Greater Dallas Veterans Council

The Census has resumed delivery of response packets in areas that do not receive mail directly to their home. Respond using your Census ID number to complete your form online at 2020census.gov, by phone or by mail. If you responded without your Census ID, we may not be able to match your response with where you live and may result in the need to visit you in person to collect your data.

We would like to invite you to a special movie premiere of VFW - a new major motion picture that will have its hometown premiere at the historic Texas Theatre on Saturday, February 15 at 7 PM.

The film is set in a VFW, was shot locally in Dallas at VFW Post #2494, and was made by veterans on the film crew in association with the Dallas Film Society’s Veterans Institute for Film & Media.

WE ARE OFFERING FREE TICKETS TO ANY ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE MEMBERS AND VETERANS!

We would be honored to have as many active duty service members and veterans in attendance as possible to celebrate them!

William Shuttleworth is walking across America to bring attention to veterans issues and will end in San Diego the first part of Sept. Please follow him on Facebook and meet him in San Diego. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjBham_-5HkAhVKqlkKHRZDBdwQFjACegQIAxAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fvetsdontforgetvets%2F&usg=AOvVaw0sWEPJoJuZlq9ajxoJr2l9

The Commemorative Air Force Wings Over Dallas World War II Airshow will be at Dallas Executive Airport on October 25, 26, & 27th. We hope you will help us spread the word about this patriotic, community event. Please visit our website at www.wingsoverdallas.com for more information.

So thankful for those of you bravely serving our country! You're all American heroes. I've been feeling very patriotic recently and decided to watch a new documentary on Army Aviators deployed in Afghanistan called Above the Best. The film reminded me of how truly incredible our soldiers are and I just loved the focus on the brotherhood and 'no man left behind' mentality that they have. Really thought it shined a well-deserved spotlight on these men and women. Trailer's on Youtube if anyone else is interested in watching it! Just thought I'd recommend it.

Come out and join us for the 2018 Job Fair in Dallas on Dec 14th

10 Coping Skills in Sobriety - https://dreamcenterforrecovery.com/10-coping-skills-sobriety/

Exercise
Sometimes praying and meditating isn’t enough to deal with the stresses of life and you just need to burn off some extra energy. This is where exercise comes in and if you know that you are a person who has a lot of nervous energy, and in the past you used drugs in order to deal with this, then exercise can do wonders for your overall wellbeing.

Being Honest with Others
Talking to other people about what you are going through is one of the most important things a person can do for their mental health. Keeping anxiety and fear bottled up inside is a recipe for disaster, but by expressing how you feel to another person, you are better able to cope with life.

Writing
When talk and exercise fail, writing your thoughts down can be the answer to your problems. There is something about putting pen to paper that just slows your mind down and being able to see what ails you in black and white on the page sometimes takes the power away from the situation.

Staying in the Present
Often times, our worries are about something that hasn’t happened yet. We worry about not having enough money or we worry about something not playing out as we had hoped, but by staying in the present, we avoid these worries and are better able to cope with what is going on in the here and now.

Getting in Touch with Your Feelings
Before getting sober, many addicts and alcoholics have little to no idea how they feel. Their feelings are a jumbled mess that is further confused by the substances coursing through their body. Once they get sober they must get in touch with how they feel so that they do not let their emotions rule them. Being able to identify how you feel at any given time will allow you to process your emotions better and allow you to move past them when necessary.

Attending Therapy
While this may not sound like a coping mechanism, it is because it allows you to meet with an objective third party who can help you cope with whatever it is you are going through. Sometimes people in recovery need this extra support and therapy can really help tremendously in sobriety.

Working the Steps
One the best ways to learn new coping mechanisms for life is working the Steps. The Steps will allow you to have a completely new outlook on life and besides just expelling the obsession to drink or use drugs, they will show you what in your past helped cause your downfall.

Creating a Support Network
Left to our own devices, often times our minds can do strange things, but by having a solid support network to bounce ideas off of, or to just help us through the rough times in life, we can learn to cope with anything.

Taking a time out
When emotions run high, we are bound to make mistakes or act rashly, but learning to take a step back can do wonders for our ability to cope with troublesome situations. Simply taking 5 minutes to calm down can make a world of difference in how we handle situations.

Prayer and Meditation
Probably one of the greatest ways to cope with life is through prayer and meditation. While both can do wonders on their own, when both are implemented into an individual’s life, it creates an ‘unshakeable foundation for living.’ Through prayer, you can talk to your higher power about what is bothering you and in meditation, you can silently wait for the answer. With prayer and meditation, there is nothing on this planet too big for you to handle.

Types of Triggers
Triggers that can start or further the relapse process differ from person to person. However, there are several common triggers that can stem from emotions or your environment:
Emotional triggers
Stress.
Frustration.
Fear.
Anxiety.
Depression.
Environmental triggers
People that remind a person in sobriety of using.
Places that remind a person in sobriety of using.
Attending parties where people are socially drinking.
Medications, alcohol or other items.
5 ways to cope with triggers
There are many ways to cope and handle triggers, such as:
Have a support system
Family and friends are here to help and see you succeed in staying sober. Honesty is important in sobriety and talking to your support system about how you feel can help them keep you accountable.
Attend meetings
Attending support groups can provide you with a place to discuss your triggers with people that have experienced similar feelings. If you have a sponsor, they may be able to help you sort through how the trigger is making you feel.
Distract yourself
Get moving and do something physical. Exercise can improve your emotional well-being, which can often reduce any triggering feelings you may be having. You can also replace the time you spent drunk or high with a new hobby or activity, which can turn your mind away from any triggering thoughts.
Remind yourself of negative consequences
If your addiction had any personal or legal repercussions, using again can provide additional negative consequences. Make a list of any personal or legal consequences of substance abuse that you could face and consider whether using again is worth facing them.
Self-talk
Remind yourself that you’re not alone in experiencing triggers and although it’s tough, you can avoid using. Encouraging yourself to stay sober can be a great motivator to avoid using.

Tips for Staying Sober At Parties
Staying sober at parties when you’re in recovery can’t just be something you hope for, but must be something you plan for. The following tips can help you avoid alcohol and drug use in social situations.

Get Support Ahead of Time

If you are anxious about staying sober at an upcoming party, talk it out in your 12-step meeting or support group. Your peers have been there before, know what you are experiencing, and can offer meaningful support as you face the challenges ahead. By expressing your concerns within a safe environment, you can more clearly understand your potential triggers and develop strategies for coping with them effectively. Talking it through with your group may also help you stay accountable and strengthen your resolve to stay clean.

Go With a Sober Friend

Staying sober at parties can be most difficult when you are the only one not drinking; not only can you feel conspicuous and lonely, you may also start to believe that the only way to have fun at a party is to drink. After all, that seems to be what everyone else is doing. By bringing a sober friend, you will have someone who understands your situation and will be your ally when it comes to staying clean. If you do not have a sober friend, make sure you at least go with someone who knows you are sober and will support you even if they are drinking moderately themselves.

Prepare Your Answers

If people don’t know you’re in recovery, it’s likely that you will be offered a drink out of simple hospitality. Creating a plan for coping with that situation before you find yourself in it is imperative for maintaining your sobriety even in uncomfortable moments. While it’s natural to build up this moment in your mind, usually a simple, “No thanks!” or “Thank you, but I’m not drinking tonight” will do. Remember that you do not owe anyone any explanations about why you are staying sober; it is entirely up to you whether or not to disclose the fact that you are in recovery. It’s also completely acceptable to make up an excuse, whether it’s “I have an early day tomorrow” or “I’m the designated driver.” Anyone who truly cares about you will respect your decision and your privacy and won’t try to pressure you into having a drink.

Prepare Your Own Drinks

Many people in recovery feel that it is easier to refuse alcoholic drinks when they already have a non-alcoholic drink in hand. If you are not sure if there will be good non-alcoholic options available, bring your own juice, seltzer water, or other soft drinks to ensure you will have choices aside from alcohol. Also, be sure to prepare these drinks yourself; in the midst of a party, it can be easy for someone to give you an alcoholic drink due to a simple mix-up and cause you to relapse.

Have an Escape Plan

If a party is getting to be too much for you and you feel your sobriety or emotional wellness is threatened, leave. It could be that you’re not having fun and begin to wonder if having a drink would loosen you up. It could be that being around inebriated people brings up difficult feelings that begin to overwhelm you. It could be that you start to wonder if your sobriety is holding you back from social or professional opportunities and contemplate just having one. In these cases, removing yourself from the dangerous situation is the best thing you can do. Planning for this scenario ahead of time by thinking about what you’ll say to the host and ensuring you have transportation available makes implementing the plan significantly easier at a time when you may be entering distress. Sure, you may feel awkward or even embarrassed, but maintaining your sobriety is the most important thing you can do.

Continuous Commitment to Recovery
Recovery is a lifetime journey that requires continuous re-commitment in order to protect yourself from relapse. Staying sober at parties is often one of the biggest challenges after treatment and chances are that you will have to relearn (or learn for the first time) how to have fun without using. Draw on the skills you learned in treatment, the support of the recovery community, and on your own inner strength to keep yourself safe and healthy. Remember the reasons you entered recovery and enjoy the possibilities of sobriety as you forge new connections and find joy in experiencing life without drugs or alcohol. “You get to meet people in a clearer head space,” Courtney Nichols, a 28-year-old event planner says of her experiences attending parties without using. “You leave the party and you feel refreshed.”