Articles Archives - Page 127 of 138

Jan272016Oct032019

Drug offences during New Year’s Day Dance Festival

On New Year’s Day, 2016, 184 revellers at a Sydney dance music festival were arrested by Police due to illicit drug offences, including eight revellers charged with drug supply.

Dubbed operation ‘Fuzzy Field Day 2016’, Police targeted anti-social behaviour, alcohol-related crime, and illegal drug use and supply, both inside and outside the venue, with assistance from drug detection sniffer dogs.

As part of the arrests, a 26-year-old female, and a 19-year-old male were both charged with supplying MDMA (ecstasy) pills, possessing 100 and 81 capsules respectively.

Unfortunately, Australian music festivals are becoming more and more synonymous with drug abuse, overdose and supply of illicit substances. Sydney’s Field Day was no different, with more than 200 revellers receiving medical treatment at the event, while one 23-year-old woman overdosed, and spent several days recovering in hospital.

Addressing reporters the morning after the event, Chief Inspector Stuart Bell expressed his confusion and anger regarding event attendees believing they can get away with using and supplying illicit drugs, despite its illegality.

“People continue to come to these events and take drugs, and we will continue to police these drugs, and we’ll hopefully detect you and arrest you,” said Chief Inspector Bell.

Without proper protocol in place, many addicted people or those fighting an addiction can become enmeshed in situations like music festivals where drug use is rampant, resulting in relapse, and sometimes, overdose.

DARA Thailand uses a variety of methods, namely its Integrated Behavioural Treatment Model (IBTM), to treat a plethora of addictions for four, eight and 12 weeks respectively, located in tropical Koh Chang. Importantly, DARA’s treatment program has a high completion rate of 92 per cent.

Furthermore, DARA Thailand is committed to educating its clientele about how best to fight one’s addiction post-treatment at its rehab facility, by equipping them with tools and support to continue their journey to recovery.

If you, or someone you know and/or love, is battling an addiction and requires help, or more information, please contact DARA Thailand on +66 87 140 7788 or email [email protected]

Jan262016Jan272016

Things to Consider About Drug Addiction

Articles, Education, Treatment, Understanding Addiction

Addiction can cause serious life consequences and affect the lives of those involved tremendously. Here are some questions to consider if you think you may be addicted to drugs:

Do you use drugs for purposes other than for how they were medically prescribed?

If a drug is being used in ways other than the ways it is prescribed, then it is not being used adequately to treat the symptoms and could cause adverse reactions. Furthermore, if you are using drugs outside the realm of it’s recommended methods, you could be at a serious risk for drug dependence.

Do you use more than one drug?

Using more than one drug at once can create a greater nostalgia, but this can also lead to social as well as psychological problems. It can also be very dangerous to use more than one drug at a time to your physical health and your safety. Using more than one drug can also be a sign that you have a serious drug problem and may be harder to stop using drugs in the future.

Can you stop using drugs if you want to?

Most people addicted to drugs try to stop using on their own, but are unable to without seeking additional treatment methods. Many people try multiple times to overcome their drug use before they are successful. Long-term drug usage changes the brain makeup causing it to be tougher to quit despite acknowledging the negative consequences associated with drug use.

Do you feel guilty about using drugs?

The guilt happens after the immense feeling of the drug wears off, but getting high again makes the guilt disappear-until you come back down again. The feeling of guilt is a warning sign for you to seek freedom from your drug use and seek the help you need to stop using drugs.

Have you neglected significant others because of your drug use?

Using drugs can cause an inconsistent pattern of availability, both physically and emotionally, where significant others are concerned. Drug abusers can physically neglect their significant others by not being involved or available when others need them or want them to be involved. Emotional neglect is just as heart breaking to significant others as physical neglect. Often family members become confused on what to expect from the drug abuser because their behavior becomes so erratic and inconsistent.

Does your drug use affect your relationships with significant others?

Drug use and relationships seem to not mix well together. Drug use begins a vast ripple effect throughout the relationships, usually leading to negative outcomes. If your significant others-children, spouse, friends-are unhappy with your drug use, you may have an addiction problem that needs professional help.

Have you ever lost a job because of your drug use?

Lack of productivity, injury on the job, stealing from the company, health issues, legal trouble and calling in sick can all be reasons of job loss due to drug addiction. Drug dependence can cause all of these matters to end in termination of employment. If your drug use is leading to any of these problems and ultimately ended in eliminating you from your job, you drug addiction may be more serious than you previously thought.

Have you ever been involved with illegal activities in order to obtain drugs?

Being involved in any circumstance punishable by law in order to obtain drugs is a serious concern when determining whether or not you have a drug problem. The problems that could ensue as a result of these issues are worth serious consideration when determining if you need to seek treatment for a drug addiction problem.

Do you have medical problems because of your drug use?

There are numerous medical problems that could be experienced due to drug abuse. Brain alteration can occur after prolonged drug use and other medical issues might also be noticeable due to drug abuse, such as heart issues, cancer, or hepatitis. If you are experiencing these topics or other types of medical conditions related to your drug use, professional or medical assistance may be needed in order to help you quit using drugs.

Have you previously sought treatment for drug use?

Relapse is often common among drug abusers. What caused the relapse from prior treatments? Try to figure out what caused you to slip up and how you can get back on the right track. Reach out to others to advise you as well.

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you should seek professional guidance in order to better assess if your drug use is beyond your control and allow them to help you find the right regimen to best aid you in overcoming your drug addiction.

If you, or someone you know and/or love, is battling an addiction to drugs and need help or wish to learn more, please contact DARA Thailand on +66 87 140 7788 or email [email protected]

Jan212016Jan272016

Australia’s growing epidemic of codeine pain killer abuse

Articles, Australia

Dubbed a “national emergency” by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) in August, 2015, codeine pain killer abuse and overdose continues to capture Australian news headlines.

Last week, Australian hip-hop recording artist, Matt Colwell, aka “360” made headlines after releasing a rap video recorded in what appears to be a home studio, in which he explains his personal battle with prescription painkiller addiction.

The video, which has been viewed more than 7.25 million times, and shared nearly 200,000 times since 360 posted it on his Facebook page on January 9, 2016 at 2:05pm, has prompted renewed calls for stricter regulations around the use of codeine-containing medications.

In his song, entitled “I’m Sorry,” 360 describes the severity of his addiction, stating he was taking 90 pills, or three packets of over-the-counter medication, Nurofen Plus, on a daily basis.

“If I had nine lives then I’m using them up, no-one knew my addiction it was stupid as f***.

“Ninety pills daily of Nurofen Plus…”

He even went so far as to acknowledge an overdose, which caused him to cancel a series of shows in January, 2015.

“I was a zombie, I couldn’t feel nothing. I smashed four packets because I just wanted to feel something.

“Yo, I overdosed for sure, I was at the venue, I was going to perform,

“I can’t remember, see I was told in a report my tour manager found me convulsing on the floor…”

360 isn’t the first celebrity to bring Australia’s dependence on opioids into the spotlight.

Last year, Kim Ledger, father to the late Oscar award-winning actor, Heath Ledger, who died from an overdose of six-different prescription medications in August 2008, delivered a keynote presentation on behalf of the not-for-profit organisation, Scriptwise, for whom he is Patron, explaining prescription medication misuse, and abuse is out of control in Australia.

His organisation, along with various other Australian entities, called for the introduction of a real-time prescription monitoring service involving GPs and pharmacists to help tackle the growing public health epidemic.

However, as 360 states in his rap, “That’s the thing with a codeine addiction, it’s over the counter, so you don’t need prescriptions.”

According to an ABC News article published Monday, January 11, 2016 Australia is one of the few countries in the Western world that still permits codeine-containing medications to be sold over-the-counter, despite continued calls from many quarters that the substance be reclassified as prescription only.

Further to this, Australia has seen a recent surge in the use of heroin – a drug that had a strong grip on the nation during the 1990s.

The Australian Drug Foundation argues that more Australians are becoming addicted to painkillers, and when addicted “users” are unable to get their “fix” due to doctor and/or pharmacy shopping failures, they often switch to cheaper and more accessible street drugs, such as heroin.

If you, or someone you know and/or love, is battling an addiction to codeine pain killers and need help or wish to learn more, please contact DARA Thailand on +66 87 140 7788 or email [email protected]

Jan202016Jan272016

What is True Freedom from an Addiction?

Articles, Education, Understanding Addiction

It is a fact of life and human interaction with others that people often indulge in unhealthy, or even destructive behavior. We play games – with others, or with oneself. Those games usually leave us feeling empty, frustrated, unhappy or tormented. But we keep on playing. The reason is simple – we gain something from it. The gains vary from those more superficial (such as being pampered if we get sick), to those far profounder – such as confirming our deepest beliefs about ourselves, our future and the world around us, if the game is played out successfully.

Alcoholism as a Script

One of such games is the life game of an “Alcoholic”. Going away from it may be extremely difficult, because being healed from an addiction sabotages a person’s unconscious decision about how their life is going to develop (and end). Such decision, called script in transactional analysis, is often made very early in childhood. The problem with it is that a child, with its limited cognitive, emotional and intellectual capacities, is not always the best judge and decision-maker. This is the reason why an adult who is caught-up in a game of alcoholism should be invited into reevaluating his or her concepts and views formed a long time ago.

If we think about alcohol addiction as a script, it becomes easy to understand why an addict is usually fully taken over by the habit. Script is rigid; it dictates the behavior with not much room for improvisation or any activity unrelated to the script. Therefore, if a person has a script that demands him or her to spend the life as being an alcoholic, all of the actions will be tied to this typical scenario. This is true even in the days (or months, years) when he or she doesn’t drink. If analyzed carefully, it often becomes apparent that this person is still dancing around the addiction and all the associated issues, never losing sight of their “illness”. The days of being sober are carefully counted. The time is measured by episodes of relapse and the periods in between. In social gatherings, the “ex-alcoholic” usually finds a way to focus the attention to liquor – by categorically and often rather expressively denying the offered drink, by eliciting conversations about alcohol in very creative ways, etc. Don’t get us wrong – if a person with the addiction manages to fight it and not succumb to the urge, that is wonderful! However, here is our point…

A True Freedom

An addict who does not consume liquor at all (or the substance of his/her choice) should be praised. It is the first step towards a true liberation. Nevertheless, the work on one’s healing is far from over at this stage! This individual is usually still under the full control of alcohol.

In a psychological sense, a complete abstinence is not much different from the period of excessive drinking. Here is how – cognitive, emotional and behavioral areas of one’s psyche are still completely conducted by the addiction. In other words, a person still thinks like an (ex) addict, focusing attention to alcohol whenever the occasion arises (although concentrating on not-drinking this time). Alcohol still evokes strong emotional reactions (although negative, or ambiguous). And finally, the actions are directed away from alcohol, avoiding it completely (as opposed to investing all efforts into acquiring and consuming liquor in the stage of an active addiction).

A true freedom from alcohol would mean that a healed addict can indulge in an occasional drink here and there, without putting his recovery into jeopardy. Only then alcohol does not control his life, his thoughts, and his actions.

How to Help an Alcoholic to Abandon the Game?

An addict cannot ever be fully free of the addiction unless they abandon their script. This worldview demands them to define themselves as addicts, as being determined by their addiction, as being forced to “throw it all away”. And this is why an alcoholic will collect sober days, gather successes in abstinence, build hope in his recovery among his loved-ones – to be able to play a disappointing fall back into an addiction over and over again, increasing the stakes each time.

That is why we said an alcoholic in abstinence is still an alcoholic, controlled by the script. If we wish for someone to be truly liberated and healed, we should stop playing the game of Alcoholic with them. Not being their Rescuers, their Persecutors, or playing any other role in this destructive life game. This may be difficult, as a drinker is recognized as a desirable object of caring and helping, and we all get drawn into the game easily. However, give an alcoholic a fair chance to reassess their self-image. The greatest help we can offer to an addict lays in rejecting the game, and treating them as capable and responsible adults with many other possibilities other than being addicts or recovering addicts.

For assistance with alcohol addiction, or to learn more about DARA Thailand, head to https://www.dararehab.com/or contact a DARA therapist today, 24/7, for a free, confidential assessment via the following numbers:

Direct to Thailand +66-87-140-7788
Toll-free from United States 1-888-774-8459
Toll-free from United Kingdom 0333-122-9728
Toll-free from Australia 1-800-990-523

Jan182016Oct032019

Debate rages over pill testing at music festivals

Articles, Australia

According to recent media reports, 2015 saw a spike in drug-induced harm at Australian music festivals, including 120 people who were treated for drug-related issues, and the passing of Sydney pharmacist, Sylvia Choi, 25 at Stereosonic. These events have served to fuel the debate on pill testing at music festivals.

Pill testing, which indicates the content of an illegal drug in a user’s system, is currently practised widely throughout Europe, in countries such as The Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Spain and France.

Australian Drug Foundation National Policy Manager, Mr Geoff Munro told SBS News on December 7, 2015 that Australia urgently requires a pill testing trial to help curb the spiralling incidence of drug-induced harm.

“We have to recognise there is a culture of drug taking at music festivals and this would target the people who are determined to take the drugs.”

The results of the 2013 National Council on Drugs Survey, flagged in a report by popular the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, revealed more than 82 per cent of the 2,300 young Aussies aged between 16 and 25 surveyed support pill testing.

However the argument has met fierce debate from politicians and health experts who maintain this approach to drug prevention simply increases the risk of drug-induced harm, as festival goers will participate in unsupervised gatherings to avoid being policed, resulting in more fatalities.

Currently police forces in South Australia and New South Wales will not support pill testing at music festivals, with Forensic Toxicologist and Safework Laboratories Marketing Director, Mr Andrew Leibie, informing SBS that pill testing, will not detect illicit drugs.

“On-site pill testing is impractical and unlikely to have any meaningful impact, or prevent the kinds of tragic deaths we have seen in recent weeks,” said Mr Leibie.

With the advent of the New Year and many music festivals to come, the debate regarding whether “to test, or not to test” pills will continue to escalate. In the interim, we pray that the implementation of any drug abuse prevention strategy will help to curb the number of senseless deaths at musical festivals and the like.