The Bravest Thing

The bravest thing I ever did also showed me how ugly sometimes it is to break open and see your weakest moments spill out on full display before you are ready to face them. The bravest thing I ever did was face them anyway, drown there, come back up for air, and keep living, despite how the healing almost killed me.

The bravest thing I ever did was staying and fighting for myself, even when no one else did. The bravest thing I have ever done is realizing I am worth it. I am worth it! I remind myself every day that I am brave, alive, and worthy of every breath I take.

What is happiness?

I've heard it many times in the past umpteen years, "Rick, I just want to be happy. Is that wrong of me? Is there something wrong with just wanting to be happy?"

The answer is, not at all. In fact, if you told me you wanted to by unhappy or miserable, I would really be worried about you. Here is the problem. We attempt to be happy the wrong ways. We tend to think that getting that new car, those new clothes, that new relationship, that new job, etc., will make us happy. Guess what? It will but only for a brief time. Then you will be on the prowl again, looking for a way to be happy. Getting good stuff is not the problem, really. The problem is believing we must get all that stuff to be happy. We do not.

Here are two suggestions about finding happiness that will last:

1. First figure out what your values are. Your values. Not someone else's values. Now, live by your values. Make everything you say or do, every decision be in line with what is most important to you, and you will be happy. You may not always be happy with your circumstances. You will be happy with you. That is the kind of happy that lasts.
2. Become a servant. Help other people. Find ways to be helpful to others. Be aware of the world around you. I am not talking about giving away money or things. I am talking about your time and your presence in the lives of other people. Just a simple smile and a "good morning," make someone's day go better.

The Covid Factor

If you have not heard of Covid 19 by now, you have been living under a rock. The clinic is doing all that we can to provide the best service to all our patients and to keep all of us as safe as possible. So, please remember these few things:

• One person on the porch at a time please.
• Only one person will be allowed into the clinic at a time for dosing. If you have noticed, it does not take long to dose. Even someone picking up a month of medication will only be in the dosing room about 3 minutes.
• Please wear and keep your mask on. If you do not have a mask, we will sell you one.
• A staff member will check your temperature and put sanitizer on your hands BEFORE you enter the clinic.
• For the most accurate and up to date information, please check with the CDC website.

Because of the Covid 19 pandemic, the government agencies who regulate drug rehabs have given some accommodations to clients that may not have been given if we were not having to deal with this health crisis. For instance, a few patients are receiving more take-out doses right now than they would usually qualify for if we were operating as usual. Be ready and do not be surprised if the current situation with take-outs changes. In other words, your take-out status may get changed back to what it would be without the Covid 19 accommodations. Please be careful and take good care of yourself and your family.

There is a Cure for Hepatitis C

Please talk to your counselor about testing and free treatment.

• Hep A - Fecal-oral transmission
• Hep B - Sexual fluids and blood to blood transmission
• Hep C - Blood to blood transmission
• Hep D - Travels with Hep C
• Hep E - Fecal-oral transmission

Liver