Q and A with Viewpoint Recovery Centre
Do you have any questions regarding substance abuse?
Maybe you are concerned about a family member, or maybe you have fallen into addiction yourself.
Experts in the field of substance abuse (be it drugs, alcohol or even gambling), from Viewpoint Recovery Centre, are now available to answer your questions.
Queries may be forwarded directly to QandA@therehab.co.za
Question and answers (when not indicated as confidential) will then be published in the Advertiser as part of an education campaign.
Where indicated, and where necessary, queries will be treated anonymously in the publication.
Visit www.viewpointrecoverycentre.co.za for more information.
The following questions were submitted:
Q: My son has a drug problem but refuses to get help. He always tells us he can stop on his own. He is still using. Will he ever be able to stop?
A: Your son thinking he can beat addiction on his own means he is in serious denial. Addiction cannot be beaten without help. The addict likes to think he or she is strong, that they have all this willpower and they can stop taking drugs at any given time. This is what we call stinking thinking. Addiction cannot be beaten without some proper help, guidance and a programme. As long as your son is still alive, he can be helped. As Viewpoint we strongly suggest your son has to undergo assessment by trained professional staff to help with his recovery (assessment is free of charge at Viewpoint).
Q: I suspect my daughter is using drugs. Where can I take her for a blood test?
A: In the past, blood tests where the most accurate. Nowadays the drug tests on the market, that can be purchased at almost any pharmacy, have are the same accuracy as blood tests. Therefore, there is no need to spend lots of money sending blood off to the laboratories. Alternatively, a test can be done at Viewpoint Recovery Centre (R100), where trained staff will do the urine test and a report will be provided. If found to be positive, then an assessment will be done to determine the state of the addiction. We then can recommend a way forward.
