Houlton, Maine has been making international headlines lately. And it’s not because of their ideal location for snowmobiling. Recently, a high school student brought attention to the fact that the Fentimans Lemonade he was drinking contained a small amount of alcohol, less than 0.05% according to the label. Fearing he would get in trouble at school (since underage drinking is illegal), he told school administrators. Those school administrators then alerted local police, who turned the issue over to state officials to determine whether or not the lemonade should be sold to minors.

Since then, the Maine attorney general’s office has declared that because of the small amount of alcohol, the lemonade cannot be sold to minors in Maine. The lemonade in question would be considered an “imitation liquor.” Not a surprising conclusion when you consider that in Maine any beverage containing a trace amount of alcohol (think O’Doul’s) can only be sold to adults 21 or older. (Under state law, “imitation liquor” means “any product containing less than one half of 1 percent alcohol by volume which seeks to imitate by appearance, taste and smell liquor or which is designed to carry the impression to the purchaser that the beverage has an alcohol content.”)

End of story, right? Not for Fentimans. Apparently, they think Maine is being a bit prudish. According to Fentimans’ managing director Eldon Robson, “Maine is, of course, where our puritanical forefathers went because Britain was not strict enough, and it has been said that Puritans are people who are always worried that someone, somewhere, might be having fun.”

Bottom line, Fentimans Lemonade is a beverage that contains a small amount of alcohol. Alcohol should not be in the beverages of minors. Period. Saying a small amount of alcohol is okay sends the message that it’s okay to drink alcohol at a young age.

Fentimans own website has an ad on its home page (see above) with a headline that reads “another year on the wagon” with a tagline that touts their “botanically brewed beverages” as the “Original Adult Soft Drink.”

Says Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin, “It wasn’t so much that we were trying to give Fentimans a black eye. We just want to make parents aware it contains alcohol. I’ve never had it; it’s probably very good, but their Web site says it can be used for mixed drinks.”

Seems pretty straight forward to us. What do you think?

Read More
Tiny bit of alcohol brews up a real brouhaha (Portland Press Herald)
Brewed lemonade stirs up controversy (Bangor Daily News)

The following poem was written by Rachael O’Donnell, LCSW, LADC, an outpatient counselor at Crossroads for Women. Rachael provides mental health and substance abuse counseling on an individual and group basis at Crossroads for Women’s outpatient office in Kennebunk and can also be found leading IOP groups in Portland (Maine).

What I Have Learned About Being A Woman

I have learned that other people’s judgments can keep us from doing a great deal of things, including loving ourselves, being who we truly are, and taking chances.

I have learned that regret is a river that runs deep and that forgiving ourselves can be our greatest challenge.

I have learned that a woman’s power is not measured by how loudly she speaks or how confident she appears –
It is measured by how much pain she can endure,
how much disappointment she can take,
and yet still have the capacity to love, to dream, & to hope

I have learned that sometimes just surviving means you are doing the best that you can

I have learned that the thoughts we think and the words we speak have the power to propel us forward or keep us stuck

I have learned that other women can be both our greatest allies & our worst adversaries

I have learned that true beauty is not always something you can see, It is more often a feeling. One that exists in fleeting moments- an expansion of our hearts that pushes the breath right out of us

I have learned that more than anything, we all just want to feel loved and accepted

I have learned that the journey to find safety, when it is something you have never had, can be a long, long road.

I have learned that even the best of intentions can be crushed by the weight of reality and responsibility

I have learned that a good laugh can lift even the lowest of spirits

I have learned that truly listening to another woman who needs to be heard can change her life, even if it is in ways that you cannot see

I have learned that friendships with other women are both necessary and complicated

I have learned that FEELING is something we MUST do ….
If we choose to run from it, the more it takes control and keeps us from getting anywhere at all

I have learned, that all of my other dreams and goals aside, if I have one moment in which I have touched another woman’s soul, where I have helped her feel loved or hopeful or worth something –
Than my life has purpose and meaning… And that is my greatest lesson of all.

~Rachael O’Donnell, LCSW, LADC

technorati tags: inspirational poem, women, Crossroads for Women

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Hazelden, a national nonprofit organization that helps people reclaim their lives from the disease of addiction, recently launched a campaign called “Four Generations Overcoming Addiction.” The campaign was inspired by a national survey, conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for Hazelden, that found parents’ honesty about their own drug and alcohol use when they were young actually made the teens more responsible about their drug and alcohol use.

The survey polled 603 boys and girls aged 15-18 online and 620 parents of teenagers by telephone. Here are some of the key findings:

• Half of teens say it would make them less likely to use drugs if their parents told them about their own drug use when they were younger.
• Two-thirds of teens (67%) say their parents have already told them about their experiences with alcohol and other drugs when they were young – and these teens almost unanimously (95%) said that kind of honesty about drug use is a good thing!
• 74% of teens say they’d turn to their parents as their No. 1 source of advice about the use of alcohol or other drugs, even though 26% have seen their parents drunk or high on alcohol or drugs.
• Teens who are aware of their parents’ experiences with alcohol or other drugs as teenagers are nearly as likely as those who are not to consider their parents to be role models (90% vs. 93%).

Looking at some of the gender differences in the survey, it was interesting to find that:

• Teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to wish their parents would share information about their past alcohol or drug use (74% vs. 61%).
• Parents of a teenage daughter are more likely to say that they had this discussion because their child asked them about their past alcohol or drug use (48% vs. 31%), while parents of a teenage son are more likely to say that they just brought it up on their own without prompting (82% vs. 71%).
• Dads are more likely than moms to have spoken with their teenage child on their own initiative without prompting (82% vs. 70%), while moms are more likely than dads to say they were motivated to have a conversation on this topic because a friend or family member had experienced problems with alcohol or drugs (51% vs. 34%).

Brenda Iliff, clinical director of Hazelden’s Women’s Recovery Center, wasn’t too surprised by the differences that came out. Says Iliff, “Women more wired for communication and connection.” That may explain why the girls bring the subject up more than boys and why mothers relate the conversation to other experiences rather than just bringing the topic up without prompting. Iliff also pointed out the shame that women have when it comes to addiction. The stigma attached to women abusing drugs and alcohol may prevent a mom from simply bringing the topic up, while dads might not think twice about it.

When asked what advice she would give to mothers who are also in recovery regarding talking to their kids about their past use, Iliff suggests starting the conversation when they’re young and keeping the conversation going. “Timing is important,” she stresses. “Share information when it is helpful, not just when you get the urge.” For many, these conversations are a part of their own recovery.

So, what’s the message here? Talk to your kids about your past experiences with drugs and/or alcohol. They look to you as a role model and will appreciate your honesty! And don’t be afraid to bring the subject up with your daughter. If she hasn’t brought it up yet, she might be thinking about it.

Hazelden’s “Four Generations Overcoming Addiction” campaign, which also coincides with Hazelden’s 60th anniversary, features a “Four Generations Overcoming Addiction” website offering free videos and conversation guides about drug use and abuse, addiction treatment and recovery; an online library of podcasts featuring personal accounts from four generations of Hazelden alumni, talking about their experiences with addiction and recovery; and Hazelden’s first-ever Recovery Resources Blog, an online home base for news about addiction and recovery.

technorati tags: Four Generations Overcoming Addiction, Hazelden, Teens, Alcohol, Drugs, Parenting

Crossroads for Women recently wrapped up its participation in the Strengthening Treatment Access and Retention-State Implementation (STAR-SI) Initiative. STAR-SI, funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, was initiated in 9 states, including Maine, over 3 years with the goal of improving access and retention in outpatient (OP) substance abuse treatment. The agencies used the Network for Improving Addiction Treatment (NIATx) Process Improvement model.

The 3-year grant was so successful, the director of the Office of Substance Abuse (OSA) in Maine, Guy Cousins, is recommending the state of Maine continue to use the NIATx model. Here are some of the successes the state of Maine has seen through participation in the STAR-SI grant:

• Wait times for OP substance abuse treatment were reduced by 71% in the first year
• Admissions were increased by 41% in the first year, 10% in the second year and 90% per month in the third year
• 57% of the STAR-SI admissions were completing treatment in the first year
• Retention in services improved by 52% in the second year
• Clients staying in treatment for 28 days or more increased by 27% in the third year

These are all great accomplishments for the state of Maine’s substance abuse treatment providers. Crossroads for Women continues to use the NIATx model as a way to continually improve its access and retention to all of its programs. We have seen tremendous results by making simple changes in the way we provide services to women.

Read more about a few of the changes Crossroads for Women has implemented using the NIATx model:
Positive Incentives Help People Stay in Treatment Longer
Breaking Barriers and Increasing Access to Substance Abuse Treatment for Women

On September 16th, 38 Crossroads for Women clients, alumnae and staff set sail on a 74-foot Maine built windjammer named Frances. This is the 5th year that Maine Sailing Adventures generously hosted the sunset sail on the beautiful waters of Casco Bay.

Each year, the halfway house plans the trip and invites other clients from the agency, staff, former clients and their own family and friends. After the sail, they shared their thoughts on the experience of the sail and what it meant to them.

Most all of the halfway house clients said the trip was relaxing and a great way to connect with other women. Many noted that it was a good example of how to have “sober fun,” something that one woman said she never knew could be possible until coming into treatment.

The sail was also a good bonding experience for everyone who attended. There were opportunities to work together to lift sails up and help the crew. Some of the women in treatment brought their moms on the cruise. While they may still be working on mending relationships, those clients said it was helpful for their mothers to see other women that are going through the same thing they are going through.

Clients were especially grateful to have the chance to spend time with former Crossroads clients. Seeing alumnae gave them hope that they could maintain their sobriety after treatment and lead a healthy lifestyle. They noted that those former clients didn’t have to be there. They were there because they wanted to be there. And they even shared their own experiences with treatment and recovery.

Personal connections are so important for women, which is why part of Crossroads for Women’s treatment philosophy focuses on positive relationships, and a sail like this is much more than just a fun thing to do on a September evening.

Emily Van Strien, LADC, a counselor at Crossroads for Women, worked with clients at Riding to the Top Therapeutic Riding Center in a pilot project that combines substance abuse treatment and therapeutic horseback riding. The project was funded in large part by the PRBB Foundation, along with assistance from the Edward H. Daveis Benevolent Fund and additional underwriting from Riding to the Top to complete the project. Below are Emily’s reflections on the project.

When I was told last winter that I would be the counselor at Crossroads for Women Halfway House participating in a therapeutic horse riding grant that had been secured with Riding to the Top, I wasn’t initially 100% clear as to how the two modalities fit together. I was accustomed to group therapy conducted on couches with regulated climate and white boards. I knew next to nothing about what therapeutic horse riding entailed, its versatility and capacity to touch deep emotional places in people.

What stands out most for me when reflecting back over the eighteen sessions are the metaphors that arose spontaneously, thus evoking unexpected insights into so many areas of our clients’ lives. I remember one morning Duke being particularly nudgy, pushing his way into one woman’s space even after she held up her hands asking him to back off. We laughed, but then used it as a learning moment of what to do when receiving unexpected attention, perhaps at a meeting from a man who doesn’t seem to take a hint.

I remember one particular woman, convinced the horses didn’t like her, describe having a breakthrough of insight into the relationships in her life when she was asked to look at her interactions with the horses from a different angle. She was asked to consider that the horses simply received and reflected back, much like a mirror, that which she put out. She identified her lifelong struggle with low self-esteem and how she often projects her feelings of dislike for herself onto others.

Another time,  we were observing one of the horses nosing around a pile of another horse’s manure. Out of nowhere,  a client pointed to it and said, “That’s how I feel when I’m in the depths of my addictions. Like my face is in s—. That’s how low I stoop.”

During one of my favorite exercises, “Temptation Alley,” the women would struggle to guide the horse through a course laden with hay, grain, carrots and other horse delights. Time and again, each woman would experience the strength of the animal’s pull, very much like the power of her addiction, and experience in her body the necessity to receive help from her community in order to keep the horse on its path.

I loved seeing women overcoming their fears of the large animals and moving from a place of anxiety to comfort. One woman described experiencing the feeling of compassion when being in close physical contact to the horses; she shared how she’d never felt herself let down her guard when loving something before then.

Another powerful moment would come during the lesson about the acquired behavior of cribbing, a compulsive and destructive behavior the horses learn from one another for the purpose of releasing endorphins and easing stress. Michael and Kate, the Riding to the Top facilitators, would gently share their experience of rehabilitating traumatized horses who “have their buttons and ways of dealing” just like humans. Seeing themselves in the horses again, several clients eluded to feeling less judgmental for being an addicted and/or traumatized woman. During those moments in the arena, something eased up for a while.

When the experience at Riding to the Top came to a close, I was struck with how many opportunities I had as a facilitator to observe our clients’ leadership skills, her creativity, her ability to take direction, maintain boundaries, handle frustration without giving up, identify and then interrupt her self-defeating thinking and behavior, to trust her instincts and be present in the moment.  Participating in the weekly sessions at Riding to the Top was more than just a chance for the clients and myself to get out of the house and off the couches. It was a fresh way into the heart. As a facilitator, I was left with the knowing that it doesn’t matter if it’s a group room or a horse arena, growth and healing can occur anywhere and anytime and it does.

~ Emily Van Strien, LADC

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month. To celebrate, here are some inspirational quotes taken from RealMentalHealth.com.

Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.
- Thomas Edison

September is National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month, and people all around the country are celebrating with a variety of community-centered events. This year’s theme is “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Learn, Together We Heal.” Here are some events happening  here in Maine:

2nd Annual Bangor Area Summit on Addiction Recovery (9/10/09)
Bangor Civic Center, Bangor
8:30am -  4:00pm
The goal of the summit is to engage the community in a meaningful dialogue regarding current issues of addiction and recovery in our community, discuss strategies to enhance opportunities for recovery and the community’s role in supporting recovery, and to provide direct community input and direction for further development of the Bangor Area Recovering Community Coalition. Registration is $25/person (scholarships available). Get more info

Uniting Maine Recovery Communities: We are not alone! (9/19/09)
China Lake Conference Center, China
9:00am – 4:00pm
This recovery leadership retreat sponsored by Maine Alliance for Addiction Recovery (MAAR) will offer workshops to strengthen recovery community cohesiveness and leadership. Workshops will include Recovery & Deep Ecology, The Language of Recovery Advocacy and Families in Recovery. Get more info

Recovery & Wellness Resource Fair (9/23/09)
Wayside Soup Kitchen, Portland
2:00pm – 4:00pm
The Overdose Prevention Project’s annual event serves to reach out to community members accessing services at Preble Street Resource Center. Over 20 area service providers, including Crossroads for Women, will be able to make face-to-face contact with consumers while sharing resources and materials. Free food, fun and prizes! Get more info

Search for more Recovery Month events around the country on RecoveryMonth.gov!

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technorati tags: National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, Maine, events

Last week, startling statistics were released about women and driving under the influence (DUI). According to the report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 28.8% more women were arrested for DUI in 2007 than a decade earlier. In contrast, men’s DUI arrest rates went down 7.5% during the same period. Read more about the report

Here in Maine, it’s nice to see the Portland Press Herald is taking notice of America’s growing issues with women and drinking. A little over a week after publishing a Maine Voices article from Crossroads for Women responding to the Diane Schuler tragedy, editor and publisher Richard L. Connor wrote a column about the need for better understanding of women and drinking to prevent further tragedies behind the wheel. The link below is from today’s Monday Opinion.

Drunken driving by women requires new tactics | Portland Press Herald

Polly Haight Frawley, Crossroads for Women’s chief of operations, wrote an article for the Portland Press Herald’s Maine Voices editorial section in response to a quote in a past article about the Diane Schuler tragedy. As the title suggests, it addresses the differences between men and women when it comes to addiction. It was published on August 15, 2009. Click on the link below to read the article.

Women’s problems with addiction different from men’s | Portland Press Herald

Or, read it on Crossroads for Women’s website.