Interview with Paul Karras – Hunterlink Recovery Services
Last week I
caught up with Paul Karras, from Hunterlink Recovery Services. I met with Paul to get a better understanding of
drugs and addiction, substance abuse and their effect on people in Australia,
and we discussed many topics, chief among them substance abuse and addiction.
Paul Karras has 10
years experience with The Salvation Army as a senior counsellor in Dual
Diagnosis, with emphasis on Addiction and Mental Health. With a wealth of
experience and information on Drug use, addiction, patterns and recovery, who
better to talk to about Substance Abuse and addiction?
Why do people use drugs?
A frequently asked
question; in Paul’s breadth of experience the most common answer is ‘it makes
me feel good’.
Drugs; be they
alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, depressants, stimulants or
psychoactive; all have a common effect on users…….The effect of a ‘numbing’ anaesthesia.
This means the user
is 'numbed’ to the world around them. This means they don’t have to deal with
their problems……. they are numb to them. They don’t have to experience the
emotion, the depth or breadth of issues that a person may feel, as the drug
numbs them to the outside world, reality, and all the harsh things in it.
Abuse vs. Addiction
One of the key themes
that were present in my talk with Paul was Abuse vs. addiction, and how this
plays out in people’s lives. The two are not mutually exclusive, but there is a
clear distinction.
Within abuse of
substances, there are great variations in patterns of use, frequency, amount
etc.
Using Marijuana as an
example, we can say that within the spectrum of people that use this drug, some
are; very frequent (everyday); some less frequent and some perhaps only on few
occasions per year, and then everything in between. This makes for a very broad
spectrum of users of this drug.
Within this spectrum lie
many different types of users with different reasons for their use. Some could
be considered a more social user, one that consumes only when in an
‘appropriate’ situation, or with peers. Another on the other ends of the scale;
may use the drug frequently when alone and not in social situations.
Using alcohol as an
example, we could say that a social user is someone that seldom drinks, and
then only on occasions when friends/colleagues are also enjoying a few. On the
other end of the spectrum, someone that is abusing the substance may do so when
not in a socially accepted situation, or at home alone, and in high quantity or
frequency.
When we come to
discuss addiction, we can say that abusers can be addicts, but that not all
abusers are addicts. Drug addiction or substance dependence is a complex issue.
There are many factors at play;
·
It can be
agreed that addiction is a compulsive behaviour that originates in the
unconscious mind.
·
Addiction can
be inherited, through genetics and family background.
·
Many people
with addictions may have other psychiatric disorders, which complicates
matters.
·
Addiction can
be classified as with physiological dependence, or without.
Addiction is a
progressive illness, it is not static. An addict of a certain substance will
use an amount, and when this amount no longer has the desired effect, they will
up the amount. This has the effect of leading to an increased tolerance to the
drug, and an escalation of need.
There are also a whole
host of other issues including; cultural factors, peer pressure, social norms
and psychological issues. These will not be discussed here in detail, but
enough to acknowledge that these and other factors all combine to make this a
complex issue.
Drug Dependence
Drug dependence means
that a person needs a drug to function normally. Abruptly stopping the drug
leads to withdrawal symptoms. Drug addiction is the compulsive use of a
substance, despite its negative or dangerous effects.
There is much
contention over whether cannabis is addictive or not. In Paul’s years of
experience, it very much is.
Reliance on substances
is a mental reliance. It is a coping mechanism, a living process that leaves
users with a lack of coping skills, beyond reaching for their ‘crutch’.
When a person with
dependence does not consume the drug, the effect is called detox. Heroin,
Methamphetamine and certain other drugs, when not consumed, will result in a
period of withdrawal, or detox.
According to Paul, the
detox period for heavy users of opiates (heroin etc.), amphetamines etc.
varies, but should be no longer than 5 days. For marijuana, though the period
can be significantly longer. A physiological dependence may not be present,
but a mental dependence is. Detoxification for users of higher amounts of drugs
is always worse; more prolonged, more traumatic.
From my conversations
with Paul, he was able to give me some very good information on drugs of abuse
and substance addiction, changing some of my preconceived notions about abuse
and addiction, and giving me a real insight into addiction and substance abuse.
Hunterlink Recovery
Services provide a vital link in support, recovery and
welfare services available to the community and for workers and their families
nationwide; they help with recovery of people with Substance abuse and other
issues such as problem gambling, anxiety and depression. They work in
conjunction with employers with established Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
as well as members of the community. A link to their website can be found here http://hunterlink.org.au/
For more information please contact us;
Phone: 1300 660 636
Email: sales@drugtestaustralia.com.au
