Rat Park: - Changing your view about addiction.

a Shock went through me this afternoon when by accident I came across this video clip.

This is exactly what I was trying to say on this blog for so long. 

As the producer of this brilliant video and article, Sofo Archon says," Most people think that the reason why people become addicted to drugs, is solely because of drugs it self. This, however is far from the truth, as shown repeatedly by scientific studies on drug addiction."

This video will hopefully change your view about addiction.

By changing the rules  we can change our habits

Thank you for watching. Please do not forget to share and leave your comments.

Out Patient Addiction Clinics & Programs.

From cocaine addicted executives, prescription pill addicted housewives, school children sniffing different substances and alcohol addicted teachers, very little is known about Out Patient Recovery Centers or Clinics in South Africa.

This clinics does their work silently and cost effectively without compromising the clients’ daily work, school education and domestic routines.

Several therapists working in these outpatient addiction clinics, believe that GPs, psychologists and psychiatrists are either unaware or simply ignore their (clinics) existence for the want to rather use the medication that they know and used for years.. 

There seems to be this unspoken rule that the 3 to 4 week inpatient rehabilitation program is the only successful way to go, and that this is a one-size-fits all solution.

Addiction Outpatient centers or rather the Out Patient Habit Replacement Program, as we would like to call our program is a relatively new concept in South Africa.

We would like to define an outpatient as someone who got to that stage in their “drugging or drinking” careers where they may realise, that they have a problem. They haven’t lost their job, their car or their house. They have not been expelled from school or college yet. They have a reasonable strong social support network, and therefor would like to continue with normal life. A client needs to be fairly stable without any “major disorders”. Detoxing for certain substances does get included in the program. No chemical detoxing takes place.

 Dan Wolf, co-founder of the First Step Drug and Alcohol Recovery Centre in Sandton, Johannesburg adds these criteria: ‘They can fundamentally assume responsibility and perform and meet the minimum requirements of society, which may not necessarily be all that high.

Blue Paper Owl Counseling Services began as a response to the frustration of playing policeman to clients in an inpatient rehabilitation environment. I was dealing with people, who didn’t really want to be there or was forced by courts, schools and/or parents and didn’t want to take responsibility for their recovery. That was when I realized how many people need treatment in a less restrictive environment and started writing the New Generation Habit Replacement Program.

Our first patients would traditionally have been encouraged to book into an inpatient center and that was when I ran headlong into opposition from inpatient rehabilitation centers and their managers.

I won’t admit someone into my program without a good chance of success, firstly because of my integrity and high regard towards success and secondly because it would be bad for them and bad for our name.

Clients feel overwhelming relief and comfort when discovering the non- judgmental environment that we provide where they can confront their addiction in. They anticipate getting judged and rejected, but instead they get respect and empathy.

There may well be a dual diagnosis such as an anxiety disorder or even depression. This, however cannot be treated while they’re drinking or drugging. It is in our experience that when we have dealt with the addiction; the majority of patient’s perceived problems disappear.

The cost of the “New Generation Habit Replacement Outpatient Program” at R 5000, 00 versus the impatient rehabilitation center cost of between R 20 000.00 and R 60, 000.00 speaks for itself.

We firmly believe that, a client don’t have to be locked up, for them to make a substantial change in their life – by just changing their mind.

Thank you for reading this blog, and please feel free to leave a comment

Is there a connection between Religion and Addiction?

I was astounded with the response I received this week when trying to introduce my New Generation Habit Replacement Program to a senior school counselor.

Not looking in particular interested, he looked at me as if I was one of his pupils.
The first question he asked was, if this program was in line with the Bible. I was stunned at the lack of intelligence. What does my Habit Replacement Program got to do with the Bible? He did not say Religion, but specifically the Bible. That means only one specific religion, namely Christianity.

The following day I met with another school counselor. To my horror his first words in introduction was,"You must be a man of God" and he rattled on how his Church, himself and the pastor help kids with addiction problems, by getting them to accept God as their Savior. From Genesis to the Book of Paul and beyond, and he carried on and on about what was written in the Bible. I could not get a word in about why I wanted to see him, namely helping parents and kids through my Habit Replacement Program.

The more I listen to this educated people each day : -  people who tries to teach our children from within the cave they still occupy, the more I understand why the youth are so confused, and does not get the education (around drug use and abuse) they so desperately need. The children needs guidance from their elders. They don't need old misused and misguided doctrines from previous centuries been forced onto them. 

Contrary to popular believe teenagers do have brains, maybe not fully developed, but brains nonetheless, hungry and eager, ready to be guided in the right direction. If you do not have the capability to guide or talk sense to this people they will most definitely reject your stupidity. This will then make them disobedient, disrespectful and a host of different labels parents, teachers and society so dearly like to pin on them, and therefor they need to be punished in the harshest possible way. To teach them respect.

Unfortunately, a number of this counselors, school and in private practice, I spoke to, do not have the necessary knowledge especially around addiction. When I tell them that my aim is not to fight drugs or drug dealers, there is total confusion and disbelief in their eyes.
My mission is helping parents and children to set themselves free from the burden of addiction. That is a different mission from fighting drugs and drug lords.  

"Kill the drug dealers," they shout marching with placards, reading "We Hate Drugs" It looks like a Middle Ages Christian Crusade, with crosses and all.

Nowhere I have seen the same vigorous Crusades against the abuse of small children, boys and girls, abused and neglected by the same parents, the same society that shouts to kill another human being. Nowhere I have seen this Crusades against alcohol, cigarettes and legal drugs.

Please do not get me wrong. I am not against any religion, for if it was not for religion, this world as we know it would have been in chaos. Religion was a brilliant device created to keep people under control for centuries. I firmly believe that there is a certain place for spirituality and religion in rehabilitation, creating a balance in the clients life, but most certainly not another drug to depend on.

Now I would like to ask the question that really concerns me.
Could somebody please explain to me the connection between, religion and alcohol and/or illegal drug abuse?

For every time I start a discussion about alcohol and drug rehabilitation, I get hour long sermons by "addiction counselors" from all different religions. Some of this even with an aggressive undertone.
When, however I talk about gambling, sex, cigarettes, work, relationships or any other of the 230 different addictions known to man, including legal over the counter drugs, not one of this "addiction counselors" say a word and religion does not get mentioned. Why would that be? Why is there a connection between only two addictions and religion and not the rest ?
I really do not know. Could it be that Churches (mainstream rehabilitation centers) and Government are making lots and lots of money through various means, while they keep the youth and a great deal of society drunk, drugged, dysfunctional and in jail? Mainly men that gets put in jail for possession of drugs. There are not enough jobs, Governments do not deliver. So could this be the alternative?
I really don't know, and would like to get an answer from an intelligent source? 

I found that most people in positions to help children, are looking for valid excuses to stay within a system that was created by the Americans 150 years ago. They are quite happy staying with the warn out 12 step programs, swearing by its efficiency, for they are so brainwashed, that they are not prepared and have stopped, to think for themselves. 

There are much better alternatives.

Society and especially parents are made to believe by Government and Churches alike, that they need to fear drugs with all their hearts by only showing the consequences of drug abuse .  I cannot see any change in the foreseeable future regarding drug addiction in this country or anywhere else in the world while this attitude or viewpoints are still kept.

The few countries that did change their attitudes and laws are having major success in curbing drug abuse.

Thank you for reading this blog. You are invited to please leave your comments.