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this page contains the following:
Substance Abuse Report  |  Federal Bonding Program  |  The 10 Teenage Commandments   |  To Whom Might Give a Fuck  |  Desiderata  |  The National Day of Mourning   |  Mental Health & Culture

Mental Health & Culture

Many psychological disorders experienced by Native Americans involve the disruption of their traditional culture caused by European colonization (LaFramboise, 1994).

Native Americans have also been denied full access to key institutions in Western culture (LaFramboise, 1994).

Losses of cultural identity and social disorganization have set the stage for problems such as alcoholism, substance abuse, and depression. Theresa LaFramboise argues that if psychologists are to help Native Americans cope with psychological disorders, they must do so in a way that is sensitive to their culture, customs, and values.

Efforts to prevent such disorders should focus on strengthening Native American cultural identity, pride, and cohesion. Some therapists use ceremonies that reflect clients cultural or religious traditions. Purification and cleansing rites are therapeutic for many Native Americans (Lefley, 1990).

Such rites are commonly sought by Native Americans who believe that their problems are caused by failure to placate malevolent spirits or perform required rituals (Lefley, 1990).

Harriet P. Lefley, Ph. D.

Dr. Theresa Laframboise

Stanford University Native Studies

Read more from:
Culturally Diverse Mental Health: the challenges of research and resistance
By Jeffery Scott Mio, Gayle Iwamasa

Below is an excerpt taken from that book, pages 348-350

Search our Blog pages for more by clicking here within this domain name. Other informative postings on this subject from our blog directly located at "YOU NAME IT..." Native American Indians & Alcohol Encyclopedia.com article by Peter Mancall and an editorial piece entitled "Getting alcoholism right in Indian Country" from Mike Eshkibok of the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota.

THE NATIONAL DAY OF MOURNING
PILGRIM HALL MUSEUM
America's Museum of Pilgrim Possessions

On Thanksgiving Day, many Native Americans and their supporters gather at the top of Coles Hill, overlooking Plymouth Rock, for the "National Day of Mourning."

The first National Day of Mourning was held in 1970. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts invited Wampanoag leader Frank James to deliver a speech. When the text of Mr. James' speech, a powerful statement of anger at the history of oppression of the Native people of America, became known before the event, the Commonwealth "disinvited" him. That silencing of a strong and honest Native voice led to the convening of the National Day of Mourning.

The historical event we know today as the "First Thanksgiving" was a harvest festival held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and their Native American neighbors and allies. It has acquired significance beyond the bare historical facts. Thanksgiving has become a much broader symbol of the entirety of the American experience. Many find this a cause for rejoicing. The dissenting view of Native Americans, who have suffered the theft of their lands and the destruction of their traditional way of life at the hands of the American nation, is equally valid.

To some, the "First Thanksgiving" presents a distorted picture of the history of relations between the European colonists and their descendants and the Native People. The total emphasis is placed on the respect that existed between the Wampanoags led by the sachem Massasoit and the first generation of Pilgrims in Plymouth, while the long history of subsequent violence and discrimination suffered by Native People across America is nowhere represented.

To others, the event shines forth as an example of the respect that was possible once, if only for the brief span of a single generation in a single place, between two different cultures and as a vision of what may again be possible someday among people of goodwill.

History is not a set of "truths" to be memorized, history is an ongoing process of interpretation and learning. The true richness and depth of history come from multiplicity and complexity, from debate and disagreement and dialogue. There is room for more than one history; there is room for many voices.

COMMENTS ON THE DAY OF MOURNING
BY RUSSELL M. PETERS

Russell Peters is Wampanoag, born and raised in Mashpee, less than twenty miles from Plymouth Rock. Mashpee was considered an Indian community and was, in fact, an Indian District within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, until it was illegally dissolved in 1870.

Mr. Peters has been involved in Native American issues at a state, local and national level. He is the President of the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, a member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights from 1976 to 1984, a member of the Harvard Peabody Museum Native American Repatriation Committee, a member of the White House Conference on Federal Recognition in 1995 and 1996, a board member of the Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities, a board member of the Pilgrim Society, and the author of Wampanoags of Mashpee (Nimrod Press), Clambake (Lerner Publications), and Regalia (Sundance Press).

Desiderata
Noun: desideratum (Something desired as a necessity)
written by Max Ehrmann in the 1920s

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

The Confused History of "Desiderata"

To Whom Might Give a Fuck
By Holly Azzara

"If you truly want to grow as a person and learn, you should realize that the universe has enrolled you in the graduate program of life, called loss."

As I start writing this I honestly dont know where I want to go with it but I hope by the end I will have a better understanding. This is not meant to be anything more than an expression of observations and experiences that I have felt the need to release. Nothing more, nothing less. If you start to feel upset or get sensitive about any of this, it is then on you to start looking deeper at yourself as I have. But this is the only time I will say this: this is not about or to anyone in particular. I also have never been good with words. I express myself with images so this is new for me.

Recently, I have started to feel like I was losing track of personal goals that I feel at this point in my life are needed. For once its not career based. I find it very easy for me to wrap myself up in my art and work to avoid the other things. In the past I used drugs and alcohol to do the same. Now I find myself at a point that I must deal and learn from the last 25 years of experiences that I have suppressed. Most of them are brutally negative. Things I would never wish on anyone. Now I must face them for my personal growth and existence. Whether we like it or not, these things that happen in life to or around us shape who we are. I cannot wish to change or ignore them cause its fuckin pointless. Whats done is done. There is no yesterday anymore, only right now! That may sound fuckin cheesy or whatever but thats all I got. Right now I am making a conscious choice to write this. I cannot take it back once its posted. That goes for every other choice we have.

I also feel the need to let go of any unconscious expectations of anyone or anything. Thats only a set up for disappointment. Im not saying that I will never set goals or make long or short term plans ever again. Its more that if I do, I cant fight the unexpected things that might stand in the way or make things more difficult to achieve them. Big or small. I will just try to face them and figure it out. There will always be obstacles, its a matter of handling it in a better way. Emotions and frustration can make this quite a difficult task at the time. There will also be people that will try their hardest to shoot you down and kill anything positive that happens. With their actions or words, they cannot allow themselves to actually be happy and supportive of a genuine effort to better yourself. At first they might, but when its staring them in the face you will see their real side.

The other major thing that I feel most people in this world fight the hardest, is change and loss. Both of these are inevitable. They will happen in many different fashions. Sometimes we have to physically lose everything before we might be able to appreciate what we have. An example of this could be a house fire. A situation where you are left with literally just your life and the clothes you are wearing. I can imagine that after the shock and trauma of that experience, you should start to appreciate your own life and the lives around you. Most possessions are replaceable but life is not. Death is an example of loss that is not replaceable. People that have loved ones that die without warning will be thrown into a new world of anguish and agony that is indescribable. One that I believe you can never get over. The death of a child, the murder of a parent, the tragic accident of a friend hit by a drunk driver, the suicide of your best friend. There is no getting back to the life you knew before the death. There is no use trying. We could all learn from and maybe should take the time to know someone that knows and is facing the fact they are dying. They tend to know what they are losing and understand its value in life. Maybe then, we would start to appreciate the simple things.

But with a sudden death we dont have a choice. What about the loss of people in your life that arent dead. Friends and family that come and go out of your life. We must look at why we lose them. We must also look at how we react to the realization that we have lost them. A natural reaction is resentment. That is often a poisonous feeling that we must let go of. Often we just grow apart, which causes a sadness but not as hurtful as a fight or divorce. I have found in my life this is one of the hardest things for me to get past. With a fight between friends it is easier because there are hard feelings so its ok to feel animosity towards them. Sometimes, there may not be a fight but you just have to let go of the person. Either for their own growth or yours. We must appreciate what they were for us at that time in our life. People come and go. At some point we should take a step back and look at why they were there and what we learned from having them around. Good or bad we must reflect and learn.

Now onto the one thing everyone in this world desires. Love. There are many types of love in the world but we all need it to feel that all the bullshit in life is worth going through. There is nothing in this world worth living for without love. If you are lucky enough you have had even one single moment in your life where you have felt unconditional love. Most of the time, we think of this as something you have from a significant other. Thats what we are conditioned to believe and think. But we cannot receive love into our lives if we dont love ourselves. Some unconsciously will spend their whole life going from lover to lover and never feel fulfilled. This could be that for some reason, they have never found love for themselves. This could be caused by many things from childhood up through adulthood. Abandonment, unrealistic expectations, verbal abuse, depression, trauma, etc. This makes me remember a quote from the last book I read: "Many of us think we were taught about love. Yet we do not find love fulfilling, because its not love. It is a shadow darkened by fear, insecurities, and expectations. We walk the earth together yet feel alone, helpless, and ashamed." To me this quote represents the feeling after being raped and abused. A purely savage and unforgiving act that will cause such damage to a persons life that is irreversible.

So after all this babbling of mine, whats the fuckin moral?? If you know, please let me in on the secret. Life is a goddamn mystery and we are only here to make the most of what we have and will make of it for ourselves. I envy the simple minded, that truely are happy with a fuckin scooby doo lunch box and chocolate milk. I envy the cat that has been sleeping with her head on my arm this whole time I have been writing this. Perfectly content. But I appreciate her unconditional love. I appreciate the simple things but cannot blindly go through life ignoring what has made me who I am. I cannot hold onto what I do not have anymore.

I will leave it here with this: "In so many ways, loss shows us what is precious, while love teaches us who we are. Relationships remind us of ourselves and provide wondrous opportunities for growth. Fear, anger, guilt, patience, and even time become our greatest teachers."

Had to Post This

This document was found recently by a church Sunday school teacher of mine from I guess 37 years ago. She sent this to me and said I wrote it; although perhaps, I had some encouragement from her or others. I found it to be funny and scary at the same time. I'll leave it at that and see what you think!

The 10 Teenage Commandments

click to enlarge
Your Opinion or comments?
Contact BonesXXX

"No I'm no angel
no I'm no stranger to the street
I've got my label...
let me show you my tattoo's."
(Gregg Allman)

Although Gregg Allman may have written the lyrics to "I'm No Angel" in regard to the persuasion of a woman's affection; those paraphrased lyrics also convey my current dilemma in regaining a "normal", nine to five lifestyle within the eyes and laws of employers and the state of North Carolina or the USA as a whole perhaps.

What I am ever so slowly learning is to stay calm and persevere. "PERSEVERANCE"... it's funny how I have that word tattooed from my wrist to my upper arm facing me so that I may read it and remember why and how to do this thing called alcoholic recovery.

Without going into detail of my personal story, I've felt compelled to share the information below that I obtained Friday, November 13th, 2009 from the Federal Bonding Program. Ths man James Korth, who referred himself to me as Jim; actually sounded over the telephone to be MY angel. In my 3 most current years of counselors, DMV, professors, lawyers and law enforcement personel; I haven't felt such a relief and a sense of finding a starting over point from anyone more promising than this man and this program.

The more detailed information below is of course for North Carolina residents, but if you are reading this from another state I've listed the website and a toll free number to dial and hopefully you too will feel this sense of hope and belief in mankind that I have once more begun to feel.

NORTH CAROLINA (updated 10-08-09)
Mr. James Korth
Bonding Services Coordinator
NC Employment Security Commission
P.O. Box 27625
Raleigh, NC 27611
919-733-4896
919-733-3010 fax
James.Korth@NCMail.net

Individuals Seeking Bonding

The Federal Bonding Program provides fidelity bonding for the first six months of employment for hard-to-place job applicants. If you are seeking bonding services and/or a job you should call the following toll-free number for:
1. the location of the workforce office/one-stop center nearest your home and,
2. the telephone number of the State Bonding Coordinator for your state. In those states without a state bonding coordinator, callers will be referred to the nearest career center/ one-stop center for employment assistance.

Also check out the Ex-Offenders Work Search Guide at "You Name It...Alcoholism, Addiction, Recovery, Philosophy, Psychology, Nursing...Oh Yeah...Motorcycles".

bonds4jobs.com
Call toll free: 1-877-US2-JOBS (1-877-872-5627)
Highlights of this Program for employee & employer

Let me know of your experience and I wish all the best; my eggs are in this basket too!
Contact BonesXXX

In memory of
Little John & Indian Larry

Photo courtesy of the crew at
LITTLE JOHN'S TATTOO
Greensboro, NC

From our friends at
ALCOHOLIC HUMOR
Substance Abuse Report
Substance Abuse Stories From Around the World
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Your Brain on Drugs With A Side of Insanity
http://alcoholichumor.blogspot.com/2009/05/your-brain-on-drugs-with-side-of.html

"Why I do declare you look prettier than a red winged blackbird sittin on a yella pumpkin." I use to say that a lot when I was drunk. I'm not even from the south but I liked the way it sounded when I said it.

We've all seen the Public Service Announcements on television. It started in 1987 when a man held up an egg and said, "this is your brain." Then he cracks the egg on the side of a frying pan, drops it in the heated pan, and says, "This is your brain on drugs. Any questions?"

Yes, I have a question. Why do we put people with fried brains in prison instead of medical treatment facilities for addiction?

Addiction is a recognized disease. It's treatable. The criminal justice system endorses treatment. They use prison as a last resort for repeated offenders. Most drug/alcohol offenders imprisoned today have been through some sort of court ordered treatment. Intensive Out-Patient Treatment (IOP) is often required now for first time drug/alcohol offenders as part of a mandatory probation instead of prison. IOP usually lasts for ten to twelve weeks. Probation requirements include; random drug tests, substance abuse classes, PBT testing, twelve step attendance, and sometimes include long term in-patient treatment at rehabs or half-way houses. Lets not forget big fines and picking up trash on the highway.

Here's a news flash...It's not working. It hasn't worked very well since its inception. Its not working because a large percentage of people who suffer from addiction are in denial. They're arrested for some form of a drug/alcohol related crime and put on probation. They attend the classes, go to IOP, and sit through twelve step meetings. When probation is over, or many times beforehand, they begin drinking and drugging, get arrested again and are sent to prison for a second offense or violating their probation.

It's never going to be the solution because telling an alcoholic he can't drink won't stop him. Sending him to counseling once a week for an hour isn't going to cure him. There's at least 100 free BAC calculators online that will teach him how long and how much they can drink before taking a PBT test. Sending him to a two hour class once a week that explains the damage you're doing to your liver will only make him think maybe he should cut back...tomorrow. Picking up trash on the side of the road makes him thirsty and prison teaches an alcoholic how to distill liquids in their cell.

I'm writing this article because my friend Nicole had a relapse. Nicole is an addict who had been clean for awhile but decided she was cured. While under the influence Nicole made the terrible decision to drive a car. When she seen blue lights flashing in her rear view mirror she lead the police on a high speed chase through three cities and had to be tazed before being apprehended. Lucky for Nicole she didn't hurt herself or anyone else.

Nicole is an intelligent, attractive woman in her early thirties with a bit of a southern drawl. If you had met her during her recovery you would have liked her. I'm not certain what triggered Nicole to start using again. Whatever the reason once she picked up insanity took over. I know in her heart she wanted recovery. About a year ago I ran into her at a county building and we chatted for a few minutes and she said something I'll always remember. Nicole said, "It's all about change." She was referring to a popular saying among people in recovery, that in order to stay clean you have to make a lot of changes in your life.

I'm not condoning drinking and driving. I am against any form of it and I agree that there needs to be consequences including prison. What I'm trying to say is this problem isn't going to go away because the drunk/drugged driver has a disease and in his mind thinks hes OK to drive a car. Alcohol or drugs has impaired his ability to think correctly and he is temporarily insane.

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as repeatedly doing the same thing over, and over and expecting different results. When I was a practicing alcoholic I expected different results when I told myself I would only have two drinks at the bar. I expected different results when I promised myself I wouldn't drink before 6pm. I expected different results when I made a vow to only drink on the weekends. The results were always the same. Once I picked up a drink I would drink until I was drunk.

I'll concede to the fact that prison may be the bottom that makes one in a hundred alcoholics stop drinking. Maybe the alcohol awareness classes convince one in a hundred. Maybe the humiliation of picking up trash on the side of the road convinces one more. But what about the other 97? They're going to drink again. Many are going to drive again. You're not helping an alcoholic or society by sending him to prison.

I've watched too many people die from this disease. I've held hands with a dying addict as they took their last breath. I've been to so many funerals I've lost count. My friend Tim died a few weeks ago. I once watched a hospitalized man shake so violently from withdrawals he didn't make it though the night.

I've also watched people get better. I've watched their life change. Most all of my close friends have been clean and sober for a long time. The one thing I notice they have in common is they've made a lot of changes in their life and nothing happened overnight...it took years of hard work to put their addiction in remission.

I don't have a solution but I have a suggestion that could be built upon. Instead of sending an addict to prison for one to five years maybe we could come up with a similar sentence at an addiction treatment facility or half-way house? I haven't investigated the cost comparison of prison compared to rehab but I understand a half-way house runs as low as $600 per month. If an offender has medical insurance that could pay for in-patient addiction treatment at a hospital for as much time as the insurer would allow. The offender would spend the remainder of the one to five years at a half-way house.

I'm not sure what type of alternatives to prison would work but don't we have government officials that put together committees to figure these things out? I'm only one person but I've decided I'd be willing to help form an organization that addressed this problem.

In conclusion the drunk or addict you send to long-term treatment will have a much higher chance of recovery than jail could ever offer. Treatment saves life's. My friend Nicole is most likely going to go to prison for a long time because she has a disease. That's very sad.

Unknown author
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would like credit, please Contact us here at soberbonesxxx.com