In some parts of the country, snow still falls and frost stubbornly clings to windshields, apparently oblivious to the fact that Spring has arrived. Here in Southern California, however, our weather has begun to oblige, gracing us with gloriously sunny and warm days, of late. Among the many things we love about this time of year are fresh stirrings of new life seen in the tender green shoots on tree branches, wildflowers running crazily down hillsides and the warm breezes that remind us there is always a new beginning right around the corner.

In recovery, this last point cannot be emphasized enough. On a journey that is often marked by setbacks and frustration, fresh starts and second chances are the breaths of fresh air that bring hope back into our experience and give us strength for the new day.

We also want to embrace this season of new creation by letting you in on a project we are very excited about. Coinciding with our June issue, RecoveryView.com will also launch its newly created Book Club. Our stable of talented, experienced and wise authors is a source of constant blessing, but it is certainly not limited to our humble newsletter. These writers also have books that are inspiring, hopeful, brutally honest and often the perfect companion for wherever you are in your journey. We can think of nothing better than to highlight these works in one place, which is precisely what we will do when we launch a new Web page dedicated to these works.

While this project is still in its formational stages, we have visions for reviews; insightful interviews with the authors about their personal process in the creation of their publication; information about how to purchase them; and access to supplemental products and seminars from these authors. We are letting other exciting ideas simmer while we gather information and structure for the Book Club, but in the meantime, we hope you will catch some of our excitement.

Leading this issue, as always, is Dr. Tian Dayton with her timely and insightful perspective on the media maelstrom that is Charlie Sheen, and the consequential discussion now swirling around substance abuse and mental illness and their treatment.

New RecoveryView.com author, Jerry Moe, shares a personal and touching example of the impact of addiction on the children of the addicts. Moe works with the Betty Ford Center’s program for children and reminds us how important it is to treat the entire family in comprehensive addiction treatment.

Dr. Gabor Mate beautifully examines and compassionately unwraps the experiences and predispositions that lead to someone becoming addicted to a substance or other harmful behavior in the first place. This article is at once informative and touching – a real gift from a leading expert in our field.

Judge Jim Gray, a former Superior Court judge in Orange County, California, presents an historical perspective on laws prohibiting alcohol and the resulting troubles. He lends his experience as an integral part of our country’s legal system and gives us insight into his perspective regarding our current issue with the legalization of marijuana – thought-provoking and intriguing.

In “A Relationship of a Different Sort”, Angie Carter sheds light on the function of denial in sustaining an addict’s bond with his or her substance. The negative effects of the addiction are apparent to most people, including the addict, but it is often the (albeit-harmful) lifeline to which the addict clings when nothing else in life seems to make sense or work. Carter provides practical and useful steps toward breaking through the denial and replacing the toxic relationship with healthier ones.

Dr. Stephen Grinstead’s work in the field of pain management has put him on the front lines of prescription medication addiction. He explains the intricacies of appropriately managing chronic pain without crossing over into the dangerous territory of addiction on the very substances that provide legitimate relief.

The concept of triggers in addiction is all-too-familiar, but if we were to break it down, most of us couldn’t tell you what makes a trigger a trigger. It is into this topic that Bob Tyler delves, both deconstructing the concept of what a trigger is and suggesting that it is even possible to recover from one.

Sheri Laine is something of an expert on the concept of working toward that elusive quality of balance that everyone wants. In her 25 years of practicing Oriental Medicine, her clients often look to her to illuminate the path to that seeming nirvana where every aspect of life is perfectly aligned. She shares what she has learned in her substantial career, based on an original concept she has dubbed, EnerQi. Intrigued? Read on.

We know that drug addiction has evolved and assumed new forms today than its previously understood concept. Stuart Birnbaum presents an excerpt from his new book, The New Age Addict, providing a glimpse into the life of the everyday-person addict who just may be living next door.

Bipolar disorder has come to the forefront of our general consciousness again, thanks, in part, to the bizarre antics of Charlie Sheen. However, an important subset of this disorder rarely receives acknowledgment: bipolar disorder in adolescence. Dr. Jack Hinman clearly outlines what to look for and how to appropriately treat this serious mental illness in our children.

Marcia Ullett returns this issue with Part 2 in her series, “Life in Balance”, this time focusing on the nuts and bolts about how to make this concept a reality, including asking insightful and penetrating questions that we must be brave enough to answer honestly.

hat is a clinician to do when the go-to approach for substance abuse – a 12-step program – just isn’t working? Sherry Gaba encourages us to be open to other approaches, inventive in the methods that can break through to a client who needs outside-the-box treatment.
And, finally, we present two RecoveryView.com member profiles: Michele Garcia of Serenity Malibu and Greg Hannley of Soba Recovery Centers. Both share their personal stories of recovery and following their higher purposes to impact their community for the better – truly inspiring.

We hope you can implement the spirit of Spring – renewal and growth – even if the almanac is not cooperating. Blessings to you all.