The Global Conversation

Tag: alcoholism

  • War on drugs is just another war on people

    The United States spends fifty one billion ($51,000,000,000.00) annually (per year) on the war on drugs. Where is that getting us?  Who is the beneficiary of this ginormous amount of money?  Has anyone asked if the money could be spent in a more humanitarian effort such as programs and funding for those who wish to get out of the vicious cycle of addiction?

    The war on drugs began during the Nixon presidency when President Nixon, rightly so, called drugs “public enemy number one.”  Alcohol and other drugs account for the majority of people now being held in our prison system.  Has anyone considered that it costs over $50,000 per year to house one person in a correctional facility? That money couldn’t be better spent trying to help people overcome addiction?

    Don’t even get me started on the term “correctional facility.”  The rate of recidivism is a steady forty percent.  There are approximately two million people incarcerated in the United States alone.   Of those people roughly one million are in jail on drug related offenses.  This includes people arrested for marijuana offenses in states where pot is now completely legal!

    The war on drugs is a very healthy economy for some.  Many people have become uber rich thanks to this war. Some of these people are the most ruthless people on the planet.  Mexican drug cartels, Afghanistan drug lords, Governments of third world countries to name just a few.  Our war on drugs hasn’t saved any lives it has maimed and slaughtered countless innocent lives though.

    There are some rumblings from Washington that they are going to take a look at the clemency issue for a few thousand prisoners who are in jails for drug related crimes. A few thousand is a drop in the bucket of the larger problem at hand.  How do we get help to those who need it and want it?

    As recovery advocates, myself and my peers struggle daily to find suitable help for those with their hand stretched out looking for assistance. I have to tell, if your wallet is empty, it isn’t going to be easy to get treatment.  The good news is; it isn’t impossible.  The sad part is; it isn’t getting any easier right now.

    Currently only the best and most expensive insurance policies cover addiction treatment.  Even in those cases the insurer usually dictates what that treatment is going to look like.  Typically they will give the green light to outpatient treatment.  This means you get to go see a counselor a few times a week for therapy.  This is rarely sufficient to get a person off of addictive substances.

    For addicts, the window of willingness to get help is very small.  It may literally be only a matter of minutes that a person remains willing to be treated.  An hour spent in therapy is merely a delay in the inevitable.  Addicts recover best when they are in a group environment away from those people, places and substances that keep them in the vicious cycle of addiction.

    Some insurers will agree to inpatient treatment, typically only 28 days however.  Statistics show a greater success rate when patients remain in treatment for 90 days. Why wouldn’t we see those statistics and do what is best for the individual and society by giving treatment that is clearly better?  If money is the sole answer, I know where there is $51,000,000,000.00 available to help!

    I see the illusion of ignorance at work here.  We have almost 45 years of data showing that the war on drugs has done nothing to stem drug use.  The number of high school students that have admitted to using heroine is through the roof.  Alcohol has its same foothold on our youth is it always has. Now that pot is becoming legal for recreational use the stigma will subside possibly leading to more widespread misuse.  Of those who try it just because it is legal, some will switch on their addiction gene and move into full blown addiction.

    Stopping people from using cannot be achieved by locking them up after they have already begun using.  We need to do a better job of informing our population of the facts about addiction not propaganda.  I never experienced “Refer Madness” nor did anyone else. It was just a lie and lies don’t work.  What is the first thing we ask our kids when we suspect them of drug use?  “Don’t lie to me, have you been using?”  Not real helpful.

    I wonder why the majority of politicians don’t see the impotence of the war on drugs and make an attempt to overhaul it.  Just about everyone has been impacted by a loved one’s addiction.   With just a little bit of understanding it is plain to see that it is a sickness not a moral issue.

    Legislating morality hasn’t worked really well for our country and it is about time to stop and take inventory of what works and what doesn’t.  Prisons can be the trigger that some need to become sober.  I am pretty clear that in most cases people return from prison with deeper emotional issues and less coping mechanisms making addiction the easy way out.  This begins the vicious cycle all over again.

    I say stop the war on drugs and start a new campaigned.  Maybe we can call the “light on addiction.”  We all know that what we look at disappears and what we resist persists.  I am not resisting any longer.  I am now assisting, and that is what I encourage you to do. Instead of saying things like “shame on you,” maybe we can start saying things like “I understand you, and I want to help.”

    Help me shine the light will you?

    (Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and Recovery Advocate.  He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, recovery coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery.  Kevin has a passion for holistic living, personal awareness training, and physical meditation. You can visit his website Life After Addicton for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)

  • Collateral Damage

    During a recent recovery training class I attended the teacher asked the following question:  Who is the person that all addiction professionals have the hardest time helping? The answers were coming fast, and all were wrong according to him.  Some said “meth-heads,” others said “methadone addicts,” and other answers consisted of bulimics, anorexics, over-eaters, cigarette-smokers, etc.  The professor just kept shaking his head no.  Finally someone gave the answer he was looking for:  co-dependents. There was a collective sigh of agreement from the room when the answer was given.

    The human ego is our outward expression of who we think we are.  Ego is what we show to the world.  A Course in Miracles defines ego as “nothing more than a part of your belief about yourself.”  Of course, for the most part, our belief about our self is almost always very limited and oftentimes incorrect. Nonetheless, it is a critical part of who we are and how we experience life here. 

    So one of the most difficult things to get across to someone who has been affected by the behaviors of their loved ones is that they have been negatively impacted much in the same way that their loved ones are.  When the topic of co-dependency comes up with a family member of an addict or abuser, the answer we get is almost always the same: “I am not the one with the problem; they are!”

    It sure is easy to see it that way, too.  The alcoholic/drug addict has clear and definitive symptoms. Their lying, stealing, scrapes with the law, loss of jobs and relationships directly relate to addiction.  Yeah, addicts are pretty much out in the open with their disease, but guess what?  They don’t see it themselves.  And the same is true for co-dependents.  They do not see the destructive nature of their behavior but, most people around them do.

    For the outsiders, co-dependent behavior is baffling.  Many say, why won’t she just leave him? Or how many chances will he give her?  Or I can’t believe they put up with that kind of behavior.  Rational people cannot grasp what keeps the co-dependent repeating self-destructive behaviors.

    My heart goes out to the sufferers of co-dependency.  The longing for love lost is heartbreaking to witness.

    When an addict takes his first drink or drug, they have no idea they are going to become enslaved and addicted to it.  At some level, however, we understand that what we are doing could have some serious consequences. When a person falls in love with an addict or an abuser or a person with a narcissistic personality, they are much more unaware that they have become collateral damage to the disease of addiction.

    To some degree, addiction is contagious.

    How can a person’s thinking not be affected by the unpredictable behavior of their loved ones?  Our ego, in many cases, attaches ownership to our significant others.  We feel responsible for their behavior and their public image.  Soon we begin to lie to cover for them.  Not to protect them.  Usually by that point we don’t care much about them anymore.  No, we do it to protect us.  We don’t want anyone to see that we don’t have it all together.

    This is the point our ego becomes the obstacle we must overcome.  And sadly, many do not.  If only we in the helping community could get the point across that when we have one finger pointing at someone else, there are always 3 pointing right back at us.  Try it and see.  No, the thumb doesn’t count!

    What I would like to get across here in this blog and in my life’s work is that recovery from anything is really our human quest.  Staying the same, remaining unchanged, attempting to uphold an image of perfection goes against what the human experience is all about.  We are here to grow and experience all there is and as much of it as possible.

    Sadly, what happens to all too many of us is that we end up experiencing the same things over and over again.  After 50, 60, 70 years of that, many are so done with it they just wish life would end. I don’t feel it needs to be this way.  I have met countless people now in my 26 years of recovery; and for the most part, these people are living and enjoying life again.

    Being in a place of actively welcoming change into your life is a magical place. Breaking down the walls of ego and being transparent with your life is a gift from the soul.  We can’t learn anything if we are always right. We can’t receive compassion from others if we hide our pain and sorrow.  We can’t experience love others until we learn to love ourselves.

    Co-dependency, like addiction, is not a derogatory identity to have. It is merely the path we have chosen to take on this particular journey through the physical.  We have been here before; and undoubtedly, we will be here again.

    If this article has struck a chord with you please feel free — no, feel inspired to comment below.  Be the one who starts the conversation.  Be the source of recovery from the destructive thought patterns that limit our experience here in the physical realm. This is your invitation.

    (Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional and auriculotherapist.  He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation.  You can visit his website Life After Addicton for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)

  • The healing power of auriculotherapy

    Many of you are aware of the amazing health and wellness benefits of acupuncture.  I have a close friend who is a master acupuncturist and she has traveled all over the world to master her craft.  She has treated me for various things over the years, and I am a big fan.  Auriculotherapy is similar to acupuncture, but is only treated on the surface of the ear and there are no needles used in this type of treatment.  Much like acupuncture, there are only a couple of contraindications.  For safety reasons, auriculotherapy should not be performed on those who are pregnant or anyone who has a pacemaker.  Auriculotherapy is completely safe on all others.

    I am bringing you this article today because not very many people have heard about auriculotherapy.  One of the most beneficial aspects of the treatment is the sedation effect.  When we become stressed with our day to day living, our mind tends to go into what is called fight-or-flight syndrome.  The symptoms of fight-or-flight syndrome are shallow breathing, increased heart rate, and our awareness is heightened.  Our adrenal glands go into high gear and adrenalin is pumped into the blood stream to prepare us for battle.  During this state of heightened awareness, we live our lives through the lens of fear.  We are constantly on the defensive and looking for our enemies.  Our ability to be creative is diminished, and rational, cognitive thinking is impaired.

    After long periods of fight-or-flight syndrome, our body begins to break down.  The negative thinking becomes firmly entrenched behavior, creating a vicious circle of stress-inducing thought.  Chronic illness such as irritable bowel syndrome, indigestion, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue, and addiction are common companions of fight or flight.  Many seek treatment for the visible symptoms and are then prescribed drugs that simply mask the body’s attempts to show us there is something that needs our attention.  By treating the apparent symptoms and not addressing the chronic state of being we have developed, the other symptoms begin to get worse.  This is the never-ending cycle that so many people are now caught up in.  We have become a society that has medicine cabinets full of drugs to “fix” things that can be easily corrected with a lifestyle change.

    Many people fear that reducing their stress means less productivity. Our culture has us believing that our health and well-being is secondary to our financial security.  Yet with the rising cost of health care, soon, if not already, it will be far more costly to neglect our health than continue a lifestyle that requires us to overwork and overproduce. Having a healthy stress management ritual helps us to be more productive in our work, emotionally available for our friends and family, and open to hearing our higher self and the soft hints of our intuitive nature.

    Holistic wellness methods such as acupuncture, auriculotherapy, chiropractic, naturopathy, yoga, and meditation, to name just a few, are surefire ways to stop the fight-or-flight syndrome in its tracks.  Stress can never be eliminated; in fact, we need stress in our lives to provide a contextual field and propel us to our natural state, which is self-improvement.  Our society has all but given up on the natural path to wellness in favor of the quick fix in the forms of pills and surgeries.  While I do understand that there are situations that call for the medical community to step in and help, I am of the belief that if we practice healthier, holistic lifestyles, the need for traditional medicine would be minimal.  Stopping chronic illness starts at arresting our fight-or-flight response and finding a state of relaxation.

    The first point treated in auriculotherapy is called the Shen Men.  The Chinese have had awareness of this point for over 5,000 years. When the Shen Men is stimulated using the micro-current tool used in auriculotherapy, the mind becomes sedated, allowing for a greater connection to our soul voice. When the mind is “out of the way,” the body’s ability to heal is unlimited. Furthermore, the panic mode brought on by our fight-or-flight mechanism is virtually eliminated, easing us into a normalized state of being. Sometimes simply being reminded of what it feels like to not be worried or anxious is all it takes for a person to understand just how stressed out they really are.

    There are over 350 reflex points in the ear referring to every system, organ, and limb of the body. The procedure is quick and painless, although some would describe it as mildly uncomfortable. The results are immediate and undeniable.  For a quick and relatively painless session, relaxation is induced and fight or flight is arrested for the time being.  If the person receiving treatment has any mild aches or pains, the therapist can locate and stimulate corresponding points and ease the discomfort.

    Used in many treatment facilities, auriculotherapy has shown remarkable results in patient retention.  On average, patients attending 28-day treatment facilities typically only stay around 10 days.  Studies show that facilities who offer advanced relaxation therapies like yoga and auriculotherapy have almost 100 percent retention.

    For those wishing to quit smoking, auriculotherapy offers an easy way out. The hardest part of quitting smoking is the discomfort of withdrawal. By stimulating the correct points we can trick the brain into releasing endorphins, the exact same feeling we get when we are smoking, without the nicotine to produce it.  After just a few treatments, the body normalizes its production of endorphins and the withdrawal stage has passed.

    If you are looking for a stress management protocol, try looking into auriculotherapy and see for yourself.  Typically, you will find this treatment being offered in chiropractic offices and holistic wellness centers.  The average treatment takes about 20 minutes to ½ hour.

    I am bringing you this article today for two reasons:  The first is as an informational piece.  I feel this is a valuable tool to have in your holistic health toolbox.  The second reason is to tell you that at our Path to Peace recovery retreats, we offer this service for no additional charge daily. For someone wishing to quit smoking, who plans on attending the retreat, this could be a great way to kick it off.

    Our next P2P retreat is coming up quickly.  This one will be held in San Jose, California, from September 19 – 22nd.  After that, we will be taking to the east coast in Orlando, Florida, from October 24 – 27th. Click here for more information and registration for these retreats.

    (Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation with JR Westen. You can visit his website here for more information. To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)

  • It’s not what you eat, it’s what’s eating you.

    I haven’t talked much about food here on this blog because — well — I don’t consider my food consumption to be anything to brag about.  I do not eat perfect by any stretch of anyone’s imagination.  I also feel terribly uncomfortable discussing what is “good” and what is “bad” in regards to diet.  But I do want to speak about how and why we eat what we eat, as well as what is going on behind the scenes, which could be extremely helpful to those who are seeking better health and more happiness.

    When I was younger and still in my active addiction, I began having indigestion problems.  I know, hard to believe that a person drinking himself into oblivion every day would have an upset stomach every now and then, but I digress.  My heartburn was pretty severe, and I was convinced to go see a doctor to have it looked at.  His words were very simple and have stuck with me to this day:  “Kevin, it’s not what you eat, it is what is eating you.”

    At that time in my life, I didn’t think about what I ate or why I was even eating.  The only thoughts I  had were “I’m hungry” and “what is available?”  The truth be told, it has only been a few years that I have placed much consideration into what my diet was and how it could be affecting my health.  The results of my looking into the connection between food I was eating and my health could not be denied.

    My diet prior to this awareness is quite startling when it is seen in black and white.  In the morning, I would have a huge cup of coffee, sweetened with the “pink stuff” (Sweet ‘n Low), and diluted with half-and-half. I followed the coffee up with two everything bagels.  Mind you, this was an everyday meal of mine for 20-plus years!  There were random variations from this breakfast,  but not much.

    Lunch was either a whole sub sandwich or fast food, preferably from Mcdonald’s as I had found that Burger King didn’t sit well in my stomach (go figure!)  Either of the choices would have included a large Diet Coke and chips or fries (large, please!)

    Now, somewhere between lunch and dinner would be a mandatory stop and a 7-Eleven for a Super Big Gulp of Diet Coke and 1 or maybe 2 packages of Twinkies or the equivalent Hostess-type snack.   Dinner would typically be a meat and potatoes variety meal with the occasional substitution of fish or pasta.  Most days a nice big bowl of ice cream would conclude this daily battering of my body.

    Please note that water was not part of any of the above meal plans.

    You would think with a diet like that I was most likely obese.  Think again.  I was about 20 pounds overweight, but I carried it fairly well.  You see, I was really active.  My job was physically demanding.  I live in a hot tropical climate so I would burn a lot of calories. This kept my weight pretty consistent.

    What didn’t stay consistent was my health.  In 2007, I started to have trouble with tingling fingers on my right hand.  I lived with it for a while, and then my left hand started to go numb as well.  I started seeing a specialist, who would give me steroid shots.  These worked at first for a few months.  Then I would slowly start losing the feeling again.  The diagnosis was carpal tunnel syndrome.  I dealt with this the best I could for a few years, and the doctor finally told me that the only thing to do moving forward would be surgery.  I didn’t elect that option as I was worried that I may lose the function of my hands.  I was a trim carpenter, and without the use of my hands, would find myself out of a job.  So I decided to just live with it.

    In March of 2011, I developed a new problem.  From what seemed like out of the blue, I couldn’t raise my right arm up and hold it level to the ground.  If I lifted up with my left arm, it would fall right down as soon as I let it go.  I was urged to go to a neurologist to get it checked out, and the resulting diagnosis was three herniated discs in my neck.  I was devastated, afraid, and depressed.

    Just three months earlier my wife had convinced me to go to yoga with her.  Yoga, for me, was love at first try.  I felt at home in the yoga room and went to class no less than 5 times a week.  I was feeling good about myself and my diet had drastically changed from what it was above.

    I was drinking roughly a gallon of water a day and rarely had  diet soda anymore. I was incorporating more salads into my diet and red meats virtually vanished from our meals.  My sweet tooth had gone into remission and I had melted off 35 pounds in those 3 months of yoga.  I continued to use the “pink stuff” in my coffee and didn’t think too much about it.

    The damage from my unhealthy diet was done prior to the herniated discs.  My MRI showed bone degeneration in my C3 thru C5 vertebra.   All was not lost, though, and this was just the beginning of a very cool journey for me.

    The day I was told of my herniated disks, I drove to my yoga studio to let my teacher know I wouldn’t be able to do yoga anymore.  I was an emotional mess and felt my joy and passion were taken from me.  My yoga teacher then told me of this doctor who was literally right across the street and how he had helped her get through a similar issue.  My despair was turned to hope in the blink of an eye!

    This injury turned out to be the biggest turning point in my life since I had become sober.  I began to see the signs that my soul was sending me.  I not only saw them now, I paid attention, I listened, I asked for more signs, and learned to express gratitude for them.

    Within 3 months, I not only had regained full strength and range of motion in my right arm but my hands were also completely healed of the numb, tingly sensation that had plagued me for the last 4 years.  I had eliminated the “pink stuff,” “yellow stuff,” and any other harmful chemicals completely from my diet.  I replaced sweeteners with raw honey or Stevia.  My morning breakfast was a giant serving of fresh fruit smoothies blended right in my own kitchen.  This way I had full control of all the ingredients.

    Health and nutrition for me become synonymous.  I also caught on to one other thing about eating.  When I was conscious about my food choice, I felt really good about myself.  Is it raw or organic?  Does it contain artificial sweeteners?  Does the food I am eating contain words I could never even pronounce?  I have become aware, conscious, and full of intent with my eating.  Be it “good” or “bad,” I am aware.  I make the conscious choice and I remind myself of the consequences.

    I am the last person to judge someone on what they are eating.  I will never do that.  I will be the first person to share everything I have come to know with those who seek the knowledge.  I believe we are what we eat and I no longer feel like I have Twinkies for fingers!  There is a connection between consciously choosing our food and a happy, joyous, and free life.  My body told me for many years in a variety of different ways that what I was putting into it was harming myself.  It took a big scare for me to wake up and listen.

    In our Path to Peace Recovery Retreats we look at nutrition very deeply and examine healthier ways to eat without sacrificing fun and flavor.  As a matter of fact, the food I eat now  and the manner in which I eat is extremely satisfying on all levels.

    You see, I am a recovering addict.  My disease does not know the difference between alcohol, pot, cocaine, heroin, meth, food, sex, power, or victimhood.  The disease of addiction is a brain disease that runs rampant when left unchecked.  The results are always the same:  negative consequences or recovery.  With support, recovery is a path to peace, joy, and freedom like no other.

    In June we kicked off our first in a series of CWG on recovery retreats.  A small group of people all shared a life-changing event.  If you are in recovery and not experiencing great joy and freedom or are still suffering with addictions, please consider giving yourself this experience.   Our next retreat will held in San Jose, California, Sept 19 -22nd, 2013.  On October 24 – 27th, 2013, we will have another retreat in Orlando Florida.  Click here for more information on these life-changing retreats.

    (Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation with JR Westen. You can visit his website here for more information at  To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)

  • This just in: you’re addicted to the news

    When does too much turn into addiction?

    I am often asked this question in many different forms, about many different subjects.  It usually comes across in questions like am I addicted to work, or money, or candy, sex, alcohol even television.  The list goes on and on.  Society has done a wonderful job of blurring what is really very obvious to most people. In order for something to be considered an addiction the following definition must apply.  You will not hear the definition of addiction talked about in the media.

    Continued use in spite of negative consequences.

    For those of you who read this column regularly you have heard this definition before.  These negative consequences for the 5 major addictions are obvious to everyone who knows the addict.  For the soft addictions the consequences may not be so obvious from the outside.

    Many people would say that a person who makes millions of dollars and continues to build his wealth is addicted to money. Without knowing who this person is and what he is up to with his money, it is not for us to say that he is addicted.  Take for example, the person who works 100 hours a week.  We would judge this person to be a workaholic.  But what if that person is doing what he or she loves to do?  What if the work this person is doing is for a cause that could bring great joy and freedom to large numbers of people?  Do we still say that person is a workaholic or do they now become a saint?

    So if a person likes to come home from work every night and crack open a cold beer,  sit on the couch and watch the evening news is he addicted?  My answer is, “I don’t know, what happens if he doesn’t watch the news?”  You didn’t see that coming?  Really?

    The news media uses fear as the driving force to keep people coming back.  And it works! How does being informed of the murders, house fires, and potential terrorist threats, on a daily basis help us to feel joy?  Do we really need to know what the weather is going to be this coming weekend so we can make plans?  Many people keep a cable news channel on all day long listening to the same 5 stories be repeated endlessly.  You don’t think this is addiction?  Tell me what good this serves in our lives.

    Fear, is the opposite of everything that we are.
    God said that in CWG book one.

    Fear causes tension and anxiety which leads to all sorts of physical and mental health issues. Fear causes the body to enter into the fight of flight syndrome.  While in that mode the body cannot repair itself thus becoming vulnerable to disease.

    Living with a pattern of behavior that creates a mental state of fear qualifies as addicted by definition.  Repeating a behavior that is non-beneficial to our physical health or our mental well being is dysfunctional living.

    Hang on — there’s breaking news — oh no, a carjacking in New York City.

    Yes, this story gets the headlines; one man carjacks somebody in a city of 12 million people and this makes a top story on the 5 pm news?  Why?  What is the end game of this type of reporting?  Is it really just to keep us coming back day after day so they can sell ads?  Why do we not see the bigger picture?  That the majority of humans are out in the world doing good things, living normal, happy lives?  When will we decide take back our reality creation instead of letting someone create our reality based on what sells more advertising for them?

    It is staggering to see what the media chooses to report on when you look at it honestly.  The news is merely another form of entertainment much like professional wrestling. They are going to look for the most sensational piece of news and beat it over our heads for as long as possible.  A sensational plane crash gets 2 weeks coverage at the top of the hour while meanwhile 44 people per hour per day die from addiction-related incidents.

    My wife and I decided a few years ago that we would not watch news unless there was something happening that we felt the need to be informed of.  We also decided if we were going to watch that we were going to keep our finger on the channel button and turn it off as soon as we received the information we desired.  For the most part we get our news through the internet where we can pick and choose what it is we want planted in our head.

    My suggestion to everybody is how much news are you watching?  How is it affecting your life?  Is it helping?  Or is it just filling your head with useless information?

     In June we kicked off our first in a series of CWG on recovery retreats.  A small group of people all shared a life-changing event.  If you are in recovery and not experiencing great joy and freedom or are still suffering with addictions, please consider giving yourself this experience.   Our next retreat will held in San Jose, California, Sept 19 -22nd, 2013.  On October 24 – 27th, 2013 we will have another retreat in Orlando Florida.  Click here for more information on these life changing retreats.

    (Kevin McCormack, C.A.d ,is a certified addictions professional. He is a recovering addict with 26 years of sobriety. Kevin is a practicing auriculotherapist, life coach, and interventionist specializing in individual and family recovery and also co-facilitates spiritual recovery retreats for the CWG foundation with JR Westen. You can visit his website for more information at www.Kevin-Spiritualmentor.com  To connect with Kevin, please email him at Kevin@TheGlobalConversation.com)