Igotsober Alcohol & Opioid Recovery Center

In recovery for 10 years, the founder of non-profit Kensington Cares says ”when someone is ready to quit-really quit, no one can stop them.” Having been through the trenches of addiction, he stays strong to be “a beacon of hope” - offering an empathetic hand of assistance for those who struggle and want connection.

https://whyy.org/episodes/a-seasoned-warrior-helping-others-in-the-battle-against-addiction/

A Seasoned Warrior Helping Others in the Battle Against Addiction - WHYY “It’s bigger than me,” says Patrick Dooley, 53, “I’m just one piece of the puzzle.

At Igotsober we honor and celebrate the American heroes who made ultimate sacrifices in service to our country. Have a safe and sober Memorial Day, Friends!

Hey NE Friends! Looking for some non maimstream local stores & unique finds? Here are a few throughout the state…

https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/nebraska/12-nebraska-shops-to-check-out/collection_33b338aa-ddad-53be-b6cf-4affb80c449e.html

12 Nebraska shops to check out Some travelers prefer finding the hidden gems in Nebraska stores to museum-going, restaurants or recreation. And the state is home to a wealth of out-of-the-ordinary shops. Here are some of

Pausing to appreciate the unexpected effects of exercise can help motivate us on days we feel uninspired or lethargic. Truth.

A community within Thrive shares their benefits of exercise:
- clears your mind
- gives a burst of energy
- improves creativity
- helps to silence negative thoughts
- creates community
- helps to stay resilient
- helps to set your day ahead
- helps you realize how capable you are

At Igotsober we agree, 👆 and we also agree that exercise is an important part of your recovery as well!

https://thriveglobal.com/stories/unexpected-benefits-of-movement-exercise-motivation-tips/?utm_content=buffer80266&utm_medium=Thrive&utm_source=LinkedIn&utm_campaign=Buffer

9 Unexpected Benefits of Working Out and Moving More Making time for movement provides so many rewards — some expected, and some surprising.

Addiction is the deepest form of habit.

Once we are physically clear of drugs and alcohol, the habits that rule us in recovery (and life in general) are dictated by our thoughts and our thinking. If we are to change, our destructive, egoic thinking patterns must change first. Detach yourself from these ego thoughts, see them for what they are and know they are not you. They can only control you and keep you sick if you are not aware or conscious of them.

To say it is tricky to manage the ego is a colossal understatement – if we’re not constantly vigilant and present with our thoughts, it will sneak right up behind us when we least expect it. Before we know it, we’re acting in ways that we know deep down are not for our best benefit, and this realization usually comes after we’ve taken “wrong action”.

The Ego is your “false self”. It is the story you have concocted about that which/who you think you are. It is simply an illusion of yourself that you have come to believe as true. What is true, though, is that it has nothing to do with Who You Really Are!

Ego makes you think you are:

🔸 what you have
🔸 what you do/accomplish
🔸 only what others think of you
🔸 the labels you use to describe yourself
🔸 not good enough

Truth is - you can have the life you want. Simple - but not easy, that's granted. The sooner you let go of these ego lies, the sooner and more likely you’ll meet your goals and dreams even as you recognize them as the moving targets they actually are.

The ultimate goal in recovery beyond a liberated body is a liberated mind. Free your mind from your ego, and you free your Self.

Six years in recovery, Selma Blair shares her traumatic past that includes alcoholism since she was a very young child. "I became an expert alcoholic, adept at hiding my secret." She reveals not only trauma, agony and dealing with a debilitating disease, but the numbing, shame and blame along side it all. She says she hopes that sharing her journey and the more shocking events from her past will help those living with similar burdens.

You are not alone. Help is out there. Reach out today.

https://people.com/movies/selma-blair-new-memoir-exclusive/

Selma Blair's Stunning New Memoir Reveals Decades of Alcoholism—and First Getting Drunk at Age 7 In her stunning new memoir Mean Baby, Selma Blair is opening up for the first time about shocking trauma from her past

Today, May 10 is - to raise public awareness about the growing fentanyl public health crisis. Fentanyl is a dangerous synthetic opioid and people are dying at alarmingly high rates due to illegally made fentanyl.

DYK that fentanyl is:
- involved in more American youth drug deaths than he**in, m**h, co***ne, benzos and prescription drugs combined
- involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other cause of death including heart disease, cancer and all other accidents

For more info 👇

https://www.fentanylawarenessday.org

National Fentanyl Awareness Day | May 10th A day of action to raise public awareness about an urgent problem: illegally made fentanyl. Join our effort on May 10, 2022.

Researchers and experts in psychology and mindfulness have compiled a list of 10 ways to relax and steps to do so...

https://www.thehealthy.com/default/how-to-relax-strategies-psychology-experts/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=organicsocial&utm_content=th&trkid=soc-th-facebook&fbclid=IwAR2H0w5C8HVEyfxTl3-dpq9tGXiURm1bSELDl96iddJkLKGZNYtY27r9v0M

How to Relax: 10 Proven Strategies to Soothe You Right This Minute, from Psychology Experts Don't know how to relax? Psychology experts explain how—and why—to slow down if you're someone who's constantly in motion.

Looking for things to do in Omaha? Take a look at these ideas 👇

https://thereader.com/guides/things-to-do-in-omaha-in-the-spring?fbclid=IwAR2ZS1pXq78pA6gjf0-8PT3o-Xlxz2tJptMrlQR0n9vEOkK45APmglQ0OeU

Things to Do in Omaha in the Spring - The Reader Freezing rain and gale-force winds cast aside, spring showers more hours onto the day so you can explore your favorite city. On most days, the weather is inviting, far from humid, and chill in multiple senses. Here are ten things you can do this spring to take advantage of the cool weather or make t...

Hey Friends if you've been wanting to take a road trip through our great state of Nebraska, this one is all mapped out!

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nebraska/best-american-road-trip-in-ne/?fbclid=IwAR2_QCdx7e4R_Drcrk3Ylpx8biDxqYCpE1pI4I3aZi3UdzB7tYxXzMeLn-I

The Stunning Nebraska Drive That Is One Of The Best Road Trips You Can Take In America This short scenic byway in Nebraska is full of history and beautiful natural places. Follow in the steps of the pioneers on this road!

ICYMI Nebraska Friends! The ServeNebraska Step Forward Awards, which recognizes outstanding people and groups for their time and service volunteering throughout the state, is now accepting nominations for its 2022 volunteer awards.

https://www.klkntv.com/submissions-open-for-outstanding-nebraska-volunteer-awards

Submissions open for outstanding Nebraska volunteer awards The ServeNebraska Step Forward Awards recognize outstanding people and groups for their time and service volunteering throughout the state.

Open your heart to sobriety.

A recent report by JAMA reflects the hidden tolls of drinking to cope with pandemic-related stress. "Women have increased their alcohol consumption at a higher rate than men, particularly their heavy drinking days. The health effects for women can be especially concerning because they absorb and metabolize alcohol differently than men, so the alcohol stays in a woman’s body longer, increasing the risk of liver disease, heart disease and certain cancers".

https://www.today.com/health/womens-health/alcohol-women-drinking-risks-rcna24808

For women, how much alcohol is good for your heart? Study offers clear-cut answer April is Alcohol Awareness Month. “Women need an intervention," one mom wrote about women's drinking habits.

Eight-time Grammy winner and entrepreneur Philip Lawrence (who's worked with Bruno Mars, Ari Levine and Adele among others), now four years in recovery, shares that getting sober "is the best decision that I've ever made. I always believed it was unattainable. I thought that I was who I was: You're going to be the life of the party, you're going to drink too much, you're going to have a hangover, you may have to apologize for a couple of things you did or said, and life goes on. "

He continues, "But for me, the alcohol and the drugs and the lifestyle just took a toll on me. And it sucked the joy out of living for me." Once he got sober "It was there that I discovered there's another way to live. ...For so long, I lived a portion of my life in the dark, and hid behind lies, and was definitely afraid of the truth, the truth of that kind of lifestyle. What sobriety has shown me is the other side of confronting those lies, and finding that truth, and how much brighter life is supposed to be."

We couldn't agree more. Time to find your truth? Contact us today.

https://mrfeelgood.com/articles/philip-lawrence?fbclid=IwAR2F74y0cmKdHjZrcLGgGi_0b6WeVV4-pghfceWCvSA1tuJP2APE0uYpkjc

Philip Lawrence: ‘Sobriety Has Shown Me How Much Brighter Life Is Supposed to Be’ — Mr Feelgood Hitmaker Philip Lawrence, who has won eight Grammys as part of The Smeezingtons songwriting team alongside Bruno Mars, says our best creativity flows when we “stop getting in the way of the love and the joy.”

Let's do our part, Nebraska Friends!

https://journalstar.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-4-29-saving-water-now-may-save-our-future/article_f479ba27-ac98-5041-91a1-822c164fee9b.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_Lincoln_Journal_Star&fbclid=IwAR3heuNqQBwvle_xPCvEZtFxirckcWPIdoelWM2bfwnBywl4u_p3F8rfO4M

Editorial, 4/29: Saving water now may save our future More than 41,000 acres in northern Kansas, Red Willow, Furnas and Frontier counties have burned in the Road 402 fire, a blaze triggered by dry conditions and high winds that

Hey Friends! Tomorrow, Saturday April 30 is National Takeback Day (although in NE every day is take back day). Take your unused prescriptions to a drop off location near you: https://www.dea.gov/takebackday -locator

This lottery winner says helping others "gives you a buzz and it's addictive". We agree.🙂

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tees-61241436?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bbbc.news.twitter%5D-%5Bheadline%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D&at_custom4=B28DFFCC-C66B-11EC-8D51-AFCD96E8478F&at_campaign=64&at_custom1=%5Bpost+type%5D&at_custom2=twitter&at_custom3=%40BBCWorld&at_medium=custom7

Lottery winner who gave away half of £115m fortune 'addicted' to helping Frances and Patrick Connolly landed a £115m jackpot and have donated more than half their winnings.

Doing good for others feels good and does good; we all grow and learn by helping others. At Igotsober we are healing, growing and learning together with you. One step at a time, one day at a time.

Some Full House cast members share their thoughts on addiction, sobriety and recovery.

"Drugs and alcohol just sort of numbed everything.”

"The darkest moments were...those quiet moments alone when I just hated the person I had become.”

“We all have our demons...When we finally learn to let them go, we get to live and be free.”

“Thank God, my wife and my new son will only know me as a sober husband and father."

“Sobriety is absolutely the cornerstone of my life. It’s always said in the rooms that anything you place before your sobriety will be the things you lose, and I absolutely believe that.”

"...I know that it’s only because of how hard I’ve worked in my recovery that I get to have the life that I have today. Recovery also helps me deal with the stress and chaos that often comes with getting back a full and busy life in sobriety. Without it, I’d be completely overwhelmed!”

If you're done with the numbing, the darkness of addiction, the people and things you've lost because of your addiction - and are ready to let go of the demons and live a life free of all that, contact us today. We've been there and we can help.

https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/pictures/full-house-casts-quotes-about-addiction-jodie-sweetin-more/a-challenging-withdrawal/

Jodie Sweetin, John Stamos and More 'Full House' Stars on Addiction Battles Jodie Sweetin, John Stamos and more ‘Full House’ stars have been candid about their addiction struggles — read more

Heads up, April 30 is right around the corner

that in 2021, collected over 1.5 million pounds of unneeded medications? Keep your friends and family safe and clean out your medicine cabinets for the next on April 30th.

https://go.usa.gov/xzSmm

ICYMI. https://www.klkntv.com/best-of-nebraska-your-top-photos-of-the-week/

Best of Nebraska: Your Top Photos of the Week A collection of this week's best user-submitted photos from throughout the state of Nebraska.

This Kentucky family is all about helping and uniting those who struggle with addiction and those in recovery.

https://www.wtvq.com/dv8-kitchen-owners-daughter-writes-book-about-substance-abuse-stories/

DV8 Kitchen owner's daughter writes book about substance abuse stories - ABC 36 News Sam's book is now in pre-sale through April 30th. It's expected to be published in September.

Parents DYK: Tim K. Mackey, director at Global Health Policy and Data Institute, says people are selling drugs on multiple parts of the internet — social media, internet pharmacies, and the dark web. "There's no quality control of their products, so any pill you're buying online is extremely dangerous."

He says parental insight is key as well and that counterfeit pills often are delivered via the service DoorDash as well as USPS, "so be aware of any type of packages and deliveries to your home."

Research also points to high-stress events for kids and young adults such as exam weeks as triggers for substance use. And parents should be aware of their kids' digital social circles, which are different than in-person social circles.

https://people.com/health/counterfeit-meds-sold-on-social-media-are-killing-kids-my-son-took-one-pill-and-died-says-mom/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-share-article&utm_content=20220407&fbclid=IwAR3kkv--uk-16F2YfcvJVczbnIgwYNJ2ArNgdGU9sAlQ7le8hUWIVegeJOs

Counterfeit Meds Sold on Social Media Are Killing Kids: 'My Son Took One Pill and Died,' Says Mom Amanda Eubanks says her 13-year-old boy didn't know what drug he was taking, and got a counterfeit pill containing enough fentanyl to fatally poison him

DYK what alcohol use disorder (AUD), alcohol abuse, alcohol addiction look like? Symptoms can include:

👉 Not having a stop button: drinking until passing out, blacking out or both
👉 Increasing tolerance of alcohol
👉 Driving under the influence
👉 Taking risky behaviors while under the influence
👉 Drinking alone
👉 Drinking to numb or escape pain, problems and/or worry
👉 Obsessing constantly about alcohol
👉 Secretly drinking
👉 Hiding your drinking from others
👉 Denying alcohol use to yourself and others
👉 Telling yourself and your loved ones you've got your alcohol use under control
👉 Drinking to fall asleep
👉 Feeling guilty and ashamed of your drinking
👉 Attending activities or events only if alcohol is served
👉 Centering activities and events around alcohol
👉 Experiencing financial problems and/or loss because of alcohol-related issues
👉 Losing family, relationships and/or job over alcohol use
👉 Experiencing frequent and/or daily massive hangovers and/or withdrawals
👉 Needing a drink to calm the effects of alcohol withdrawals

Sound familiar? Done with it? Ready to get sober? Contact us today, we've got a way out of the madness, and it works. For good.

DYK: sleep and rest are not the same thing. There is true power in rest, and a TED Community expert shares insight...

https://ideas.ted.com/the-7-types-of-rest-that-every-person-needs/amp/

The 7 types of rest that every person needs Are you getting your seven or eight hours of sleep a night — yet you still feel exhausted? Here’s why that could be happening, according to physician Saundra Dalton-Smith.

Exactly.

This week is National Drug & Alcohol Fact Week, test your knowledge of with this short quiz about https://go.usa.gov/xzGq6

Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson struggled with addiction to drugs and alcohol early in his career. “I had basically moved into the basement of our brownstone. I was like the troll in the basement, and every now and then I’d come upstairs and hover around to do som**hing. I was addicted and being crazy,” he says. His Tony-nominated wife LaTanya Richardson, says that time was her “villa in hell.” Rock bottom was when LaTanya and their then 8-year old daughter came home to find Jackson passed out facedown on the kitchen floor. He credits his wife for getting him into rehab: “She gave me the chance to be the man I was supposed to be.” Once he got sober his career skyrocketed. Now with over 30 years in recovery, Jackson says “I don’t wish I could have a drink. I don’t miss the drugs,” and that he believes his success has helped him stay sober. https://people.com/movies/samuel-l-jackson-on-his-addiction-battle-and-how-his-familys-love-changed-his-life/

Samuel L. Jackson on His Addiction Battle and How His Family's Love Changed His Life "I was like the troll in the basement, and every now and then I'd come upstairs and hover around to do som**hing," the actor recalls of his earlier years

Sadly, annual drug overdose deaths have reached another record high in the U.S., according to recent data from the CDC and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. About 2/3 of those deaths involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which at even very small quantities is lethal for most people. Help is out there, reaching out is the first step.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/16/health/overdose-deaths-record-high-fentanyl/index.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=news_tab&fbclid=IwAR1DTnrdNkHw6NSfyBQZ4IWtbnPZRrOcWkFsLDpLWNf9OlaGMO6X-moTMik

US drug overdose deaths reach another record high as deaths from fentanyl surge Annual drug overdose deaths have reached another record high in the United States as deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids surge to unprecedented levels.

A recent report from the Journal of the AMA says the spike in alcohol-related deaths in the first year of the pandemic was seen across all age groups. The largest change in alcohol-related deaths was among 35- to 44-year-olds, with a nearly 40% increase. It also states that the increasing rate of deaths involving alcohol is a reflection of increasing alcohol consumption.

If you or a loved one struggles with addiction, reach out today.

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/03/18/health/alcohol-related-deaths-rise/index.html

Alcohol-related deaths in the US spiked more than 25% in the first year of the pandemic, study shows The number of deaths in the US involving alcohol jumped 25.5% between 2019 and 2020, the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to research published Friday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

That’s recovery.