THE RESILIENCE REPORT
Issue: September, 2021
Community Announcements
Find out what’s new and changing at Resilience
by David Inzano
This past month we have had two staff members change roles within our community, as well as new program developments! First, we have Nathan Alvey stepping into our Assistant Program Director role. Nathan previously served as our Lead Recovery Advocate and will now support our Program Director, Ryan Smith, in ensuring our program is running smoothly and that our clients are getting the best care possible. Nathan has been with Resilience for almost 3 years; he started as an Overnight Recovery Advocate, working his way up and served as our Lead Recovery Advocate for a little over a year. In that time Nathan has learned the “ins and outs” of Resilience’s program which has made him an excellent support for our very busy Program Director! Nate also has a real gift for connecting with clients and plans to pursue his MSW next year. We are so excited for him!
Next, we have Gavin Whitteker who has moved into our new Alumni Coordinator position. Gavin has served on our team as a Recovery Advocate for over a year and in that time has demonstrated his commitment to our clients, staff, and our community as a whole. As we expand our programming at Resilience and as more and more young men graduate from Resilience, it has become clear that a need to create a true Alumni program has emerged. Gavin will be the first person at Resilience to step into this role and will truly be building the program from the ground up. Gavin has been hard at work developing the program to serve our alumni community, which will greatly benefit both our clients and alumni families. Keep an eye out for a phone call from Gavin, as he is very excited to start forging this next phase of our program! We are blessed to have both of these committed individuals help lead our young men!
Community Outings
August — Outdoor Paintball
August saw the guys braving the hot summer weather to get outside for some competitive paintball. Our clients, usually only experiencing this kind of action in video games, always look forward to getting to experience this adrenaline filled game in person! Staff even joined in too, which we’re sure provided some mild stress relief for our population!
September — Smash Room
For the month of September, guys will be experiencing a relatively new trend, a “Smash Room”. These interesting and unique rooms started popping up right before COVID shut down the world. These rooms create a safe place to release any pent up anger or frustration that people may be holding onto. Clients will write various stressors on plates and other objects and then can proceed to break or smash the object. Afterwards we will head to the beach to process our experience, from what we chose to “smash” to how the exercise makes us feel.
12-Step Reflection
Step 8: “Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all”
A look back at our “Step of the Month”
by David Inzano
With August being the 8th month of the year, I would like to take a brief moment to discuss Alcoholics Anonymous’ eighth step. The AA program provides the recovering alcoholic many opportunities to take an inward look and conduct an honest inventory of their lives. This is the second mention of a list, or “inventory,” in the 12 steps; the first being in Step 4. Step 4 has the alcoholic take a look at resentments, fears, and sexual conduct to see where we have created blocks or walls between us, our fellows, and a Higher Power. That step and the steps leading up to our list in Step 8, allows the suffering alcoholic to process through these resentments and shed light on the importance of the matter or “our side of the street”. I refer to Step 4 and 5 as the “What” steps – we get to look at what is causing a divide. Steps 6 and 7 serve as the “Why” steps – why is this causing a divide? Leading us to the subject today, Step 8, the “Who” steps, who have we harmed? When arriving at Step 8 the alcoholic gets to look over their previous inventory from Step 4 to start formulating a list of names and places in which they will make formal amends to in Step 9. For this reason, Step 8 could be looked at as a preparation step. Amends can take on many different forms depending on the damage caused. It could look like a financial reparation to the person or place harmed based on items lost to the alcoholic in active addiction. It could look like recognizing behaviors and ways of being that did not serve us or those about us through our 5th Step, asking our Higher Power to remove them in our 7th Step, and finally, becoming willing to admit it to the party harmed in our 8th Step. It could look like volunteering time and resources to a group or individual based on time the alcoholic previously took advantage of. It could look like turning oneself into the proper authorities based on crimes committed throughout an alcoholic’s using career and warrants that may still be active. It could even look like making amends to those who did not even know a harm has been committed, since the wording of Step 8 explicitly states “made a list of all persons we had harmed…” No matter what the future amends may look like, Step 8 provides us an opportunity to ready ourselves, to become willing, no matter the cost, to finally put others first and repair damages done through the loving safety of a Higher Power.
“It is the beginning of the end of isolation from our fellows and from God.”
— 12 Steps and 12 Traditions, Pg. #82
Overdose Awareness Day: August 31st
by Stephanie Martinez
Tomorrow is Overdose Awareness Day; and for us, in recovery and in the treatment industry, it’s a day for reflection. It’s a day to remember all who we’ve lost to the battle of addiction – our friends, brothers, sisters, parents, and children. It’s a day to remember that we are not alone. They say recovery – the solution – is in the “we”; it’s actually the first word in the forward of the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous. “We, of Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body.” (First edition 1939, BB page XIII ). A reminder from our founders that we can and do recover and that we do it together. We are not alone. We don’t do this thing in a vacuum. Conversely, it’s interesting to think about how we recover together but when we’re drinking and using drugs, we’re usually alone. Not to say we don’t drink or use drugs with others – that’s often how it starts out. But when it comes down to it; we are alone in our disease – we are alone in our minds. My battle is not your battle. We may have similar stories – but when I am in my disease, I cannot comprehend your experience; I can only see my own troubles. We drink and use drugs to escape the loneliness and the constant battle of thoughts in our minds. We drink and use drugs because we have lost the power of choice – not “we” collectively, but as individuals – I have lost my choice, and you have lost yours. I am alone. I cannot stop drinking or using without the help of others – and without the help of a higher power. This singular thought – I am alone – has caused more pain and suffering than from any physical wounds. When this thought goes uninterrupted for too long – for addicts and alcoholics, it becomes dangerous. Survivors of overdose and suicide often recollect this thought and this feeling of hopelessness. If we, in recovery and those closest to us, can all recognize this and acknowledge the feeling for what it is – a thought that has internalized as a feeling, that can manifest in different ways in our lives – then we may have a chance of moving through it to beyond hopelessness – to hope. We may have a chance at recognizing it in ourselves and in others; which brings us one step closer to one less overdose. As we go through our day tomorrow and through the rest of this week, let’s keep all those who we’ve lost in our hearts and in our minds. Our prayers and our love is sent out to all the families and surviving loved ones who are healing from an overdose – you are not alone. We are all in this together.
Scholar’s Corner
Our Education Coordinator provides an academic update
by Rayna Braff
As summer ends and we head back to school, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of our recent academic achievements. Congratulations to some recent high school graduates including Christopher and Dawson as well as a shout out to Carson on completing his GED. All three residents will be starting college in the fall. Chris and Carson are headed to Palm Beach State College and Dawson is starting at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. Two additional scholars are returning to college this fall. John returns to Palm Beach State and Ben will be taking virtual classes at both Seminole State and the University of Central Florida. These are not the only students hard at work on their studies. Completing their senior years are Kyle, Jake, and Joey who are hard at work and only a few classes away from a diploma. Finn, Harrison and Client are also hard at work taking online high school classes. As we roll into fall, let’s make sure we take a moment to acknowledge the hard work and dedication it takes to work on school while continuing to focus on building a new life in recovery. Ben, John, Carson, Chris, Jake, Kyle, and Joey all have jobs in addition to school and recovery goals that they are continuing work towards. We at Resilience Recovery are exceedingly proud and honored to be a part of these young men’s journey towards a life filled with meaning, purpose, and self-worth!
Anniversaries & Birthdays
Past Month – August:
David (Staff) – August 4th: Natal Birthday
Alex B — August 11th: Natal Birthday
John M — August 15th: celebrated 1 Year Sober Anniversary!
Greg (Staff) – August 31st: Natal Birthday
Upcoming – September:
Ramses — September 12th: Natal Birthday
Ryan (Staff) – September 12th: celebrates his 5 Year Sober Anniversary!
Ben – September 25th: celebrates his 1 Year Sober Anniversary!
Kyle — September 20th: Natal Birthday
Marcus (Staff) – September 22nd: Natal Birthday
Recovery Joke of the Month
Why did the accountant do so well in AA?…
….He was already a friend of bills.
Addiction Fact of the Month
Untreated addiction is more expensive than heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined.
If you need any support or want to join us at next month’s outing or any community events, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 561-247-3589!
“The Spiritual Life is not a theory. We have to live it!”
