Just Believe

Last night I decided I needed to work on my project for Just Believe. I am excited to be able to start doing something with it again, thanks to Brian Campbell. No, not the sport's player, Brian Campbell. The Entrepreneur who made $10,000 in less than 3 weeks.

Just Believe had been put on hold for a while. About 6 years to be exact. I had started the project with a simple website. I wanted to turn it into a webzine and then take it from there. But things have changed and I really want to do more with Just Believe.

If you're not sure what Just Believe is, it's a program I started working on to help those with low self-esteem or have been victims of domestic violence and abuse. It's a cause that I have been passionate about for a long time now.

While I must admit that lately I've had to put Just Believe on the side line again, I have not given up on it completely. With my oldest son here, I've been wanting to spend more time with him. So please forgive me if there is a lot less going on with the program right now. In the next month or so, I will be able to focus more of my time on the project once again!

Life With an Alcoholic

Alcohol Abuse is not a simple matter. It should be taken seriously. When someone you know is abusing alcohol, it not only affects them, it also affects everyone around them.

I remember growing up and hearing about the times that my cousin would be wasted from booze. He would shoot at televisions because commercials would be playing, he would manage to get arrested for some reason or another... I know there were times that I wish I would have said something to him about his problem. Thankfully he recovered on his own.

Not everyone can recover on their own, however. And for those who do have difficulty, an alcohol rehab center like, Cliffside Malibu in Los Angeles, CA can help.

Cliffside Malibu specializes in the treatment of alcohol and drug abuse. The treatment center focuses on individual addictions while creating a relaxing and luxurious environment for that individual's comfort.

Their Goals and Objectives Include:

• Determine appropriateness for treatment for each resident
• Detox affected residents, when necessary

• Evaluate individuals for substance use disorders and any co-occurring (dual diagnosis) disorders
• Offer each patient an individual drug rehabilitation plan which maximizes comfort and the potential for success
• Provide treatment for residents' families through our three day family program
• Develop an aftercare plan which supports the program's philosophies and objectives

If you have a family member that is suffering from Alcohol abuse, please don't hesitate like I did. Get them help immediately. Even if your loved one does not live near the Los Angeles area, there are numerous rehab centers that are willing to help! Remember, it's not just your loved one that is hurting, those around him/her are hurting as well.

Silent Cries. A Look at Domestic Abuse

A few months ago I was giving the opportunity by Shelby Sledge of Phenix & Phenix to review a book that actually hits home for me. The book, "Silent Cries" by Lisa J. Peck, is about one woman's struggle with domestic violence. Below is my review.


Silent Cries by Lisa J. Peck

It's too easy to think that a simple slap in the face or grasp of a wrist isn't abuse. It's too easy to assume that shaking a fist in the face or threatening to hurt someone isn't abuse. It's too easy to think that the person you love isn't really an abuser or a victim of abuse.

In "Silent Cries", Charlene is a mother and a wife to those around her, but behind closed doors she is a victim of domestic abuse. Through emails to her friend Judy, she slowly begins to realize that her husband isn't the wonderful man she always thought he was.

Soon Charlene breaks free from her husband's grasp, but what she thinks is a simple road ahead of her will prove that things are never as easy as they seem. Slowly she begins to re-discover what life is truly like and face her greatest fear of all, "falling in love again."

"Silent Cries" is a must read no matter who you are. If you have ever been in an abusive relationship, if you still are, or even if you may think you know of someone who is, this book is for you.

The characters may be fictional, but these are true fears based on what goes on behind the closed doors of domestic abuse.

It's a subject that should not be ignored and Author Lisa J. Peck is no stranger to that. As a matter of fact she has been a victim of abuse herself. She is a true inspiration in both writing and in life.

One final Note: Please remember that domestic abuse does not have to be physical. Emotional abuse can be just as dangerous. I know because I am a survivor of emotional abuse.