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THE ILLNESS OF ADDICTION is so widespread that it has some effect on the lives of all of us one way or another. Some people suffer from it, others have it in their families and many of us, as professionals or non-professions come across it in our work. Initially we believe that it could not happen to us or to our family and that if it does turn up at work it will only be on rare occasions in rather strange or sad people who have experienced particular stress. But as our knowledge and understanding increase, we see that addiction is mostly invisible simply became it is so very common. We do not see the hand in front of our face.
It can take many forms. It can be through various substances, processes and relationships. The Alcohol and Drug Abstinence Service primarily offers treatment for Chemical Dependency which means addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Alcohol is by far the most common drug of addiction in our society and it causes the most problems numerically. However illegal drugs though less commonly used than alcohol also causes a lot of serious problems and attracts a disproportionate amount of publicity. The third category of addictive drug is the legal drug which may be either prescribed by a doctor or may be obtained over the counter. These may be just as damaging despite their legality.
At ADAS we believe that chemical dependency is a primary and progressive condition which will eventually result in the death of the sufferer. It affects about 8% of the population in the United Kingdom. At any one time for each person suffering from addiction the well being of at least two family members, friends or other people such as work colleagues will be adversely affected. It has been estimated that every addicted person affects an average of 10 other people during the course of their Lives. Family members and significant others often sustain Longer and more lasting harm than the addicts themselves.
The GOOD NEWS is that addiction is treatable and that good outcomes, have far reaching effects, even crossing generation boundaries.
At Alcohol and Drug Abstinence Service we offer treatment not only to the addicted person but also for family members. We use group and individual therapy which has been proven by research to be effective. Until now this type of ~treatment has been available mainly in residential settings. What we have done is to restructure the treatment process to make it more suitable for nonresidential care and to make it available to everybody at the Lowest possible financial cost.
We expect that a large number of our patients will be referred and funded by general practitioners, by community alcohol and drug specialists and by other agencies, such as probation However we shall also be happy to receive referrals funded by the private sector, by industry and by suffering individuals and their families
The initial six-week intensive care programme followed by a year's aftercare for both the addict and any number of family members willing to participate will cost far less than the price of a very basic second hand car! Set against the enormous improvements in life quality which successful treatment can provide, many people will see this as a very good deal.
When a person is referred to ADAS, they will undergo a very rigorous initial assessment which ensures firstly that they are actually suffering from addiction. Our treatment is not appropriate for ' social drinkers ' or drug users even though such people may have encountered adverse consequences due to their behavior.
A second reason for this careful assessment is to diagnose any other psychiatric illness, which may require other medical interventions in addition to the treatment we offer or which, if very severe and in certain circumstances might unfortunately preclude treatment with us
The third reason for assessment is to allow us to see how motivated the applicant is and to give that person an opportunity to see if they would like to participate in our programme. During the assessment we use techniques of enhancing motivation, the most powerful of which is exposure to their own peers who are already undergoing treatment.
The staff at Alcohol and Drug Abstinence Service have come together from many different walks of life. For some of us this treatment programme is the realization of years of thought and planning If you are a sufferer or a family member or a professional considering a referral, we ask you to invest your trust in US and we shall do our very best for YOU.
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