blognonymous!

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about a Canadian drug study called NAOMI where heroin addicts were given doses of heroin on a daily basis. The study contended that this was helping them. I disagreed. Apparently, I’m not alone. In a new article from from GlobeandMail.com they blast the study, pointing out a lot of holes in their argument.

I believe that giving heroin addicts daily doses and telling them that they are getting better only creates a feeling that they can use successfully. In GlobeandMail.com’s new article, one of the addicts agreed himself:

But Mr. Liang, 41, who began using drugs at 18, says the free heroin made him complacent about his addiction. Other addicts, he says, took advantage of the free heroin, even competing for how much they could consume each day. For some, their habits grew worse. “They were heroin pigs,” he said, shaking his head.

Giving reliable, structured doses of heroin to a heroin addict does nothing to treat the addiction. That’s like giving reliable, structured doses of peanuts to someone with a peanut allergy.

An article on heroin addiction from GlobeandMail.com states that giving drug addicts, specifically heroin addicts, daily doses of drugs is helping them.

Most of the hardened heroin addicts who were given free, daily doses of the illegal drug over a 12-month period underwent a positive transformation, committing far fewer crimes while their physical and mental health steadily improved, according to researchers.

Addicts also cut their illegal heroin use by 70 per cent, on average, according to researchers from the North American Opiate Medication Initiative.

The results of the trial, said Martin Schechter, the project’s main investigator, show that hard-core addicts - those with the dimmest chances of recovery - can stabilize their lives when heroin is made free and administered by teams of health-care professionals.

I’m not so sure I buy this.

Personally, two things come to mind.

1. That you perpetuate the addict’s delusion that they can use drugs successfully creating a validated wall of denial.
2. This seems a bit inhumane. The fact that these medical professionals have essentially written these addicts off as “those with the dimmest chances of recovery.” is disturbing to me. Why? Because they failed the first couple of times? I’ve tried to quit smoking a dozen times - at least - and have not been successful. But, that’s not to say that I haven’t learned anything or that the next time won’t be successful.

I really just don’t get this hospice mentality of trying to help addicts “get by” with their drug use. I understand that perhaps some help is better than no help, but again is there more harm being done than good? The article talks about “improvement in health among participants.” But, it doesn’t say what type of improvements. And, toward the end of the article, Dr. Schechter states that “This is a group that society has written off as beyond hope,” which also seems like a blanket statement that’s not necessarily true. I’ve met scores of people that have not written these addicts off as  beyond hope, myself included.

I would love to hear what you (escpecially Treatment Professionals) think about this.

All of us at Recovery Superstore are excited to announce our FreedomSelect service designed specifically for Addiction Professionals and Treatment Centers. When we started Recovery Superstore, our primary focus was creating the best shopping experience for individuals in recovery and their family and friends. However, we quickly began receiving orders from Treatment Centers and Addiction Professionals. We started talking to you, and more important listening. What we found was that the ordering process for most was very difficult and disjointed. People were ordering from multiple vendors, having to deal with limited shipping options, and not sure where to go for help.

Our goal with FreedomSelect is to offer Addiction Professionals the experience and service they deserve. We are grateful for the commitment that so many of you have made to helping people in need, and we say that with the utmost sincerity. Recovery Superstore is owned by individuals in recovery, so your work has a special place in our heart.

If you are an Addiction Professional or Treatment Center Purchaser, check out the FreedomSelect service and sign up for FREE. We think you’ll like what you find including: industry leading discounts, free shipping on orders over $50, and custom stocking (i.e., if you need and don’t see it on our website, call us and we’ll order it). There’s more to come, so keep your eyes open, and thanks again for all you do. Finally, if you need any help signing up, please give us a call (1-866-526-1777).

Sincerely,

The Recovery Superstore Gang!

Once again Recovery Superstore demonstrated our thanks to conference attendees by giving away an iPod Touch. The NAADAC (Association of Addiction Professionals) Conference winner was Harold Casey of the Substance Abuse Center of Kansas. Thanks again to everyone that entered the drawing by providing us valuable feedback on how to provide better service and products to addiction professionals.

the RecoverySuperstore staff

Recovery Superstore was at the Kansas City NAADAC (The Association of Addiction Professionals) Conference last week, and it was a big success. In addition to meeting a lot of great people that are working hard to provide quality treatment and support to those addicted, we had a chance to gather feedback and find out what addiction professionals want. Plus, we joined NAADAC as an organizational member.

Our new FreedomSelect service - geared specifically toward treatment professionals - was a big hit. FreedomSelect offers industry leading discounts on recovery material, free shipping options, and custom stocking for addiction professionals. Expect to hear more on that soon.

We gave away an iPod touch. I’ll have the picture up soon. Overall, we were just blown away by how nice and receptive the conference attendees were and the exhibitors. Can’t wait to go again.