1 Year Sober: 10/19/2008

(Pictured above & below: Me, exactly one year ago today...the last day...)

Today I celebrate 1 year sober! It seems surreal to me.

I never thought this would be a disease that would effect me. It did and it is powerful. I hit my bottom on October 18, 2007. I knew that day would come so I kept doing what I did best- drinking and hiding it. Or at least I thought I was hiding it. Little did I know that the people around me knew.

I knew it was bad when I would wrap my arms around a garbage can at work on my class periods off. I knew it was bad when I smashed my car. I knew it was bad. Period. I just didn't care. Now I do. Now I want to make a difference.

On that life changing morning, October 19, 2007, Dean had me take a picture of myself from my camera phone while I was driving to an AA meeting so I would always remember what I looked like. I often look at those pictures to remind myself of that other life. Those pictures are ugly but important to me. I have included them on this blog so if you feel the need to drink, look at what it did to me. And that was only on the outside...

Today is a good day...

Coming Out in Recovery

(Pictured Above: a view of the Brooklyn Bridge on September 27th during A&E's Recovery Rally.)
(Pictured Above from left to right: Warren Boyd, co-executive producer of A&E's The Cleaner, Interventionists Jeff VanVonderen, Candy Finnigan, and Ken Seeley from A&E's Intervention, and Terri Seeley from Inside Addiction. Pictured in the foreground: Karen Shoemaker.)

(Pictured above from left to right: "The Cleaner", Warren Boyd, and Inside Addiction's Dean Hale.)

On Saturday, September 27th, Inside Addiction was invited as a VIP guest of the A&E Recovery Project. Thousands of people from across the country and around the world came together in New York City. Men, women, young, old, all races and ethnicities all had one thing in common- RECOVERY!

Thousands united and crossed the Brooklyn Bridge together in a walk, as stated on A&E's web site, "to break the stigma of addiction, raise national awareness that addiction is a treatable disease and prove that recovery is possible by supporting leading organizations in prevention and treatment."

Addiction crosses all boundaries. No one is immune to addiction but recovery can be contagious.

Special guests present included the staff of the A&E show Intervention, the co-executive producer of A&E's The Cleaner and whom the show is based, Warren Boyd, and PSAs from celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg and Benjamin Bratt.

Watch for the upcoming episode Inside Coming Out in New York City which will be listed on our broadcast schedule.

Recovery Month Events

(pictured: (top) Dean Hale and Terri Seeley at the Friends of Recovery event at Cook Park on 9/14/08. (bottom) Sober Bowl Sunday at Burnt Hills Lanes on 9/21/08).

September marks Recovery Month and the many events that take place to raise awareness. On September 14th, Dean Hale and Terri Seeley joined many other organizations at Cook Park, located in Colonie, NY, to celebrate recovery and to spread the message of hope. Other organizations present included Choices 301, the State Police, H & R Block, Friends of Recovery Capital District, and SPARC.

On September 21st, we held our first annual Sober Bowl Sunday at Burnt Hills Lanes. Special thanks go to Dave, owner of Burnt Hills Lanes, for the use of the facilities. People came out to enjoy an afternoon of bowling and in the process, we were able to raise money to purchase literature for donation purposes. It was a great afternoon! Thank you to those who came out on that beautiful Sunday afternoon for a good cause!

Please check out our YouTube link so you can view episode 1 of Inside Addiction. Additional episodes will be available in the near future. Please stay tuned!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR, SAVE THE DATE, JOIN US!

The summer is winding down. September is coming up! Right around the corner it's Recovery Month! Please join us in our continued efforts to raise awareness and educate on the issues of addiction and recovery in the Capital District and throughout New York State. Inside Addiction announces our first ever (hopefully one of many!) Sober Bowl Sunday on Sunday September 21, 2008 from 1:30-4PM at the Burnt Hills Lanes Bowling Alley on Rte.50 in Burnt Hills, NY. This event is a fund raiser with partial proceeds used to purchase and distribute educational books and literature on recovery throughout the Capital District. In addition to 2 1/2 hrs of bowling there will be brochures and information for families including tips for teens and parents about prevention, intervention, and treatment. The latest in recovery jewelry will also be on display and available with partial proceeds used to develop the "Clean Slates Scholarship" which will be used to help offset the cost of treatment to families of individuals entering treatment. For more details email us at info@insideaddiction.org. Until next time take it one day at a time and remember denial only works for a while. See you in September!

You Can Bet On It!

(Pictured above: John Blowers)

Gambling has the highest suicide rate among all addictions. This week we taped another episode, "Inside Gambling". We were joined in the studio by John Blowers, the author of Life on Tilt. We discussed gambling addiction, warning signs, triggers, and treatment. John helped us take an inside view from rags to riches and back- if you're lucky enough to make it back.

To learn more about Life on Tilt, visit John Blower's web site.

If you know someone with a gambling addiction, ending their addiction can begin with you. For information about gambling interventions, call toll-free 877-333-4911. For information about the support network for gamblers, visit Gamblers Anonymous online.

Be sure to check our broadcast schedule so you don't miss this eye opening account of gambling addiction. It could save the life of someone you love.

Acupuncture as an Alternative Treatment

(Pictured above: Co-producer, Terri Seeley, with acupuncture needles in her ear.)

Janice Irwin, a NYS Certified Acupuncture and Detoxification Specialist, appeared as a guest on Inside Addiction. Janice performed acupuncture (pictured above) to demonstrate the process of Auricular Acupuncture for Addiction. You will see on the show the exact process as Janice explains the step-by-step procedure.

Please check out the broadcast schedule to see when this episode will air.

Special thanks to Janice Irwin. For more information on the National Acupunture Detoxification Association, please click here.

Upcoming Episodes

We recently taped episode 2 and it is in the editing process. Episode 2 will be airing in the near future. Please be sure to check the broadcasting schedule on our web site for the most up-to-date listings.

We are heading back into the studio next week to tape episode 3. This episode will focus on an alternative treatment for addiction in the fight against drugs- accupunture. Our guest will include Janice Irwin who will demonstrate the accupunture she has implemented on people in recovery.

For more information, please visit our web site at www.insideaddiction.org.

Celebrating Your Independence

(picture taken in Tampa Bay, Fl. at a Twelve Step Regional Picnic)

We hope everyone had a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend! Congratulations to all who celebrate their independence from addiction be it to alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc.

There is no better gift than that of freedom- the freedom from bondage!

In staying with the primary goal of Inside Addiction to educate and raise awareness about addiction, we look forward to bringing you another episode within the next few weeks. Thank you to everyone who watched the show this week as we have received a lot of positive feedback from its airing in three states with a viewership of up to 1.5 million people- from Coxsackie to Clifton Park, from Voorheesville to Vermont, from Massachusettes to Mechanicville and everywhere in between. Again, on a daily basis, we try to spread the message and help as many people as possible who are affected by addiction- not just the addict.

For more information, visit us at www.insideaddiction.org.

Future Television Broadcasts

(Pictured from left to right: Ken Seeley and Dean Hale at the taping of the premiere of Inside Addiction.)

Our first show with interventionist Ken Seeley from the A&E Reality series Intervention aired on SACC TV-16 this week. Due to its overwhelming response, it will rebroadcast. Please visit our website for a complete listing of the broadcast schedule and television stations that will be airing Inside Addiction for the week ending Sunday, July 6th.

We are pleased to announce the show can be viewed in not only Schenectady County, NY this week but across 3 surrounding states as well.

Our goal continues to be raising awareness and educating people on all aspects of addiction, prevention, intervention, treatment, recovery and the reduction of relapse. We continue on a daily basis to try to reach as many people affected by addiction as possible and help them get the help they need.

For more information, visit us at www.insideaddiction.org.

"Celebrate Life"

(pictured: Dean Hale talks to a woman who has a child serving in Iraq. She is concerned about military personnel returning from the War on Terror.)

We participated in the "Celebrate Life" event on June 14, 2008 at the Taft Furniture Parking Lot at Central Ave. in Albany, NY hosted by Choices 301. Other participants included SPARC (St. Peters Addiction Recovery Program), Friends of Recovery Capital District, Albany County STOP DWI, and NYS Chiefs of Police, just to name a few.

As a result of conversations and interactions that took place at this event, we are encouraged by the possibility of combined efforts and cooperation of local law enforcement, treatment facilities and politicians to take a proactive approach to addressing the issue of addiction in our communities.

We are also pleased to announce the broadcast coverage area of the television series Inside Addiction is expanding as a result of the event at Taft. Please check our broadcast schedule soon to see where you can watch on your local cable channel.

Final preparation and editing for the premiere episode will be made this week. Stay tuned!

Remember, denial only works for awhile!

(Jails...Institutions...DEATH!)

For more information, visit us at www.insideaddiction.org.

Pilot Taping

On Thursday, May 29, 2008, we taped our pilot episode of Inside Addiction at SACC TV located in Schenetady, NY.

Ken Seeley, an interventionist from A&E's Reality series Intervention, co-hosted the premiere with Dean Hale, one of the founders of Inside Addiction.

We will be releasing the first episode in June 2008. Please visit http://www.insideaddiction.org/ for the broadcast listings.

Thank you for your support!

(pictured from left to right: Dean Hale, Terri Seeley, Ken Seeley)

For more information, visit us at www.insideaddiction.org.