Drink and Drugs News DDN May 2019 | Page 3

Keep in touch with us via Facebook and Twitter! /DDNMagazine @DDNMagazine ContEnts Editor’s lEttEr ‘Everyone needs to find what gives their life a direction’ ON THE COVER Existentialism can give us a fresh angle on addiction, p6 4 NEWS NHS strikes ‘world-leading’ hep C deal; new strategy to address gambling harms. 6 A QUESTION OF WHY Can the tenets of existentialism give us new insights into helping people with substance issues, asks Lana Durjava. 8 CZAR GAZING We need to find the right balance between healthcare provision and recovery pathways, says Mike Trace. 9 LESS PAIN, MORE GAIN An innovative new approach to pain management is paying real dividends, says Robert Ralph. 10 SYSTEM FAILURE Why is the treatment sector so ill-equipped to offer appropriate support to survivors of childhood sexual abuse? 12 COMMENT Tragic loss of City Roads; poetry can inspire recovery, says Michelle Graham. 12 MEDIA SAVVY The news and the skews in the national media. 14 FACTS OF LIFE Laura Paton explains everything you need to know about CQC’s new factual accuracy process. 16 DON’T SELL YOURSELF SHORT Kay France offers some invaluable tips on getting back to work. DDN is published by CJ Wellings Ltd, Romney House, School Road, Ashford, Kent TN27 0LT t: 0845 299 3429 www.drinkanddrugsnews.com ‘T here is no one-size-fits all in addiction treatment… every person needs to find what gives their life a direction, fulfilment and purpose, and the practitioner’s role is to support this journey of discovery, not endorse a particular model of living.’ Many of us would agree with Lana Durjava’s words in this month’s cover story (page 6); yet according to Mike Trace (page 8), ‘too many people in the sector still see the abstinence/harm reduction issue in binary terms’. We have failed to achieve a balance between healthcare provision and recovery pathways, he argues. Is this your experience? One certainty is the need to find effective ways to tackle chronic pain without always resorting to opiate medications (page 9). For many people these should not be the default option, yet so often they are. Sharing experiences from a recent pilot scheme, Robert Ralph suggests that with the right system in place and a fully engaged partnership model, the results can be dramatic – not just in achieving the vital pain reduction, but also in improving quality of life. Recently we’ve been exploring the links between childhood trauma and substance misuse and this month we take a look at the distressingly common – yet poorly understood – exposure to childhood sexual abuse among people in treatment services. One thing we do know is that staff must be trained to respond to disclosure and be able to support survivors in an appropriate way. We hope you find the article helpful, and if you can add to our understanding of this vital work, please get in touch. Claire Brown, editor Keep in touch at www.drinkanddrugsnews.com and @DDNmagazine Editor: Claire Brown e: [email protected] Subscriptions: e: [email protected] Cover by Susan Wood Images / iStock Advertising manager: Ian Ralph e: [email protected] website: www.drinkanddrugsnews.com CJ Wellings Ltd does not accept respon si bility for the accuracy of state ments made by contri bu t ors or advertisers. The contents of this magazine are the copyright of CJ Wellings Ltd, but do not necess arily represent its views, or those of its partner organisations. Reporter: David Gilliver e: [email protected] Designer: Jez Tucker e: [email protected] Website support by wiredupwales.com Printed on environmentally friendly paper by the Manson Group Ltd DDN is an independent publication, entirely funded by advertising. Proud to work in partnership with: May 2019 | drinkanddrugsnews | 3