Voices

Addiction

The Recovery Agenda is Underway - Embrace it

In the middle of May, I launched the Wired In 'Way Forward' on this Blog, a document showing the commitment that my colleagues and I are willing to make to help improve the way this country (and others) helps people overcome substance use problems. We outlined some of the serious shortcomings of the government-led treatment system in the UK, and described major changes in approach that this country needs to adopt. 

Quite simply, we need a revolution in this field in the UK. We need to stop playing political games, cut out the 'spin', and get on with genuinely trying to help people. We need to stop defending the status quo and attacking the people who speak out, saying that they are 'threatening' the current treatment system and hurting the field. 

It would help greatly if we started to think about helping the individuals who are directly affected by substance use problems, as well as their families, rather than talking about protecting society from the crime that a small proportion of people with a substance use problem commit. Many people with serious substance use problems have other serious life problems (e.g. poor mental health, victims of abuse, social problems), which are often present before drug use is initiated. Many are very vulnerable - I often feel embarrassed how my country chooses to pick on these vulnerable people and accuse them of causing problems in society. 

We also offer them a deeply flawed treatment system, one which offers little hope of recovery - and we then blame then when they don't overcome their problem.

There are many people 'out there' who feel the same as me, ranging from senior figures in the field to individuals and families who are impacted upon  by substance use problems. Many people working in the field do not feel they can speak out because they feel their job may come under threat, or the organisation they work for may be criticised. Many people affected by substance use problems don't speak out, because they don't how, and/or to whom.

Well, it's time for all this to change. And it will change!

Wired In is calling for a treatment system that helps people find recovery from serious substance use. We are calling for a society that does not stigmatise people with substance use problems and their families. We are calling for a government that shows an understanding of what is required and does something about it. We are asking for compassion and the provision of hope, opportunity and choice.

I was recently informed that the government will spend £800 million this year on treatment. Please think how much of this money has been well spent? Ask yourself whether we have a system that actually understands how to help people move from the culture of addiction to the culture of recovery? Is it capable of doing this? And how much does it care?

Have a look at our 'Way Forward' and ask yourself whether I am right in the criticisms I have made about the current treatment system. 

If you want to see change, then please contact us. Wired In is committed to helping achieve this change - with your help. I cannot promise we will succeed, particularly as our funding has almost run out. [My personal investment has come to an end, so I need to raise funding to push the agenda forward]. But we are determined to succeed, so don't underestimate us.

And don't underestimate what is happening in this country. The recovery agenda is underway - embrace it and become part of the Movement. Join others who have already joined up with us.   

Pace Yourself: It's a Marathon

Decided to take a slow day to try and throw off this tiredness, thinking maybe I'd been pushing too hard. Mustn't forget what I'd read in one of Bill White's books: 

'Pace Yourself: It's a Marathon'

'One must be careful in carrying light to the community to not leave one's own house in darkness.'

All of you working in the field must remember this. I know that some of you put your hard and soul into your work and helping the client - and neglect yourself too much. 

For those people who are trying to change the environment and the treatment system in this country, remember it will be a marathon. Pace yourself. But we'll do it.

I've just finished a 45 minute discussion with Bill White - my first ever - and it was inspiring. One of the things that excited me is that Bill is inspired by what is happening here. Inspiring an inspiration, now that is something!   

Rowdy Yates from Scotland called to say he was enjoying the Blog. He also pointed out that there is something in the air re: recovery. He had noticed an increase in activity in substance use internet discussion groups starting about six months ago. More people are asking more questions. 

I just want to finish with something I read this morning in a talk sent to me by Stuart Honor. As cynical as I am about the way that much of the treatment system is helping people overcome substance use problems, it still hit me hard. I'm going to come back to this in a later Blog:

'It is no great trick to take an impoverished, unemployed individual who is addicted to heroin (and crack?) and turn him (sic) into an impoverished, unemployed individual who is addicted to heroin, crack, methadone and/or alcohol and benzodiazepines'

Adapted from Elliott Currie (1998) 'Reckoning: Drugs, the Cities, and the American Future'

I'm so chuffed

This is going to be a short (well, sort of) Blog, but for you out there who are watching closely at what is happening - let me say, it's getting very interesting. 

I've had assurances in past two days that people are reading my Blogs and taking serious note. It has also been emphasised to me that my Background Briefings are impacting, seriously. And some people are going on to discover Bill White and his writings. I'm so chuffed.

I'm getting calls and e-mails from new people. The viral marketing process is starting.

The people who are contacting me are disillusioned with the system as it is - and they know many  others who feel the same. Anyone can moan though. However, the people who are contacting me are doing something about it. Their problem is that they have felt isolated in what they are doing. 

Hopefully, they are seeing that they do not need to be isolated. 

If Wired In could bring such people together and create a 'Voice' - then it wouldn't just me that would be WOW-ed.

Karen, you should be so proud of what you have achieved in recovery. You are, and will be, an example to so many. Cannot wait to see your e-mail and to meet you. Lucie is very excited as well!

Stuart, I LOVE good research, just send it all in!!

David L, thank you for your kind words.

Tim1leg, keep writing.

And the rest of you, you must read the comments on yesterday's Blog about Mark Gilman.

I leave you with a quote from an e-mail I received today: "These are exciting times David and i finally feel that the momentum is moving towards more dynamic working which makes the individual the stakeholder. The indigenous recovery community will undoubtedly offer a kinship that no service will touch."

Gosh, it’s been a funny old day

Felt really burnt out this morning. Dazed when I woke up, and never really got going. But lots happened during the day.

Probably a combination of a number of factors have contributed to my mental and physical state: recovering from being a single dad with three kiddies for a week; too much work to catch up with; long-term worrying about funding; having to face a couple of days doing admin (which I hate) and probably some dehydration. Potent mix!

Soon stopped feeling sorry for myself when I read ‘In The Flesh’ from the Druglink Blog, which portrayed a day in the life of a treatment agency worker. You must read this well-written article. It reminded me yet again how tough it is in the front lines of this field. And how divorced the ‘top’ is from the ‘bottom’. More of that in a later Blog, when I return to the issue of stigmatisation.

The article charged me up and made me feel good about what I am trying to do. At the same time, it made me reflect on the size of the mountain we’re trying to climb.

After an admin session, I had a good chat with Mike Ashton, a fellow information junkie. I thoroughly enjoy my chats with Mike as he is so knowledgeable. I love bashing issues through with him – he is very perceptive and his heart is in the right place (something which I have found to be essential in this field if you’re going to relate to me).

I then had the most invigorating discussion with Mark Gilman of the NTA who described various recovery related projects in the North West of England.  In fact, he really WOW-ed me and I now cannot wait to meet him in a couple of weeks time. Yesterday, Dr Dave McCartney in Edinburgh told me he thought there was definitely something in the air re: recovery. Today, it was further confirmed to me.

Finished on phone and, 'ping', an email from Lucie arrived - 'had a wicked morning catching up with volunteers', she said before describing events. Sounded fantastic, this small and growing group getting really excited about their Cardiff recovery community and future community pages. 

Brian looked at the questions we had given him to facilitate his community page and thought about the five words 'that best describe you'. He started and ... wrote an 11 page personal story, which really touched Lucie with what he had been through. How could any decent person stigmatise Brian because he used heroin to help him deal with problems that would have broken the vast majority of people?

Just as I started writing this Blog, Shari Allwood from SMART Recovery in the States popped back into my life via e-mail. Shari and I met when I attended a SMART conference a couple of years ago but we had lost touch recently. Shari had seen the new Blog and just wanted to congratulate me – which meant a lot. And now Chris Ford has popped up to say thanks for the comments I made about her latest article in DDN – which again you must read. Her article made me stop and think again about stigma and prejudice.

You know, there’s some really great people out there doing some really wonderful work. We’ve got to shout loud about it, because it’s ultimately going to help more people overcome their problems. And it’s going to give recognition to those wonderful people who are making the difference. And help fight prejudice and stigmatisation.

For now though, I’m totally bushed (if this Blog is unclear, you know why) – but contented. I might treat myself to an Indian takeaway. I live on a farm, across the road from a high quality India restaurant – believe it or not. A few of you will know it as you’ve eaten there!

Wired In Reflections, Part 2

At Wired In, we have drawn up a series of statements forming an underlying ‘philosophy’ that provides clarity and helps us steer our course of action in this field. We believe that the statements are not just important for Wired In, but for the field as a whole. We ask you to consider them and let us know what you think. I’m sure we’ve missed key points.

1. Wired In considers substance use problems and addiction as a heath/social issue (which they are), rather than a criminal justice issue as the current treatment system does.

2. Wired In focuses on ‘drug, the person and their social context’ rather than on the drug itself, as the current system does. Unless the implications of the former interaction on addiction and recovery are understood, we have no hope in tackling substance use problems.

3. We do not just focus on the physical aspects of addiction, but also on the culture of addiction and how it impacts on the individual. We cannot help people overcome serious substance use problems without understanding how to move people from the culture of addiction to the culture of recovery.

4. Wired In focuses on ‘behavioural change’ rather than the ‘drug’. There seems to be a lack of realisation amongst many in the field that the key to recovery from addiction involves understanding behavioural change, rather than telling people about drugs. People with substance use problems already know about drugs!   

5. Substance use problems rarely occur in isolation, but are often one part of a much larger cluster of problems (containing, for example, emotional and/or social problems). This means that we must provide access to a range of integrated services that target a broader range of life functioning. To do this effectively, individuals in these other services need a better awareness and understanding of substance use, the associated problems, and how these can be overcome.

6. Since addiction is a chronic disorder caused and complicated by a variety of psychological, social and biological factors, we need to understand that treatment can be complex and protracted. The current system has been developed for an acute disorder – it needs changing to be able to tackle the chronic nature of addiction.

7. Wired In is concerned with a wide range of substance use problems arising from use of various illicit drugs (e.g. opiates, stimulants, sedatives, cannabis), prescription drugs and alcohol, rather than primarily focusing on Class A drugs (heroin, crack cocaine). Substance use problems occur on a continuum of severity. We are committed to providing information and support for people experiencing all levels of substance use problem, not just those with the most serious needs.

8. Wired In focuses on recovery, not on treatment – treatment is too often considered an end in its own right, whereas it is only one way of helping a person overcome their addiction. Recovery sustainability is rarely achieved in the short span of time that treatment agencies are involved in peoples’ lives.

9. We recognise that treatment is very important, particularly for people with serious problems and low recovery capital (internal and external resources that can be used to help find recovery). However, treatment must be part of wider programme of recovery support.

10. We believe that recovery comes from within the person, it should not be imposed on someone by a practitioner. The practitioner must understand that their role is to act as a guide and facilitator in helping a person utilise a self-change process. They must show warmth and empathy, and have a deep understanding of what it takes to help someone move from the culture of addiction to the culture of recovery.

11. We believe that people should be informed on an ongoing basis of the range of options that are available to help them overcome their problems (and be able to access these options), rather than just be offered a substitute prescribing option that can result in a switch from one addiction to another, as commonly occurs in the UK treatment system today. The system today can be viewed as containing the problem, rather than tackling the problem.

12. Wired In aims to empower people to tackle their own substance use problems and those of their loved ones. The average human being has a great deal of resilience and many people are capable of using their own resources if taught well and provided with the right sort of support (including empathy and understanding). This support may involve helping people deal with a variety of other life problems, to ‘free up’ their personal psychological processes so that they can focus on finding recovery.

13. To help people overcome substance use problems, Wired In uses key principles that are known to underlie successful therapeutic interventions, e.g. believe it can be done; information is key; enhance motivation; goal-setting; use support networks; learn relapse prevention; giving up substances must feel good.

14. We are committed to developing communities of recovery (internet- and real-world-based) that provide hope and opportunity, and enable people to help others find their path to recovery. These communities of recovery will carry a powerful voice of people who have been affected by substance use problems.

15. Commissioners and other people involved in developing policy about substance misuse treatment must have a deep understanding of what it takes to help someone move from the culture of addiction to the culture of recovery.

16. Wired In is committed to reducing prejudice and the stigmatisation of substance users, ex-users and families in society. A key element of recovery is the substance user being accepted as ‘normal’ by a so-called ‘normal society’.

Wired In Reflections, Part 1

Having developed WIRED eight years ago – as a way of empowering people to tackle substance use problems - it was with a tinge of regret that we changed our name to ‘Wired In’ at the beginning of April. This change was considered a necessity, given the well-branded WIRED magazine in the States.

At the same time, we were very excited about our new identity and commitment to recovery. We have always believed that ‘wiring in’ people (both from within and beyond the field) was an integral part of our grassroots initiative. We incorporated the word ‘recovery’ into our logo, because we had not previously made explicit our organisation’s commitment to helping people understand and be able to find recovery.

We also believe that the field itself does not focus enough on recovery, and that the vast majority of practitioners do not really understand the concept. This is probably the single most important reason why the field is not being as successful as it could be in helping people overcome substance use problems.

In the past, we have emphasised the grassroots nature of WIRED and the importance of our ‘bottom-up’ approach to producing enduring success in tackling substance use problems. We have also emphasised the importance of empowering people to tackle substance use problems.

Each of these elements - the grassroots approach, empowerment, giving the people a voice, and helping other organisations achieve their aims – all help define what Wired In actually is and what it represents. But something was missing.

Since changing our identity, the final piece of the puzzle has clicked into place. It is the simple fact that we are a Recovery Movement. Our major underlying aim is to help people find their path to recovery.     

Wired In aims to provide people affected by substance use problems with the information and tools they need to best help them overcome their problems using: (a) their own personal psychological resources; (b) the support and help of loved ones and friends; and (c) community-based treatment and support services.

We also aim to provide practitioners with education, training and information that facilitates their work in helping people find recovery. The voice of the people affected by substance use problems will form a key element of our approach.

So what is recovery? In my Background Briefings on recovery last year, I included a definition from William L White which we find particularly useful and pertinent.

Recovery is defined as, “the experience (a process and a sustained status) through which individuals, families, and communities impacted by severe alcohol and other drug (AOD) problems utilize internal and external resources to voluntarily resolve these problems, heal the wounds inflicted by AOD-related problems, actively manage their continued vulnerability to such problems, and develop a healthy, productive, and meaningful life.”

One important point to emphasise here is that this focus on recovery is part of an important new trend in the US, a moving away from focusing on the problem (addiction) to focusing on the solution (recovery). There is a greater recognition of needing to look at how millions of people have found recovery, and developing principles and practices based on these lived solutions.

In starting and driving our Recovery Movement forward, we believe it essential that Wired In has a Charter, a set of ten values and principles that help define how we think and act (see www.wiredin.org.uk).

For example, Point 2 states, “Wired In is founded upon Trust: we are independent, objective and honest. Wired In is about being creative, and having the courage to challenge.”

We have also drawn up an underlying philosophy that provides clarity and helps steer the Wired In course of action in this field. A series of statements which reflect this philosophy will be presented tomorrow.

Today, check out the introduction to our new film material on YouTube, which is the first part of a series focusing on 'Life as a heroin addict'.