Tuesday, November 13, 2012

FAVOR

I'm super excited today because today, FAVOR Greenville is having a huge luncheon to celebrate it's capital campaign efforts.






FAVOR is part of a national organization dedicated to educating the public about addiction and recovery. In today's world, we are still uneducated about alcoholism/addiction and the issues of leaving it untreated. FAVOR takes the time to 1) reduce the stigma associated with addiction and 2) provide multiple outlets for people to get recovered.

Core Beliefs for FAVOR:

  • Addiction recovery is a reality in the lives of millions
  • There are many paths to recovery
  • Recovery flourishes in supportive communities
  • Recovery is a voluntary process
  • Recovering people are part of the solution
  • Recovery gives back what addiction takes away

Some facts about addiction:

  • Addiction affects 16 percent of Americans ages 12 and older - about 40 million people. That is more than the number of people with heart disease, diabetes or cancer. 
  • Risky substance use and addiction are this nation's largest preventable and most costly health problems, accounting for one third of hospital inpatient costs, driving crime, and lost productivity and resulting in total costs to government alone of at least $468 billion each year
  • Addiction involving nicotine, alcohol, illicit drugs, and controlled prescription drugs is a complex brain disease (there is scientific, medical evidence that backs this up)
  • 9 out of 10 people who meet diagnostic criteria for addiction involving alcohol and drugs other than nicotine report receiving no treatment at all

There many other statistics showing how much addiction affects hospital, insurance costs and even costs to the workplace. 

There is a solution though, and FAVOR is trying to help demonstrate that. A big challenge to getting treatment is the stigma attached to having this disease. If we can show society that, it's not a moral dilemma and that it is treatable, then maybe, people will seek it earlier. 

Studies show that when people get recovery early, they are more likely to stay recovered. If insurance companies covered treatment, and we were more supportive of a community, how many people could get recovery sooner? That is the goal of FAVOR. 

They are in the midst of a capital campaign to raise money for a recovery center. The recovery center is going to be a place that assists people in their quest for recovery. The center will provide information about treatment facilities, 12 step groups, medication assisted recovery, physicians who supports the disease of alcoholism and addiction, etc. They will also have recovery coaches who can help guide people and act as a support person. 

The goal is $1.5 million and they've raised $1.3. It's such an accomplishment and the event today is to celebrate that. I'm very excited to be volunteering and attending!

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Facebook Exposure

The first time I got onto Facebook was back in 2004, when it was still just for college students. My roommate and I at Clemson started a Facebook account and it was so exciting. Fast forward to a decade later, and I remain one who utilizes Facebook to the fullest. I post articles about Yoga stuff, I talk about sports, and of course, I promote my blog. But after this political season, Facebook has left me in a bit of disgust. I can't tell if this really has been the most extreme election ever, or if it just appears as such due to the internet.

I feel like I may have posted something like this before, but one thing that continually disappoints me is people's inability to decipher the truth from extremism. The truth lies somewhere in the middle, ALWAYS. If you read something that is so shocking, your jaw drops, it's probably not true. It's not that the information is wrong, although many times it is, it's that it's used in a way that is incorrect.

It's never as bad as it seems.
It's also never as good as it seems.
People speak in absolutes but in reality, could actually be wrong.
"Experts" are experts for their side.
Both parties knowingly distort the truth to get a rise out of Americans.


What does this have to do with Facebook? My friends and family are the ones posting this stuff. And it's driving me nuts. What do I like about Facebook? I like seeing pictures of my friend's and their children. And even though people make fun of this, I like seeing what people eat when they cook something delish or go out to eat somewhere and I like seeing peoples' workouts. Why not? Why not see what someone is proud of in their life? Why is it wrong to see people doing something good for themselves? If they're bragging, good. Brag about yourself. You deserve it. I'd rather see you proud of your workout than an opinion piece that is riddled with extremist, threatening information written to induce you to make a choice based on fear.

So I'm saying this because I'm going to ignore facebook for a while. I'm a little nervous I'm going to miss something but my thoughts are that there is so much I want to miss, that it might be worth it to miss some good stuff. I'll be writing stuff on my blog and using my A Southern Yogi facebook page to promote my blog. I am hoping that I can get myself together enough so that when I come back to FB, I'll be able to handle the content, but for now, I'm kind of done with it.