Some of you may remember the rest of the song “You’ve Got to Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive”. Originally recorded by Jonny Mercer in the 40’s, then made famous by Bing Crosby and many other well-known artists. The Aretha Franklin version is pretty awesome too.

The rest of the first verse says:

“E-lim-i-nate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mr. In-Between”

It’s very important to do that. Especially when our loved one may be fighting addiction or mental health issues. If I am the one in the fight, it is equally important.

You will see what you see

This is a pop-up from Facebook that showed up while I was writing this weeks post. Sending my twins off to college felt like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest. True it had to happen, they must mature and grow, but wow it was not easy. I think that’s what made this moment so priceless to me.

In this image we had no idea Lauren was fighting heroin addiction. The post Brighter Days explains all of this. This photo was in a season where Lauren was doing well. I see it, in her smile, in how healthy she looks. About three years after this we learned that Lauren was fighting hard to beat a mental health issue and an addiction that we knew nothing about.

From the moment this picture was taken to the moment she breathed her last breath there were lots of these happy moments. Nereida, Evan and I worked hard at trying to highlight them. To Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive is work, but when you look for the positive you can find it.

We are making progress

There is some exciting news about how the fight to save people we love in addiction is moving in the right direction.

As of June 2024, provisional data from the CDC shows a significant decrease in drug overdose deaths compared to previous years. The latest estimates indicate approximately 97,000 overdose deaths in the 12-month period ending June 30, 2024, which marks a 14% decline from the same period the previous year. WOW that is an amazing win!

Families are winning the fight

I reached out to a mom that I did some coaching with a while back. She and her husband have been navigating helping their child through the recovery process. I love the way her update demonstrates the “You got to accentuate the positive mindset.” Here is her most recent update:

Thank you for checking in with us!

#### is doing well. He had a bit of a relapse back in April-ish but thank God it wasn’t “bad”- He and his g-friend broke up and it sent him on a temporary downward spiral. However, he has been doing well since. He has always loved the Jewish culture, so he’s joined a Messianic Jewish synagogue here in #######, and has been extremely faithful. The pastor there (or the Rabbi) is an older gentleman in his late 70’s, has really taken #### under his wing, and has been ####’s accountability partner. ####’s been at his job for the past 8 months as well- and was recently praised (and got a raise) for his work ethic….FIRST TIME EVER!

So, we are extremely THANKFUL, to say the least – so grateful and thankful for you guys and how you were there for us.

We will also be featuring more of this family’s fuller story on our Stories of Hope page.

It takes work to see the positive when there is always negative happening.

Here is a new story from our Stories of Hope page of a Florida family that is seeing great progress through a long recovery journey. They are realizing “the work” pays off.

Keep the momentum going

In a September, addiction experts around the U.S. began to report a sudden and apparently precipitous decline in fatal overdoses. Prior to 2023, drug deaths had spiraled upward, climbing at times by more than 30% per year. Deaths peaked at more than 111,000 in 2022, then declined slightly last year by three percent .

Experts are now racing to understand why the trend shifted so rapidly.

Some credit better addiction healthcare and the widespread use of the opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone. Researchers also point to less potent fentanyl being sold on the streets in some U.S. communities. High death rates in recent years may also mean fewer vulnerable people living with addiction.

Whatever the cause, the latest CDC data — which covers the 12-month period ending in June of this year — suggests the reduction in fatal overdoses is holding steady and may actually be accelerating.

Some experts, however, worry the decline in drug deaths will mean lessened focus on funding and health care programs for people using street drugs.

“One of the fears is that, as overdoses decline, there will be complacency,” said Dr. Brian Hurley, head of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. “One of our messages is making sure there’s a sustained focus.”

We must stay focused and diligent in what we are doing. Yesterday music icon Elton John stated in an interview “Legalizing marijuana in America and Canada is one of the greatest mistakes of all time.” The shocking statement is based on his own long time struggle with addiction and how he got there. You can read the article here . A post from 2020 confirms what he said I’ve Looked at Life From Both Sides Now | We Chose Love .

Another post from 2020, “All Together Now” provides some very practical tools to keep the progress moving forward.