Ed Ramsey has a saying that "Addiction is not contagious, but the affects are".  Six to eight significant people around the alcoholic/addict are effected  emotionally, physically and financially. RJ Hills Financial Services is concerned with financial health. In order to become financially healthy underlying addictions within the family are important to understand and address.   A crucial part of our community is the guidance that Ed Ramsey has given us.  Ed Ramsey offers classes and individual consultations.   

The First Things First Education and Recovery classes are a unique combination of innovative and interactive education.  It meets two hour a day for eight weeks and consists of a hour of education and interactive discussion.  It is designed for the alcoholic/addict or anyone effected by their behavior.  This will help the individual by providing educational experience designed to better understand various aspects of addictions.  It will also provide a educational experience to allow them to look at the facts and issues related to addiction in their own lives and begin to reconcile and heal them.  

The instructor is Ed Ramsey and he is the founder of First Things First and is an author, lecturer, and therapist.  He has been involved in addiction and mental health work for over 30 years and has lectured extensively on issues of addictions and the family.  Ed is licensed in the State of Wisconsin in mental health and addiction treatment as well as in gambling and trauma issues.  

The curriculum will include:  

Week 1:  Understanding addiction and the disease concept.

Week 2:  Physiological aspects of addictions

Week 3:  Part I - Why can't we see what is happening to us, characterological issues related to blindness and denial.  

Week 4:  Part II - Why can't we see what is happening to us, cultural and sociological issues that inhibit awareness of addiction and facilitate blindness and denial.  

Week 5:  Codependency addictive relationship and family systems. 

Week 6:  Family of origin and holistic recovery issues with addiction. 

Week 7:  Detachment - emotionally unhooking from addictive relationship as a grieving process.   

Week 8:  Intervention and relapse prevention and recovery aspects of addiction.

He is the author of Addiction:  Recovering Yourself.  Order your copy on Amazon.com.  Review and share the book with someone who is struggling.    

About the book:  

Addiction:  Recovering Yourself by Ed Ramsey, CASC, NCGCII, LPC

"The most significant and frightening journey of our life is the journey inward to ourselves, and happiness is not an end, but rather a byproduct. It is not the result of what we do or who we are.  It is when what we do is a reflection of who we are that we are truly happy.  Addictions and co-addictions disrupt the journey into ourselves and create a conflict between who we are and what we do.  This conflict can split our self in half.  It is the reconciliation of our self that constitutes recovery.  This book  will hopefully provide insight and knowledge about addictions and co-addictions."  Stephen Cope