The following is an article from the Kamloops Daily news web site [NOVEMBER 17 2008}
http://www.kamloopsnews.ca/news.shtml
Different approaches to addiction treatment up for discussion
This year’s Let’s Talk About Addictions conference focuses on different philosophies of addictions, including some unconventional ones.
Bob Hughes, executive director of the AIDS Society of Kamloops, said the conference will include speakers from such programs as Ibogaine in Vernon, Cedars at Cobble Hill Treatment Centre, Narconon treatment program and the Answer Model.
The conference runs Wednesday night and all day Thursday at the Henry Grube Education Centre, 245 Kitchener Crescent.
Hughes said Ibogaine involves a West African hallucinogenic plant that is said won’t create physical cravings — meaning no addiction or dependence.
“It’s like a spiritual awakening for participants,” he said.
Interior Health will also have speakers in to talk about addictions treatment and approaches.
Narconon is a drug rehab program that involves sauna detoxification and physical cleansing as well as textbooks by L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of the Church of Scientology.
“It is the fastest-growing private treatment model in the world right now,” he said.
All those speakers will talk on Thursday.
On Wednesday night, Todd Richie of The Answer Model steps up to the microphone at 7 p.m. with Dr. John Montgomery. Hughes said their philosophy focuses on the belief that trauma in life leads to addictions. Treat the trauma first, then deal with the addiction.
Anyone interested in registering for the conference should contact Paul Lagace at ASK at 376-7558 extension 224.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Anonymous Comment About Blog
I think this could be a good idea there is so many kinks of addictions out there. This would be a great place to be able to talk about our dependency what ever they may be. I just spent some time with a man who is really addicted to gambling who has lost his house his wife and children and is still playing and can't see anything wrong in life. When he falls it will be hard the same as when I hit my bottom. There is no easy road back but to take it one step at a time and live each and every minute looking at what we want for ourselves. So lets not limit ourselves to just drugs and alcohol that open it up to addiction of all sorts I think you will find that there is people who will respond who feel left out by other groups.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
I've been an addict for as long as I can remember. I was 8 years old when I first experienced a hang over from sneaking drinks when my father asked me to get him a beer. I started drinking alcohol and smoking pot on a regular basis when I was 10 years old. I was the youngest of four children. My siblings were very much into substance abuse. I was convinced that it was "normal" "everybody did it". By the age of 14 I was into L.S.D mescalin and anything else I could get my hands on.
One hot summer back in 1973 when I was 16 years old I was involved in a vehicle/pedestrian accident. I was the pedestrian who was run over by my best friend after a heated argument, the result of a drinking binge gone bad. I sustained a crushed ankle out the deal and narrowly escaped with my life. I was in the hospital for 12 weeks heavily medicated with opiates. When I was released I withdrew cold turkey not really understanding why I was so sick as the doctors never informed me of the impending suffering.
I suffered with intense chronic pain from that day on. I refused pharmaceutical drug treatment after my hospital stay. I had watched my older siblings struggle with pharmaceutical addictions. My sister committed suicide in the fall of 1973. She was a benzo addict at the time and I swore I would never go there. I did however continue to experiment with street drugs {as if they were any better} in an attempt to hide the physical and emotional pain that I was experiencing.
As the years progressed the pain got worse and worse until my mobility was notably impaired. I endured an operation every 5 years in an attempt to fix my deformed ankle.
My brother committed suicide in December of 2000 the product of cocaine psychosis. By the winter of 2004 I could no longer take the physical pain and emotional anguish. Trying to avoid an inevitable ankle fusion I gave into a pharmaceutical pain management regime. In hind sight it shouldn't have been any surprise that I quickly graduated to 480 m.g per day morphine and a 12 m.g. per day clonazepam addiction.
I could no longer function I slept most of the day and sometimes wondered if I would wake up, or not. All my medication was prescribed and I never bought drugs off the street. My doctor kept increasing my dose without questioning my use. The local pharmacy became my candy store. I reaped the psychological benefits, however the drugs hardly masked my physical pain.
In august of 2006 I realized that I was going to die if I continued using so booked myself in a local detox center and proceeded with a cold turkey withdrawal. I beat the morphine habit in six days and was released from the facility, but Nothing could have ever prepared me for what the benzos had in store for me. I experienced 30 days of convulsions seizures and anxiety attacks leaving me wondering if perhaps I would have been better off if I had just continued using until I did in fact die.
I had very little in the way of a support network, not that it wasn't available, but because I was in no "way, shape, or form", able to seek outside help. I tried to get back into detox but for some reason they would not accept me back. It was my strong commitment that pulled me through. I was determined to beat the beast and my perseverance payed off in the end, I was drug free.
On August 30th 2007 I mustered up the courage to have my ankle fused with sincere hopes that the pain would end. After 11 months of a painful recovery, I unfortunately realized that I had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. Not only was the pain still there, I was also once again addicted to Narcotics. What ensued was another 30 days of gradual withdrawal. I am once again drug free. I have willfully chosen to suffer the pain rather than to fall in the trap again.
I know there are others out there that have experienced the same devastating effects of addiction that I have. Others may, or may not have experienced what I went through with physical pain, but I am certain that others can relate to the debilitating effects of addiction and it is my hope that I may attract some of them to my blog.
Please share your thoughts, opinions and feelings. It can be a cleansing experience to get your "stuff" out so others may benefit from your experiences.
One hot summer back in 1973 when I was 16 years old I was involved in a vehicle/pedestrian accident. I was the pedestrian who was run over by my best friend after a heated argument, the result of a drinking binge gone bad. I sustained a crushed ankle out the deal and narrowly escaped with my life. I was in the hospital for 12 weeks heavily medicated with opiates. When I was released I withdrew cold turkey not really understanding why I was so sick as the doctors never informed me of the impending suffering.
I suffered with intense chronic pain from that day on. I refused pharmaceutical drug treatment after my hospital stay. I had watched my older siblings struggle with pharmaceutical addictions. My sister committed suicide in the fall of 1973. She was a benzo addict at the time and I swore I would never go there. I did however continue to experiment with street drugs {as if they were any better} in an attempt to hide the physical and emotional pain that I was experiencing.
As the years progressed the pain got worse and worse until my mobility was notably impaired. I endured an operation every 5 years in an attempt to fix my deformed ankle.
My brother committed suicide in December of 2000 the product of cocaine psychosis. By the winter of 2004 I could no longer take the physical pain and emotional anguish. Trying to avoid an inevitable ankle fusion I gave into a pharmaceutical pain management regime. In hind sight it shouldn't have been any surprise that I quickly graduated to 480 m.g per day morphine and a 12 m.g. per day clonazepam addiction.
I could no longer function I slept most of the day and sometimes wondered if I would wake up, or not. All my medication was prescribed and I never bought drugs off the street. My doctor kept increasing my dose without questioning my use. The local pharmacy became my candy store. I reaped the psychological benefits, however the drugs hardly masked my physical pain.
In august of 2006 I realized that I was going to die if I continued using so booked myself in a local detox center and proceeded with a cold turkey withdrawal. I beat the morphine habit in six days and was released from the facility, but Nothing could have ever prepared me for what the benzos had in store for me. I experienced 30 days of convulsions seizures and anxiety attacks leaving me wondering if perhaps I would have been better off if I had just continued using until I did in fact die.
I had very little in the way of a support network, not that it wasn't available, but because I was in no "way, shape, or form", able to seek outside help. I tried to get back into detox but for some reason they would not accept me back. It was my strong commitment that pulled me through. I was determined to beat the beast and my perseverance payed off in the end, I was drug free.
On August 30th 2007 I mustered up the courage to have my ankle fused with sincere hopes that the pain would end. After 11 months of a painful recovery, I unfortunately realized that I had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire. Not only was the pain still there, I was also once again addicted to Narcotics. What ensued was another 30 days of gradual withdrawal. I am once again drug free. I have willfully chosen to suffer the pain rather than to fall in the trap again.
I know there are others out there that have experienced the same devastating effects of addiction that I have. Others may, or may not have experienced what I went through with physical pain, but I am certain that others can relate to the debilitating effects of addiction and it is my hope that I may attract some of them to my blog.
Please share your thoughts, opinions and feelings. It can be a cleansing experience to get your "stuff" out so others may benefit from your experiences.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
What has worked for you? What hasn't? Please share!
I am not a big fan of Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous. I feel that the first step in their program "we admit we are powerless over our addictions" takes away the responsibility from the individual seeking help. I agree" that our lives had become unmanageable" But the power for change lies with the individual. I believe that God, the Creator, The Great I Am, or what ever you wish to call the Supreme Entity, gives us the power to create change in our lives however the responsibility to act on this conviction still lies with us. What do you think? Be the first to share your views! this site is in it,s infancy please bear with me. I urge you to share your favorite links so I can add them to my growing list. I don't necessarily support nor reject any info. on posted links. THANK YOU
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