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THE “mammoth” effort required to recover from drug addiction will be celebrated with a Recovery Walk in Morwell on Thursday.
Latrobe Community Health Services manager drug treatment services Anne Hamden said the walk would “provide a message of inspiration to others change is possible”.
“We also recognise this journey is never undertaken alone, and its success often depends on the support of family members, friends and support services such as the drug treatment services we provide at LCHS.”
Participants in the 2.5 kilometre walk are asked to meet at the LCHS Buckley Street carpark at 11am.
The event will include a sausage sizzle at 12.30pm and is expected to end around 2pm.
Monash University Associate Professor David Best will also give a presentation at the event.
Professor Best works in Addiction Studies in the Eastern Health Clinical School at Monash and is also Head of Research and Workforce Development at Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre.
Anyone interested in participating in the walk should register their interest with Louise Murphy by phoning 1800 242 696 or email louise.murphy@lchs.com.au
LCHS, in partnership with Self-Help Addiction Resource Centre Family Drug Help will also run three free forums in Morwell this week for families or friends “struggling with someone in their lives with problematic alcohol or drug use”.
The forums, titled ‘You’re not alone’, aim to provide “knowledge and skills to guide families and friends through the complexities of addiction”.
LCHS drug treatment service family support worker Charlotte Anderson said the sessions would be implemented through an accelerated version of a six-week Action-based Recovery Course by Angela Ireland from SHARC Family Drug Help.
“This will be a wonderful and rare opportunity for people or families struggling with a person with addictive behaviours who feel they are getting nowhere with their loved one,” Ms Anderson said.
Each two hour session will explore ways of mending relationships, offer strategies for improving communication and suggest ways to set boundaries.
Forums will be held on Wednesday from 12.30pm to 2.30pm and 6pm to 8pm at LCHS in Morwell and from 10am to 12.30pm on Thursday at Lifeline Gippsland, 2 Fleming Street, Morwell.
For more information, or to register interest, phone LCHS drug treatment services on 1800 242 696.
