HAPPY SPRING!

The Aurora Staff wishes you a very 

Happy Spring!

 
Looking forward to see you at all the fun activities planned for this month.
 

Aurora Centre Reunion 2015

The Aurora Alcohol and Drug Centre

Invites

You and your Family to come and

Celebrate

Your sobriety

@

The Aurora Centre Reunion

5 September 2015

Registration @ 10:00

Motivational talk and fun

Lunch @ 13:00

R130 per person

RSVP

Before or on 28 August 2015

For more information

Email

aurorareunionbfn@gmail.com

Tel

051 447 411

When you RSVP please have the following ready

·         Name

·         Number of people that will be attending the reunion

·         Know how long the ex-patient has been sober

(For example 10 months or 3 years

 etc)

Payments can be made into the following account

Bank :                          ABSA Branch code :             632005                                     Cheque Account Account number:        470 722 665 Reference: Surname and Reunion Send proof of payment to Email: aurorareunionbfn@gmail.com Fax: 051 447 4225

Please spread the word

 Looking forward to see you

SANCA Week 21 - 27 June 2015

ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE??

 

SANCA WEEK 21 - 27 June 2015

 

 

For more information please visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Auroradrugcentre

AURORA CENTRE - Annual General Meeting

Aurora Alcohol and Drug Centre

Annual General Meeting

 

10 June 2015

16:30 for 17:00

Guest Speaker - Prof Beatri Kruger

Drugs and Human Trafficking in Bloemfontein - a reality?

RSVP The Secretary

8 June 2015

aurorabfn@absamail.co.za

Tel: 051 447 4111

Poem: Aurora - We are Free

AURORA — We are Free

Aurora — Aurora plek van nuwe begin

Jul sorg laat ons terug staan en alles weer besin

Aurora, Aurora  plek van nuwe lewe

Die ou dae laat ons hele liggaam bewe

 

Situated in Bloemfontein, to be exact in Brompton Road

We gave everything to live — yes we’re sick of existing mode

Out of free will, we open our hearts and soul

So that you Aurora, can do your thing and make us whole

 

Aurora ‘n plek met verskillende mense

Verskillende oë, ja verskillende emosionele grense

Verskillende  probleme, nukke en grille

Tog het ons almal ‘n rein hart diep van binne

 

Aurora, Aurora our goddess of dawn

Release us from this evil, it hurts like a thorn

We wanted change — we must change — yes we have changed

Thanks to you Aurora, just like God had arranged

 

With no regrets we can shout — We are Free

We are Free now that we can see, We are Free

 

 

 

Met toestemming van Quiton een van 

Elmari van der Walt se pasiënte

 

 

 

THE TOOLS OF RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION

THE TOOLS OF RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION

(New Beginnings Aftercare Programme — SANCA National)

 

The First Rule of Recovery

You don't recover from an addiction by stop using. You recover by creating a new life where it is easier to not use. If you don't create a new life, then all factors that brought you to your addiction will eventually catch up with you again.

You don't have to change everything in your life. But there are a few things and behaviours that have been getting you into trouble, and they will continue to get you into trouble until you let them go. The more you try to hold onto your old life in recovery, the less well you will do.

Here are the three most common things that people need to change in order to achieve recovery. (Rule number one covered in this newsletter edition.)  

Avoid High–Risk Situations

Some common high-risk situations are described by the acronym, HALT:

Hungry

Anger

Lonely

Tired

 

How do you feel at the end of the day?

You’re probably hungry because you haven't eaten well. You’re probably angry because you’ve had a rough day at work or a tough commute home. You may feel lonely because you’re isolated. You don't have to be physically alone to feel lonely. And you’re tired. That’s why your strongest cravings usually occur at the end of the day. Here’s another way of looking at high-risk situations:

People. (Avoid co-users from the past. People who you have conflict with, and who make you want to use. People who you celebrate with by using. People who encourage you to use either directly or indirectly.)

Places: (Also avoid places where you have used drugs and/or alcohol.)

Things: (Things that remind you of using.)

How can you avoid high-risk situations?

Of course, you can’t always avoid these situations. If you’re aware of them, they won’t influence you and you can prevent little cravings that can turn into major urges.

Take better care of yourself.  Eat a healthier lunch so you’re not as hungry at the end of the day. Join a group so that you don’t feel isolated. Learn how to relax so that you can let go of your anger and resentments. Develop better sleep habits so that you’re less tired.

Avoid your drinking friends, your favorite bar, and having alcohol in the house. Avoid people whom you use your substance of choice with. Avoid your dealer’s neighborhood and other paraphernalia.   

Recovery isn’t about one big change. It’s about lots of  little changes. Avoiding those high-risk situations help you to create a new life where it’s easier not to use.

Make a list of your high-risk situations.

Addiction is sneaky. Sometimes you won’t see your high-risk situations until you’re right in the middle of one. That’s why it’s important to be aware of those risks. Make a list of your high risk situations and keep it with you. Go over the list with someone in recovery so that they can spot any situations that you might have missed. Make the list and keep it with you. Some day that list may save your life.

          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KINDLY SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH US ON RULE NUMBER ONE

 

FROM THE DIRECTOR'S PEN

Recently a news item on eNCA highlighted the plight of the Delmas community. Nyaope abuse has escalated to alarming proportions. A young woman explained on television the hold that the drug has on her. A concerned community member is doing rehabilitation work by means of “work therapy” – nyaope dependent people must work at an establishment to keep them away from the drug. More young children suffer as a consequence of substance abuse.

Nyaope is a drug consisting of different drugs mixed together. It is reported to have dagga, methamphetamine and heroine as main ingredients, but various other drugs can be added. Some people allege that ARV’s and rat poison also forms part of the mix. However, Nyaope was recently listed as an illegal drug.

Watching the above news clip, I realised that this is a story emanating from one small Mpumalanga community, but it is in fact the story of many communities. Nyaope abuse in Gauteng is well reported, but it is spreading to outlying communities at a rapid pace! It is clearly evident from referrals from towns like Parys and Sasolburg to mention a few. Parents are desperate to get help for their children and the resources are simply not sufficient to intervene meaningfully. Nyaope abuse has the potential to escalate into the “tik” scourge that hit the Western Cape some years ago. Our resources are not sufficient to address an outbreak of that nature. We do not have focused prevention plans in place, out-patient facilities are very limited and the only in-patient treatment Centre (Aurora) has limited beds available for state subsidised patients.

If we look at a model that attempts to explain the most important ingredients of substance abuse in communities – the person, the drug and the environment, we have to agree that most are present in our communities. The first is an environment where high levels of unemployment are present. Large numbers of youth is roaming the streets, unable to find work or to improve their qualifications. The second is the fact that drugs are freely available. Some of the unemployed youth start using drugs and other become dealers to earn an income. The third is people who have limited life skills, poor qualifications and who have become disillusioned with their prospects in life. And to add insult to injury, there are associated costs involved in the above – crime, violence, physical and mental health problems and many other social and economic problems.

Do we have the collective will to address substance abuse in our communities or have we just learnt to live with it?

 G. H. J. KRUGER