As we begin another new year, TV shows, magazines, newspapers and the Web are filled with ideas for creating a new you, keeping resolutions, making changes inside and out. They shout at you with promises of 10 easy steps or five quick tips.

For those in recovery, every day is New Year’s Day – another chance to start fresh, to make positive choices and to claim victory over substance abuse or alcohol addiction. Anyone working a program knows change isn’t a one-time thing, it’s a daily process. There are no shortcuts and no quick fixes. A healthy, substance-free life is hard work. But the rewards are oh-so worth it.

That said, the New Year does provide a unique opportunity to take stock. It’s a good time to examine patterns and routines that could use some tweaking or set new goals that can take you to the next level.

You overcame your addiction, facing it head on. Now what healthy, new challenges do you want to tackle in 2012?

Addiction Help at La Paloma

If you or someone you love needs help with alcohol or drug abuse issues, call La Paloma at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

A princess may seem like an unlikely proponent for drug treatment, but Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, has included an organization that helps those struggling with addiction in the short list of charities she plans to champion in the service of her country.

In a first step toward carving out a public role for herself separate from her husband, Prince William, the newly minted royal announced Thursday the UK charities she has chosen to support as patron. The list includes the Art Room, a group that provides art therapy to children, the National Portrait Gallery, East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, the Scout Association, and Action on Addiction, which runs a network of addiction treatment centers across England.

The latter is a potentially controversial choice, but the hope is that her patronage can help remove the stigma from addiction in the way Princess Diana’s support for people diagnosed with HIV and AIDS changed public opinion about that disease.

“It’s not an easy subject for some people — but I think this sort of patronage will change that,” said Nick Barton, chief executive of Action on Addiction.

The charity helps those with addiction issues as well as providing support for families of addicts, training for professionals, and backing for research.

Addiction Help at La Paloma

If you or someone you love needs help with alcohol or drug addiction, call La Paloma at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about addiction treatment, financing or insurance.

Three years after the South Carolina plane crash that killed four and critically injured Travis Barker and DJ AM, Barker is speaking out about the positive changes that resulted from the horrific accident.

The heavily tattooed, hard-rocking musician told Rolling Stone he’s been vegan since leaving the hospital where he was treated for severe burns suffered in the crash. He also makes exercise more of a priority. But the most important change was probably weaning himself off the prescription medication he was dependent on before the accident.

“In the hospital, I promised myself that I ever walked again, that I would eat well and swim every day. Before the plane crash, I was battling a painkiller addiction. For years,” he says. “I can proudly say I didn’t even take any pain medication after I got out of the hospital. They told me I’d be on some of the medicine for the rest of my life, but I got off all of them. They made me a completely different person.”

Barker, 35, admitted one other change that resulted from the crash. He no longer flies, limiting his touring opportunities. It’s something he hopes to eventually overcome, though.

Prescription Drug Addiction

If you or someone you love is in need of prescription addiction treatment or help with other substance abuse issues, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Even after a successful period of recovery, an addiction past can haunt you in weird ways. When Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler recently suffered a painful fall in a hotel bathroom in Paraguay, he found he had some explaining to do – even more than the average celeb.

The 63-year-old American Idol judge took to NBC’s Today show to set the record straight. According to Tyler, he wasn’t battling a relapse, he was battling food poisoning and began to feel nauseous in the shower. “I started to get sick, and I just fell on my face,” he said. “I just passed out.”

After the fall, Tyler’s tour manager called the American Embassy and found the best hospital in the area. There they stitched up his eye, repaired a tooth and did what Tyler termed “a little plastic surgery.”

Tyler past drug and alcohol problems are legendary in the rock world and beyond, so it wasn’t surprising when some began questioning whether the fall wasn’t related to the singer actually falling off the wagon.

“I get that people think that,” Tyler said, in response to questions about a relapse. “It still bothers me a little, but it’s something that I have to have to deal with for the rest of my life.”

By not getting defensive, and instead answering questions openly and honestly, Tyler followed the recovery rulebook perfectly, proving he’s truly in a good place. As further proof, Aerosmith’s show in Paraguay was postponed by only a day, despite Tyler’s injuries, and the tour has continued without incident.

Addiction Treatment

If you or someone you love is in need of help with alcohol addiction or drug addiction, call La Paloma at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

It’s National Recovery Month, a time to shine a light on the problem of addiction and celebrate the heroes who are winning their battle with substance abuse every day. Unfortunately, unlike cancer or heart disease, substance abuse must overcome a perception problem that has many viewing it as a character flaw rather than a disease. When it comes to addiction, there’s the erroneous thinking that the sufferer’s behavior alone is to blame, that addiction is a matter of choice. For those who heroically fight every day to stay sober, they know that couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s similar to the problem faced when AIDS first came to light. Many Americans felt detached from a disease that seemed highly concentrated in the gay community and even laid some blame on those who were sick. As time went on and AIDS’ reach was felt everywhere, support grew. Today, education campaigns have done their job and AIDS is battled aggressively and sufferers are treated compassionately. Those fighting the disease of addiction are simply hoping for that same kind of support and understanding.

Many entertainment programs and websites are only too happy to post unflattering mug shots or photos and speculate about a celebrity’s addiction issues. There is much less reporting about substance abuse success stories. Fortunately, National Recovery Month 2011 aims to change that. This year’s theme — Prevention Works, Treatment Is Effective, People Recover — takes a hopeful approach by showcasing all we have to celebrate.

At the top of that list is the reality that treatment has come a long way in recent years, with experts gaining a better understanding of how addiction works and the relationship between substance abuse and mental health issues. Studies estimate that more than half of all addicts also suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder like bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder. When treated together in a “dual diagnosis” model, treatment success rates increase greatly. We are also seeing the social stigma around addiction and mental health disorder decrease as education increases.

Drug Treatment

If you or someone you love is in need of drug treatment, alcohol treatment or other help, call La Paloma at the toll-free number on our homepage. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

According to the Office of Drug Control Policy’s 2006-2007 National Survey on Drug Use, approximately nine percent of Tennessee citizens 12 or older reported using an illicit drug in the past month. That means 444,000 Tennesseans are using drugs in a given month. La Paloma didn’t need stats to tell us that drug addiction is a problem here in our home state.

Addiction is an ongoing problem in Tennessee, but it is also a dangerous issue nationwide. Nearly 22 million people in the U.S. (and roughly 200 million worldwide) struggle with addiction, but the issue is still very misunderstood. The idea of offering community-wide support to those affected by the disease and celebrating people successfully living in recovery is just beginning to catch on.

It’s an idea that’s long overdue, though. Sit down and talk to someone who has felt the impact of addiction – you won’t have to look far to find them — and they’ll tell you how it wreaks havoc on families, relationships, careers and health. It’s an equal opportunity offender. That’s why it’s important for the public to understand, embrace and encourage people who in the throes of addiction and those who emerge on the other side. The cost is too high for all of us if we don’t.

Fortunately, September has been designated National Recovery Month, promoted by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to bring attention to this growing problem that affects more than 1 in 14 Americans.

The National Institute On Drug Abuse estimates the total overall cost of substance abuse in the United States — including lost productivity and health- and crime-related costs — exceeds $600 billion annually. Add to that the often-related issues of family disintegration, loss of employment, failure in school, domestic violence and child abuse, and only then can you get a feel for the true scope of the problem.

Drug Addiction Treatment

Visit www.recoverymonth.gov for more information on National Recovery Month and to find events near you. If you or someone you love is in need of drug addiction treatment or other help, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

President Obama recently granted eight pardons for convictions ranging from the distribution of illegal drugs to stealing satellite cable and the prohibited sale of alligator hides. How does someone convicted of distributing illegal drugs get cleared by the Commander In Chief? That’s just what we were wondering. Unfortunately, the White House offered no elaboration on President Obama’s second round of pardons since taking office.

Here’s what we do know:

Randy Eugene Dyer of Burien, Wash., was convicted of conspiracy to import marijuana (hashish) (21 U.S.C. § 963) and conspiracy to remove baggage from the custody and control of the US Customs Service and convey false information concerning an attempt to damage a civil aircraft (18 U.S.C. § 371). He was sentenced June 19, 1975 in the Western District of Washington to five years in prison and two years of special parole, but his special parole term was subsequently vacated. His was the oldest case pardoned in this latest round.

Meanwhile, Allen Edward Peratt, Sr. of Sioux Falls, SD, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine (21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846). He was subsequently sentenced on July 23, 1990 to 30 months in prison and five years of supervised release. He was also pardoned.

Christine Marie Rossiter of Lincoln, Neb., also received a presidential pardon. She was convicted of conspiracy to distribute less than 50 kilos of marijuana (21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846) and sentenced in 1992 to three years of probation, conditioned on the performance of 500 hours of community service.

Drug Treatment

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction or co-occurring disorder, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

“If you think going out in front of high-def cameras and millions of people I’m not high on adrenaline, you’re crazy … I’m stoned when that curtain drops,” adds Tyler, 63, whose been sober for a year and a half. “I just don’t snort the curtain dropping. I don’t snort J. Lo either, though I do breathe her in.”

It’s odd, off-the-wall comments like that which have people tuning in to hear what he’ll say next. It’s also made him popular water cooler talk the next day and endeared him to untold numbers of Idol fans.

For those left wanting more after each episode of Idol airs, they can tune into Tyler’s new memoir, Does the Noise in My Head Bother You? In it, the hard-rocking star talks about his crazy life and his gratitude for overcoming several health issues that could have taken him down.

“Left up to my own devices,” says the singer, “I probably would have been dead several times over.”

Addiction Treatment

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction or co-occurring disorder, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Once you’ve completed treatment, your journey of recovery is only beginning. In the protected environment of drug and alcohol rehab, it’s easy to avoid triggers and to avoid the people who would threaten your sobriety. Once you’re back in your everyday life, it will take a more proactive plan to avoid friends and acquaintances who are still using.

Avoiding Places & People To Avoid Relapse

It’s important to surround yourself with family and friends who support you and can help you if they see you starting to slip. At the same time, it’s just as important to avoid friends and acquaintances that don’t support your long-term recovery. Anyone who is not completely in favor of your journey away from drugs is someone who puts you in at risk of returning to drugs.

In addition to avoiding people who put you in the path of temptation, you want to avoid places that are dangerous to your sobriety as well. Don’t go to locations where you think you might be tempted to use. Also, avoid circumstances that may take you back emotionally to a place when you were addicted. When it’s not possible to completely avoid a situation, plan ahead. Let a supportive friend or mentor know what you are facing and stay connected. If you need to take yourself out of a situation, get out immediately and touch base with someone safe who is championing your sobriety.

Everyone Falls

Even with the best planning, you may still falter. If you do make a mistake, it’s important to forgive yourself and move on. If you beat yourself up for one slip, it will become easy to use that as an excuse to return to a life of addiction. As you continue on your journey of recovery, it will become easier to maneuver your way through the barriers to long-term sobriety and feel more confident.

Addiction Treatment

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction or co-occurring disorder, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.

Everyone who gets caught up in addiction is a whole person with talents and gifts and unique traits. Despite your recovery status, you don’t need to be defined by your addiction. You are so much more! In addition, letting your addiction define you is unnecessary and can be a barrier to your long-term recovery.

Changing Your Future

You can’t control how others perceive you, but you can control how you view yourself. You have the choice each day to be someone who can’t get beyond the past or someone who is focusing on the future – drug free. Your attitude makes a big difference in how you live out your life of recovery.

Doing this requires support from others who’ve been there. You didn’t make it through treatment alone, and that support is still needed as you make your way though your life of recovery. Support groups can also offer advice on new healthy hobbies or activities to fill the space left by your addiction. Exercise, music, classes or volunteering can all offer fulfillment and take your mind off the tremendous changes you’ve been through and any anxiety about what the future will hold.

Boredom can be dangerous to recovery, but you also want to make sure you don’t try to do too much too soon. Rely on your support group or aftercare experts to help you determine what you’re ready to take on. Making smart decisions and taking appropriate steps at the right time will lead to lasting recovery.

Substance Abuse Treatment

If you or someone you love is battling an addiction or co-occurring disorder, call La Paloma at our toll-free number. Someone is there to take your call 24 hours a day and answer any questions you have about treatment, financing or insurance.