1. BOB AND DR STEVE TO BE     FEATURED ON FRANK     PASTORE SHOW THIS     FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16TH!!!     **Re-Scheduled!!** 2. THIS WEEK'S SHOW: "HAVING     HAD A SPIRITUAL     AWAKENING..." 3. PRESCRIPTION DRUGS:     BIGGEST NEW ADDICTION by     Dr Steve 4. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY-     "PSALM 23: PERSONAL      REFLECTIONS" by Bob Munck 5. RECOVERY RADIO A NOT-     FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION 6. HYTHIAM IS OUR NEW     CORPORATE SPONSOR 7. CONTACT US ANYTIME- 24/7 8. SIGN UP FOR THE FLASH!

1. BOB AND DR STEVE TO BE FEATURED ON THE FRANK PASTORE SHOW THIS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 16th **Re-Scheduled!!**
Bob and Dr Steve will appear as Frank Pastore's special guests this Friday, December 16th on the Frank Pastore Show, 99.5 FM KKLA's 4 - 7P primetime/drivetime radio show. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to hear more about the Recovery Radio Show!

This interview was originally scheduled to take place last week, but was rescheduled for this week due to conflicts on the Frank Pastore show calendar. So...let's try this once again!!

Tune in on Friday at 5:30PM. Bob and Dr Steve will join Frank at about 5:45P, and will share their unique experience, strength, and hope... for recovery from ALL addictions. Hear more about why these two individuals have dedicated their lives and professions to helping other addicts...and educating the world about the DISEASE OF ADDICTION.

On January 6th 2004, Frank Pastore became the new afternoon drive-time host on KKLA 99.5 FM in Los Angeles. As a former professional baseball player with graduate degrees in both theology and political science, Frank integrates religion and politics with the news of the day in an entertaining and stimulating style at the intersection of faith and reason.
 

2.  THIS WEEK'S SHOW: Saturday, December 17th
Part III of our Special Series “Understanding God, A ‘Higher Power’, Spirituality…and 12-Step Recovery Programs”

HAVING HAD A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING…

Step 3 reads, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understand him.” After finally realizing we were helpless over our addiction, we then grappled with our personal concept of a Higher Power. Most importantly, we realized that we are not it. As the common saying goes, “MY own best thinking got me here!!! (to the rooms of AA/NA, etc.)!! While active in our addiction, our only god was our drug or our compulsive behavior. It ruled our lives. It took us unceremoniously to our own “bottom”. But once we made this critical realization that we are not capable of directing our own lives, we became free to move forward and ask our Higher Power for his help in overcoming our addiction.

So great. That is all very wonderful!! But how in the heck does a Higher Power help us overcome our addiction??!! Simply stated, it requires a leap of faith. Certain things in this world defy explanation…but they are true…and real. Such is the case with our Higher Power. Most of us will agree that if we lay on our backs on a bright starry night, we cannot help but be taken by the wonder of the universe. We come to the realization that someone or something must have created it, along with a design for each and every living being.

For many, our Higher Power is God, Allah, or the like. For others, it may be for forces of nature, or the spirits or our ancestors. For many new to sobriety and coming from an atheistic or agnostic background, it is the AA or NA group, whose collective wisdom and external direction we must accept. As time in sobriety goes by, for many our conception of our Higher Power often evolves more toward “God” in the Christian, Judaic, or Muslim sense.

Sometimes our new conception of a Higher Power comes in a “cloud-breaking rapture”, where God or Christ, for example, may reveal Himself to us. For most, however, it comes slowly through a series of “educational” steps which together lead toward our new realization of a Higher Power.

The point is, it does not matter who or what your Higher Power is; it only matters that it is not yourself. Each person will must define for himself who or what his Higher Power is. To be most effective in our relationship with our Higher Power, we must to learn to meditate; in doing so we commune with our Higher Power. This process can be prayer, or it can be the simple process of communing quietly while alone and contemplating. Through this process, we intuitively conceive in our minds and spirits what is “right and wrong” in our lives. Our lives are now guided much differently than when we were active in our addiction. We make much different and better decisions, and we treat others much more kindly and respectfully. We have surrendered our will and our lives to God as we understand him.

Regardless who or what one believes to be one’s Higher Power, once we get into Recovery, we find that suddenly things in our lives begin to get better. “The Promises” come to us, almost immediately. Our spouses come back; our bosses take us back; our families are reconstituted; our financial situation improves. This….is our Higher Power at work.

This week we will take a close look at Step 3. We will help explain the critical importance of a Higher Power in the context of 12-Step Programs for recovery. Remember: 12-Step programs are NOT scientific. They were cobbled together back in the 1930’s by two hopeless drunks, Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. The simple program of Alcoholics Anonymous was an empiric program that among other things relied upon belief in a power higher than oneself. It was basically a “trial and error” formula that worked where nothing else previously known to man had ever worked to overcome alcoholism and addiction.

There is NO SCIENCE HERE. But it works. That is for certain. And YOU can make it work for you…no matter what your religious beliefs may be.

So 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!!
 

Abuse of prescription drugs such as Vicodin, Valium, and Ritalin, is the largest growing area of addiction in the USA. About 15 million Americans misused prescription drugs last year, including growing numbers of young people. Why is this so?

Simply stated, many otherwise very legitimate and very useful medications that are commonly used throughout the world of medicine are potentially addictive. The only group of people for which this is a problem are those roughly 8-10% of us who are genetically hard-wired to become addicts under the right circumstances. All it takes for a potential addict to become addicted, is to have a medical encounter where he or she is for the first time exposed to an addictive medication.

Examples are abundant. A typical story is a person with migraine headaches who is given Vicodin by an unsuspecting but well-intended physician. Or it could be a person with panic attacks who is given Valium or Xanax. The addict will be off and running as soon as he realizes that he can get high from these otherwise legitimate, legal, and very useful medications.

Many doctors and pharmacists say that their training in prescribing powerful painkillers and other controlled substances is limited -- a shortcoming that is becoming more acute as misuse of these drugs grows. A full 40 percent of doctors surveyed by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA) said they did not get any formal training on prescribing controlled substances while in medical school, and more than half said they had never been trained to identify prescription-drug abuse or addiction. Similar numbers of pharmacists said they had not received any training on identifying prescription-drug abuse or diversion since they left pharmacy school. This indeed is a problem that must be addressed in medical schools, pharmacy schools, and specialty physician training programs.

But If YOU become addicted to a prescription drug; don’t blame your doctor. It is NOT his fault. It is yours alone!! Take ownership of your issues!! Instead, accept the fact that you are an addict, and surrender to your addiction.

There are many medications and other treatments available which can replace addictive prescriptions drugs. A pain specialist or psychiatrist may be necessary to guide the treatment of your dual diagnosis. The first step is to get off of the prescription drug to which you are addicted, via medical detox. The next and more important ongoing step is to get involved in a 12-Step program.

PILLS ANONYMOUS is a wonderful 12-Step program that is specifically tailored for the prescription drug addict. So-called “pill heads” have unique issues relating to the procurement and use of legitimate but abused medications, which often are illegally obtained. They have an entire unique way of focusing on "pills" to fix each and every emotional and medical deficiency they might have. If you are a "pill head", you also would do well to find a physician who has training and expertise in ADDICTIONOLOGY, to help you steer clear of addictive medications when other alternatives will suffice.

And if you’re an alcoholic…be VERY careful about every single drug that is prescribed for you...it must MIGHT be addicting.
Remember: Alcohol IS a drug. Cross addiction is commonplace if not the "norm" for all addicts.

Do NOT think that you are "just an alcoholic". If you do, you are deluding yourself!! A sad but common and recurring story of relapse that is heard way too often in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous is that of the sober alcoholic who experiences a painful injury or illness... and is given a prescription for Vicodin. Relapse on one or both is almost predictable.

Get help if you are a prescription drug addict...Help is there!!

This is Dr Steve, giving it to you Straight!!!

Each week on our show, Bob presents his "Thought for the Day", a unique and powerful personal devotion. 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. Addiction is a medical disease that is unique in having emotional and spiritual components, as well. This week in the FLASH! we are reprinting Bob's Thought for the Day for this week...a spiritual reflection which challenges and inspires those of us in recovery.

"Psalm 23: Personal Reflections" by Bob Munck

Psalm 23 is usually read at the Grave side during funerals held in honor of the dead, but I think this is a beautiful Love message from our Lord and Creator for the really meant for the Living. Here are my own thoughts, annotated and listed adjacent to the individual verses as I reflect upon it:

The Lord is my Shepherd - "That's Relationship!"

I shall not want - "That's Supply!"

He makes me lie down in green pastures, - "That's Rest!"

He leads me beside quiet waters, - "That's Refreshment!"

He restores my soul. - "That's Healing!"

He leads me beside quiet waters, - "That's Guidance!"

For His name sake - "That's Purpose!"

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death - "That's Testing!!"

I will fear no evil - "That's Protection!"

For you are with me; - "That's Faithfulness!"

Your rod and Your staff they comfort me - "That's Discipline!"

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. - "That's Hope!"

You anoint my head with oil - "That's Consecration!"

My cup overflows - "That's Abundance!"

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life - "That's Blessing!"

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord - "That's Security!"

Forever - "That's Eternity!"

Let's face it; the Lord, our God, LOVES you...and He loves you MORE... than YOU...love YOURSELF!!

I thought this was Very special, just like YOU!!!

REMEMBER: What is most valuable to us in this world is not the THINGS we possess, but the PEOPLE who have come into our lives!
 

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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