The custom justice of 'problem-solving courts'
In 1989, a Florida judge fed up with seeing the same addicts show up in his courtrooms over and over decided to try to break the cycle, and with several allies, started a court where repeat offenders with substance abuse problems could get treatment …
Read more on Boston Globe

Fighting the horrors of human trafficking
In the Richmond area, get help with domestic abuse or sex trafficking situations by calling 24-hour crisis hotlines for Safe Harbor (Henrico) at (804) 287-7877; YWCA (Richmond and Chesterfield) at (804) 643-0888; Hanover Safe Place at (804) 752-2702; …
Read more on Richmond Times Dispatch

Former heroin addict remains sober almost four years after she went to prison …
She and two other women battling addiction, Jessica Neeley, 27, and Mary Pat Frost, 44, started a peer support group for women at Born Free, a substance abuse treatment center on Blackstone Street. Eager to help, Campbell is involved in … She …
Read more on MLive.com

Government invests in new drug and alcohol recovery services
'The schemes put forward show the passion and creativity the drug and alcohol treatment sector consistently puts into supporting recovery.' Successful initiatives in the North-East include a project to develop a one-stop recovery hub in Stockton that …
Read more on The Northern Echo

Compass: Don't cut residential treatment for addicts
We hope our legislators will reconsider the cuts to the state Behavioral Health grants that fund residential addiction treatment. Alaska has startlingly high rates of addiction and cutting funding for residential substance abuse treatment when Alaska …
Read more on Anchorage Daily News

Growth in Treatment Has Led to More Innovation
The recently implemented Affordable Care Act is the third transformative policy for addiction treatment. It defines care for substance use disorders as an essential health care benefit and fully incorporates the standards set by the mental health …
Read more on New York Times

Question by eveofthefuture: How can we use anthropology in order to understand “substance abuse” and/or addiction?
Up until now, rehab programs have not been very successful. In your own words, give me some examples where anthropology and sociology can be applied and used in regards to developing a rehab program maybe more adapted to addicts.
xx machina: True, it was extremely important to anthropologists up until recently. Things have changed. With the emergence of what we call in France “Le devoir d’Ingerence,” post- post- modernist theories and more, the idea of objectivity and subjectivity have definitely transformed. New branches of anthropology are actually born with the desire to change the world, therefore, to judge and speak out (applied anthropology is a good example). You will find more and more applied anthropologists working in health organizations, developing health programs with just that “an anthropological approach.” Many medical, cultural, symbolic, urban anthropologists anthropologists have been writing on a social phenomenon called addiction. It would make sense to apply these findings in the benefit (not necessarily judge as you point out) of addicts.
Thank you Dek and Glo.

Best answer:

Answer by Glo*
Taking examples from Native Americans, they used many intoxicants such as plants and herbs and drugs that are now considered to be psychoactive. However, they have/had a strict set of rules and guidelines for usage. For many years they did not have a addiction/abuse issue. However, now they do and have for sometime. The conditions of use, times, places, rules and guidelines changed. They have developed a program called the “wellbriety movement” you may find it quite interesting. go to http://www.whitebison.org and you can find further information regarding this program. Going with the norms of their cultures they include family and community in the abstinence process. Unlike mainstream society with clients in treatment being kept away from family and friends. Getting direct support from therapists, counselors and fellow addicts only. They are given the tools and sent out into society and expected to use these tools and remain clean in the same environment with a family that really has no knowledge of what their loved one is dealing with. I actually just composed a research paper and posted it on my 360 blog the other day…. You are more than welcome to go there an read it if you would like. You can use your own words to show examples. God bless****

Add your own answer in the comments!

by USAG-Humphreys

Your fears, anxieties, and other problems have the best of you and you don’t know where to turn for help. At some point you feel totally helpless as you struggle each day.  No matter what you do, you cannot run away or hide from your fears. In these cases, some people will use alcohol or other substances to feel better.

Alcohol and substance abuse or any other addictions will not take away your problems and fears. In the short run, they might make you feel better, but in the long run these addictions will only make things worse.

So what do you do to make your problems and fears go away? Well, since you can’t run away from them, then the best solution is to tackle your fears head on no matter how strong they may be. The key is to be smart in how you try to manage these fears. Here are some ways in how to manage your persistent fears and anxieties.

The first step is to learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. Focus on the present and stop trying to predict what may happen next week. Next week will take care of itself.

Remember that no one can predict the future with one hundred percent certainty. Even if the thing that you feared does happen there are circumstances and factors that you can’t predict which can be used to your advantage. For instance, let’s say at your place of work that you miss the deadline for a project you have been working on for the last few months. Everything you feared is coming true. Suddenly, your boss comes to your office and tells you that the deadline is extended and that he forgot to tell you the day before. This unknown factor changes everything. Remember: we may be ninety-nine percent correct in predicting the future, but all it takes is for that one percent to make a world of difference.

Another technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that make you feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your pocket.  Whenever you feel depressed or frustrated, open up your small notebook and read those statements. This will help to manage your negative thinking.

Be smart in how you deal with your fears and anxieties. Do not try to tackle everything all at once. When facing a current or upcoming task that overwhelms you with a lot of anxiety, break the task into a series of smaller steps. Completing these smaller tasks one at a time will make the stress more manageable and increases your chances of success.

The important thing is to get the proper help by seeing a professional. Avoiding your problem through the use of alcohol or other substances will do nothing in the long run in fixing your problems.  It will just make things worse. Managing your fear and anxieties will take some hard work. Be patience, persistent and stay committed in trying to solve your problem.

Karen Larsen appointed new Yolo County mental health director
Additionally, she has created several specialized substance abuse and mental health treatment programs including adolescent treatment, perinatal substance abuse treatment, dual diagnosis programs, assertive community treatment programs and a variety …
Read more on Daily Democrat

Vancouver's Portland Hotel Society gives alcoholics the harm-reduction treatment
A new study by the Centre for Addictions Research of B.C. at the University of Victoria has found that the “managed alcohol program” approach reduced emergency hospital visits and arrests among participants at Shelter House, in Thunder Bay, Ont.
Read more on The Globe and Mail