Recovery 2.0

Recovery 2.0 is a global movement that embraces a holistic approach to recovery from addiction of all kinds. The community honors all effective paths to recovery and emphasizes the importance of mind-body practices such as yoga and meditation, athletics, nutrition and community as part of an effective path to recovery and joy in life.

Recovery 2.0 offers two free-to-attend online conferences each year, which are attended by tens of thousands of people and are likened to attending a University of the Recovery Arts.

Click here to automatically sign up for the Free Recovery 2.0 Online Conference now

This year’s official lineup:

Wednesday, September 14th

Joe Polish – Discourse on Connection, Authentic Power and Success

Seane Corn –  Finding and Walking your Unique Path

Therese Jacobs Stewart – A Kinder Voice: Mindfulness and The 12 Steps

Dr. Gabor Maté – The Return to Truth: Surviving a Toxic Culture

David Wagner –  Mars and Venus Revisited: New Roles and Rules for Men and Women

Thursday, September 15th

Holly Whitaker – Hip Sobriety: Breaking the Stigma of a Life in Recovery

Rob Weiss – Dying for Connection: Sex, Love and Porn Addiction

Jamison Monroe – My Kid is in Trouble: Addiction and Recovery Primer For Parents

Meadow Devor – True Wealth: Financial Sobriety and Abundance

Herb Kaighan – The 12 Steps and Spiritual Awakening

Friday, September 16th

Nikki Myers – The Root of Our Problem

William Moyers – Spotlight on Addiction and Recovery in the US in 2016

Linda Fischer – Perfectly Imperfect: Finding Acceptance, Love and Compassion

Guru Singh – Buried Treasure: The Journey From Where You Are to Who You Are

Dr. Peter Przekop – The Connection Between Chronic Pain and Addiction

Saturday, September 17th

Guruprem – The Yogi and The Porsche

Rolf Gates – Best Practices to Find and Sustain Recovery

Anna David – Staying on the Path: Suiting Up, Showing Up and Letting Go

Ahmed Eid – An Addiction Counselor’s Perspective on Recovery Today

Jeremy Brook – What the spine can tell us about Recovery

Sunday, September 18th

Anand Mehrotra – Eastern Wisdom for Healing the Addictive Mind

Debra Silverman – The Missing Element

Ramdesh Kaur – The Body Temple: Healing Body Image and Eating Disorders

Durga Leela – Ayurveda and The Yoga of Recovery

Greg Williams – Generation Found: Young People in Recovery

Click here to automatically sign up for the Free Recovery 2.0 Online Conference

National Drug Strategy 2017

A new National Drugs Strategy is being developed by the Department of Health and will set out Government policy on tackling the drug problem from 2017 onwards. This new Strategy is important for service users, families, communities and front-line staff working in the field of addiction.

The Department of Health is running a public consultation between the 6th September and 18th October 2016, seeking the public views on the drugs issue in Ireland to help inform the new National Drugs Strategy. At the end of the public consultation, all the views received will be gathered in a report. The report will be provided to the National Drugs Strategy Steering Committee to help inform the new Strategy.

We are all invited to communicate our view in one of the following ways:

  • Visit the page: www.health.gov.ie/drugs-strategy and complete the questionnaire
  • Call the number: 1890 10 00 53
  • Write to: national Drugs Strategy, PO Box 12778, Glenageary, Co. Dublin
  • Email our views to: [email protected]

 

When we go through tough time, little things like talking about our problems, getting regular exercise, drinking less alcohol and being involved in activities we enjoy can make a big difference to how we feel. Find the little things that work for you at yourmentalhealth.ie

If you or anyone you know is at risk from drug or alcohol addiction, H.O.P.E. is here to help. Feel free to drop in for a chat. Our daily clinic is open from 10am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.

SOBERNATION 6 Natural Highs That Give You A Healthy Buzz

I won’t lie, I loved getting high.

During the height of my addiction my number one goal was to stay lit around the clock. However, years of addiction took their toll–and like Icarus with his waxed wings I fell to earth. While drug treatment was able to restore my body and mind I was doubtful that I could find natural ways to cop the buzz I felt with drugs and alcohol. Fortunately, I learned there were many natural highs I could incorporate into my daily routine that could keep me feeling fine without regret.

A New Way of Thinking

Believe me, finding new ways to get the high I desired without the aid of chemicals seemed far-fetched. For many years I was accustomed to getting euphoria from drugs and alcohol. Once I made the commitment to getting clean and sober the concept of the natural high was akin to diet soda. While I knew I couldn’t go back to using substances, I just didn’t think it was possible to feel good about life without those familiar crutches.

As my sobriety grew, I listened to my counselors and my recovering peers and I learned ways to dip into the brain’s natural pharmacy and get the buzz I desired without the hangovers and the guilt.

The following are six natural highs that have helped me keep smiling on the inside.

The Best Natural Highs

Exercise

The most common way to achieve a natural high in recovery is through good ol’ exercise. The benefits of exercise in recovery are enormous. First and foremost, exercise releases endorphins which is your brain’s “feel good chemical.” Exercise helps create a euphoric relaxation response which helps you hit the reset button in your brain. Not only will you look good and feel great, you can bring a friend along for added fun and motivation. Additionally, it is easy to create you own personalized exercise regimen that best fits your personality. Whether it is the extreme rush of Crossfit, banging plates at the gym, biking, or just taking a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood–there is a physical activity that you can find and enjoy.

Step Up Your Diet Game

When finding ways to feel awesome in recovery, the role of one’s diet cannot be overlooked. Creating a well-balanced diet is absolutely essential in maintaining one’s physical and psychological health. When I think about my recovery diet, I need to remember to include plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as plenty of protein. I also have made it a point to significantly reduce or eliminate processed food, sugars and caffeine from my diet. Additionally, I also try to eat several smaller meals spaced throughout the day.

Get to Know Mother Nature

Perhaps there is no natural high as powerful as the one provided by nature. When I hike a forest trail, traverse alongside a raging river or stand on top of a mountain, the majesty and scope of Mother Nature often takes my breath away.  Nature is everywhere you turn, and it is easy to take a few moments to soak in its grandeur. Ponder the glory of a sunrise or sunset. Feel the power of a summer breeze. Take in the sights and sounds of a beach on a June afternoon. The euphoria of nature is waiting for everyone.

Immerse Yourself in the Arts

Another excellent way I have found to lose myself in bliss is to engage in the creative arts. I love to bang on a bass guitar, write poetry or in my daily journal, and I also have been known to sketch out some mad doodles. I find that immersing myself in creative pursuits takes my thoughts and feelings to places that I wouldn’t have thought to explore. If you don’t think of yourself as the creative type, there are still plenty of ways to immerse yourself in the natural high of the arts. It can be as simple as creating a playlist of your favorite jams or attending an outdoor music festival. You can also feel the natural high of art by going to a great movie, reading an enthralling novel or even attending a gallery exhibit.

Be Grateful

In order to feel the natural buzz of euphoria, our mindset must be positive. In my opinion, practicing gratitude is one of the best natural highs I can experience. Gratitude in recovery is one of the most powerful natural highs because of the expression of thankfulness and appreciation for what sobriety gives me on a daily basis. Even if I am experiencing difficulty, having a sense of gratitude allows me to change the negatives to positives–and I can learn to grow from those obstacles. You may be surprised on how good you truly feel when you say thank you.

Stay In The Here and Now

Do you want to know the secret to getting and staying naturally high? It’s simple really–keep you mind in the present and focus on the here and now. If you think about it, our daily lives throw many curves at us, and we often get pulled in a million different directions. When you are able to stop yourself, wade through the static of distractions and look at this moment right now–the world stops. You see things for what they are and you see people for what they are. Take time to devote your undivided attention to yourself and those you love. When you feel the love come back to you, that is the best high ever.

Follow Your Own Path

This list of ways to get your natural buzz on is by no means an exhaustive list. Take the time and explore what makes you truly happy on the inside. Don’t be afraid to try new things and explore those avenues which are healthy and positive. The way that you will truly grow in recovery is to step outside your comfort zone. Go out there and truly find those natural highs that will keep you healthy.

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SOBERNATION What is Self-Medicating and Why Do We Do It

Addiction can be a whirlwind of destruction, highs, lows, and emotions run riot. Why do people become addicted? That’s the million-dollar question and it’s different for everyone. It can depend on genetics, environment, trauma, and even mental illness. It’s not uncommon to hear that some people affected by a substance use disorder have been self-medicating. What does self-medicating mean? Is it something everyone does? I believe it is a component to many people’s using. We are convinced in today’s world that we should not feel pain which leads us to numb ourselves. Let’s explore exactly what self-medication is and why we do it.

What is self-medicating?

Google defines self-medication as an act of choosing and taking medications by oneself instead of by prescription or under the recommendations of a doctor or other medical professional. Their second definition is, “taking addictive or habituating drugs to relieve stress or other conditions.” It doesn’t always have to be addictive drugs; self-medicating can also refer to taking over-the-counter medication to treat ailments such as a headache or fever.

But in the case of a substance use disorder, self-medicating is a coping mechanism and an unhealthy one at that. When we run into tough problems in our lives or we feel uncomfortable due to pain and emotions, our first instinct may be to try to run away from these feelings. What better way to do that than with drugs and alcohol? I believe many people who have an addiction are attempting to alter their reality in some way, for some reason.

You might have back pain and to deal with it you have three beers every night. You may have a loved one who just passed away and the emotional depth of your pain won’t subside so you take Percocet every day. You might have a big exam coming up which your job depends on so you take Adderall to help you concentrate. You just broke up with your significant other and that’s why you went to happy hour every day this week. These are all common examples of self-medicating. In our society where alcohol is promoted on television and online relentlessly, it’s no wonder a martini is the first thing we turn to when we feel pain.

Self-medicating is a learned human a behavior. If it’s not a healthy way to cope, why do we do it?

Why do we do it?

How do we learn to self-medicate? We might have seen others doing it around us. We live in a society where pain is not an emotion that wants to be dealt with. But I believe we also self-medicate because it works. It works for a time until it doesn’t anymore. The thing about self-medicating is that it doesn’t remove the pain from our lives. It almost never changes the situation or emotions that we are required to deal with. That’s why as a part of recovery, we are required to learn new coping mechanisms and the goal is to learn how to deal with life on life’s terms.

It’s unrealistic to think that nothing bad will ever happen to us in our lives and that we can live pain-free 100 percent of the time. What we can do is learn to live with the pain and work on our internal selves and how we process pain and how to manage it. If self-medication works, why should you stop doing it?

How can we stop self-medicating?

The reality is self-medicating can be harmful. This type of coping mechanism can lead to addiction and can exacerbate an already troublesome issue with dangerous substances like drugs and alcohol.

The dangers of self-medicating include:

Mixed medications. Using medications that may interact could cause an accidental overdose or death.

Inaccurate medical diagnosis. If you aren’t a medical professional, you could be misdiagnosing yourself and mistreating yourself with certain medications.

Covering symptoms. By self-medicating you could actually be covering up symptoms that are worse than they appear. It may mask a bigger problem.

Delaying real medical care. Just like with an inaccurate diagnosis, delaying real medical care can be risky. You may be missing something more severe, or could put off getting help until something is much worse.

Of course, any time you self-medicate with dangerous substances like alcohol and drugs, you are at a higher risk for developing an addiction.

Short-term solution. As I mentioned earlier, self-medication is only a short-term solution. It doesn’t ever get to the root of any issue. It can make you feel better for a time, but in the end, it doesn’t remove the pain from your life.

While you may believe self-medication is an effective strategy, it can do more damage than good. In order to leave behind these risks, we must stop self-medicating. If you know you’re using drugs and alcohol to deal with stress, emotions, or everyday life, recovery might be the best path for you. Self-medication won’t be able to last you your whole life through. Recovery on the other hand, can. There are many options on how to start your life in recovery: addiction treatment, 12 step groups, SMART recovery, recovery coaches, and more.

The beauty of recovery is getting in touch with your inner self, learning new ways to cope, and how to be a functioning member of society who doesn’t need to self-medicate in order to live. Recovery allows us to be in touch with our emotions, but not overwhelmed by them. It can teach us why we drank and used in the first place and how to move on from a life ruled by substances.

If self-medication has been your way of dealing with anything life throws at you and you are still unhappy, it’s likely you need a change. Recovery is the greatest change anyone can make and most important, it’s a lifelong solution. Leaving self-medication behind and trying sobriety could be the best decision you ever make and it may be the solution that you’ve been searching for all along.

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What is the relationship between our childhood and our adult mental health?

(18/08/2016) Sean O’Rourke (RTÉ Radio 1) was joined by Professor Jim Lucey, Medical Director of St. Patrick’s Mental Health Services.

“Clearly child poverty is a negative factor for childhood development and adult wellness. This makes intuitive sense and these data are consistent with all our experience. Sometimes poverty is in the foreground but other times it is in the background where it may be less apparent, but many would argue (and I would certainly agree) that poverty is the prevalent factor underlying most of our enduring health problems.”

The appointment of a task force on mental health is an initiative that is to be greatly welcomed. It is a recognition by the government of the importance of this vital area of our lives. The membership of The Task Force includes a representative range of voices each with their own expertise. These range from the scientific brilliance of Professor Mary Cannon to the charismatic advocacy of “Bressie” and many others besides.
The Task Force members has been given a big challenge and it will be interesting to see how they go about the work and what particular agendas they decide to cover. Much will depend on their terms of reference, their methods and their ambitions.
We might consider some of these agenda over the next few weeks and consider what the literature says about these mental health issues. Doubtless the Task Force knows what it needs to look at and we should let them get on with their work and wish them well. While we do let us consider for moment some of these key mental health agenda and consider them in anticipation.
Once such key agenda is Childhood. What is the relationship between our childhood and our adult mental health. The task force will already have the benefit of new data on the prevalence of mental health problems in our young population and also their lifestyle emerging from the “growing up in Ireland’ survey but what is to be said about the relationship between childhood and the developments of a mentally healthy adult life. For this data they must choose to look further a field.
The search for real answers to these questions rests on a very small number of long term studies. Two of these data-sets are worth highlighting. One of them is from the UK and the other from the USA. Their data tells us a great deal about the importance of childhood to the task of living life well.
First let’s look at the UK Birth Cohort Studies. These have enrolled more than 70,000 people from five generations starting in 1946 before the beginnings of the NHS. The research has become the longest running study of human development in the world. The results have directly influenced much government policy in health and education but also indirectly generated important data on childhood wellbeing.
The UK Birth Cohort data were reviewed recently in a new book entitled “The Life Project: The Extraordinary Story of our Lives”. Its author Helen Pearson shows how these data highlighted the effect of inequality and poverty on childhood and also its negative impact on the trajectory of adult lives. The results showed that children born into poverty and inequality were far more likely to struggle at school and much less likely to be employed in adult life. They were also far more likely to be in poor physical health.
On the other hand, the research showed that poverty in itself did not necessarily determine a bad outcome in adulthood. Many children thrived despite disadvantaged beginnings. In some of these children the influence of parental involvement was also a protective factor. For example children whose parents read to them when they were aged 5 years and who still showed an interest in their eduction when they were age 10 were significantly less likely to be in poverty at the age 30.
Clearly child poverty is a negative factor for childhood development and adult wellness. This makes intuitive sense and these data are consistent with all our experience. Sometimes poverty is in the foreground but other times it is in the background where it may be less apparent, but many would argue (and I would certainly agree) that poverty is the prevalent factor underlying most of our enduring health problems.
What about the influence of more specific trauma in childhood? What about the question of the long term effects of childhood abuse on the formation of adult wellbeing. An invaluable source of answers to these questions has come from the ACE studies in California, USA. These important studies are continuing at a large primary care centre in San Diego. The study methods include a look back at childhood experiences and a look forward to their progression from childhood to adulthood. The basic tool is a survey called the Adverse Events in Childhood (ACE) scale. It provides a score known as the ACE score and this can be used to correlate with other health and social data collected routinely by the practice. Over fifty scientific papers have resulted and the data is of profound significance for our understanding of childhoods impact on healthy living throughout the length of human life.
The ACE scale identifies ten types of childhood trauma. Each person is asked to recall their childhood and to answer ten questions about their life before the age of eighteen years. “Did you often experience any of the these five personal experiences physical abuse, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect and emotional neglect”. The next five ACE questions are related to the life of other members of the persons childhood family. “Did you have a parent or guardian who is alcoholic, a mother who is the victim of domestic violence, a family member in gaol, a family member diagnosed with a mental illness, or the loss of a parent through divorce, death or abandonment”.
Each factor is given a score of one and so a persons ACE score becomes very clear. For example an adult survivor of sexual abuse whose mother was the victim of domestic violence and whose father was an alcoholic would have an ACE score of 3. Any of us might try this scale for ourselves and calculate our own ACE score. This might be distressing exercise but it might be a useful one nonetheless. The question is what impact does the ACE score have on adult wellness.
The answer is a complex but compelling one. The ACE is a number used for correlation. It is nothing more and nothing less. It does not tell us anything about causes or cures. Nevertheless the ACE evidence is of a “strong graded relationship between the breadth of exposure to abuse or household dysfunction during childhood and multiple risk factors for several leading causes of death in adults. These causes include heart disease, cancer, chronic lung disease, fractures and liver disease, and these hazards are not secondary to smoking or alcohol use alone. Instead the researchers suggest they have found a real and independent correlation between childhood traumas and some of the major health problems seen in adult life.
So what about the relationship between adverse childhood experience and mental distress? The answer is that ACE is a risk factor for mental health difficulty. Estimates differ but the literature suggest that ACE events are three times more likely in those who have a major mental health problem such as schizophrenia or bipolar mood or borderline personality. Clearly ACE is a significant number but what does it really tell us?
Everyone agrees that ACE levels correlate with the emergence of serious physical and mental health problems in adulthood. The higher the ACE score the greater the likelihood of physical and mental health problems and even early death. The evidence supports the belief that childhood experience is important to our adult wellbeing. The question is whether childhood adversity is a determinant of adult ill health or just a factor.
The truth is that three quarters of adult mental health needs emerge before the age of 25 and this supports the conclusion that childhood is an important time for the development of our wellbeing. But other data suggest that a combination of factors influence our chances of remaining well. The ACE story is not the only story and it’s not simple. Nothing is. A number of important caveats need to be heard.
Childhood trauma and loss such as described by ACE events do not cause mental health problems or early death. Most people with ACE neither develop mental health difficulties nor die young. Those with high ACE scores who develop poor physical and mental health may be disadvantaged for many other reasons as well. We still do not fully understand the origins of poor health but we know this. The origins of illness are not linear. The successful pursuit of wellness is complicated by genetic effects and many other environmental factors. ACE is just one of these factors even though it appears to be an important one. Childhood adversity is a challenge but not a determinant of adult wellbeing.
The emphasis is rightly on reducing childhood adversity, so called ACE events, in the community in order to improve the overall population health. This is very understandable but even if all ACE events could be removed illness, mental distress and early death would still occur and in the majority of these people adversity would not have been a factor. The eradication of ACEs even if this was possible would not solve or prevent mental distress for many.
In any case the eradication of ACE events is not a realistic prospect. Meaningful health care proposals need to be based on facts not dreams. The ACE events are simply ten stress factors that emerged from this study in a large primary care setting. We are still struggling to reduce the volume of clinical factors contributing to ACE such as mental health problems and addiction. We must accept that violence and family breakdown and the experience of other loss in childhood is not going to go away. We are human. ACE events are not the only childhood traumas. Stress upon our youth will always exist to some degree.
Our health service responses cannot depend on wishing childhood adversity would just disappear. Prevention strategies should recognise the importance of ACE events but we also need to understand that childhood is a time that frequently includes a degree of stress and trauma. A meaningful plan for wellness cannot rest on primary prevention alone. Our childhood is valuable but it is not the only human value we possess. That is why we need to build resilience and still to provide real help for those in distress or difficulty. We must remember that being well is also about getting well again.
If you would like to talk about these issues or need more information and support about access to mental health services in Ireland please call our Information and Support line at (01) 2493 333 or our youth support line at (01) 2493 555 or check out our web site at www.stpatricks.ie or contact the Health Services Executive at www.hse.ie
You can hear the broadcast and a spoken version of this blog here.
REFERENCES:
The Mental Health of Young People in Ireland: A report of the Psychiatric Epidemology Research across the Lifespan (PERL) Group.  Authors: Cannon M, Coughlah H,Clarke M,Harley M&Kelleher 1 (2013) The Mental Health of Young People in Ireland: a report of the Psychiatric Epidemology Research across the Lifespan (PERL) Group Dublin: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Growing up in Ireland.  National longitudinal study of children.  The findings of the qualitative study
Authors: Elaine Harris, Erika Doyle and Sheila Greene.  Department of Children & Youth Affairs 2011.  www.growingup.ie
The Life Project:  The extraordinary story of our lives. Author:  Helen Pearson.  Published by Penguin Books
Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to many of the leading causes of death in adults.  The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study .  Authors: Vincent J. Felitti, Robert F. Anda Dale Nordenberg et al. Am J Prev Med 1998;14 (4) 1998 American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Dublin NICCC Meets Taoiseach

Dublin NICCC Subgroup meets Taoiseach
Dublin NICCC Convenors meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny

On Wednesday 27th July 2016, Taoiseach, Enda Kenny met with the Dublin North Inner City Coalition Convenors. Here you can find a copy of the meeting minutes. More details to follow.

Dublin NICCC Subgroup
Dublin NICCC Convenors

 

Help us put the road to recovery on the map.

Leave HOPE a review.
Leave HOPE a review.

We need your help. HOPE are trying to maintain a place on Google Maps. We know the brave people of the North Inner City are always keen to help.  On their Maps, Google highlights a place that has a lot of Internet activity. For example, website clicks, Google Plus clicks and Google Reviews. The more people that check the map for a place, or review a place, the better chance a place has at being highlighted on the map. This is where you come in. We are looking for reviews. We are confident that the sincere people of the community we serve can provide reliable and unique reviews of the services HOPE provides.

If you follow this link it will bring you to HOPE’s Google Maps profile. At the bottom of our profile, you will see the review section. There you can contribute to our online presence.

 

 

North Inner City Investment

Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking to Joe Dowling from the Hope Project and Terry Fagan of the North Inner City Folklore Project after meeting with local community groups to discuss new measures for north inner city Dublin. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times
Taoiseach Enda Kenny speaking to Joe Dowling from the Hope Project and Terry Fagan of the North Inner City Folklore Project after meeting with local community groups to discuss new measures for north inner city Dublin. Photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times

HOPE is very excited to hear about this attempt to solve the difficulties of drugs and gang related violence facing the area. The high levels of social inequality suffered by the communities of the NIC have been growing for decades. This investment – which has been dedicated to local sports facilities, street and building maintenance and recovery projects – is long overdue. While this endeavour has come at a great cost to the NIC communities, it is with great excitement that we welcome this new government led initiative.

North Inner City Community Unity Day, August 2016

community Unity PosterHOPE is hosting a Community Unity Day for the North Inner City. We would love if you could participate. We are looking for face painters and people to play games with the children. If not, please come along. Bring the whole family! Everything will be provided for free. We are asking for a one euro donation to support Hughe’s House. Hugh’s House provides  accommodation, 365 days a year, for Parent’s and family of children in Temple Street and Rotunda Hospitals.

We need numbers for food, so please RSVP to
HOPE,
018 878 404, or
[email protected].

This event was made possible through sponsorship from Croke Park. Is supported by the Inner City Folklore Project and Our Lady of Lourdes Church.

Seanad Debate – Misuse of Drugs Act (Amendment) Bill 2016

On Wednesday 29th June, the Seanad had debated the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016. Amendments were proposed by Senators Aodhán Ó Ríordáin and Lynn Ruane so that drug users would not be criminalised for possessing the drugs covered by the Bill. As you will see, the amendments were not accepted, but commitments were given by Minister Catherine Byrne to address the issues raised by them in a further Bill in the Autumn.

The minutes can be read here.