North East councils are meeting tonight to debate the far reaching effects of alcohol misuse in the region. They want to introduce minimum prices to stop alcohol being so accessible, particularly to youngsters.
If their plan is successful then they're hoping that the next generation of kids shouldn't (in theory) spend their days pissed
up in our local parks. Winner!
That's all well and good, however I'd still like to know what they plan to do to help those people ALREADY struggling with alcohol addiction RIGHT NOW.
We have some of the worst documented problems with addiction in this region, yet the services here in the North East are woefully inadequate and policy decisions are usually made by people with absolutely no real idea of the kind of help people need.
A three day physical detox in the local hospital is all well and good to prevent seizures from alcohol withdrawal but there's no therapeutic intervention and, despite the revamped NICE guidelines, waiting lists for psychotherapy in this area can still take up to TWO YEARS.
That's always assuming you're lucky enough to be allocated to a psychotherapist who understands addiction of course, as opposed to someone who opts for that cop out diagnosis of 'borderline personality disorder'.
Labels aren't helpful at the best of times but BPD has to be one of the most damaging of all in my opinion and all it usually means is that the psychiatrist/psychologist simply didn't have a clue what else to label you with.
I have a LOT of experience with addictions, both in my personal life and also, with my involvement with local organisations dealing with addiction and the issues that stem from it, so I'm not just a member of the do-gooder, woolly jumper brigade.
I'm involved with it first hand & I see the devastating effects on the wider community, the family, the kids being taken into care, the women (and sometimes men) being beaten by their partners, the thefts to fund a spree, the evictions from homes & subsequent decline from B&B to hostel to park bench.
I see the way people bounce around psychiatric units and A&E departments and I've also seen people die; either through accidents whilst drinking, physical illnesses associated with drinking or very often, good old fashioned suicide, so the idea that all of these problems can be solved by a three day physical detox in a hospital ward is laughable.
The healthcare professionals I speak to scratch their heads in despair as they see the same people bouncing around the same inadequate system. They think it's self inflicted and their patient CHOOSES to drink when in fact, most addicts hate the way their lives are turning out but have absolutely no mental defence against picking up a drink again.
Nothing will ever change without the addict being allowed a safe place in a therapeutic environment with (preferably) psychoanalysts or psychotherapists who can help them to pick apart the reasons they drink and help them to create their own strategies for keeping themselves safe in future.
The economic effects of the current 'treatment' cycle on an already overstretched healthcare system must be horrendous. Just take a moment to consider the costs that spring to mind immediately, apart from the hospital detox...
Think about hospital treatment following drunken falls, fights etc., social services intervention, costs relating to children being kept in care, the next generation of costs from the well documented issues arising from adults who grew up in care, crime, policing, prison. I could go on forever really.
Isn't it better, both from an economic perspective but also from a social perspective, to get the addict the treatment they ACTUALLY need? To help them recover so they can break the cycle of destruction and go on to lead useful lives and become valuable members of society like the rest of us?
People often say that mental health services are the 'poor relation' in comparison to acute, clinical service provision. Well if that's true, then addiction is the Great Aunt twice removed in terms of mental health service provision.
You all know great Aunt (insert your own choice of name here). That weird woman you only ever see at Christmas? The one who comes for Christmas lunch, talks gibberish, sucks the liquor from your Christmas chocolates & puts the empty shells back in the box?
The one who takes her teeth out to eat Christmas lunch and leaves them at the side of her plate while the whole family tries hard not to look for fear they'll puke their brussels sprouts back up.
The one who drains the sherry bottle before falling asleep in front of the TV, her toothless mouth gaping open to allow the rumbling snores to escape and vibrate around the room until you can't hear the soundtrack of the film you're trying to watch.
The one who pisses herself on your best, most expensive chair before she's quickly despatched home in a taxi and you can thank your lucky stars that it's over, that you've done 'your bit' but there's no way you're doing it next year and you're going to force your sister to take her turn for once.
Sound familiar? Well that's exactly what's happening with addicts in this region. The only difference is that their health issue is supposedly being TREATED and WE are paying a fortune for these desperate souls to keep repeating the same inadequate, ineffective cycle time after time after time...
I hope the councils are successful with their 'minimum price' alcohol strategy tonight. It won't stop anyone buying booze but it'll certainly raise more money and I hope that money comes back to the councils who, for once, may choose to consult with people who truly understand addiction and can advise them how to use that money for practical, useful, often lifesaving, intervention.
I hope...
PS - If any of this has touched a nerve with you, you may find the following websites useful.
http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/
http://www.ukna.org/
http://www.al-anonuk.org.uk/
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
Could You Be Our New Family?
Hello. We are Maisie and William and we are looking for a new home and a new family to love and take care of us. In return we will give you lots of love, purry cuddles and giggles. Can you help?
Our mum was killed by a car when we were just five weeks old so we came here to live with Jules. At first we needed help to eat our dinners and we really missed our Mum so we needed lots of extra cuddles but we'll be ten weeks old tomorrow (2 June), and we're big enough now to live with a family without needing any special help.
We need a family who wants both of us. We're still quite little and we like to sleep together and play together. Our tummies are tiny and we get full quite quickly so it would be best if our new family could give us small but frequent meals. Jules gives us something to eat every four hours but it won't be long before our tummies have grown and then we'll just need food in the morning and again in the evening. We like looking out of the window and we'd like to play outside when we're older but our new family will need to get us vaccinated and chipped before we can do that. We'll also need neutering/spaying but Jules can tell you how to get vouchers so you won't have to pay very much for that.
Jules would like us to live here forever but sadly, it isn't possible. There are other cats living here with Jules and they aren't used to having lots of small kitties around. One of them, the oldest one, is a little bit grumpy and set in her ways and since we came to live here, she rarely comes home anymore. This makes everyone feel bad and she's been here for lots of years so it isn't really very fair.
Jules also has something called 'asthma' and having extra kitties around is making it hard for her to breathe properly. When we first came to live here she got a bit poorly and had to go in a funny van with flashing lights on top to make her better again. She's been away on holiday for two days and her lungs have worked properly but now she's back home with us, she can't breathe and we don't want to make her poorly again.
We thought it might be useful to tell you a little bit about each of us so you can decide if we might be happy in your house.
Hello. I'm William. I have short hair and very beautiful markings down my sides and tummy.
My legs seem to be too big for my body at the minute so I'm a bit of an ungainly creature but Jules thinks I'll grow to fit my legs soon and I believe her. When I do she says I'll be a beautiful, refined and dignified cat and she'll feel very proud of me.
I love to chase pieces of string and I particularly like climbing curtains. Jules thinks this is really funny but I can easily learn not to do it if my new family don't like it and anyway, Jules says lots of cats do that when they're little like me but they grow out of it as they get older. I don't scratch furniture and I know how to use the litter tray so I wouldn't cause too much disruption in my new home.
I'm very affectionate and I like to be picked up quite a lot. I have a lot of energy for playing but only in short bursts so for now, while I'm still little, I like to have a snooze in between games. I love snoozing on Jules lap and I purr like a tractor as soon as she comes near me because I know it means she's going to fuss me up.
Hello. I'm Maisie. I'm a long haired tabby and as I get older I'll need some help to keep my beautiful fur looking it's best. Jules has a special brush and although the brush is bigger than me, I quite like it when she brushes my coat with it and I'd like my new family to brush me too.
I'm smaller than my brother but I'm also braver than him and I'm learning how to jump quite high to catch the mice that Jules throws for me. I love to climb but I don't climb curtains; I prefer to climb legs. Sometimes Jules lets me ride around the house whilst clinging on to her thigh. She doesn't seem to mind the tiny scratches I leave on her legs and she says I'll grow out of it soon anyway.
I'm a bit of a chatterer and I do tend to make chirrupy sounds as I play. I also growl like a dog when I eat chewsticks and I have a really loud purr which you would hear quite often as I'm a very happy, affectionate cat. I'm litter trained and I'm trying to be more ladylike but I do make strange noises from my bottom and then everyone runs away from me.
We both like to squeeze into small spaces so our new family would have to check we weren't getting behind kitchen units or locked in cupboards. If possible, we'd also really like a bed to share because we might be nervous at first in our new home and we'd feel more comfortable sleeping together.
This is us in bed. William is poking his tongue out and Maisie is on the left as you look at the picture.
Jules is very upset that we can't stay here with her. She might cry a bit when we leave and we know she'll miss us lots but she'll feel loads happier if she knows we've gone to a nice home with a family who will love us and look after us properly. She's got fabulous friends and she's hoping that one of them might read this and fall in love with us enough to collect us before her lungs get too bad again and she has to take us to the rescue centre.
Could you be our new family? If you think we could be happy in your home and you'd like us to come and live with you you can get in touch with Jules by leaving a comment below or alternatively via twitter (@_iamjules) or facebook if you're already connected there.
We're really excited about meeting you
lots of love
Maisie and William
>^..^< >^..^<
Our mum was killed by a car when we were just five weeks old so we came here to live with Jules. At first we needed help to eat our dinners and we really missed our Mum so we needed lots of extra cuddles but we'll be ten weeks old tomorrow (2 June), and we're big enough now to live with a family without needing any special help.
We need a family who wants both of us. We're still quite little and we like to sleep together and play together. Our tummies are tiny and we get full quite quickly so it would be best if our new family could give us small but frequent meals. Jules gives us something to eat every four hours but it won't be long before our tummies have grown and then we'll just need food in the morning and again in the evening. We like looking out of the window and we'd like to play outside when we're older but our new family will need to get us vaccinated and chipped before we can do that. We'll also need neutering/spaying but Jules can tell you how to get vouchers so you won't have to pay very much for that.
Jules would like us to live here forever but sadly, it isn't possible. There are other cats living here with Jules and they aren't used to having lots of small kitties around. One of them, the oldest one, is a little bit grumpy and set in her ways and since we came to live here, she rarely comes home anymore. This makes everyone feel bad and she's been here for lots of years so it isn't really very fair.
Jules also has something called 'asthma' and having extra kitties around is making it hard for her to breathe properly. When we first came to live here she got a bit poorly and had to go in a funny van with flashing lights on top to make her better again. She's been away on holiday for two days and her lungs have worked properly but now she's back home with us, she can't breathe and we don't want to make her poorly again.
We thought it might be useful to tell you a little bit about each of us so you can decide if we might be happy in your house.
William
Hello. I'm William. I have short hair and very beautiful markings down my sides and tummy.
My legs seem to be too big for my body at the minute so I'm a bit of an ungainly creature but Jules thinks I'll grow to fit my legs soon and I believe her. When I do she says I'll be a beautiful, refined and dignified cat and she'll feel very proud of me.
I love to chase pieces of string and I particularly like climbing curtains. Jules thinks this is really funny but I can easily learn not to do it if my new family don't like it and anyway, Jules says lots of cats do that when they're little like me but they grow out of it as they get older. I don't scratch furniture and I know how to use the litter tray so I wouldn't cause too much disruption in my new home.
I'm very affectionate and I like to be picked up quite a lot. I have a lot of energy for playing but only in short bursts so for now, while I'm still little, I like to have a snooze in between games. I love snoozing on Jules lap and I purr like a tractor as soon as she comes near me because I know it means she's going to fuss me up.
Maisie
Hello. I'm Maisie. I'm a long haired tabby and as I get older I'll need some help to keep my beautiful fur looking it's best. Jules has a special brush and although the brush is bigger than me, I quite like it when she brushes my coat with it and I'd like my new family to brush me too.
I'm smaller than my brother but I'm also braver than him and I'm learning how to jump quite high to catch the mice that Jules throws for me. I love to climb but I don't climb curtains; I prefer to climb legs. Sometimes Jules lets me ride around the house whilst clinging on to her thigh. She doesn't seem to mind the tiny scratches I leave on her legs and she says I'll grow out of it soon anyway.
I'm a bit of a chatterer and I do tend to make chirrupy sounds as I play. I also growl like a dog when I eat chewsticks and I have a really loud purr which you would hear quite often as I'm a very happy, affectionate cat. I'm litter trained and I'm trying to be more ladylike but I do make strange noises from my bottom and then everyone runs away from me.
We both like to squeeze into small spaces so our new family would have to check we weren't getting behind kitchen units or locked in cupboards. If possible, we'd also really like a bed to share because we might be nervous at first in our new home and we'd feel more comfortable sleeping together.
This is us in bed. William is poking his tongue out and Maisie is on the left as you look at the picture.
Jules is very upset that we can't stay here with her. She might cry a bit when we leave and we know she'll miss us lots but she'll feel loads happier if she knows we've gone to a nice home with a family who will love us and look after us properly. She's got fabulous friends and she's hoping that one of them might read this and fall in love with us enough to collect us before her lungs get too bad again and she has to take us to the rescue centre.
Could you be our new family? If you think we could be happy in your home and you'd like us to come and live with you you can get in touch with Jules by leaving a comment below or alternatively via twitter (@_iamjules) or facebook if you're already connected there.
We're really excited about meeting you
lots of love
Maisie and William
>^..^< >^..^<
Thursday, 12 May 2011
Some Very Disappointing News
This is just a very short post to let everyone know that I will not be taking part in the Inca Trek/Machu Piccu challenge with Metro Radio this month.
Most people already know that I had a bad accident whilst quad biking in 2009 which resulted in me undergoing reconstructive surgery to my leg. Although the surgeon did a cracking job at the time, my knee is considerably weaker as a result of the accident and unfortunately, I damaged it again whilst out walking recently. My doctor has advised that the leg is not robust enough to undertake the Inca challenge at this time and I have therefore had to pull out of the trek on medical grounds.
I was very appreciative of the fact that so many of you pledged sponsorship money via my Just Giving page. This will now be refunded to you via the card you used to make the original donation. Can you please allow fourteen days for this to be administered and then let me know if you did not receive your refund. The process is entirely independent of me but I am happy to chase up Metro Radio and Just Giving on your behalf if necessary. Thank you very much for your support and patience.
I am obviously disappointed about this recent turn of events but I'm trying hard not to feel too envious as I read the posts from my fellow trekkers as they make their final preparations before Friday ;-)
Good luck to everyone taking part on the trek. I'll be tuning in to Metro Radio to follow your progress over the next two weeks and I'm looking forward to hearing all about it when you return. Have fun!
Most people already know that I had a bad accident whilst quad biking in 2009 which resulted in me undergoing reconstructive surgery to my leg. Although the surgeon did a cracking job at the time, my knee is considerably weaker as a result of the accident and unfortunately, I damaged it again whilst out walking recently. My doctor has advised that the leg is not robust enough to undertake the Inca challenge at this time and I have therefore had to pull out of the trek on medical grounds.
I was very appreciative of the fact that so many of you pledged sponsorship money via my Just Giving page. This will now be refunded to you via the card you used to make the original donation. Can you please allow fourteen days for this to be administered and then let me know if you did not receive your refund. The process is entirely independent of me but I am happy to chase up Metro Radio and Just Giving on your behalf if necessary. Thank you very much for your support and patience.
I am obviously disappointed about this recent turn of events but I'm trying hard not to feel too envious as I read the posts from my fellow trekkers as they make their final preparations before Friday ;-)
Good luck to everyone taking part on the trek. I'll be tuning in to Metro Radio to follow your progress over the next two weeks and I'm looking forward to hearing all about it when you return. Have fun!
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Dancing on Ice - A Disappointing Night
I’m at Newcastle Arena with some of my fellow Inca Trekkers. We’re here to rattle our tins for charidee and our forthcoming trek to Machu Piccu.
Tonights performance is part of the Dancing on Ice tour so I was rather hoping I might catch a glimpse of Torvill & Dean before the performance started but alas, it was not to be.
Instead, my fellow trekkers had to settle for a swift triple salco in the foyer from me which I then followed up with a stunning double axel. I must have done an amazing job because I turned around to find the programme sellers had fashioned scorecards from their programmes and awarded me straight 6.0’s across the board. The crowd applauded and threw roses to show their appreciation. They begged me to give another performance, insisting they’d rather watch me than Torvill & Dean, but I believe in always leaving a crowd wanting more so I made a graceful exit with my charidee tin, which by then was stuffed to the brim with crisp 20 GBP notes. An amazing night as I’m sure you’ll agree. Well done us!*
*Disclaimer - The above paragraph *may not* be an exact account of tonights events. The triple salco/double axel *may* have been a figment of someone’s overactive imagination. In fact, the most exciting thing to happen all night *may* have been a slight altercation with a policeman who *may* have told me off for rattling my tin at him rather aggressively and virtually demanding money by menace. It *may* be more accurate to say that I stood around like a gimp, trying to look happy, when in fact I was secretly masking a world of disappointment because I spent £88431579 on petrol to drive all the way here to collect 27p(ish) in donations.
I’m really grateful to the people who made a donation but to be perfectly honest, if I hadn’t had such a good laugh with the lads I would have felt it was a massive waste of an evening.
Never mind eh? It’s all for a good cause and its hard to be too despondent when I just know Woody’s rustling up a fabulous dinner to cheer me up when I get home <hopeful face>.
Thanks for reading!
Tonights performance is part of the Dancing on Ice tour so I was rather hoping I might catch a glimpse of Torvill & Dean before the performance started but alas, it was not to be.
Instead, my fellow trekkers had to settle for a swift triple salco in the foyer from me which I then followed up with a stunning double axel. I must have done an amazing job because I turned around to find the programme sellers had fashioned scorecards from their programmes and awarded me straight 6.0’s across the board. The crowd applauded and threw roses to show their appreciation. They begged me to give another performance, insisting they’d rather watch me than Torvill & Dean, but I believe in always leaving a crowd wanting more so I made a graceful exit with my charidee tin, which by then was stuffed to the brim with crisp 20 GBP notes. An amazing night as I’m sure you’ll agree. Well done us!*
*Disclaimer - The above paragraph *may not* be an exact account of tonights events. The triple salco/double axel *may* have been a figment of someone’s overactive imagination. In fact, the most exciting thing to happen all night *may* have been a slight altercation with a policeman who *may* have told me off for rattling my tin at him rather aggressively and virtually demanding money by menace. It *may* be more accurate to say that I stood around like a gimp, trying to look happy, when in fact I was secretly masking a world of disappointment because I spent £88431579 on petrol to drive all the way here to collect 27p(ish) in donations.
I’m really grateful to the people who made a donation but to be perfectly honest, if I hadn’t had such a good laugh with the lads I would have felt it was a massive waste of an evening.
Never mind eh? It’s all for a good cause and its hard to be too despondent when I just know Woody’s rustling up a fabulous dinner to cheer me up when I get home <hopeful face>.
NB - If your heart ached with pity after reading this sorry tale of my futile efforts tonight you may feel moved to make a donation toward my cause. Remember this is all in aid of The Childrens Society to help them continue their fantastic work and you can show your support for them AND me by making a donation via my Just Giving page.
Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Triumphant Tales from the Tombola of Treats
We've had quite an eventful night tonight. We've been to a party in Soho Square which is along the road at Sharks Bay. The hoteliers in the Sharm area all clubbed together to lay on an outdoor 'do' for the holiday makers who are here at the moment. I think it was their way of saying 'thanks' as so many people have cancelled their holidays to Egypt altogether.
It was also a nice PR opportunity and the local dignitaries were there as well as the press/media who were out in force, getting interviews and pictures of everyone having fun, which I'm sure will be used to promote the resort and show that it's safe and people are here and enjoying themselves as usual.
Being a tad on the misanthropic side at the best of times, I usually avoid any type of organised function if I can help it. The idea of trying to force myself to be jolly with a crowd of strangers just makes me shudder but I would have felt mean if we'd ducked it altogether, so Woody and I girded our loins (whatever that even means) and boldly ventured out into the night to join our fellow partygoers.
I'm glad we did too. It was really good fun and we surprised ourselves by having a thoroughly good time. Transport had been organised to take us there and bring us back, there was food and drink in abundance and loads going on to keep us entertained in the square itself. My only criticism would be the toilet facilities. Most people know that public toilets give me the creeps at the best of times and tonight was no exception. There just weren't enough of them to cope with the demand, especially for chicks, so for the second time in as many weeks I found myself in the mens toilets again but that's a whole other story for another day...
Inadequate public conveniences aside, everything else was fantastic. The square had been decorated really nicely. There were acrobats, jugglers and fountain shows galore and guess what, IT WAS ALL TROUBLE FREE AND TOTALLY SAFE so if you're thinking of changing your plans to visit Egypt because of recent events, please reconsider. I promise you it's completely safe. The tour operators have even reinstated the excursions from Sharm to Luxor and Cairo which is a clear sign that things are settling down and confidence is being restored.
Anyway, back to last night. We'd each been given a raffle ticket at the beginning of the evening and for the grand finale, a tombola took place in the centre of the square and guess what? We won! We won an all inclusive holiday back to Sharm el-Sheikh in the Sunrise Island View resort.
I KNOW! Exciting eh? I never usually win things so it was a lovely surprise although in fairness, I'm too mean to part with the initial stake to gamble and too lazy to enter competitions so it's hardly surprising I never win anything really. I suppose 'you've got to be innit to winnit' as they say and sadly, I never am.
We were thinking of coming back to Egypt at the beginning of next year anyway so it's nice to know that's already sorted out for us but do you want to know what my favourite part of the night was? That's right. I got to HAGGLE. Ha!
Woody wandered off and left me so I spent an enjoyable half hour haggling over a pair of Converse trainers, of which I am now the proud owner. What's that? What do you mean, they're probably fakes? Of course they're not! HOW DARE YOU?! ;-)
It was also a nice PR opportunity and the local dignitaries were there as well as the press/media who were out in force, getting interviews and pictures of everyone having fun, which I'm sure will be used to promote the resort and show that it's safe and people are here and enjoying themselves as usual.
Being a tad on the misanthropic side at the best of times, I usually avoid any type of organised function if I can help it. The idea of trying to force myself to be jolly with a crowd of strangers just makes me shudder but I would have felt mean if we'd ducked it altogether, so Woody and I girded our loins (whatever that even means) and boldly ventured out into the night to join our fellow partygoers.
I'm glad we did too. It was really good fun and we surprised ourselves by having a thoroughly good time. Transport had been organised to take us there and bring us back, there was food and drink in abundance and loads going on to keep us entertained in the square itself. My only criticism would be the toilet facilities. Most people know that public toilets give me the creeps at the best of times and tonight was no exception. There just weren't enough of them to cope with the demand, especially for chicks, so for the second time in as many weeks I found myself in the mens toilets again but that's a whole other story for another day...
Inadequate public conveniences aside, everything else was fantastic. The square had been decorated really nicely. There were acrobats, jugglers and fountain shows galore and guess what, IT WAS ALL TROUBLE FREE AND TOTALLY SAFE so if you're thinking of changing your plans to visit Egypt because of recent events, please reconsider. I promise you it's completely safe. The tour operators have even reinstated the excursions from Sharm to Luxor and Cairo which is a clear sign that things are settling down and confidence is being restored.
Anyway, back to last night. We'd each been given a raffle ticket at the beginning of the evening and for the grand finale, a tombola took place in the centre of the square and guess what? We won! We won an all inclusive holiday back to Sharm el-Sheikh in the Sunrise Island View resort.
I KNOW! Exciting eh? I never usually win things so it was a lovely surprise although in fairness, I'm too mean to part with the initial stake to gamble and too lazy to enter competitions so it's hardly surprising I never win anything really. I suppose 'you've got to be innit to winnit' as they say and sadly, I never am.
We were thinking of coming back to Egypt at the beginning of next year anyway so it's nice to know that's already sorted out for us but do you want to know what my favourite part of the night was? That's right. I got to HAGGLE. Ha!
Woody wandered off and left me so I spent an enjoyable half hour haggling over a pair of Converse trainers, of which I am now the proud owner. What's that? What do you mean, they're probably fakes? Of course they're not! HOW DARE YOU?! ;-)
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