There is No Failure, Only Feedback

"Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand. -- Psalm 37:24

Did you ever get so discouraged you felt, "What's the use? I've tried everything and nothing is working! I'm a failure! I give up!" Very often, these experiences can be our greatest teachers.

After my marriage ended, I began to feel I was doing something that was not working. I prayed for guidance to learn what I needed to do to corrrect my consciousness. Soon I was invited to participate in a women's conference where I discovered that I was suffering from a disease called "co-dependency." I began reading, studying and attending CODA (Codependency Anonymous) meetings. Eventually I began setting boundaries by saying "no." Many people challenged me as to why I was saying "no." They weren't used to it and it disturbed them. I answered, "Because I choose not to do that." Old relationships faded away and new ones formed based on healthier foundations. My self-confidence grew.

I still have a long way to do, but I've also come a long way, and all because I looked at my ended marriage as "feedback." The Universe is always telling us something. All we have to do is look and listen. Yes, life is definitly an educational feedback machine. In fact, when it feels as if I have failed, I just know that God has a better idea.

AFFIRMATION

     Today I know that just because I experience failure, I am not a failure. These experiences are merely showing me something, telling me someting, and teaching me something. I look at all my experiences that way--as my great teachers. I thank God for my moment-by-moment education..

WEBSITE   PROGRAMS   ARTICLES   REVIEWS   INFO   APPOINTMENTS   CONTACT         Testimonials Anonymous "This program was very helpful to me. I've seen a lot of people grow. It helped me look at my past -- why I did the things I did and acknowledging thte mistakes I made. It helped me take responsibilitiy for my actions which I had never done before."  Steven R. I'm staying in Aftercare voluntarily because Rainbow, Julie, and Joyce have become my mentors, teachers, and friends - giving and receiving ideas for sobriety that I  need as much as God or AA doctrine. I have grown so much in this program that I have created the following You Tube Videos: "How to Save the World -How to Make Our Leaders Loving, Just & Peaceful" (videos 1-22) and "Addicts: Recover Forever, Relapse Never" (videos 1-6) John This program was very helpful to me. In addition to growing myself, I've seen a lot of people grow. It helped me to look at my past and find out why I did the things I did, acknowledging I made a mistake. I was able to accept responsibility for my past choices." Tamra F. "I was scared when I first started. I had always thought that I could handle anything, and certainly could handle THIS! I learned that I wasn't really different. It came to me that these people in IOP were telling MY story. This eventually opened my eyes and sent me back to AA. I had been so focused on my case and its legalities, I couldn't think about anything else. One  day a fellow student said he had two tracks to his life: one was his court case and then  the other track was his IOP. He had no power over the courts but he did have power over himself. I learned that just because an event happens, it doesn't have to have a bad result. What's important is how I react to the event. I am currently very active in my home group. One of the greatest things that happened to me during the program was that I gained the courage to end  my codependent relationship.'"  Anonymous "At first I really dreaded it. But after attending for a while, I noticed it was very informative, It had become a very fulfilling experience.Not only was the group supportive and relatable, but the material was relevant and I incorporated it into my daily routine, such as how to manage the stress in my life."  Hunter "I learned a lot about myself. The biggest thing was that alcohol and drus are a disease. The next biggest thing was that people who use them are not bad people. They just don't make intelligent choices. I enjoyed the time spent with my teacher, Joyce. I really liked hearing the good stories. They were inspiring and more motivationsl than the bad stuff."  Jabari "I like this program alot. It's so much more personal than other programs I've been in. It's family oriented. It's not just textbook. It's an unothrodox method, not redundant routine. The teacher really connects with the client."  Matthew "It gave me a new perspective on life and a new perspective on myself. I found out how selfish I was, lying to people and only caring about instant gratification, unconcerned about how my behavior was affecting other people. ."  ADAAP Newsletter February 2015  ADAAP/Austin Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program "ADAAPting to the needs of those in need" ...simply re-arranging lives for a better future through recovery  YOU ROCK     JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!!!   Dear RAINBOW, February's Theme is: NOW IS THE ONLY TIME THERE IS!!! BE HERE NOW!! I LET GO OF THE PAST & THE FUTURE!! Live in the NOW...Alcoholics Anonymous NOW is the only time there is, & each moment is for loving. "Present Tense"        It was spring, but it was summer I wanted,   The warm days, and the great outdoors.It was summer, but it was fall I wanted,   The colorful leaves, and the cool dry air.It was fall, but it was winter I wanted,   The beautiful snow, and the joy of the holiday  season.I was a child, but it was adulthood I wanted,  The freedom, & the respect. I was 20, but it was 30 I wanted,   To be mature, and sophisticated.I was middle-aged, but it was 20 I wanted,   The youth, and the free spirit.I was retired, but it was middle age I wanted,   The presence of mind, without limitations.My life was over, but I never got what I wanted.    ...by Jason Lehman, age 14, published in "Dear Abby"                     BE HERE NOW!! I LET GO OF THE PAST & THE FUTURE!!           ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS...   One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be here now, and reach past the thorns and find the rose within others, accepting that person into your life, thorns and all, while recognizing the nobility in their soul. Can we disagree, have diverse viewpoints and different perspectives while staying in love with each other and staying connected?     Click here to get started                            In Honor of Black History Month I Have a Dream Today! Martin Luther King Jr.       "I HAVE A DREAM...that this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning 'My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!' And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania...But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and mole hill of Mississippi. From every mountaintop, let freedom ring.      "When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and whire men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at last!'"    February Schedule DON'T LET THE COST OF TREATMENT KEEP YOU FROM YOUR SOBRIETY! Call us for more information on the discounts we are currently offering.  512-454-8180 New Hours for Drug Offender Ed. Program Schedule  IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program (6 wks, 60 hrs) Ongoing Enrollment M,T,W 9:30-1:00pm T,W,Th 6:00pm-9:30pm Sat,Sun 9:00am-2:00pm Aftercare (Supportive Outpatient Program) Ongoing Enrollment  W 10:30am-11:30am Th 6:00pm-7:00pm Sat 12:00pm-1:00pm Relapse Prevention (8 wks, 80 hours) Ongoing Enrollment                         T,W,Th 6:00pm-9:30pm  DOEP-Drug Offender Ed. Program   (15 hours)  March  2015 M 3/09, T 3/10, W 3/11, Th 3/12, F 3/13 (4-7 pm) M 3/23, T 3/24, W 3/25, Th 3/26, F 3/27 (7-10 pm) April 2015 M 4/13, T 4/14, W 4/15, Th 4/16, F 4/17 (4-7 pm) M 4/27, T 4/28, W 4/29, Th 4/30, G 5/01 (7-10 pm) May 2015 M 5/10, T 5/11, W 5/12, Th 5/14, F 5/15 (4-7 pm) M 5/25, T 5/26, W 5/27, Th 5/28, F 5/29 (7-10 pm)   12-Hr 1st Time Offender DWI Program (3 days) February 2015 NEW W/D Morning Class (Limt - 12 people max)  Mon  2/23 (10 am - 2 pm) Tu   2/24  (10 am - 2 pm) Wed  2/25 (10 am - 2 pm) March 2015 Weekend Fri   3/6  (6:30 pm - 10:30 pm) Sat  3/7  (2:00 pm - 6:00 pm) Sun 3/8 (2:00  pm - 6:30 pm)                 or Fri   3/20 (6:30 pm - 10:30 pm) Sat  3/21 (2:00 pm - 6;00 pm) Sun 3/22 (2:00 pm - 6:30 pm) NEW W/D Morning Class Not Currently Scheduled. Contact Nikki Davey (512-422-1370) Drug & Alcohol Assessments T,W,Th 9:30am-4:00PM or TBA Drug & Alcohol Urinalysis Walk-Ins ($50.00) Current Clients ($45.00) DOT Drug & Alcohol Assessment M, T, W, Th, F 9:30AM - 4:00 PM NOW IS THE ONLY TIME THERE IS!!! Click here to get started    Survival Skills for Your Life's Tool Kit Five More Important Questions      1.  Is your work satisfying?  Are you pursuing work that allows you to use your talents, and expand your skills and knowledge? Do you enjoy coming to work each day? If not, what would you rather be doing, and how could you get there? Are you afraid of making changes in your life so you can do what is fulfilling to your soul?   2. Are you satisfied witih your spiritual path?  Does your spirituality give a larger, coherent perspsective on living that stregthens you and inspires you? Do you have a spiritual practice that can deeply connect you with yourself and the Divine every day, at every moment? If not, what would you make a difference in this regard? 3. What do you do to have a sense of inner peace?     Do you have a practice or ritual that brings you memnts of peace? Do you know how to access a peaceful frame of mind that can provide insulation from the chatter and noise and bustle of the world around you? Do you practice prayer and meditaion to bring you a sense of inner peace? 4. Do you do something every day to mpact in a positive way the lives of others? What is your contribution to humanity, to all beings on the planet? Do you practive service as a way of life, regardliess of the job you may have? Do you give to others, but you make sure you give and keep for yourself whatever you need to function in life from a place of abundance and not a place of lack and depletion?   Each moment is the perfect outcome of all that has come before, & the predecessor of all that will follow. We are never lost because there's nowhere to go! NOW IS THE ONLY TIME THERE IS!!!    Never forget you are an amazing, powerful, brilliant, awesome, unique Divine creation! There is no one else like you or ever has been like you in all of history! Now go forth and spread the Love of God today!          HAVE A RECOVERY-FILLED MONTH! YOU  ROCK JUST THE WAY YOU ARE!!!!  Peace and  Blessings,    Rev. Dr. Rainbow Johnson   Clergy Counselor ADAAP     Click here to get started

Austin Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program's Assessment can help determine if Intervention is necessary, please call if we can help!

Abusing drugs or alcohol is not necessarily the same as being addicted to them. If people are abusing drugs, it is time to to undergo intervention so that they can stop before they become addicted. 

To determine whether or not you or someone you love is already addicted to drugs, you should look for the following symptoms:

• Increased tolerance, which leads to increased use to feel the same effects
• The use of drugs to avoid physical symptoms of withdrawal
• Uncontrolled use of drugs although you planned not to or even though you want to quit
• A life that seems too focused on finding drugs, using them and recovering from them
• The abandonment of activities that you used to enjoy so that you can use drugs instead
• The continuation of drug use in spite of acknowledging that it is hurting you.

Austin Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program will show how to live one day at a time, are you ready to try something new?

Day by day, your real self can emerged.  I got through unimaginably hard times without my liquid crutch.  More importantly, you learn to navigate everyday life totally present and sober through every emotion: boredom, resentment, anger, sadness, joy, celebration.

Please give Austin Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program a call at 512/454-8180 or visit www.adaap.com and let us help.  It's time to try something new, you ready?

Austin Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program can help with Understanding Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse, please call 512/454-8180.

Alcoholism and alcohol abuse are due to many interconnected factors, including genetics, how you were raised, your social environment, and your emotional health. Some racial groups, such as American Indians and Native Alaskans, are more at risk than others of developing alcohol addiction. People who have a family history of alcoholism or who associate closely with heavy drinkers are more likely to develop drinking problems. Finally, those who suffer from a mental health problem such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder are also particularly at risk, because alcohol may be used to self-medicate.

Do you have a drinking problem?

You may have a drinking problem if you...

• Feel guilty or ashamed about your drinking.
• Lie to others or hide your drinking habits.
• Have friends or family members who are worried about your drinking.
• Need to drink in order to relax or feel better.
• “Black out” or forget what you did while you were drinking.
• Regularly drink more than you intended to.

Since drinking is so common in many cultures and the effects vary so widely from person to person, it’s not always easy to figure out where the line is between social drinking and problem drinking. The bottom line is how alcohol affects you. If your drinking is causing problems in your life, you have a drinking problem.

Please call Austin Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program 512/454-8180 if you can relate and need help! Jean G's Story Someone Actually Cared

I gave up hope of ever becoming sober. I decided to drink myself to death. It didn't work.

After destroying my kids' lives and losing our home, car and my job, I became temporarily sober for periods of 6 months or so -- never lasting more than a year on the wagon.

I gave up. There was no reason left to drink -- nothing left to lose -- everything was already gone.

After 12 years of off-and-on-again drinking (mostly on again), I entered treatment for the third time. This time, I had insurance so the facility was a bit up-scale.

Figuring I had a free three-week stay in a place with good food, air conditioning, and friendly counselors, I settled in for a vacation from the hell I'd been living.

At the end of week one, the counselor told me my insurance wouldn't pay for more time there. I figured, 'okay, it's been fun, now they're kicking me out.' I'm familiar with being thrown out.

Then, the counselor told me "we're keeping you, anyway."

Shocked, I decided to enjoy the ride. But, something happened inside me. These people cared. I was more than an insurance payment to them. They kept me three more weeks -- then insisted I continue in out-patient therapy with them, for the entire year.

It has been 10 years since I've had a drink. Someone actually cared enough to help when I could no longer care about myself.

Today, if I even think of alcohol, I remember, with gratitude, the people who stuck their necks out and stayed with me when all hope was gone from my heart.

Please call Austin Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program at 512/454-8180 or visit www.adaap.com.  We can help and do care and know what you are going through.

Austin Drug & Alcohol Abuse Program can help, please call with any questions 512/454-8180 or visit www.adaap.com.