Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Siletz news / (Siletz, OR) 199?-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2005)
TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS Ask Raven Siletz Tribal Alcohol & Drug Programs Raven will answer your questions about problems associated with alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Look for boxes in tribal offices with Raven's picture. You can leave your questions for Raven in these boxes. Those questions suitable for Siletz News will be answered here. If you want a confidential answer to a question, please leave an address and Raven will contact you. Dear Raven: My husband has been in residential treatment for several months. He is now home and is acting like he did before he went to treatment. I’m afraid he will relapse if he hasn’t already. What should I do? Afraid for my Husband Dear Afraid for my Husband: Your question is excellent and is a common one among wives who have stood by their husbands in this most difficult time of your marriage. Relapse is a real problem and those who have relapsed found it very costly - and some found it very fatal. We don’t have to relapse but as hard as it is, relapse has much to teach us. It reminds us that recovery is a wonderful thing and a fragile gift. Relapse teaches us that we must go to great lengths and do whatever it takes to stay clean and sober. Recovery is not a simple line that rises straight up from hopelessness to joy. There are many ups and downs. Sometimes life can seem boring and without meaning. On our worst days, all we can seem to do is hold on for dear life. At those times, we need to put forth even more effort into using whatever support system we have for our recovery - your church, family, sweat lodge and the Twelve Step Program. The times we are tested the most can be our times of greatest growth. Even if we relapse, we can always come back to our support system and they are always glad to see you and greet you with open arms. Relapse also teaches us that we need the fellowship of others. Where recovery is concerned, there are no solo performances. Drugs mean many things to people. It’s important for us to sort out the spe cific things that can trigger our decision to use again, for example, social events, parties, certain songs, and your old bud dies coming back and tempting you. There are as many options for staying clean as there are for using. Take the time to think of your options ahead of time. We also can remind ourselves to call people from our support system and know that the desire to use today will pass. Here is a worksheet you and your husband can use. Plan for Your Relapse Triggers 1) . What situations triggered drug use for you? Describe them. 2) . What people triggered drug use? Name them. 3) . What places triggered drug use for you? 4) . What are your top five trigger situa tions and what five alternatives can you plan ahead of time to avoid drug use? 6 • Siletz News • Prevention, Outpatient Treatment, and Women’s Transitional Siletz: 1-800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286 Eugene: 541-484-4234 5) . List four things/people/places/activi- ties you used to enjoy before your addictions took control of your life. Also know that if you look in your local phone book, you will find Al-Anon family group meetings for your area. I would greatly suggest this for you and your family as a support system for you. Additionally, a great many books exist on men’s recovery, such as Men’s Issues in Recovery by Craig Nakken. During the first few weeks or months of his clean time, it’s important to keep ourselves occupied with activities, places, and people not related to drugs or alco hol. We avoid drug-related people, activi ties, and hangouts. Though it may not feel like it right now, there was life before drugs and there is a life after drugs. It’s just waiting for all of us right now. Raven A&D Program Announcement Delina John has accepted the position of prevention coordinator. Delina has been working in the Prevention Program as the youth development specialist, a grant- funded position. Congratulations, Delina! ATOD and Youth Delinquency Prevention Parents, if you think your child may be at risk for alcohol, tobacco, or other drug problems and/or juvenile delin quency behaviors, please call Delina John at 1-800-600-5599 or 541-444-8286, or Christy Field in the Portland Area Office at 503-238-1512. One of them will talk with you about risk factors and those things that help pro tect your child from developing those problems. They will help you develop a prevention plan that will support you as parents and provide your child with sup port for making good choices. Men! We still need adult male vol unteers, even once a year, to chaperone a youth prevention activity. Please contact us if you have any interest! Meth Task Force Meeting Aug. 3 - Noon Siletz Tribal Housing Department Conference Room The Meth Task Force is open to all community members - youth and adults. We know a lot of people are concerned about the methamphet amine epidemic in this community. You can make a difference. August 2005 Please join us! Salem: 503-390-9494 Portland: 503-238-1512 TLC Attitudes of Gratitude As I sit here looking out my windows to the world, it looks like a soggy, misty world out there. It’s July 8 and I want sunshine, sunshine, sunshine! Perhaps by the time this paper comes out, I’ll be wish ing for a day of rain, rain, rain. Never sat isfied, we humans ... When I think about it though, I am thankful that I won’t have to get out the garden hose to revive my drying potted plants. Very thankful, as it’s a big chore. Maybe tomorrow will give the warmth of the sun again. Hope springs eternal! At the TLC, there definitely are things to be grateful for. Our much-needed reno vation projects are in full swing. The new roofs on the decks are a big improvement. Coupled with the new pro tective finish on the deck floors and rail ings, this should ensure many more years of service and is much more attractive than the weathered wood. I’ll catch you up on the other projects in the next issue after they are completed. Thank you to our donors this past month: Anita Wheeler for food items and a box of sheets and pillow cases, to Anonymous for a much-needed lamp shade, and to Paulina Burnette for a large assortment of teas and coffees. We appre ciate you very much! We also appreciate our faithful over night volunteers: Jackie Ashley, Carrie White, Alice McCain, and Elizabeth Kosydar. We would appreciate you too, if you are a woman who is clean and so ber, at least six months in recovery, who would like to offer your services to the TLC and its hard-working residents! Please give Lynn Whitlow a call to vol unteer or to ask questions. We need you! Call 541-444-8238 or 1-800-922-1399, ext. 1238. Also, remember that we hold a Women’s Talking Circle on the second Wednesday of each month. We invite you to be there. Potluck dinner begins at 5:45 p.m., followed by the Talking Circle at 6:30 p.m. Have a wonderful summer! August USDA Distribution Dates by Joyce Retherford Salem Siletz Monday Aug. 1 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15 1:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3 9 a.m. -3 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 4 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5 9 a.m.-3 p.m. First of all, I need to tell my boss, Kitti Hostler, get well soon! We all miss you. Next I want to thank Nancy McCrary and the whole Programs II staff for all the help they have given me while Kitti has been out. In June, USDA staff attended the National Association of Food Distribution Programs on Indian Reservations (NAFDPIR) conference in Rapid City, S.D. It was a real eye-opener to visit the USDA warehouse on the Pine Ridge Res ervation, where they serve between 6,3(X) and 7,000 clients per month. They not only serve out of a ware house, they also truck food out to the sur rounding pueblos and serve right out of the back of the truck. Their warehouse is not in the best shape and it’s very unsani tary, but 1 can see how they don’t have time to do any cleaning. It really makes me appreciate the nice facility that Kitti keeps for our people. We have been receiving seasonal pro duce at USDA, such as peaches, nectar ines, and corn on the cob. I know our clients have been very happy with the choices they have and they are taking more and more of the fresh produce home. I have been to the Pear Bureau North west Web site and found some pear ripening bags to give to our clients and some tote bags will be available soon that can be reused monthly when clients come in to get their food. This will cut down on the plastic bags we have been using. I hope we can get enough for everyone. See you next month! Happy meals!’
