FINDING PURPOSE KEY IN ADDICTION FIGHT, SAY EXPERTS INVOLVED IN
MEANING CONFERENCE

The search for the meaning of life will be the topic when
international researchers gather for a conference in Burnaby next week.

More than 100 professionals will meet at the Hilton Metrotown hotel
July 20 to 23 for the fourth biennial International Meaning Conference.

Finding meaning in life is the key to fixing problems such as
addiction, say organizers from the Fraser Health Authority and a
collection of partners.

"When we help those suffering from drug and alcohol addiction to find
purpose and meaning in life, abstinence is often the by-product," said
Geoff Thompson, a clinical addictions counsellor at the Maple Ridge
Treatment Centre.

Besides professionals, the conference is for anyone whose life has
been affected by addiction. Thompson said mainstream methods to combat
addiction tend to view the addict as suffering from a disorder or disease.

"Rather than focus on what people need to quit or escape from, we need
to focus on helping them discover what makes their lives worth living
in spite of suffering," he said.

The keynote speaker will be Stanton Peele, a best-selling author and
popular addiction psychologist. "It is critical to focus on what
people want to achieve," Peele said. "Giving up addiction becomes a
necessary step on the road to where people wish to go."

More details on the conference can be found at www.meaning.ca.