CRA Christians in Recovery (anonymous)

[Karlon]

I hear it on my Christian talk radio station... which does have some music programs LOL.
The schedule has changed a little after Ravi Zacharias' fall from grace .

i used to enjoy listening to him before the story surfaced on him. he's very intelligent.

 

[Cameron143]

I hear it on my Christian talk radio station... which does have some music programs LOL.
The schedule has changed a little after Ravi Zacharias' fall from grace .

A sad occurrence and a stark reminder that what is done in the dark will be known in the light.

 

[Eli1]

I appreciate the fact that this site doesn't have ads.
Thank you.

 

[Magenta]

Long-term opioid users suffer with crumbling bones, brain injuries and little hope of treatment

Hugh Lampkin says he abused drugs — everything from pot to PCP — for decades. He started at about age 12 in Toronto.

Now in his late 50s, he's an overdose survivor who has beaten back his demons. But his past has
taken a toll on his body, leaving his back bent at an impossible angle, and surgery out of reach.

Lampkin has lost count of the friends he's lost to overdoses and organ failure.

The opioid crisis has claimed more than 13,000 lives in his province since 2016. On Nov. 1, the B.C. Coroners
Service confirmed another 175 suspected deaths in September. That's 10 per cent less than died in Sept. 2022,
but still 5.8 drug deaths per day, with most deaths reported in Vancouver, Surrey and Greater Victoria.

Of the 225,000 British Columbians using unregulated substances, fewer
than 5,000 receive safe supply prescriptions, according to provincial data.

Opioid overdoses have claimed 38,514 lives in Canada in the past seven years, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Many others survive, like Lampkin, but are left with injuries or chronic health issues that then hinder their rehabilitation.

Medical experts say those problems need more study and those people need more support. Today the B.C. Coroners
death review panel urged the government to expand safer supply access to save lives and prevent injuries.

According to data from the Canadian Institute of Health Information, some 5,807 overdoses
were recorded at Canadian hospitals (not including Quebec) between April 2022 and March 2023.

Of those, 327 suffered anoxic brain injury, meaning their brain was damaged due to a lack of oxygen. Anoxic
brain injury is just one of the ailments that can affect overdose survivors. Statistics on the others are scarce.

It's not clear if Lampkin has a brain injury. He says his memory isn't what it was, and his once-long stride
is now an agonizing shuffle along an East Hastings Street sidewalk in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

About a year and a half ago, a fall bent his spine almost 90 degrees.

"We were stacking some boxes one day and I fell off — and when I went to stand
back up I couldn't stand up straight and it's been there ever since," he said.

Scan the sidewalks that border the Downtown Eastside and it's common to see residents with contorted
spines, walkers and wheelchairs. Brian Conway, director of Vancouver's Infectious Disease Centre, says
there are 500 or more hospitalizations per day across Canada as a result of overdoses and many more
involving infections that can be introduced where an injection pierces the skin that can then spread to
the blood, heart, brain or bones.

Two men are seen on East Hastings Street in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside on July 25. It's common to
see area residents with contorted spines, walkers and wheelchairs. (Ben Nelms/CBC)© Provided by cbc.ca

"The health-care system, currently designed, is failing the inner city," said Conway.

"There are more people that need more help in a different way."

These include a need for more monitoring and research of drug harms, especially as people age.

"There are many consequences well beyond, unfortunately, dying," Conway said.

"If infection spreads to the bones, causing osteomyelitis" — a serious bacterial infection — "this will cause the bones
to collapse so that people will have collapsed spines; not be able to stand up straight, not be able to walk properly."

Organ damage, paralysis

Conway says opioid abuse can also lead to chronic health issues and damage to the heart, liver or pancreas.

Infections can spread through the bloodstream and cause abscesses and damage that can lead to
mobility issues or even stroke or paralysis. In severe cases the mechanisms and glandular systems
that help grow bone become damaged, and bones become decalcified, crack or even collapse.

Conway works at the Vancouver Urban Health Centre on Main Street, where
he offers medical care for people often failed by traditional hospitals.

Research around the effects of opioid damage and how that impacts rehabilitation is also lacking, according to
Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Ma.

Volkow says too little is understood about effects of multiple anoxic brain injuries — or how they could affect memory in old age.

"Does overdosing, particularly with multiple overdoses, increase your risk for dementia? And I predict it will," Volkow said.

And Volkow says new dangers are spiking right now in the U.S. where a non-addictive drug called Xylazine
(often referred to as "Tranq") — which affects the vascular system and blood vessels — is often found
combined with opioids like fentanyl. Volkow says these so-called Tranq cocktails often cause aggressive
lesions that, if not treated properly, end in amputations.

'Tranq' ups risk of amputations

"This is a rising problem that we're actually right now seeing in the United States. We are seeing
it accelerate because of the presence of a new drug that is being used to lace fentanyl," said Volkow.

Xylazine is showing up in small amounts in Vancouver, according to the
dashboard that logs drug testing for the BC Centre on Substance Abuse.

Volkow says the weakening of the skeletal system and osteoporosis are more common problems;
made worse because spinal surgery, like organ transplants, are rarely offered to long-time drug users.
source

 

[Eli1]

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

This verse is directed at the suffering but very few who are suffering do it.
I wish they would do it with all their hearts to find peace.

 

[Magenta]

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

This verse is directed at the suffering but very few who are suffering do it.
I wish they would do it with all their hearts to find peace.

Matthew 11:28-30

 

[Karlon]

Matthew 11:28-30

there may have never been a time where that verse is so important than now!

 

[Magenta]

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2024 - JUST FOR TODAY – GOD WORKS FOR GOOD
Audio for JUST FOR TODAY – GOD WORKS FOR GOOD

Just for today I will adjust myself to what is and not try to adjust everything else
to my desires. I will trust that God is working all things for good in my life.

We know that for those who love God all things work together for good,
for those who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 ESV)

Those of us who come from an unstable background often feel vulnerable when faced with
something new. We are used to controlling things around us so that we avoid any additional
pain or disappointment that may result from being part of an unfamiliar event.

However, when we decide to trust God, we can relax. God “has our back” and God is “on our side.”
We live in a world where each day seems to bring surprises, some of which are good, and others
not so good. When we are surrendered to God’s will, He will work in any challenging circumstance
to bring about a better solution than we could ever hope for or imagine.

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. (Psalm 37:4-5 ESV)

The first thing we need to recognize and humbly admit is, we really do not know what is best for us.
We often react out of fear and worry and try to get things arranged in a way that is manageable for us.
While it may be good to do our part in working towards solutions, we will find even greater wisdom if
we first seek God’s input and trust His good plan for our lives. Sometimes we may have to wait for
something to happen. Sometimes it seems, “the bad guys are winning.” For a time, we may have to
hang on tightly to God’s promise that He will act on our behalf.

With a willing heart and a gracious manner, we do what we can in any situation
and then settle down and relax, knowing that God is guiding us.

Prayer: Loving God, I am grateful that I can release the pressures and burdens of each day
into Your capable hands. Help me to stay focused on what You say and just leave the rest.
You are a good God and You work all things for good in my life. Help me to trust You! Amen

©2024Partners in Hope (used with permission)

Romans 8:28

 

[Magenta]

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2024 - A POSITIVE APPROACH TO FEELING BORED
Audio for A POSITIVE APPROACH TO FEELING BORED

In early recovery our positive expectations for a life free from crippling dependencies is huge. We are excited about what the future may hold and say we are willing to do whatever it takes to get our life back on track. As the weeks go on our routine becomes dull, and we find ourselves less enthusiastic than we once were. We start feeling sorry for ourselves and easily get angry with others. The truth is we are bored. We feel challenged and vulnerable in our new routine and have begun to focus on the old familiar patterns of life in addiction.

Hebrews 12:1-3
It is a fair question to ask ourselves why we are impatient and bored with where life is at today. Are we seeking out people who can help us understand what is going on within us, or do we just complain and blame? Anything in life worth having requires time to accomplish. Perhaps we should alter our routine and spend time helping others while we wait for things to happen for us. Telling ourselves that we are bored and feeling depressed does not produce change. When nothing changes, then nothing changes!

Philippians 4:8
Boredom is brought about by lack of action. Perhaps we need to change our thought pattern and think about those things that are worthy of praise.

Maybe we need to work on establishing conscious contact with God, praying for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out. Let’s allow any boredom we experience to point us to deeper growth in our relationship with God and more positive action in our recovery.

Prayer: Loving Father, I admit that boredom is pushing me back into darkness and I need help to remove it from my life. Please help me to consider others and make wise decisions in the use of my time. My desire is to do those things that are pleasing to You. Amen

Video Encouragement and Prayer

©2024Partners in Hope; shared with permission

 

[Karlon]

FRIDAY, APRIL 12, 2024 - A POSITIVE APPROACH TO FEELING BORED
Audio for A POSITIVE APPROACH TO FEELING BORED

In early recovery our positive expectations for a life free from crippling dependencies is huge. We are excited about what the future may hold and say we are willing to do whatever it takes to get our life back on track. As the weeks go on our routine becomes dull, and we find ourselves less enthusiastic than we once were. We start feeling sorry for ourselves and easily get angry with others. The truth is we are bored. We feel challenged and vulnerable in our new routine and have begun to focus on the old familiar patterns of life in addiction.

Hebrews 12:1-3
It is a fair question to ask ourselves why we are impatient and bored with where life is at today. Are we seeking out people who can help us understand what is going on within us, or do we just complain and blame? Anything in life worth having requires time to accomplish. Perhaps we should alter our routine and spend time helping others while we wait for things to happen for us. Telling ourselves that we are bored and feeling depressed does not produce change. When nothing changes, then nothing changes!

Philippians 4:8
Boredom is brought about by lack of action. Perhaps we need to change our thought pattern and think about those things that are worthy of praise.

Maybe we need to work on establishing conscious contact with God, praying for the knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry it out. Let’s allow any boredom we experience to point us to deeper growth in our relationship with God and more positive action in our recovery.

Prayer: Loving Father, I admit that boredom is pushing me back into darkness and I need help to remove it from my life. Please help me to consider others and make wise decisions in the use of my time. My desire is to do those things that are pleasing to You. Amen

Video Encouragement and Prayer

©2024Partners in Hope; shared with permission

that is a magnanimous behooving message especially for present times. very nice Magenta.