Arizona Alcoholism Treatment Center

I came to Crossroads for Women in June of 1997, straight from Estrella Jail. Prior to being incarcerated I had been living on the streets because I had been asked to leave CASS Shelter. They had a policy that they would not admit you unless you were sober and I was usually drunk or loaded. Basically, I had lost everything, including my son, husband, family and friends. All my enablers were finished with me and I was seriously considering a life of homelessness and crime. I figured that I could handle the homeless circuit, summers in Denver and winters in Phoenix. Basically I had given up and had no hope that I could live a sober, meaningful life. When I got arrested I felt a great relief. My time in jail gave me a chance to dry out and re-evaluate the direction my life was taking. Today, I know that God did for me what I could not do for myself.
My probation officer required that I live at a halfway house and she strongly recommended that I make it Crossroads Midtown for Women. When I walked through the doors of Midtown, I was scared to death and had little confidence in my ability to stay sober and out of trouble. Fortunately, Crossroads required us to attend a 12-step meeting daily, get a sponsor and work the steps. Another requirement was to work and pay my own rent. I had not worked in years and remember being absolutely terrified about how I would present myself. After all I was now a felon, with large gaps in my employment history. My sponsor told me to get a job that did not matter and would just pay the rent. So that is what I did. What is unbelievable, is that when I got that crappy job and started to become self-supporting my self-esteem and confidence returned. It’s funny how taking the right action will do that for a person. Living at Crossroads helped me to lay a strong foundation for my sobriety that I carry with me today.
After I had been at Midtown for a period of time I was asked to become the Resident Manager and work nights as well as reside at Crossroads. During this time, I attended Phoenix College and obtained my Associates Degree. Living at Crossroads gave me this opportunity. It also enabled me to work on re-establishing relationships with my family and son. I developed a strong support group and friendships that I still have today.
Eventually I moved from Crossroads, but have never severed my ties. I have worked at the women’s facility in all the various positions. Currently, I am the Program Coordinator and responsible for making sure the facility stays full and runs smoothly. Personally, my son has returned to live with me and I have re-married. My experience with the AA program and Crossroads has been one of great personal fulfillment as well as immense professional growth. I believe strongly in Crossroads mission, and it is an honor and privilege for me to watch other women grow and achieve sobriety. There is nothing better then watching a person go from complete despair to great joy. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity!
Thank you,
Karen Barraclough






Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Arizona Meth Recovery

Methamphetamine overview in Arizona
Methamphetamine is the main drug threat to the state of Arizona. High purity, low cost meth is readily available, and the drug is abused throughout Arizona. Crystal meth is becoming increasingly available throughout the state; some areas report higher levels of abuse of crystal meth than powdered methamphetamine. Law enforcement agencies throughout Arizona report that the level of meth abuse is increasing in their jurisdictions and that Caucasians appear to be the main abusers.
Crystal meth is a colorless, odorless, smokable form of d-methamphetamine that resembles glass fragments or ice shavings. It is produced through the crystallization of meth powder. Crystal meth often is referred to as ice, glass, or shards.
According to TEDS, the number of amphetamine-related addiction treatment admissions to publicly funded addiction treatment facilities in the state of Arizona increased from 812 in the year of 1998 to 1,267 in 2001, then diminish to 765 in 2002. (Nationwide, 95% of amphetamine-related addiction treatment admissions reported to TEDS are methamphetamine-related.) The number of amphetamine-related addiction treatment admissions was greater than for any other illicit drug in the year of 2002. Moreover, addiction treatment providers in the state of Arizona report that stimulant abusers are switching from crack cocaine to crystal methamphetamine because it can be smoked like crack cocaine, is readily available, and is cheaper.
"Methamphetamine has become the most hazardous drug issue of small-town America," according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.1 It apparently hits small towns more than big cities. "Meth is tremendously addictive. Individual who think they might try meth only once or twice can get hooked. Most drugs, such as cocaine or heroin, originate from other nations and are sold by dealers. Meth can be cooked at home in kitchens and garages, in vacant barns, and in other buildings. It is made with common household items like batteries and cold medicine. These objects are inexpensive and can be bought in local stores. The chemicals in them pollute neighborhoods and make the environment unsafe for children.
Treatment for meth abuse can be difficult to find in small towns. Rural communities frequently have fewer health facilities and treatment options than wider cities. This means that youth and adult meth users may find it difficult to get the help they need.
Meth treatment admissions per 100,000 citizens (2003): 29
Arizona is an important distribution hub for the shipment of Mexican-produced methamphetamine to U.S. markets, especially to states in the Midwest, and most of the meth in local circulation comes from Mexico rather than from clandestine labs. Indeed, until recently, lab seizures were sharply decreasing in Arizona. From a high of 389 seizures in 2000, they decreased to 122 during 2004. Nonetheless, during that same period, Arizona has seen the amount of individuals seeking treatment for meth addiction quintuple: from 614 people in 2000 to 3,301 in 2004 (or approximately 8.9% of all individuals seeking treatment for drug abuse).
Methamphetamine statistics in Arizona
In 2003, 42% of females booked into Maricopa County jail tested positive for methamphetamine.
Surveys show that 65% of Arizona state child-abuse and neglect cases involve meth.
Over the last five years, there were 1,412 meth-production-related seizures in the state of Arizona, according to the Attorney General's Office.
Methamphetamine epidemy in Arizona
Arizona's meth problem has exploded recently. In the city of Phoenix, methamphetamine-related deaths increased from 20 in 1992 to 122 in 1994, a 570% jump. Law enforcement officials blame the upsurge in trafficking and related violence on Mexican trafficking groups and their associates, who now make up 80% of meth arrests. The California-Arizona border has become to the attention for law enforcement, as interstate highways are used increasingly to move meth from suppliers in the state of California to Arizona.
Update:
The Combat Meth Act, signed by President Bush on March 9, 2006, gives minimum standards for retailers across the nation that sell products containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The law limits sales to 3.6 grams of the base ingredient (the pure ephedrine or pseudoephedrine) daily and 9 grams per month, and requires that buyers provide identification and sign a sales log. Also, sellers must now keep these substances behind the counter or in a locked case and register on-line with the U.S. Attorney General.

How meth was originally develloped?
Methamphetamine was originally developed in 1919 by a Japanese pharmacologist. Even though its initial uses were for medical purposes, its ability to boost energy and to enable users to function without sleep made it attractive for military purposes during World War II. Several reports demonstrate the German army frequently distributed a form of methamphetamine to weary troops in attempt to counter battle fatigue. The ease and fast turnaround of the ephedrine reduction method of manufacture made it the popular choice of Army officials and is the most likely source of the label “Nazi Method”. Certain authors have credited by mistake the German Army with the development of meth.
Meth has undergone both legal and illicit uses in the country. In the 1930s, meth was used therapeutically to treat asthma and epileptic seizures. When the effects became more evident, meth use was banned in the United States but major pharmaceutical companies were allowed to manufacture it for export. A substantial portion distributed in Mexico and Canada found its way back into the country and was sold on the black market for illegal purposes.
Historically, outlaw motorcycle gangs operating on the West Coast dominated illegal meth production. Members of these organizations or their employees cooked meth for both financial gain and for personal use. Certain over-the-road drivers to keep them alert during long work stretches used “Speed”, one of the first forms of meth. During the 1970s, meth was a major appetite suppressant in prescription diet pills. The illegal demand for meth leaded to forged prescriptions, theft and a black market.
The reemergence of an important meth problem was discovered as early as 1983 in California. The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA), the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program (ADAM) and the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), all indicated a pronounced raise in its manufacture, distribution and use. The growth in clandestine labs has spread across several regions of the United States and the problem is acute in the Midwest. The simple manufacturing process, the accessibility of precursor materials, the longer high and the substantial profit margin all contribute to raises in meth production and use. The Law Enforcement answer has been severe. Several states have raised penalties for manufacture, distribution and use of methamphetamine. Many multi-jurisdictional task forces have been formed to raise enforcement activities. The Comprehensive Methamphetamine Control Act of 1966 cracked down on the mail order industry and chemical supply companies, as well as rising penalties for possession, trafficking, and manufacturing of precursor chemicals and paraphernalia. Certain jurisdictions now regulate the sale of ephedrine based cold medicines and numerous have cooperative agreements with retail facilities to report purchases of meth ingredients. While these measures all help to attack the meth issue, they are unfortunately not enough. The need to increase treatment, intervention and prevention programs is very obvious. If we are to be successful, our programs need to be comprehensive and must attack meth on several fronts.



Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Phoenix drug addictions

Celebrity spectacles put negative spin on rehab

PHOENIX (July 2, 2007) – Drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation centers nationwide have become the new weekend getaway spot, thanks to the acts of several high-profile celebrities and debutants.
That’s because when Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears and other well-known celebrities check into rehab, it’s not long after until they check out to return to their socially-graced lifestyles.
Lee Pioske of Crossroads, Inc., a Phoenix-based network of transitional living facilities for individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, feels the seriousness, or lack thereof, with which these celebrities are treating their own drug and alcohol abuse problems, is creating a poor reputation for rehab centers across the nation and a joke out of the disease itself.
"The vast majority of persons who check into rehab centers are there to kick a bad habit, said Pioske. "It seems so many celebrities are now using rehabilitation facilities as another publicity tool. Many celebrities will simply check into rehab centers to regain a positive reputation in opposition to the real purpose of rehab centers, which is to help people cope and cure their drug and alcohol abuse problems.
Crossroads, Inc., among other rehabilitation facilities throughout the U.S., is taking a stand against such actions. The facility, which maintains a waiting list for their step-by-step rehabilitation program, requires a patient to stay for a minimum of three months before being released. Crossroads has implemented policies like this to ensure its residents are confronting the rehabilitation process with the importance it deserves.
In addition to its minimum-stay policy, all residents are required to work full time, attend school full time or complete a minimum of 20 community service hours each week.
Crossroads is working to correct the recent portrayal of rehab centers as both easy and non-committal. While most sources agree celebrities have tarnished the reputation of rehabilitation centers, others argue that media coverage is good for the industry and awareness of real problems.
Since 1960, Crossroads has served the Valley and helped more than 22,000 people. With three men’s and two women’s facilities in Phoenix, Crossroads mentors its residents through recovery, and supports them with transitional living and programs to help them become productive members of society.
Funded by community donations, Crossroads facilities house more that 140 men and women and hosts more than 80 12-step recovery meetings each week that benefit over 4,000 people at various locations throughout Phoenix.
All Crossroads facilities are nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) organizations and are registered by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health.
For more information on Crossroads programs and facilities, call 602-279-2585 or visit www.thecrossroadsinc.org.


Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Arizona Meth Recovery

The ARIZONA METH PROJECT is a collaborative prevention campaign aimed at significantly reducing first-time Meth use in Arizona. The campaign primarily targets middle- and high-school students, and young adults ages 18 to 24. Support for the campaign comes from state funds allocated by the counties, private funds, a significant allocation from the Maricopa County General Fund, and funding from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. To date, participating counties in the ARIZONA METH PROJECT include: Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pinal, and Yuma. The ARIZONA METH PROJECT mass media prevention campaign complements the work of existing anti-Meth coalitions and community-based education and treatment programs across Arizona.
The ARIZONA METH PROJECT is overseen by the ARIZONA METH PROJECT Advisory Board, comprised of appointees from participating counties, as well as expert representatives from the treatment, tribal, education, media and business communities.
The ARIZONA METH PROJECT implements the gritty Meth Project advertising campaign initiated in the state of Montana as the Montana Meth Project, which has been hailed as instrumental in raising public awareness of the dangers of Meth according to the Prevention Needs Assessment administered by the Department of Public Health and Human Services, where 93 percent of Montana teen respondents agreed there was great risk associated with Meth, which is 10 percent higher than teen perception nationwide. The ARIZONA METH PROJECT is modeled after the Montana Meth Project, which combines advertising with community-action programs. The Meth Project is working with states across the nation interested in replicating the program as part of their efforts to reduce the prevalence of methamphetamine use.


Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Arizona Alcohol Drug Treatment

Celebrity spectacles put negative spin on rehab
PHOENIX (July 2, 2007) – Drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation centers nationwide have become the new weekend getaway spot, thanks to the acts of several high-profile celebrities and debutants.
That’s because when Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears and other well-known celebrities check into rehab, it’s not long after until they check out to return to their socially-graced lifestyles.
Lee Pioske of Crossroads, Inc., a Phoenix-based network of transitional living facilities for individuals struggling with drug and alcohol addiction, feels the seriousness, or lack thereof, with which these celebrities are treating their own drug and alcohol abuse problems, is creating a poor reputation for rehab centers across the nation and a joke out of the disease itself.
"The vast majority of persons who check into rehab centers are there to kick a bad habit, said Pioske. "It seems so many celebrities are now using rehabilitation facilities as another publicity tool. Many celebrities will simply check into rehab centers to regain a positive reputation in opposition to the real purpose of rehab centers, which is to help people cope and cure their drug and alcohol abuse problems.
Crossroads, Inc., among other rehabilitation facilities throughout the U.S., is taking a stand against such actions. The facility, which maintains a waiting list for their step-by-step rehabilitation program, requires a patient to stay for a minimum of three months before being released. Crossroads has implemented policies like this to ensure its residents are confronting the rehabilitation process with the importance it deserves.
In addition to its minimum-stay policy, all residents are required to work full time, attend school full time or complete a minimum of 20 community service hours each week.
Crossroads is working to correct the recent portrayal of rehab centers as both easy and non-committal. While most sources agree celebrities have tarnished the reputation of rehabilitation centers, others argue that media coverage is good for the industry and awareness of real problems.
Since 1960, Crossroads has served the Valley and helped more than 22,000 people. With three men’s and two women’s facilities in Phoenix, Crossroads mentors its residents through recovery, and supports them with transitional living and programs to help them become productive members of society.
Funded by community donations, Crossroads facilities house more that 140 men and women and hosts more than 80 12-step recovery meetings each week that benefit over 4,000 people at various locations throughout Phoenix.
All Crossroads facilities are nonprofit, 501 (c)(3) organizations and are registered by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health.
For more information on Crossroads programs and facilities, call 602-279-2585 or visit www.thecrossroadsinc.org.


Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

It gets better

If I continue to search and diligently believe that I am worthy of the blessings of my God, my time will come.

You know in step one we were afraid to come to the realization that we had a problem. Our disease (addiction) told us that we could always do more we just needed more money or someone else that we can use to get the money for that next high. Even then God was there to protect us and rescue us.

Changing that negative thinking was the hard part for me. I had to rearrange all the thoughts in my head. Those negative tapes of "you are not good enough", "you are not pretty enough", "you are not going to succeed because all you do is fail" we running 24/7. I had actually thought that I was not good enough to exist in my child's life. I was afraid that she would see through the exterior of smoke and mirrors that I had for everyone else.

Then I come to these rooms and I need to change the inside to reflect on the outside. WHAT!! No smoke and mirrors with the biggest lies known to man and beast? What type of existence is that? I would be vulnerable. My heart would be on display for anyone to just hurt. Talk about afraid to take down the walls of fear.

See there are many reasons that we bury our pain and do nothing. We just hold it all in and plow ahead as though nothing's wrong, but inside we can feel the pressure building. An important step that my sponsor made sure I understood was resistance of my own authenticity (being honest with myself). I wasn't lying to anyone but myself. That doesn't make the process any easier, in fact, some ways it's harder because after a while we believe the lie and not the truth. What sucks about that is WE STARTED THE FRICKEN LIE!!

Old habits had to die hard. Some of them need to be fought with the power of my God on a daily basis. But damn it I refuse to believe myself to be unworthy of the blessings of God.

- I have a habit of ignoring and stuffing my hurt in such a way that I've developed a pattern without even realizing it. (the lie I tell myself - it's ok I can't show my feelings)

- I have pride that will just not die - easily. I have an image of strength and womanliness that I must present to people at all times. Disclosing my wounds or vulnerabilities even my emotions would be embarrassing. I would feel like I'm being judged.

- Ignorance of not having any idea how or where to start to remove the lies I've told myself about myself over the years. I don't know about you but I never had anyone in my life that modeled or showed me how to be honest about what's going on inside.

- The biggest killer of them all FEAR. If I open up and expose who I am people will loose respect for me, reject me, laugh at me all of this would lead to more hurt.

At the beginning of recovery, with all this running through my head I was ready to run for the damn door. The problem with that was I had no where else to run. No one to turn to that could offer help. The rooms were the only safe haven for me. I related to almost all the misfits. Hell it was like sitting in a room full of different versions of ME. That should have been enough to let me know I was in the right place. Then I had to grow a brain and tell myself that I didn't look like anyone in these rooms. I'm not that bad. Now I guess I should mention my first meeting I was about 3 sheets to the wind and wondering why in the hell anyone would give up drinking.When we refuse to admit our powerlessness we are only deceiving ourselves. It's a dangerous self deception that often leads to death.

I'm worthy today because I've worked with my God, my sponsor and other's in the program that helped me to realize that it was me, myself, and I that needed to heal from years of deception. It has taken the courage that my God has supplied to me on a daily basis to face my wreckage, my pain, my fears, and my life. It has taken the wisdom of my God to re-learn how to live life honestly and openly. Knowing that I am enough for whatever may come my direction. It has taken the strength of my God to get me through the storms of life that so easily come into my life. I no longer tell God how big the storm is, I tell the storm how big my God is.

My God loved me before the foundation of the world. He knew how I was going to be when I came to realize that it has been his mercy and grace keeping me my entire life. I can't change the past but I can grow from it.

Today I know that if I keep my happy ass out of the way my God can work in my life. My perfect plans are a perfect mess in the sight of God. I will be 3 years recovered Sept 25, I live today knowing that even the worst fear can be faced with the help of my God. God will choose what we go through but it is up to us how we go through it.



Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

All Arizona DUI Offenders Soon to Need to Pass Breath Test to Drive

Soon, Arizona DUI offenders will have to pass a breath test to start your car. But Lawmaker Ben Miranda said for alcoholics, treatment would be a better option.

"Alcoholism should be dealt with at a certain point as a disease," Miranda said.

Chuck Hurley of Mothers against Drunk Drivers thinks differently.

"We think there are really two different issues. The disease should be treated and the crime should be punished," Hurley said.

For 1st offenses, the interlocks will be required for a full year.

Arizona becomes the 2nd state to require them after New Mexico.

Opponents say the cost will hurt poor families, but Hurley said disagrees.

"The cost is about the cost of a drink a day," Hurley said. "If people have enough money for a car and for a habit then we think they have enough money for an interlock."

Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Arizona 12 Step Recovery

ARTICLE IN PRESS
Regular article
Assessment of spirituality and its relevance to addiction treatment
Marc Galanter, (M.D.)4, Helen Dermatis, (Ph.D.), Gregory Bunt, (M.D.),
Caroline Williams, (M.D.), Manuel Trujillo, (M.D.), Paul Steinke, (M.A, M.D.)
Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
Received 13 April 2006; received in revised form 15 June 2006; accepted 16 June 2006
Abstract
The prominence of Twelve-Step programs has led to increased attention on the putative role of spirituality in recovery from addictive
disorders. We developed a 6-item Spirituality Self-Rating Scale designed to reflect a global measure of spiritual orientation to life, and we
demonstrated here its internal consistency reliability in substance abusers on treatment and in nonsubstance abusers. This scale and the
measures related to recovery from addiction and treatment response were applied in three diverse treatment settings: a general hospital
inpatient psychiatry service, a residential therapeutic community, and methadone maintenance programs. Findings on these patient groups
were compared to responses given by undergraduate college students, medical students, addiction faculty, and chaplaincy trainees. These
suggest that, for certain patients, spiritual orientation is an important aspect of their recovery. Furthermore, the relevance of this issue may be
underestimated in the way treatment is framed in a range of clinical facilities. D 2006 Published by Elsevier Inc.
Keywords: Substance abuse treatment; Spirituality; Alcoholics Anonymous; Psychometric scale
1. Introduction
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been described as ba
spiritual program for living,Q as bthere is no dogma, theology,
or creed to be learnedQ (Miller & Kurtz, 1994). Dictionaries
define spirituality with phrases such as bconcerned with or
affecting the soulQ or bpertaining to GodQ (Berube, 2001).
These connotations suggest that an approach to spirituality
can be framed relative to addiction recovery, as understood by
members of Twelve-Step programs.
To operationalize this construct for use in addiction
treatment settings, we developed a scale designed to assess
the degree to which a subject’s views reflect this orientation.
We have applied it to patients in a diverse group of treatment
programs and to medical caregivers and chaplaincy trainees.
These results were then examined in relation to subjects’
views on substance abuse treatment and recovery.We present
here the psychometric properties of this Spirituality Self-
Rating Scale (SSRS), along with responses from these subject
groups on their views on substance abuse treatment and
recovery and their attitudes toward spirituality in relation to
recovery from addiction. Our findings suggest that further
attention needs to be paid to the importance of spirituality and
its value to patients relative to their recovery in diverse
settings where addicted people are treated.
There have been a number of studies on substance
abusers’ spiritual orientation whose findings reflect a positive
relationship to recovery. Two were on methadone-maintained
patients: Avants,Warburton, and Margolin (2001) found that
a higher self-report rating on bspirituality or religious
supportQ was an independent positive predictor of abstinence
from illicit heroin and cocaine. Flynn, Joe, Broome, Simpson,
and Brown (2003) found that patients who indicated religion
or spirituality as a source of recovery support were almost
twice as likely as those who did not to be free from heroin and
cocaine at 5 years. Piedmont (2004) evaluated a group of
abstinent drug abusers who had entered a spiritually oriented
0740-5472/06/$ – see front matter D 2006 Published by Elsevier Inc.
doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2006.06.014
Support for this project was provided by the Scaife Family Foundation.
4 Corresponding author. Division of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse,
New York University School of Medicine, 550 First Avenue, New York,
NY 10016, USA. Tel.: +1 212 263 6960; fax: +1 212 263 8285.
E-mail address: marcgalanter@nyu.edu (M. Galanter).
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment xxx (2006) xxx– xxx


Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Drunk Driving Wrecks

Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Arizona Alcohol Drug Treatment

I came to Crossroads for Women in February of 2005, straight from the Arizona Department of Corrections. My life before going to prison was wild and crazy. I had no regard for people, places or things. I was so strong in my addiction, that by any means necessary I did what I had to do to feed my addiction. I stayed drunk and high twenty four hours a day. This caused me to lose everything that I had. The materialistic things disappeared immediately. And over time I lost the things that were most valuable to me which was my spirituality, self respect, dignity, integrity, and my family. I had lost myself in the midst of the vicious cycle of my addiction. I had no self worth and no self esteem and had no clue that I could live a sober meaningful life. At one point I was fighting to survive and the end I was barely in existence. I had become my own worst enemy and had given up on life.
While incarcerated I began to take substance abuse classes and learned that I had some serious issues that needed to be addressed. I did not honestly work the program there because every time I attempted to face myself I would instantly withdraw and not follow through. One of the women in my substance abuse class paroled to Crossroads for Women and continued to correspond with me, she highly recommended that I parole there too. She told me of the structure and what a good program that was offered there. I sat on the idea for months and finally wrote a letter of interest to see if I would be accepted. Within a week I had a response and had an interview over the phone. The program coordinator told me that I was accepted and that she looked forward to meeting me.
The day that I checked into Crossroads was a very emotional day for me. I was welcomed with open arms and felt like I was a part of something. This had not ever happened to me before. I would find a tear dropping from my eye all throughout the day. I could not explain in words that day what was happening, but today I know that those were my first tears of happiness. Today, I know that God did for me what I could not do for myself.
I got a sponsor right away and began to work my steps honestly. I also obtained a job and became self sufficient. The job I had was just enough for me to get by, but it sure helped with my self esteem and confidence. This process taught me how to be humble. Living at Crossroads and working the 12 step program has helped me to build a strong foundation in my sobriety.
After being at Crossroads Midtown for Women for 7 months I was to become Resident Manager. I accepted the invitation and I still continue to work nights at Midtown. During this time I have also become a full-time student at Phoenix College. And if God is willing I will be graduating with my Associate’s Degree this coming May. I will transfer to Arizona State University and continue my studies in Social Work specializing in chemical dependency. I have developed a wonderfully strong support group and some friendships that I still have today.
I have my family back in my life today. Just last week my 12 year old daughter who is my youngest of two, said to me that I am her hero. My experience with Crossroads and the AA program has been one of great personal growth and fulfillment as well as professional growth. I believe in Crossroads’ mission. I will forever be grateful for the opportunities that I have been given through Crossroads. It is truly an honor and a privilege to be a part of the family of Crossroads Midtown for Women.


Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Arizona Addiction Recovery - Art of Recovery Expo

William Brown spends a lot of time saying that life is better sober. The Scottsdale resident quit up booze and drugs eighteen years ago after a career in Washington, D.C., politics, including work during the "dirty tricks" era of the Nixon administration. Now Brown and his wife, Barbara Nicholson-Brown, organize the annual Art of Recovery Expo, which will be held Sept. 29 at the Phoenix Convention Center. The free event educates the community about addiction and puts people in touch with solutions.

"Barbara and I are recovery advocates. We want people to know there are resources," said Brown, 65.

"The recovery field tends to market to itself, but people don't know where to get help. I'm a good example of what can happen when someone is at death's door," he said.

Mr. Brown freely talks about his recovery, but says it is not unusual. He said our state, with its many recovery centers and therapists and support from state government, provides a good atmosphere for Arizona addiction recovery.

"It's been an exciting journey, but anyone can do this," Brown said.

Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Arizona 12 Step Recovery

"My name is Leanne and I am an alcoholic." Those were the last words I ever wanted to come out of my mouth. I was determined that I would never be a sober member of ANY 12 step fellowship. I was certain that I was different. I was convinced that I had just been the helpless victim of a very long streak of bad luck. I knew that if I could just learn to handle myself more appropriately then I would no longer drink like a sailor on leave. I tried moving to the U.S. Virgin Islands, surely paradise would inspire me to behave normally where alcohol was concerned. I went to countless 30 day treatment centers from which I would leave full of confidence and with prescriptions for anti-depressants. I was depressed! That was why I could not drink successfully!

I finally was able to cut down on my drinking by using illegal drugs. A white powdery substance turned out to be the answer I had been searching for to mitigate my excessive drinking. I was 26 years old when I realized I now had not only an alcohol problem but a massive drug addiction. As a result, I began to get really serious about seeking treatment. The next 30 day program I entered was going to work because I was determined! I willingly entered the T.A.U. Center in my home town of Baton Rouge in 1997. I REALLY listened this time in the lectures. I REALLY expressed my feelings this time in my small groups. I did everything asked of me while I was in the T.A.U. Center. I just didn’t get a sponsor and I just didn’t work the Twelve Steps when I got out. My using continued for five more years.

The last five years of my addiction were miserable. I hated myself for not being able to stop and for disappointing everyone who knew me. I wanted to stop but I was afraid of sobriety. I wanted sobriety but I was afraid of not using. This is the "Big Pickle" for many with the disease of addiction I later found out. The fear of continuing on a path of misery combined with the fear of not knowing what sobriety truly could be kept me in a tailspin for five long and depraved years.
In August of 2000 I was living in California with a man I had met in a Phoenix treatment center in 1998. Things were not good. On the afternoon of August 4, 2000 I woke up with a sense of total surrender. My heart, soul and mind all aligned around the fact that I could not go on living the way I was currently. It was my moment of clarity. I shipped the boyfriend out that day back to his home in South Carolina. I called the number of a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous who had tried briefly to sponsor me while I was in treatment in Phoenix. I asked her what I needed to do and she replied "You need to come back to Phoenix and go to Crossroads for Women."

For the first time in my life I did not have a "better idea." For the first time in my life I just acted upon someone else’s advice without questioning it. I moved into Crossroads for Women on August 29, 2000. I began attended daily meetings and meeting with my sponsor twice a week while a resident at Crossroads for Women. I did the Twelve Step work because it was required by Crossroads. I blindly put my faith in the Crossroads program which was and still is Twelve Step based. I did my chore and made my bed daily. I found that by doing the simplest tasks required by Crossroads and by following suggestions my attitude and sobriety continue to mature and grow.

I completed the Twelve Steps in my first three months at Crossroads. I came to understand that my sobriety was not a race that I had to complete in 90 days so I could move into my own apartment. Sobriety is a process and the years of insanity did not correct themselves in just 3 months. I put no parameters on my life while I was a resident of Crossroads. I found an A.A. home group in my first month at Crossroads. I began sponsoring newcomers in my sixth month at Crossroads. I continued to remain open minded which my sponsor explained to me meant "Taking advice and trying a different action even if you don’t think it will work." I stayed a resident of Crossroads for Women until my support group told me I was ready to leave, not until I felt I was ready to leave. I moved out of my room at Midtown on July 30, 2001. My sobriety date has remained August 4, 2000 to this day. I incorporated the behaviors I had learned while living at Crossroads for Women after I moved out. My eleven months at Crossroads have turned into over six years of sober and successful living.

In December of 2006 I joined the Crossroads, Inc. team as a staff member at the Midtown location. In March of 2007 I was able to make the transition with Crossroads for Women into the new (and much bigger!) facility at 1632 E. Flower St. This is has been such a wonderful new job! I am grateful to Crossroads for Women for being an incredible resource to me during my years of sobriety. I continue to work the Twelve Steps just like I did during my first three months as a Crossroad’s resident. I even still make my bed everyday and clean my entire house at least once a week! Responsibility and accountability are no longer strangers in my life. I have come to realize that life does not have to be figured out, it just has to be lived. The Crossroads program taught me that I can not wait until I "feel" like taking an action but instead I just have to take the action and the right feelings will follow. The lessons I learned from Crossroads for Women still apply in my life today!

Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Phoenix Heroin Rehab from Crossroads

Violent crime along the United States & Mexico border increasingly is coming northward into the cities of the American Southwest.

Another visible effect of the cross-border crime wave is the flood of drugs into the country.
Anthony Coulson, assistant special agent in charge of the DEA in Arizona, said records indicate that cocaine and heroin seizures might end up 2X as high as 2006. Marijuana seizures are increasing 25%; 9 months into the current fiscal year, he said, they had seized more pot than all of last year, "and 2006 was a record year, " Coulson said.

In the Tucson sector alone there has been a 71% increase in marijuana seizures over the past year, with the U.S. Border Patrol reporting almost six hundred fifty thousand pounds grabbed since October. In Phoenix, deputies are working the unsolved case of thirteen illegal aliens who were kidnapped and murdered in the desert. Across the Southwest, dozens of high school students have died in the past 2 years from overdoses of Mexican "cheese heroin."

Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio holds ten thousand inmates in his jail and overflow tents; two thousand of them, he said, are "criminal aliens" from the border. It is his deputies who are investigating the deaths of thirteen murdered in the desert.

Sierra Vista, Ariz., learned firsthand of the rising violence in 2004, when police pursued a pickup carrying twenty four illegal immigrants on the border town's main drag, Buffalo Soldier Trail. Speeds reached over one hundred miles per hour. The truck went airborne, hit a half dozen cars, killing a recently married couple waiting at a stoplight.

"It was just the worst kind of tragedy," said Ed Rheinheimer, the Cochise County attorney. "The coyotes [smugglers] are just more willing to either shoot at the police, fight with the police or to try to flee."

Jennifer Allen, director of the nonprofit Border Action Network in Tucson, Ariz., which supports immigrants' rights, said Washington, D.C., and Mexico City need fresh approaches. "The smugglers are no longer mom-and-pop organizations. Now it's an industry," she said. "So the violence increases. That's incredibly predictable."

In Scottsdale, said Sheriff Arpaio, a cartel operative was openly selling heroin to high school students. "He was getting 150 calls a day on his cellphone," the sheriff said.

The DEA believes 80% of the crystal meth in the USA is coming from labs in Mexico, which were set up after police raids shut down many of the USA labs.

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? Are you seeking a Phoenix heroin rehab? Come to Crossroads! We can get you onto the path of recovery in a safe and dignified environment. We've seen hundreds of your kind. Shoot, we're the Counselors! We can take care of you.

Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Arizona Alcohol Recovery

This last Labor Day weekend the police issued 776 new DUI citations. What the police also speculate is that for every citation, there are at least 100 that are not caught. Holy Cow! Can you believe it? Talk about the need for Arizona Alcohol Recovery! Interestingly, I went to a web site where people were chatting about the DUI arrests. Amazingly, there are a group of people who contend the DUI laws are all about government abuse of power. Can you believe it? I say get every idiot who chooses to drink and drive off the road. There is no excuse.



Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com

Arizona Alcohol Rehab-Our Southern Friend

Fifth Story in Alcoholics Anonymous, to illustrate step 5:

Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

Our Southern Friend:

Then he asks me if I believe in a power greater than myself, whether I call that power God, Allah, Confucius, Prime Cause, Divine Mind, or any other name. I told him that I believe in electricity and other forces of nature, but as for a God, if there is one, He has never done anything for me. Then he asks me if I am willing to right all the wrongs I have ever done to anyone, no matter how wrong I thought they were. Am I willing to be honest with myself about myself and tell someone about myself, and am I willing to think of other people and of their needs instead of myself; to get rid of the drink problem?

"I'll do anything," I reply.

"Then all of your troubles are over" says the man and leaves the room. The man is in bad mental shape certainly. I pick up a book and try to read, but cannot concentrate. I get in bed and turn out the light. But I cannot sleep. Suddenly a thought comes. Can all the worthwhile people I have known be wrong about God? Then I find myself thinking about myself, and a few things that I had wanted to forget. I begin to see I am not the person I had thought myself, that I had judged myself by comparing myself to others, and always to my own advantage. It is a shock.

Then comes a thought that is like A Voice. "Who are you to say there is no God?" It rings in my head, I can't get rid of it.

I get out of bed and go to the man's room. He is reading. "I must ask you a question," I say to the man. "How does prayer fit into this thing?"

"Well," he answers, "you've probably tried praying like I have. When you've been in a jam you've said, 'God, please do this or that' and if it turned out your way that was the last of it and if it didn't you've said 'There isn't any God' or 'He doesn't do anything for me'. Is that right?"

"Yes" I reply.

"That isn't the way" he continued. "The thing I do is to say 'God here I am and here are all my troubles. I've made a mess of things and can't do anything about it. You take me, and all my troubles, and do anything you want with me.' Does that answer your question?"

"Yes, it does" I answer. I return to bed. It doesn't make sense. Suddenly I feel a wave of utter hopelessness sweep over me. I am in the bottom of hell. And there a tremendous hope is born. It might be true.

I tumble out of bed onto my knees. I know not what I say. But slowly a great peace comes to me. I feel lifted up. I believe in God. I crawl back into bed and sleep like a child.

Do you want to sleep like a child? Visit:

Crossroads, Inc. is a non-profit, drug and alcohol recovery, organization located in beautiful Phoenix, Arizona. Crossroads is a Level Four transitional facility licensed by the State of Arizona. The Crossroads program addresses the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of alcoholism or drug addiction, by providing food, shelter, 12 step structure and discipline. We can help you find direction to sober living. Pick up the phone and call us: 602-279-2585. Visit our website at: http://sober360.com