September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month

Recovery Month effort aims to promote the societal benefits of alcohol and drug use disorder treatment, laud the contributions of treatment providers and promote the message that recovery from alcohol and drug use disorders in all its forms is possible.

National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
Office of the Director, Consumer Affairs
1 Choke Cherry Road, 2nd Floor
Rockville, MD 20857
(800) 729-6686
(240) 276-2750
(240) 276-1630 Fax
info@samhsa.gov
www.recoverymonth.gov
Materials available
Contact: Consumer Affairs

Cognitive Impairment Identified in 1 in 5 Seniors

Meaningful cognitive impairment afflicts 1 in 5 Seniors reports Joan Arehart-Treichel in Psychiatric News.

American, Canadian and European researchers have estimated that between 17% and 27% present evidence of measurable cognitive impairment without dementia.

The Healing Project has strongly advocated better diagnostic procedures be utilized in meeting the needs of the elderly. Dementia is often misdiagnosed or is failed to be diagnosed. If you or a loved one feels that they are not thinking clearly make sure to see an experienced psychiatrist, gerontologist or neurologist to make a diagnosis.



Common causes of cognitive deficits without dementia include alcohol abuse, depression, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.

Given the common nature of this disorder, one should realize in many cases it is reversible. First and foremost as we age we all become somewhat less sharp; don’t be alarmed. In some cases, the decline may be treatable and/or reversible. On the other hand, exercise, better nutrition, lowering cholesterol, and managing blood pressure can only have beneficial effects on one’s mind.

The Healing Project highly recommends the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s Practical Guide to Achieving and Maintaining Cognitive Vitality with Aging. It is cogent and useful. It was authored by Dr. Howard Fillet one our nation’s leading dementia researchers and clinicians.

The Healing Project is please to Annouce the Release of Voices of Alcoholism

New Anthology “Voices of Alcoholism” Gives Voice to Silent Disease
-- Alcoholism Knows No Boundaries… Impacting All Races, Sexes and Ages--

Approximately 14 million Americans meet the diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse or alcoholism and more than half of American adults have a close family member who has or has had alcoholism, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Twenty-five percent of children (under the age of 18) are exposed to alcohol abuse or alcohol dependence in the family. However, the social stigma associated with this nation-wide epidemic often prevents victims and their families from seeking help or speaking out. Voices of Alcoholism: The Healing Companion: Stories for Courage, Comfort and Strength is an opportunity to bring recognition to this disease and honoring all of those who have survived it.

Author Donna Veneto, a college senior and author of “Daddy Hyde” in Voices of Alcoholism captures this sentiment, “The Secret was ours to keep and hide from the world. I was terrified that my friends would learn that my father had a drinking problem. (Little did I know that they, and the entire neighborhood, knew as much).”

Alcoholism Knows No Boundaries
· Children who parents abuse alcohol or drugs are three times more likely to be verbally, physically or sexually abused.
- I Really Am Special is a woman’s childhood account of life with her alcoholic father and the physical, mental and sexual abuse she suffered at his hands.

· The highest growing number of alcoholics is among 75 year old widowers, according to the American Medical Association.
- Two Mothers demonstrates how retirement ended the line for one woman’s mother; who only drank at night.
--more--Although drinking by persons under the age of 21 is illegal, people aged 12-20 years drink almost 20 percent of all alcohol consumed in the U.S.
- A Mother’s Journal chronicles one woman’s vigilance and helplessness as she watches her son’s downward spiral from innocent experimentation, to arrest and rehab.

The publication of this anthology includes more than 40 stories of parents, spouses, children and loved ones impacted by alcoholism. These tales of courage, strength and compassion offer insight into the challenges of facing addiction, as well as the shame and isolation experienced by victims of alcoholism.

LaChance Publishing is donating 100% of profits to LaChance’s other entrepreneurial venture The Healing Project (http://www.thehealingproject.org/), a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and support of those living with life-threatening and chronic illnesses. LaChance is also a Senior Vice-President at The Corcoran Group, a major real estate company in New York City.

Voices of Alcoholism and all of the "Voices Of" books are available at bookstores everywhere and online at The Healing Project website http://www.thehealingproject.org/.

April is Alcoholism Awareness Month

Alcoholism directly afflicts more than 20MM people in the United States. It is the most common type of substance abuse and almost certainly touches someone in your life.

Alcoholism Awareness Month

SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information
P.O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD 20015
(800) 729-6686
(877) 787-8432 Spanish (240) 221-4017
(240) 221-4292 (Fax)
NCADI-info@samhsa.hhs.gov
ncadi.samhsa.gov

The Healing Project is releasing Voices of Alcoholism on April 1st. It is an anthology of stories of people touched by Alcoholism.








Voices of Alcoholism can be purchased at Amazon, now.

The Healing Projects Invites Caregivers, Patients, Professionals and Family Members to Join Its Social Network

New Social Networking Website Connects Patients and Caregivers

The Healing Project is launching today Voices Who Care, an innovative social networking website for individuals dealing with life-threatening or chronic illnesses. This website is designed to connect the patient and caregiver communities by providing individuals with a forum where they can meet online.

Key features of the website include:
* Person-to-person search by disease category
* Individual pages including bios, blogs, photo galleries
* Email capabilities
* Community bulletin boards

As the site grows, additional functionality will be added to expand the utility of the site.

Please join its free. Sections and resources have been developed for ALCOHOLISM, ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE, AUTISM, BREAST CANCER, CANCER, CEREBRAL PALSY, DIABETES, DOWN SYNDROME, EPILEPSY, FRAGILEX, LEUKEMIA, LUNG CANCER, LYMPHOMA, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, PARKINSON'S DISEASE, SENIOR SERVICES AND AGING ISSUES, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, VETERANS SERVICES

It is Free and tailored to your needs.

The Healing Project is Pleased to Announce the Offering of Two New Free Publications

The Healing Project is pleased to release two new free publications available for downloading. The first publication, Breast Cancer: What Every Woman Should Know, is authored by Stephanie F. Bernik, MD, FACS, and the second, A Look to the Future of Alcoholism Treatment, is authored by Ron L. Alterman, MD. These publications join our initial free offering, Lung Cancer: What the Patient and Family Need to Know, written by Reed Phillips, M.D.

These free guides and publications represent an ongoing effort to better educate our community about treatment options, working with the medical system and the latest advances in medicine. We look forward to making available additional publications throughout the year.

About the Authors:

Stephanie F. Bernik, MD, FACS


Stephanie F. Bernik, MD, FACS, is Chief of Breast Surgery for the comprehensive breast program at St. Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York City. A board certified surgeon specializing in breast diseases, Dr. Bernik has developed a specialty in treating women under 40 diagnosed with the disease.

A 1993 graduate of Yale University School of Medicine, she completed her internship and residency at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in New York City. She was awarded fellowships at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in breast surgery and St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in surgical oncology. Dr. Bernik also received two research fellowships from Yale University School of Medicine in 1990 and 1992. She received her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Columbia University in 1989.

In 2005 she was honored with the 2005 Top Doctor Award by the research firm Castle Connelly. In 2004, she received Columbia University's John Jay Award for Professional Achievement and in 2001, Columbia University's Alumna Achievement Award. Dr. Bernik is the author of numerous medical journal articles published in, among others, The Breast Journal, Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Annals of Surgical Oncology and The American Surgeon. She is a principal investigator for breast disease research at St. Vincent's Hospital and has presented her research at symposia across the country, most recently at the American Society of Breast Surgeons 2006 annual meeting and the American Society of Breast Disease 2006 annual symposium.

Dr. Ron L. Alterman


Dr. Ron L. Alterman is the Director of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He has held academic positions at New York University School of Medicine (1995-1997), University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine (1997-1998), and Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1998-2004) where he was Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and a director of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery at Beth Israel Medical Center. Board certified in neurological surgery, Dr. Alterman is well known for his work on deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease, torsion dystonia, and tremor. His clinical interests include image-guided surgery for brain tumors and benign spine disease.



Dr. Reed Phillips

Dr. Reed Phillips is board certified in internal medicine, oncology and hospice and palliative care medicine. He is affiliated with the North Shore University Hospital in New York and he is an instructor in pain management and hospice and palliative care at Winthrop University Hospital and the State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook, New York.

April 5th is National Alcoholism Screening Day

For more information or to locate a participating facility near you click:

National Alcohol Screening Day is April 5th. Find a local site offering free, anonymous screenings.

For more information for additional Mental Health Screening click:

Screening for Mental Health, Inc.
National Depression Screening Day
One Washington Street, Suite 304
Wellesley Hills, MA 02481
Phone: (781) 239-0071
Fax: (781) 431-7447
Email: smhinfo@mentalhealthscreening.org

Screening for Mental Health Inc. (SMH) is the non-profit organization that first introduced the concept of large-scale mental health screenings with its flagship program National Depression Screening Day in 1991. SMH programs now include both in-person and online programs for depression, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, alcohol problems, and suicide prevention.