicts feel a deep sense of shame for their "acting out" behavior. Each Sex Addict believes that he/she is the ONLY one who suffers from what actually is a very common addiction, characterized in part by internal angst over a menagerie of conflicting emotions and moral principles. Sex Addicts believe that if other people knew about their addiction, their thoughts, and their behaviors; if they only KNEW what they the Sex Addict were thinking and/or doing, people would summarily reject them with disgust.

Dr. Patrick Carnes wrote a book many years ago that today is considered by many to be the definitive modern treatise on Sex Addiction. The original title was "Sex Addiction" or something similarly descriptive. With that title, it sold few copies. When Dr. Carnes changed the title to "Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction", this same book suddenly became a best-seller. This story alone illustrates the "shame-base" that underpins Sex Addiction.

During February we will explore Sex Addiction in its many facets. First, we will ask the question, "Is Sex Addiction TRULY an addiction???" This remains a controversy, although most experts will convincingly argue that there is NO DOUBT that sex addiction is a certifiable addiction. The same "highs", withdrawal symptoms, adverse consequences, and other characteristics of addiction also apply to Sex Addiction.

We will then explore internet pornography and sex addiction, women and sex addiction, men's issues, relationships in recovery, and finally, the origins of the 12-Step recovery groups for Sex Addiction.

Our panel of acclaimed and respected guests will help US to help YOU!! Don't miss this exciting series on Sex Addiction. FEBRUARY, 2006. All month.
 

2.  JANUARY SHOW THEME: OVERVIEW OF ADDICTION TREATMENT
NEW YEAR’S HOUSECLEANING: FOLLOWING THROUGH WITH OUR NEW YEARS’ RESOLUTIONS

OK. So we did it. We made our New Year’s resolutions. What’s next?? How do we follow through on our New Year's resolution to quit drinking or using??

New Year’s Eve is the time when we customarily do our annual mental, emotional, and spiritual housecleaning, and come up with a list of things we will do in the coming year to improve our lives. Many of us decided to quit drinking or using drugs…or, to stop our compulsive, addictive behavior. Now what??

This month on Recovery Radio we will help those of you who’s New Years’ Resolution it was to get into Recovery. We will walk you through the entire process, from decision to quit, all the way to maintaining ongoing, solid sobriety. How does one actually do it??

We will examine each step: Intervention/surrender, detoxification, rehab and “treatment”, and finally, ongoing recovery maintenance. We will provide an overview of the entire Recovery Process, from start to “end”…although there really is no end. Recovery is a daily reprieve, dependent upon ongoing work to keep our Recovery healthy and durable.

Coming in February, 2006: Sex Addiction! All month!!

“Now’s the Hard Part…Saying Good-Bye to Our Drug”

If January 1st arrived and you are still drinking or using drugs, or are still acting out on your compulsive addictive behavior, you may be feeling depressed that you did not follow through on your desire to quit. Well don’t feel alone!! Most of us have made this apocryphal decision (to quit “tomorrow”!!) literally thousands of times…only to pick right back up the next day.

This is the nature of addiction. It is chronic, compulsive, powerful, and very predictable. It is a disease; a brain disease. We are unable to control our addictions by ourselves. WE NEED HELP!

Last week we discussed making the resolution to find Recovery; making the decision to want it. Sometimes we hit our own abysmal, demoralizing bottom; more often we are given a “nudge by the judge”, or we are intervened upon by family and friends. The point is, the decision to find Recovery can be made TODAY!! No reason to put it off. No matter how many times we’ve failed here, we can always do it today.

We’ve now made the decision to quit; to get into Recovery. What next?? We must then say a final good-bye to our drug…and to get it out of our system....forever. This part is not so easy.

During the time we’ve been drinking and using, our bodies and our brains adapted to the presence of that drug, and gradually became accustomed to the constant presence of that drug. We developed increasing “tolerance”. We found that as time passed, we had to use more drug, and more often, simply to feel “normal”. If we waited too long….we began to feel the symptoms of withdrawal. We became sick. We became MISERABLE. We began to experience withdrawal. Our response: resume drinking or using. It was an endless, tormenting cycle, shackling us to our drug. We were slaves to it.

The same process of withdrawal happens when we decide to quit for good, and to get into Recovery. We must somehow get to the point where our brains re-adapt to the presence of no drugs. This planned, deliberate process of getting off of our drug is called “Detox”, short for “detoxification”. There are many ways this can be done.

The best way to detox is under close medical supervision, using various medications that assist with that process to ensure that it is as comfortably as possible, yet still done safely. Withdrawal from some drugs, notably alcohol (DT’s; delirium tremens), can be dangerous; death can result. For others, such as heroin, it is merely (!!) unpleasant. Those who have undergone withdrawal from opiates will tell you that they WISHED they would die, but don’t. These facts alone underline the importance of considering medical detox, if at all possible. The less pleasant alternative to medical detox is so-called “cold turkey”. We do not recommend it!!

Tonight, we will talk about DETOX. What is it? How is it done? Where is it done? What medications are available to make it safer and less uncomfortable??

Essentially no family in this country is spared from the effects of the disease of Addiction. We all know someone near us who is suffering from this terrible disease. But Recovery from addiction is possible! Learn more about the overall Recovery process by joining us this week.

Join us "LIVE!!" this Saturday night, 6 - 8P Pacific Time 99.5 KKLA Los Angeles, or, in 10 other cities, or, Streaming on the Web. RECOVERY WORKS!!

CONTACT US if YOU need help in finding medical detox!!
 

Drinking and using drugs was fun at first…WONDERFUL, it seemed. “Better living with applied pharmaceuticals”. Or so I thought.

After a while, it was no longer fun. In fact, it became a chore; very much a chore, and an ugly one at that. Why??

The brain is set to work at a specified level of mood. It is normal to feel…..well….NORMAL!! All of us will experience life events that will cause our mood to either go up, such as when we win the lottery, or have great sex with our partner, or, to feel down, such as when a loved one dies, or if we lose our job. This is NORMAL.

Throwing alcohol or drugs into our brains can cause it to temporarily feel GREAT!! However, the brain will ALWAYS adapt itself to return to the pre-existing “normal state”. If we have drugs in our system constantly, the brain will gradually “inhibit-down”, or, re-set it’s balancing influences and neural circuits to get back to “average”. This is called “adaptation”. If we are constantly drinking alcohol or using drugs, our brain situation will gradually adapt such that even with drugs on board, we only feel “normal”. Back to baseline, so to speak.

This is why over time, it takes more alcohol or drugs in order to get “HIGH”. Eventually, we MUST drink or take drugs, just to feel “NORMAL”. That's when it is no longer fun. It becomes WORK!!

So, it should be no surprise, that at some point in time, we will arrive at that point where we must constantly drink or use just to stay on an even keel. If we don’t, we experience WITHDRAWAL, which is just as unpleasant as it used to be pleasurable to get high. An equal but opposite reaction...Newton's law applied to the brain. Yechhhh!!!!!

If we had only known this terrible fact before we started, we just MIGHT have thought twice about continuing our drinking and using.

Unfortunately, we MUST pay the piper when we decide to get into recovery. The first step, then, is DETOX. Detox is the gradual removal of alcohol or drug from our system during the time that we are getting off of them. Detox from certain drugs is merely unpleasant, such as with heroin or other opiates. You WISH your would die, but you don’t. On the other hand, detox from alcohol and benzodiazepines can be extremely dangerous, and can result in death from Delirium Tremens, or “DT’s”.

The BEST way to detox is to NOT do it on your own. First of all, once you start to withdraw and feel lousy, you will easily be tempted to resume your drug, just to end the misery quickly and predictably. Secondly and more importantly, detox can be life- threatening, as with alcohol. Therefore, detox is best done under medical supervision. We call this “Medical Detox”.

When you quit, do it right! Do it with Medical Detox!!

This is Dr. Steve, giving it to you straight, tonight!!!

**Call us or send an e-mail if you need assistance in finding a medical detox.
Contact info here>>>

Each week on our show this past year, Bob has shares his "Thought for Recovery", a unique personal reflection meant to inspire those of us in Recovery. This is from a man with 15 years of personal sobriety, and with many years of recovery leadership. He has seen and heard it all. He has sponsored hundreds of men during that time. Bob's "Thoughts" will focus on pearls of wisdom that all alcoholics and addicts in Recovery can use to enhance their own Recovery. We reprint this week's Thought for Recovery here:

Is There Honesty in YOUR Recovery??

Definition of the Word: honest

1. Being in the habit of telling the truth

2. To be free from any intent to deceive or impress others

3. Free in expressing one's true feelings and opinions, eg, to appreciate your honest friends who tell you what you need to hear and not what you want to hear


When active in our ADDICTIONS, most of us learned about Pretense and Self-Deceit, Denial, Silence, And Isolation.
Now that we are in Recovery, we must learn self-awareness in telling the Truth. We start by admitting to ourselves that we can not fight our addictions by being all alone and keeping things a Secret.

If we are not honest; our self-deceit will block us from ever finding personal change and growth. Only honesty can bring change within us. Recovery begins as we face our failures, our wrong-doing, and our self-destructive choices.

Honesty is the foundation of everything else we do in recovery. It is the unavoidable first step toward change, growth, accountability, healing, trust and love. Recovery begins as we learn to speak the truth about ourselves, so that we can embrace reality and begin to heal.

Honesty does not mean brutally telling others how they "make us feel." It doesn't mean brutally bashing ourselves either. Honesty is not brutal.

The honesty we learn in recovery allows us to be respectful, empathic and compassionate- both with ourselves as well as with others.

I pray to God may I learn and train myself to be more honest with You and everyone that You put in my life.

Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot
change, the courage to change the things I can, and the
wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at
a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking,
as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is; not as I would have it;
trusting that You will make all things right if I surrender to
your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and
supremely happy with You forever in the next.

AMEN
- Reinhold Niebuhr

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RECOVERY RADIO A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
The Recovery Radio Show is organized as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit public benefit corporation under the IRS tax code: Our Mission is to provide education about addiction to our fellow human beings, and to do what we can to allow those still suffering to get into recovery. If you, or your company, would like to make a tax-deductible donation to the RRS, you may do so with our profound thanks and appreciation by clicking on the link above, or by going to the "DONATE" button on our website on the HOME page. Or, you may call our very own Melissa Stewart at 866.334.0471 M-F between the hours of 8A - 5P.

That's it for this week....Join us this Saturday Night, won't you?????.....6-8 Pacific Time...on-air, or on the web.

Yours very truly, and in sobriety,
Dr Steve, Bob, and the Recovery Radio Crew