As an organisation, the British Association of Anger Management has counselled many people when anger has been affecting their lives.

When working with individuals who have had addiction in their lives, we have found that, after the initial rehabilitation process, feelings and emotions come to the surface. If left unaddressed they have the potential to affect lives in unhealthy ways.

One of the strongest of these feelings is anger. In principle this is a neutral feeling but how we express it makes it healthy or unhealthy. Unhealthy anger can be expressed passively by being internalised or externally through aggression.

In our experience there are two main triggers of anger in rehabilitating addicts. These are

Since setting up Inspire Health and Mind in 2009 particularly last year we spent a lot of time working on our marketing materials especially with regards to the awareness work with young people in schools and training staff in the community. My plan for this year was to expand the EFT side of the work I do and as well as EFT for all, EFT for Recovery. I decided that the best way would be to set up EFT for Recovery as part of Inspire Health and Mind but as a Community Interest Company (CIC). I figured this may mean I could reach and therefore help more people in the community.

The CIC status came through last week which I was chuffed about and now it’s about getting the message out there. I’m lucky to have really great contacts locally due to my previous DAAT role as well as nationally thanks to lovely Twitter. It’s great now I can really get the ball rolling. I had/have a fear that people would feel I was bandwagon jumping on the Recovery agenda. Speaking to someone yesterday (who knows who he is) I felt much better about this. I know I’m doing this for all the right reasons. Those that volunteer for me and the service users I have had the pleasure of supporting and working with also know what I’m all about. My background shows my passion for helping people to recover from dependency and challenging the attached stigma. EFT helps people more holistically in that it can

The original document is life-threateningly flawed and must be reviewed – Here are some comments that we have seen and agree.

Only 2% of people in the so-called treatment system are enabled to get drug free.

This because the original document is life-threateningly flawed and must be AMENDED not merely updated/reviewed. In particular, Chapter 8 on Psychological Interventions omits 12-Step Facilitation which has been proven to yield the most clinically effective as well as cost effective service.

8.6.5 refers to “intensive referral” and links to 12-Step-based treatment programmes but it does not discuss the proven technique of 12-Step facilitation. Below is a list of only some errors.

Clause 1.5.1.2 states that addicts who have had community-based psychosocial treatment cannot be referred to abstinent rehabs – thus fatally blocking continuum of care and sacrificing the principle of “first do no harm”. This clause has led to such incidents as patients being admitted to rehab after years on methadone and being found to have, despite reports saying no physical problems, broken clavicle and limbs, a stroke and vomiting blood (http://www.addictiontoday.org/addictiontoday/2011/01/successfully-leaving-treatment.html)

Point 1.5.1.2 is erroneous in a related context when it suggests that referrals to residential treatment should be restricted to those who have “not benefited from previous community based psychosocial treatment”. This contradicts the basis of treatment interventions being ‘person centred’ and flies in the face of experience which has shown clearly that gains from community-based psychosocial interventions can stabilise patients enough to be admitted to residential rehabilitation, leading to sustainable long-term recovery.

Now that we have a new Government, when will the Army of Civil Servants and Public Sector Administrators within the Addictions Industry be swept away by the forthcoming cuts?

Will the NTA and Drug and Alcohol Action Teams be served notice to quit – and how will previously agreed budgets be revamped and change main line services? Will the Tory / Liberal Coalition keep the bureaucrats under a different name / organisation – how will public addictions policies change?

Will more hard cash reach front line services and will priority health / treatment objectives be considered to be more important nowadays – instead of the longstanding crime prevention agendas championed by the outgoing Government, the NTA and their friends? Will the Addictions Services miss the removal of Strategic Health Authorities?

Will the Private Sector and Social Enterprise movement get a look-in when seeking Public Sector contracts?

We now live in interesting times and await answers to these questions with interest!