National Prevention Week – May 14-20, 2017

The Council on Recovery is proud to participate in National Prevention Week, May 14th-20th, an annual health observance dedicated to increasing the prevention of substance use and promotion of mental health. Sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), National Prevention Week brings individuals, organizations, coalitions, states, and communities together to raise awareness about the importance of preventing substance abuse and mental disorders.

During this year’s National Prevention Week, The Council on Recovery is highlighting its prevention and education programs, including those at work in many elementary, middle, and high schools in the Greater Houston area. The Council’s educational programs include the Life Skills Training for students in grades 3 through 5; Curriculum-Based Support Group (CBSG®) Program and All Stars Program for students in grades 6 Through 8; and the Reconnecting Youth Program for students in Grades 9 Through 12.

In addition, The Council’s Center for Recovering Families operates the CHOICES program in eight area middle and high schools. CHOICES is a unique prevention and counseling program based on successful prevention techniques typically missing in other school programs: A focus on multiple high-risk behaviors, and programming tailored to fit a specific school culture. The success of the CHOICES program was documented a research article recently published in the Journal of Addiction and, in April 2017, the program was awarded a $1.15 Million grant from the Hildebrand Foundation to expand the program into an additional twelve schools.

The Council on Recovery’s prevention programs are well-known throughout our region. As the leading resource for prevention, education, treatment, and recovery services, we are often the starting point for people seeking help.

Alcoholism…Are Genes to Blame?

Are issues with alcohol a future risk for you? Have you ever questioned yourself and thought, “Am I an alcoholic?”

Many Americans drink alcohol, but can have one drink and put it down for the rest of the evening. Not everyone who drinks develops a dependence on alcohol. However, many individuals are concerned about their chances of struggling with alcohol dependence due to their genetic predisposition. The question is, “How much do genes truly affect the likelihood of becoming an alcoholic?”

Continue reading “Alcoholism…Are Genes to Blame?” →

Andrew Zimmern Helps The Council on Recovery Raise Nearly $500K at Spring Luncheon

Bizarre Foods Star Thrills Audience of 1,000 with Captivating Story of Hope & Recovery

Culinary superstar Andrew Zimmern, host of the Travel Channel’s popular Bizarre Foods, inspired and entertained a crowd of 1,000 with his personal story of addiction and recovery this past Friday at the Hilton Americas-Houston. In the process, he helped The Council on Recovery raise more than $470,000 to provide addiction prevention, education, and treatment services in the Greater Houston area.

Continue reading “Andrew Zimmern Helps The Council on Recovery Raise Nearly $500K at Spring Luncheon” →

The Lifelong Quest for Sobriety…The Ultimate Hero’s Journey – Part 6

Guest Blogger and long-time Council friend, Bob W. presents Part 6 of a series dealing with Alcoholism and Addiction from a Mystical, Mythological Perspective, reflecting Bob’s scholarly work as a Ph.D. in mythological studies.

Joseph Campbell was a preeminent mythologist whose lifelong scholarship focused on the powerful messages inherent in stories from various societies, stories both fiction and true, from all the areas of the globe and all the ages of time. The representative power of “story” to convey belief systems and psychical messages can be found in many places, even in some far removed from the scholarship of the work of Campbell and others

In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy has been tossed by a tornado into a strange, fantastical land from which she only wants to find her way back home. She is told that to do so, she must “follow the yellow brick road,” capture the Broomstick of the Wicked Witch of the West, and take it to the Great Wizard of Oz who will provide the answer she seeks. She enlists the help of others, those similarly seeking something to which they aspire, and pursues this Journey. While it is beset with all kinds of terrors, she is successful in capturing the Broomstick, only to find that the Wizard is but a sham. In the aftermath of missteps with the Wizard, however, Glinda, the Good Witch, who originally told Dorothy to “follow the yellow brick road,” now tells her that getting home can be as easy as closing her eyes, clicking her ruby red heels, and imagining the journey home. But it was the Journey of the movie that Dorothy had to pursue first, with all its horrors, in order to develop the strength and the consciousness that ultimately allowed her to imagine her way home.

What another wonderful analogy for our own perilous journeys. While this story might seem a bit superficial to those of us suffering from the horrors of the diseases of addiction, it is embedded in our minds and hearts from its constant re-screenings since first produced in 1939. Dorothy trying to get home is a good analogy for all of us looking for and finding a life of sobriety and serenity, a place of peace just in our own hearts. The process to follow the yellow brick road, to face and conquer the demons however horrific, to be careful of the false shamans, and to realize in the end that, as a result of the journey and the conquests, home is just a place of serenity in our own hearts, is a spectacular revelation. For some, like me, the Broomstick of the Wicked Witch can be a symbol of our own Souls, a core element of ourselves which we must retrieve from the demons who stole it from us in another lifetime, in order to find our own “home.”

The idea of “home” being that place in our own hearts where, as a result of our journey of progress, we achieve a soulful life and a psychical joy, is very powerful. Over time, it becomes something we can only accept as being miraculous, the gift of a “power greater than ourselves,” which we have learned to embrace. We are now arriving at a place we might call a “Promised Land.”

Kids Camp at The Council-Summer 2017

Alcoholism and drug addiction in families are hard on children, especially over a long, hot summer. For children ages 7-12, Kids Camp at The Council offers a chance for kids to express feelings, gain support, and learn about recovery.

Kids Camp at The Council is three days of prevention, support, and recovery for children who love someone who drinks too much, abuses drugs, or may have done so in the past.  Through art, games, role-play, and meaningful activities, kids learn to Kids Campidentify and express feelings, develop self-care skills, and deepen communication with their family. Above all, kids learn they are not alone and that other children and families have similar experiences.

Parents, caregivers, and teen siblings join the children for portions of the program, including family education and support. All services are provided in a safe and confidential setting at The Council on Recovery’s campus.

Kids Camp at The Council helps parents and children open lines of communication and heal the hurt in their relationships. By learning about addiction in an age-appropriate way, kids gain valuable insight and understanding. The entire family learns new skills and is given the tools to recover.

It takes great courage to address the struggles and obstacles your family may be experiencing. Now is the time to show your children that family can prevail, healing is possible, and there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Three Kids Camps are scheduled for this Summer 2017 (space is limited, so apply early):

  • June 22-24, 2017
  • July 13-15, 2017
  • August 10-12, 2017

To learn more, read the Kids Camp Brochure, call 281.200.9299 or message us at children@councilonrecovery.org