National Alcohol/Drug Addiction Recovery Month - Sept 2011

I like to try and bring some awareness to important things each month. I haven't done anything the past 2 months because nothing really caught my eye. I had several things to choose from this month - National Sickle Cell Month, Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, Children's Eye Health and Safety Month...and a few others... but this month I chose to go with...

National Alcohol/Drug Addiction Recovery Month - Sept 2011

There are a few reasons why I chose to bring awareness to this. *Personal moment coming up* -

My first reason for wanting to bring awareness to Alcohol/Drug Addiction Recovery is because my sisters dad was an alcoholic and did many drugs. I use to wish, for her sake, that he would get help and stay clean (he always relapsed). When on alcohol/drugs even the most nice people can become monsters... as did my sisters dad. When he was sober he would do anything in the world for you... he was a clean cut guy who would give his last dime to a man on the street. He loved my sister and I believe he loved my mom as well. We didn't know he had a hidden side...a darker side... finally he couldn't hide his addictions any longer and we saw the part of him that we never wanted to. Long story short, the night he died (out in the cold, with nothing but hospital scrub pants on, no shirt, no shoes, nothing) he was drunk.. he was on his way to kill my mother, according to eyewitnesses. Let me say again, he was on his way to kill my mother... while I'm sorry he lost his life and the chance to get clean and be a good man for his daughter, I think my sister is better off. Now, maybe if he the right people to help him and the right resources, he could have gotten clean... I know you can't get clean unless you want to, but I honestly believe he wanted to.... anyways../personal moment lol

My second reason for wanting to bring awareness to Alcohol/Drug Addiction Recovery is because of the military. Surprise surprise!! Who saw that coming? LOL - We all know that people have problems with alcohol/drugs for various reasons and even military members do... from my own eyes though, I have noticed it more among the military members (specifically army b/c that is what we're affiliated with) who have gone and come back from war. Some soldiers just can't deal with the things they have seen... they won't seek counseling because they think it will ruin their careeer, they will look weak, they are in denial...or whatever reason they come up with... so instead they turn to alcohol and drugs to cope. We all know that drugs doesn't just mean illegal drugs...

In an article I read while googling (I love google!!) I found out that drug abuse doubled among U.S. military personnel from 2002 to 2005 and almost tripled between 2005 and 2008. I wonder what the numbers are now?

I also read in that same article that "A study of Army soldiers screened 3 to 4 months after returning from deployment to Iraq showed that 27 percent met criteria for alcohol abuse and were at increased risk for related harmful behaviors (e.g., drinking and driving, using illicit drugs). And although soldiers frequently report alcohol concerns, few are referred to alcohol treatment. Research findings highlight the need to improve screening and access to care for alcohol-related problems among service members returning from combat deployments. Drug or alcohol use frequently accompanies mental health problems and was involved in 30 percent of the Army's suicide deaths from 2003 to 2009 and in more than 45 percent of non-fatal suicide attempts from 2005 to 2009." ((source))

This alone tells us that alcohol/drug addiction is a problem for some of our military members and they need help. It doesn't just affect them and their careers..it affects those who love them...especially those who live with them.

Getting help isn't easy, but it is the right thing to do. And I believe that if the ones we love have our support, getting help and recovering will be easier for them. Here are some links to point you in the right direction if you need them:

Recovery Month 2011 - great info!!
Army Substance Abuse Program - more great info!!
Army OneSource - great info and more links!!

The Recovery Month Color is purple so I've made this picture for *AWDIWH* for the month of Sept 2011.

Be knowledgable!

Since I have been dealing with so many wives on a regular basis, I have come across something that is driving me insane... this "something" is one of the reasons I had decided to make my fan page on facebook - *AWDIWH*

For me, when I got to our first duty station, I had to learn a lot on my own because my husband was shipped off to Iraq after a few months. Thank God for the women I met who helped me b/c I didn't have access to the internet and my best friend "google" =)...

Here are some things I think are important:

1. Know the location of the Tricare Office, DEERS, JAG, commissary, PX, your husbands company, the hospital, the Army Community Service building...and so on... some places may be found in one single building like here at Stewart we have the Soldier Service Building..either way, know where the important places are at each post you live at!!

2. When your spouse deploys make sure you have access to mypay and the bank account!! Make sure you have a POA (power of attorney) that will cover everything you might need. We always get me specific POA's because some places are just ananl. This last deployment I had a general POA, a special POA, a POA for DEERS, Taxes, JAG and one specifically for housing. Find out what ones you need for your post and get them!! If you need one that you don't have while he is gone it is going to be hell trying to get one with him in another country.

3. For the soldier specifically - DON'T LEAVE YOUR SPOUSE IN THE DARK!! TELL YOUR SPOUSE THE THINGS THEY SHOULD KNOW!!! There are some things that I see and it leaves me wondering "why the hell didn't your soldier tell you these things?!" You soldiers who are married need to realize that we, as spouses, CAN NOT help you properly with day to day things that concern the army or help you with certain things when you're gone if you don't tell us what we need to know!! ((Special thanks to my husband for always keeping me informed!))

4. OPSEC/PERSEC - just read it..and follow it lol

5. Please please please!!!! make sure you have a support network!! You never know when you will need it for an emergency or just your sanity. =)

Hurricane Irene aftermath..

I'm reading about the death toll with Hurricane Irene. Sitting here just confuzzled at the lack of common sense when it comes to fooling with Mother Nature. I'm reading that at least 28 deaths were in connection with this Hurricane. Some of them have me saying "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" -

"In Bristol, 46-year-old Shane Seaver died after he and another man went canoeing down a flooded street and the canoe capsized. Seaver's body washed ashore late Sunday night in Plainville. The other man survived." (in Connecticut) - What in the hell possessed these men to get in a canoe and think it was a good idea to take a "stroll" in the flooded street? If this were one of my family members I would be pissed off that they died this way because it was completely preventable.

"In Volusia County, 55-year-old Frederick Fernandez died Saturday off New Smyrna Beach after he was tossed off his board by massive waves caused by Irene. The Orlando Sentinel reports the high school teacher had a large cut on his head, apparently from hitting the sea floor." (in Florida) - Huh?! You mean to tell me this guy was actually surfing in the ocean with a freakin' hurricane?!! And this man is a teacher so you would think he would have known better! I understand surfers live for the waves and all but did he really think this was a good idea? Come on... my 12yr old has more sense than that.

"Celena Sylvestri, 20, of Quinton, called her boyfriend and then 911 early Sunday seeking help getting out of her flooded car in Pilesgrove, police said. Her body was found eight hours later in the vehicle, which was about 150 feet off the road, police said." (in NJ) - This one really hits close to home.. This is right near where I'm from. I got married in Quinton, NJ. I know the roads and I know you don't drive in them when they are flooded!!! Another death that could have been prevented if she used her brain.

"Police in Suffolk County say 68-year-old Joseph Rocco of East Islip drowned while windsurfing in Bellport Bay." & "Two men were swept down the Croton River on Sunday evening after their inflatable boat capsized, and one of them died after being pulled down river by heavy currents, Croton police said." - Really? Do I even need to touch on this? I think I've said enough with the above examples.

Now, I'm sorry that these people lost their lives and my heart really does go out to their families despite how heartless I seem, but these deaths were completely unnecessary! Why don't people listen to the warnings that are issued with these Hurricanes? and other things like Tornadoes and Earthquakes... these are not things to mess with because they are seriously unpredictable events.  It bothers me to see people lose their lives over senseless things. /rant

 

Hurricane Irene

It seems Hurricane Irene is going to miss us here in GA. We may get some wind and rain but nothing major unless she decides to change course at the last minute..and we all know how women like to change their minds ;)

I have a small concern about Hurricane Irene. My concern is that people will not take the chance to evacuate certain areas while they can. I'm pretty sure there are people who wished they had left when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans...There were so many who didn't take the warnings seriously and lost their lives.

I'm not sure that Hurricane Irene will be as bad as Katrina, but she can, and she will, do some damage. When she hits, make sure you are prepared. If people need help afterwards, understand that because of the amount of people who may need help and your location, people might not be able to get to you right away... We all know how this will end up... "Obama hates the American people so he isn't helping!" - now I don't think that but you know there are people who say everything that goes wrong under the sun is his fault...lol He is telling people to be prepared!!

So, here are some links to help you prepare for a Hurricane..Irene or any other one in the future -

Hurricane Preparedness
How to Prepare for a Hurricane

Contest for reaching 10,000 fans =)

I'm so excited that we reached 10,000 fans on *Army Wives Do It With Hooah*!!!

I've decided to do a contest with a prize. We've had a few contests in the past, but not many. The prize will be something Scentsy from me (Jamie Lynn Independent Scentsy Consultant).

The Contest - Those who wish to enter will write a "Haiku Poem" about the military/army...this can be a wide range of things...from your soldier to the flag..deployments to PSCing... it doesn't have to "patriotic" but it has to be military related.

In case you don't know what a "Haiku Poem" is, you can read about it here:
How to write a Haiku Poem

Send your entries to me at:
enchantedfragrance@hotmail.com
Put "poem" as the subject so I know exactly what it is.

I will take poems up to August 31, 2011. I will then take all the poems I get and put them in a blog post. The members of *Army Wives Do It With Hooah* will vote.

Depending on how many poems I get, I may break the voting into groups of poems and then vote among the winners of each group.

Voting will take place in the middle of September 2011, not sure of the exact date, but I will keep you updated on it. ((Not sure of exact date b/c of my Surgery on the 9th))

Let's have fun!!! Can't wait to see what we get!!

Write those poems and email them to me by August 31st!!!
enchantedfragrance@hotmail.com - "poem" in subject line

GOOD LUCK!!

Military Formals & Balls

What exactly does one wear to these functions? Well, obviously not sweats and a t-shirt, the way I like to lounge around... lol

Seriously though, I've had a few posts about this on *AWDIWH* and I figured I'd address it. My bestie just went to her first ball and she said she had a blast. She told me that some of the women there looked amazing... beautifully dressed up...and others, not so much... She said you could see one womans booty when she bent over because of how short her dress was. *insert me rolling my eyes and shaking my head*

My other friend said she got an email about how to dress accordingly at the ball. She read it to me and it sounded like the FRG leader was basically trying to nicely say, "Don't dress like a streetwalker because you represent your husband." She was more tactful than I would have been...maybe that is why I'm not cut out for positions in the FRG...lol

So, what should you wear? There really is no one certain thing. You can wear a long dress or a short dress... IMO a short dress for the ball is between shin and knee length. Anything above the knee would be inappropriate to me. Again, that is just my opinion.. I have been to a few balls and I'm taking my opinion from what I have seen, and what I wish I didn't see. What has been seen cannot be undone =( I'd also like to point out a few things about the breasts...yes the "gals"... If you are a big busted woman, I know sometimes it is hard to find appropriate fitting things, I'm a big busted woman myself so this is how I know. However, we can make sure we have proper support and buy something that fits us so that our breasts aren't spilling out of dress! If someone is looking at you thinking, "if she lifts her arms her boobs will spill out all over" then you are not wearing the correct size dress. And just because you might have smaller "gals" it doesn't mean it is appropriate to go bra-less in gowns that don't support that. Keep the "gals" in check no matter what your size. There is a way to look sexy and classy at the same time. Showing a little bit goes a long way..showing too much is just overboard.

And what woman doesn't like jewelry?! From what I have seen, something small and elegant always looks wonderful! When you've got a necklace on that is too big and "gawdy" it takes away from your dress and frankly, IMO, looks kinda ghetto. Simplicity always looks good.

Let me touch on make-up too. For the love of Cover Girl, leave the 80s make-up alone!!! Bright and bold make-up just doesn't "mesh" with a formal evening... Remember, this is just my personal opinion and it's cool if you don't agree lol

Alcohol! Most of these functions have alcohol... if you can't hold liquor, don't drink. Don't go into a formal evening and drink so much that you end up making yourself and your soldier look like asses. Falling on the dance floor because you had one too many Long Island Iced Teas is embarrassing and you'll forever be known as that "THAT" one.

Let me show you what I mean =)