Welcome to 2012! We are looking forward to a brand-new year, full of opportunities to connect with each other, at luncheons, conferences or just one-on-one. It’s hard to get away from at least thinking about healthy changes we would like to make this year, even if we aren’t a big fan of resolutions (due to the oft-inevitable breaking of said resolutions). However, we know that for any change to be sustainable, we must come at it in small, manageable steps, ensuring the goal aligns with our deeper values and goals. We encourage you to think about one small, important change you can make for yourself this year, whether it be to read more, connect with friends more often or find the resources for achieving better physical health. These changes make you a happier, more productive person, in turn beginning a positive ripple in the world around you. And we promise to be here, walking the walk with you every step of the way.

This month, Dr. Tian Dayton gives us all the opportunity to take part in a study she is conducting on Adult Children of Alcoholism or Addiction (ACOA). Just click on the link in her article to take the survey and you’ll receive data once it has been compiled.

Resolutions are something that most people are either making or thinking about making right about now, and none quite so important than the resolution to get clean. Angie Carter knows a thing or two about this and how challenging the following-through part can be. She shares her journey and a few things she learned along the way about Resolve, Relapse and Regret.

Larry Smith provides us with a very user-friendly guide to affirmations to begin the reprogramming of all the negative thoughts that can sabotage recovery – and, indeed, peace of mind and wellbeing in general.

Moving us into a completely separate topic, Catherine Auman begins the discussion about sex addiction: is there such a thing or not? It is currently the addiction de rigueur for many a celebrity caught in an indiscretion, but how accurate a description is it? An interesting and relevant topic, to be sure.

Yet another hot topic in the mental health field these days is ADHD. But a relatively unexamined aspect of it is how it affects girls, which, new research reveals is significantly different from boys. Dr. Jack Hinman breaks down the differences, providing an important and largely unexamined perspective.

Kansas Cafferty shares his personal journey from client to counselor and the lessons he learned along the way, particularly about how one relates to the other. He compares the “tough love” approach to a more gentle, loving approach, addresses the pros and cons and concludes that love may just be all you need.

New RecoveryView.com contributor, Dr. Meghan Marcum, discusses the importance of relaxation on mental health and an overall sense of wellbeing. And she goes one step further to provide a simple guide to meditation to kick off the New Year with a nice, deep breath.

And from another RecoveryView.com newcomer, Dr. Daniel Tomasulo, we learn that expressing gratitude to someone – even if, especially if, that person is not actually a person but God – can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Through the experiential technique of the Virtual Gratitude Visit, a person may experience benefits long after the actual “visit”, making it worth a try.

Our first featured RecoveryView.com member is Connect for Healthcare, a revolutionary but simple way to stay connected with loved ones in treatment centers of all kinds – recovery or otherwise. Founders Neil Moore and Craig Gordon, childhood friends who reconnected after more than 20 years, bring not only their professional expertise to the company, but also their personal experience and, therefore, passion to every aspect of Connect for Healthcare.
Shahan Suzmeyan, Director of Marketing for CRC Health’s West Coast treatment facilities, has walked down an oft-winding and challenging path to get where he is now, which, of course, makes for a really interesting story. His desire to connect people – be it addicts to appropriate treatment centers, or the members of the very community in which he lives – drives him to creative solutions to often complicated issues. We’re excited to connect you to his story in this issue.

Our book club highlights frequent RecoveryView.com contributor, Dr. Stephen Grinstead’s book, Freedom from Suffering: A Journey of Hope, which is packed with valuable information about his long-standing work and research into chronic pain. We also selected to highlight Jennifer Storm’s memoir, Blackout Girl. An unflinching view of her struggles with drug and alcohol abuse and addiction, and her eventual freedom from it, her story will no doubt touch a chord with many readers, as well as inspire them and give them hope.

Please enjoy our New Year’s gift to you, and be sure to give yourself the gift of a more peaceful, saner existence through positive choices for you and your family. All the best!