New Habitude program at Turning Point!

By Susan Gamble, Brantford Expositor

Monday, April 30, 2012 2:56:57 EDT PM

 

• The end of oxy: chaos in drug world

• Top 10 cars stolen in Ontario
• Chingers say business run from reserve

It looks so easy in all the movies, TV shows and video games.

Gone in 60 Seconds, Grand Theft Auto and Need for Speed have indoctrinated kids, especially young men, with the impression that stealing, speeding and crashing cars is very cool.

And as a city that was dubbed the Stolen Car Capital of Canada in 2010, Brantford has a nasty reputation as the playground for these car thieves.

While improvements are being made notably with a joint policing effort called Team Shutdown, two area teens have died as a result of car chases in the past five years and there have been numerous injuries, not to mention millions of dollars in damages to cars and costs in insurance.

Some say it’s non-natives who are stealing cars from outside the county and dumping them on Six Nations for natives to take the blame.

Others believe that, at the heart of this, is a gang of outside influences who are directing native kids to steal cars. The kids are young and have a grid of back roads on the reserve where cars can be hidden and chopped, and where police can be evaded.

But a series of interviews by The Expositor indicates the recent problems didn’t start with Mafia connections or Asian gangs.

The problem has been a little pain pill called Oxycontin.

***

“I got in a bad car accident where I was ejected out of the vehicle and broke all my ribs. I broke my arm and my shoulder. I started taking Tylenol 3 and Percoset prescribed by the doctor but pretty soon it wasn’t working.”

That’s how one young man, “Robert” became a ‘chinger’ on Six Nations.

Chinging is the local slang for the act of stealing cars, derived from the word ‘cha-ching!’, meaning easy money.

Robert’s dependence on narcotics for his pain lead him to the well-known, but highly addictive “hillbilly heroin” — Oxycontin.

“It’s an expensive habit and stealing vehicles is easy money. People getting Oxy can turn around and sell it for $50, $60 or $100 on the reserve and that’s a good chunk of change.”

Eventually, Robert was spending $1,000 each day on his Oxy habit and there are no jobs that can support that kind of expenditure.

He quickly got involved in chinging, learning the ropes from older friends and, eventually, setting up his own system of buyers.

“There were times when I didn’t sleep for three or four days. I would be out stealing every day, all day. I’d take at least five vehicles in a night. Sometimes more.”

He was shot at and chased by police more times than he can count. When he looks back at his escapades now, it’s terrifying.

“It’s easy money but in the long run, you get caught, addicted to Oxy and not caring about your family. You end up sitting in jail and are told when you can go to bed and when to get up.”

Robert is on probation now, trying hard to stay clean and away from Six Nations.

“I’m trying to take care of me right now.”

Robert’s lawyer, Sarah Dover, has become somewhat of an expert on chingers.

Dover says she represents a “significant number” of Six Nations residents who have been arrested after dangerous car chases or repeatedly stealing cars.

“I’ve had maybe one or two clients who are not addicted to Oxycontin and all the others are.”

Dover knows a lot about Oxy.

She’s researched it and has daily anecdotal evidence of what it does to a user. Oftentimes, Dover is the first one to talk to a chinger about his Oxy habit and where it’s heading.

“There’s been greater access to Oxy on the reserve than alcohol and you become addicted in a very short time — within a week of your first use. The symptoms of withdrawal are excruciating. It’s like having barbed wire pulled through your veins.”

And here’s the problem: the No. 1 course of treatment for Oxy addiction is methadone. There’s no methadone program available on Six Nations and no detox there. To get their daily methadone dose Dover’s clients have to get to Brantford. But most are on probation for driving crimes and aren’t allowed to drive. Unless a supportive family member or friend volunteers to drive them to Brantford every single day, a lot of chingers are faced with a choice of stealing a car or dropping methadone and going back to Oxy.

And there’s another problem: if you’re already on a methadone program when you go to jail, they make sure that you continue treatment. But if you’re not on the program, you can’t get on it in jail. Instead you face about a week of acute withdrawal and then a chemically induced depression for 12 to 18 months.

“In jail, (prisoners) have no education around their addiction, no access to counselling and when they come out of jail they’re no further ahead in accessing services for addictions. It’s a huge set-up for them to fail.”

The results are heavily tinged with irony: chingers sometimes steal cars to get to their methadone appointments or even take a car at the courthouse to get home after being released from jail; one of Dover’s addicted clients had her newborn taken from her at the hospital by Children’s Aid but walked out of the facility with an Oxy prescription in her hand; native boys are facing dozens of driving charges before they even get their licences.

And they all talk about the big bucks they generate from the chinging business. But Dover says it’s a sham.

“I ask them ‘Where’s the money?’ Where are the guys with the massive houses and gorgeous cars? They don’t exist because the money’s going into opiates.

“If people are really serious about ending car chases, do something about Oxy.”

That was Dover’s statement a few months ago when Oxy use was rampant on Six Nations.

Now, with the introduction of OxyNEO, a “tamper-proof” drug that can’t be crushed, ground or liquified for snorting or injecting she says the situation is in a muted chaos.

Prices for Oxy have gone up and new suppliers are being sought outside of Ontario; addictions are switching drugs, some have overdosed; the drug world is hard at work trying to tamper with the new tamper-proof drug; and yes, some hard cases are turning to methadone as they try to drop their old habit.

MPP Dave Levac is pushing to get a new residential rehab-detox centre in the city and others are suggesting the methadone clinic at St. Andrew’s Church be moved to wherever that new location is.

Wherever it is, it won’t be on the reserve — so the problem for addicts will remain.

“We need to help those getting treatment to succeed,” said Levac.

“We want to stop people from reoffending and remove the obstacles, so that may (lead to) a transportation service or taxi chits – something so we can tackle this in a whole community way.”

Levac is one of those who believes Six Nations has been unfairly targeted because of the car theft industry.

“The idea it’s all natives doing this is a long-standing mythology. If we actually broke down the number of first nations people involved we’d see it’s not just them. It’s just a favourite dumping ground.”

Six Nations Chief Coun. Bill Montour agrees, saying it’s “outside influences” controlling many of the young people on the reserve.

“We’re getting more blacks, Asians and motorcycle gangs operating here and we’ve had four incidents involving Jamaican enforcers.”

The chief said he’s been a victim himself: his own car was stolen by thieves who used it to go to Mississauga in order to steal there.

“My son is a cop and they’re all over this.”

But lawyer Dover says it’s not gangs controlling the kids – it’s drugs.

Dover’s typical client has a Grade 8 education, is 20-something years old and has severe addiction issues.

“They come from pain. When they’re released the only thing they’re good at is stealing cars.”

Dover speaks often and passionately in court about the Oxy-car theft problem.

She’s hugely frustrated by what she considers a broken system.

“Jail is not effective in deterring my clients. I’ve had clients shot by police before being jailed and when they’re released, because the underlying dynamic hasn’t been addressed, they return to the behaviour despite a desire to have a normal life.”

Some have suggested to Dover that if her clients truly wanted to get better they’d be willing to go far afield to find help.

“The folks from Six Nations are deeply connected to their community, land and way of life. To say if you want to be sober, go to another community, you might as well say ‘be shot into space’.”

Native Horizons is the drug rehab program on Six Nations. Dover says that every year the agency puts in a proposal for a more comprehensive addictions service and every year they are denied.

It takes one to three months to get into the current rehab program and you have to qualify by being out of jail and sober for 30 days.

“If some of my clients could stay out of jail and sober for 30 days they wouldn’t need rehab,” says Dover.

There are two Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on the reserve, she adds, and people can go to counselling meetings at Native Horizons, but there are no regular Narcotic Anonymous meetings there.

“My clients are white-knuckling through withdrawal and they get out of jail and relapse.

Which, of course, leads to the theft of more cars, or worse, the rising suicide problem on this and other reserves.

What’s needed, says Dover, is a crisis approach to the Oxy problem that targets the underlying issues: too much Oxy availability; not enough rehab and methadone help; more counselling for family problems, including the residual angst of the residential schools issue.

“Robert” is glad to be done with his $1000-a-day Oxy habit.

“Looking back, I’m scared about what I was doing. I’ve been shot at and stuff. I was constantly looking over my shoulder for police and owners. Now a weight’s been lifted.”

susan.gamble@sunmedia.ca

http://vimeo.com/37413437

What role, if any, did prescription drugs play in the death of Whitney Houston? Was she one of millions of Americans who misused or abused her prescribed meds? Abuse of prescription drugs is up 400% in the last decade so It’s Your Call looks at the reasons why, provides warning signs for possible misuse, and offers treatment/recovery options.

Amid Increasing Choices, How to Know What Treatments Work, When to Move On

By MELINDA BECK

Therese Borchard likens herself to Goldilocks of the mental-health world: She tried six psychiatrists before she found one that was “just right.” One learned she was a writer and asked for help with a book proposal. Another put her on sleeping pills, ignoring her history of substance abuse. One even wanted to try hypnotic regression by candlelight to address unresolved childhood issues.

Finally, No. 7 diagnosed bipolar disorder, found medication that was effective, helped her to be less hard on herself and “salvaged the last crumb of my self-esteem,” says Ms. Borchard, who writes the popular “Beyond Blue” blog on Beliefnet.com.

The search for the right therapist can be baffling—and it comes at a time when would-be patients are feeling most vulnerable.

Patients who aren’t sure what’s wrong with them can be stumped about the type of therapist to call and ill-equipped to evaluate what they’re told during treatment. How well a therapist’s personal style matches a patient’s individual needs can be critical. But experts also say that patients shouldn’t be shy about pressing their therapist for a diagnosis and setting measurable goals.

It can be one of the most important relationships in life, yet choosing a therapist is often baffling for patients. Melinda Beck on Lunch Break discusses how to go about finding one and insuring you and your shrink are a good fit.

David Palmiter, a public-education coordinator for the American Psychological Association (APA), likens good therapy to going to a good restaurant: “You should be able to peer into the kitchen and see what they’re doing.”

About 3% of Americans had outpatient psychotherapy in 2007—roughly the same as in 1998—although the percentage taking antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs rose sharply, according to an analysis in the American Journal of Psychiatry last year. The same study found that the average number of visits dropped from nearly 10 in 1998 to eight in 2007.

Read More: Additional articles in Health & Wellness

By some estimates, one-quarter of the U.S. population has some kind of diagnosable mental illness. But many don’t believe they need help, don’t know how to get it, think they can’t afford it or that it won’t be effective. There’s also the lingering stigma attached to seeing a “shrink.”

Numerous clinical trials have shown that various forms of psychotherapy, with or without medication, can help ease depression, anxiety and other disorders. One oft-quoted analysis of 2,400 patients found that 50% improved measurably after eight sessions, and 75% improved after six months in therapy. Still, that doesn’t mean that any given therapist will be effective for any particular patient.

One issue for prospective patients is that therapists generally specialize in one treatment approach and tend to see patients’ problems through that lens. A cognitive-behavioral therapist will focus on changing patients’ negative thinking patterns, while a psychoanalyst will want to probe more deeply into how the past is affecting current issues.

Some clinics and university mental-health centers offer consultations to help evaluate which treatment might be best. “Patients shouldn’t have to decide this by themselves,” says Drew Ramsey, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at New York’s Columbia University, who says he loves to play “shrink matchmaker.”

Once in treatment, both the therapist and the patient should be familiar enough with each other by the third session to know if it’s a good fit, experts say.

“Some people need a therapist who gives them instructions and assignments, and some people hate that. Some people need a therapist who is basically silent and lets them talk,” says Betsy Stone, a psychologist in Stamford, Conn.

Dr. Stone says she can often tell even in the first session if the fit isn’t right. “I like to push patients pretty hard, because I want them to get their money’s worth, and some people are just too fragile,” she says. “Then I say, ‘I’m not the right therapist for you, but I’ll help you find someone else.’ ”

Increasingly, therapists are collaborating with patients on a treatment plan rather than remaining aloof and omniscient. “I encourage patients to look up the science for themselves. How can they do that if they don’t know what terms to search for?” says Dr. Palmiter.

Effective therapy can be difficult at times—particularly when the patient is exploring painful thoughts or fears. “A good therapist should give you comfort and discomfort at the same time. They should make you feel understood but challenged,” says Dr. Stone.

Distinguishing that from having an uncomfortable relationship with the therapist can be tricky. “If you leave therapy every week feeling worse than when you went in,” says Dr. Bufka, “it’s probably not the right place for you.”

Studies show that patients often hesitate to break it off because they don’t want to hurt the therapist’s feelings or seem ungrateful. “But believe me, we’re used to it—and it’s a very valuable thing to hear,” says Dr. Palmiter.

Even close relationships sometimes fail to get at the right issues. Victoria Maxwell, 44, an actress and blogger from Half Moon Bay, British Columbia, says she worked with a therapist for 2½-years as a teenager and liked her enormously. But she never made much progress, because the therapist didn’t recognize Ms. Maxwell’s underlying bipolar disorder. “I became a really insightful depressed person. But it wasn’t helping my depression,” she says.

Years later, after several hospitalizations, a nurse referred Ms. Maxwell to an older psychiatrist. She initially thought they’d be a bad fit—but found he was the only one who believed she could have both a profound spiritual experience and bipolar disorder. “I trusted him, so I was willing to try what he suggested, which included medication,” she says. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without his help and understanding.”

Setting measurable goals is crucial for knowing whether a therapy is working. In Ms. Maxwell’s case, her psychiatrist said, “I think you’re capable of moving out of your parents’ home, living with roommates and driving a car—and I was,” she says.

 By Anne Harding  NEW YORK | Mon Nov 3, 2008 4:59pm EST

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who have long-lasting psychotic episodes after smoking marijuana may be exhibiting early signs of schizophrenia, researchers reported Monday in the Archives of General Psychiatry. 

“Cannabis-induced psychosis,” in which a person loses touch with reality and the symptoms persist for at least 48 hours, is an established psychiatric diagnosis, but it is controversial, Dr. Mikkel Arendt of Aarhus University in Risskov, Denmark, and colleagues note in their report. There has been little research on the condition, and doctors have a hard time distinguishing it from other psychiatric disorders or developing a specific list of symptoms by which to characterize it.

In a previous study, Arendt and colleagues found that nearly half of people who had an episode of cannabis-induced psychosis went on to develop schizophrenia within the next six years. In the current study, the researchers looked at the genetic roots of both conditions by comparing the family histories of 609 people treated for cannabis-induced psychosis and 6,476 who had been treated for schizophrenia or a related psychiatric condition.

They found that individuals treated for post-pot smoking psychotic episodes had the same likelihood of having a mother, sister or other “first-degree” relative with schizophrenia as did the individuals who had actually been treated for schizophrenia themselves. This suggests that cannabis-induced psychosis and schizophrenia are one and the same, the researchers note. “These people would have developed schizophrenia whether or not they used cannabis,” Arendt explained in comments to Reuters Health.

Based on the findings, the researcher says, “cannabis-induced psychosis is probably not a valid diagnosis. It should be considered schizophrenia.”

It’s “very common” for people to have psychotic symptoms after using marijuana, such as hearing voices, feeling paranoid, or believing one has some type of special ability, Arendt said. But these symptoms typically last only an hour or two. “It’s a very important distinction, this 48 hours criterion,” he said.

Other researchers have shown that pot smoking roughly doubles the risk of being diagnosed with schizophrenia, and that people who use marijuana and go on to develop schizophrenia become psychotic earlier than people with the illness who don’t use cannabis, Arendt added.

It’s unclear whether smoking marijuana causes schizophrenia or not, but if it does, according to the researcher, it’s likely a gradual process. Nevertheless, he said, “the consensus is pretty much you should not use cannabis if you want to avoid an increased risk of schizophrenia.”

Anyone who experiences an extended psychotic episode after using marijuana should get help, Arendt advised. These symptoms could represent an opportunity for early diagnosis and treatment of schizophrenia, he added, and the earlier people with this illness begin treatment, the better their prognosis.

On a daily basis I am asked questions about Addiction. With so much information out there, it can still be very confusing for one to find an answer that fits their specific question.  Sometimes these questions come from family members, concerned friends, employers, fellow employees, Physicians’, counsellors, clergy, School Principals, Associations, Police Officers, Lawyers, and just about every walk of life.

The reality is Addiction affects everyone. There isn’t anyone who doesn’t know someone who is addicted. It might be your neighbour, school friend, secretary, boss, son, daughter, husband, father, mother, brother or sister. They may or may not be asking for help.

The confusion lies in what to do.

With so much contradictory information out there, who do you trust.

I don’t have all the answers, but I am a good listener and a good researcher….. I speak to those in recovery, those actively who are actively using, those that are trying to help them with medical or non-medical support, and those that are enabling them and preventing them from reaching for help.

Some believe that they just have to want it bad enough to get the help they need and others believe that their “sick” minds will preventing them from accepting the help, even when it is right in front of them.

So I have been asked to address some of these questions and hopefully provide you with my twist on what I might see as a solution to your dilemma, or offer some feedback that encourages you to make some changes, or lastly to have you maybe look at an alternative way of dealing with the situation that you keep finding yourself in.

I guess I can be Good Cop and Bad Cop….I want you to pretend for a minute that I am in your kitchen and we are having a cup of tea and just chatting about life.  As a friend, I will listen to your question and give you my honest answer. You can take it or you can leave it. No harm, No Foul.

I thought I would share a couple of standard questions that are presented to me on a daily basis, just so we can get the ball rolling and you can digest my answers and see if I am the type of friend that you feel comfortable being honest with……. and if so, then forward your question to my column “A CUP of T”

Question:

I suspect my son is using drugs. He is 21 years old and lives at home with us. He has been hanging out with some new friends and is very angry all the time with us. He yells and screams that we aren’t giving him space and we are causing him to be angry. He is not working and sleeps all day and goes out all night. I wait up for him as I am worried and cannot sleep until he gets home. When he is home, he stays in his bedroom. What should we do?

Answer:

Ok he is 21years old and ruling your home with his schedule. He has a right to his own friends, his own schedule. BUT you have right too. I would suggest you sit down with him and tell him what your house rules are. No-one lives anywhere for free. Friends would not put up with this for sure. He needs to work or be in school. If he is not working then he needs to be focused on obtaining a job… any job and in the interim…he needs to volunteer. He needs purpose! He also needs to share in the household responsibilities. Lastly, I would also suggest purchasing a few drug kits. (in case one gets spoiled) and asking him to do a urine test as you suspect he is using drugs. Outline to him that “your” home is drug free. If he refuses to do drug test…. then he must leave. If he tests positive, then you need to figure out how he is going to get some help.

Question:

My husband just got charged with a DUI and is in jail, what should I do to help him.

Answer:

You cannot fix the problem. Only he can. You can be there to support him if he chooses to get some help with his drinking… but that is all. Do not baby him or believe that he has learned his lesson and will never drink again. He needs help with his addiction and must be open to seeking help. Provide him with options for treatment and then see what he does. He needs to want this more than you do.

Understandably when I speak to people of the phone, it is not as black and white as these answers, but I think you get the gist of my message.  So, please forward any questions or concerns that you might have to me and I will do my best to provide you with a honest and open answer. I invite you into my home for a Cup of T

written by Tammy Francoeur

Turning Point now offers Ontario Standardized Assessments, a requirement for gaining access to government-funded substance abuse treatment programs. “A standardized assessment is a mandatory requirement for all government-funded treatment programs, and there are often lengthy waiting periods to get an assessment,” says John Vereecke, Turning Point founder. “Once you have an assessment, you are then placed on a waiting list for treatment.”

Turning Point assessments are accepted by all government programs, and can be booked within 48 hours. “Our fully qualified clinicians can help you better understand the issues you are facing, and the most appropriate treatment options for helping you to recover and rebuild your life.”

Assessments are valid for 90 days from the time they are issued. A fee of $349.00 will be payable prior to your assessment, which includes:

• Consultation with a qualified counsellor

• Comprehensive assessment including recommendations on treatment options

• Complete clinical notes to assist treatment professionals in helping you.

For information, or to book your Fast Track Assessment, call 1-877-523-8369.