Check out Bill's classic book Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America.
Aboriginal Healing, Sharing Culture
Sharing Culture |
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Addiction recovery historian and advocate Bill White shows just how far back recovery goes historically in the US - to Native Americans in the 1730s! This is the first of ten clips of Bill's talk on addiction recovery at the Harvard Addiction Conference in 2012, the Norman E. Zinberg Memorial Lecture.
Check out Bill's classic book Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America.
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Just over four months ago, I wrote the blog Recovery Walks the Appalachian Trail: Phil Valentine's Healing Story. One of our Advisors, Phil Valentine, Executive Director of Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) began his amazing walk of the Appalachian Trail. Recovery advocate and historian Bill White said of this venture: “Phil Valentine’s call to walk the Appalachian Trail is a vivid example of moving beyond recovery FROM life-threatening illnesses as a means of recovering TO a life of extraordinary possibilities. Thousands of us who have shared the challenges and unexpected gifts from such recovery journeys will be walking in spirit with him.” Here is an update of Phil's venture, an article from the Hartford Courant: 'Phil Valentine has walked 1,467 miles and spent 129 days on the Appalachian Trail since leaving his Manchester home on March 19. "But who's counting?" Valentine, 55, said at the Hartford office of the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery, a nonprofit where he's served as executive director the last 10 years. Valentine was visiting work on July 27 during a three-day rest period from his hike, which he's doing in the name of recovery and to raise funds for the Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery. Donations can be made at at4recovery.org. He was to resume his hike July 28. Sober for 27 years, Valentine has over come addition to both alcohol and cocaine. And after a cancer diagnosis five years ago, he's also free of that disease. With 722 miles left on his through-hike of the trail, which runs from Georgia to Maine, Valentine's goal has changed from starting on the journey to finishing it. "My goal is now to finish," Valentine said. "It's also my family's goal now too. They won't let me come off." Valentine, whose trail name is "Right Click" because his right knee clicked when he was hiking uphill at the start of the trail, said he's learned a lot about overcoming adversity on the trail. "One of the great things I've learned is that no matter how I'm feeling, whether I'm elated or dejected, the cure for it is to just start walking," Valentine said. "You get in a rhythm and you start processing and things feel better." Valentine always intended his Appalachian Trail hike to help put a face on recovery. "People in recovery can go on to do extraordinary things," Valentine said. "Whether it's recovery from alcohol addiction or stage four cancer, there is the potential for people. It's really a message of healing and hope more than anything." Valentine said that recovery is a lifelong process and that it never ends, but all that matters is what's happening now. "The past is a rearview mirror," Valentine said. "All we have is the present." One special moment on the trail was when his 19-year-old daughter Samantha Valentine joined him to hike a 280-mile section over a 23-day period. "She was a link in the chain," Valentine said. "She joined me in Virginia and completely lifted my spirits and helped me not miss my family so much. It was just beautiful." Some of you will know I developed the Wired In initiative at the beginning of the millennium to help empower people to recover from addiction to drugs and alcohol. A key part of our initiative focused on Recovery Stories, which have great value in empowering people by creating hope, understanding (of the nature of the problem and how it can be overcome) and a sense of belonging. Becky Hancock and I started writing a series of Personal Stories to convey the voices of people affected by substance use problems. The person whose story we first wrote (known as Natalie) remains a close friend and she is over 15 years into her recovery. I continued writing Stories, and helping people write their Stories, over the years. A few years ago I encouraged a group of friends with varied backgrounds to write their Stories so we could form a collection of Recovery Stories, which were later highlighted on my Recovery Stories website. Some of the Stories involved little input from me, whilst with others I worked as an editor with the person over a period of time. I wrote a few of the other Stories, based on interviews with the person. I thought I’d link to the Stories here, so you can peruse them. As you will see, some the Stories are quite long. They are all invaluable in providing insights into the recovery process. They are also inspirational. I am very grateful for the time our authors devoted and for providing access to a window into their lives. That takes a special kind of courage. I’ll start with Natalie’s Story - the rest are in alphabetical order. Natalie’s Recovery Story: ‘I didn’t plan to be an addict’ Treatment staff and her peers not only taught Natalie how to live a happy and rewarding life without using drugs and alcohol, but also how to be a responsible and caring mother to her son. Adam’s Recovery Story: ‘A moment of clarity’ After spending years locked into an addiction to amphetamine, cannabis and alcohol, Adam’s recovery took him to the other side of the world, where he lives happily with his new family. Anna’s Recovery Story: ‘Should I or shouldn’t I?’ Through his heroin addiction and recovery, Anna’s brother has taught her so much about life, including the most valuable lesson she could ever learn – you can get through anything. Beth’s Recovery Story: ‘Becoming Beth’ A fullly-fledged dependent drinker by age nineteen, Beth has gone on to become a recovery coach and writer in order to help other people escape from addiction. Brad’s Recovery Story: “A life beyond my wildest dreams’ Following a life of crime, fighting and drinking, Brad started his recovery journey after a spiritual awakening and being told that alcohol wasn’t his problem - it was him. Iain’s Recovery Story: ‘This is me’ A treatment agency helped Iain detox from the methadone that was prescribed for his heroin addiction. College, employment, recreational activities and romance facilitated Ian’s recovery. Ian and Irene’s Story, ‘Living through our son’s addiction and death: Our journey to recovery’ After losing their son Robin to a heroin overdose, Ian and Irene set up a support group to help family members avoid some of the problems they experienced. Kevan’s Recovery Story: ‘He’s a loser and will never be any good’ After 25 years of problem drinking and eight years in and out of psychiatric hospitals, Kevan runs NERAF which has nearly 100 staff and volunteers and provides a support service across the north-east of England. Kevin and Kerry: ‘A Family Story’ (Part 1) Mother and son describe Kevin’s heroin addiction and how it impacted on the family as a whole. Kevin and Kerry: ‘A Family Story’ (Part 2) Kevin’s hospitalisation with septicaemia acts as a turning point and a process of recovery begins for the family as a whole. Matthew’s Recovery Story: ‘Making most of the opportunity’ Matthew set himself up a personal recovery plan to overcome his addiction to opiates, gambling and overeating - and his life has been transformed. Michael’s Recovery Story: ‘The power of empathy and compassion’ Michael followed both his parents into a life of dependent drinking, but he is now 35 years in recovery and working as a drug and alcohol counsellor. Paul’s Recovery Story: ‘Doctor Knows Best’ After years of taking opiates whilst working as a medical doctor, Paul has become a new person through residential treatment and the 12-step programme. Sapphire’s Recovery Story: ‘It should all be about the person’ Shows the importance of person-centered treatment. Things went well when Sapphire was intimately involved in decisions about her treatment, but poorly when professionals took sole control. Simon’s Recovery Story: ‘Gratitude for the life I thought was over…’ Simon’s first NA meeting was pivotal, not just in helping him turn his life around, but also in setting him up to make future significant contributions to NA both in the UK and abroad. Tim’s Story: ‘Doctor in Recovery’ As Tim found out, having a medical degree offers no protection against addiction, nor from the hard work that is required to change oneself as a key part of the recovery journey. Here's a Story about a special friend of mine, Beth Burgess. Actually, I've never met Beth in person, but I feel like I know her real well because of all the communications we've had thanks to the internet. And I've been fortunate enough to see Beth's amazing ability to help people. She's a real healer. Beth used to have a problem - no, that's an understatement! Beth used to have many problems. "I was already an alcoholic by the age of 19, suffering from an eating disorder, a personality disorder, an anxiety disorder and unable to cope with life, except by drinking and self-harming." However, Beth overcame her problems, including the heavy drinking. She found peace and harmony in her life. And she started helping other people, in a major way, through her Story, therapeutic practice, website and Facebook page, her books (one of which I wrote the Foreword for), her videos, her writings for the Huffington Post and other publications, and just Being Beth. And then Beth went quiet. I assumed she had withdrawn for some peace and tranquillity away from the internet but, alas, she was poorly. Today, Beth resurfaced - at least for me, when I saw a posting on her facebook page. Beth has been very poorly. But Beth Being Beth, she has not only managed to manage her condition - tough as it has been - but now started to write about it in order to help others. That's how special Beth is. So here's her latest blog from her website. 'At the end of September 2014, my life was fantastic. I was doing what I love the most - helping other people. My therapy practice was going great, my clients were making me proud, and I was writing two more books on addiction. At the beginning of October 2014, my life started to change. I started to get severe dizzy spells. As time went on, things worsened. I started dropping things, forgetting things, feeling overwhelmed with fatigue, getting a numb face and tremors. By January 2015, I had to get a brain scan to make sure I wasn't having a stroke. By February, I had to stop working due to my symptoms, which had become a 24/7 problem only temporarily masked by a massive amount of medication and a smile when I could manage it. It's now July 2015 and I have finally been diagnosed. I don't have anything life-threatening, but it is debilitating and I don't know how long it will last. It may seem very unfair - after having my teens and 20s blighted by poor mental health and addiction - for me to recover, build a wonderful new life full of purpose, only to then get very physically sick. But I hope I can use my current experience to offer some advice on how to get through tough times, just as I have with my addiction. So here goes... 1. Pain is Inevitable - Suffering is Optional. It's not unfair that I am sick. Life is, by it's nature, random, uncontrollable, and sometimes very painful. Despite the pain, we can reduce our suffering by the way we approach our difficulties and pain. I don't see my illness as a punishment. It doesn't make me a victim or a bad person. It makes me someone who got ill, as all human beings get ill. There are others who have illnesses and my own difficulties means that I can be more compassionate towards them. Don't make tough times worse by having a negative mindset - be kind to yourself and others. Be at peace with life sometimes being painful. 2. Resistance is Futile. To quote The Borg, if something is happening that is totally out of your control, there is not much point fighting it. Resisting the inevitable will only make you feel frustrated and weak. Instead, use some mental Jujitsu and use the power of your feelings about what you are going through as a plinth to build resilience, or as a powerful motivator to become a better, stronger person. Use the experience as a platform for learning. I, for example, am learning that I shouldn't attach so much to my plans - no-one knows what tomorrow will bring. Acceptance is one of the most powerful tools there is. Start from where you are, not where you wish you were, and grow from that place. 3. Become More Mindful. I feel awful. I really do. My life is just one long barrage of awfulness. But wait a minute. Today I have managed to write two blog posts. I was too ill to do that yesterday. I couldn't even walk to the shower this morning. Yes, life changes - and sometimes it's a good thing. Learn to notice the good parts among the bad and you'll realise that however tough things are, there are always good days, hours, minutes, and even seconds, if you look carefully and mindfully. Notice the moments of reprieve, the things you can be grateful for, the kind people, the small achievements and moments of happiness. 4. Use Your Resources Wisely. There may not be anything you can do about the situation you have found yourself in, but there may well be things you may be able to do to improve your lot. Instead of moaning or worrying about the things you can't change, save your energy and use it to look for solutions. As I was stuck in bed most of the morning, I used that time to look up things that might help my condition and connected with others with the same illness on a forum to ask my own questions and also offer them some support. Beats sitting around cursing my illness and wishing I felt better. Wishes waste energy. Only action can move you forward. Do what you can, when you can, to make things better, rather than dwelling on the toughness of your situation. 5. You Are Stronger Than You Think. Many people seem to believe that everyone else in the world is some kind of emotional Gladiator and they are only a weak little thing who can't cope as well as others. It's simply not true. Human beings have an amazing capacity for getting through things. And that includes you. If I look back to my previous life as an alcoholic with a massive anxiety disorder, I don't know how I got through that terrible time. At my worst, I weighed 6 stone, my hair was falling out in clumps and I was too afraid to leave the house most days. But I did get through it. I healed and here I am to tell the tale. At the moment, I sometimes feel like I won't make a 4-minute walk without falling over. It's difficult to be so ill, but I know I will get through it too. I only have to look at the things I've already got through to know that I can do this as well. Believe in yourself, and you can get through the toughest things that life throws at you. You can do it, even if it means just putting one foot in front of the other until you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.' Beautiful writing again, from a beautiful lady! Get well soon, Beth. TED talk: What really causes addiction - to everything from cocaine to smart-phones? And how can we overcome it? Johann Hari has seen our current methods fail firsthand, as he has watched loved ones struggle to manage their addictions.
He started to wonder why we treat addicts the way we do and if there might be a better way. As he shares in this deeply personal talk, his questions took him around the world, and unearthed some surprising and hopeful ways of thinking about an age-old problem. I've been working in various areas of the addiction field for over 35 years. I can tell you that much of what you hear about addiction, particularly from the popular media and politicians (and many scientists), is wrong. Yes, wrong! Here is one of the best talks you will hear about addiction. It has a great ending, and what Johann has to say is bang on! I've included some links to relevant articles I have written below. I should also mention that Professor Bruce Alexander, one of the key people who Johann mentions, is one of our team of Advisors. It’s not just about the drug: The effects of a drug depend on an interaction between drug, person (set) and social context (setting). These three factors also influence the likelihood of addiction and recovery from addiction. Journeys into and out of heroin addiction, Part 1: Common themes that resonate about people’s journeys into and out of heroin addiction, and common factors that influence these journeys. This first part focuses on the descent into addiction. On April 8th this year, First Lady Michelle Obama made a remarkable statement about Native Americans. Well you might not think it remarkable in that she focused on reality, but you must remember that the American government does not say things like this normally. I found the speech very moving and I truly hope that it has the positive effect that the First Lady hopes. I hope it leads to the sort of future actions that Michelle Obama suggests to facilitate the healing of Native Americans. ‘Good morning everyone, and welcome to the White House. We are so thrilled to have you here today for our Generation Indigenous convening. I want to start by thanking Walter Isaacson and Senator Dorgan for their outstanding leadership and for the terrific work that they’re doing at the Aspen Institute. And as for T.C - there really are no words to express how proud I am of this young man and how impressed I am by his courage, determination and maturity. Barack and I were blown away by T.C. and by the other young people we met when we visited T.C.’s tribe, the Standing Rock Sioux Nation, last June. And I want to start off today by telling you a little bit about that visit. It began when we arrived in North Dakota, and as we left the airport where we’d landed, we looked around, and all we could see was flat, empty land. There were almost no signs of typical community life, no police stations, no community or business centers, no malls, no doctor’s offices, no churches, just flat, empty land. Eventually, we pulled up to a little community with a cluster of houses, a few buildings, and a tiny school - and that was the town of Cannon Ball, North Dakota, which is part of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation. And at that school, a small group of young people gathered in a classroom, anxiously but quietly waiting to meet with the President and the First Lady. These teens were the best and brightest - hand-selected for this meeting - and after we all introduced ourselves, they shared their stories. One young woman was in foster care because of substance abuse in her household. She talked about how hard it was to be separated from her five siblings. One young man had spent his high school years homeless, crashing on the sofa of his friends, even for a period living in the local community center. Another young man had gotten himself into college, but when he got there, he had trouble choosing the right classes; he realized that he’d never been taught how to properly write an essay; and when family problems arose back home, he struggled to balance all the stress and eventually had to drop out. And just about every kid in that room had lost at least one friend or family member to drug or alcohol-related problems, or to preventable illnesses like heart disease, or to suicide. In fact, two of the girls went back and forth for several minutes trying to remember how many students in their freshman class had committed suicide - the number was either four or five…this is out of a class of 70. Just sit with that for a minute: four or five kids out of a class of 70 taking their own lives. So these are the challenges these kids are facing. This is the landscape of their lives. But somehow - and this is what truly blew us away - somehow, in the face of all this hardship and all these tragedies, these kids haven’t given up. They are still fighting to find a way forward, for themselves and for their community. After losing her classmates to suicide, one young woman started volunteering at a youth program to help other kids who were struggling. One young man told us that when his family was struggling, he fended for himself for years, sleeping on friends’ couches until he was old enough to become a firefighter. And that young man who had to leave college? Well, when he got back home, he discovered that his family problems were worse than he had thought. He found that his stepmother was on drugs and his four younger brothers were wandering the streets alone in the middle of the night. So at the age of 19, he stepped in and took over - and now, he’s back in college while raising four children all by himself. And then there’s T.C. He was the last young person to speak that day, and after telling us his story - how he was raised by a single father, how he’s lost so many people he loves, how his family struggles to get by - he then said to my husband “I know you face a lot as President of the United States, and I want to sing an encouragement song for all of us to keep going.” After everything these young people had endured, T.C. wanted to sing a song for us. So if you have any doubt about the urgency or the value of investing in this community, I want you to just think about T.C. and all those other young people I met in Standing Rock. I want you to think about both the magnitude of their struggles and the deep reservoirs of strength and resilience that they draw on every day to face those struggles. And most of all, I want you to remember that supporting these young people isn’t just a nice thing to do, and it isn’t just a smart investment in their future, it is a solemn obligation that we as a nation have incurred. You see, we need to be very clear about where the challenges in this community first started. Folks in Indian Country didn’t just wake up one day with addiction problems. Poverty and violence didn’t just randomly happen to this community. These issues are the result of a long history of systematic discrimination and abuse. Let me offer just a few examples from our past, starting with how, back in 1830, we passed a law removing Native Americans from their homes and forcibly re-locating them to barren lands out west. The Trail of Tears was part of this process. Then we began separating children from their families and sending them to boarding schools designed to strip them of all traces of their culture, language and history. And then our government started issuing what were known as “Civilization Regulations” - regulations that outlawed Indian religions, ceremonies and practices - so we literally made their culture illegal. And these are just a few examples. I could continue on like this for hours. So given this history, we shouldn’t be surprised at the challenges that kids in Indian Country are facing today. And we should never forget that we played a role in this. Make no mistake about it - we own this. And we can’t just invest a million here and a million there, or come up with some five year or ten-year plan and think we’re going to make a real impact. This is truly about nation-building, and it will require fresh thinking and a massive infusion of resources over generations. That’s right, not just years, but generations. But remember, we are talking about a small group of young people, so while the investment needs to be deep, this challenge is not overwhelming, especially given everything we have to work with. I mean, given what these folks have endured, the fact that their culture has survived at all is nothing short of a miracle. And like many of you, I have witnessed the power of that culture. I saw it at the Pow Wow that my husband and I attended during our visit to Standing Rock. And with each stomping foot - with each song, each dance - I could feel the heartbeat that is still pounding away in Indian Country. And I could feel it in the energy and ambition of those young people who are so hungry for any chance to learn, any chance to broaden their horizons. Even the smallest opportunity can make such a huge difference for these kids. I saw that firsthand when Barack and I invited the kids we met in Standing Rock to come visit us at the White House. They arrived one morning last November, and we showed them around, and took them out for pizza and burgers, and spent some time talking and laughing and hanging out. Altogether, their visit to the White House was just one day long, but as we hugged each of those kids goodbye, one young woman said to Barack, “This visit saved my life.” And given the odds these kids face, I don’t think she was exaggerating. So if we take a chance on these young people, I guarantee you that we will save lives. I guarantee it. So we all need to work together to invest deeply - and for the long-term - in these young people, both those who are living in their tribal communities like T.C. and those living in urban areas across this country. These kids have so much promise - and we need to ensure that they have every tool, every opportunity they need to fulfill that promise. So I want to thank you for your commitment to their futures and for everything you have already done for their communities. I want to thank you for coming here today to learn more about Generation Indigenous and how you can help. And I look forward to seeing the extraordinary impact that you all will have in the years ahead. Thank you so much, and God bless.’ Here is a Washington Post article focusing on the Obama’s trip last year. It’s well worth reading and there is video as well. “Phil Valentine’s call to walk the Appalachian Trail is a vivid example of moving beyond recovery FROM life-threatening illnesses as a means of recovering TO a life of extraordinary possibilities. Thousands of us who have shared the challenges and unexpected gifts from such recovery journeys will be walking in spirit with him.” Bill White A great Recovery Story starts this week, on 19th March 2015. Well, the Story is already happening, but a new phase starts on that date. Phil Valentine, Executive Director of Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery (CCAR) begins his amazing walk of the Appalachian Trail. Phil is already a great example of what one can achieve in recovery. But now he takes his journey to another level. We’ll be following Phil from time-to-time on his journey and I strongly encourage you to follow him directly via: https://twitter.com/pvalentine59 and https://instagram.com/pvalentine59/ [Some of you will know Phil Valentine from being a member of the Sharing Culture international network of Advisors/Healers] Here’s a couple of film clips and some writings from Phil’s journey website. Why the Appalachian Trail?
10.18.87: I stood in the birthing room of Rockville General Hospital mesmerized by the in and out movement of the tongue of my newborn baby girl. Transfixed. Transformed. Her eyes burned her way into my soul and shattered my cocaine-induced haze accompanied by a forceful whisper “You are not alone”. I was wildly strung out on cocaine at the time. I am here to tell you that I am not proud of that moment. Never will be. But more than 26 years later, I am no longer ashamed. That has made all the difference in the world. Because of recovery, because of working a program one day at a time, I am no longer ashamed. I am no longer a drain on society. I am a citizen that relishes his role as a husband, enjoys being a father of five glorious children. I vote, pay my taxes, register my insured vehicles, pay my bills, coach soccer, go on missions, get involved. I have found my purpose in life, to carry the message of recovery wherever I go. 03.19.10: A beautiful spring day, one that’s memorable because it’s the first really nice day of the year, one that will end up in the top five most beautiful Connecticut days of 2010. I was driving aimlessly relishing the back roads of Ellington. And I was doing my best to absorb the shock that I was just diagnosed with Stage 4 oropharyngeal cancer - cancer of the tongue. Rewind a few weeks. I had gone to the doctor for some pesky swollen glands. They didn’t really hurt and I didn’t feel sick, so the physician’s assistant put me on antibiotics. Three weeks later I still had the swollen glands. This time, the doctor touched my neck and his eyes filled with concern. I was ushered off immediately for a chest x-ray and there was some relief when the test revealed no dark masses. I was told to see a surgical oncologist immediately. This guy stabbed my swollen node with a needle, spattered the mess onto a slide and said, “Damn, I’ve got to stick him again!” He stuck me again. On 03.19.10 I got the results. Cancer. No longer a huge surprise but there is something quite sobering about the official diagnosis. I went for a ride. In the months that followed I endured two inpatient chemo stays, a feeding tube install that led to two other hospital stays, 39 radiation treatments with still more chemotherapy that left me emaciated, hairless and shaken. But cured. During the treatment, I struggled with the decision to begin narcotic medication for pain. I didn’t want to jeopardize my sobriety, but eventually the pain made the decision for me. Then I struggled some more by tapering off too quickly and shook apart from nerve damage, withdrawal and anxiety for several weeks. Faith got me through. My wife, Sandy, got me through. My family, my co-workers, the “Valentine Battalion”, the CCAR Board and the many, many prayers got me through. My recovery program got me through. One day at a time. Sometime during the healing, I felt called to do something extraordinary, something downright outlandish. At first, I tried to ignore the call, but it kept growing louder and I accepted it, dove into it, embraced it. I believe my higher power wanted me to attempt something memorable, to leave a legacy. I was called to walk the Appalachian Trail, to attempt a thru-hike from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mount Katahdin, Maine. What’s funny about this is, I’m not much of a hiker. Or a camper. But I’m getting there. I started reading books written by people who have thru-hiked the AT, many books. I know a lot about the trail, what to expect, what type of gear to acquire. I’ve been getting my body ready, but I don’t think it’s possible to prepare totally for a journey of this kind. I guess, “There’s not much to it, you just go do it.” 03.19.15: Exactly five years from the day I received the official diagnosis, I will step off the southern terminus located at Springer Mountain, GA and make my way north 2,185 miles. It should take approximately 5,000,000 steps up and down mountains for about 6 months. I will be walking to put a face on recovery and “to carry the recovery torch through the wilderness” if you like those kind of corny metaphors. Please pray for me.’ Here’s more from Phil if you are interested. ‘5 Reasons Why I Could Get to Katahdin’ by Phil Valentine This is just so, so exciting! Go, Phil, go!! This is the third part of a draft funding document I wrote some months. My thinking has been changing over time and I’m due shortly to write a new document which I will post on this blog. Here are the links to Part 1 and Part 2 of this document. 3. The Sharing Culture approach Sharing Culture uses key principles known to facilitate healing of trauma: empowerment (self-determinism) and the creation of connections. People are empowered when they gain hope, understanding and a sense of belonging. They need the opportunity to make their own choices and be reminded of their strengths and assets. In relation to the second principle, healing can take place only within the context of relationships (or community). Connecting Indigenous people to their culture, land, family, community, spirituality and history is key for healing to occur. Culture and land provide meaning and purpose to life, a strong positive identity, and a sense of wellbeing. Empowerment is key because healing is something that comes from the person, not from a practitioner or treatment. Moreover, we must empower Indigenous individuals, families and communities to heal themselves, as they cannot afford to wait for western care systems to change. Whilst such change is essential, it is likely to take time - and a strong advocacy campaign - time during which many more young Indigenous people may self-harm or kill themselves, or die in police custody or forced alcohol treatment. Stories are a major foundation of the Sharing Culture approach. Role models and their personal narratives are of considerable value, since they provide hope that healing is possible and help people understand the nature of their problem and how it can be overcome. People in the early stages of healing identify with and trust the experiences of someone who is further along in their journey. They are inspired by Healing Stories and use the ‘educational’ content they contain to help them deal with the problems and struggles they face in their day-to-day living. Who better to help us than someone who has ‘been there’? We will tell the Stories of healing initiatives, as well as Cultural Stories that create pride and facilitate cultural connectedness. We will empower communities to develop their own Stories initiatives and encourage young Indigenous filmmakers to become involved with our initiative. Education is another key element of the Sharing Culture approach. Education to facilitate Indigenous healing takes a wide variety of forms, including the spiritual aspects of health and wellbeing. Key themes to be developed for our resource are: History: Viewing history from an Indigenous perspective, illustrating how conditions for social and psychological discontent have developed, helps community members understand why they have problems, and also shows them that they retain the necessary agency to change their lives for the better. It helps them deal with shame and blame, factors that impact negatively on wellbeing. Culture: Indigenous people need to discover, understand and transmit Indigenous knowledge, values and ways of knowing in order to better connect to their culture and gain a strong cultural identity and a sense of belonging. (They must also understand selected Western ways as well). Healing historical trauma: Indigenous people will be shown the strong evidence base for healing historical trauma at an individual, family and community level. Healing addiction and mental health problems: Indigenous people can learn more about the symptoms of historical trauma (e.g. addiction to substances), how long-term recovery (healing) can be achieved, and what they might expect if they interact with society’s treatment and support systems. Self-caring skills: Indigenous people will learn how to undertake a journey to wellness that involves self-care. They will have the opportunity to: learn social skills; how to deal with shame and negative thinking; learn about mindfulness, self-compassion and forgiveness; and develop resilience. This educational resource will be utilised by Indigenous individuals, families and whole communities. It will contain videos of Indigenous people, and users of the website will be able to download these videos for themselves or other people. Sharing Culture initiative will instill curiosity, creativity and cultural pride. It will empower people to help themselves and others. We intend that our resources reach a wide-ranging audience. We both love innovative communication technologies and will develop new distribution methods. The initiative will help increase the number of Indigenous people in the workforce, something that is essential to facilitate healing. Non-Indigenous people working with Indigenous people in health, social care and criminal justice settings need to know more about the healing of historical trauma to help them improve what they do. We aim that our educational content and stories be shown in schools and universities, so that we help empower Aboriginal children at an early age, and ensure that the next generation of health, social care and criminal justice workers are better educated about trauma and healing. Policy makers also need a better understanding to make the most appropriate decisions regarding policy and funding. A better understanding of the problems and adversities faced by Indigenous people, as well as examples of the solutions that are occurring daily, will help reduce stigma and racism in wider society. In order to help influence policy makers and facilitate wider societal change, we will encourage Indigenous and non-Indigenous people to use our educational content for advocacy purposes and to join our Sharing Culture advocacy campaign. Engaging Indigenous people in advocacy work enhances their self-esteem and sense of agency, which in turn facilitate healing. >> Part 4 Do you know how far back addiction recovery movements go back in the US? Now, if you say 1935 - the founding of AA - you’d be wrong, by a very long way. Recovery goes back historically to the 1730s to Native American Indians!
Here’s recovery historian and advocate Bill White talking about the early history of recovery during his Norman E. Zinberg Memorial Lecture gave at the Harvard Addiction Conference in 2012. I can strongly recommend Bill White’s classic book Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America. It’s a wonderful read. It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to the next member of the Sharing Culture international network of Advisors/Healers. William L White, or Bill White as he is more commonly known, is one of the most prolific writers I have ever known. And I have known many. Bill is probably the best-known addiction recovery advocate in the world. Finding Bill’s writings was like coming across a major treasure trove. I was inspired by his amazing work and it became a primary foundation for the recovery-related work I did with the Wired In initiative I set up in the UK. His book Slaying the Dragon - The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America is one of the best non-fiction books I have read. It was a great honour to meet Bill in 2009 and to talk at the same conference in London that I organized in collaboration with Nick Barton and Tim Leighton of Action on Addiction. Bill continues to inspire me today. Bill has always had a great interest in Native American recovery. He co-authored with Don Coyhis the classic book Alcohol Problems in Native America: The Untold Story of Resistance and Recovery - the Truth about the Lie. It is a fascinating and important read. Anyway, here’s Bill’s brief bio. You can find out more here. 'William L. White is an Emeritus Senior Research Consultant at Chestnut Health Systems / Lighthouse Institute and past-chair of the board of Recovery Communities United. Bill has a Master’s degree in Addiction Studies and has worked full time in the addictions field since 1969 as a streetworker, counselor, clinical director, researcher and well-traveled trainer and consultant. He has authored or co-authored more than 400 articles, monographs, research reports and book chapters and 18 books. His book, Slaying the Dragon - The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America, received the McGovern Family Foundation Award for the best book on addiction recovery. Bill was featured in the Bill Moyers’ PBS special “Close To Home: Addiction in America” and Showtime’s documentary “Smoking, Drinking and Drugging in the 20th Century.” Bill’s sustained contributions to the field have been acknowledged by awards from the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, NAADAC: The Association of Addiction Professionals, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and the Native American Wellbriety Movement. Bill’s widely read papers on recovery advocacy have been published by the Johnson Institute in a book entitled Let’s Go Make Some History: Chronicles of the New Addiction Recovery Advocacy Movement.' In London 2009, Bill describes how somewhere in the process of the professionalisation of addiction treatment in the US, treatment got disconnected from the larger more enduring process of long-term recovery.
He points out that we are recycling large numbers of people through repeated episodes of treatment. Their problems are so severe and recovery capital so low, there is little hope that brief episodes of treatment will be successful. We end up blaming them for failing to overcome their problems. |
AuthorProfessor David Clark is Founder of the Sharing Culture initiative. Archives
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