Drug Treatment Tacoma
Drug Treatment Tacoma
I will be celebrating my fifth anniversary of sobriety on the Fourth of July, 2008. Independence Day has a new (second) meaning to me now–my independence from alcohol, my new birthday of sobriety. This is the new and improved me. My recovery is all about truth. And to be truthful, I am writing a book about my infamous character from birth to present. I haven’t always been an alcoholic. My straight path began to curve–and curve, and curve. I hope my readers can appreciate and realize how important the truth is in a successful recovery.
I have had thirteen DUI arrests from 1972 to 2003. Out of these thirteen were eleven convictions. Two of them, I was a no-show runaway from the California justice system. I was a fugitive. There’s no glamorous way of putting it–just the truth. I am not proud of my past. If only I could live it all over again. Then I would be a very boring, law-abiding citizen. And that’s not a put-down to the “good” people in society. The truth is I’m jealous. I wished I lived a good, productive life. My last DUI took a financial toll and burden on my lifestyle. And I rightfully deserved it. The hefty price tag was near $10K. I believe that stricter laws and lobbying will help save lives in the future. I was never punished severely.
In the 1970s and ’80s, laws were pretty slack–to say the least. I probably only spent less than 90 days in jail. I spent 21 days at an inpatient alcohol treatment center back in 1977. The rest of my punishment was basically spent in outpatient counseling and AA meetings. I am so grateful I never injured anybody or wrecked any property, but my own. Thank God for that.
Alcohol Anonymous have done wonders sobering up people for many years. I never took full advantage of AA. I would only attend if I absolutely had to as a part of my program or probation. I feared speaking up and say what was on my mind. But then again, I have always been painfully shy. Sometimes I would not go to AA meetings when I was required to. Instead I would go to bars and have friends and fellow patrons sign my AA meeting attendance slips. I never had anybody turn me down. They probably have been through the same ordeal. I was only cheating myself.
I fulfilled my probation and everything the court system demanded after my last DUI. This time around I did not cheat myself on AA meetings. I attended until the court set me free. I haven’t been back since. Not because I had a horrible experience, but I felt my higher power (God) gave me the freedom to choose whatever it took to stay sober. Miraculously, what it took for me to remain sober was inner strength and hope. AA is based on these values. And they are my own unique values, too.
In the past, friends, family, co-workers, and the law tried to sober me up. This time it was “I” who sobered me up. There is quite a difference in comparison. And if somebody wants to walk the same path over and over, making the same mistakes as I did, the future will present an alcoholic with a roadblock. The roadblock is either prison or the morgue. There are only two ways about it. Luck runs out eventually. People have asked me to talk to a group, or their family member about their drinking problem. It doesn’t hurt to persuade people to quit drinking, or give them advice, but the alcoholic will decide for themselves. Intervention may help if the alcoholic is capable of listening, instead of being selfish and negative. The true spirit of seeking sobriety will come from their heart and mind. These are the people who will recover. These are the people who have strength and hope. These are the people who can change.
I didn’t need to attend an AA “birthday” meeting to earn my sobriety chip, or coin. I had my own made up with my sober birthday date proudly engraved in it. I keep this coin with me all of the time. I never had an AA sponsor, and I have never been a sponsor. I am not anti-AA either. I just believe a person can achieve sobriety on their own if they really want to change their life and the lives around them. I also drive around in my Jeep and proudly show off my rear spare tire cover. It reads “Independence Day 2003, One Day at a Time, Easy Does It.” I had this spare tire cover custom made. I achieved sobriety the same way–custom made for me.
There’s no doubt in my mind how my life has improved. And there never is a doubt in my heart and mind that my mental and physical health have improved. Sobriety is powerful stuff. And recovery is soothing to the core. Not to have “the monkey” on your back is a good thing. Not to have a “monster” demonizing your will power is the greatest blessing of all. And living the good life is staying sober, whatever it takes–custom made. Good luck to all of you. May you find sobriety like I have.
Earl D. Erickson is a freelance writer. He loves writing on the internet and EzineArticles. He especially loves to write nostalgic and inspirational articles. He also loves to write true stories. He has recently published a book about his struggles with alcohol, drugs, depression, anger, suicide, and grief. His book is entitled, The Journey of an Incorrigible Alcoholic: The Paths I Chose and the Ones I Didn’t. It is now available on Amazon and other online retail bookstores, or by visiting his website. He encourages and welcomes receiving comments and e-mails from his readers.
Mr. Erickson owns and manages the following website: http://www.SerenityLighthouse.com
His hobbies include writing, reading, photography, gardening, fishing, camping, and the great outdoors. He is a native and lifelong resident of Tacoma, Washington.
Confidential Associates LLC – Tacoma, WA
|
|
When a Man Loves a Woman $2.89 When a Man Loves a Woman is a dumb title (not another classic pop song, please) for a very smart movie. A kind of gender-switch take on The Lost Weekend, it’s about a woman (Meg Ryan) whose alcoholism almost destroys her family. That may sound like just another TV movie, but When a Man Loves a Woman is so authentic in detail and emotion, that everything about it seems fresh, urgent, and engrossing… |
|
|
28 Days (Special Edition) $2.93 To appreciate 28 Days, it’s best to be thankful that director Betty Thomas hasn’t forced Sandra Bullock into a remake of Clean and Sober. Instead Thomas has balanced her comedic sensibility (evident in Dr. Dolittle and Private Parts) with the seriousness of alcoholism and substance abuse, and she succeeds without compromising the gravity of the subject matter. Some critics have scoffed at the mov… |
|
|
Rebound: The Legend of Earl The Goat Manigault $3.03 He was one of the greatest basketball talents to ever come from the sidewalk courts of Harlem, but Earl “The Goat” Manigault’s abilities couldn’t save him from the brutal realities of life on the streets that kept him reaching the pros. Gritty sports drama, based on a true story, stars Don Cheadle, James Earl Jones, Loretta Devine, Forest Whitaker, and Eriq La Salle, who also directed. 111 min. St… |
|
|
Sugar Town $1.98 Unimpassioned look at the lives of struggling L.A. scene rock stars follows main character, Gwen (Jade Gordon), on her quest for the top. Working as an assistant to a film production designer (Ally Sheedy), she tries to steal her boy friend (Larry Klein) who is a music producer by offering sexual favors. The producer meanwhile is trying to orchestrate a comeback for a former glam band played by Mi… |
|
|
Network Therapy for Alcohol and Drug Abuse: Effective Office-Based Treatment [VHS] $39.97 Treatment of substance abuse is challenging for all involvedAfor addicted patients, those close to them, and the treating therapists. This informative video shows how a therapist complements individual sessions with supportive meetings with the patient, family, and friends to surmount major obstacles to recovery. The video portrays reenacted therapy sessions using transcripts from actual sessions … |
|
|
Tough Love: Being Tough on Your Kid May Be the Most Loving Thing You Can Do $55.00 In this story, assistant high school principal Rob Charters (Bruce Dern) and his wife Jan (Lee Remick) are good suburban parents with one model child Scott (Eric Schiff) and a 17 year old son Gary (Jason Patric) who has been using drugs. Gary’s violent behavior convinces Rob and Jan that to save Gary they must lock him out, refuse to help him when he is jailed and let him live in poverty. For the … |
|
|
Therabath Professional Paraffin Bath, Scentfree, Maximum Capacity, 9-Pound $148.97 For Hands, Feet, Face and Body since 1962 For over 90 years paraffin moist heat therapy has been used to relieve pain, inflammation and stiffness caused by arthritis. A form of thermotherapy, paraffin treatments effectively increase blood flow to aid in rehabilitation, or to warm an area of the body prior to other therapies or exercise. Warm paraffin is also used extensively to soften dry, crack… |
|
|
Glymed Plus Vital A About The Age Management Skin Care System: The Age Management Skin Care System addresses the individual challenges of chronologically injured, photo-aged and environmentally damaged skin. This System is a complete line of products that gently cleanse, actively treat, restore balance, and protect even the most sensitive skin for all skin types and all skin colors for cellular rehabilitation. Vital… |
|
|
Rehab Suggestion Humor Card 5 x 7 inch premium quality folded paper greeting card. 12 Step Addiction Recovery cards & photo 12 Step Addiction Recovery cards from Greeting Card Universe will bring a smile to your loved ones’ face. Make your loved ones feel special with a custom paper card. Look no further than Greeting Card Universe for your 12 Step Addiction Recovery card needs. This paper card includes the following themes:… |
|
|
Alcoholics Anonymous: The Big Book, 4th Edition $9.40 It’s more than a book. It’s a way of life. Alcoholics Anonymous-The Big Book-has served as a lifeline to millions worldwide. First published in 1939, Alcoholics Anonymous sets forth cornerstone concepts of recovery from alcoholism and tells the stories of men and women who have overcome the disease. With publication of the second edition in 1955, the third edition in 1976, and now the fourth edit… |
