Network for Peer led Drug and Alcohol Prevention

Greetings to our amazing network of peer-led drug and alcohol rehabilitation advocates!   #restrat   Today, let's delve into the realm of cinema, where the recently released movie " 12th Fail " has not only captivated audiences but also sparked reflections on the societal norms and expectations that shape our lives, particularly during the crucial phase of adolescence. Firstly, let's applaud the trend of biopics being produced during the lifetime of individuals, making it an empowering experience for those who choose to share their inspiring stories. "12th Fail" revolves around the real-life journey of Manoj Kumar Sharma, a resilient soul who overcame extreme poverty to become an Indian Police Service officer. The title itself, "12th Fail," carries immense weight. It's not just a descriptor of an academic outcome but a reflection of societal norms that define success and failure. The movie skilfully explores how the concept of failure can becom...

The thing I liked about today's program is the personal experience shared by Vipan sir which I think was priceless. That how can we understand emotional health and mental status of drug addict and how can we deal that person according to that person.", observed a member of Young India Network for Good Health. A workshop "ABC - Addiction Battling Campaign" was organised by Project Hope Stone and PH&RD of AMSA India in collaboration with Nada India , on th e occasion of International Day Against Drug Abuse & Illicit Trafficking 28th June'20. On the panel were Dr. Avinash DeSousa (Consultant Psychiatrist and Founder Trustee DeSousa Foundation Mumbai), Priyanka Varma (Clinical Psychologist and Psychotherapist Consultant at Holy Family hospital, Global Hospitals and the founder of the Thought Co.) and Mr. Vipan Sachdeva (Senior Counselor, Shanti Ratan Foundation) and Emotional CPR  practitioner   Dr. DeSousa burst many myths around drug addiction like cannabis...

Prof. T K Thomas*     “ The odds of psychotic disorder among daily cannabis users were 3.2 times higher than for never users, whereas the odds among users of high-potency cannabis were 1.6 times higher than never users .” I had interactions with a large number of patients and recovering drug addicts during my association with one of the leading drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centers in Delhi. All of them were addicted to various substances and were multi drug users including alcohol, a legal drug in our country which actually is a depressant. While documenting their stories I found that in an overwhelming majority of cases their initiation into drugs started with what we call Ganja/ ‘Charas’ or marijuana, which at least a few experts consider as a “gateway” to addiction to more potent drugs. These substances known by different names have mood altering properties. Most of them tried or experimented with these drugs, deriv...

Prof. T.K.Thomas   Pradip and Harish speaking during Nada India Capacity Building workshop  There were ‘’patient champions” running peer led drug rehabilitation centers. Two such National Award winning entrepreneurs Pradip Goyal, who runs Vikalp in Ghaziabad and Harish Bhutani who runs Nav Vikalp in Jaipur explained the challenges of working with patients who have, besides addiction, cross cutting NCDs like, Tuberculosis, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and mental health problems.... The annual World No Tobacco Day was observed on 31st May. The day is observed by the World Health Organization [WHO] and global partners as an opportunity to raise awareness on the harmful and deadly effects of tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure and to discourage the use of tobacco in any form. This year’s focus for the day was, “Tobacco and lung health”. Everyone knows how tobacco affects our lungs. The WHO release says, the campaign will increase awareness on, “the...

‘Mann Ki Baat’- Popular series on Doordarshan   focuses on Contemporary Psychosocial Mental Health Issues New Delhi, 10 th July, 2012 - ‘ Mann Ki Baat ( eu dh ckr ), the series on Doordarshan handling mental health and psychosocial issues has been very well received and appreciated by public and critically acclaimed by press.   The series being aired every Saturday at 8.30 a.m. on National Network of Doordarshan and repeated every Monday at 8.30 a.m. has focused on contemporary issues like Aggression, Road Rage, Accidents, Coping with Trauma and Disasters, Disabilities, Bereavement, Chronic Illnesses and Caregiver’s stress. The series now focuses on issues of the Elderly – Ageing and Mental Health, Memory Impairment and Dementia, Elder abuse, Gender Discrimination etc. as well as Parenting – Single Parenting, take up, Adoption, Generation Gap and Adolescent Sexuality etc.   The series would then take up special areas of children and adolesc...

A year-long project has led to a new a definition of 'recovery' for those suffering from mental illness or addiction. The Substance Abuse  and  Mental Health  Services Administration announced its new definition this week: " A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. " The new definition, which lands somewhere between thoughtful and pithy, is meant to help doctors and policymakers who oversee the fields of mental health and addiction. What's the Big Idea? Along with the new definition, researchers and other mental-health experts clarified four major dimensions that support a life in recovery: Health, home, purpose and community. 'Health' means "overcoming or managing one's disease(s) as well as living in a physically and emotionally healthy way"; 'Home' is a stable and safe place to live; 'Purpose' means "meaningfu...