Drug Recovery for Australia
Australia has suffered the effects of decreasing interest in and use of cocaine by Americans that started in 2006. By 2007, the number of Americans dying as a result of their cocaine use began to drop as more U.S. citizens began indulging in prescription opioids. South American and Mexican drug traffickers began looking for new markets, some of them settling on Australia.
Yes, Australia was far off the usual channels of drug delivery for Mexican or South American traffickers. But that wasn’t a problem. They had long been adapting and shifting as law enforcement efforts shifted. So finding ways to get their products into Australia was not difficult. They were so successful that by 2015, one drug rehab executive identified cocaine as “the drug of choice among the middle and upper classes in Australia.”
On the other hand, Asia has been a major stimulant manufacturing and consumption center for many years. Comparatively, Asia is just a stone’s throw away compared to South America. From Asia, stimulants like Ecstasy, methylamphetamine, mephedrone, methylone and other drugs leap the ocean and arrive in Australia via mail, shipping container and courier.
Other entrepreneurial individuals have set up methylamphetamine manufacturing facilities within the country. There is a brisk trade in illicit chemicals needed to produce this drug. These substances are concealed in soup cans, built into heaters, concealed in display cases and otherwise disguised to get them into the country. They’re coming from China, Vietnam, Malaysia, India and several other countries. As a result, one of Australia’s largest drug rehab organizations reports that half the people seeking help for addiction had been using methylamphetamine.
Cannabis Aggravates the Situation
Of course, as cannabis consumption increases in the U.S. and other countries, it is increasing in Australia as well. Half of the drug seizures and arrests in the country are cannabis-related. In this chart, you can see the increase in ALL seizures, including those of cannabis (green).
Over the last decade, cannabis has been the drug most frequently used among those arrested but in the 2015-2016 period, that changed. For the first time, amphetamine-type stimulants overtook cannabis for the #1 spot.
Australia’s Alcohol Problem
In the last few years, the Australian government and non-governmental organizations have been making an increased effort to reduce the alcohol consumption of the population. Consider Darwin on the far northern coast of the country. Darwin is known as the “broken jaw capital of Australia” because of the number of alcohol-related fights that end with someone getting a broken jaw.
While a decade ago, heavy alcohol consumption was hardly blinked at by most Australians, now, some Aussies question whether this is really a good way to live. Gradually, the quantity of alcohol consumed is starting to drop slightly, but on average, 3.8 million Australians still drink twice as much as recommended, meaning they are downing four standard drinks a day.
The decline in drinking seems to be led by the young. The rate of drinking of Australian young people has been cut in half in recent years. But older Australians are not following suit.
Opioid Use Rising
In 2016, services supporting and assisting those who are addicted reported increases in the use of heroin. In Australia, heroin mostly comes from Burma but Afghanistan is also a source. As in America, overprescribing of painkillers by doctors is fueling increased levels of opioid addiction. Those who start with pills often migrate to heroin because it is cheaper. The problem is the greatest in the Australian Capital Territory. The last thing Australia needs is to inherit America’s problem with opioids.
Narconon Has Been Helping the Addicted for 50 Years
When a person falls into a trap with one of these damaging substances, the Narconon drug rehabilitation program can help. Since its first days in Arizona in the U.S., the Narconon program has helped tens of thousands break free from addiction and resume sober, productive lives. In Australia, the Narconon center is located about an hour outside of Melbourne in East Warburton. In this beautifully wooded, private location, an individual can leave the trauma of the past behind and begin to focus on a healthier future.
It takes more than just getting off drugs for a person to gain the ability to live a sober life. Months, years or even decades using drugs or alcohol take a serious toll on one’s life skills. Those skills must be rebuilt before sobriety can last.
When an individual arrives at a Narconon center they begin with the drug-free withdrawal phase. This would begin after any needed medical wean down that may be required for heavy alcohol use, benzodiazepines, or certain other drugs. The Narconon drug-free withdrawal then assists the person to fully come off drugs or alcohol. This phase consists of around the clock care where nutritional supplements and special techniques are used to help alleviate the pain and discomfort of any withdrawal symptoms.
The next step is a deep detoxification process that utilizes a sauna, moderate daily exercise and an exact regimen of nutritional supplements. This unique combination activates the body’s ability to flush out old, stored drug toxins that are capable of affecting mood, outlook and cravings. As these drug residues are washed away, many people talk about how their energy improves and they are finally free from crippling cravings.
Learning How to Stay Sober
When a person goes home after rehab, life is still going to present challenges. It’s vital for a person to feel capable of dealing with challenges, problems, and setbacks without wanting to escape into drugs or alcohol. That’s the purpose of the life skills portion of the Narconon program. The weaknesses that led a person to drug use in the first place are addressed in this portion of the program.
Skills such as basic communication and retaining one’s integrity are addressed. Each person also learns how to choose associates who will protect and sustain one’s sobriety, an essential skill. It’s a hard lesson to learn that some people actually wish one ill and would encourage more drug abuse but it must be learned.
Finally, it’s important to find relief from the guilt one feels over the harm done to self and others and to learn how to overcome obstacles and setbacks. With these strengths, it’s much easier to manage a drug-free life. Those graduating from the Narconon program are not encouraged to consider themselves “always an addict.” Most graduates simply get on with building a new, sober life and rebuilding their relationships with loved ones. It’s not necessary to look back when the future looks bright.
Learn how the Narconon rehabilitation center in Victoria offers help for anyone in Australia who is trapped in addiction. Contact Narconon today. We can help.
