Island Sun Newsletter - Crossroads Centre Antigua

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Volume 8, Issue 1
Island Sun Newsletter
Crossroads Centre at Antigua West Indies
www.crossroadsantigua.org
Bryan Roylance Renewal Centre
Dedicated
Inside this issue:
Passport Update
2
New Clinical Team
3
Compass Pointe
4
C.A.R.E. Program
5
Recession & Addiction
6
Recovery Rocks
7
Alumni Pages
8,9
Holistic Healing
10
In the News….
• Recovery Rocks at The
Sanctuary
• Recession and addiction
trends for 2008
• Aftercare tracking
• New Clinical/Medical
Team
•
e-mail Crossroads at:
[email protected]
On February
17, Crossroads
Centre held a
dedication ceremony for the
“Bryan Roylance
Renewal Centre”
at the Crossroads
campus.
Roylance, an
original Trustee of
the Crossroads
Antigua Foundation, was instrumental in Crossroads’ early development and philosophy and was a
long time friend of
Pictured left to right are: Nicos Peraticos, Eric Clapton, Emma Turner,
Founder Eric
Clapton. Clapton Paul Cummins, Charles Montagu, Liz Hale (Administrator), and
himself attended Michael Eaton.
the dedication
paying tribute to his friend
centre programmes, and
facility.
who passed away in Sepadditional massage therapy
tember of 2005.
In addition to family
rooms.
members and friends, trusMr. Clapton spoke
tees of the United Kingdom
Slated next for construcfondly of Roylance’s
Crossroads
Antigua
Fountion
are twelve apartment
friendship and of the supdation
also
attended
the
style
dwellings which will
port he had lent in creating
provide housing for reevent.
Crossroads. The family
newal centre participants
members of Roylance, inThe building dedicated
visiting Crossroads. The
cluding children Nick Roywill serve as the anchor of
cottages are expected to be
lance and Cathy Roylance,
the renewal centre and inready for use as early as
attended the ceremony and
cludes meeting space for
fall of 2008.
were given tours of the new
groups attending renewal
Page 2
I s l a n d
Passport Backlog Over Says
US Department of State
Land and sea crossing passport
requirements delayed until June
“The US State
Department reports
that its passport
office had issued 16
million passports in
fiscal 2007.”
According to the United
States Department of State,
the backlog created by new
laws requiring a valid passport for re-entry to the US
has subsided and expected
wait times for new passports
have returned to normal.
While expedited passports can still be obtained in
24 hours for as low as $129,
plus government fees,
through private passport
expediting services, passports applied for on an urgent basis at one of 13 regional passport agencies can
be obtained in less than
three weeks.
The State Department
reports that current numbers
of travelers arriving at U.S.
airports with passports is
over 90 percent of U.S. citizens, 97 percent of Canadians, and virtually 100 percent of Mexicans and Bermudans. A short
extension gave
travelers who
applied for a
passport and
had not received
one, a grace
period that
ended on October 1, 2007,
allowing the
department to
clear the backlog that was
created during
the summer
travel period.
The US State
Department
reports that its passport office had issued 16 million
passports in fiscal 2007,
compared to 12.1 million for
a similar
period in
2006.
The
Department is
now
conducting an
extensive preparation campaign to
ensure that backlogs do not
occur when changes to the
law require passports for
those crossing at land and
sea border stations. The new
regulation was originally
scheduled to be implemented in January of this
year, but was delayed until
June of 2009 as a result of
the backlogs that occurred
last year.
S u n
N e w s l e t t e r
Need a Passport?
If you need a passport
quickly, there are a number of private organizations that offer expedited
service (one to three business days). Website addresses and telephone
numbers are as follows:
American Passport Express:
www.americanpassport.com
800 841-6778
Briggs Passport & Visa:
www.abriggs.com
800 806-0581
Expert Visa Services:
www.expertvisa.com
(312) 663-6667
If you need a passport and
can wait two weeks or
longer, contact:
U.S. Department of State:
www.travel.state.gov
You may also contact the
U.S. National passport
Information Center
(NPIC), at:
877 487-2778
Volume 8, Issue 1
Page 3
Crossroads Introduces New Manager of Clinical
Services, Supervisor of Medical & Wellness Services
Crossroads Treatment Centre is proud to introduce its new
clinical and medical supervision
team, Lynn McKnight and Joni
Kosakoski. McKnight will be
supervising clinical services as
Manager of Clinical Services,
while Kosakoski will now supervise Crossroads’ medical
personnel as the Supervisor of
Medical and Wellness Services.
McKnight comes to Crossroads from Charleston, South
Carolina, and brings with her an
array of professional distinctions. She is a Certified Cognitive Behavioral Therapist; Reiki
Level II; Licensed Professional
Counselor Supervisor; Licensed
Professional Counselor; Certified Clinical Supervisor; Master
Addictions Counselor; Certified
Rational Hypnotherapist; and a
Registered and Board Certified
Art Therapist. She is also currently the American Art Therapy Association Chairperson
for the Art Therapy National
Symposia.
Her educational background includes a Master of
Arts in Expressive Therapies
from Furman University and a
Bachelor of Arts in Individualized Curriculum Program in
Psychology, Special Education, and Art.
She has held positions including, Clinical Supervisor
and Director of Quality Assurance and Training for the Department of Alcohol and Other
Drug Abuse Services of
Charleston County; Treatment
Consultant for the South Carolina Department of Alcohol and
Other Drug Abuse Services;
Clinical Supervisor and Treatment Director for the Newberry
County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse; and Adjunct Professor at Briar Cliff
College in Sioux City, Iowa.
She has also chaired several
committees on strategic planning, training, ethics and art
therapy, and is a published author of several training, therapy
and ethics resources.
Joni Kosakoski had been a
member of the Crossroads
medical staff since 2000. She
has 30 years experience in
medical-surgical, chemical dependency and psychiatric nursing and is a licensed Registered
Nurse, a Certified Holistic
Nurse, Cetified Psychiatric
Nurse and a Certified Addictions Registered Nurse.
She was a Clinical Case
Manager for the California
Nurse Diversion Program and
had been a Primary Counselor
and Admissions Coordinator at
Crossroads Centre for four
years. Prior to Crossroads, she
was a Chemical Dependency
Registered Nurse at both Sharp
Vista Pacifica and Scripps
McDonald Cente; Charge Registered Nurse at Mission Bay
Hospital, Med-Surgical and
Geri-Psychiatric, in San Diego;
and a Registered Nurse at various Miami, Florida hospitals.
She is also a published author in the area of massage
therapy.
McKnight and Kosakoski
will work closely as a medical/clinical team and look forward to communicating with
Crossroads’ alumni and colleagues through their new Island Sun column, “Consider
This…” which will be a regular
feature in upcoming newsletters.
Page 4
I s l a n d
The Compass Pointe
By Tim Sinnott, MFT, CADC,
Chief Executive Officer, Crossroads
“The only constant is change!”
-Heraclitus
The above quote is oh so true.
Families, relationships and our
sense of ourselves are always in
transition. As treatment providers we are forever reminded of
this process through the journeys
of our clients. In the time that
individuals and their families
engage with us, we witness distinct phases of recovery beginning with detoxification and stabilization, progressing to treatment planning, therapies and self
awareness, aftercare planning
and continuing with ongoing
support services. We are in a
unique and I feel honored position to be active participants in a
personal growth process that
never ends. Our relationship
with clients and their families
changes over the course of this
process- today’s client is tomorrow’s alumnus and, in some
cases at Crossroads, a future employee and contributor to the
addiction industry.
Transition, change and growth
is alive and well at Crossroads.
At the conclusion of 2007 Crossroads experienced a significant
change with the departure of two
original and instrumental staff
members, Mrs Judith JosiahMartin, our Manager of Clinical
Services and Dr. Thomas Martin,
physician, ASAM Fellow and
Research Coordinator at Cross-
roads. Dr. and Mrs. Martin have
successfully transitioned to Bangor, Maine where they have both
accepted positions and are by all
reports adjusting to a much cooler
climate. We would like to thank
both of them for their contributions over the years both to the
development of the clinical and
medical services at Crossroads as
well as their extensive contributions to the Antigua community.
Despite the geographical move,
Dr. Martin continues to assist
Crossroads with our research
endeavors.
As we enter a new year and
embark upon a new chapter in the
Crossroads history, we are very
pleased to welcome Ms. Lynn
McKnight from Charleston,
South Carolina as the new Manager of Clinical Services. Her
background includes over twenty
years of providing counseling,
management, training and supervision in the field of addictions
and co-occurring disorders. She
is the current national chairperson for Art Therapy and Addictions Regional Symposia in conjunction with the American Association of Art Therapy. In addition she is the immediate past
president of the South Carolina
Association of Art Therapists.
We welcome Lynn and her various clinical strengths to the
Crossroads program.
(See “Compass Pointe,” p. 5)
S u n
N e w s l e t t e r
Crossroads Centre Island Sun
Newsletter is published three
times per year. Crossroads is an
international nonprofit facility for
the treatment of alcohol and other
drug dependencies since 1998.
Opinions expressed in the
Island Sun Newsletter do not
necessarily reflect the positions of
Crossroads and acceptance of
advertising does not constitute
endorsement of any advertised
service or product.
Written authorization must be
obtained for the reproduction of
any material, whole or in part,
appearing in this issue
Letters to the Editor and
article submissions can be faxed
to: Editor, Island Sun Newsletter
(268)562-0036, or e-mailed to:
[email protected], or
can be mailed, c/o Crossroads
Centre Antigua, P.O. Box 3592,
St. Johns, Antigua, West Indies.
Articles submitted for review
are encouraged.
Information:
For information and assistance
about Crossroads, in the U.S. and
Canada please call 888.452.0091,
and in the UK, please call 0800
783-9631, in Antigua call
268.562.0035 or inquire at
[email protected]
Crossroads WebPage:
www.crossroadsantigua.org
Crossroads Centre
Leadership Team:
Tim Sinnott, MFT, CADC-II, ACATA
Chief Executive Officer
Leo Hageman
Director, Crossroads Centre
Lynn McKnight, LPC/S, MAC,
CCS, ATR-BC
Manager of Clinical Services
Kim Martin, BA/BSW
Manager of Marketing/Admissions
Island Sun Editor:
Sherry Daley
Owner, Daley Publications
Volume 8, Issue 1
Page 5
Compass Pointe, Continued from Page 4
At the same time, Crossroads Centre has created a new
staff position for Supervisor of
Medical and Wellness Services
and has promoted Dr. Nidhi
Singh, who has been a staff
physician with Crossroads for
the past ten years, to the position of Lead Physician..
Ms Joni Kosakoski, MS,
HNC, CARN has been appointed in this new role. Many
of you might remember Joni,
who was previously employed
at Crossroads as a counselor
and admissions coordinator.
Transition continues on the
Crossroads campus as the
Brian Roylance Renewal Centre building has now been
completed. We have essentially converted an existing
administrative building into a
clinical service building to
enhance the aesthetics and
functionality of our client
space. Two additional massage rooms and two group
rooms have been added with
the express purpose of being
used for our upcoming Renewal program. As I write
this, workers have just begun
to prepare a running track,
complete with exercise stations
for use by residential and renewal clients alike. We hope
to soon begin construction on
the last phase of the Renewal
Project, accommodation units
which will be situated on the
campus with a breathtaking
view of Willoughby Bay.
In a healthy environment,
with change too comes
growth: 2008 commemorates
the 10 year anniversary for
Crossroads Centre Antigua.
We will celebrate this officially in November with our
alumni reunion and anniversary celebration which has
never failed to be a popular
event. I am also reminded
that we have seen many
changes and much growth in
this profession over the years
and in the end, it is really the
day to day rewards that we
experience while promoting
recovery that reminds us that
nothing is ever constant. Perhaps that is the joy of working
with families and individuals
affected by this disease- that
we know that the promise of
recovery can indeed be a reality of a lifetime.
True, the only constant is
change and this can make for
an exciting and dynamic experience.
New York Alumni Sponsor an Evening with Dr. Picucci
On January 16,
esses that dissolve
the Crossroads
trapped-frozen
New York Alumni
trauma energy in
Chapter and The
the nervous sysFreedom Institute
tem; the imporand Staged Recovtance, and process
ery Project hosted
of sexual healing
“Beyond our
that can transform
Wildest Dreams,”
sex into Soul Enan Evening with
ergy eXchange
Dr. Michael
(S.E.X.) for
Picucci at the
grounding soulful
Freedom Institute
connectedness; and
in New York.
the on-going, exClinical Outreach Representative, Lisa Baruch,
panding, possibiliDr. Picucci
celebrated his 30th Presenter, Michael Picucci,, and Ana Venezia, Ex- ties available in
ecutive Director of the Staged Recovery Program. recovery.
anniversary in
Dr. Picucci also
recovery and life experisigned
copies
of his book,
recovery
experience
along
ences with participants, in a
Organic Solutions to Realwith his perspective on
heart felt talk on “a journey
time Challenges- Focalizrelapse and prevention; an
beyond his wildest dreams.”
ing: An Introduction.
in-depth description of
During the event he ofStage Two recovery procfered a brief sharing of his
Concerned
stakeholders
are also
looking for
programmes
that are
proven to be
effective.
Page 6
I s l a n d
S u n
N e w s l e t t e r
Economic Recession and Addiction
As the world economy hints at recession what can
treatment providers do to prepare?
“...unemployment
influenced the
magnitude of the
relationship between alcohol
consumption and
suicide…”
With the United States
economy teetering on the
verge of an economic downturn, economists and treatment providers are both contemplating “R” words,
“recession” and “relapse.”
After an extended recession in the 1980s, researchers, such as M. Harvey Brenner of Johns Hopkins University, attempted to correlate a
statistical significance between economic factors, such
as joblessness, and social
harms, such as alcoholism
and suicide.
Brenner’s data showed
that for each one percent rise
in unemployment, suicides
increase 4.1 percent; homicides, 5.7 percent; deaths
from heart disease, cirrhosis
of the liver and stress-related
disorders, 1.9 percent, and
admissions to mental hospitals, 2.3 percent for women
and 4.3 percent for men.
According to a New York
Times article by Jane E.
Brody, a study by the Univer-
sity of Minnesota's
Industrial Relations
Center supported his
observations; it
showed that when
unemployment rises
by 1 percent, there are
318 additional suicides among American men. The study
also showed increases
in mental illness, child
abuse and alcoholism.
Even historical
studies, such as Time
Series Analysis of Alcohol Consumption and Suicide Mortality in the United
States, 1934-1987, by Fe Caces and Thomas Harford have
shown that there is a correlation between economic forces
and addiction. This study
concluded, “unemployment
influenced the magnitude of
the relationship between alcohol consumption and suicide.”
Although data and intuition imply that unemployment and lack of hope, both
common in recession, are
correlated to addictive behavior, a cause and effect relationship should not be automatically implied.
In robust economic times,
the low productivity of untreated addicted behavior
may be overlooked, while in
tighter times competitive
forces may magnify poor
performance, especially during times of corporate belt
tightening.
Untreated addicts are also
more likely to incur more
sick days and to utilize larger
health care resources, both of
which may factor into managerial decisions concerning
layoffs.
The ability to seek new
employment and maneuver
the stresses of changes of
employment are also hampered by untreated addiction,
therefore the correlation between increases in addictive
behavior and unemployment
may be representative of undiagnosed addiction being
brought to the forefront during economic crisis.
Because the potential loss
of employment, particularly
for men, is a primary motivator to seek treatment, unemployment may also decrease
treatment amenability for
some, therefore it is important to involve family members and significant others
during initial treatment
stages.
Save this Date:
November
21-23
For the
Crossroads’
10th Anniversary
Alumni
Celebration!
More details
to follow...
Volume 8, Issue 1
Page 7
The Sanctuary Hosts “Recovery Rocks”
A weekend of celebration and fellowship
issue of
sex and
intimacy
in recovery. The
presenter’s
openness,
wisdom
and humor
helped
the group
Workshops were a big draw at the first “Recovery to form a
Rocks” celebration.
more
positive
The Sanctuary in Delray
attitude and to explore their
Beach, Florida hosted
own misconceptions and be“Recovery Rocks” a celebrahaviors in this important area
tion of fellowship and sobriof life.
ety for the Alumni of CrossThe second workshop was
roads Centre, The Sanctuary
presented by Art Therapist
and other recovering persons.
Sarah Gentry and was called
More than 70 participants
Creating Passion In Recovfrom the United States and
ery. By using the art therapy
Canada attended the event
medium of collage, Sarah
which featured workshops,
helped participants develop a
entertainment, and of course
clear picture of what they
plenty of opportunities for
want for the second stage of
fellowship.
their recovery. They each
“The event itself was
created an individual picture
great,” said Tania Lewis
of their dreams. The room
Crossroads Alumni Coordiwas alive with the creative
nator. “It was an opportunity
energy that this type of activfor people to have a celebraity engenders and at the end
tion and to have fun in recoveach person had a nice picery.”
ture of their dreams and aspiFriday night featured
rations.
refreshments and live music
Existential therapist Carl
in the lush garden area of the
Moss presented Managing
Sanctuary..
Emotions and Attitudes in
On Saturday, four workRecovery . He used his years
shops were presented. The
of experience in existential
first, presented by therapist
therapy as the anecdotal eviJohn Jamieson, Being Sexual
dence for his belief in “the
on the Rocky Road of Recovimportance of emotional conery concerned the often dissistency while experiencing
cussed, but rarely understood
great moments of joy.” In this
thought provoking lecture,
Moss emphasized the importance of being able to present
oneself in an authentic human
way.
The final workshop was
presented by Lori Reyes,
MSW who explained breath
work as a specific breathing
model that clears negative
thought patterns, revitalizes
the physical body and transforms emotions and mental
traumas on the cellular level.
On Sunday morning a
farewell brunch was held
giving the attendees, speakers, and volunteers and opportunity to spend some time
together before returning
home.
“This kind of gathering is
important for recovery because it gives people an opportunity to reconnect and to
get to know people they didn’t get a chance to meet while
they were in recovery,” said
Lewis.
Nancy Steiner
Beautiful Delray Beach offered a natural retreat environment reminiscent of
Crossroads.
“It was an
opportunity for
people to have a
celebration and
to have fun in
recovery”
-Tania Lewis
Alumni Coordinator
Page 8
I s l a n d
S u n
N e w s l e t t e r
“Works in Progress”
By Crossroads’ Alumni
It has been five years since I
was at Crossroads. I have
not had drink or drug since
then and that is a miracle.
“...I believe that
the program I
got there was
the key to me
staying sober
for this time.
-Jeff S.
I believe that the program I
got there was the key to me
staying sober for this time.
Not just sober but happy and
sober. Life is good. I
am very grateful everyday.
I got the start I needed and
the help and guidance to
learn to live without substance abuse.
I needed to get away from
my rat race and focus on re-
covery and was able to do
that at Crossroads. I
learned about the steps of
recovery, a spiritual way
and
came to
accept
that I
was an
alcoholic. I
had not
done
that before.
I almost
stayed in
Puerto
Rico drinking instead of
catching the flight to Antigua...glad I didn't.
I want to thank those at
Crossroads that helped me.
Jeff S
I call myself a “work in
progress.” Crossroads
brought me to the reality of
this. It was time to implement changes in my life. I
think it is important to understand it does not all
happen in one day. This
has brought an unbelievable peace to my life. I am
not so hard on myself. No
one expects perfection…not even me. The
peace and serenity the
Crossroads experience
puts in one’s life is life
changing.
Melanie, H.
I live in Providence, RI. I
have a great job and I
am involved with my family in a way that I did not
think was possible. Before
I arrived at Crossroads, I
was unemployable and
was ostracized from my
family.
I learned many things at
Crossroads and that reeducation has helped me to
stay sober with a new lease
on life.
Keep up the good fight!
Jim F
In Your Own Words
If you would like to share your "reflections" on recovery, you can make submissions to:
[email protected]
Volume 8, Issue 1
Page 9
Antigua Chapter Celebrates
at Bevon House
The Antigua Alumni Chapter of Crossroads said goodbye
to 2007 with a day-long celebration of recovery and hope
entitled, “Benefits of Sobriety.”
Recovery was celebrated
the Antiguan way with an array of great tasting food, music
and recovery workshops.
The recovery workshop
titles were pre-selected by the
Antigua Alumni Chapter and
were facilitated by Primary
Therapist, Ms. Judy Strouse,
who presented on Relapse Prevention and Spiritual Guidance
and Ms. Ashli Callaway,
Counsellor, who presented on
Spirituality and Acts of Service. Both workshops impressed the audience with their
candid and inspirational words,
leaving participants with some
very practical tools to utilize in
ongoing recovery.
Following a grand buffet
luncheon prepared by the
Crossroads kitchen staff, the
afternoon started with two raffle draws and gift presentations. Congratulations went to
Nigel and Wilbert.
The fun continued with an
impromptu game of cricket
and karaoke entertainment.
Staff, alumni and friends all
got involved in the singing and
surprisingly a few could even
carry a tune.
The Antigua Chapter would
like to extend a special word of
thanks to presenters, alumni,
guests and staff that made the
day a memorable event for all
who attended. The Antigua
Alumni Chapter looks forward
to future alumni events in
2008.
Visit your alumni chapter today!
Antigua
Meets every first Wednesday
of the month at the Bevon
House Contact: Tania Lewis,
Alumni Coordinator. Tel: 268562-0035 ext 5027.
Chicago
If interested in starting a Chicago Alumni chapter please
contact: Daniel V., (708) 3632706.
Florida
Meets monthly at The Sanctuary in Delray Beach, 407 SE
4th Ave. Delray Beach, FL
Time: 5:00 p.m. Contact:
Steve G. at 561 843-7599.
Massachusetts
If interested in starting a Boston Chapter please contact
Peter at (978) 761-1740.
New York
Meets Quarterly at the Freedom Institute, 515 Madison
Ave (between Madison and
Park- 26th Floor), NY, NY
10022. Time: 7:00 p.m.
Contact: Bob W. at: (908)
534-4744.
New Jersey
If interested, please contact
Bob W. at: (908) 534-4744.
North Carolina
If interested in starting a NC
alumni chapter, please contact
Bill D. at (704) 827- 3333.
Oklahoma
If interested in starting an OK
alumni chapter, please contact
Al B., Tel: 918-645-1245.
Milestones in Gratitude
Alumni Celebrations
Crossroads celebrates alumni sobriety dates beginning
with 3 months, 1 year and each consecutive year of
continued sobriety. To post your dates, please send
your name, sobriety date, and your month/year to
Crossroads.
9 Months
3 Years
Mark K.
Richmond, VA
Richard W
NYC
1 Year
William W
NYC
Kelley P,
NYC
Jim F
RI
Jamie H,
Los Angeles, CA
Donna D
Charlottesville, VA
Debbie G
Mahwah, NJ
Brodie F
BVI
Gail D
CT
Cynthia B
CT
Clyde T
Columbia, MO
4 Years
Andrew W
Westport, CT
Lisa J
Denver, CO
Stuart J
NH
Five Years
Rita P
NYC
Raul F
PR
Pat L
NV
2 Years
Gus A
Denver, CO
Kelly L
Palm Beach, FL
Ray Z
IL
Amanda P
NYC
Calista B
GA
Jim F
RI
Pete F
Boston, MA
Seven Years
Ken A
VA
James R. W
Salem, OR
Eight Years
Richard T
NYC
Page 10
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S u n
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Beverley D. Hill, RD.
Research has shown that the
addict or alcoholic appears to be
more sensitive to sugar and its
effects than the non-addicted
person. In recovery the addict
may experience what are called
“sugar highs” (high blood sugar)
and “sugar blues” (low blood
sugar) more intensely (1). A
study in Ontario Canada found
that in approximately 50 percent
of the population, carbohydrate
intake had a mood altering effect
(2). It was found that carbohydrate cravers had an increased
perception of stress, and an increased reaction to the stressor.
The study found that carbohydrate cravers were more histrionic, narcissistic, and had borderline personalities in their behavior, with a greater incidence
of depression. For long term
health, the continued
intake of excess carbohydrates and weight
gain can put pressure
on the pancreas and
cause future insulin
resistance concerns.
Sugar, for all its
bad publicity, is not all
bad. Some forms of
sugar such as complex
carbohydrates,
starches, fruits and
vegetables are nutrient-dense.
From these you will get a lot of
nutrients for the amount of sugar
that’s actually eaten. However,
when sugar in whatever form is
abused, it can become a mood
altering chemical to many. In a
time of acute stress, eating sugar
can actually reduce the desire to
drink or use a drug. In fact, the
book Alcoholics Anonymous,
written in 1939 when they did
not know a lot about nutrition,
recommends that you eat a hot
fudge sundae, eat a candy, have
some coffee and smoke some
cigarettes and talk to somebody,
if you want a drink. Whereas
there may be instances where
this might be warranted, after all,
most would consider sugar consumption more desirable than
drinking, sugar is not a panacea.
Someone who binges on sugar
every day for six months is not
coping with recovery but using
this as a substitute to avoid the
feelings and the turmoil brought
about by recovery (1).
The origin of sugar craving
ranges from a lack of adequate
nutrition, increased stress, alcohol use, reduced liver capability
for sugar generation and psychological substitution for alcohol or
drugs. In theory, stabilizing the
blood sugar is relatively simple.
The problem for the recovering
addict is that it involves unlearning past patterns of behavior
which is not easy. The goal is to
eat a balanced diet that is high in
complex carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat, consistently. A balanced diet provides a steady blood sugar level.
Protein inhibits carbohydrate
absorption to some extent and fat
slows down digestion, causing
the glucose to be released slowly
into the blood. By eating a balanced diet a stable blood sugar
level can be maintained for three
to five hours, depending on the
quantities eaten (1).
Tips for controlling your
(See “Tips,” p.11 )
References:
1.Beckley Lisa (1993-2004).
Diet, Addiction & Recovery:
Diet Therapy for Recovery
2.Moorhouse M, et al. Carbohydrate
cravings by alcohol-dependent men
during sobriety: relationship to nutrition
and serotonergic function. Alcoholism:
Clin Experimental Res 24(5):635-43,
2000
3. Russell Michael (2006).
Control your sugar Addiction.
Ezine @rticles
Volume 8, Issue 1
Page 11
Antiguan Golfers/Businesses
Support Crossroads’ Golf Tourney
Twenty six teams from
throughout Antigua participated in Crossroads’ Annual
Golf Tournament held at
Jolly Hoarbour Golf Course
this February.
This fundraiser is an important event for Crossroads’
mission of outreach to the
local community in Antigua
and each year raises funds
and awareness for local community outreach and youth
programmes in Antigua.
With 78 participants competing for pride and fun, the
tournament was a success for
all who attended. Top honors
went to Woods Pharmacy
who won the tournament and
bragging rights for 2008.
Crossroads’
Lynn McKnight
to Speak at 2008
UKESAD
Conference May 8-10
Crossroads’ Manager of
Clinical Services will be
presenting on “Art Therapy
in Addiction Treatment” at
the 5th UK/European Symposium on Addictive Disorders. This international conference features 40 presentations, with 60 international
experts in the field, many of
whom are also well-known
authors and trainers. For
more information, visit:
www.ukesad.org/conference
Tips - Continued From Page 10
sugar cravings:
1)Water is an important factor in total wellness. It contains many minerals and is
needed for good nutrition.
Water can help control sugar
cravings so drink lots of it.
2)Begin your day by eating a
balanced breakfast. Make
sure you have protein and
complex carbohydrates. This
will keep up your blood sugar
level and lessen cravings later
on in the day. Replace your
caffeinated drink with juice
or tea as caffeine will cause
decreased blood sugar.
3)Do not skip meals and have
your meals approximately 4-5
hours apart.
4)Think of an enjoyable option when you feel a strong
craving for sugar coming on.
Listen to your favorite music,
work on a craft or do some
exercise. Consider a healthy
snack such as fruit that will
add much needed nutrients
and at the same time satisfy a
sweet craving.
5)Practice waiting. Postpone
your instant gratification
when the craving hits. Tell
yourself you'll wait 15, or
better 30, minutes for it to
pass. Chances are, if your
cravings are only stressrelated; they'll disappear
when you allow yourself to
become distracted.
6)Avoid becoming famished
during shopping trips and
while traveling. Carry protein-rich snacks such as nuts,
cheese strips or hard-boiled
eggs. These high-power
foods are great when you feel
your energy drop.
7)Though many people recommend dealing with crav-
ings by having "just a little"
of the food you crave, this is
not always a good idea.
While it may work for some,
this sets up a chain reaction
of biochemical processes in
sugar-sensitive people that
invariably translates to an
overwhelming desire for
more of the same. For sugarsensitive people, one bite of a
chocolate chip cookie is almost impossible - it's like an
alcoholic having "just one
drink".
For most it would be difficult
to give up sugar overnight
and thankfully, this does not
have to be your goal. One
should ultimately keep in
mind a nutritionally balanced
diet with a moderate carbohydrate intake. Like any successful change process, progress begins one day at a
time.
“Postpone your
instant
gratification
when the craving
hits.”
-Beverly Hill
Crossroads Unveils New Website
Crossroads video at the click of a mouse
We’re on the Web!
www.crossroadsantigua.org
Save this Date:
November
21-23
For the
Crossroads’
10th Anniversary
Alumni
Celebration!
More details to follow...
Crossroads Centre Antigua
P.O. Box 3592
St. John’s
Antigua, West Indies
Caption describing picture or graphic.
A new user friendly
and technology savvy
Crossroads website is
now available for public
viewing. Its ease of navigation, bold graphics and
informative content
make it a valuable resource for Crossroads
referents, patients and
alumni.
The site contains
many useful features,
including an online application and access to
Crossroads’ video,
“Crossroads Centre, Antigua: The Perfect Place
to Begin the Journey of
Recovery.”
“The video is an exCrossroads’ new web site features user friendly options,
ceptional way for people
including an online application form, online video introduction
to understand what
to Crossroads, and information regarding travel.
Crossroads is about,”
said Crossroads’ Execualumni to find information
form to receive a free brotive Officer, Tim Sinnott. “It
about alumni chapter meetchure with the Crossroads
not only leads the viewer
ings and events. In addiCentre Antigua video can
through physical tour of the
be accessed from any page tion, Renewal Program
facility, it also gives insight
updates and regional events
on the website as well.
into the program’s holistic
approach to recovery.”
The site is also a central will be posted on the site.
point for Crossroads’
A link to an online order