Thought I would start this blog with some comments I have made over the years on various websites about my beliefs and opinion's around addiction, I know they are shared by many and contested also by more but hey ! opinions are like arseholes every body's got one!
This was in response to an article written in a Scottish broadsheet about a brilliant and effective new treatment facility for addiction based in Edinburgh.
Having disclosed that I am a recovering addict of 11 almost 12 now years abstinence with my professional work mates and to my horror, this disclosure is mostly met with utter disbelief, as their thinking is that people do not, can not will not RECOVER, and judging from the dearth and quality of services available in Scotland I can sympathise with this common but very wrong understanding of addiction.
What we need to hear in Scotland is that there is hope for those addicted to alcohol and other drugs – to be free from addiction and live in healthier and safer communities. The solution is to treat addiction as the public health crisis that it is.
I am delighted nae ecstatic to at last see the NHS funding a project that will actually work and run by people who actually know what addiction is. It’s time to implement public and private policies at the local, and national levels to help everyone get the help they need, including access to recovery, a process that requires time, patience and support. Policies that discriminate against people in recovery must be reversed, and the barriers that are raised by stigma against those with addiction must be removed. People with drug convictions face additional obstacles that threaten their chances of becoming productive members of society.
Breaking the cycle of addiction is critical to a healthy society. Anti-discrimination policies and policies that encourage recovery can benefit individuals, their families, and their communities.
They also protect the public health and safety, and the taxpayer.
When will we let go of the rhetoric and political war on words eh I mean drugs.
A recovery-oriented criminal justice system that provides alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders is needed imminently as our addicted brothers and sisters appear to be taking up the majority of our prison space.
People in recovery and their family members, by speaking out and putting a human face on recovery, play a critical role in breaking down barriers by educating the public about the disease of addiction and fighting stigma to end discrimination against those seeking and maintaining recovery.
WAKE UP TO THE FACT THAT when tailored to the needs of the individual, addiction treatment is as effective as Treatments for other illnesses, such as diabetes, hypertension and asthma.
Investing in Recovery helps make the many pathways to becoming free from addiction to alcohol and other drugs accessible and increases opportunities for individuals to regain their lives.
LEAP in Edinburgh are offering coordinated health care, education, housing, employment, and social services at the community level, that will give the addict the best possible chance of leading fulfilling and productive lives.
Again Congratulations on your own recovering and to all those you and your team at leap will no doubt lead to the path of happy destiny.
The most effective ways to deal with poverty, declining economic opportunity, and community rebuilding originate from within the community. The most efficient way of administering these solutions is by and through the community. Community programs often lack breadth, their ability to reach many, because they lack that one important resource that frequently determines whether a program will last or perish.. MONEY!!. WE NEED POLITICO-ECONOMIC INNOVATION! ANY ONE UP FOR IT?
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