The Caduceus Symbol
Caduceus is the symbolic
staff surmounted by two wings and entwined with two snakes. Among the ancient
Greeks, heralds and ambassadors carried the Caduceus as a badge of office and a
mark of personal inviolability.
The Caduceus was the staff of the Greek god of healing.
The staff of Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing, which was entwined by a single snake, was also called a Caduceus. The Caduceus has been adopted as a symbol by the medical profession; it is also the emblem of the medical branches of the United States Army and Navy.
The Caduceus was the staff of the Greek god of healing.
The staff of Aesculapius, the Greek god of healing, which was entwined by a single snake, was also called a Caduceus. The Caduceus has been adopted as a symbol by the medical profession; it is also the emblem of the medical branches of the United States Army and Navy.
The Caduceus Group
In 1973, the Caduceus Group was initiated in Georgia as a component of the Georgia Impaired Physicians Program. A Caduceus Group was formed in Casper in 1983. The two most evident and valuable results of the Caduceus Group have been the number of impaired professionals who have been able to get into treatment by intervention or self-realization, and the large number of impaired professionals for whom the Caduceus Group has provided a bridge into "Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous". The Caduceus Group can be looked upon as a bridge. A bridge between effective treatment and continuing care and a bridge into the twelve step recovery programs and recovery. It is important to note that the various Caduceus Groups are regarded as both educational and therapeutic centers for recovering professionals. In turn, the recovering professionals provide a * ripple effect * into their community with their attitudes, views, influence, and teaching going out into the families, schools, service organizations and to other professionals.
Meeting Guidelines:
Caduceus (Recovery
Support Meetings) Caduceus is a twelve step recovery meeting for licensed
healthcare professionals. Since it is a specialty group it is not advertised in
the AA or NA meeting list and cannot call itself as AA or NA however this
meeting closely follows the 12 step format.
Caduceus meetings are conducted using the following guidelines:
Although Caduceus was begun as a support group for healthcare professionals, it is now open to recovering professionals from all fields. Unlike traditional twelve-step groups, one member should be appointed to facilitate the meeting.
Caduceus meetings are conducted using the following guidelines:
Although Caduceus was begun as a support group for healthcare professionals, it is now open to recovering professionals from all fields. Unlike traditional twelve-step groups, one member should be appointed to facilitate the meeting.
SUGGESTED TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION AT THE MEETINGS:
1. The Twelve Steps Some groups discuss one Step a week. If there is a newcomer attending for the first time, the group may change the topic to focus on the first three Steps.
2. The Twelve Traditions following the conclusion of the Step meetings, some groups will discuss the Traditions so that, every thirteenth meeting the group focuses on a Tradition.
3. The Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous
some groups discuss one chapter from the Big Book each week. Other groups read from the Big Book weekly and discuss each chapter as they go along.
4. Readings from As Bill Sees It can inspire sharing on discussion topics.
5. Living Sober also has many topics used by groups.
6. Some AA slogans can be used as topics such as:
“Live and Let Live,” “Easy Does It,” “First Things First,” and “HALT.”
Don’t get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired (HALT).
2. The Twelve Traditions following the conclusion of the Step meetings, some groups will discuss the Traditions so that, every thirteenth meeting the group focuses on a Tradition.
3. The Big Book, Alcoholics Anonymous
some groups discuss one chapter from the Big Book each week. Other groups read from the Big Book weekly and discuss each chapter as they go along.
4. Readings from As Bill Sees It can inspire sharing on discussion topics.
5. Living Sober also has many topics used by groups.
6. Some AA slogans can be used as topics such as:
“Live and Let Live,” “Easy Does It,” “First Things First,” and “HALT.”
Don’t get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired (HALT).
Guidelines for
recovering healthcare professionals:
High risk situations to
be aware of and to avoid
Some common high-risk
situations that may trigger your use
Hungry, Angry, Loneliness, Tiredness, remember
as HALT!!!
People: People whom you use with or who are
related to your use. People with whom you have conflicts with and
who would make you want to use. People whom you celebrate using. People
who encourage you to use.
Places: Places where you use or where you get your
drugs or alcohol.
Things: Things that remind you of your using.
How can you avoid
high-risk situations?
Recovery isn't about one big change but It's about making lots of little changes. Avoiding those high-risk situations helps you create a new life where it's easier to recover. Of course, you can't always avoid these situations. But if you're aware of them, they won't catch you off guard, and you can prevent little craving from turning into major urges.
Recovery isn't about one big change but It's about making lots of little changes. Avoiding those high-risk situations helps you create a new life where it's easier to recover. Of course, you can't always avoid these situations. But if you're aware of them, they won't catch you off guard, and you can prevent little craving from turning into major urges.
AVOID
Avoid drinking friends,
going to the bars, and having alcohol in the house.
Avoid driving by your drug dealer's neighborhood or any risky location that provokes your urges.
Avoid driving by your drug dealer's neighborhood or any risky location that provokes your urges.
Making a list of high-risk situations:
Make a list of your
high-risk situations and keep it with you. Go over the list with someone in
recovery so that you can spot any situations that you might have missed. Some
day that list may save your life.
Addiction is sneaky.
Sometimes you won't see your high-risk situations until you're right in the
middle of one. That's why it's important that you need to be aware of them and avoid.
Addiction and Lying:
You have to lie about
getting your drug, using it, hiding its consequences, and planning your next
relapse. An addiction is full of lying. By the time you've developed an addiction,
lying comes easily to you. After a while you get so good at lying that you end
up lying to yourself. The other problem with lying is that you can't like
yourself when you lie. You can't look yourself in the mirror. Lying traps you
in your addiction. The more you lie, the less you like yourself, which makes
you want to escape, which leads to more using and more lying.
Nothing changes unless we change our life styles.
Ask yourself this: will
more lying, more isolating, and more of the same make me feel better? The
expression in AA is – nothing changes if nothing changes. If you don't change
your life, then why would this time be any different? You need to create a new
life where it's easier to not use.
Doing same thing and
expecting different results is insanity....Albert Einstein
Taking care of ourselves:
Eat a healthier lunch so
you're not as hungry at the end of the day.
Learn to relax so that
you can let go of your anger and resentments.
Develop better sleep
habits so that you're less tired.
Join a 12 step group so
that you don't get isolated.
Maintain a healthy life style.
Remember!!! Your habits and your lifestyle make you what you are.
Maintain a healthy life style.
Remember!!! Your habits and your lifestyle make you what you are.
Recovery requires
complete honesty:
We must be one-hundred
percent completely honest with the people who support us such as: family, family doctor, therapist, the people in the 12 step group, and sponsor. If you can't be completely honest with them, you won't do well in
recovery. When you're completely honest you don't give your addiction room to
hide. When you lie you leave the door open to relapse. One mistake people make
in the early stages of recovery is they think that honesty means being honest
about other people. They think they should share what's "wrong" with
other people. But recovery isn't about fixing other people. It's about fixing ourselves. Stick with your own recovery. Focusing on what you don't like about
others is easy because it deflects attention from yourself.
Addiction is a disease
just like any other medical illness.
Not everyone is your
best friend. And not everyone will be glad to know that you have an addiction
or that you're doing something about it. There may be some people whom you
don't want to tell about your recovery. But don't be reluctant to tell the
people close to you about your recovery. You should never feel ashamed that
you're doing something about your addiction.
Why do we use drugs
and or alcohol?!
We use it to escape,
relax, and reward ourselves. In other words, we use drugs and alcohol to
relieve stress, tension and pain. Everyone needs to escape, relax, and reward
themselves. Those are essential coping skills for a happy life. But being addicts we don't know how to relax without using.
The first rule of
recovery is that you must change your life.
What do you need to
change?
If you understood the previous paragraph, then you need to change the way you relieve stress.
If you understood the previous paragraph, then you need to change the way you relieve stress.
If you manage to stop
using for a while but don't learn how to relax, your stress will build up until
you'll have to relapse again.
Stress and the
inability to relax are the most common causes of relapse.
There is only one reason
why people don't relax – because they think they're too busy to relax. It goes
something like this, "I know it makes sense, but I've got so many other
things I have to do."Ask yourself how much time you spend on your
addiction. If you add up all the time it takes to get your drug, use it, deal
with its consequences, and plan your next relapse, you'll realize that relaxing
for twenty to forty minutes a day is a fraction.
Relaxation is not an
option but it's essential part of recovery.
There are many ways to
relax. They range from simple techniques like going for a walk, to more
structured techniques like meditation. Meditation is an important part of that
mix because the simple techniques don't always work. If you're under a lot of
stress, you may need something more reliable like meditation. Use any of these
techniques, or any combination. But do something every day to relax, escape,
reward yourself, and turn off the chatter in your mind.
Numerous studies have proven that relaxation
reduces the use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.
Signs and Symptoms of Recovery
Signs and Symptoms of Recovery
- Attending 12-step and caduceus meetings on a regular basis (Action)
- Willingness to talk about significant recovery issues (Honesty)
- Applying the steps in everyday life (Action)
- Actively working with a sponsor (willingness)
- Taking good care of health
- Following monitoring instructions and guidelines
Topics that need to be understood and practiced.
1. Acceptance
2. Attitude
3. Trusting Higher Power
4. Gratitude
5. Honesty
6. Serenity: Don't sweat on small stuff, focus on things that you can change.
7. Humility, Patience and tolerance
8. Resentments: Getting rid of resentments.
9. Forgiveness: Making amends whenever possible and do not hurt others.
10. Open-mindedness
11. Letting go the ego and anger
12. Identification and self realization:
13. Personal Inventory: Analyzing ourselves every day.
14. Staying away from the first drink or first use depending on the user's choice.
15. Living sober one day at a time
16. Freedom through sobriety
17. Participation and Action
18. Meditation and Exercise
19. Service: Social service, volunteering etc.,
20. Sponsorship: Helping others towards sobriety
21. Keeping it simple
22. One is too much and a thousand is never enough.
Its now in this state of contemplation that I truly understand the meaning of "ONE IS TOO MUCH AND A THOUSAND IS NEVER ENOUGH" What is it about this "disease" that makes us believe that we are in control and then once we jump into the flames we allow ourselves to tolerate the pain knowing deep down that we are slowly turning into ashes!!!! .The more we do the more we want...the more we want the greater our fears become...
2. Attitude
3. Trusting Higher Power
4. Gratitude
5. Honesty
6. Serenity: Don't sweat on small stuff, focus on things that you can change.
7. Humility, Patience and tolerance
8. Resentments: Getting rid of resentments.
9. Forgiveness: Making amends whenever possible and do not hurt others.
10. Open-mindedness
11. Letting go the ego and anger
12. Identification and self realization:
13. Personal Inventory: Analyzing ourselves every day.
14. Staying away from the first drink or first use depending on the user's choice.
15. Living sober one day at a time
16. Freedom through sobriety
17. Participation and Action
18. Meditation and Exercise
19. Service: Social service, volunteering etc.,
20. Sponsorship: Helping others towards sobriety
21. Keeping it simple
22. One is too much and a thousand is never enough.
Its now in this state of contemplation that I truly understand the meaning of "ONE IS TOO MUCH AND A THOUSAND IS NEVER ENOUGH" What is it about this "disease" that makes us believe that we are in control and then once we jump into the flames we allow ourselves to tolerate the pain knowing deep down that we are slowly turning into ashes!!!! .The more we do the more we want...the more we want the greater our fears become...
