Need Drug Rehab? Don't Go to One That Doesn't Offer Family Therapy

Having an educated and supportive family to come home to after drug or alcohol rehab is one of the best ways to promote long term sobriety. Also to minimize the risks of relapse, and one of the best ways that family can learn to support the addict in recovery is through involved participation in family therapies at drug rehab.

Addictions professionals agree that the family participation is enormously beneficial to the recovering addict, so why don't all rehabs include family therapy and programming as a part of standard care?

The issues, as it so often does, comes back to costs of service; and it simply costs more money for a drug or alcohol rehab to run additional and peripheral therapies, educational seminars and family group meetings. Although these are proven very effective, too many rehabs get away with sending family to al anon as a substitute for true and active participation in the therapies of rehab.

How does family involvement in rehab help?

Individual therapy with a psychologist and the whole family, including the addict, can help the family to learn together why the drinking or drugging occurs, learn what family dynamics may be contributing to the problem, and also begin to heal some of the negative emotions invariably created out of the behaviors of substance abuse.

Family educational seminars educate the family about the nature and manipulations of addiction, about the dangers of the drug taken in particular, and about concrete strategies they can use to assist the recovering addict maintain sobriety once out of rehab and back in the home.

Family group sessions, in which the families of all recovering addicts in the program share experiences together, can also help to heal some of the rifts created by addiction; and families learn that their pain and suffering is in no way unique, and they also learn that they need not feel guilty for things beyond their control.

Family participation is important

Family involvement in a drug or alcohol rehab is incredibly helpful to all members of the family, and really assists the recovering addict tremendously once back home, and as such finding a rehab that is close enough for easy family participation should be a priority in the selection process.

If two rehabs are under consideration, and all else seems equal, choose the facility that offers more comprehensive family involvement. It will help a lot, and it indicates that a good portion of your admissions check is being spent on therapy and programming to benefit the recovering addict, and not on exorbitant profits for the owner.

Even if the family does not intend on participating, rehabs that do not offer family therapy, or offer very minimal familial participation, should be considered a little bit suspect. Family participation helps, and if a rehab doesn't offer it; why not?

Nostalgic Christmas Tree Ornaments and More - Many Created From Nature

Whether it's from your own backyard; the local nursery; or a farmer's market... nature provides for stunning decorations. Toss in a few store-bought touches and the combination is beautifully nostalgic. And speaking of nature let's face it: People first decorated their tree with what they found in nature.

Let's begin with Christmas tree ornaments.

Before you rake up all the colorful fall leaves, gather some for ornaments. Wrap them around Styrofoam balls or other shapes. Hold in place with a little bit of glue and then cover with a thin coat of shellac if necessary. If you're especially creative you can add some gold gilting that outlines the veins in the leaves. Or paint another favorite design onto the leaf ornaments.

Sprigs of holly full of red berries can be placed throughout your tree. They add color and a different texture to your fir or spruce tree.

And don't forget pine cones! Do your best to gather different shapes and sizes for interesting variety. You can paint the tips white to look like snow, or use a metallic gold or silver paint. Sometimes using gold and silver on the same cones can really warm up the silver (it tends to look "cold").

There are a several ways to hang the cones. One way is to use a dollop of glue applied to the bottom of the pine cone and add string for hanging the cone from the tree. Another option is using a very thin wire. Bend it around the cone and then use the remaining length to create a hook for hanging from the branch. For eco-friendly decorating, use strips of organic cotton fabric in holiday colors to hang the pine cone ornaments on the Christmas tree.

Real mistletoe also adds some magic to your Christmas tree. Simply take a sprig, wrap one end in ribbon and hang them throughout the tree. Depending on your color scheme you can use red ribbon or try purple and gold with a splash of green.

Eucalyptus is another natural decoration that compliments the dark green pine colors nicely. Try tying it up like mistletoe. Or maybe you prefer to use it as a garland for your tree.

And speaking of garland... there are many berries from the yard that will add bright color to your holiday tree. And as you make your string of berries, include popcorn on the same string of garland. It makes for a very colorful decoration that you and your children will enjoy making. Just string it all together with needle and thread. And if you don't have any berries in your yard you can always get cranberries from the grocery store.

Two final tips for your garland: Use a small brush to carefully add a little shellac to your berries and popcorn. It will keep away the bugs and your garland will last longer too. And second, here's a rule of thumb for all types of garland: For every 1-foot of vertical tree height you'll need about 10 linear feet of garland.

Garlands from centuries long gone by were made from flowers, leaves, feathers, and even precious metal and jewels. Maybe you can create something all your own from those ideas and your local craft store.

Some of the first decorations on trees included fruit and nuts. You can hang the fruit by stabbing a pipe cleaner through the apples, oranges, lemons, or pears. And if you want to get a little bit fancy you can coat the fruit in sugar. Dip it in egg whites; let the excess drip off, roll it in a bowl of granular sugar and carefully set aside to dry. Give your fruit plenty of time to dry, at least overnight.

Nuts might be sugared almonds in tiny paper baskets hung on the tree. Or use whole walnuts in the shell hung with fishing line. Again you can paint the walnut shells in metallic colors if you wish.

I know a couple who use poinsettia plants in different colors throughout their home as their only decoration. Wrap the bases in colorful foils with ribbons and it's truly a beautiful sight. You could even create poinsettia trees by stacking several of them on stands arranged in the shape of a tree!

And to help the wild birds during the winter you can decorate your outdoor trees. Make garlands from unsalted popcorn or cranberries. Also hang orange halves and seed-covered suet cakes. You'll help feed the birds and get the added enjoyment of watching them.

Nature, a few touches from the craft store, and your imagination all combine for a nostalgic Christmas that promises many great memories. Make ornaments, garland, or other centerpieces using the ideas in this article. It will be a wholesome family Christmas that you'll treasure for years to come.

This Is It - Heal The World Credits - Video - HD 1080p - Buy The Movie Right Now!

Michael Jackson's This Is It (commonly known as This Is It) is a 2009 American documentaryconcert film directed by Kenny Ortega that documents Michael Jackson's rehearsals and preparation for the concert series of the same name scheduled to start on July 13, 2009, but canceled due to his death eighteen days prior on June 25. The film is now the highest grossing concert movie and documentary in the history of cinema.[6] The film consists of Jackson rehearsing musical numbers and directing his team, and additional behind the scenes footage including dancer auditions and costume design. The film's director Kenny Ortega confirmed that none of this footage was originally intended for release, but after Jackson's death it was agreed that the film be made for his fans. Ortega dedicated the film to Jackson's three children. The footage was filmed at both the Staples Center arena and The Forum in Los Angeles, California. Despite originally being set for October 30, the film's release date was rescheduled for October 28, 2009 due to a strong demand by Jackson's fans. The film was given a wide worldwide release and a limited two-week theatrical run from October 28, to November 12, 2009. Tickets went on sale a month early on September 27, 2009, to satisfy a high anticipated demand; to date, the film has broken numerous records via tickets both pre-sale and sales worldwide. Since the film's confirmation, AEG Live has faced criticism; mostly consisting of claims that they had only made ...



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