In times where you might need a helping hand, it’s important to know that if you do reach out, someone will be there. There’s never an easy time to come to terms with your own inability to stop, and there are behavioral patterns involved that develop over years. There are some who will say this is based on a reflex, and that the negative moves that we make in the world are simply results of various kinds of conditioning. It’s difficult to deny that there are always enormous pressures everywhere that can lead us to believe that checking out for periods of time is not a bad solution.

In Long Beach, like most places, there’s help. There are many organizations here that can help. The Substance Abuse Foundation is one that offers counseling, treatment, and housing. Flossie Lewis is a leading center for beginning the process for recovery from alcoholism. Tarzana is another treatment center in the Long Beach area. One of the best resources in any town is Alcoholics Anonymous, where people who want help can speak to others in recovery, and get recommendations based on first-hand experience.

Film and television are the measure of who we are, in many respects, and it’s possible now to see both positive and negative models of behavior. Often these traits are found in the same character. This is something that many would consider to be a positive step forward, because it does suggest to the culture that the addict and alcohoic’s mind are never all bad, nor is anyone all good. The common wisdom in this, of course, is that we are simply sick people getting better. Through the various treatment programs available, people can find their way toward making themselves more useful to society. It’s a simple reward, but it’s certainly not always easy.

When the surrounding culture is able to support healthy choices and positive behaviors, it’s a step forward for the entire recovery community. Not only are we able to move forward together, but there is a knowledge and an understanding of ourselves, and each other. Addiction is something that affects everyone, and when it’s time to become part of the solution, the problem is perhaps a bit smaller. If we can combine this with an understanding that positive role models, as well as more positive imaged in the media, can open up new possibilities of being, then these effects also will be felt through the entire community, and not only those who are in recovery. There is always a bright future right up ahead.