February 2022
Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise... Maya Angelou
What Black History Means To Me For many, Black History Month is a reminder of everything our ancestors endured and overcame. It is a 28-day marathon of reflection, pride and patriotism. It is a declaration of the strength of African American people. And while I am honored by the leaders whose ideologies we reflect upon; I find it hurtful and damaging that we are still too scared to address our scars and how they affect our mental health. Given that African Americans were enslaved and brought to the U.S. by their oppressors and American colonists, is there not a need to further explore the devastations that African Americans have faced? How do we as a nation digest the fact that those once seen as 3/5 of a person, or even as property, are still in need of healing? How do we address the current oppression, discrimination and wrongful killing of Black people to this day? We are perceived as strong for we are tenacious, but strength and resilience should not be built solely through suffering. I have watched many idolize people like George Floyd as if they were martyrs. But they were not martyrs, they were victims who did not have a choice of life or death or even liberty or death. I am sure if you asked their families, they would much rather the continued existence of their loved ones than the admiration that only came after bullet wounds, suffocation, lynching or other hate-filled acts of murder. As an African American/Black man, I would like to be respected for my strength and tenacity in moving forward and progressing in a way that I choose. And my choice has been to develop a wellness recovery action plan that allows me to champion and advocate for mental health reform. I don’t want to be admired PAGE 1 Paula Crane Center
for suffering in silence and being resilient after prejudices that should be illegal — I want to be admired for speaking out about mental health. My feeling of this year’s Black History Month is that a mental health movement that breaks through for the African American community which is more important now than ever. We have built upon the legacies of others due to our contributions to science, technology, agriculture, and medicine and now it is time to rebuild our own state of well-being. It is time for America to address our need for healing, not in a self-serving manner that allows delegates and racist parties to rid themselves of guilt while neglecting any accountability, but in a way that allows those reforming current policies to actively engage and understand the current state of the African American population with a focus on equity. For me, it’s helpful to remember the life of Chadwick Boseman, who in real life was stronger than the character he portrayed. As a fellow South Carolina native, he reminded me of the power of our voice and its amplification when followed by our actions. His passion and persistence even while in severe pain from cancer reminds me that we as a people need to take action to enrich our lives, and the lives of those who are to come after us, through prioritizing our mental health. Not only in tragedy, but in triumph.
This journey has brought me out of the dark and into the light of truth, humility, gratitude and awareness.
I'm a person in long term recovery and because of recovery I've been awakened to the reality of living life healthy. This journey has brought me out of the dark and into the light of truth, humility, gratitude and awareness. I've learned and I'm still learning how to face the terms of life and find enthusiasm no matter what the situation or the circumstances may be. Acceptance of myself comes when I develop a healthy relationship with reality. I have become free to enjoy the simple things in life like living in harmony with nature. It has been simple things like seeing the colors in the changing of leaves or feeling the wind in my face that I feel the joy of being alive. On this journey, life has not spared me hardships. It has given me the appreciation to find lessons in difficulty. The difficulties continue as well the lessons which have been my best teacher. If I could relive my life I wouldn't change a thing. It's all been worth while on my journey. Paula Crane Center PAGE 2
Facts about Black History Article submitted by Sheneta Hamilton
What is Black History? Black history is the known and unknown past truth about African Americans. According to history.com, Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history. What is Black History Month? Black History Month is the month, February, set aside for the world to celebrate the struggles and accomPAGE 3 Paula Crane Center
plishments of Blacks; though it should be celebrated all 365 days per year. It is a month set aside to pay homage to our ancestors; those that paved the way for us to even exist. According to history.com, The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), an organization dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent. Did you know? The NAACP was founded on February 12, 1909, the centennial anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
In the decades that followed, mayors of cities across the country began issuing yearly proclamations recognizing "Negro History Week." By the late 1960s, thanks in part to the civil rights movement and a growing awareness of Black identity, "Negro History Week" had evolved into Black History Month on many college campuses. President Gerald Ford officially recognized Black History Month in 1976, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Today, Black History Month is a time to honor the contributions and legacy of African Americans across U.S. history and society—from activists and civil rights pio-
neers such as Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Rosa Parks to leaders in industry, politics, science, culture and more. Since 1976, every American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The Black History Month 2022 theme, “Black Health and Wellness,” explores "the legacy of not only Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, but also other ways of knowing (e.g., birth workers, doulas, midwives, naturopaths, herbalists, etc.) throughout the African Diaspora. The 2022 theme considers activities, rituals and initiatives that Black communities have done to be well."
Myths about the history of Black people in America To study American history is often an exercise in learning partial truths and patriotic fables. Textbooks and curricula throughout the country continue to center the white experience, with Black people often quarantined to a short section about slavery and quotes by Martin Luther King Jr. Many walk away from their high school history class — and through the world — with a severe lack of understanding of the history and perspective of Black people in America. Previously, the New York Times’s 1619 Project burst open a long-overdue conversation about how stories of Black Americans need to be told through the lens of Black Americans themselves. In this tradition, and in celebration of Black History Month, we have learned from prominent Black scholars and historians about myths that perpetuate about Black history. Ultimately, understanding Black history is more than learning about the brutality and oppression Black people have endured — it’s about the ways they have fought to survive and thrive in America. MYTH 1: THAT ENSLAVED PEOPLE pendent economic activities with banks, local merchants, and their DID NOT HAVE MONEY Enslaved people were money. Their enslavers. Elizabeth Keckley, a skilled seamstress whose dresses for bodies and labor were the capital that fueled the country’s founding Abraham Lincoln’s wife are displayed in Smithsonian museums, and wealth. supported her enslaver’s entire But many also had money. Enslaved people actively participated family and still earned enough to in the informal and formal market pay for her freedom. Free and enslaved market womeconomy. They saved money earned from overwork, from hiring en dominated local marketplaces, themselves out, and through inde- including in Savannah and
Charleston, controlling networks that crisscrossed the countryside. They ensured fresh supplies of fruits, vegetables, and eggs for the markets, as well as a steady flow of cash to enslaved people. Whites described these women as “loose” and “disorderly” to criticize their actions as unacceptable behavior for women, but white people of all classes depended on them for survival. Continued on page 5
Paula Crane Center PAGE 4
MYTH 2: THAT BLACK MEN WERE INJECTED WITH SYPHILIS IN THE TUSKEGEE EXPERIMENT A dangerous myth that continues to haunt Black Americans is the belief that the government infected 600 Black men in Macon County, Alabama, with syphilis. This myth has created generations of African Americans with a healthy distrust of the American medical profession. While these men weren’t injected with syphilis, their story does illuminate an important truth: America’s medical past is steeped in racialized terror and the exploitation of Black bodies. The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male emerged from a study group formed in 1932 connected with the venereal disease section of the US Public Health Service. The purpose of the experiment was to test the impact of syphilis untreated and was conducted at what is now Tuskegee University, a historically Black university in Macon County, Alabama. The 600 Black men in the experiment were not given syphilis. Instead, 399 men already had stages of the disease, and the 201 who did not served as a control group. Both groups were withheld from treatment of any kind for the 40 years they were observed. The men were subjected to humiliating and often painfully invasive tests and experiments including spinal taps. Deemed uneducated and impoverished sharecroppers, these men were lured by free medical examinations, hot meals, free treatment for minor injuries, rides to and from the hospital, and guaranteed burial stipends (up to $50) to be paid to their survivors. The study also did not occur in total secret, and several African American health workers and educators associated with the Tuskegee Institute assisted in the study. By the end of the study in the summer of 1972, after a whistleblower exposed the story in national headlines, only 74 of the test subjects were still alive. From the original 399 infected men, 28 had died of syphilis, 100 others from related complications. Forty of the men’s wives had been infected, and an estimated 19 of their children were born with congenital syphilis. As a result of the case, the US Department of Health and Human Services established the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) in 1974 to oversee clinical trials. The case also solidified the idea of blacks being cast and used as medical guinea pigs.
An unfortunate side effect of both the truth of medical racism and the myth of syphilis injection, however, is it tangibly reinforces the inability to place trust in the medical system for some African Americans who may not choose to seek out assistance, and as a result put themselves in danger. MYTH 3: THAT CRACK IN THE “GHETTO” WAS THE LARGEST DRUG CRISIS OF THE 1980S The bodies of people of color have a pernicious history of total exploitation and criminalization in the US. Like total war, total exploitation enlists and mobilizes the resources of mainstream society to obliterate the resources and infrastructure of the vulnerable. This has been done to Black people through a robust prison industrial complex that feeds on their vilification, incarceration, disenfranchisement, and erasure. And the crack epidemic of the late 1980s and ’90s is a clear example of this cycle. Even though more white people reported using crack more than Black people in a 1991 National Institute on Drug Abuse survey, Black people were sentenced for crack offenses eight times more than whites. Meanwhile, there was a corresponding cocaine epidemic in white suburbs and college campuses that compelled the US to install harsher penalties for crack than for cocaine. For example, in 1986, before the enactment of federal mandatory minimum sentencing for crack cocaine offenses, the average federal drug sentence for African Americans was 11 percent higher than for whites. Four years later, the average federal drug sentence for African Americans was 49 percent higher. Even through the ’90s and beyond, the media and supposed liberal allies, like Hillary Clinton, designated Black children and teens as drug dealing “superpredators” to mostly white audiences. The criminalization of people of color during the crack epidemic made mainstream white Americans comfortable knowing that this was a contained blackon-black problem.
February is a month filled with impactful themes- Heart Healthy Month, Black History Month, and Valentine’s Day- Love Day. Heart Healthy Month is a nobrainer. You do the D.E.W. – Diet, Exercise, and Water. For your diet it is not just eating health foods, but also small portions of food. Just eating small portions. If you are going out to eat, once you get your meal, get a carry out container, split the meal in half. What you see is what you eat. Take the other half home for a later meal. For exercise it is 3 to 4 times a week workout with walking, jogging, cutting the lawn or riding a bike. Make each exercise session at least 30 minutes. Work up a good sweat. Make sure you have something to eat 1 hour or more before you exercise, and of course, your water, which is ½ your body weight. Get that water in every day. Love Day Celebration is all about thinking about those you love. It does not necessarily resolve in candy and/or a card. It can be a call to let them know how much you love
them. It can be some flowers/roses delivered to them. It can be a letter written to them about your love and appreciation off their relationship in your life. Whatever your gesture, let it be sincere and share it with love from your heart. Last but not least is Black History Month, Celebration the History of Americans of African lineage. There are too many to name. In the past it only took (1) drop of blood to make you black. Wow, what a powerful blood. It is the shedding of that black blood that help build this country. It is on the backs of many Americans of African lineages we stand. The many enslaved men, women, boys, girls, and babies who worked without pay, barely enough food, never taught to read. “But Still I Rise.” To be a Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglas, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Ronald H. Brownfirst American descent to serve as Secretary of Commerce in President Bill Clinton’s Administration, the Rosewood community, Black Wallstreet Community, Em-
mitt D. Hill – my grandfather and Pearlie M. Hill – my grandmother. Just to name a few. There were millions more whose names are hidden in waters of the seas and oceans who were thrown off or jumped off from the slave ships. Many who’s blood, sweat, tears and bodies, we stand on literarily and figuratively. Many bodies buried in unmarked graves rest in the lands, rivers, wells lakes, and the like throughout this country. Our mere soil is fertilized by the residuals of the vilest enslavement the global society has ever known. Never the less, black history is great history because of it, Americans of African lineage are here today. This Dathon D. Brown in closing, keep your heart healthy; celebrate love in all of your relationships with God, yourself, and others – Celebrate Love Day with Love; and know your history whether it is African, Italian, Russian, German, Haitian, Brazilian or the like. Written by Dathon Brown Paula Crane Center PAGE 6
Meet Dr. Lester Carter
Submitted By: Sheneta Hamilton GED Teacher/Job Coach
Meet Dr. Lester Carter from, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, an African American male starting his own business in the 1960s. Challenges were nothing new to Pharmacist Lester Carter and on April 1, 1968, he opened Carter Drug Store, one of two Black owned drug stores in Milwaukee for 47 years. “In the back of my mind I knew I always wanted to get the best training humanly possible and to have a first-class community pharmacy,” said Carter, who is also a herbologist and responsible for several formulas used for many stubborn medical problems, including scalp ringworm and razor bumps. Pharmacist Carter has trained many young pharmacy graduates, and reminds young people there is no substitute for hard work and dedication to scholastic excellence to be successful PAGE 7 Paula Crane Center
As an African-American pharmacist from Omaha, Nebraska in the 1960s, Lester L. Carter, Jr. took the unprecedented step of opening his own store in a predominantly German neighborhood in Milwaukee.
in life. Dr. Lester L. Carter Jr, RPh, offers advice on everything from cancer and diabetes to arthritis and kidney and liver health. He also learned of the uses of aloe vera, witch hazel, milk thistle, and valerian root. As Jesse Garza notes in the Journal Sentinel profile: "Carter doesn't poo-poo the value of prescription medications, but he urges patients and physicians to keep their minds open to natural alternatives, especially if prescription medications cause painful or dangerous side effects." His story begins in his home state of Nebraska as the only child of parents who didn’t finish grade school. His first job at age 14 was working as a “house boy” in a swank resort in Lake Okoboji, Iowa. He was charged with teach-
ing rich white children how to swim. There was only one problem: He had to first learn how to swim himself. He went through a lifeguard program and spent the next four summers doing just that. He liked the water so much he joined the U.S. Navy. Dr. Carter took an aptitude test after boot camp, and it showed he’d be good in medicine. He was sent to corpsman’s school in Portsmouth, Virginia, for training in health care. After finishing, he was assigned to the USS Tortuga for two and a half years. His job, he says, “was to keep the sailors straightened out.”
After four years in the Navy, he was discharged in 1954 and decided to go to pharmacy school. Through the GI bill, he attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. There were 42 people in his program, he says, and he was the only African American. During his junior year, Dr. Carter was hired by one of the biggest pharmacy names in the country, Rexall. The pharmacy was in one of the richest and whitest neighborhoods in Omaha. His job? To mop the floors, clean the shelves and run a 20-seat fountain. He met racism with a smile. “You don’t act mad; you just suck it all in. This is the type of atmosphere that I came up in,” Dr. Carter says. “The government paid my tuition, but I had to live. I had to pay rent Dr. Carter graduated in 1958. He was now a pharmacist, but Rexall didn’t know what to do with him. “We can’t have a Black pharmacist in a rich white store. It’s unheard of,” he recalls officials saying. The store came up with a solution by creating a space in the back where Dr. Carter could not be seen. The managers put him in charge of compounding prescriptions.
It suited him well because it was something he wanted to learn how to do as he waited for his opportunity to take over the entire pharmacy, which he would do six years later. His best health advice: “Lose weight. About 70% -80% (of African Americans) are overweight and, of that, 20% are obese. That is one of the main reasons we are prime candidates for this virus COVID-19 and a whole host of other health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure,” he says. “Fast food is some of the worst there is. We need to get back to cooking meals.” I asked Dr. Carter what the best part of his career has been. “The whole career has been very good to me,” he says. “I went to one of the best schools in the country and then to get a store of my own for 47 years. I still got a reasonable amount of health. I don’t take any pills. I’m still here. When I go to the doctor, he just looks at me and says, ‘I’ll see you in six months.’” Dr Carter turned 90 years old on August 10, 2021, and physically left this world on January 31, 2022, yet his healing spirit will always live on.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Holidays often provide us with an opportunity to celebrate with our families and friends, as well as practice our much-loved traditions.
This year, I have been reflecting on those who struggle with a myriad of challenges that make enjoying the presence of Cupid, hearts and chocolates virtually impossible. Following are some likely “firsts” that you may endure, and basic tips that will not only help you survive Valentine’s Day, but thrive as well.
The First Valentine’s Day… Alone Whether from a breakup, death, or other separation, being “alone” does not have to mean being lonely. Let’s start with taking the pressure PAGE 9 Paula Crane Center
Remember, you are loveable, & being lovable begins with self love. off of you to appear that your life is perfect. Why not take a hiatus from social media? Imagine Valentine’s Day without looking at the Snapchat or Instagram photos of couples that always appear to be having the most amazing time. Follow that with the realization that no one has the “perfect” life – work hard not to compare yourself with others. I also like the gift of a rainy-day letter to self. This is simply an affirming letter that you write when feeling grateful & positive. Tuck it away and read it on Valentine’s Day.
The First Valentine’s Day…in Recovery How about getting real with the impact that drugs, alcohol, food, or other substances have had on your relationships – including the relationship to self? It’s much easier to idealize the romance with substances than remember the hangovers, fights, and lost days due to excess use or obsessive thoughts and behaviors. It is also a blessing to embrace relationships in an authentic way, rather than being numb or in a fog. Finally, how about going on a hike, enjoying a play, or watching a movie rather than an activity that revolves around Champagne and chocolate?
The Frist Valentine’s Day In Recovery By Jaime Vinck, MC, LPC, NCC
Remember, you are loveable, & being lovable begins with self love.
The First Valentine’s Day…with a Recovering Loved One Let’s start with embracing the gift of recovery and that your loved one is “back.” This gift can look differently for everyone so I recommend keeping realistic expectations. It is a process, not an event; a journey, not a destination. The best way to stay in gratitude is to be mindful of the present. Looking into the past can fuel resentments, while looking into the future can produce anxiety. Peace and contentment live in today, where new traditions can be created. I often suggest that individuals start a daily gratitude journal, and then share their gratitude with one another as a family or couple.
We ask our Individuals and their families to “Expect a Miracle” when they arrive at our gates, and we ask them to remember that “You are a Miracle” when they leave. In keeping with Valentine’s Day, I would like to share a quote from Marianne Williamson:
“Miracles occur naturally as expressions of love. The real miracle is the love that inspires them. In this sense everything that comes from love is a miracle.” This Valentine’s Day, may your lives be filled with love, inspiration, and miracles. Paula Crane Center PAGE 10
Make a list of all persons we have harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
OF TWELVE STEPS
PAGE 11 Paula Crane Center
“Every A.A. has found that he can make little headway in this new adventure of living until he first backtracks and really makes an accurate and unsparing survey of the human wreckage he has left in his wake.”– Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, p. 77
Terrified of facing the wreckage of your past? Looking at the shipwreck of your alcoholic life from the shore is one thing, but taking actions to repair and mend what is salvageable is a whole other adventure! Step Eight of AA Alcoholics Anonymous helps recovering alcoholics to live in the greatest peace, in partnership with others and themselves. While Step Four could be seen as your personal housecleaning, Step Eight is more of a social application of the shame reduction that was begun in Step Four, when you realized that you have hurt others as well as yourself because of alcoholic drinking. While working Step Eight you’re just going to make a list of people you have harmed and the specific ways that you have harmed each one. Remember, you have acted with courage working all of your previous steps in AA and staying sober! With Step Eight you have the opportunity to translate your experience of courage into developing a compassionate spirit.
BREAKING DOWN STEP EIGHT OF AA ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS Step Eight of AA Alcoholics Anonymous is the beginning of the process of making amends, forgiving others and possibly being forgiven by them, in addition to forgiving ourselves. By making a list of the people we harmed and becoming willing to make amends, we take action toward healing the past with others and learning how to live in the world with our head held high, looking people right in the eye. HERE’S HOW IT WORKS Step 8 is mostly about identifying the damage you have done to others and listing those names. It doesn’t matter if the harm you caused was from selfishness, carelessness, anger, arrogance, dishonesty or any other
character defect… it doesn’t even matter if you didn’t intend to cause harm. You are going to make a completely thorough list, considering all the ways in which it is possible to cause harm to another person. Some situations are really obvious, for instance if you stole money from a person or business, or if you exhibited physical or emotional abuse. The names on your list could be people you bullied, cheated on or treated coldly. Whether they are living or dead or will want to hear from you or not, it doesn’t matter. You are just making a list.
WARNING! DELAY IS DANGEROUS. With Step Eight you There will be fear and there are going to be people who come to mind who have the opportunity also caused you harm. A lot of people delay in starting to work on Step 8 because they aren’t willing to make amends to these people because they resent to translate your them too much. Even if you are so unwilling that you don’t even want to pray experience of courage for willingness because you can’t imagine having any compassion for certain into developing a people, put their names on the list anyway. The truth is that forgiving someone who harmed us may mean swallowing some pride (without any alcohol to compassionate spirit. wash it down). But unfortunately not forgiving that person costs us our freedom The greatest thing about recovery is that much to our own surprise we become willing to let go of resentment, blame and self-pity, and recognize that we are all just ordinary, garden variety, human beings. So instead of getting caught up in those tricky old feelings, get out your pen and paper and put those names on a list. Paula Crane Center PAGE 12
STEP EIGHT OF AA: JUST PUT IT ON THE LIST! Before you can rebuild relationships, you need to identify the relationships that were damaged. That’s why you are making a Step Eight list. You get to take responsibility for your own part, not someone else’s, and to clean up your side of the street. This is not a list for you to keep in your head; it’s the kind that you need to put down on paper. Putting names on paper takes the ideas out of our heads, where they may have grown to massive proportions, and right-sizes them. You have already catalogued your character defects and moral inventory, and now you’re going to examine some of the same situations from another angle and perspective. For your 8th Step list you should include every name you think of, even if you’re not sure that you owe any amends in that particular situation. You can put your name on that list, with an awareness that the way we make amends to ourselves is the ongoing process of stopping irresponsible and self-destructive behavior. When you feel it’s pretty thorough, take the list and break it into 4 categories with your sponsor: People to make amends to now. Once on a good sober footing. ▪ People to make partial amends to in order to not injure them or others. ▪ People to make amends to later. ▪ People we “may” never be able to make direct personal contact. You’re going to get to practice the PAGE 13 Paula Crane Center
principle of courage while working the Eighth Step because you can’t restrict your list only to those amends that you think will turn out OK. Remember to be incredibly honest, even if what you discover in the truth is painful to accept. As one of the AA old timers in my home group liked to say “The truth is gonna set you free, …but at first it may sting a little bit.” FINISHING STEP EIGHT OF AA ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS There’s a level of honesty in working the 12 Steps that some members of AA exalt in, because of the freedom it brings. The reason one of our slogans is “happy, joyous and free!” is because without alcohol in our lives we have freedom to take a deep breath and exist in the day, relieved of that feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop, the jig to be up, or the police to come knocking. Remember that it takes time to heal from traumas. As addicts we want to rush to the end result. However there is no prize for doing any of the Steps as fast as you can. Impulsively rushing in to make amends without taking the time to work with your sponsor could be as detrimental as not making amends. It’s never too late, but sometimes it’s too early. Remember this: focus on a comprehensive eight step list, then let prayer and meditation the time for forgiveness to come. When you forgive, you heal. When you let go, you grow. You don’t have to look over your shoulder no-mo.
Just put it on the list...
You can put your name on that list, with an awareness that the way we make amends to ourselves is the ongoing process of stopping irresponsible and self-destructive behavior.
REPAIRING BURNED BRIDGES: STEP EIGHT QUESTIONS AND ACTIONS Step Eight helps build awareness that, little by little, we are gaining new attitudes about ourselves and how we deal with other people. Here are some questions to help guide you through working Step Eight: Are there resentments in the way of your willingness to make amends? Are you hesitating in any way before working on the eighth step- if so why? Why is it valuable to determine the exact nature of your wrongs? Why is it so essential that you are very clear about your responsibility?
Are there people to whom you owe an amends who may be a threat to your safety or about whom you are concerned in some other way? Why is simply saying, “I’m sorry” alone not sufficient to repair the damage that you’ve caused? Why is only changing your behavior not sufficient to repair the damage you’ve caused? Do you have amends to make that are financial and therefore you do not want to make them?
Can you imagine what your life would be like if you had already made these amends? Do you have amends to people who have also harmed you?
What is Love? Such a simple word, yet many of us struggle with showing it. Love is an action word, a verb; did you know that? According to dictionary.com, love is an intense feeling of deep affection such as "babies fill parents with feelings of love"; it is also, a great interest and pleasure in something such as, “his love for football". When we become parents what we think is love naturally intensifies from bringing life into this world. Becoming a parent or even the feeling of being in love gives one a sense of what love feels like however that is not all love is. Love starts with YOU. Learning to love yourself first, especially before becoming a parent, is extremely important. Most of us don’t achieve this goal before parenting or don’t become parents which is why it is even more important to work on yourself daily. Self-love looks different for many people, however pertaining to recovery, self-love is giving yourself permission to be loved while staying free. Have you given yourself permission to stay free of all substance abuse? What is going right with you like staying committed to alcohol and drug free?! What are some things you like or don’t like about you; what would you enhance or take away? When you enhance you keep at what is working and when you take away you eliminate what is not adding value to your life. What type of self-love do you practice already like waking up with gratitude also known as daily affirmations? Daily affirmations are one of the best ways to affirm who you are; even if you are not 100% that person you are affirming who you want to be.
What is love? Love is an action word! You are love! You are practicing self-love by showing up to the Paula Crane Life Enrichment Center! You are doing the work to become better -that is true love. By; Sheneta Hamilton GED Teacher/Job Coach Paula Crane Center PAGE 14
LLEGAL
DRUGS AND HEART DISEASE
Most illegal drugs can have adverse cardiovascular effects, ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Injecting illegal drugs also can lead to cardiovascular problems, such as collapsed veins and bacterial infections of the blood vessels and heart valves. Many drugs, such as cocaine, heroin, and various forms of amphetamine, affect the central nervous system and can alter a user’s consciousness. In addition to addiction,
More about Cocaine – the “perfect heartattack drug”
the side effects and risks associated with the use of these drugs include: ▪ changes in body temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure ▪ headaches, abdominal pain, and nausea ▪ impaired judgment and greater risk of some sexually transmitted infections ▪ the added danger of added substances (such as talc, poisons, herbicides, or other particles) which may cause a toxic reaction. ▪ possibility of added substances (such as talc, poisons, herbicides, or other particles) which may cause a toxic reaction. ▪ heart attacks, seizures, and respiratory arrest
all of which can cause a heart attack. An Australian study presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions in 2012 was the first to document these cardiovascular abnormalities in seemingly healthy regular cocaine users long after the immediate effects of cocaine have worn off. Researchers – who called cocaine “the perfect heart attack drug” – showed how users had higher rates of multiple factors associated with higher risks of heart attack and stroke: ▪ 30 percent to 35 percent increase in aortic stiffening; ▪ 8 mm Hg higher systolic blood pressure; and ▪ 18 percent greater thickness of the heart’s left ventricle wall.
PAGE 15 Paula Crane Center
The powdered form of cocaine is either inhaled through the nose (snorted) and absorbed through nasal tissue, or dissolved in water and injected into the bloodstream. Crack is a form of cocaine that has been processed to make a rock crystal that can be smoked. Even so-called recreational cocaine users may have higher blood pressure, stiffer arteries and thicker heart muscle walls than non-users —
A United Nations World Drug Report estimated the prevalence of cocaine use in the United States for 2013 to be 1.6 percent of the population aged 12 and older, and it had remained stable in the previous few years. Cocaine is an illegal drug most often associated with visits to U.S. hospital emergency departments. Cocaine use has been associated with chest pain and myocardial infarction. In 2011, it was involved in an estimated 40.3 percent of illicit drug-related emergency department visits (505,224 visits), versus about 36.4 percent (455,668 visits) for marijuana and about 20.6 percent (258,482 visits) for heroin. Cocaine, amphetamine, and ecstasy can all have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system.
Amphetamines, a class of drugs that includes methamphetamines, can be habitforming and prone to abuse. The drugs are prescribed to treat Parkinson’s, obesity, narcolepsy, and attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADHD). They stimulate the central nervous system (nerves and brain). This increases heart rate and blood pressure and decreases appetite, among other effects. Ecstasy, or MDMA, is illegal. It is known as a synthetic “club drug” with stimulant and hallucinogenic effects.
Drug Abuse is growing among older adults. According to the National Institutes of Health, the number of illicit drug users age 50 and older is increas-
ing. Illegal drug users aged 50 to 59 more than tripled between 2002 and 2012 – from 900,000 to more than 3 million. Larger numbers of older adults also are seeking treatment for substance abuse and having increased hospitalizations and more visits to emergency departments, up more than 130 percent in 55 to 64-year-olds from 2004 to 2009. While it is relatively rare for adults over 65 to have ever used illicit drugs, baby boomers, adults currently in their 50s and early 60s, are more likely to have tried them during their youth than previous generations.
Greater lifetime exposure could lead to higher rates of abuse as baby boomers age.
DID YOU KNOW: In 2018, African Americans were 30 percent more likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic whites. Although African American adults are 40 percent more likely to have high blood pressure, they are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to have their blood pressure under control. Paula Crane Center PAGE 16
JANUARY STATS FOR THE CRANE
SOCIAL MEDIA REACH JANUARY 2021
JANUARY 2021 Contacts
278
Unduplicated Contacts
135
Facebook Reach
4,180
WEBSITE STATS
Instagram Reach
1,772
thecrane.org Site Sessions: 256
GOOGLE STATS
JANUARY 2020 Contacts
Business Profile Views: 566 231
Unduplicated Contacts
84
248
Site Sessions
117
Interactions
123
Google Views
222
Searches
190
Other Views
114
In Case You Missed It 2022 came in quietly, yet still impactful at The Crane. While we celebrated the holidays of a new year and Martin Luther King’s birthday, we still found a way to be beneficial to the community and our Individuals. We kicked the year off with vision boards, resolution building and our regular peer support classes with our CARES Specialist. On the 18th, we brought back our bracelet making workshop with Mrs. Gale and Ms. Robin, where Individuals were given a chance to put their creative juices to work in creating their own jewelry for themselves or their loved ones. Our job coach, Ms. Sheneta, hosted a career fair for those looking to get their foot in the door of great companies on the 21st that included companies such as PSSI, Abacus staffing and more. We also kicked off our first Dialogue Diaries sit down of the year with guest speaker Hashim Baker on the 13th and had our Education Orientation on the 14th with classes already underway.
January came in quietly but we still made a lot of noise once it came in and look forward to getting even louder in FebPAGE 17 Paula Crane Center
Page Views
Virtual NA Meetings held at The Crane every Monday at 12 pm. Connect with others in a virtual group setting with the support of our staff and other peers.
In-Person AA Meetings held at The Crane every Wednesday at 12 pm. This is an one hour and open meeting for anyone that would like to attend.
Double Trouble Meetings, are held every Friday in person at The Crane starting at1 pm. Meeting deals with both mental health and substance use disorders
Breakfast and Chit Chat are held Peer Support Meetings are held Mon- HIV and HEP-C Testing is available every Friday at The Crane from 8 am day through Fridays at 2 pm at The on weekdays. We ask that you call until 9 am, where one can come out Crane. If you would like to attend 770.960.2009 for an appointment. and enjoy coffee, deliciously prepared virtually, give us a call and we can set Walk-ins are welcomed, but the testbreakfast and have a thought provokyou up with a private invitation. ers may or may not be available. ing conversation. Computer class is now offered free every Tuesday at noon. Learn the basic operations of word processing and internet exploring. For advanced users, learn new shortcuts to speed up your productivity!
Paula Crane Center PAGE 18
the Crane
1792 Mt. Zion Rd Morrow GA 30260
Call to save your space (770) 960.2009
Visit us at: thecrane.org Facebook & Instagram