Volume 14 – June 2024

Newsletters

Periodic Newsletter

Volume 14 • JUNE 2024
Hand-in-hand, we can work to remove stigma and provide needed support and guidance to our congregation members and their families who are suffering.

Dear Savannah Faith Leaders,

You are receiving this e-newsletter because we have designed it for you. This is our fourteenth edition.

We are the non-profit Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition, based in Savannah and founded in January of 2019. We provide education and support for faith leaders and their laity leaders on the subject of addiction and recovery. Our aim is to prepare you to offer the counsel that your faith community members need at this time when addiction in many forms has increased.

If you are not a faith leader, you are probably in the helping professions and you have asked to be included in this mailing. Welcome!

IN THIS ISSUE:

*  Our May 14, 2024 Listening / Sharing Forum summary and photos
*  Q and A from the William Cope Moyers Event, Oct. 2023
*  SMART recovery program: Ruthie Duran Deffley, LCSW
*  Invitation to join NACoA / ACOA  Monthly Discussion Groups Online
*  A New approach: Psychedelic Therapy
*  AA, Alanon, and NA meetings are open to visitors
*  Our first book review  
*  SAVE THIS DATE !
*  The process of finding a recovery program that fits
*  James P. shares how recovery has enhanced his family’s life
*  Cartoon

Content editors: Carol  Pine, Ardra Hartz
Editor, Layout and Design: Ardra Hartz
Here, below, are some snapshots taken at May 14th event.
  1. What has been working to help people facing addiction in your congregation?

* Celebrate Recovery meal and program (this is a 12 step program with a Christian emphasis). Our pastor attends the meeting.

* Creating a safe space in our faith community and people know it.
* Hosting AA meetings and other related recovery meetings.
* Stephen Ministry program offered at our church, but we have “built in” training related to addiction and recovery because it is not included in the educational curriculum  (the same is true for LGBTQ subjects)
*  We have not had much success with people coming to us and sharing their problems because the stigma of this disease is strong. This observation was shared by several faith leaders and laity.
* Two people came to one of our faith leaders to ask for help. This faith leader had the information and counsel to be of help. Both people found valuable support; both died because of their addictions. (No one can “save” anyone else, but they can offer a caring heart and reliable information).
* Faith leaders who speak from the pulpit about addiction and recovery can open the door to discussion. She/he can also ask congregation leaders to share their own experiences. Many people in recovery are happy to share their experiences if they are invited to do so. Consider also creating safe, smaller group meetings for your faith community members.
* Provide a space for ongoing meetings at your faith community location.
* Create a resource table with information that people can take with them (note the Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition will supply these resource materials; contact us please.)
* “People in our  faith community are accepted for who they are and where they come from. Our faith leader is open to address addiction and recovery from the pulpit and we celebrate recovery anniversaries at our church.” NOTE: there are many forms of addiction; people are in recovery “from many things”.
* Make a list of available support group meetings available and make these meeting pamphlets visible to your congregation, examples: area meeting schedules for AA, NA, ACA (Adult Children of Alcoholics), Alanon, Alateen,  Yoga recovery, Celebrate Recovery, Smart Recovery – all are available in Chatham County and Savannah.
* Hold an annual Recovery Sunday service with speakers telling their stories and offering resources and help. (Contact Rev. Michael Culbreth for ideas, Savannah ConneXion Church 912-417-4108.)
* The Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition publishes an e-newsletter. Many of you already receive it. You are welcome to share this e-newsletter with your congregations. Contact Ardra Hartz, editor, 912-220-2687 or ardra.kh@gmail.com

    2. What can we do better to help people who are struggling in our congregations?
 

 

 

* Faith leaders can reach out to 12 step or other recovery groups in their area to let them know that their church, temple, mosque is welcoming of people in recovery. Consider creating a small outreach team of members in recovery themselves to provide outreach.
* The Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition was created in Savannah five years ago with the expressed purpose of bringing information and support to faith leaders so that they are better equipped to address addiction in their congregations. The IARC offers yearly educational forums, discussion sessions and an annual community-wide educational event.
* Connect issues of addiction to messages or sermons offered from the pulpit.
* Making our faith community more accessible for all; remind people that they do not need to be in recovery to attend a recovery meeting; as long as they are affected by addiction in its many forms, they are welcome at self-help and 12-step meetings.
* Laying on of hands and prayer can be offered.
* Hold a Recovery Sunday event in your church, synagogue, mosque, temple.
* Be more open to outside resources coming into your faith community.
* Keep in mind that some support groups are in need of inexpensive or free and safe meeting space. Start by checking with Savannah Alanon (www.savannah-al-anon.org).
* Establish a hotline and keep it running with knowledgeable volunteers (also see resources listed below).
* Encourage faith community members to witness and share their own experiences and their own stories of recovery: “These people are the lamp holders who can show others “the way,” one congregation member said.
*In all cases, safeguard this space for honest sharing: What is said here, stays here.
* Recognize that people can participate in support group/12-step/self-help meetings even if/and especially because they are actively struggling with the effects of addiction themselves or someone else if struggling.
*Focus on youth, ages 13-18.  Bring an educational session to your faith community and hold it in a safe and private place. Plant the seed about the subject of addiction and ensure that attendees know that help and counsel is available. Provide resource materials and phone numbers.
* Peri Kyriakos emphasized this: “Our youth are getting exposed to far more than we ever did at the same age. They are dealing with more anxiety and depression and they are using alcohol and drugs to sooth themselves. Send this message: young people in recovery or seeking recovery are welcome in your faith community. Keep in mind that you must be open to what young people are telling you and do not come with your own predetermined agenda.”

          3.  What gives us HOPE?  (direct quotes)
 
* “Meetings just like this one. Recognizing the potential for recovery and supporting each other in this work.”
* “Our shared sense of humanity, with meetings like this our awareness is growing.”
* “Meetings like this are valuable especially when they combine people with different backgrounds and professions (our attendees on May 14 were not solely faith leaders and laity; we also invited people in public policy, medicine and mental health).”
* “Forums like this generate the ‘AHA’ with one positive story followed by another. These ideas are coming out of the ‘church basement’, in other words from our lay members who care about this subject and they are willing to become active and involved.’”
* “I hope to see the parking lot full next time. The word is getting out. Online resources and information make it easier to get active and involved.”

 

 

        4.  How can we stay connected and active?

* Practice HOW at all times: Honesty, Open-Mindedness and Willingness.
* Answer this question: “In my tradition, is it OK to use alcohol in my life? If I can use it in my church, why can’t I use it in my living room?”
*In some faiths intoxicants are considered the instruments of Satan. One participant said: “my faith is more dear to me than the culture I’m exposed to.”
* In addiction treatment settings, addiction is equated with a serious allergy and a health consideration.
* “Consider the power of the language surrounding addiction. Can we agree on a theology related to addiction??”
* Check out Soul Shop, an interfaith curriculum linked to the Bible. Consider exploring theology-based conversations about use and abuse of substances.
* Develop a list of 12 Step and other related meetings in the Savannah area expressly for faith leaders and keep this list up to date (We have asked one of our Coalition volunteers to take this on).
* Invite Michael Sarhatt, leader of the Chatham County response to drug overdoses team, to give a presentation on his team’s work, especially a Positive Peer Program that is taking education and training around Fentanyl awareness and overdose information to the Chatham County schools. These sessions are led by trained young people. In addition, Michael’s team has a rolling demonstration platform of a teenager’s bedroom which demonstrates the many hiding spots for drugs that teens are using these days.
            Here, below, are three questions, with answers, from the Q  & A segment of                the October 2023 commumity-wide event featuring William Cope Moyers,
pictured above.

Q & A  Question Number 1:      Does it cost a lot to get sober?

Here are some approximate examples of treatment costs in surrounding areas:

Please keep in mind that, if one’s insurance is accepted, then copay or out of pocket expense would be significantly less than the figures presented here.

Five Day inpatient detox  $ 4500
Seven Day medically supervised inpatient detox   $8700
Residential 30 day supervised detox + recovery treatment $22,000-35,000
90 day inpatient detox + recovery/ therapy $19,000
Outpatient rehab treatment program, Savannah $2000 + or – per week
Women’s Residential  “Sober Living” (4 person apartments, counseling, work-release ) $1800 per month per person
Faith Based,  donation-supported 8 week program:  No cost other than transportation.    Kim Gunnels can answer your questions. 912-675-0665

For additional information, you could call individual facilities (A PDF version of our Resource Guide can be emailed to you. Ask the editor: ardra.kh@gmail.com )or check with  IARC board member Janis Ellington  janis.ellington@gmail.com

          Q & A  Question Number 2:  How do you stop being addicted?

Step one: Detox: clear your body from contaminants
Step Two: Begin ongoing recovery training and counseling   

Information provided by     American Addiction Centers

If you want to know how to heal from addiction, the most important thing is to realize that you don’t have to do it on your own. Support is available to help you from the moment you choose to get help, to the moment that you enter a rehab facility or seek another kind of care, and all the through aftercare, which can help you stay sober after you’ve completed treatment.  Effectively recovering from addiction usually involves a series of steps that may include these:

  • Admit to the fact that you have a problem. Recognition that you need help may go a long way toward actually seeking such help.
  • Speak with a physician. Your physician can help assess the problem and assess any potential signs of withdrawal or withdrawal risks and advise you about the type of detox settings that may be best for your needs.
  • Call an addiction treatment center (or a rehabilitation center).( Often, You will leave a number and the appropriate person would return your call.) You can ask any questions or concerns you may have about treatment and discuss your situation to see what type of treatment setting (i.e., inpatient or outpatient) might be advisable. Once in a treatment program, you may learn coping mechanisms, attend therapy treatments, and get the help you need in a highly supervised environment.
  • Speak with a therapist. A qualified therapist, preferably one who specializes in drug and alcohol addiction, can also assess your needs and provide advice about how to proceed with getting the help you need.
  • Identify your triggers. Being aware of the specific issues, places, people, emotions, and other factors that cause you to want to use drugs or alcohol can help you make a plan to avoid these triggers so you’ll be less likely to use.
  • Follow a continuing care plan. This is a plan put in place, usually by a treatment center (on an outpatient basis) to help you achieve your sobriety goals.
  • Tend to and get evaluated for any co-occurring disorders. People who struggle with addiction and mental health disorders need to address both issues in order to increase the chances of success.(For example, Bi-Polar may be an issue, compounding the stress you’re undergoing.)
  • Attend a peer-support group. This can include 12-step groups like Narcotics Anonymous (or AA)  or non-12-step groups like SMART Recovery. They’re designed to help you stay sober through the mutual support provided by others who are also in recovery and who know what it’s like to be in your shoes. 

For more information, visit here:
https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/overcoming-addiction

Linda Dunlap, author of several popular Southern Lifestyle books, and and IARC volunteer in long-term recovery, speaks to Question # 3:

If Someone we love insists that they do not have an addiction, what can we do?

“Since family members are often less effective in helping other family members with addiction issues than those who are not related, the approach should be intentional and well thought out.  Sometimes enlisting the assistance of recovering friends who are known and trusted by the addict as well as comfortable and happy in their own recovery works best.  This allows the family member to see how amazing life can be lived free of addiction.  Most importantly, however, no matter the approach in confronting an active addict, family member or otherwise, it must always be done with  gentle compassion and an abundance of love.”

Editor’s note: For yourself, as one who loves an addicted person, seek and attend an Alanon meeting soon.      
12-Step or SMART rcovery groups provide a community of support while you learn about addiction and recover.               
“Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences.”          
       American Society of Addiction Medicine
Ruthie Duran Deffley, LCSW (she/her/ella)
Bilingual Psychotherapist
Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator, TCTSY-F, RYT 200
1509 Abercorn St.
Savannah, GA 31401
phone: 912-225-6959 (call or text)
   SMART Recovery (Self-Management And Recovery Training) SMART Recovery is an evidenced-informed recovery method grounded in Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), that supports people with substance dependencies or problem behaviors to:
1.      Build and maintain motivation
2.      Cope with urges and cravings
3.      Manage thoughts, feelings and behaviors
4.      Live a balanced life
Far too many people feel powerless over their lives and carry a sense of futility, a dread of staying trapped within an addiction pattern and locked into their circumstances. SMART helps them learn the skills they need to overcome their addictions and transform their lives.
SMART was created for people seeking a self-empowering way to overcome addictive problems. What has emerged is an accessible method of recovery, one grounded in science and proven by more than a quarter-century of experience teaching practical tools that encourage lasting change.
SMART offers mutual support meetings, online and in-person, where participants design and implement their own recovery plan to create a more balanced, purposeful, fulfilling, and meaningful life. There is no cost to attend a meeting and the principles of anonymity are practiced.
Savannah has an in-person meeting that meets every Monday evening, from 7:00- 8:30 pm, at the Joy Cottage next to Wesley Oak Church in Thunderbolt. Everyone is welcome- you don’t need to disclose what addictive behavior you may be struggling with, you can bring a support person and you can also be in the pre-contemplative stage of change (i.e. sober curious).
For more information, please contact Ruthie Duran Deffley at 912-225-6959 (text or call) or email at ruthie@healthymindga.com
“Find your life beyond addiction”- SMART Recovery

NACoA ACOA Online Education and Discussion Group
Monthly Meetings Facilitated by NACoA and Colleen Perry

 

Join NACoA and host Colleen Perry for monthly meetings ideally suited for adult children who have been impacted by addiction, looking for education and support through an online facilitated group. Each meeting features an expert presenting on important topics facing adults nurturing their own resilience, followed by an opportunity for attendees to speak freely. Meetings are held at 6 pm ET, the second Thursday each month.

 

July 11, 6pm ET       Topic: The 3 As:  Awareness, Acceptance, and Action
Presenter: Mary Beth Collins, NACoA Director of Programs
Register Here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqceCgqDMtHNBGbIPN2QtOoIke6q2_TOFq

August 8, 6 pm ET     Topic: Healing Hearts: The Power Of Forgiving Ourselves and Others
Presenter: Tammy Vincent, Life Coach, Speaker and Author
Register Here:  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcoceqpqjMsEt0NGq0jz0sLH5pTfO9P_1wu

Register for all 2024 NACoA Meetings Here:
https://nacoa.org/acoa-meetings-2024-registration-form/
INNOVATIVE NEW USE FOR 70’s PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS
IDEAS FOR TRAUMA THERAPY
SOURCES:  National Public Radio (NPR) and
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

 
Many people hear the term “psychedelics” and think of hippies, acid, and the music of the 1960’s. But it may soon take on a whole different meaning for the U.S. military. 

   Last December, Congress passed legislation that included funding for clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy for active-duty service members. And just last month, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it will also begin funding psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat veterans with PTSD and depression.

This comes at a time when suicide rates amongst active-duty service members are at an all-time high. In an episode of NPR, reporters dive into what psychedelic-assisted therapy is and the effect it could have on active-duty and veteran mental health.

Follow this link to the audio file on the North Country NPR webpage. (National Public Radio)

https://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/1229822372/the-power-of-psychedelic-therapy-for-members-of-the-military

An increasing number of clinicians and researchers have become interested in the potential of psychedelic drugs for the treatment of mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, and addictions.

Currently, most psychedelic compounds are illegal under federal law. They were placed on the most restrictive class of drugs, Schedule I, in the 1970s as part of the “war on drugs,” meaning that they were considered to have high potential for abuse with no accepted medical use.  However, the ever-growing global mental health crisis, coupled with the shortage of effective therapeutic strategies, has given rise to a reconsideration of the therapeutic potential of these compounds in recent years.

Classic psychedelics have rapid and profound effects on perception, cognition, and consciousness that result in part from their actions at serotonin 5-HT2A receptors. This can result in heightened awareness of one’s internal states and feelings of connectedness that last for several hours. Psychedelics can also induce challenging and difficult experiences and need to be used carefully and in the presence of facilitators or therapists who are trained to work with people experiencing nonordinary states of consciousness. But these compounds offer unique therapeutic possibilities in their ability to promote openness to engage with things that are often avoided and suppressed. In fact, before they were determined to be Schedule I drugs, psychedelics were used therapeutically to help patients open up and identify and discuss emotionally triggering material in psychotherapy.

Follow this link to read the entire article from the JAMA  (Journal of the American Medical Association) website:

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2808951
Downstairs Church
By Caroline Beidler, MSW
Morgan & James, publishers, 2023
   Reviewed by Ardra Hartz

       “Hope is a thing with feathers,” said Emily Dickinson, “that perches in the soul.” I daresay that every addict in recovery knows exactly what she meant. To move from hopelessness (a state of despair) to ongoing healing, to move from traumatized chemical escape to trauma recovery is, in fact, daunting… But hope will NOT stop singing the tune, with or without the words.
This author, Caroline Beidler, who has personally experienced transforming trauma, wretchedness, and desperation into recovery, courageously chooses, in this publication, to share that journey, which she refers to as “the long dusty road,” an image that we can instantly connect with.  Interestingly, IARC has chosen for its annual community-wide event the title: Doors to Hope. Addicted persons KNOW that they need recovery, and they often reach for and then shrink from it repeatedly until something ‘clicks.’  Often, it is the attitude of others that causes the shrinking.  Caroline states:  “People think a certain way about people like me….” And that attitude can send someone back into addiction in a heartbeat.
From telling of her first experience with inebriation as a ‘tween,  down the  l-  o-  n-  g  dusty road, through the death of her closest addicted friend, eventually to becoming a well-grounded counselor, with a Master’s Degree, facilitating some sharing among summer campers around a campfire, the author utilized a journal style of writing that allows readers to get inside her head in a unique way. She illustrates the often very convoluted journey of an addicted person, fraught with fears, anxieties, stubbornness, lost-ness, hesitation, pain, and …hope.
Eventually, she learns that the key to transformation is not only accepting personal responsibility, acknowledging vulnerability, developing transparency, but ultimately authentically sharing her journey with other recovering persons.
This book would make an enlightening book study at your place of worship, opening up channels of awareness and understanding. It is available on Amazon.

 Dear Faith Leaders and Laity:
Think for a moment about how much insight and experiential knowledge you would gain from taking an hour to attend an open local meeting for addicted persons or for family members of addicted persons.
The experience would not only be of immense value to you in your role as a leader of persons in a faith community setting but it would also provide you with actual  in-person hearing of the plights addicts wrestle with.
Please consider finding a meeting that fits your schedule. The lists below should indicate if a certain meeting is ‘closed’ to visitors. However, most meetings are OPEN.

https://find.aageorgia.org/meetings/city/savannah

https://www.savannah-al-anon.org/area-meetings-copy2

https://www.narcotics.com/na-meetings/georgia/savannah/
CLICK THIS LINK TO REGISTER FOR THE SEPTEMBER 15 EVENT:
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/5x8xxdhx
What is Recovery? 

Recovery is a deeply personal, unique, and self-determined journey through which an individual strives to reach his or her full potential. Persons in recovery improve their health and wellness by taking responsibility in pursuing a fulfilling and contributing life while embracing the difficulties one has faced. Recovery is not a gift from any system. Recovery is nurtured by relationships and environments that provide hope, empowerment, choices, and opportunities.

SOURCE:   Georgia Department of Behavioral Health    https://dbhdd.georgia.gov/
CHOOSING A RECOVERY PROGRAM THAT “FITS”

Editor’s note: Respect is everything.  An addicted person already has very dismal opinions of themselves. NO facility that treats an addiction person like a ‘problem’, a ‘less than acceptable’ or a ‘disgusting’ human being is going to EVER be the best choice for an addict’s recovery.

Often, a Social Worker at a detox facility will be available to guide each patient to the best further recovery program for them.

FAITH LEADERS, please click on the link below to find a comprehensive set of qualifications. There are other sites and other lists, but this list most completely encompasses all of the categories.

Having this information close at hand may be exactly the thing you need if / when one of YOUR faith family’s members comes to you for confidential assistance.

https://www.recoveryanswers.org/resource/effective-addiction-treatment-what-makes-a-good-addiction-treatment-program/

 James, pictured above along with  his wife Jasmine and children Manny and Jordan, has found recovery and has worked assiduously to not only maintain sobriety but also to grow and flourish in his role as an elementary Special Education teacher and as a father / husband. Here is what he says about moving from addiction to recovery:

    Recovery is central to my life. The past five years have shown me that living in recovery definitely makes my life better in many ways. I can honestly say that my life is so different today; I was essentially living on borrowed time. I was risking so much living the way I was. I was in danger of losing my freedom, my family and most importantly, my life.
Recovery is a long journey that requires so much mental, physical and emotional strength, and I didn’t think I had it at the beginning.  I was so afraid of failing and letting myself down. There are still days when I feel like I can’t do it. On those days, I dig deep into my recovery program; I remind myself that I can. And I have people in my life that remind and motivate me to keep pushing forward.
Today I have the emotional support of my friends and family; I can lean on them when the going gets tough. I have those in my life who help me stay accountable, and I believe it safeguards me and keeps me in staying on the right path. I also have experience with helping others who struggle too. It is also important to be a listener, to be empathetic to those who struggle with their issues. Sharing my experience, strength and hope with others can help another person with their situation. No one can heal completely on their own; at least that is what I think:  Recovery cannot occur in Isolation. 
Every day I wake up with a sense of gratitude. I am happy that I get to return to a career that I am passionate about. I have my family, and we get to experience a so many fun things together now, things we would have never been able to do if it weren’t for recovery. It is a way of life that works if the person is truly committed to making their life better, I like to think that I am an example of that.
WE SEEK YOUR INPUT

A topic I’d like to hear more about in the IARC Newsletter is:
___________________________________________________________

Send your response to:                  ardra.kh@gmail.com     or
             savannahiarc@gmail.com

If you wish to make a donation, click HERE:

  https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=E7TQYZRG8PA2J

or please mail a check to the Interfaith Addiction and Recovery Coalition
in care of    Janis Ellington
134 Belfast Pines Drive
Richmond Hill, Georgia 31324

THANK YOU