'Rethink Addiction'

[Calvino01]

Hello everyone

Just wanted to open up a discussion about the 'Rethink Addiction' campaign.
As most of you may know, addiction can sometimes come with a lot of stigma which ultimately can discourage people that are struggling with addiction to make that crucial step of reaching out for help.

In order to reduce the stigma, the 'Rethink Addiction' campaign aims to change how Australia views addiction by providing education, building awareness and also to help improve treatment/support for those that are struggling.
Many organisations have collaborated to form this movement, to help shed light on the realism of addiction and in turn help reduce the amount of fear and judgement for people seeking out support.

Have a look at the website, where you will find additional information on the campaign, the organisations involved and the 'Addicted Australia' documentary is also available for you to watch.
https://rethinkaddiction.org.au

let us know your thoughts.

[Bamboo [facilitator]]

Thanks for this [mention]Calvino01[/mention]

I'm wondering if anyone has had a look at the Rethink Addiction campaign? What are your thoughts?

[mention]Simply me[/mention] [mention]Cloudy[/mention] [mention]Be_humble1104[/mention] [mention]Mark 46[/mention]

[HelpfulBee]

Hi @Lyngne ,

I'm with you, substance education in schools is super important. It's crucial that children, teenagers, and young adults are informed.

Have you heard of the 'National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2019'. This is a study of substance use in Australia, click here to find out more. If you scroll down this link, you'll find really handy graphs and charts that show substance use in Australia!

Looking forward to hearing what you think!

-HelpfulBee

[Leonarda]

Some great points made in this particular thread around the harms of dependence and strategies to reach bigger populations.

Addiction to alcohol and other drugs is of course very harmful but do you think that addiction maybe part of the human condition and something we need to stay on top of ? Becoming dependent on a substance happens to a big slice of the population and they are from all walks of life, from the university educated to street smart young adults, from esteemed professors, established cleaners to medical professionals, sports players and yoga teachers. It can affect anyone or you could be affected by someone.. support and education about harms is a great start but best of all support, empathy and understanding and unconditional positive regard for what a person can or could be... What do others think? @Lyngne made some salient points for sure around how we could best tackle some of these points

[Holly1984]

Hi there, I have a drinking problem. I’m new here. I’m 37, irish, female.

[Bamboo [facilitator]]

Welcome to the forum @Holly1984 we're so glad you've reached out to us Could you tell us a bit more about what's been going on for you?

[Peace Dove]

Hi @Holly1984,

It can be really daunting to admit an addiction or ask for help, so congratulations on writing your first post on the forums! I hope you'll find this is a safe space to express yourself and get support from the community.

Can you tell us a bit more about what your goals are? Are you thinking of cutting down or abstaining from alcohol? Depending on the amount and frequency of alcohol that you consume, the best way to go about it is to first talk to your GP so you do it safely. I recommend you have a look at our Making a change section and read the post in our blog on Alcohol..

You might also want to join in any of our weekly activities:
Monday Meetups
From 8pm to 10pm ADST, where you can create a routine of chatting to others who understand what you’re going through about your week, how things are going, and what you’re hoping for the week ahead.
Saturdays:
- Turning the negative into positive
-3 things to look forward to
Sundays:
-Share your favourites quotes
-Today I'm grateful for...

If you want to speak to a counsellor, you can speak to one for free 24/7 on the following numbers:
-Australian Capital Territory (02) 6207 9977
-New South Wales 1800 422 599 (Regional) (02) 9361 8000 (Metropolitan)
-Northern Territory 1800 131 350
-Queensland 1800 177 833 (Regional) (07) 3837 5989 (Metropolitan)
-South Australia 1300 131 340
-Tasmania 1800 811 994
-Victoria 1800 888 236 (DirectLine)
-Western Australia 1800 198 024 (Regional) (08) 9442 5000 (Metropolitan)

Hope this helps. Please reach out at anytime, we're here for you.

[ScorpionPW]

Hi @Holly1984, thank you for speaking up and letting us know about what's happening for you, it takes a lot of courage and I take my hat off to you for that.

I remember for so long the hardest thing was that initial reaching out, putting my hand up, saying I have a problem and I need help. Once that hoop was jumped through and I got supportive and positive responses from people it was like a huge weight was lifted and I didn't feel alone anymore.

It would be great to know how you're travelling and if there's anything else you want to share with us here?