Purple Treatment

Purple Inc. Awarded For Excellence

2009-05-04T08:37:00.000-07:00

The “Gwinnett Small Business of the Year” is a prestigious award given at the annual ceremony hosted by the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce. As hardworking professionals in the treatment industry, we are honored to be one of the finalists recognized at the ceremony. Purple Inc.’s Executive Director, Joel Bagley, was present to accept the award.

In other exciting news, Purple celebrated its 6th birthday on Friday, May 1st. Happy Birthday Purple! Here's to six more years of helping men find recovery from alcohol and drugs!

Purple Inc. Goes Social Networking

2009-04-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

Like it or not, the Information Age is upon us and is only getting more advanced. And there's absolutely no reason alcohol treatment and drug treatment shouldn't make an effort to keep up. We were meant to evolve; to improve existing ideas and technology and to get rid of the antiquated ones.

In an effort to reach beyond the traditional means of visibility, Purple Inc. has joined the Information Age in hopes that no man in need of recovery is without a resource for finding sobriety. In addition to the new and (way) improved website, we can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Ning. Come find us; we'd love to meet you and help in any way we can!

Thought For The Day

2009-04-19T09:15:00.000-07:00

It is extraordinary how extraordinary the ordinary person is. —George F. Will

At our meetings, we often hear stories of the courage of ordinary people and their triumph against great odds. When we hear of a person's life being restored, we are witnesses to miracles. Our friends are heroes and so are we. As a man describes his passage from insanity to recovery, we are moved. Whenever we are truly open to knowing the people around us, whether at a meeting or in getting to know a neighbor, we will see heroism. It is amazing that when we get to know most people, and hear what their lives have been like, we find so much to admire and respect. It is a privilege to have such friends. It is amazing that they are so abundant when we open ourselves to them. God truly does speak to us through others.

I am grateful when I think about the extraordinary people around me and the courage in each of them. I am grateful to be among them.

From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

International Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous

2009-04-11T10:04:00.001-07:00

Most people discover early on an important part of sobriety is giving back to the recovery community. For anyone who has battled a drug addiction or alcohol addiction, a certain element of selfishness pervades their using careers. And once sober, it becomes extremely important to "undo" all that self-absorption by giving back as often as possible.

One of the hundreds of ways to do that is to volunteer at 12-step conferences. The International Conference of Young People in Alcoholics Anonymous is a perfect opportunity for many since it is coming to Atlanta May 21-24 this year. Two Purple Inc. staff members are on the host committee that is making this conference possible and two other staff members are volunteering to assist with the many panels, meetings, and activities taking place over the weekend. In addition to staff involvement, several of the Purple Alumni are also involved in volunteering at the conference.

Getting involved in this form of service work will be extremely rewarding for all those participating and will ensure another day of happy and usefully whole sobriety.

Recreational Therapy At The Okefenokee Swamp

2009-03-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, everybody packed up their gear, themselves, and enough food to feed 35 people to head to the Okefenokee Swamp for a camping trip. We take the guys on some kind of trip like this once every few months. Its an important part of their recovery; they learn teamwork and just as important, they learn how to have fun in sobriety. This was our largest group yet-4 staff members, 2 volunteers, several alumni, and the rest, clients.

Friday night was spent cooking out and setting up tents. Saturday, everyone ate breakfast and then headed for a canoe trip through the Okefenokee. The alligators were out, so thankfully, everyone returned intact. That night, we took everyone out to eat and then returned to camp for fellowship. We left Sunday morning after breakfast. All in all, it was a fun, successful trip!

Thought For The Day

2009-03-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

Let no one be deluded that a knowledge of the path can substitute for putting one foot in front of the other.--M. C. Richards

Recovering men know this path is not always easy. We usually talk about the benefits of recovery and the many promises of the program. Today, in our fellowship, we talk of the challenges we must face in order to recover. Honesty may be the greatest challenge. It is frightening to be honest with ourselves about things we have never really admitted or faced before.

Sometimes we have new and confusing feelings and think something must be wrong with us. But we may be just experiencing the logical outcome of our earlier commitment to be honest. No one recovers by thinking about it. We must actively take each Step and meet the challenges presented. We are not alone with our difficulties. We are part of a large movement of men committed to recovery, and this quiet moment is one way in which we are simply putting one foot in front of the other.

Today, I pray for the courage to remain faithful when the fears and pains of my transformation are overwhelming.

From Touchstones: A Book of Daily Meditations for Men ©1986, 1991 by Hazelden Foundation.

Ashley Kilpatrick Joins Purple Inc.

2009-03-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce our newest addition to the Purple staff...Ashley Kilpatrick. Ashley has been working in the field since 1985 and is a Certified Addiction Counselor. He has pursued undergraduate studies at Oglethorpe University and Kennesaw State.

Although he has been in the field for some time, recent advances in the science of addictive disorders has made this an especially wonderful time for Ashley in the treatment industry. He has a personal commitment to his work and consistently pledges to offer his clients the most effective tools for them to be able to make the changes they want to make.

Welcome to the family, Ashley!

Purple Inc. Begins Parent Alumni Program

2009-03-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Lynn Bosworth, the mother of one of our alumni, approached Brett and Joel about a parent alumni program. Her idea is to "create an environment in which Purple alumni, parents, and friends become and stay connected to Purple and support it with their work, wisdom, and capabilities".

What a wonderful idea! The clients who graduate have an alumni program that allows them to stay involved with the program and with each other, why shouldn't the parents? Alcohol and drug addiction affects the entire family unit and often the family members work just as hard as the clients.

So, of course, we were on board to help in any way we can. In the next couple of days, an email will be sent out to the families requesting their support and attendance at an organizational meeting to discuss the formation of the program. The meeting will be held at Purple at 7:00 pm on April 7, 2009.

Alumni Function

2009-03-01T19:49:00.000-08:00

Purple is hosting a function for alumni this coming Sunday, March 8th. It was originally scheduled for today, but due to the inclement weather we decided to postpone. And since, in Georgia if you don't like the weather, all you need to do is wait ten minutes, one week seemed like ample time for the weather to turn warm again. The event will be a BBQ and a bonfire. Spouses, significant others, and children are welcome. We hope to have a large turn out and chances are, the event will be going on late into the night with plenty of food, fellowship, coffee, and guitar playing!

Purple 2.0 Revealed

2009-02-22T06:50:00.000-08:00

We have finally unveiled Purple 2.0! First let me explain what Purple 2.0 really is: it is a mulit-faceted, multi-layered conglomeration of ideas, principles, program components, and tangibles. Looking back, its difficult to say when we really began working our way towards the new version of Purple, but it seems like its been a little over a year. The staff has met weekly for the past year for the sole purpose of developing this. Along the way, we've redefined our mission statement, incorporated new programs like exercise and guided meditation, and made a journey back to what we feel are indispensable services to offer.

All of these changes are, of course, rewarding, but none quite as rewarding as the tangibles: new furniture (still a work in progress), the new website, business cards, brochures, and a keynote presentation that will eventually be on the website and available as a DVD. In the Fall of last year, we started working with Luckyfish Studios, a creative strategy and design company. They helped us develop a new brand, a new mission, and a new image altogether. To put the finishing touches on it all, we enlisted the help of Solar Veloctiy, a web development firm. It all finally came together as we presented our new image to the public at SECAD earlier this month.

In essence..."we are committed to helping addicted men and their families create new, happier lives through sobriety. Our recovery methods are based on personal, real experience, our staff members are engaging and genuine, and our success is tied directly to our clients’ success combating addiction"...THIS is Purple 2.0.

Cupcake Referral Program

2008-09-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Purple Inc. has begun a cupcake referral program with treatment centers and hospitals in the Greater Atlanta area. Once a month we deliver cupcakes from Happiness Cupcakes to say, "Thank you" to the hospitals and treatments centers that support us.

Each month a different flavor. Each month another opportunity to spread happiness through cupcakes!

For more information about our cupcake referral program, please contact us at 770.962.8215.

For more information about Happiness Cupcakes, please visit their website at http://www.happinesscupcakes.com/.

Today's Gift

2008-08-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

From the book, Today's Gift: Daily Meditations for Families

Friends are people who help you be more yourself, more the person you are intended to be.--Merle Shain

Sometimes a teacher, sometimes a neighbor, almost always our moms and dads encourage us to try new activities or to improve our schoolwork, sports, drawing, or gardening. Because they are our friends, they want us to be the best we can be.

Not everyone knows how to be a friend. Some people only criticize and never praise. People who never encourage or praise us are usually unhappy with their own achievements. They don't mean us harm. Perhaps they just need a friend, too. Not only do we each need friends to help us grow, we need to be friends to others. To encourage and praise those who need it will help us in return.

Whose friend can I be today?

Purple 2.0

2008-06-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

I once worked for an interior design firm. Most of our clients were very wealthy and came back to us time and time again for our services. The average life span of an interior design job done well for an extremely wealthy person is dependent on three things:

How quickly they recover from paying that final invoice
How quickly they get bored with all their new pretty things
How soon after the completed project they decide to purchase another home

This life span was approximately 5 years across the board for every single client. So, knowing this, it comes as no surprise that Purple (having just celebrated 5 rewarding years) is on the brink of some really wonderful changes. It seems to be time to reinvent ourselves. Reinvention is the Mother of all succesful people/entities....Madonna, Apple, you name it, its either getting reinvented or regressing. It feels like the perfect time for a new image, a new niche, and new fresh attitudes.

Needless to say, June has been a busy month and it's been exciting to think about all the possibilities.....a new edgier vibe, remodeling the farmhouse from top to bottom, remodeling the barn for additional living space, the options seem limitless! So call it what you will, Purple 2.0, Purple squared, New and Improved, the changes on the horizon will be for the better. I'm so excited, I'm already thinking about Purple 3.0!

Purple Fun-A-Thon

2008-05-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Georgia Bid for ICYPAA held an event at Purple on Saturday; the Purple Fun-A-Thon aka Purple Field Day aka Purple Game Day, etc. It was a great success last year, so we decided to recreate the good feelings this year and we were not disappointed. Attendance was a little low because it looked like rain for the first half of the day. It only sprinkled a little bit and then cleared off completely by 2:00 so all that did show up were very happy.

The whole afternoon was reminiscent of days as a youngster when we all looked forward to field day at school; a break from the mundane day to day tasks, an opportunity to breathe new life into our tired little minds. And this modern day field day for "grown-ups" was no exception. Any game you could think of that involved a ball was going on: volleyball, kickball, softball, football, even croquet. To top it off, an industrial size slip and slide was constructed and broken in by one of the not-at-all-concerned-by-the-chilly-morning attendees. And what day outside playing games with friends would be complete without grilled hotdogs, hamburgers, plenty of potato chips, and way too many different kinds of desserts?

At one point, there was a little more excitement than I had planned on, when my dog, Wyatt, decided to run into the road. Thankfully, one of the guys was right there and didn't hesitate to run after him! Frogger reinvented!

All in all, it was a great day and I think it was a much needed break for the guys.

The doggy hero of the day!

Five Year Anniversary

2008-05-01T18:03:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day because there is so much to celebrate. This morning I sent an email to Joel and Brett thanking them for all that they've done to make Purple what it is. There's been a lot of "trudging the road to happy destiny", ups, downs, and a lot of long hours. And I can imagine they both had doubts along the way. I encouraged them to give themselves pats on the back for not giving up. This line of work can be so rewarding, but so heartbreaking all at the same time. I thanked them for being complete oppostites of each other and balancing each other out. I can't imagine a more complimentary duo.

Most importantly, these boys work so hard, they sometimes have a hard time slowing down. So my wish for them today was that they both spend some time today taking a break from thinking about all that's left to accomplish but rather reflect on how far they've come. If they were women, they'd be on a Virgina Slims advertisement.

And I must admit, I even gave myself a pat on the back....afterall, behind every good man is a good woman, right?

You Gotta Start Somewhere

2008-05-01T17:52:00.001-07:00

As the new administrative assistant of Purple Inc., a long-time supporter of all things Purple, and the wife of one of the owners, I have taken on the responsibility of keeping up with this blog. I love Purple for several reasons:

Most importantly, we help the most important group of people in the world (that's my opinion, of course)-alcoholics and addicts! I personally believe if all the alcoholics and addicts in the world got sober at one time, there would be world domination. Seriously, the smartest most intuitive people I know are alcoholics and addicts. So be nice to your neighborhood alkie....
Two of my most favoritest men own the facility-my amazing jedi husband, Brett and my sweet sweet father-in-law, Joel.
Purple now provides my pay check.

I think that about sums it up. The purpose of this blog is, well.....we're not really sure. Possibly to entertain the light-hearted side of addiction, possibly to educate on the not so light-hearted side of addiction, or possibly to reach someone who needs help. More likely, a combination of all three. Happy Reading!

-Andrea Bagley