PLANTING SEEDS FOR DRUG TREATMENT

As I walked through the aisles at Borders reviewing the "how-to"
books, I looked for a "Recovery from Drug Addiction for Idiots" book
but couldn't find one. Ironically, the store had everything else but
nothing on how to achieve sobriety from the disease of addiction.

Drug addiction has been described as baffling and insidious. Many
researchers describe it as a life-threatening disease. Others
challenge the notion that it is a disease in the classic definition,
but most will agree it is life-threatening.

It has been defined as a relapsing or a chronic condition, which
implies a long-term condition. Sometimes, there is little hope of full
recovery from drug addiction even after ongoing treatments. The
examples are far and wide, nationally and locally. Some of our
brightest local stars have perished from the disease, including Macky
Feary, Billy Kaui, Rap Reiplinger and others.

There are also success stories of people overcoming drug addiction and
reaching long-term sobriety. Although there is a proven formula taught
by the many talented substance-abuse professionals at quality drug-
treatment programs in Hawai'i, there seems sometimes to be no rhyme or
reason for those who make it or those who don't.

I recently attended a "Sobriety Celebration" for graduates of
Salvation Army Family Treatment program (also known as Women's Way),
where I worked from 1995 to 1998. I was thrilled to see some of the
women I had worked with gloating in the sunshine of sobriety.

The compelling, poignant part was that many of those women who
succeeded didn't practice or use their recovery tools while in
treatment. They didn't show signs at the time, but the seeds of
recovery were planted deep within their psyche. Not only had the seeds
been planted and taken root, but they were thriving years later, as
evidenced by their presence at the celebration.

There were also other women who were not in attendance who had
embraced recovery but were reported to be "back in the life." This
brings me to the conclusion that recovery from addiction is far from a
black-and-white issue. This shows that drug treatment is far from
scientific in predicting long-term outcomes. It takes some individuals
multiple treatment episodes to achieve long-term sobriety. Others may
choose to never stop using.

It is no wonder, then, that 80 percent of the individuals in prison
have a substance-abuse problem. We must take another look at our
decision-making system that treats failed treatment episodes as
something that justifies punishment.

Incarceration has never cured addiction, although its consequences can
be therapeutic at times. But, fundamentally, a three-year sentence in
prison is a three-year sentence from receiving drug treatment, thus
preventing the seeds of recovery from filtering into the consciousness
of an addict. Such a sentence also allows an addict to be around other
drug users, learning and honing other criminal skills.

There needs to be a last stop for drug users prior to incarceration.
Something different, something unique, something spiritual that can
repair the break in the emotional spinal cord that prevents an addict
from feeling emotions. We need a program that creates an emotional
umbilical cord to sobriety where drug-free living is a goal, a desire
and a passion. That type of passion for life shown in the graduates at
Women's Way is what it is all about.

Many of those brave survivors at Women's Way remind me that we must
never give up hope. We must create alternatives and think "out of the
box." A life in prison is "the box" we need to think out of.