Addiction is as old as humanity, as early as 3500 B.C. the Egyptians wrote about alcoholism, and stories of intoxication through the ages are legion. In the last century the United States added the 18th Amendment to the Constitution leading to the failed “Noble Experiment”, prohibition 1920-1933. Additionally, since 1971 over a Trillion dollars has been spent on a war on drugs. Yet according to the Center for Disease Control deaths from drug overdoses continue to climb. In 2017 70,237, 192 per day, 1 every 8 minutes on average, and this does not reflect the 100’s of thousands dying of other addiction related causes and illness. In 2017 39,773 died from all gun violence, while any life cut short is a tragedy, since addiction kills quietly this epidemic continues to grow unabated and under reported.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported 2.5 million people sought help for addiction in America in 2017 out of the nearly 21 million (1 in 13 above the age of 12) who meet the criterion for Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Utilizing these numbers roughly 12% (down from 18% in 2016) of those needing help received any. Since the passage of the Affordable Care Act the Addiction Treatment Industry has grown to over 13,000 treatment facilities nationwide, yet despite this growth today in America the #1 killer of adults under 50, according to the Department of Justice, is addiction. More are dying and suffering today than ever before despite billions spent on education, a failed trillion dollar+ war on drugs, new recovery modalities, the Fellowships of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous as currently practiced and the growth in the Addiction Treatment Industry. Miracles Of Recovery
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Published by Vincent Lee Jones
Silk sheets or city streets, Park Avenue or park bench, addiction is an equal opportunity destroyer of lives.
My name is Vincent Lee Jones and I have been in recovery since September 1985. My professional career began when I was nearly 20 years in recovery and was asked to work pro bono with at risk students at Huntington Beach High School. At the time I had developed a reputation within the at large recovery community as an effective communicator and was known to some of the faculty. After the death of two students from prescription drugs I was asked to start working with at risk students, which I did for nearly 5 years. Word of mouth lead to offers of compensated freelance Facilitator and Director positions with numerous local treatment facilities in the ensuing years.
As a retired Building Contractor/Designer, working in conjunction with a treatment facility, I created a construction program utilizing a workforce comprised almost exclusively of people new or returning to recovery, helping them to not only learn a trade and start making a living but since many of them had relapsed numerous times, to begin truly building a foundation with real aftercare to live free of active addiction. This program changed many lives.
In my 30+ years in recovery I have worked with thousands of individuals from all walks of life, teenagers to the retired, famous to infamous, prosperous to those living hand to mouth, adamant atheists to those embracing strong Religious beliefs; suffering from all manner of intoxicant and behavior-based addictions as well as those who love and care about them, both as a member in recovery Fellowships and as a treatment professional. I can be contacted at 714-366-1725.
I write and publish daily a recovery based nondenominational spiritually based blog at https://livinginspirit.blogspot.com with accompanying videos that can be found as well on YouTube and LinkedIn at Vincent Lee Jones.
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