Uit die pen van die Direkteur

Op 8 Januarie 2016 ontvang ek ‘n teksboodskap op my foon terwyl ek oppad is see toe.

“Moresê. Pa Peet is vanoggend oorlede. Groete.Martie.” lui die boodskap. Pa Peet is Ds. Peet Duvenage, eertydse voorsitter van die Aurora Sentrum en SANRA Nasionale Kantoor. Predikant by verskeie Gereformeerde gemeentes en het geëmiri-teer by die gemeente in Bultfontein. ‘n Sagmoedige reus. Baanbreker in die diens-lewering vir die behandeling en voorkoming van alkohol en dwelmafhanklikheid in Suid Afrika. Hardwerkend, ewige optimis en denker.

Terwyl hy in Johannesburg predikant was, het die nood van alkoholiste hom geraak en hy het geroepe gevoel om langs hulle te staan en deur woord en voorbeeld hulle wêreld te betree. Hy het eers kers gaan opsteek by Alkoholiste Anoniem en baie by die groep geleer, maar gevoel dat hy as Christen-predikant nie ‘n “opperwese soos jy dit verstaan” kan onderskryf nie. Hy het later ‘n eie bediening begin en afhan-klikes met behulp van medegelowiges wat hy opgelei het, bedien. Tydens sy bedie-ning in Bloemfontein het hy met die destydse SANRA Bloemfontein kontak gemaak en het saam met Ds. Willie Strydom en ds. Filmalter op die bestuur van die organisasie gedien. Mnr. Noeth het mettertyd betrokke geraak en saam het hulle die organisasie uitgebou. Ds. Duvenage was ‘n gemeenskapsmens. Hy het gedien op die destydse Streekswelsynsraad in die Vrystaat, ‘n Adviesraad wat die Minister van raad bedien het, en vele ander forums waar hy die gemeenskap tot diens kon wees. Daarbenewens het hy ‘n groot gemeente met velerlei aksies bedien – dikwels gesien op sy fiets terwyl hy huisbesoek gedoen het. Op ‘n baie besondere manier het hy mense aangeraak omdat hy absoluut nie-veroordelend was. Na sy emerite-ring het hy na die Rand verhuis en later by sy dogter in Koster gaan woon. Sy vrou, Christien, word tans in die plaaslike tehuis vir bejaardes versorg.

Ons eer die nagedagtenis van ‘n man wat diep spore in die geskiedenis van die Aurora Sentrum getrap het.

Tips on Maintaining Long-term Sobriety After Rehab

Tips on Maintaining Long-term Sobriety After Rehab

From: www.alternativesintreatment.com

So, you’ve completed drug and alcohol rehab treatment. That’s an awesome accomplishment. Yet, you are wondering how you can maintain long-term sobriety in the days, weeks, months, and years after treatment.

This is a common question people ponder after successfully completing an addiction treatment program. After all, addiction and substance use treatment centres provide a structured environment and safe haven where the stresses, pressures, and relapse triggers of everyday life are removed. Venturing out of the confines of rehab can be intimidating, if not terrifying. Fortunately, there are many things that a newly sober individual can do following addiction treatment to help him or her maintain their abstinence and sobriety long after treatment.

Before getting into the tips for maintaining long-term sobriety, it is important for the recovering individual to know that lapses into drinking or taking drugs do not indicate that treatment was a failure. Instead, lapses signal that the treatment needs to be revisited or modified, or another treatment modality is needed.

In addition, keep in mind that recovery is a uniquely individualized experience. This means that every single person will go through this journey in their own way. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all path to maintaining a life of sobriety, just as there is no single treatment that works well for every individual learning how to overcome an addiction. Accordingly, use what resonates for your individual situation, and tweak the rest to fit your unique self.

· Take things slowly. Initially following rehab, you may feel overwhelmed by all the changes. That’s natural to feel that way. However, there’s no rush. Take things day by day, hour by hour, or if necessary, minute by minute.

· Keep a long-term view. There’s no doubt that rehab for drug use or alcohol addiction can be a grueling process. You may have an adjustment as you transition to everyday life. Not only is your body no longer comprised of toxic substances, but you’ve learned quite a bit about coping strategies and living a life of sobriety. You must not be so hard on yourself as you transition back into your normal routine. Transition will take time and accept that in view of a long-term, healthier life.

· Be cautious about taking on too much responsibility. You may be super excited to be free of all the toxins in your body and getting back involved in your life. That’s a great sign. But it is important to not be so overeager that you take on so much responsibility that has the potential to make you too stressed or overwhelmed with dealing with the pressures.

· Refrain from spending time with friends who are still involved with drugs or alcohol. You may be tempted to get in contact with old friends. However, if these friends still use drugs or drink, it is best not to hang out with them (even if they say they will abstain while around you). Instead, develop new social activities that do not involve alcohol or drugs.

· Continue with aftercare. As part of your drug and alcohol rehab treatment, you were most likely introduced to aftercare programs or community meetings outside of rehab. Continuing with these aftercare programs is an important component of maintaining long-term sobriety and staying focused on recovery.

Believe in your success. A critical component to success, whether in alcohol sobriety, abstinence from drugs, or getting that next promotion at work, is to believe it will happen. Having such a belief that you will succeed in a goal that you set out for yourself elicits a focus, energy, and confidence you need to realize those goals.

Are there more strategies for maintaining long-term sobriety than the ones listed above? You bet there are. The key is to utilize as many strategies, including new ones that will work best for you. Maintaining a life of sobriety involves continuous adjustments, growth and learning and it is so worth it.

FATHER’S DRINKING: Also responsible for fetal disorders?

FETAL ALCOHOL SYNDROME (FAS) 

From SANCA: Can you hear me now? Fetal Alcohol Syndrome  Prevention Programme

FATHER’S DRINKING: Also responsible for fetal disorders?

Alcohol consumption affects genes in sperm which are responsible for normal fetal development.

Maternal exposure to alcohol in utero is a known risk and cause of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. FAS children suffer significant problems such as retarded intellect, stunted growth and nervous system abnormalities, social problems and isolation. Until now fathers have not had a causal link to such disabilities. Ground breaking new research has been revealed which shows dads may have more accountability. Published in Animal Cells and Systems, researchers studied male mice exposed to varying concentrations of alcohol and one control group exposed only to saline. After exposure the mice were mated and resulting fetuses examined. The findings revealed previously unknown and riveting evidence that paternal alcohol consumption can directly affect the fetal development.

A number of fetuses sired by males exposed to alcohol suffer abnormal organ development and or brain development. Those in the saline group were normal. So, can developmental abnormalities be predetermined at fertilization? This research proves so. The authors believe alcohol consumption affects genes in sperms which are responsible for normal fetal development.

Until now fathers’ lifestyle choices have not seen any repercussion on their unborn children. This ground-breaking research provides the first definitive evidence that fathers’ drinking habits pre-conception can cause significant fetal abnormalities.

 

Here are some of the questions often asked about FAS

How much alcohol will harm the unborn baby? Researchers has not yet identified a safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. The safest choice is not to drink at all when pregnant or trying to become pregnant. It’s something good you can do for your baby.

Is a beer safer than a shot of liquor?  A beer, a glass of wine, a wine cooler, a mixed drink and a shot of liquor all contains the same amount of alcohol. They are equally dangerous to your baby.

What if I drink when I don't know that I am pregnant? As soon as you suspect you might be pregnant, stop drinking alcohol immediately. Your chances of having a healthy baby are greatly increased when you stop drinking.

Is there ever a safe time to drink during pregnancy? No. Alcohol crosses from the mother’s blood to the baby’s blood, so any time a pregnant mothers drinks, her unborn baby drinks, too. Alcohol is dangerous to the developing baby throughout pregnancy.

Please share your ideas on the FAS topic with us.

From the Directors' Pen

It is evident that the treatment of substance abuse has become a very lucrative business. Reports are received that many new private treatment centres have recently been established and more are in the process of being established. Add to this the fact that the Department of Social Development  has also started planning and building treatment centres for each province without a treatment centre in accordance with requirements of Act 70 of 2008. Noting this and without claiming to understand everything, the question arises as to who will be filling all these beds and where will the resources come from? 

Treatment is costly (even though some people deny it!) and properly qualified and skilled staff that have a passion for this field of service is very hard to come by.  The demands made on management boards and staff is further complicated by minimum norms and standards that has to be adhered to, 24-hour availability in case of emergencies and residents that require 24-hour care. To render an efficient and effective service, knowledge, experience and passion is needed. The money is not nearly sufficient to make it classify it as lucrative!

If treatment centres are allowed to mushroom the way they do as at the moment, it will have disastrous consequences for all role players.  Poor bed occupancy, lack of personnel and eventually a lack of sustainability.  Hospitals need to obtain approval before they can be established for this very reason. Why not treatment centres?

The consequence of unabated establishment of treatment centres is the closure of existing centres that have the institutional experience and knowledge of ma-king treatment programmes to succeed. There will be a huge lost of passion, experience and knowledge at the detriment of service users. Eventually, the damage to this field of service will be irreversible! Can we afford it?

The saying is: “If we fail to plan, we plan to fail!”

Aurora Sentrum wens jou ‘n Geseënde Kersfees en voorspoed vir 2016 toe!!!

Will a ban on the advertisement of alcoholic beverages change our drinking habits for the better?

To advertise or not to advertise? 

Will a ban on the advertisement of alcoholic beverages change our drinking habits for the better?

There are often huge outcries about the high levels of substance abuse in South Africa which is indeed the case. You merely have to wander the streets of communities to realise that substance abuse is rife in all communities. More so in the very poor areas where people do not have a vision of a better tomorrow. No work, no income and no prospects.

Now to come back to my introduction. Will a ban on the advertisement of alcohol products have a significant impact on the use, abuse and dependency on alcohol? A parliamentary committee now deliberates about the unintended consequences of a possible ban on alcohol products which is indicative of our dilemma. The loss of the income from advertisements may be more disastrous than the intended benefits we think we may derive from a ban on alcohol. We are indeed caught between a rock and a hard place. We find ourselves in the same spot with the proposed increase in the age from 18 to 21 to reduce the levels of abuse of alcohol. At the age of 18 a person has come of age – able to enter into contracts, drive a car and generally act as an adult, but not allowed to use alcohol. As with so many other pieces of legislation, the level of policing required to have the intended impact, will not take place.

We are often convinced that the introduction of a single strategy will have a significant impact on alcohol abuse. It may have an impact on the low risk alcohol user, but what if you are one of those who don’t have anything to lose? Will the absence of advertisements of alcohol products or an age limit deter them from using and abusing alcohol? Not likely!

We will have to be bold in large scale economic growth, job creation, quality education and modelling norms and values that will give people a vision of a better tomorrow!  Even then we will still struggle with substance abuse, but possibly at much more “acceptable” levels. Such an intervention may also have the unintended consequence of lower crime levels and other social ills that is the consequence of substance abuse. Cosmetic surgery is not sufficient when a heart transplant is required.

G.H.J. Kruger

 Director

Aurora Alcohol and Drug Centre

THE TOOLS OF RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION - BE HONEST

THE TOOLS OF RECOVERY FROM ADDICTION

(New Beginnings Aftercare Programme — SANCA National)

The First Rule of Recovery is that you must change your life and avoid high-risk situations. The second rule and tool to recover from addiction is how to learn to relax.

The third rule and tool to recover from addiction is: BE HONEST

An addiction requires lying. You have to lie about getting your drug, using it, hiding its  consequences, and planning your next relapse. An addiction is full of lying. By the time you have developed an addiction, lying comes so easily to you. After a while you get so good at lying that you end up lying to yourself. That’s why addicts don't know who they are or what they believe in. The other problem with lying is that you can’t like yourself when you lie. You can’t face yourself in the mirror. Lying traps you in your addiction. The more you lie, the less you like yourself, which makes you want to escape, which leads to more using and lying. Nothing changes, if nothing changes. Ask yourself this: will more lying, more isolating and more of the same make you feel better? The expression in AA is—nothing changes if nothing changes. If you don't change you life , then why would this time be any different? You need to create a new life where it’s easier to not use.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

RECOVERY REQUIRES COMPLETE HONESTY               

You must be one-hundred percent completely honest with the people who are your support systems: your family, your doctor, your therapist, the people from your support group. If you can’t be completely honest with them, you won’t do well in recovery.

When you’re completely honest you don't give your addiction room to hide. When you lie you leave the door open to relapse.

One mistake people make in the early stages of recovery is they think that honesty means being honest about other people. They think they should share what’s wrong with our people. But recovery isn't about fixing other people. It’s about fixing yourself. Stick with your own recovery. Focusing on what you don't like about others is easy because it deflects attention from yourself.

Honesty won’t come naturally in the beginning. You’ve spent so much time learning how to lie that telling the truth, no matter how good it is for you, won’t feel natural. You’ll have to practice  telling the truth a few hundred times before it comes a little easier. In the beginning you’ll have to stop yourself as you are telling a story, and say, “now that I think about it, it was more like this…..”

SHOW COMMON SENSE

Not everybody is your best friend. And not everybody will be glad to know that you have an addiction or that you’re doing something about it. There may be some people who you don't want to tell about your recovery. But don't be reluctant to tell the people close to you about your recovery. You should never be ashamed that you are doing something about your addiction.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders

A PREGNANT WOMAN NEVER DRINKS ALONE

 

 

Signs & Symptoms:

 

• Low Birth weight
• Small Head Cirumference
• Failure to thrive
• Developmental delay
• Organ dysfunction
•  Epilepsy
• Poor coordination/fine motor skills
• Poor socialization skills, building and maintaining friendships
• Lack of imagination or curiosity
• Learning difficulties, including poor memory, inability to understand concepts such as time and money,poor language comprehension, poor problem-solving skills
• Behavioral problems
• Facial abnormalities, including smaller eye openings, flattened cheek bones, and indistinct philtrum (an underdeveloped groove between the nose and upper lip)