Surviving Soberly

Good morning. I’m delighted to let you know about the Institute’s newest research-based publication, “A Need to Know: Enhancing Adoption Competence among Mental Health Professionals,” which is being released today. We hope and believe that broad dissemination of this report will lead more and more professionals to receive the education they need, so it’s critically important that it gets into as many hands as possible. Toward that end, please feel free to circulate/forward/publicize it far and wide, post the link on Facebook and other social media, write about it, tweet it, blog about it, use or reference it in print and online newsletters, blast it to your lists and suggest that others (especially affected and targeted individuals and organizations) do all these things, too. FYI, the Institute is embarking on an intensive, sustained effort to distribute it to many people as possible who can benefit from it. Thanks for your help and commitment. Adam. Adam Pertman, Executive Dir

Aug. 14, 2013 Dear McKenna: So now you're going to be a teenager tomorrow. Lots of things have happened this year for you: You made symphonic band, finished babysitting class, progressed with your piano playing, and have accomplished so much academically and personally. I brag about you all the time. I've been thinking about what I want to say in this letter since you're going to be a teenager now while also thinking about what it was like when I was 13. Things have changed a lot since 1979 when I was your age. You've probably never heard of a Walkman. That's how we listened to music on the radio or tapes then if we weren't near a stereo at home. People would jog or walk with The Walkman. I was so excited when I got one for Christmas. All the kids wanted one like you and your friends wanted Ipads. We had all kinds of weird toys from pet rocks, to fake TV dinners, spirographs, fake airports, fire stations, puppets you co

Why is it when you think you're doing good, you're not at all? You're juggling this or that, then someone new comes along with a friendly face and pulls the rug out from under you, only to have you in that place again - that suicidal place where you have to be facing another smiling, clueless face who wouldn't know depression if it bit them in the ass. And all you want to do is run home and pull your face under the covers but you can't because you have an obligation even though that after ten years they've told you you can't come back. Ten years of services. Like a real job even though the longest you held a job was three years. They don't know what a big deal this is for you. And they don't care. So you're suicidal and you go through the paces while choking back tears, despondent, only the student doesn't know it because they don't have that - whatever you're supposed to have to pick up on that. Like the rest of the world

She gained eight lbs. and finished her babysitting class!