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It can be very overwhelming going into rehab for the first time; thoughts and feelings start to pound on you; What will I expect? What can I do and what is forbidden? It is completely normal, to feel anxious or nervous, excited and eager to start working towards your recovery, perhaps also angry, that you have reached this point of exaggeration in your life, together with a mixed array of confusing thoughts and emotions.

The alarm goes off at 6am, giving time for the fellows to wake up and get ready for the morning meditation at 6.30am. As soon as that is over, we put on our walking shoes and we are off for a morning walk at 7am just round the neighbourhood to get our hearts’ pumping early on in the day. Arriving back to the premises, breakfast is prepared and we all sit down for the most important meal of the day. Fostering a healthy lifestyle is key for recovery.

Then it’s 10am, we gather around for the first group of the day, The Feelings Group. Entering this group for the first time can be a bit intimidating as this is the time where the person is asked to remove their masks and render themselves vulnerable to their insecurities and paths that led them to the red chair they are sitting on. Do not fear this as this is the stepping stone you need to start uncovering what has led you to your present situation. You will relate to others, and others will relate and find comfort in you. After a few groups, you will start to wonder, ‘maybe I am not alone and people can indeed understand what I am going through.

Being in recovery is more than just not using; it’s an ongoing process of growing together with  healing mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It is also a process of acquiring daily living skills such as cooking and doing chores. Keeping yourself and your surroundings clean helps you to have a clear mind and that is why at 11.15am, the fellows start to clean the residential home. Tasks are assigned and everyone gets to do their part for the benefit of the whole group.

During recovery, the body will go through many changes and thus, the benefits of eating healthily can give the body a better chance of recovery as it will increase your energy levels. Lunch is prepared and at 1pm, fellows and staff sit down for lunch together.

After lunch, the dining area is cleaned and you will have some time to relax and prepare yourself for the second group of the day. At 2:30pm, The Afternoon Groups are never the same.  This is because they are centered around a specific purpose, such as Goal Setting Group, Honesty Group, Peer/Group Evaluation, and Week Evaluation. These types of groups will help you to focus one thing at a time and gives you a space to work on yourself with the help of the other fellows’ feedbacks.

The evenings vary according to what day it is, and you have the time to be more at ease and work on your therapeutic pamphlets and do some readings. You gather with your fellows again to have dinner together at 7.15pm, and then watch the news at 8pm. At the end of every day, you have the chance to keep a personal journal, also known as the significant events, to keep track of how your day has evolved.  Finding time to relax and unwind is also imperative for one’s recovery. Fellows can enjoy a game of UNO together and have a good laugh before retiring to bed at 9.45pm.

That’s about it, a general day at OASI. However, we cannot leave out other activities that might be enjoyable by the fellows which vary throughout the week. Going to the beach during summer and watching movies during the weekend are two things that fellows look forward to.

But simplifying a day in a rehab does not give it justice, because every day is a different day with new challenges that we must learn to face. However, once in recovery, you are never alone and finding help and support from the fellowship is a benefit that you will have access to in times of need.  

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Imagine you are partying and you drink only so much alcohol, however you have an inclination that something is wrong. Something just doesn’t feel right. You remember that you left your drink unattended for some time. Someone might have slipped in any substance in it, and now you’re experiencing some signs that you may have been drugged.

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Bullying… a term we hear often, and mostly associate it with young children or unruly teenagers. What is bullying and why does it happen? Bullying can be defined as unwanted, repeated behaviour which can have long lasting problems for both the bully and the person being bullied. Bullying includes actions such as threatening, embarrassing someone continuously, calling someone names with the intention of provoking or causing harm, spreading rumours, excluding people and being physically or mentally abusive.

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The term HALT is a term used in AA and NA and it refers to those things that can negatively impact our recovery and can eventually lead to our relapse. This occurs when someone who has been clean and sober for a while, starts using drugs or alcohol again.

Relapsing is a process and a part of recovery. Thus recovery should include planning on how to avoid relapse by being aware of warning signs that may present themselves, which is where the term HALT comes in.

Each letter in HALT stands for a specific term:

  • HUNGRY
  • ANGRY
  • LONELY
  • TENSE

When a person starts to neglect themselves and denying their body a balanced diet, they get hungry. If our body needs to call out for our attention in order to get proper nutrition, one’s recovery will no longer be their priority. This is when people who are in recovery start to miss NA meetings, skipping the meditation and stop following the program.

Anger is one of the emotions that can easily lead to relapse because although feeling angry is completely normal, it can at times remain bottled up, causing a surge of negative emotions. It can be difficult to accept that anger is a part of life and learning how to deal with it is not easy either. In moments of anger, it is important to try and calm down and wait until you’re feeling more tranquil. Having a clear mindset will help you reason things out instead of saying things that you will probably regret. Anger is an emotion that takes up a lot of energy and it would be beneficial for one to use this energy in their recovery process.

Loneliness is another important aspect in recovery because it can lead people to believe that only they are going through this difficult process and this leads to self-pity and the belief that nobody will understand. All of this can look like a good enough excuse to start drinking or using drugs again since that was a well-known coping mechanism in the past. In fact, loneliness is a normal part of one’s recovery process because once the effects of the drugs and alcohol start to decrease, feeling alone is expected. However, there are many things one can do to feel less lonely, like meditation, reading, practicing hobbies, physical exercise and trying to keep busy.

Tension can also lead to a chemical dependency as there is a belief that drugs and alcohol are effective stress relieving coping skills.  Stress can have several physical effects because the body starts to release destructive chemicals that can lead to several illnesses. Learning to manage stress without the use of drugs and alcohol is imperative because it can reduce the chances of a relapse. Regular exercise, frequent relaxation and a change in lifestyle are the three main elements that can help a person reduce their tension levels. Furthermore, opening up about past experiences that are still causing us emotional turmoil is also a very effective way for a person to deal with stress.

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Total abstinence refers to complete abstinence from alcohol, drugs or any other substances which alters one’s behaviour. The key word ‘abstinence’ might scare away a lot of people, especially those who are still in the early stages of their recovery. It is normal for both the body and mind, to feel as if you would do anything in the world, except stopping your alcohol or drug addiction.

People who drink or use excessively do this for several reasons, however those who seek out help have one problem in common, they find it hard to stop using. For a lot of people, it is not simply learning how to resist the temptation to drink or use, although this is indeed imperative, but also learning about how to manage their life, socially, psychologically and emotionally rather than rely on substance use.

Perhaps one question a lot of people ask themselves is why is total abstinence necessary? Why cannot a person have just one drink or use once?

What we know is that after someone develops addiction, which is a chronic illness, the simplest and most effective way of treating it is total abstinence. It is much easier not to use rather than to punish yourself by trying to moderate or control your use. Studies back up this idea and mention that the number one success factor when dealing with addiction, is a permanent commitment with yourself. One would be ready to take this pledge only after facing enough consequences themselves and actively decided that they want to change.

One important feature that helps total abstinence to be successful is not to commit yourself until you truly are committed on staying on the sober life journey. Moreover, the person must also acknowledge that commitment towards sobriety is not an easy endeavour and therefore, it cannot be perfect. The reality of addiction is that there could be relapses along the way. Others might not go through relapses. Commitment also refers to a certain perspective both in times of happiness and growth but also in times of trouble.

Relapses are not all doom and gloom. They could serve as life lessons for the future and are not equivalent to failure. One way to learn from relapses is to ask oneself what has made it easy for this relapse to happen. In this case, commitment has not been necessarily thrown out of the window, but rather, needs to be reset.

It also helps to analyse what will be gained from living a life of total abstinence, especially, when compared to the misery and pain, addiction will bring to one’s life.

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The 26th of June commemorates the Word Day Against Drugs and Illicit Trafficking. This day has been established by the United Nations, with the UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) director issuing a message each year to direct efforts related to the eradication of substance abuse and illicit trafficking. The motto for this year is “Share Facts on Drugs, Save Lives”.

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Honesty means being aware of the truth. For a person to implement honesty into their life, they need to admit, accept and respond to the truth around them. It is also an essential part of an addict’s recovery process as its effects can help people leading them to a clean and sober lifestyle.

In the same way honesty is integral to recovery, denial is just as an intrinsic aspect in active addiction, which is, when a person is still using drugs and alcohol.  Although lying and denial may sound as though they are the same, they are actually two distinct notions. When a person lies, they are doing so intentionally and consciously but when a person is in denial, they believe that they are telling the truth.

Denial is primarily a defense mechanism, meaning that its function is to protect the person from becoming aware of something that may cause them pain and emotional turmoil. Since this defense mechanism is unconscious, unless a person becomes aware that they are in denial, they would not be able to start working on it during their recovery process.

Accepting that you are an addict can be a very difficult process because you might be afraid of the stigma related with addiction or that people will perceive you as weak-willed. A person might also be hesitant of accepting their addiction because the idea of total abstinence and accepting that they have no control over their addiction is too difficult to accept. Denial plays a major part in addiction, which is why honesty is equally as important in recovery.

While being honest with the people around us is important, being honest with ourselves is even more so. In order to do this, one would need to be objective and rational. A person will achieve self-honesty once they are able to accept and love themselves in their true nature. Self-honesty is not an easy thing to do as it requires us to acknowledge the things we would much rather forget. It is also not something that will take place overnight and in order to do it, one needs to put aside all the things they wish for themselves because this will enable them to see a clear picture of who they truly are as a person.

The principle of honesty is also the foundation of the 12 Step Program as several of the steps focus on honesty with ourselves, with others and with our Higher Power. In fact, honesty is crucial in the First Step because this is when the addict admits that they have become powerless over their addiction and life has become unmanageable. The saying that “we’re only as sick as our secrets” also has a significant purpose in the 12 Step Program because keeping secrets and being dishonest is a big impediment in recovery.

Unless a person truly looks at their addiction with honesty, they will not be able to realize that their addiction has grown beyond their control. By being able to admit this, a person will be able to start moving forward and regain control over their lives as they break through the cycle of denial and addiction. This is the first step towards recovery.

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Stigma is driven by the pejorative words, the labels, that are used to describe us.

Until we are seen as people, until we are provided the same respect and dignity as everyone else, we will continue to die.

Addiction is far more complex than people make it look like – do you call a person who is suffering from a chronic illness a bad person? No. Every day, we come across people who are finding it hard to ask for help leading them to more consequences in life, to a point where they see no hope in life anymore. The words ‘addict’, ‘clean and sober’, and ‘recovery’ does not reduce the stigma, unless society start seeing the addict as a person, with a mind, body, and soul.

Why the comparison with chronic illness you say? Addiction is not a choice; a person does not wake up in the morning and decides to be an addict. Addiction is a chronic disease and should be viewed in the same way as we view any other chronic disease.

Addiction is a disease that crushes the soul and is often accompanied by deceitful and irresponsible behavior, taking a toll on relationships. Society is very easy to judge and blame the addict for such radical behavior instead of focusing on the disease that is causing the behavior. Being shunned and disowned by family, friends and society only contributed to greater shame, guilt, and self-blame. Addicts continue to be blamed for their disease, even though, long ago, medicine reached a consensus that addiction is a complex brain disorder with behavior components, having a genetic predisposition, as well as a ranged of environmental factors, especially those that occur in early childhood.

Let’s change the stigma around addiction and the addict, and start helping the person rather than degrading them more. Yes, we all do mistake but some of us do seek help and we try to make amends for our wrongs. We do our best to help people develop a deeper understanding of themselves, to accept and love themselves. But we need society’s help in this as well! Our work is not enough if society keeps marginalizing them. “It’s not the drugs that make a drug addict, but the need to escape reality” so let’s not make reality hard for them but instead become more accepting.

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On Saturday 26th of June 2021, a thanksgiving ceremony, presided by the President of Malta, H.E. George Vella and the First Lady, was held at the OASI Centre to commemorate the OASI Foundation’s 30th anniversary. The 26th of June is also the International Day against Drug Abuse. The President awarded the Director General Fr Emmanuel Cordina with the OASI Foundation award, for his years of service towards OASI and society.

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Disclaimer

OASI Foundation is not against the person who uses any kind of psychoactive substances.

OASI Foundation does not agree with the use of any psychoactive substances for the socialization, relaxation or feel-good purposes.

OASI Foundation has been promoting healthy and natural approaches and methods to gain satisfaction, relaxation and long-term life enjoyment rather than reverting to drugs and addictive behaviours.

OASI Foundation views this White Paper in the light of normalization, which is a non-static phenomenon, and hence forewarns that other psychoactive substances will, in due time, be impelled the same route.

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