Turning Point Foundation- Drug/Alcohol de-addiction and rehabilitation follows a indigenously developed and tailor made rehabilitation method namely LOTUS programme, derived from the existing treatment philosophies around the world and the practical lessons learnt from our experience in the past, keeping in mind the ancient Indian wisdom and traditions.
The LOTUS Programme ensures the physical, mental, social and spiritual wellbeing as well as wellness of an individual. The LOTUS programme builds the knowledge, skill and ability of the inmates (Drugs/Alcohol addicts) to prevent relapse and take discreet decisions in life. After undergoing LOTUS programme, the individual will have a positive attitude towards life and a responsible behavior.
When drug and alcohol dependent seek out the service of the Turning Point Foundation (TPF) and have arrived at the conclusion that they have lost the direction of themselves and are lost to themselves, they feel that there is no other refuge in which they can hide themselves. They are afraid of themselves; they don’t trust themselves and are very confront-ational with other people. Deep in their hearts they know that they have been alienated not only in themselves but also from other people. Their great desire is to be in communion with other people, alive to themselves and others and recognize that there is something greater than themselves in whom they need to trust.
Or to put it in more poetic terms expressed by the participants of the group:
I am here because there is no Refuge
Finally from myself until
I confront myself in the eyes and
Hearts of others I am running,
Until I suffer then to share my
Secrets have no safety from them.
Afraid to be known.
I can know neither myself nor
Any other; I will be alone
Where else but in our common ground
Can I find such a mirror?
Here together
I can at last appear clearly to myself.
Not a giant of my dreams
Nor to be aware of my fears.
But as a person,
Part of a whole, with my share
In its purpose in these grounds
I can take root and grow,
Not alone any more as in death but
Alive to myself and others.
(Courtesy: AA philosophy)
The LOTUS program was adopted to help these people to start their journey to wholeness, recovery and rehabilitation, so that once again
they may enter the mainstream of society and make a contribution to it.
The word LOTUS defines this journey
L – Acknowledge Loss of direction
O – Opportunity to change
T – True to oneself and others
U – Understand that problems are part of life
S – Achieve Serenity
“LOTUS” is the seat of Creator and a symbol of Wisdom, Prosperity and Infinite reality.
One of the greatest challenges for drug and alcoholic dependent people is to acknowledge their weakness and over time to modify their attitudes.
This is a long journey but each day participants in the program must ensure that they become aware of their negativity and confront it head on. Some of the examples which participants have identified are:
From
Disrespect for others
Selfishness
Resentment
Lack of Communication
Confrontation
Laziness
Lying
Giving up
To
Respect for others
Sympathy for others
Acceptance
Sharing
Listening and learning
responsibility
To truth
To becoming motivated.
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Encounter
Input
Seminar
Encounter
Input
Appreciation
As the participant progresses staff will encourage them to take advantage of other services which are available at the Center and which they will need as part of the holistic development to ensure that they continue to become aware of their own higher self and Power.
The researcher Carol Ryff thought that wellbeing could be made sense of by breaking it down into a number of areas or components. She identified the following areas as contributing to people’s experience of wellbeing. For each area we invite participants of the LOTUS Program to consider:
Self-Acceptance
This means having a positive attitude toward themselves; acknowledging and accepting multiple aspects of self; feeling positive
about their past life. It means being able to say; “when I look at the story of my life, I am pleased with how things have turned out so far. Of course this is a
huge challenge to participants because they probably have reached a severe low in their self-esteem by the using of alcohol and/or drugs.
Each day they are asked to reflect on the following question:
This means having feelings of continued development and potential and being open to new experiences; feeling increasingly knowledgeable and effective. It means being able to say; “for me, life has been a continuous process of learning, changing, and growth.”
So the question to ask is:
Purpose in Life and Spiritual Wellbeing
This means having goals and a sense of direction in life; feeling that both present and past experiences are meaningful; holding
beliefs that give purpose to life. It means being able to say; “some people wander aimlessly through life; I am not one of them.”
Participants then can ask:
This means feeling competent and able to manage a complex environment; choosing or creating personally suitable contexts. It means being able to say; “I am good at managing the responsibilities of daily life.”
So the question is:
Autonomy
This means being self-determining, independent, and regulating their behavior internally; resisting social pressures to think and
act in certain ways; evaluating themselves by personal standards. It means being able to say; “I have confidence in my own opinions, even if they are different from the way most other people think.”
So the question is:
When Paracelsus (Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, 1493-1541) stated that he would not like to be a physician without opium, he underlined the importance of opium, which was then widely used as an analgesic, hypnotic, sedative and tranquilizer and the treatment of diarrhea.
The use of opium itself as a universal drug has since become a part of THE history: opium no longer used in therapy, but it IS used as the starting material for the production of alkaloids, such as morphine and codeine. Today, natural and synthetic opioids are prescribed as analgesics and in the treatment of diarrohea. A great variety of synthetic hypnotics and sedatives are used to treat insomnia and many different psychiatric disorders. Thus, narcotic a drugs and psychotropic substances are as indispensable in the field in the field of medicine today as opium was in the past.
When Paracelsus was doing his best to convince his colleagues in Europe of the therapeutic value of opium, the non medical use of opium started to create major problems in Asia.
Impact of Drug AbuseMillions of people suffered and suffering because of the dual characteristics of opium, as well as of many other narcotic drugs and many psychotropic substances,
both natural and synthetic.
Drug Trafficking and drug abuse in South Asia continue to be largely transit-related owing to the close proximity of the region to the world’s two main opiate-producing areas:
Golden Crescent and golden Triangle.
When drugs become and integral part of one’s physical, emotional and social life, the victim encounter with hell lot of problems. These problems can be classified in to Physical,
Psychological, Spiritual and Social.
TPF is running separate De-toxification and Rehabilitation center having a capacity to 50 patients at any given time. Effective Treatment for Alcoholism and the
following categories of Drugs (Substance) abuse are provided at the centre.
· Opium, Heroin, Morphine, Smack/Brown Sugar, Cocaine, Cannabis
· Pharmaceutical Medicines (abuse of Prescription Sedatives, tranquilizers, Hypnotics etc.)
· Volatile solvents-Inhalants (Petrol, adhesives etc.)
· Different varieties of Alcohol
Our previous experiences taught us that using drug substitutes in de-toxification is very vulnerable and risky, which may only help in diverting their addiction from conventional drugs to pharmaceutical ones- the end point will be the same. TPF does not believe excessive drug substitution and follows a drugless therapy in harmony with nature which is also cost effective.
Treatment StrategyAn integrated approach is followed by the TPF centre to address these problems and rehabilitate the individuals by bringing wellness and well being in his life. This been done by building the capacity to perform different roles and responsibilities in the society as well as to lead a full fledged and meaningful life.
Physical AspectNaturopathy, Yoga & Meditation is effectively used in the management of physical and psycho-social withdrawal symptoms. The main objective is to avoid the side effect of sedatives and tranquillizers as well as to effectively combat the challenge of substitution to prescribed medicines (pharmaceutical solvents). Therapeutic value of Earth, Water, Massage has been well established in the managing withdrawal symptoms.
Psycho-social AspectThe psycho-social counseling aims at the Behavior Change of the addicts by providing them with knowledge pertaining to addiction and developing a positive and constructive attitude towards society. This enables them to have a new attitude towards life. The individual will be empowered to manage his desires, thoughts, emotions, feelings etc. without the help of any addictive substances.
Involvement of FamilyDrug/Alcohol Addiction not only a disease that lands the individual in distress but also it badly affect the family. So the family members are intrinsic part of a successful treatment. Family interactive sessions and meetings are conducted in regular intervals at the Centre.
Comprehensive De-addiction Services-StepsAs we are concerned about the results and well being of the beneficiaries, we DO NOT have any Out Patient Treatment facility.
In Patient Service: Since we believe that Drug de-addiction is a subjective matter (ie. Varies from person to person), we have customized treatment plan for each patient. However, a patient has to stay back at the centre for a minimum of 30-45 days.
Keeping in mind, the need of catering different socio-economic category of drug dependents, we have flexible Charges options and deserving beneficiaries will be treated in subsidized or free of cost.
TPF identify drug addiction as a social problem and best method to combat it to prevent it. So awareness drives are undertaken extensively:
Vulnerable Areas:- Camps are frequently organized in drug prone areas and information regarding various aspects of drug abuse is
provided.
Work Places & NGOs:- One/half day Prevention Cum Counselling sessions are conducted in factories, corporate houses, NGOs
etc.