April:May 2015 Living Large

By KEVIN MCLAUGHLIN
Director of Recovery Allies of West MI
Who is “The
Recovery Community”?
Part of my job is to organize the “recovery”
community. How can we organize the commu-
nity if we don’t know who they truly are. Those
who suffer consequences due to a substance
addiction do not all look alike, nor are the paths
they take to become free of that addiction all the
same. The more I learn about recovery and the
people in it, the more I learn that the paths out
of addiction are varied.
I think many of us make an assumption that
in general the recovery community is made up
of people that have messed up their lives really
badly. They have legal issues, medical issues
and money issues. There is a certain image that
comes to mind when we hear the word alcoholic
or drug addict.
Unfortunately, this negative image is not
only true coming from the general population
(those who don’t have negative consequences
due to use) but some of those in active recovery
as well. If those of us in recovery have a mis-
guided notion of what we look like, how can we
expect those that don’t look like that to change?
And how can we reach those that don’t fit that
description?
In an effort to help as many people as pos-
sible, we need to change the distorted image we
have of those with addiction. . This message is
for those in recovery, for those that simply chose
not to drink or use drugs, for those struggling in
active addiction, and for those who treat people
for addiction.
Let’s look at the clinical categories for people
with addiction. The categories are separated into
three groups: mild, moderate and severe. I think
that the general population and the treatment
industry think of ALL people with addiction as
being in the last category of severe. This is due to
the fact that by the time this person surfaces for
help , they are in the later stages of addiction.
Before we go on about the two categories of
mild to moderate we need to talk about the three
different ways people identify themselves who
are no longer using.
Recovery Identity
It is important to know that for 5 to 10%
of the drinking population (regardless of their
socio-economic status),
addiction is a normal
side effect of continued
use of a drug.
Remembering that,
lets look at three kinds
of recovery identity or
association to recovery.
First is called
recovery neutral. This
person says simply “I
don’t drink”. They never
connected to the recovery
community and never had a
need to. They had problems
of some sort and just stopped.
Typically these people don’t
have any trouble saying they
“had a few problems” which
is why they quit. If asked
how long they have been in
recovery they may say, “what
do you mean?” Labeling it and
counting the days is
not a part of quitting for them.
Next is the recovery
negative identity. For this person it is a bad or
shameful thing to be associated with the recov-
ery community. This person doesn’t tell anyone
they have a history. They fear judgment and stig-
matization. For many it’s for good reason. The
employer may change their attitude about an
otherwise stellar employee, which may result in
a missed promotion or a change in position. But
for most, experiences like those aren’t necessary
for the feelings of shame to exist.
The last group is the recovery positive
group. The person in this group is proud of the
achievement of such a monumental change in
themselves. They have no problem sharing their
story especially in the hopes of helping someone
else.
Now that we understand how people may
think of themselves in relation to no longer
using substances, we can look at the mild and
moderate groups. The mild to moderate group
identifies typically with the recovery neutral
group and very often is made up of kids.
The group is also made up of young profes-
sionals, stay at home moms and dad’s and lastly
retired people. I propose that we develop a
different language to get this group’s attention.
If they only have a few consequences it is more
likely they will fall into the “recovery neutral”
group. If we suggest a lifetime of abstinence we
usually lose them. If we say that recovery is a
journey and will require a ton of work for a long
time we could lose them. If we say they have
to change everything especially friends we lose
them. So why not change our approach?! We
could start by listening to the individual and
actually believe them when they say “I don’t
think I’m an alcoholic”. They may not be. But
Recovery
ALLIES
ADVOCATE • CELEBRATE • EDUCATE
recoveryallies.us
Kevin McLaughlin, Executive Director
Recovery Community Organization (RCO)
Phone: 616-262-8531• Email: kevin@recoveryallies.us
J U S T A L I T T L E M O R E
CHANGE REQUIRED
See CHANGE page 3
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
• Pathways to Recovery
• Recovery Residence List
• Felony Friendly
Employers List
• Upcoming Training & Events
• “Not-God” Excerpt
• Rat Park Experiment
• From the Sober Kitchen &
Sober Entertainment
For past issues of Living Large, email us at kevin@recoveryallies.us
and we will send you an electronic copy.
What is a RCO?
Recovery Community Organization
Recovery Allies is a grass roots organization that is for the
people, by the people. We are considered a “peer run
organization” and have 501 c3 nonprofit status. We are
funded by individuals and families affected by addiction,
by private philanthropy and grants issued by the state for
peer run organizations as well as various other organiza-
tions that want to see change. We are one of over 95 in the
nation at this time and have taken many cues from those
that have been doing it for a long time. We Advocate, Cel-
ebrate and Educate (ACE). The national RCO Faces and
Voices of Recovery have this on their web site: “Recovery
community organizations (RCOs) are the heart and soul of
the recovery movement. In the last ten years, RCOs have
proliferated throughout the US. They are demonstrating
leadership in their towns, cities and states as well as on
the national landscape. They have become major hubs
for recovery-focused policy advocacy activities, carrying
out recovery-focused community education and outreach
programs, and becoming players in systems change initia-
tives. Many are also providing peer-based recovery sup-
port services. RCOs share a recovery vision, authenticity of
voice and are independent, serving as a bridge between
diverse communities of recovery, the addiction treatment
community, governmental agencies, the criminal justice
system, the larger network of health and human services
providers and systems and the broader recovery support
resources of the extended community.”
Living LargeAPRIL/MAY 2015DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING PEOPLE IN RECOVERY
A PUBLICATION OF RECOVERY ALLIES OF WEST MICHIGAN
For 5 to 10% of the drinking
population, regardless of
their socio-economic status,
addiction is a normal side effect
of continued use of a drug.

APRIL/MAY 2015 n Living Large2
RECOVERY RESIDENCES
RECOVERY RESIDENCES
UNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY
HEALTH FIRST STEP HOUSE –
WOMAN’S HOME
Contact: Rose Simmons
Phone: 616-452-3226 Ext. 3037
MailingAddress: 904 SheldonAve. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49507
E-mail: rsimmons@umchousegr.org
Website: umchousegr.org
HomeAddress: 922 SheldonAve. SE
HOUSE OF BLESSINGS –
WOMAN’S HOME
Contact: Shellie Cole-Mickens
Phone: Update soon!
Address: 938 Humbolt Street Southeast
918 Hall Street Southeast
NEXT PHASE – WOMAN’S HOME
Contact: Freddy Martin
Phone: 616.450.0686
Address: 368 SenoraAve Southeast
SACRED BEGINNINGS –
WOMAN’S HOMES
Contact: Leslie Borrego
Phone: 616-890-8278
E-mail: leslieborrego@gmail.com
HomeAddress: 1165 Hermitage SE
1366 Elliott SE Grand Rapids, MI 49507
Website: www.sbtp.org
STEP FORWARD RECOVERY HOMES
Address: GrandvilleArea
Contact: Jo Ringnalda
Phone: 616-662-0881
THE COMFORT HOME
Address: South East Grand Rapids area
Contact: Ron and Laurie DeBose
Phone: 616-459-1930
MY SISTER’S HOUSE
(WOMEN IN RECOVERY)
Address:761 Bridge Street NW
Phone: 616-235-0223
RECOVERY ROAD LLC –
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S HOMES
Contact: Shelly Demull
Website: recoveryroadllc.com
HomeAddress: 961Alpine NW
3036 Perry SW
Wyoming, MI 49519
HOPE HOUSE – MEN’S HOME
Contact: Matt Matlock
Phone: 616-915-4664
or 616-246-6369
MailingAddress: 1036Alexander SE
NEXT PHASE RECOVERY –
MEN’S HOME
Contact: Freddy Martin
Phone: 616-450-0686
Address: 1145Alexander SE
RECOVERY ROAD CHARITIES –
TWO HOUSES FOR MEN
Address:Alpine and Kentwood locations
Phone: 616-915-0594
FAITH CHARITY RECOVERY CENTER –
COUPLES HOME
Address: 2219 HortonAve SE
Contact: Dan or ZoeAnn
Phone: 616-247-4744 or 616-808-5106
BUILDING MEN FOR LIFE
Address: Ottawa County
Contact: JeffVantrees
Phone: 616-393-2188
TOUCHSTONE RECOVERY
Address: 138Travis St SE
Contact: Kevin O’Hare
Phone: 616-558-4958, Cell: 734-309-3091
THE LODGE
Address: 1079 DahilaAve.,Wayland MI
6-bed Men’s Recovery Home with live-in
recovery coach.
Contact: Katherine O’Hare
Phone: 616-558-4958
PINE REST JELLEMA HOUSE
Contact: Derrick Jackson
Phone: 616-222-6861
MailingAddress: 523 Lyon Street
GRAND RECOVERY
Address: PO Box 1060, Grand Rapids, MI
Contact: Sanford Cummings
Phone: 616-516-6537
WHAT IS RECOVERY? FIVE CLASSES OF RECOVERING INDIVIDUALS
By Recovery Research Institute
This article was published in the Recovery
Research Institute’s March newsletter (http://www.
recoveryanswers.org to subscribe). The article and
studysupportstheideathatweneedtoopenourselvesup
to who recovers and how. It is a little biased…however
they recognize the bias in the “For Scientist” bullet point.
That indicates the shift in recognizing that who we
are asking to take these surveys are usually people “in
recovery” and even more important, have a twelve step
background. We are starting to be able to reach people
that otherwise would not even bother to respond to
“recovery survey” simply by recognizing that they exist.
Recovery, as defined by the Betty Ford
Institute Consensus Panel, refers to “a voluntarily
maintained lifestyle characterized by sobriety,
personal health, and citizenship.” However, there
are many paths to recovery and ways in which it is
conceptualized. Some may define it as a reduction
in drug and alcohol use so as to not disrupt
daily functioning while others may not identify
as being in recovery at all despite long-term
abstinence following a past issue with substance
misuse. Understanding these different recovery
dimensions from the perspectives of those with
first-hand experience can inform national and
international recovery agendas and policies.
Witbrodt and colleagues used data from the
“What is Recovery?” project, an internet based
survey of 9341 people who identify as being
in recovery, having recovered, in medication-
assisted recovery (e.g., taking methadone), or
having had a problem with alcohol or drugs
(but no longer do), to determine how definitions
of recovery distinguish the very people they
refer to. The survey asked individuals to rate
39 elements of recovery as they pertain to their
personal definition of recovery with the following
scale: 1) definitely belongs in your definition of
recovery, 2) somewhat belongs in your definition
of recovery, 3) does not belong in your definition
of recovery, but may belong in other people’s
definition of recovery 4) does not really belong
in a definition of recovery. The recovery elements
were then grouped into conceptual domains—
abstinence, spirituality, essentials of recovery,
enriched recovery, and uncommon elements—for
the purpose of the analysis. Elements that were
rated as a 1 (definitely belongs) or a 2 (somewhat
belongs) were considered to be personally
endorsed by participants. The authors derived
five classes of participants from the survey data:
12-step traditionalist, 12-step enthusiast, Secular,
Self-reliant, and Atypical. The sample (n = 9341)
was over half female, and about three quarters of
participants were over age 35. Alcohol was the
primary problem substance. Three-quarters self-
identified as “in recovery”, and most participants
were in their self-defined status of recovery for
over 5 years.
12-step traditionalists (n = 4912) comprised
the majority of the sample and were the most
abstinence-oriented group with the greatest
percentages of participants indicating abstinence
elements belonged in their recovery definition
(see figure 1). Over 90% of participants in this
class were currently abstinent from both alcohol
and drugs. Eighty-five percent of participants
had attended over 90 12-step meetings. This
class strongly endorsed spirituality elements.
For example, 93% would definitely include
“open-minded about spirituality” and 91% would
definitely include “feeling connected to a spiritual
force” in their definitions of recovery. The strong
endorsement of abstinence and spiritual elements
mirrors the beliefs of the 12-steps of Alcoholics
Anonymous. This class strongly endorsed all 15
essential elements of recovery (e.g., “dealing with
mistakes” and “taking care of my mental health”)
and all 10 enriched recovery elements (e.g.,
“improved self-esteem” and “learning how to get
support I need”) with at least 90% of participants
selecting “definitely belongs” for all elements in
these domains. Over 80% identified as being “in
recovery” (see figure 2).
12-step enthusiasts (n = 2014) were
similar to the 12-step traditionalists with strong
endorsement of abstinence elements (see figure
1 above). A lower percentage of participants
reported abstinence from both drugs and alcohol
(85% for 12-step enthusiasts vs. 91% for 12-step
traditionalists) and the proportion attending
over 90 12-step meetings was slightly lower for
this class (80% for 12-step enthusiasts vs. 85%
12-step for traditionalists). The endorsement
of spirituality elements was more moderate as
compared to 12-step traditionalists with higher
percentages selecting “somewhat belongs”. This
class personally endorsed all essential elements,
but to a lesser degree (i.e., fewer “definitely
belongs” and more “somewhat belongs”) than
the 12-step traditionalists. 12-step enthusiasts
strongly supported four enriched elements
(“process of growth and development, “reacting
in a more balanced way”, “taking responsibility”,
and “living a life that contributes”) with over 90%
selecting “definitely belongs”. Over three quarters
identified as being “in recovery” (see figure 2).
Secular class members (n = 980) reported
lower endorsement of abstinence elements
as compared to 12-step traditionalists and
enthusiasts (see figure 1). Less than two thirds
were abstinent from both alcohol and drugs;
about a quarter still consumed alcohol. This class
reported less participation in 12-step meetings
with only 38% attending over 90 meetings.
Endorsement of spirituality elements was
relatively low with more responses of “may belong
in other’s definition” and “does not belong” than
seen with the previous two classes. This class
personally endorsed one unusual element—
“recovery is physical and mental in nature and has
nothing to do with spirituality or religion”—with
over three quarters selecting “definitely belongs”
or “somewhat belongs”. Secular members
personally endorsed a majority of the essential
elements though to a lesser degree than 12-step
traditionalists and enthusiasts. Over 90% strongly
endorsed half of the enriched elements, including
the same four endorsed by 12-step enthusiasts.
This class was characterized by younger age and
shorter duration of recovery status as compared
to the other five groups. Sixty percent identified
as being “in recovery” while 20% selected “used to
have a problem” (see figure 2).
Self-reliant class members (n = 1040)
were supportive of the abstinence elements.
Over three quarters reported abstinence from
both alcohol and drugs. This group had a higher
proportion that attended more than 90 lifetime
12-step meetings than the secular group (65% vs.
38%). This group generally endorsed spirituality
definitions, but about a quarter selected “may
belong in others’ definition” for a majority of
these elements. Self-reliant members had low
endorsement of essential elements compared
to the previous groups. Support for enriched
recovery elements was also lower than seen in
the previous groups. This class was labeled “self-
reliant” due to low endorsement of the following:
“learning how to get support”, “helping other”,
“giving back”, “being able to have relationships”,
and “having non-using friends”. About two thirds
identified as being “in recovery” (see figure 2).
Atypical class members (n = 382) had mixed
support for abstinence elements with the lowest
percentages of the overall study population
selecting “definitely belongs” (see figure 1). About
two thirds reported abstinence from alcohol and
drugs and one quarter still consumed alcohol.
Support for spirituality elements was mixed. Over
60% reported that “religious in nature” does not
belong in their definition of recovery. Support for
essential and enriched elements of recovery was
not strong overall. Only half identified as being
“in recovery” (see figure 2). This group had the
highest reported rate of natural recovery (>10%).
In Context
There are approximately 25 million
individuals in remission from substance use
disorders in the United States alone. Although
remission is conceptualized as having met—but
no longer meeting—DSM criteria for substance
use disorder, this may be conceptually distinct
from recovery. However, it appears that few
individuals consider themselves as being in
Recovery Status by Class (Figure 2)
Abstinence elements indicated as “definitely belongs” in
recovery definition (Figure 1)

Living Large n APRIL/MAY 2015 3
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recovery who are not in remission from SUD. This study provided
an important framework for distinguishing between different
profilesofrecoveringindividualsthroughthecreationoffiveclasses.
As treatment programs and methodologies change over time, so
may definitions of recovery. For example, 12-step traditionalists,
the largest class in the study, represents an older generation that
focuses on following the 12-steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
As non-12-step mutual-help groups (e.g., SMART Recovery)
become more accessible, recovering individuals may be more
likely categorized in the secular group, which in this sample, was
generally younger and had fewer years in recovery. On the opposite
end of the spectrum, the atypical class constituted the smallest
proportion of the sample and had the lowest endorsement for
most elements, which points to a group of individuals that is hard
to target but who may still be in need of supportive services. While
the emergence of different recovery profiles in this study cannot be
linked to changes in the addiction and recovery field over time, the
findings of this study provide a means for grouping individuals in
recovery. With this greater understanding of what recovery means
to certain individuals, continuing care and supportive services
might be tailored towards specific audiences. Future studies may
look at replicating this methodology with survey data from other
populations to see if participants cluster into similar classes. Since
59% of the study population reported alcohol only as their primary
substance of choice, it is important to investigate definitions of
recovery in populations using primarily other drugs.
Bottom Line
• For individuals seeking recovery: It may be important
to think about your own definition of recovery so you can seek
services that align with your preferences.
• For family members: Treatment services work differently
fordifferentpeople.Ifyourfamilymemberinrecoveryhasstruggled
to attend mutual-help meetings or outpatient appointments in the
past, a different mode of treatment may better suit their personal
needs and improve results. Recovery elements endorsed by a large
proportion of participants in all classes included “being able to enjoy
life” and “taking responsibility”. Focusing on common elements
such as these can help give you sense of what to encourage.
• For scientists: The recovery classes derived from this study
may be specific to this survey population. In order to generalize
these classes to the U.S. population, replication of this study
with a representative sample of individuals in recovery would be
necessary. For example, a substantial majority of individuals were
over 35 years old, though the modal patient in SUD treatment is
29 or younger. After better establishing recovery definitions for a
broader population, future studies and programs can incorporate
these ideas.
• For policy makers: Understanding the variety of recovery
experiences and definitions is particularly important with recent
promotion of recovery as “a formal area of focus” by the Office of
National Drug Control Policy. This is essential for the expansion of
community-based strategies for long-term recovery support.
For treatment professionals and treatment systems: Understanding
your patients’ definition of recovery may help when targeting the
right services for them. In contrast, there are elements of treatment
that still might need to be offered irrespective of how a patient
defines their recovery.
Source - Witbrodt, J., Kaskutas, L. A., & Grella, C. E. (2015). How do recovery
definitions distinguish recovering individuals? Five Typologies. Drug and
Alcohol Dependence.
The following is the obituary of one of the most influential people in the field of recovery and
addiction treatment Ernest Kurtz. Many of you may have read the book “The Spirituality Of
Imperfection” or “Not-God” that he wrote. His contributions were many and he will be missed.
There is a video interview of him done by Bill White on williamwhitepapers.com that is very
worthy of your time if you are interested in learning more about him and his life.
Kurtz, Ernest 9/9/1935 - 1/19/2015 Age 79, died Monday January 19 of pancreatic cancer at his
home in Ann Arbor, MI.. He was the author of Not-God: A History of Alcoholics Anonymous
(1979), The Spirituality of Imperfection (1992) and Experiencing Spirituality (2014) with Katherine
Ketcham, Shame and Guilt: Characteristics of the Dependency Cycle (1981), 90 Meetings in 90
Days (1984), A.A.: The Story (1988), and The Collected Ernie Kurtz (1999), as well as a multitude
of monographs and articles on the intellectual significance of A.A., recovery, and spirituality. His
collected papers are available at http://www.williamwhitepapers.com/ernie_kurtz/. Ernest Kurtz
was born in Rochester, NY, the son of Edward and Josephine Kurzejewski. He entered St. Bernard’s
Seminary and College where he earned a BA in philosophy and then entered the priesthood in 1961
and served as a priest in Our Lady of Good Counsel parish in Rochester, New York from 1961 to
1966. He entered Harvard University in 1966, where he earned Ph.D. in the History of American
Civilization in 1978. He is survived by his wife of thirty-four years, Linda Farris Kurtz of Ann Arbor,
and his sister, Mary Ann Kurtz Allen of Concord, MA. Not God was originally a Harvard doctoral
dissertation completed in 1978 and then published as a book by Hazelden in Center City, MN. The
book has been read by scores of recovering people and their families as well as researchers and
scholars over the years and is still in print. His research in the A.A. Archives was unprecedented
and informed much of the A.A. story he told, but in addition, Kurtz’ analysis of the source of A.A.’s
ideas, the origins of the “big book,” its development in the Great Depression directed attention to
the fellowship’s historical significance in the larger context of American history. Kurtz’ analysis of
A.A.’s spirituality helped many members appreciate A.A.’s understanding of a higher power and the
Twelve Steps and to see how they differed from formal religion. Kurtz left the priesthood in the late
1970s and took his first post-Ph.D. teaching position at the University of Georgia in 1979. He taught
for many years at the Rutgers University Summer Schools on Alcohol Studies and at the School of
Social Service Administration Summer Institutes. He taught briefly at Loyola University of Chicago
before becoming Director of Research and Education at Guest House in Lake Orion, Michigan.
He later moved to Ann Arbor where he consulted at the Center for Self-help Research and with
researchers in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. He will be remembered
for his lectures and workshop presentations throughout the United States and the rest of the world,
and later for his mentorship to many new scholars in the field and for his contributions to the AA
History Lovers webgroup. His work continued up until four days before his death. A memorial
service is scheduled for April 22, 2015 1 PM at Dawn Farm on Stoney Creek Road in Ypsilanti.
Donations in his honor can go to Dawn Farm at dawnfarm.org/donate-now/
then again they might.
I also find that by sharing my path (ie my early reluc-
tance to be labeled or join the recovery community,) the
ground is laid for further discussion. My experience has been
that the more I learn about them and adapt my language to
fit their situation, the more engaged in change these people
become.
Another fascinating thing I’m finding is that many
people are “coming forward” and sharing that this is exactly
their experience with addiction. Some have failed treatment
yet ultimately reached a place of overall well being without
“joining” a recovery program. One reason they typically don’t
talk about this within recovery communities is that their
experience is often challenged, discredited, or discounted.
When coaching a person, seeking wellness and recovery,
I absolutely love the response a person, usually young, gives
when they hear these
words: “you may not be an alcoholic”, or “you don’t need to
attend a support group to get well,” or “you don’t have to
identify with the recovery community or call yourself any-
thing other than human.” It is as if a heavy weight is lifted off
their shoulders.
For those unfamiliar with the history of treatment,
labeling is a necessary thing used to establish a system of
being able to pay for treatment. To treat someone we need a
diagnosis and the ability to measure the effectiveness. Labels
serve a purpose for that goal; let’s use them just for that. I
think we should be allowed to define ourselves.
We at Recovery Allies have had to open ourselves up to
some new and different ideas and facts and then take the
next steps and make a sincere effort at changing such things
as our language and assumptions of what the recovery com-
munity looks like. The result so far is people who don’t fit the
image of an alcoholic or drug addict are coming to us and
talking. They are doing so because they have a desire to help
those that may identify with their story. After saying all this,
the funny thing is, it seems like people that don’t identify or
relate to those in the recovery community look an awful lot
like someone who does……
CHANGEcontinued from cover
Ernest Kurtz with Bill White
Ernest Kurtz(1935-2015)

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BELTLINE BAR
16 28th St. Se
BUFFALO WILD WINGS GRILL
AND BAR
2035 28th St. Se
2121 CelebrationsAve
Bob Evans
3766 Potomac Cr. Grandville
CARLOS O’KELLY MEXICAN
CAFÉ
4977 28th Street
CHECKERS RESTAURANT
1131 Michigan NE
TGI FRIDAYS
3345 28th St. Se
LITTLE CAESAR’S
RESTAURANTS
NEW BEGINNINGS
RESTAURANT’S
KENTUCKY FRIED CHICKEN
28th Street
MONGOLIAN BBQ
2619 28th Street
CHILI’S BAR GRILL
River town Crossings Mall
E3 BISTRO
3075 28th Street SW
FIRE MOUNTAIN
3725Alpine NW
BIG BOY RESTAURANTS
MOVING COMPANIES
FORT KNOX STORAGE AND
MOVING INC.
1514 JeffersonAve SE
BIG BROTHER
3470 Roger B. Chaffe
Grand Rapids, MI
TWO MEN AND A TRUCK
912 47th St
Grand Rapids, MI
STATUS DELIVERY
4156 Danvers Court SE
ALLIED VAN LINES
Contact: Philo Frost
STORES
ADMIRAL TOBACCO
2333 44th St. SE
Kentwood, MI 49512
MC SPORTS
3070 Shaffer SE
Kentwood, MI 49512
EASTSIDE TATTOOS
1409 Robinson Rd. SE
THE HOME DEPOT
257 54th ST
Wyoming, MI 49548
ADDITIONAL EMPLOYERS
Ace Hardware
Applebee’s
AT&T
Alstate
Bed bath and beyond
BuffaloWildWings
Chili’s
Chipotle
Dairy Queen
Denny’s
DollarTree
Dunkin’ Donuts
Embassy Suites
Family Dollar
General Electric
Golden Coral
Hilton Hotels
IHOP
Jimmy Johns
KFC
Kohl’s
McDonalds
Meijer
Men’sWarehouse
Olive Garden
Pet Smart
Radisson
Red Lobster
Red Robin
SalvationArmy
U-Haul
For more employers visit exoffenders.net
TRAIL MIX
2 cups roasted soybeans
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
1 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1 cup dried banana chips
½ cup honey-roasted peanuts
½ mini dark chocolate chips
SoIwaswatchingamoviestarringMatthew
McConaughey. He’s got that pearly white smile,
that blond hair and a body of a Greek god. So
that was the moment.
I decided right then and there that if I
never exercised I would never look like that. I
remembered what happened to the frog who
decided to jump off the log. Nothing. All he did
was decide.
So I paused the movie, got up off the couch,
did one push up and one sit up, sat back down
and started the movie. Even though I was kind
of being funny (it is indeed a true story) I felt
immediately like a “part of”, like a member of
the group of people that actually do exercise.
It was a good lesson. It taught me that a little
at a time does it. It taught me that the act of
“doing” meant as much to me as the outcome
did I eventually got up to three rounds of one
and could actually see a little resemblance.
You might say that delusions of grandeur
were what motivated me at that time. Now I am
okay with who I am and don’t hold myself to
unrealistic goals – like trying to look like a man
that’s ten years younger, blond and a foot taller
than me.
I eat better and exercise now because I
understand something about the relationship
my physical body has with the quality of my
sobriety.
In early recovery, experiencing cravings are
common in most people. Some of us had our
bell rung so loud that it’s almost like the craving
was knocked out of us for a little while. If that’s
the case, try to avoid using candy or cupcakes to
pat your self on the back.
It could come back and bite you in the
you-know-what. And that you-know-what will
be even bigger, making for an easier target!
If, however, you are having powerful cravings,
specifically those caused by drug use, they can
be tamed by candy or chocolate. At that point,
anything is better than using again.
The Big Book of Alcoholics says something
totheeffectof: “towardoffthoseearlycravings,
have a little piece of hard candy – it will bring
a pleasant sensation to the mind”. True.
I’d like to take the liberty and add the word
‘temporarily’.
One reason we feel good when we eat sugary
foods is because the sugar affects the same part
of the brain as does alcohol and drugs. We can
get a similar feeling although maybe not so
intense.
The feeling we get from eating a warm
brownie covered with vanilla ice cream topped
with hot fudge is wonderful. It just so happens
that we find great comfort in food – sweet,
salty, crispy, melty food. But mostly sweet. The
unfortunate truth is that there are potential
undesirable side effects to that approach.
So we eat that candy to feel a little better.
We eat some more because it works.
Things aren’t getting better fast enough in
our lives, so we eat some more. It feels good.
We haven’t started feeling the results of our
sometimes difficult recovery work yet so we still
feel the weight of the world on our shoulders.
It’s only natural that we desire to feel better. So
we reach for more.
Then we feel a little guilt. A little weight
gain is the first thing we notice. No problem;
we’ll deal with that later. A lack of energy occurs
but we don’t necessarily make the connection.
After all, we’ve eaten poorly for a while now and
gotten by…
We experience rapids mood changes but
we figure (and very well have been told) that it’s
due to our detoxing and part of the withdrawal
process. We also have become very irritable.
Again we assume this is part of coming back to
reality.
Lets take a little closer look at it. If I gain a
little weight and don’t lose it like I think I will, I
need new clothes. If I have financial problems,
I can’t go out and get new clothes.
But I still need some so I go to a second
hand store, find a little something that doesn’t
fit so well and my self-esteem goes down just
a little more. I already feel bad about myself,
but now I feel worse. I think to myself – “boy,
recovery is great!” I need to lose weight and I
know from my past experience just how to do
it…For many using drugs one more time to lose
weight is a logical thought process.
Besides weight gain, eating sugar and junk
foods have three major side effects. When we
have a spike in blood sugar, in rushes the glut
of insulin, which eats up the extra and then
the needed sugar. That’s called a sugar crash.
During a crash we have no energy. After a crash
we feel even worse.
Grumpy is what I was called during this
phase. I went from feeling bad, so I ate, to great
because I ate, to grumpy because I ate. The
peaks are pretty high and the valleys are very
low. Discouragement leads to hopelessness.
When I’m hopeless I’m much more likely to go
back to the old ways.
Another fact is that our bodies are usually
undernourished. We have received a large
percentage of our caloric needs from alcohol
(drug users may have experienced no appetite
which leads to eating whatever it is we can force
down – like ramen noodles or Doritos – usually
not something very nutritious).
Our bodies need our attention. We need
a daily multi-vitamin, a balanced diet made
up of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, a proper
amount of fiber, low fat protein, and some light
exercise. And remember a little change at a
time is OKAY!
We tend to work on our mental health and
our spiritual health but completely and totally
forget about our physical health.
If you want to stay sober and actually enjoy
recovery, listen to your body and get it what it
needs!!
So when you feel that sugar craving, one
great alternative to that cupcake is homemade
trail mix.
So let me get this straight – I can minimize
my chance of relapse and drastically improve
my life in early recovery just by trying to look
like some famous actor?!
Here’s a recipe I found in a book called, The
Sober Kitchen written by Liz Scott. It’s loaded
with protein, fiber, magnesium, potassium, and
vitamin E. It’s a little sweet, a little salty, a little
crunchy.
From the Sober Kitchen:
So I was watching a movie...
The Sober Chef
If your company hires us folks... please let us know
and we will add you to the list!

UPCOMING TRAINING & EVENTS
RECOVERY COACH TRAINING
June 1st - 5th, 2015 • 8:30am to 4:00pm
282 Leonard NW, Grand Rapids MI 49504-4274
SUNDAY
Midnight Courage Good Start
8:00am Fellowship Week-Enders - C
NOON Freedom Celia Street - C
NOON Fellowship Celia Street
12:30pm Unity Women’sWay - C
5:30pm Fellowship FifthTradition
6:45pm Fellowship Big Book Study
MONDAY
6:30am Fellowship Early Risers - C
4:00pm Fellowship Search for Serenity - C
7:00pm Fellowship Young People
8:00pm Fellowship Celia ST - C
TUESDAY
8:00am Unity Primary Purpose
WEDNESDAY
7:00pm Unity Women’s Stag - C
THURSDAY
8:00am Unity Primary Purpose
FRIDAY
7:00pm Unity Young People
8:00pm Courage 12 & 12 Forward - C
8:00pm Fellowship Men’s Stag - C
SATURDAY
8:00am Fellowship Week-Enders - C
10:00am Unity Celia Street
10:00am Freedom Ladies Stag
6:45pm Auditorium Speaker’s Meeting
SOUTH ALANO CLUB MEETINGS
CLOSED MEETINGS – C.
GR.ALANOCLUB.ORG
SUNDAY
9:30 am Balcony Sunday Morning Group
9:30 am 1 ExpectA Miracle - C
9:30 am 2 Al-Anon SunA.M.
9:30 am 3 Breakfast Group - C
n No Noon Meeting On Sundays
2:00 pm A Sunday Serenity Group
5:30 pm Balcony Friendship Group
8:00 pm Balcony Young People’sAA
8:00 pm A Sun Night Men’s Stag - C
8:00 pm B Sun Night Beginners Group
8:00 pm 2 Sunday NightAl-Anon
8:00 pm 5 AA 12 & 12
MONDAY
9:00 am A Eye Opener Group
9:00 am 2 Al-Anon StepTo Serenity
9:00 am 1 Breathe Easy
Noon Balcony Noon Balcony Group
Noon A AA Lunch Group - C
Noon 1 Surrender Group
Noon 3 No First Drink
Noon B NA–Keep Coming Back
Noon 4 Noon Promises Group
Noon 5 Keep On GrowingWomens Stag
Noon * AA in the Country
5:30 pm 1 Friendship Group - C
5:30 pm A Unwinder’s Group
5:30 pm B Free Pizza Group
8:00 pm Balcony Life Club
8:00 pm 3 NA OpenTo Change
TUESDAY
9:00 am A Eyeopener Group
Noon B AA Beginners Group - C
Noon A AA Group -Issues &Tissues
Noon 2 Al-Anon
4:00 pm Balcony FoodAddicts
5:30 pm A Unwinder’s Group
6:00 pm 3 WomensWay Thru Steps
8:00 pm 2 Al-AnonTues Step Mtg
8:00 pm 3 24 Hours Group
WEDNESDAY
9:00 am 2 CourageTo Change (Al-Anon)
Noon A Men’s Stag Lunch Group - C
Noon 2 Al-Anon
Noon B NA-Keep Coming Back
5:30 pm Balcony Friendship Group - C
6:00 pm 2 Al-Anon
8:00 pm 3 Barefoot Group
8:00 pm B Bond Street (Men’s Stag) - C
8:00 pm B Bond Street Group - C
8:00 pm A Women’s Big Book Study
8:00 pm 1 Men’s Stag - Exp Str, Hope
8:00 pm 2 Al-Anon Wed Men’s Stag
THURSDAY
Noon 2 Al-Anon
5:30 pm Balcony Friendship Group - C
n Club Closes At 7:00 pm
FRIDAY
9:00 am 1 Breathe Easy Group
9:00 am 2 Stepping Stones (Al-Anon)
Noon 2 Al-Anon
Noon B NA-Keep Coming Back
Noon 5 Big Book Study
7:00 pm Balcony KCCO Speakers Meeting
8:00 pm 1 Men’s Stag- Honesty Group
8:00 pm A Fri NightAA (Mixed)
8:00 pm 2 Fri Night OpenAl-Anon
SATURDAY
8:00 am Balcony FoodAddicts
9:00 am 1 Breathe Easy Group
9:00 am 3 JohnWayne - Men’s Stag - C
Noon A Heavy Smokers
Noon 1 Saturday Surrender Group
Noon Balcony Men’s Stag
Noon 2 Al-Anon Sat Sunshine
Noon 3 Sat Noon Men’s Stag
n Club Closes At 2:00 pm
NORTH ALANO CLUB MEETINGS NON-SMOKING FACILITY. CLOSED MEETINGS – C. 1020 COLLEGE NE, GRAND RAPIDS – *
GR.ALANOCLUB.ORG
AboutThisTraining:
RecoveryAlliesofWestMichiganishostingtheRCAfive-daytrainingopportunity.Thetrainingisdesignedtoprepare
participantsforemploymentasaRecoveryCoachaswellasinformthosethatwanttoattendthatmaynotbeseeking
employmentasone. Thetrainingwillprovideparticipantswithanin-depthandcomprehensivetrainingexperience
focusedonthedevelopmentoftheskillsrequiredforapersontoresponsiblyprovidetheservicesofaRecoveryCoach. The
trainingwillprovideparticipantstoolsandresourcesusefulinprovidingrecoverysupportservicesandwillemphasizeskills
neededtolinkpeopleinrecoverytoneededsupportswithinthecommunity.Thecostofthistrainingis$400.00andworth
32MCBAPhours.Lunchisincluded.
Who Should Attend:
TheRCAisopentoindividualswhohaveaninterestinprovidingsupport,mentorship,andguidancetopersonswith
substanceusedisordersandco-occurringmentalhealthdisorders. IndividualswhoareinterestedintheRCAmustbe
approvedforparticipationbytheiremployer,acoordinatingagencyorendorsedbysomeoneinthecommunitythatcan
speakasareference. RCAparticipantsshouldthemselvesbeindividualsinstablerecovery,asitisimportanttothose
servedthattheircoachhaveapersonalunderstandingofaddictionandrecovery.
Emailregistrationtogavina@recoveryallies.usandcall616-262-8531topaybyphonewithcreditcard.
• LearningObjectivesfortheRecoveryCoachAcademy:
• DescribetherolesandfunctionsofaRecoveryCoach
• Listthecomponents,corevaluesandguidingprinciples
ofrecovery
• Buildskillstoenhancerelationships
• Discussco-occurringdisordersandmedicated-assisted
recovery
• Describestagesofchangeandtheirapplications
• Addressethicalissues
• Experiencewellnessplanning
• Practicenewly-acquiredskills
CALEDONIA ALANO CLUB 204 E MAIN ST • CALEDONIA
SUNDAY
9:00am
7:00pm
MONDAY
7:00pm -
Women Only
7:00pm -
Men Only
TUESDAY
6:30am
NOON
7:00pm
WEDNESDAY
7:00pm
THURSDAY
6:30am
NOON
7:00pm
FRIDAY
7:00pm
SATURDAY
10:30am
7:00pm
AA IN THE COUNTRY
GROUP MEETS MODAYS, WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS AT NOON
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH
9669 KRAFT AVE SE • CALEDONIA

Sober Entertainment:Books,
Movies & TV Shows to Check Out
Books:
Slaying the Dragon: Bill White
The Art of Happiness: Dali Lama
The Spirituality of Imperfection: Earnest Kurtz
The Book Of Alcoholics Anonymous
The Road Less Traveled: M. Scott Peck
My Stroke of Insight: Jill Bolt Taylor
Secret of the Ages: Robert Caulier
Think and Grow Rich: Napoleon Hill
Boundaries: Townsend and Cloud
The Brain Mechanic: Spencer Lord
The Success Principles: Chicken Soup Dude
Proof of Heaven: Eben Alexander
Brain Wars – Mario Beauregard
Adult Children of Alcoholics: Dr. Janet G. Woititz
Facing Codependence: Pia Melody
The Intimacy Factor: Pia Melody
Facing Love Addiction: Pia Melody
Getting the Love You Want: Harville Hendrix
And Anything Written By…
Anne Lamott
Martin Luther King Jr
Bill Wilson
Bill White
Movies & TV Shows:
The Anonymous People
Elementary on CBS
Saving Mr Banks
Running From Crazy
Lindsy
All About Ann
28 Days
Paying it Forward
My Name Is Bill W
The Days Of Wine And Roses
When A Man Loves A Woman
Drunks
When Love Is Not Enough – The Lois Wilson Story
The Basketball Diaries
Clean And Sober
The Lost Weekend
Letter from the President & CEO
Justin Luke Riley
President & CEO
Dear Friends,
Youth in recovery deserve a voice,YPR is that voice.
First and foremost, I want to thank all of our dedicatedYPR chapter leaders, for without each of them we
would not be where we are today. Our leaders and members demonstrate the power of the following state-
ment: People in recovery deserve a voice,YPR is that voice.
Our chapters have stepped up with deep conviction, bravery, and determination.They show that people in
recovery are valuable, that they matter and that they deserve a voice.YPR is that voice, that beacon of hope.
Because of you, recovery advocacy is now in 35 different communities and shining brighter every day.
Youth in recovery deserve a voice,YPR is that voice.
Many of us know how marginalized
and stigmatized people in or seeking
recovery are, particularly young
people. Often, people in recovery are
not given the opportunity to share
their recovery stories publicly. For this
reason,YPR is setting out on a mis-
sion to make sure that sharing your
success or showing that you support
young people in recovery is simpler
than ever before; because spreading
hope about young people in recovery shouldn’t be complicated.
Showing that you are proud to be in recovery or that you support youth in recovery should be as easy as 1, 2, 3.
Here’s how we are going to do it:
1. Become aYPR Supporter:This will allow you as an individual to say,“Yes, I support the recovery movement.
I do believe that youth in recovery deserve a voice. I am that voice.”Whether you’re the proud parent of some-
one in recovery, you are in recovery yourself, have a family member or friend who is alive today because of
recovery; or you simply want to show your support for this movement,YPR has a role for you. Please stay tuned
for more information about the benefits and activities of our new Supporter program coming soon!
2. Become aYPR Chapter Member: For individuals who have more time for in-person meetings and face-to-
face involvement, join aYPR chapter near you to become a recovery advocate. Find a local chapter by clicking
here (youngpeopleinrecovery.org). Individuals of all ages are welcome, whether you are a young person in
recovery or simply wish to do more to support young people in recovery in your community.
3. Start aYPR Chapter: Make sure your community has all the resources it needs to help young people in recov-
ery by starting a new chapter in your area.YPR National will provide you with all the materials you need and
will support and assist you every step of the way. If you are a young person in recovery or know a young person
in recovery who would like to start a chapter, go to youngpeopleinrecovery.org/start-a-ypr-chapter/.
We want to improve the experience of being aYPR chapter leader, member and supporter by making it less
time-consuming, more convenient and more fun by equipping you with more easily accessible resources that
better serve you and your community.To achieve this, we will be communicating with you on a more regular
basis, in the form of monthly e-blasts like this one, as well as expanding our current communication channels
on social media like Facebook,Twitter and our epic, newYouTube channel.We also plan to offer more virtual
platforms for live connections and trainings, like utilizing Google Hangouts and launchingYPR Connect 2.0
with even more materials that you have requested.
We have also added two full-time positions to theYPR National staff to make sure we have the capacity to
serve our supporters, members and chapter leads even better. Furthermore, we have welcomed a number of
new Board members to our leadership team.They bring valuable talents, experience and expertise toYPR.We
are very grateful for their time and generosity in Board service.
YPR is made possible because of you, because you believe that youth in recovery deserve a voice and thatYPR
is that voice.We look forward to working with you!
Most sincerely,
Justin Luke Riley
President & CEO

Saturday, May 2, 2015
12:30 pm until Midnight
Event Location: North Alano Club, 1020 College NE, Grand Rapids MI
Dinner: $25 ticket includes registration (available at KCCO office)
Registration only: $12 (at Roundup only)
Main Speaker, ‘Deacon’ Pete C from Belleville, MI
AA Movies by District 7 Catered Dinner Buffet
District 7 & Area 34 Archives Sobriety Countdown
Jail Sale Raffle
ARM – Assoc Recovering Motorcyclists District 7 Literature
Al-Anon Speaker, Aaron C Al-Anon Activity Room
Make Your Own Sundae Bar MCYPAA Room
Alkathon Room AA History
T-Shirt Sales District 7 Special Needs
SPONSORED BY YOUR KENT COUNTY CENTRAL OFFICE
866/852.4001
pinerest.org/addiction-services
Recovery is Possible
Pine Rest offers a full continuum of addiction services. With
one call, we can guide you through the process of inquiry,
assessment and admission to the most appropriate level of
care. We will assist you with understanding your insurance
benefit or what other sources of funding might be available,
and we’ll qualify you or your loved one for treatment.
Our commitment is to treat you and your family with a
welcoming heart, provide compassion and understanding in
time of need and offer hope for recovery through excellent
care.
• Individual Outpatient Therapy at 14 licensed locations
• Intensive Outpatient Therapy (IOP) in Grand Rapids and
Kalamazoo
• Outpatient Opioid Detoxification
• Residential Detoxification
• Residential Addiction Services
• Short-Term Residential Services
• Transitional Recovery Housing
• Integrated Substance Use/Psychiatric Inpatient Services
• Partial Hospitalization Program
• Relapse Prevention Groups
• Intervention and Family Services
Pass It On… An Evening with Bill W. & Dr. Bob transports you to the late 1940’s as if you are
at an old time recovery meeting with the beloved co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous
as the keynote speakers. They tell their stories, share their experience, strength and hope,
dramatize key events such as their legendary drinking sprees and the extraordinary night
they met in Akron Ohio in 1935. Bill W. and Dr. Bob regale the audience with fascinating
and hilarious yarns about the early history of A.A. including writing and publishing the Big
Book of Alcoholics Anonymous, creating the 12 Steps and how they overcame tremendous
obstacles as they struggled to develop their new program of recovery and pass it on to
others who were still suffering. This unique celebration of sobriety delivers the message of
hope, help and the miracle of recovery serving as the centerpiece for The National Recovery
Education Campaign. Pass It On was created to raise awareness about the solution to Amer-
ica’s Number One Public Health Issue the disease of Alcoholism and Addiction. Pass It On
An Evening with Bill W. & Dr. Bob has created excitement among audiences and recovery
communities in dozens of cities across the United States and Canada. This dynamic two man
show features nationally acclaimed professional actors Gary Kimble and John Schile.
Saturday, May 2 2015
Noon until Midnight
North Alano Club - 1020 College NE, Grand Rapids
$25 Ticket - Includes Registration & Dinner (available at KCCO office)
$12 - Registration Only (at Roundup only)
Main Speaker - ‘Deacon’ Pete C from Belleville MI
AA Movies by District 7 Catered Dinner Buffet
District 7 & Area 34 Archives Sobriety Countdown
Jail Sale Raffle
ARM - Assoc Recovering Motorcyclists District 7 Literature
Al-Anon Speaker, Aaron C MCYPAA Room
Alkathon Room AA History
T-Shirt Sales District 7 Special Needs
SPONSORED BY YOUR KENT COUNTY CENTRAL OFFICE
Coming to
West MI
this spring!

Rat Park was a study into drug addiction conduct-
ed in the late 1970s (and published in 1980) by Canadi-
an psychologist Bruce K. Alexander and his colleagues
at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.
Alexander’s hypothesis was that drugs do not
cause addiction, and that the apparent addiction to
opiate drugs commonly observed in laboratory rats
exposed to it is attributable to their living conditions,
and not to any addictive property of the drug itself.
He told the Canadian Senate in 2001 that prior exper-
iments in which laboratory rats were kept isolated in
cramped metal cages, tethered to a self-injection ap-
paratus, show only that “severely distressed animals,
like severely distressed people, will relieve their dis-
tress pharmacologically if they can.”
To test his hypothesis, Alexander built Rat Park, an
8.8 m2 (95 sq ft) housing colony, 200 times the floor
area of a standard laboratory cage. There were 16–20
rats of both sexes in residence, an abundance of food,
balls and wheels for play, and enough space for mat-
ing and raising litters. The results of the experiment
appeared to support his hypothesis. Rats who had
been forced to consume morphine hydrochloride for
57 consecutive days were brought to Rat Park and giv-
en a choice between plain tap water and water laced
with morphine. For the most part, they chose the plain
water. “Nothing that we tried,” Alexander wrote, “...
produced anything that looked like addiction in rats
that were housed in a reasonably normal environ-
ment.” Control groups of rats isolated in small cages
consumed much more morphine in this and several
subsequent experiments.
The two major science journals, Science and Na-
ture, rejected Alexander, Coambs, and Hadaway’s first
paper, which appeared instead in Psychopharmacol-
ogy, a respectable but much smaller journal in 1978.
The paper’s publication initially attracted no response.
Within a few years, Simon Fraser University withdrew
Rat Park’s funding.
The Disease Model of
Drug Addiction
The disease model explains addiction with refer-
ence to the action of drugs on the reward pathways in
the limbic system. Researchers say that opiates cause
changes in the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway
that produce feelings of pleasure.
It is not disputed that some substances cause
withdrawal symptoms after repeated use, leaving the
user in distress if they stop using. Where scientists
differ is over the extent to which certain substances
can be said to rob the user of self control, causing
not only withdrawal— but a drug addiction, defined
as “a behavioral pattern of drug use, characterized
by overwhelming involvement with the use of a drug
(compulsive use), the securing of its supply, and a
high tendency to relapse after withdrawal.”
In the 19th century, drug addiction was regarded
as a sign of akrasia, immorality, or weakness of the
will. However 20th century brain research replaced
this moral model with a disease model of addiction,
according to which addiction to a drug is a by-product
of the chemical structure of the drug itself. Accord-
ing to social psychologist Stanton Peele, the disease
model states that “Tolerance, withdrawal, and crav-
ing are thought to be properties of particular drugs,
and sufficient use of these substances is believed to
give the organism no choice but to behave in these
stereotypical ways.” This view of drug addiction is
reflected in the policies of the War on Drugs and in
slogans such as “Heroin is so good. Don’t even try it
once,” or “Crack cocaine is instantly addictive.”
Scientists adhering to the disease model be-
lieve that behavior is “the business of the brain,”
according to Avram Goldstein, Professor Emeritus of
Pharmacology at Stanford University, and a leading
researcher into drug addiction.[8] Goldstein writes
that the site of action of heroin and all other addictive
drugs is a bundle of neurons deep in the brain called
the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway, a reward
pathway that mediates feelings of wanting and moti-
vation. Within this pathway, heroin causes dopamine
neurons to release dopamine, a neurotransmitter that
determines incentive salience and causes the user to
want more. Dopamine neurons are normally held in
check by inhibitory neurons, but heroin shuts these
down, allowing the dopamine neurons to become
overstimulated. The brain responds with feelings of
euphoria, but the stimulation is excessive, and in or-
der to protect itself against this, the brain adapts by
becoming less sensitive to the heroin.
This has two consequences, according to the dis-
ease model. First, more heroin is required to produce
the high, and at the same time, the reward pathway
becomes less sensitive to the effects of endorphins,
which regulate the release of dopamine, so that with-
out heroin, there is a persistent feeling of sickness.
After repeated intake, the user becomes tolerant and
dependent, and undergoes withdrawal symptoms
if the heroin supply is terminated. As the feelings
of withdrawal worsen, the user loses control, writes
Goldstein, and becomes an addict.
Studies of Isolated Labo-
ratory Animals Generally
Support the Disease Model
Diagram from the U.S. National Institute on Drug
Abuse of a rat self-administering a drug. Professor
Avram Goldstein writes: “A rat addicted to hero-
in is not rebelling against society, is not a victim of
socioeconomic circumstances, is not a product of a
dysfunctional family, and is not a criminal. The rat’s
behavior is simply controlled by the action of hero-
in (actually morphine, to which heroin is converted in
the body) on its brain.”
According to Alexander, the disease model
makes either of two claims:
• Claim A: All or most people who use heroin or co-
caine beyond a certain minimum amount become ad-
dicted.
• Claim B: No matter what proportion of the users of
heroin and cocaine become addicted, their addiction
is caused by exposure to the drug.
Rat Park Experiment
People are entitled to their own opinion. People are not entitled to their own facts.
U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan
What follows is a summary of an experiment that has drawn much attention since it was done is the late 1970’s. Although
it doesn’t’ prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that environment has more to do with addiction than any thing else, it
does suggest that it plays a very critical role in the acquiring of an addiction and the continued use of a substance. The
Wikipedia summary does a good job of presenting both sides of the story. My hope is that you will come away a better
understanding of what Recovery Allies does and hopes to do and how our world today is the perfect petri dish for ad-
diction to flourish. We hope to create a petri dish post the initial treatment experience (or better yet before it ever gets
to the point where that is needed) where recovery can flourish. It’s that simple.

Several decades of animal studies have been
seen as supporting these claims. Avram Goldstein
wrote in 1979: “If a monkey is provided with a lever,
which he can press to self-inject heroin, he establishes
a regular pattern of heroin use — a true addiction —
that takes priority over the normal activities of his life
... Since this behavior is seen in several other animal
species (primarily rats), I have to infer that if heroin
were easily available to everyone, and if there were
no social pressure of any kind to discourage heroin
use, a very large number of people would become
heroin addicts.
Twenty years later, Goldstein maintains the same
position. In a paper delivered to a 1997 U.S. meth-
adone conference, he wrote: “Every addictive drug
used by people is also self-administered by rats and
monkeys. If we arrange matters so that when an an-
imal presses a lever, it gets a shot of heroin into a
vein, that animal will press the lever repeatedly, to the
exclusion of other activities (food, sex, etc.); it will be-
come a heroin addict. A rat addicted to heroin is not
rebelling against society, is not a victim of socioeco-
nomic circumstances, is not a product of a dysfunc-
tional family, and is not a criminal. The rat’s behavior
is simply controlled by the action of heroin (actually
morphine, to which heroin is converted in the body)
on its brain.”
Against this, Alexander argues that the main evi-
dence for the belief in drug-induced addiction comes
from “the testimonials of some addicted people who
believe that exposure to a drug caused them to ‘lose
control’,” and from some “highly technical research
on laboratory animals”. He argues that this weak evi-
dence has been embellished in the news media to the
point where it has acquired the status of an unassail-
able fact, whereas the great bulk of historical and clin-
ical evidence, he says, runs against it. He writes that,
although the use of opiates in the United States and
England during the 19th century was greater than it
is now, the incidence of dependence and addiction
never reached one percent of the population and
was declining at the end of the century. In Britain, he
writes that heroin has been widely used in medication
for coughs, diarrhea, and chronic pain until the pres-
ent day; in 1972, British doctors prescribed 29 kilo-
grams of heroin to patients, which he writes amounts
to millions of doses, yet a 1982 study of the statistics
on iatrogenic addiction in the UK showed a “virtual
absence” of such addicts. Recent research confirms
that many people use heroin regularly for years, for
either recreational or medical purposes, without be-
coming addicted.
The Rat Park Experiments
In Rat Park, Alexander built a short tunnel large
enough to accommodate one rat at a time. At the far
end of the tunnel, the rats could drink a fluid from one
of two drop dispensers, which automatically recorded
how much each rat drank. One dispenser contained a
morphine solution and the other plain tap water.
Alexander designed a number of experiments to
test the rats’ willingness to consume the morphine.
Rats have a sweet tooth, so in “The Seduction Exper-
iment,” the researchers exploited the rats’ apparent
sweet tooth to test whether they could be enticed to
consume morphine if the water was sweet enough.
Morphine in solution has a bitter taste for humans,
and appears to have the same effect on rats, Alexan-
der writes, since they shake their heads and reject it
as they do with bitter quinine solutions. The Seduc-
tion Experiment involved four groups of rats. Group
CC was isolated in laboratory cages when they were
weaned at 22 days of age, and lived there until the
experiment ended at 80 days of age; Group PP was
housed in Rat Park for the same period; Group CP
was moved from laboratory cages to Rat Park at 65
days of age; and Group PC was moved out of Rat
Park and into cages at 65 days of age.
The caged rats (Groups CC and PC) took to the
morphine instantly, even with relatively little sweet-
ener, with the caged males drinking 19 times more
morphine than the Rat Park males in one of the ex-
perimental conditions. But no matter how sweet the
morphine became, the rats in Rat Park resisted it.
They would try it occasionally — with the females try-
ing it more often than the males — but invariably they
showed a preference for the plain water. It was, writes
Alexander, “a statistically significant finding.”[1] He
writes that the most interesting group was Group CP,
the rats who were brought up in cages but moved
to Rat Park before the experiment began. These
animals rejected the morphine solution when it was
stronger, but as it became sweeter and more dilute,
they began to drink almost as much as the rats that
had lived in cages throughout the experiment. They
wanted the sweet water, he concluded, so long as
it did not disrupt their normal social behavior. Even
more significant, he writes, was that when he added
a drug called Naloxone, which negates the effects of
opioids, to the morphine-laced water, the Rat Park
rats began to drink it.
In another experiment, he forced rats in ordinary
lab cages to consume morphine for 57 days on end,
giving them no liquid to drink other than the mor-
phine-laced solution, then moved them into Rat Park,
where he allowed them to choose between the mor-
phine solution and plain water. They drank the plain
water. He writes that they did show some signs of
dependence, but no sign of addiction. There were
“some minor withdrawal signs, twitching, what have
you, but there were none of the mythic seizures and
sweats you so often hear about ...”
Alexander believes his experiments show that
animal self-administration studies provide no empir-
ical support for the theory of drug-induced addiction,
and that the theory has no other strong basis in em-
pirical science, although it has not been disproven.
“The intense appetite of isolated experimental ani-
mals for heroin and cocaine in self-injection experi-
ments tells us nothing about the responsiveness of
normal animals and people to these drugs. Normal
people can ignore heroin ... even when it is plentiful
in their environment, and they can use these drugs
with little likelihood of addiction ... Rats from Rat Park
seem to be no less discriminating.”
Reaction to the Experiment
The two major science journals Science and Na-
ture rejected Alexander’s first paper, which was pub-
lished in Psychopharmacology, a specialty journal.
Several later studies did appear to confirm its findings
— for example, Bozarth, Murray and Wise in 1989,
also published in Pharmacology, Biochemistry and
Behavior. Writer Lauren Slater, Alexander’s daughter-
in-law, interviewed psychiatrist Herbert Kleber, direc-
tor of the substance-abuse division of the College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, and
a former U.S. deputy drug czar, on what was wrong
with Rat Park. He replied that the experiment was
“ingenious,” but suggested that Alexander may have
distorted the data in the hope of provoking a public
debate, and that the study had methodological flaws,
though he did not state examples. Slater quotes Kle-
ber as saying he believes Rat Park’s problem was that
it was conducted in Vancouver, the “scholarly equiva-
lent of the tundra.”
Some further studies failed to reproduce the
original experiment’s results, but in at least one of
these studies both caged and “park” rats showed
a decreased preference for morphine, suggesting a
genetic difference. In any case, the publications did
draw attention to the idea that the environment that
laboratory animals live in might influence the out-
come in experiments related to addiction. As of 2006,
papers from the series of experiments have been cit-
ed more than 100 times, and similar studies on the
influence of living conditions on the consumption of
other drugs have been published.
Alexander was disappointed by the reception,
and still speaks of the experiments enthusiastically.
Since 1985, Alexander has been exploring addiction
in human beings by way of historical and anthropo-
logical studies of many cultures. His newest book, The
Globalization of Addiction: A study in poverty of the
spirit argues that cultural dislocation of human beings
instigates addictions of all sorts, including addictions
that do not involve drugs, just as isolation instigates
drug consumption in laboratory animals.
a study into drug addiction

AA is likely the most well known pathway to recovery even though
it is not the one most commonly used. Only a small percentage of
the 25,000,000 people reportedly in recovery use it. For those that
chose it whole-heartedly, it is very effective and has saved countless
lives. Whether it is your pathway or not the fact that the history of
Alcoholics Anonymous is fascinating and Ernest captures that. He
was the first person to be invited into the “vault “ of AA archives and
probably attended more AA meetings than any other person without
a lived experience of alcoholism. This is a tribute to the incredible
contributions he made in his life and career.
Excerpt from Not-God by Ernest Kurtz
About the Book
Not-God is a fascinating, fast-moving, and authoritative account of the
discovery and development of the program and fellowship that we know today as
Alcoholics Anonymous.
Easily readable, Not-God contains more anecdotes and excerpts from the
diaries, correspondence, and occasional memoirs of A.A.’s early figures than are
heard in a hundred A.A. meetings. Kurtz traces the interesting debts that A.A. owes
to such persons and groups as the psychiatrist Carl Jung, American philosopher
WilliamJames,AkronsocialmatronHenriettaSeiberling,andJohnD.Rockefeller,
Jr., as well as the Oxford Group of Frank Buchman, a few Irish-American Catholic
priests, and fundamentalist religion.
Beginning with the well-known visit between the sober Ebby T. and the
drunken Bill Wilson, Kurtz documents Wilson’s spiritual awakening (or “hot
flash” as the first fifty A.A.s called it), his desire to tell other alcoholics what he had
discovered, and his ever-growing conviction that to stay sober he must work with
other alcoholics.
The story relates the importance of the Oxford Group to the development of
A.A., the painful writing of the Big Book, even the problems caused over the years
by Wilson’s unofficial status as “Head of A.A.,” and the fight involving the A.A.
Board of Trustees. All is told in the context of two important points: Wilson and the
first recovered alcoholics were keenly aware of their own limitation as alcoholics,
and—more important—they discovered a health and wholeness, a maturity, as
sober individuals within the fellowship of A.A.
Ernest Kurtz was given full and complete access to the archives of the General
Service Office of Alcoholics Anonymous in New York. His unhindered research,
coupled with extensive interviews of surviving early members and friends of A.A.,
has resulted in an account with documented accuracy.
Not-God clearly details the slow but unswerving development of a program
of recovery for alcoholics, and it carries the message that Alcoholics Anonymous
as a program and as a fellowship has to give to the United States of America in the
middle third of the twentieth century.
Introduction
The term not-God is the theme around which this history of Alcoholics
Anonymous is recounted and its interpretation offered. The exact phrase appears
nowhere in either the published literature of Alcoholics Anonymous or the primary
sources used in this research, yet the two senses contained in this expression not
only pervade the written documents but also lie at the heart of the A.A. fellowship
and program.
“Not-God” means first “You are not God,” the message of the A.A. program. As
is clear from the epigraph on page vii — a pungent reminder drawn from the very
heart of “How It Works,” the key fifth chapter of the book Alcoholics Anonymous
— the fundamental and first message of Alcoholics Anonymous to its members is
that they are not infinite, not absolute, not God. Every alcoholic’s problem had first
been, according to this insight, claiming God-like powers, especially that of control.
But the alcoholic at least, the message insists, is not in control, even of himself; and
the first step towards recovery from alcoholism must be admission and acceptance
of this fact that is so blatantly obvious to others but so tenaciously denied by the
obsessive-compulsive drinker “Historically, it has been the concept of divinity,
the notion of the deity, that includes the idea of absolute control. The program
of Alcoholics Anonymous, then, teaches first and foremost that the alcoholic
is not God. This insight rules each of the Twelve Suggested Steps, although it is
appropriately most clear in the First: “We admitted we were powerless over alcohol
— that our lives had become unmanageable” (emphasis added).
But Alcoholics Anonymous is fellowship as well as program, and thus there
is a second side to its message of not-God-ness. Because the alcoholic is not
God, not absolute, not infinite, he or she is essentially limited. Yet from this very
limitation — from the alcoholic’s acceptance of personal limitation — arises the
beginning of healing and wholeness. It is this facet of the message of “not-God” that
Alcoholics Anonymous as fellowship lives out. To be an alcoholic within Alcoholics
Anonymous is not only to accept oneself as not God; it implies also affirmation of
one’s connectedness with other alcoholics. It is this connection that historically has
provided for hundreds of thousands of people a way out of active alcoholism and
the path into a life of health, “happiness, and wholeness. The invitation to make
such a connection with others and the awareness of the necessity of doing so arise
from the alcoholic’s very acceptance of limitation. Thus, this second message that
affirms limitation is well conveyed by the hyphenated phrase, “not-God.
The form “not-God” further reminds that affirmation is rooted in negation,
that the alcoholic’s acceptance of self as human is founded in his rejection of any
claim to be more than human. And the hyphen — a connecting mark — reminds of
the need for connectedness with other alcoholics that A. A. as, fellowship lives out
and enables. The fulfilling of the implications of being not-God, the living out of the
connectedness with others that comes about from the alcoholic’s very limitation,
is the story of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is this story, this history, that this book
narrates.
“Not God,” then, and “not-God”: the alcoholic as essentially limited, but able to
find a healing wholeness in the acceptance of this limitation. It is the author’s hope
that this distinction is less cute than memorable, for it is his conviction that this
twofold message is one that not only the alcoholic but also “mankind needs to hear
and perhaps, then, even to heed.”
I - Beginnings
NOVEMBER 1934-JUNE 1935
The Limitations of the Drinking Alcoholic
On a dank, cold afternoon in late November 1934, two men sat kitty-corner
at the kitchen table of a brownstone house at 182 Clinton Street, Brooklyn, New
York. The home, only partially heated, clearly had seen better days. In the hurriedly
tidied kitchen hung the faintly sweet aroma of stale alcohol. On the white-oilcloth-
covered table stood two glasses, a pitcher of pineapple juice, and a bottle of gin
recently retrieved from its hiding place in the overhead tank of the toilet in the
adjacent bathroom. The visitor, neatly groomed and bright-eyed, smiled in gentle
but pained mirth as he surveyed the scene; his tall, thin, craggy-faced host laughed
a bit too loudly, anxious less over his careless attire and the patches of whiskers
Not-GodA History of Alcoholics Anonymous
By Ernest Kurtz

on his quickly shaved face than at the announcement his friend, an old drinking-
buddy, had just made.1
“No, thanks, I don’t want any. I’m not drinking.”
“No drink? Why not? Are you on the water wagon?”
“No, I don’t mean that. I’m just not drinking today.”
“Not drinking today!’ Ebby, what’s gotten into you?”
“Well, I don’t need it anymore: I’ve got religion.”
“The host’s eyes and heart dropped. Religion. His mind wandered as his guest
continued to speak. His first thought: “Good! That means more for me!” Now he
did not need to worry about replenishing his supply should his wife return home
before the visitor left. Although somewhat pleased with that realization, within his
mindjarredalesshappyawareness.Asmuchashehadlookedforwardtoswapping
tales with an old pal, that happy prospect had now suddenly palled — “got religion”
indeed! He knew that his friend had been a too-heavy drinker. “Had his alcoholic
insanity become religious insanity?”
Uninspiring and tawdry as that scene was, a profound significance and a deep
irony lay buried within it. The significance: what was witnessed was the birth of
the idea of Alcoholics Anonymous. The irony: the carefully groomed, dry, religion-
spouting visitor, Edwin T. — nicknamed “Ebby” — would die three alcohol-sodden
decades later, a virtual ward of charity; his cynical, moody, too loudly talking and
laughing host — William Griffith Wilson — would after this one last binge never
drink another drop of alcohol. As “Bill W.,” he would give America and the world
a program and a fellowship to which in time over one million people would offer
allegiance as being for them literally life-saving.
The birth of an idea: such moments of origin are always difficult to pinpoint,
and Alcoholics Anonymous itself cherishes the memory of a different “founding
moment.” Yet here, in this kitchen, on that dark November afternoon, a seed was
planted in Bill Wilson’s own understanding that his alcohol-numbed brain could
neither then drown nor later wash away — the seed that he eventually nurtured and
cultivatedintothecoreoftheprogramandfellowshipofAlcoholicsAnonymous:“In
the kinship of common suffering, one alcoholic had been talking to another.”……..
“That such conversation could be helpful was an important idea. Ideas, of
course, do not spring from nothingness. The origins and paths of the concepts that
had led to this idea help to explain its development into the program and fellowship
of Alcoholics Anonymous.
Sometime in 1931, another man, a young, talented, and wealthy financial
wizard, had found himself on the verge of despair over his inability to control his
drinking. Having attempted virtually every other “cure,” he turned to one of the
greatestmedicalandpsychiatrictalentsofthetime,travelingtoZurich,Switzerland,
toplacehimselfunderthecareofDr.CarlGustavJung.Forclosetoayear,Rowland
H. worked with Jung, finally leaving treatment with boundless admiration for the
physician and almost as much confidence in his new self.
“To his consternation, Rowland soon relapsed into intoxication. Certain that
Jung was his last resort, he returned to Zurich and the psychiatrist’s care. There
followed, in Bill Wilson’s words written to Dr. Jung in 1961, “the conversation
between you [and Rowland] that was to become the first link in the chain of events
that led to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous.” That conversation, in Wilson’s
and Jung’s later memory, had made two points. “First of all, you frankly told him
of his hopelessness, so far as any further medical or psychiatric treatment might be
concerned.” Second, in response to Rowland’s frantic query whether there might
be any other hope, Jung had spoken of “a spiritual or religious experience — in
short, a genuine conversion,” cautioning, however, “that while such experiences
had sometimes brought recovery to alcoholics, they were … comparatively rare.”6
Concerning the first point, Wilson wrote to Jung: “This candid and humble
statement of yours was beyond doubt the first foundation stone upon which our
society has since been built.” In response to the second statement, which offered
a slender thread of hope, Rowland had joined the Oxford Group, “an evangelical
movement then at the height of its “success in Europe.” In recalling to Jung this
channeling of his idea, Wilson — who was linked to Rowland H. through their
mutual friend Ebby T. — stressed the Oxford Group’s “large emphasis upon the
principles of self-survey, confession, restitution, and the giving of oneself in service
to others.
“Within the Oxford Group, Rowland had found “the conversion experience ”
“that released him for the time being from his compulsion to drink.” Returning to
NewYorkCity,hejoinedandbecameactiveintheOxfordGroupatitsUnitedStates
headquarters — the Calvary Episcopal Church of Rev. Dr. Samuel Shoemaker.
Alcoholics had not been a primary interest of Oxford Group adherents in America
or in Europe, but Rowland chose to devote to such sufferers his efforts at living out
and promoting his own conversion experience. Thus, in August 1934, hearing that
his old friend Ebby T. was threatened with commitment to an institution because
of his drinking, Rowland H. intervened, and with his friend Cebra G., pledged for
Ebby’s parole, leading him to the Oxford Group and so to his first period of sobriety.
“For Ebby, indeed, did “get the message.” Accepting that his only hope lay
in a conversion experience, that such was the function of religion, and that the
Oxford Group was the most famed and the most respectable evangelical expression
of religion in America at that time, he joined and found in it “friendship and
fellowship of a kind he had never known.” Then, in a flush of confident enthusiasm,
the hallmark of any experience of conversion, Ebby in turn sought out the most
hopeless and most self-destructive drinker he knew — his old friend, Bill Wilson.
“The judgment and feeling were mutual. Wilson had long since marked Ebby
an utterly hopeless case, even promising himself to stop drinking should he ever
get as bad as that. As tough as things had been for Bill Wilson up to the day of
that November 1934 visit, he had never been threatened with commitment to an
institution … “well, hardly ever.”10
William Griffith Wilson had been born, “fittingly enough” — his biographer noted
— “in a small room behind the bar,” on 26 November 1895, the first of the two
children of Gilman and Emily Griffith Wilson. Yankees of Scots-Irish stock, Bill’s
parents had both grown up in East Dorset, Vermont, where he himself was born.
In spite of their shared background, the Wilson’s marriage was not happy, and one
night in 1905 — after a long and largely silent evening “buggy-ride with his puzzled
but apprehensive son — Gilman Wilson deserted his family.
Of this childhood trauma, one of his earliest recollections, Bill Wilson later
nursed a memory and interpretation perhaps not unusual in such situations. “If
only his parents had loved him more they wouldn’t have separated. And this meant
if he had been more lovable, it never would have happened. It always came around
to that. It was, it had to be, his fault. He was the guilty one.
Little evidence remains of how the lad interpreted his next separation…….

“The roads to recovery are many
and that the resolution of alcoholism by any
method should be a cause for celebration by
A.A. members.” – Bill Wilson, 1944
Recovery Allies recognizes that there are
many pathways to recovery. Below are
some that we know of.One way to advocate
is to start one in your community!!
Some of the many pathways
n Alcoholics Anonymous – www.aa.org
n Narcotics Anonymous – www.NA.org
n Al-Anon – www.ola.is.org
n Other A’s
n Women in Sobriety – www.womenforsobriety.org
n Men for Sobriety – www.womenforsobriety.org
n Rational Recovery – www.rational.org
n Moderation Management – www.moderation.org
n HAMS – Harm Reduction Abstinence and
Moderation Support – http://hamsnetwork.org
n White Bison – www.whitebison.org
n S.O.S Secular Organization for Sobriety –
www.sossobriety.org
n Life Ring – www.unhooked.com
n SMART Recovery: Self-Management and
Recovery Training-www.smartrecovery.org
n Celebrate Recovery – www.celebraterecovery.com
n HAHA – Health and Healing Advocate's
n Pagans for Sobriety
Online Resources
n Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Administration (SAMHSA) – www.samhsa.gov
n U.S. Department of Health and Human Services –
www.hhs.gov
n National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) –
www.drugabuse.gov
n 24/7 Help Yourself – www.24/7helpyourself.com
n Sober Recovery – www.soberrecovery.com
n Cyber Recovery – www.cyberrecovery.net
n Addiction Tribe – www.addictiontribe.net
FEATURED
BOARD MEMBER
Crystal King
Meet Our Board Members & Staff
Mark
Thomson
Director of Special
Projects D.A. Blodgett -
St John’s
Crystal King
Case Manager/Advocate
& Certified Peer
Recovery Coach for
Arbor Circle
Case Manager/Advocate
& Certified Peer
Recovery Coach for
Arbor Circle
Catherine VanDe
Wege
President of
Promises of Hope Inc
Nonprofit
Scott
Swinburne
Program Director at West
Brook
Recovery Center
Heather Greko
Executive Director for
The Salvation Army
Turning Point Programs
Mark
VandenBosch
OwnerVandenBosch Counsel-
ing Services, PLC
Kristin Reinink
Intake Coordinator and
Recovery Coach
Sanford House
Karima Diggs-
Holmes
Recovery Coach
Arbor Circle
Steve Alsum
Executive Director
Grand Rapids
Red Project
John Rhodes
CADC
Juvenile Court
Call or email for information on how
YOU CAN GET INVOLVED with Recovery Allies!
GET INVOLVED!!
Crystal King is currently working as
a Case Manager/ Advocate and Cer-
tified Peer Recovery Coach with Ar-
bor Circle’s Enhanced Women’s Ser-
vices Program. Crystal is a CCAR
Certified Recovery Coach Trainer,
PL-LTB-SP ( LIES That Bind Service
Provider), Seeking Safety Trainer
and a person in long term recovery.
I have not found a reason to use any
mind or mood altering substance in
over 8 years. Crystal recently grad-
uated Grand Rapids Community
College with an Associates of Arts/
MACRAO with an emphasis on So-
cial Work and is currently pursuing
a Bachelor’s of Social Work degree
at Grand Valley State Universi-
ty. Crystal has worked in residential
treatment facilities for several years
at Pine Rest Christian Services and
Our Hope Association. Crystal is a
proud board member of Recovery
Allies of West Michigan (RAWM)
her hard won experience along with
her compassion for those suffering
with trauma and addictions is what
motivates me to advocate, educate
and celebrate change.
LAUGHING Matters
What doesn’t kill you
makes you stronger.
Except for bears,
bears will kill you.

April:May 2015 Living Large

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