Submitted by TheDotMack on April 1, 2010

With the recent advancement of social networking in the 12 step community, InTheRooms.com has been in talks with trusted servants of the Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous world service boards about how to maximize the benefit of online communities in relation to one’s personal recovery.

Both fellowships agree that the future of the 12th step is rooted in the internet. We can only keep what we have by giving it away - and more so now than ever, a movement of recovering people have been congregating on sites like InTheRooms.com to share their experience, strength, and hope.

Alcoholics Anonymous has officially contracted InTheRooms.com to take over all online AA properties, and integrate them with their existing community, and Narcotics Anonymous has decided to initially begin phasing out their publishing responsibilities to InTheRooms as well, as a first step towards consolidating funds to grow their online presence.

Both fellowships will provide full disclosure of the financial ramifications of the merger, which is expected to be between $7.4 Million and $8.2 Million of 7th Tradition money to the principals of InTheRooms.com.

With the advancements of the fellowships in this area, thus proposed are these 12 “Ordinances” of online communities:

1) All online communities must accept funds from 3rd party advertisers to keep the community alive and free.
2) One member’s status update is a reflection of the group and must be written with integrity and proper form.
3) Each online group must be created only after a thorough search for an existing group of a similar topic is performed.
4) All members of an online group are equal, including spammers and video chat voyeurs.
5) Online discussions that include videos should be informative and never misleading.
6) All outreach to the newcomer must be written in 160 characters or less.
7) Abhorrent misuse of “Hug”, “Farm”, and “Mafia” apps will not be tolerated.
8) Community growth is based on viral videos and funny cat pictures - we must remain anonymous at the level of Google, Facebook and Tweets.
9) Our photo upload policy is based on attraction rather than promotion - in other words… don’t upload nude photos. No one wants to see that.
10) Multiple profiles are akin to multiple personalities; Sock puppets are strictly forbidden as this dilutes the focus off the profile you’re trying to portray and reveals your actual personality better than a solid 4th step.
11) The primary purpose of the online fellowship community is to carry the message to the newcomer, not to post “What I’m doing now” and wait impatiently for people to comment.
12) The community is here to serve a greater purpose, we must always keep this in mind as we chat with members and visit various profiles.

These proposed ordinances are subject to group conscience, therefore an online webcast of the final vote will be held on InTheRooms.com on April 1st, also known as April Fool’s Day, at 2:00PM Eastern Standard Time.  Please tune in and participate in this groundbreaking event!

Submitted by davidstebbins on March 31, 2010

1999. Hollywood, California. Having signed a lucrative deal with NBC, represented by one of the largest agencies in town, being told I was the next big star, I was certain of just one thing: I was going to die. I had come to Hollywood a hot stand up comic on the verge of success and within a short period of time degenerated into an embarrassing cliché of self-destruction. My phone stopped ringing, the casting calls dried up, and even my management wanted nothing to do with me. But burned bridges and squandered opportunities were the least of my problems.

I’ve never had a casual relationship with any mind-altering substance. If there’s one thing I excel at, it’s self-destructive alcohol and drug use. Any golden opportunity I’ve ever encountered has always been used to propel myself deeper into chemical annihilation. My life has been a series of perpetual bottoms, of one degree or another, relieved only by a dwindling supply of narrow escapes. The times in jail, the cardiac arrest, the overdoses, the car wrecks, these things I could justify. As long as the drugs worked to soften the blows, there was always an excuse I could use to retreat back to the safety of my inebriated mind. For me, intoxication itself was the ultimate geographical cure. But now, armed with a large bank account and an endless parade of dealers, my using escalated to epic proportions until my life shriveled to a pathetic singularity. I spent my time living dose to dose, which came in progressively shorter and shorter intervals, until finally, I did nothing but lay in my dirty bed for weeks at a time shooting, smoking and snorting a variety of substances. I was living, literally, just to use.

And then suddenly, inexplicably, the drugs stopped working to soften anything. In fact, my mind was a nightmarish place. Thoughts, like shattered glass, entangled with mental gibberish and psychotic imagery. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t function much, but still, I could not stop using. The scariest part was that as bad as it was, as much as the drugs were not working, I still didn’t even want to stop. I knew if I couldn’t escape the merciless obsession I was going to die. I didn’t know what snort, shot or chemical inhalation would be the one to shut my lights off but the writing was on the wall. It’s like wading in a pool of very large sharks. You can see their shadows swimming beneath you. You can feel their presence moving closer and closer. It’s only a matter of time.

So one night, in a moment of absolute desperation, I put my shaking hands together, looked up at the ceiling and in a weak, defeated voice, begged whatever force there was, if there was a God that cared, please, give me the desire to have the desire to quit. I begged over and over. That’s all I wanted: the desire to quit. And at the end of my prayer I said, ‘If you spare my life, one day I promise I will use my talents to spread the message.’ I didn’t know what it meant, what message I was going to spread, but it was a little desperate bargain at the end of a desperate plea.

Eventually I crawled into the rooms and surrendered. My life today is a testament to the transformative power of recovery. I am an active member of the fellowships and I am often filled with awe and wonder at how precious life is. I can hardly believe I was that same person trapped in that room all those years ago. I never forgot that desperate prayer nor have I forgotten my promise to use my talents to spread the message.

So it strikes me as less than coincidental that I am performing a stand up comedy show at the Hanley treatment center, in West Palm Beach Florida, to raise money for the patient aide fund on the exact date of my seven year anniversary. I’ve done stand up comedy for nearly twenty years and worked with some of the biggest names in show business but no show has more meaning to me than this one. I am truly and profoundly grateful for the opportunity to fulfill my part of the bargain this Saturday, April 3rd. If you’d like to join me at this very special event, celebrating recovery, laughter and life, go to my website at DavidStebbins.com for ticket information and directions. Tickets will sell out fast so do not wait. Hope to see you there and until then, Keep Coming Back!

———-

For more info, please click here: https://www.hanleycenter.org/foundation/…

Submitted by RT on March 31, 2010

One of the highlights of our trip out to SXSW a couple of weeks ago in Austin, Texas, was being introduced to a couple of great guys from Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. We found out very quickly that Bill Bennett and Mark Hauber from Sweet Relief and us at In The Rooms have a similar vision, to make the world a better place to live in by reaching out and helping those in need.  Since our meeting in Austin, we’ve been introduced to the third member of the Sweet Relief team Rob Max. We are talking now about how to bring our two organizations closer together and partner in up coming events around the world and to bring awareness to each others movements. I suggest to all ITR members to get better acquainted with Sweet Relief’s mission by reading below. I have a feeling you will see much more of Sweet Relief in the near future.

Sweet Relief was founded by singer-songwriter Victoria Williams in 1993. Victoria, while on a career-making tour with Neil Young was forced to drop off mid-schedule after experiencing unexplained debilitating symptoms. A long and painful diagnostic process revealed she had multiple sclerosis.

After her diagnosis, a group of friends assembled an all-star album of Victoria’s songs, Sweet Relief, which alleviated much of her medical debt. Vic, knowing that there are many musicians like her - -unable to afford medical expenses and compromised in their ability to work- - donated some of her proceeds from the album to found Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. The name of the fund derives from a song of Victoria’s, Opelousas (Sweet Relief) and the fact that we do provide sweet relief in the form of financial assistance to many musicians who would otherwise be in untenable predicaments.

In 1994 Sweet Relief was incorporated as a nonprofit charity and by September of that year was distributing grants to needy artists.

Many prominent musicians, professionals and music fans have rallied enthusiastically behind the Fund, staging benefits in venues from Miami to Seattle, with performances donated by hundreds of both established and emerging artists. Nightclubs, concert halls, radio stations, internet sites, restaurants, clothing and shoe companies, music retailers, athletes, actors and many others have all chosen Sweet Relief as their charity of choice.

Key events included a second top selling album and concert, an MTV 120 Minutes special on the fund, annual fundraising events as well as a continual press and media coverage. Our list of supporters is one of the most extensive in the nonprofit world and continues to expand.

Sweet Relief, in addition to our long tenured relationships, is focused on growing our charitable voice within the youth market. Social networking, forums, portals and internet partnerships are currently being developed to make Sweet Relief a charity of choice for young and old alike.

Millions of dollars have been raised and scores of artists have found the help they need through Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. Now, as much as ever, we are the charity that musicians reach out to help them find healing, shelter and sustenance.

Who do we help?

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides assistance to all types of career musicians who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. Grant recipients include recording artists, club and session musicians, composers & songwriters from across the country. From Classical to punk, jazz to country, reggae to blues and everything in between, Sweet Relief is there to help the musician in need.

How do we help?

Since inception Sweet Relief has served the music community by helping musicians with medical and living expenses including insurance premiums, prescriptions, housing costs, food costs and alternative therapies and treatments that are not covered by insurance.

Sweet Relief works to help determine a musicians most pressing needs. We are also a member of the Entertainment Assistance Coalition and can help in finding additional sources of funding to provide the most complete assistance possible.

Even if a grant recipient has private or publicly funded healthcare they often require assistance, and Sweet Relief is there to help. We have aided people suffering from a wide range of conditions including: AIDS/HIV, spinal cord injury, STD’s, hearing impairments, strokes and head injuries, diabetes, kidney failure, alcoholism and chemical dependency, repetitive stress injuries, mental illness and psychological disorders, cystitis, heart defects, Hepatitis.

To qualify for assistance, applicants must clearly show that they have spent at least three years actively pursuing a musical career, are in financial need, and have a diagnosis of a serious medical condition.
We also help elderly musicians, regardless of medical condition, who are having trouble making ends meet.

Why do we help?

Music has made all of our lives, and the events in our lives special and memorable. While fame and fortune are found by few, most musicians remain in the field for love and passion of music. What they give up is financial security and a safety net when health and age take a negative toll. Sweet Relief acts as a conduit for society to help the artist who has brightened our lives and souls by helping them in their greatest time of need.

Submitted by BenBen The Fisherman on March 31, 2010

Submitted by TheDotMack on March 24, 2010

Over the past year, we’ve been listening to your suggestions for InTheRooms. You may have noticed recently that InTheRooms has changed the member profile page. The biggest change to the profile page is that now you can see all of your recent status updates to continue the conversation, whereas before you could only see the last update.

Another feature is that the comments are put right up into the forefront, showing the communication between you and your friends better than ever before!

Initially when we changed the profile page, there were some key parts missing but we rectified those issues based on member suggestions and we’re back to the full swing of things.

There is one feature that we decided to leave out of the profile page due to security concerns with some members. Some of you may have noticed that we no longer provide the information for when a user last logged in. Although this feature was liked by a lot of members, we made the collective decision to no longer offer this information to protect our members. We work diligently to ensure that InTheRooms.com is a safe and secure place for our members to share their experience, strength, and hope in recovery and will continue to strive to make our community better for years to come.

With Love,
The InTheRooms Team

Submitted by MrClean on March 23, 2010

The Academy for Addiction Professionals is proud to announce our new Online Class Series. The first class is:

Addictive Personality: Understanding the Shadow of Addiction Related to Self and Family, Presented by Ben Brafman, LMHC, CAP

Class meets weekly on Thursdays for four weeks:
April 22 & 29, May 6 & 13, 2010 from 7pm-10pm

This online class is a live, interactive course that can be done from the comfort of your home. The class will provide 12 CEU’s.

Fee for course:  $250 ($75 discount for InTheRooms members - just mention your ITR username when signing up)

The Academy Location is:
6555 NW 9th Ave
Suite 214
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309
(954) 771-2091

For more information or to sign up for classes please contact:

Marnie Miller - mmiller@addictionacademy.com
Alton Smith - altons@addictionacademy.com

Submitted by tsnetwork on March 24, 2010

FACILITY DOORS OPENED MARCH 13, 2010 WITH OPEN HOUSE SET FOR APRIL 7th

Executive Director Melvin F. Stokes MHS, LPC, LCADC, is proud to announce that on Friday March 12th, he and his team officially opened the doors to Leading Edge Recovery Center (L.E.R.C.) http://www.leadingedgerecoverycenter.com) in Hamilton, New Jersey. There will be an open house on April 7th 2010 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and facility tours can be scheduled any time by contacting the facility at (609) 249-9470.

While the facility has been certified and approved by the appropriate powers that be for quite some time, Mr. Stokes and his team wanted to be absolutely sure that L.E.R.C. had only the finest resources available to treat substance abuse and mental health disorders, before opening facility doors. Well, that day finally arrived; from the living environment to the professional staff, Leading Edge Recovery Center is equipped to offer the most advanced care practices available today and will provide patients with individualized treatment based on each their own unique circumstances.

Melvin Stokes said, “Our goal is to help clients achieve meaningful abstinence. The purpose of Leading Edge Recovery Center is to create an environment that will foster the care, concern, and commitment to meet the chemical dependency and related treatment, training and educational needs of the community it serves.” Stokes added, “Leading Edge Recovery Center also believes that the delivery of services must be specifically oriented toward the gender, age, sexual orientation, and culture of each client.  Treatment components are provided in the most gender-specific, culturally sensitive, and age appropriate setting as possible.”

For further inquiries or information regarding Leading Edge Recovery Center’s April 7th open house, or to schedule a tour anytime contact Melvin Stokes at (609) 249-9470.

For admissions please call 877-537-5372.

About Leading Edge Recovery Center

Leading Edge Recovery Center does a NJ-SAMS, ASI, ASAM PPC-2 assessment, and bio-psychosocial history and assessment to determine the level of care needed along with the treatment issues that need to be addressed, A Primary Counselor is assigned to each client at admission to direct client treatment through the assessment, treatment plan development, individual and/or family counseling and group therapy. Treatment plans are individualized and designed with the participation of the client.

Submitted by BenBen The Fisherman on March 24, 2010

What You Need To Know: Marijuana Facts & Trends With The Latest Information About Brain Development, Addiction &
Signs & Symptoms Of Use

About The Speaker:
Mr. Ray Estefania is the Adolescent Program Director at South Miami Hospital’s Addiction Treatment Center and a current member of the Informed Families Board of Directors. In the field of addiction treatment for nearly 15 years,
Estefania works extensively with adolescents, adults and the family members affected by alcohol and drug addiction. Estefania has coached thousands of parents on ways to prevent and respond to children’s substance abuse.
Thursday, March 25th, 2010 from noon to 1 pm.
Informed Families /The Florida Family Partnership
2490 Coral Way, 2nd Floor, Miami, FL. 33145
Ph: (305) 856-4886
To RSVP and/or order a $10 box lunch,
email - adevito@informedfamilies.org
or RSVP at www.informedfamilies.org.

http://eccna26.org/index.html
September 2010
Alive At the Dead Sea, Israel

Anyone interested in chatting about going to this?