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I'm never crabby when I visit the coast the dogs get to run free to and especially when it's quiet to ,I hate a packed beach it's just so detoxing as I live in such a busy place it's nice to just get away from it and breath in the lovely sea air ..thank you for your visits and have a lovely weekend ☺️
A view looking to the northeast to a creek following through a grassy marsh at the Lower River Platform in Katmai National Park. I captured this with my Nikon D800E SLR camera.
for this view you have to trekk 7 kilometers through a dense forest in the western ghatt, the day which i visited was very cloudy and raining but i captured few pics under low light, i took this photo from paithalmala, Kerala state of India and the mountain in this photo 'it's Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary situated in Karnataka state of India 🌿
Paithalmala and Brahmagiri both are tremendous trekking spots situated in between these two States.
they're nearby mountains but,we cant directly access to one to another as its the part of two region,
the funny thing is, from Paithalmala you have to travel nearly 200 kilometers to get th entry pass for Brahmagiri 😅🌿
Museum of Communication – "Sounds of Silence"
Have you ever heard the noise of falling snow?
Like noise, silence is an essential part of our lives. By no means a modern phenomenon, it has become increasingly rare.
Whilst more and more people seek moments of quiet in their busy everyday lives, our relationship with silence is an ambivalent one. The idea of complete silence is pleasing and at the same time alarming. This is manifest in the great variety of silence. The time has come to put on a courageous exhibition that allows visitors to experience this potential variety. The exhibits will go way beyond the topics of digital detoxing, noise cancelling and zones of relaxation and will shed light on the societal and historical balance between noise, quiet and silence.
➽ Museum of Communication, Bern
➽ Exhibition "Sounds of Silence"
(46.94185, 07.45030)
Sorry. I hope I didn't confuse anyone. I have pink (when do I not have pink on a Tuesday?) it will be up later. This one was clamouring for attention, however, and when they clamour, I listen.
Benefits of Detoxing for Fitness and Health
It seems to be a little disgusting when you are detoxing or cleansing. Your body shows some signs that you have built up toxins. These toxins can affect your whole body fitness and health.
There are times that you feel sluggish and feel the stressful....
I'm not sure if I was using the acorns to show off the ironstone butter pats I recently purchased or using the ironstone to show off the acorns...no matter! Do you ever wake up in the morning and set up a quick still life before you've even had your coffee? That was my morning...the light was nice.
It's getting cold here at night with bright, sunny and warm days. Still no rain and no rain forecasted for a while. At least we are breathing easier with the smoke dissipating. The wind picked up early this week and blew one of the fires back onto itself and into the already charred areas...who would have thought the wind could help a fire die?
I'll wish you an early "Happy Weekend" now since I likely won't be back until next week. (I'm busy purging and detoxing my house and garage! Simple and minimal is my goal...)
I hope you make progress toward your goals today!! ( "
This is a very disturbing image for me, and most likely for everyone viewing it. I recently been convicted about my personal sugar intake, and been inspired to create an image that captures sugar as an addiction. This is a sobering image to me. I’m not saying that sugar is evil, but it is a substance that can be abused like a drug. Ingesting sugar literally causes pleasure by releasing oxytocin (the pleasure hormone) in the brain.
I still like and enjoy sugar. A couple of months ago, I almost completely dropped sugar from my diet (excluding natural sugars like fruit.) As a result, I dropped 15 lbs within a month, and I felt great and had more energy. All because of sugar! (Or lack thereof.) I’m currently trying to find a healthy median between enjoy sweet treats (I LOVE pastries,) but doing so in a godly way. My wife bought me scones and chocolates last week for my birthday, and I binged… so this week I’ve been detoxing… Or trying. Yesterday I created this image, then promptly left for an event where I ate too much funnel cake. By another’s standards it may not have really been “a lot,” it was barely ¼ of plate. But it’s obvious my tolerance for it has lowered, because it was too much for me. I definitely felt it afterward: physically by way of headache and general grossness, and the sugar shakes. I’m not sure what a healthy “dosage” of sugar looks like for me, but it is something I’m praying through. I think the funnel cake hit me so hard because it was more processed sugar than I have been eating. Meanwhile natural honey, for whatever reason, is something I can eat without feeling a stomach ache, headache, or sugar shakes. For this upcoming week I’m going to keep detoxing, and perhaps next week I can pray through eating one sweet treat a day, or something similar… HMM!
Tomorrow I’m going to post a picture of the shoot for this image, and the process of creating it. I wanted to post them at the same time, but I just ran out of time.
To plant a seed that sugar is an addictive substance, and to share my story with sugar recently
I have been away for 10 days for mind detoxing session. Apologies for not being able to upload pictures in Flickr...
I dedicate the "stars" to all of you...
Now im back :D
Digital Detoxing …. Sorry for absence but my focus was Tiktok in the last 2 years … please join me there too
Photo by Feisty Cat Photography
I like the mountains because they make me feel small, they help me sort out what's important in life!
- Mark Obmascik: Halfway to Heaven.
Isnt that an amazing quote? Some places leave a lasting impression on your mind. I like being in the lap of nature, and a vacation to such places definitely detoxes you.
What you see in the distance are the Alps from Italy, Switzerland and Austria. And the green pasture in the middle is also home to many dwellers. You can see small settlements if you zoom in to this image.
Smoothie and Chicken Soup: nasty cold going down over here. But it's good right? Body detoxing everything pre-baby....
Well, its autumn time to paint you a tartan coat, is'nt? ;)
Ermandalee's description:
Blonde (collars and cuffs), cute dimples in her cheeks. Runs an ice-cream parlour in the spring and summer months with over 250 flavours, many of which are her own recipes. Only eats meals from blue china plates and bowls, drinks a minimum of three litres of herbal tea per day to keep herself detoxed.. In the autumn and winter months she paints the tartan doggie coats on souvenier miniature statues of Scottish Terriers for the tourist industry.
All credits for the description go to Coobs. ;)
This lady fern sprout the stem is about less then 2mm in diameter.
Is back lited by natural sunlight. a white paper tower to the front to reflect lights.
When taking this shot, one have to hold the breath so that the fern sprout would not move with the wind out of your nose!!
Now, I understand the wisdom of
Breath Holding &
Breath Taking Or
Breathless!!
Fern is the earlier life on earth. It is also the natural filter to detoxing the pollutants in the air.
I love these lady fern since the days I lives in Wales; UK.
Toxins seem to be everywhere and sadly, unavoidable. Toxins can have very negative effects on the body that can lead to a multitude of problems. It is important to periodically remove these toxins from your body. Herbal Clean offers a vast selection of detoxes that are an excellent way to safely remove toxins from your body. goo.gl/q0GMup
Detoxing is much more than a fad word or a trend, it is a time honored tradition that has benefitted countless generations. With modern medicine and food advances, we have discovered even more ways to detox the body, including using certain roots like ginger or fruits like lemon. Add the two together and you have a potent combination of amazing proportions. www.amazon.fr/Lose-Weight-Fast-Dan-Hild/dp/B0BQHT8R7J
The Lemon Ginger detox is a good starting point for anyone seeking to cleanse the body before undergoing more powerful detoxes. Natural, healthy, easy to do and quick to produce results, the lemon ginger detox should be the first stop on any weight loss journey.
This easy to understand and detailed guide explains every aspect of the lemon ginger water detox, from preparation to implementation. If you are looking for a way to get healthy and to lose weight, then this is the guide for you. Drinking lemon-ginger tea before bed may help improve mindfulness and hydration. It may also reduce indigestion, nasal congestion, and more.
If you have difficulty falling or staying asleep, you may be looking for ways to get more rest.
Drinking an herbal tonic, like lemon-ginger tea, could be a soothing bedtime ritual to help put the day behind you.
Lemon-ginger tea is exactly what it sounds like: a gentle herbal infusion of fresh lemon and ginger — with a bit of sweetener like honey or agave nectar, if you choose.
You might be wondering if lemon-ginger tea has any unique health benefits. While it may not make you sleepy, it might help you wind down and relax and provide other benefits.
This article examines six benefits of bedtime lemon-ginger tea and explains how to make it. 1. Soothes indigestion
If chronic indigestion or a heavy dinner keeps you up later than you would like, a cup of lemon-ginger tea may be a great tonicTrusted Source before you head for bed.
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a root long used in alternative and folk medicine for its ability to alleviate the delayed emptying of your stomach.
What’s more, lemon (Citrus limon) contains a plant compound called limonene that aids digestion by helping move food along your digestive tract — potentially easing the uncomfortable feeling of fullness.
While the amount of limonene in a given cup of lemon-ginger tea will vary, you might find that the combination of lemon, ginger, and water in lemon-ginger tea calms indigestion. 3. May reduce nasal congestion
The steam generated from your hot lemon-ginger infusion may help open up your nasal cavities — helping clear a stuffy noseTrusted Source. Drinking something warm also soothes a sore throat from mucus buildup.
Although these effects are mostly anecdotal and supported by folk medicine, they may be useful to keep in mind during cold and flu season or if you experience seasonal allergies.
Lemon-ginger tea won’t cure you of any of these, but it may help loosen up congestion, allowing air to flow through your nose a little easier. 4. May relieve constipation
Constipation can result from several factors, including dehydration and a diet that’s low in fiber.
When constipation stems from dehydration, relaxing in the evening with a warm cup of lemon-ginger tea may help since water helps stool pass through your digestive tract more easily.
If you feel chronically constipated, be sure you’re drinking enough fluids throughout the day, too.
Speak with a healthcare professional if you have:
trouble having a bowel movement
less than three times a week
blood in stool
5. May help fight inflammation
Gingerol, one of the plant compounds found in ginger, boasts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Chronic inflammation is linked to conditions like metabolic syndrome, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and heart disease.
However, studies show mixed results on whether ginger has anti-inflammatory effects in people.
Plus, it’s worth keeping in mind that there isn’t enough research currently to know just how much gingerol is needed to achieve these effects — and how much of it you would actually get from drinking a typical cup of lemon-ginger tea. 6. Keeps you hydrated
When you drink lemon-ginger tea, you are, of course, drinking water — which means you’re hydrating your body.
This is important, because staying hydrated keeps vital organs, like your kidneys, gut, and heart, functioning properly.
How much water you need per day is affected by many factors, such as your medications, activities, and any health issues.
How to prepare lemon-ginger tea at home
Making lemon-ginger tea at home is easy. After all, you’re simply infusing water with fresh ginger and lemon.
Lemon-ginger tea
Makes one serving
Ingredients
1-inch (2.5-cm) piece of fresh ginger root, peeled
1/2 lemon, quartered and 1 fresh wedge for garnish
1 cup (237 mL) of water
honey or agave nectar, to taste
Directions
Combine the ginger and lemon with water in a small saucepan and allow to simmer on your stovetop. Let this steep for at least 10 to 15 minutes.
If you find the tonic too weak, consider grating in your ginger instead, or cutting the piece down into smaller chunks. You can also zest in some lemon peel if you want more lemony notes.
Stir in honey or agave nectar to taste, if you wish. Garnish with a fresh wedge of lemon.
You could also make a larger batch and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to warm it up again. To do so, multiply this recipe for a few days’ worth. www.healthline.com/nutrition/lemon-ginger-tea-before-bed
I think it was about 7:30am on the way to Honolua Bay. I'd hoped to slip into the water early to do some snorkeling before the crowds arrived. Traveling minimally without even a cell phone. If that doesn't make one feel naked I don't know what does. But detoxing from technology is a good thing. So I had my drivers license the room key, snorkel gear, water, and this point and shoot and not nearly enough coffee. I remember thinking I needed to return to this place with the better camera. More than that, I remember thinking this couldn't be real. Where was I? But maybe that was the lack of caffeine. While I did return another day for more snorkeling, I never did bring the better camera. Because traveling naked quickly becomes addictive. Especially in this magical place. Real or not.
When my mother was diagnosed with cancer the first time, I was 9. She was diagnosed again this summer and still fights against it. When I came back to London after spending long days in hospital, I felt that nothing was the same anymore. I was not the same anymore. I looked at my naked body's reflection on my windows and knew that this is my temple. We have one body throughout our life and we must love it. It is gloriously made of stars and memories and love. It is our vehicle in time. Our body flows our energy into the world and welcomes everything we let come into our life.
I have embraced who I am and love every bit of me. I shaved half of my head to show my support to my mother, I exercise frequently, I meditate more, I am looking forward to wake up and spread my yoga mat on my balcony in front of the city, I no longer eat meat, I rarely smoke, (only with wine and good company, busted), I drink less and less and most of all I detoxed from people who did not worth being part of my life. I express my feelings openly with honesty and love, protecting my heart, yet keeping it open, and I patiently repeat myself that I am perfect exactly the way I am. Blood and love in a girl's shaped flesh.
To love what is ahead, you must love what has come before.
Love, N.
You probably remember a time when there was no such thing as internet, Cable TV, or even fax machines. But now our everyday lives depend on these things. It's difficult to imagine how we ever managed without them. Many of us are so addicted to our cams, phone and blackberries that we go back if we accidentally leave it at home. Wrist watches are becoming a dying breed as most of our gadgets have digital clocks. I know many young school going boys who can't even tell time anymore on a conventional clock.
Maybe it is time to get back to nature. We have becomes robots - slaves to technology. and De-teching yourself is like detoxing. It might be a difficult at first but benefits are worth the effort.
Don't you want to enjoy the chance to relax, to get some fresh air, to admire the beauty of the earth? Nature expresses a sense of harmony in the world: no tree is too tall, no flower insignificant, no bird or rock is out of place.
At least we can do it for a while, De-tech ourself. Get back to nature. Get back to being human. What have we got to lose? Stress? Maybe you we 'll even find something we've already lost.... Like our sanity.
Taken: A View of Ratta Hotar Valley from somewhere on Trail 5C, Margalla Hills National Park, Islamabad, Pakistan.
I was on a photo outing with my friend Jim (some of his pictures can be found here)
www.flickr.com/photos/jamesmuckian/
and when we passed this house we were both kind of shocked. He turned around and we went back. The sign makes no sense, and the house painters should be detoxed and put away so they never do this to a house again.
Peces nadando en el Riachuelo. El agua levemente más clara, más fluida. La caída de la actividad industrial de la cuenca en un 60% se nota y no solamente en el agua, sino también en el aire de la zona más contaminada de la Ciudad. Un fenómeno que engrosa la lista de desintoxicaciones de cuarentena, liderada por los canales de Venecia y los despejados cielos de China.
Fish swimming in the creek. Slightly clearer, more fluid water. The fall in the industrial activity of the basin by 60% is noticeable and not only in the water, but also in the air of the most polluted area of the City. A phenomenon that swells the list of quarantine detoxes, led by the canals of Venice and the clear skies of China.
Location: Prague
Prague is full or Mercs and AMGs, and, in general, Czech people seem to love them "specc'd out". However, only one G 63 - something close to detoxing for a Berlin spotter.
A = Prague
Lipotropic shots are based upon organic nutrients such as Methionine, Inositol as well as Choline. These normally taking place substances aid the physical body to melt fat by boosting the metabolic process, specifically the metabolic process of fat. These shots additionally have a detoxing...
healthwellnessandlifestyle.com/lipotropic-b12-shots-purch...
no he is not dead. stay with me for second and i will come back to that..this is deeply personal to me. this was his last ride into another crappy sandy cesspool of despair in wonderful crack-a-stan...i left on vacation days before memorial day and was away from everything modern..no tv no radio no phones or laptops..ok i lie, i did have my phone. but we camped for 7 days and i was one with nature...cleared my brain of the everyday fog and stress of politics work life drama. the day 7 i came back to the real world and was able to enjoy every breathe i took. everything looked better smelled better sounded better. i was detoxed of all the noise and concrete and clutter of working in a world where everything goes by even when you sleep. never a moment to enjoy, just racing to keep up. trying to figure where you are...what you mean what it means...every year i take a week off and connect with nature and simple life..it recharges my soul and i am better for it and am able to wrap my mind and spirit around whats important the most. life family friendships journeys..i got back and called ty..was talking about how great life was...then i checked my email and life bitch slapped me back into real reality...i got an email from my brother...this is the note...
Ryan's Humvee hit a IED (roadside bomb) Sunday morning. It blow the whole front of the vehicle off. The engine, dash,floor......everything
gone.
The front tires were blown 300 yards away. The driver was trapped in the the vehicle, the guys in the front right seat and the gunner in the turret were blown out. Ryan was sitting in the back. He was thrown around and beat up. But other than a concussion and possible broken ribs, he is fine.
He is being sent to Kandahar today to be checked for internal injuries.
Ryan was able to get out of the vehicle and got the driver out. The
driver's legs were broken and on fire, his arm was broken and had a
"chunk of flesh" missing from his forearm. Ryan stabilized him and got the other two guys back with the vehicle and got them stabilized. He called for backup on his radio and the other team that was "2 clicks" away arrived.
He called in a medivac helicopter for his 3 guys and called in a
airstrike on the remains of the Humvee. Ryan returned to the "firebase" with the other vehicles. Along the way getting into a ten hour gun battle. He is supposed to call me today.
The link below is an article that XXXX just sent me.
Love
Dannny
>_http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18903114/_
>(http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18903114/)
>
>the part about the 10 hour clash
********************
it just brought so many emotions to me...some i am still not sure of...this war is destroying many lives on both sides so many deaths. the end of futures and families and memories . at the end of the day for what? for our ideals. for someone elses ideals. for egos for a new future for profit for god for ali for hatred for love.. i am not stupid by far and have read and listened and talked about this war. i cant get it. it makes little sense in many ways and a lot of sense in many ways. but to what end. who else will die. when one dies their family dies. their friends die. it takes a piece away from everyone. i wish my nephew who was a punk kid is..funny and crazy and living life to the fullest would come home. he wants no part of that he loves what he does and feels he has a purpose. that day he was on a 'mission' and caught a ride back on his way to the base. and got the snot blown outta him. he has helped build schools and hospitals and played with children and helped families that he could not speak the same language but he helped them anyway..a good deed has no language barrier. he saved lives and has seen horriable deaths .
he is doing what he thinks is right for a country that has no idea who he is or cares to know. he is my nephew i love him and want him to be safe.he is a hero. but maybe no one will ever know. he is just ryan. the guy next door smiling drinking a beer and making ppl laugh.there is more to this story but i cant say it..well you know big brother. i am southern and we are deeply connected to our families...i say that not to exclude other geo cultures but to define mine. my family is my blood. it is my glue. it is my everthing . when my family hurts i do.i am tired of hurting.
after drinking and smoking too much on an empty stomach at a wedding i vomitted and was led to my hotel room unable to walk..... took this one a few minutes after regaining conciousness...
Self.
Film.
The objective of Hijama is withdraw the bad blood, and produce blood.promote new blood circulation, improve the performance organs and the immune system as well as detoxing the body.
I swear ... I tried .... but it's stronger than my shutter button :D !!!! One of the TWO (2) HDR that I took in the hole trip .... :/ .... DETOXING !!!!!!
i call it a portrait. oh, and look! he has aces.
this is Marc,
my gracious host for my stay in the dominican republic,
he was my shoulder for three weeks as we bused it all over the southern island of new zealand 2 years ago
now i three weeksed it with him again in the DR... there was just more avacado, less kiwis this time.
Marc introduced me to campo life in San Jose, where he's stationed for another year and a half as a Peace Corps volunteer
he kept me fed (and from what i can tell, parasite-free despite warnings)
he translated for me, even though he did tell some people in the village that i only had half a brain and i couldn't defend myself
he hunted tarantulas for me
he cleaned his latrine for me
he gave me the window seats in the buses and crammed cars
he introduced me to the grilled cheese with ketchup
he sunblocked my back while i was campo detoxing at the beach
and he beat me in gin rummy every time we played.
except once.
arthritistreatment.one/treatment-of-psoriatic-arthritis/ Psoriatic arthritis is a combination of rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. It is an immune issue that can be treated naturally by balancing your immune system, detoxing your liver and taking the right joint protection supplements. #psoriatic #psoriasis #psoriaticarthritis #arthritis #health
A resident of the Regional Addiction Prevention (RAP) treatment facility at 1904 T Street NW named Harry (no last name) poses by the front doors sometime in 1973.
Ronald C. Clark, a co-founder of the RAP “pioneered a therapeutic approach to addiction aimed not just at detoxing the body but also the mind,” according to the Washington Post,
Clark was a bass player in the Charles Mingus band when addiction derailed his music career. After going through the Synanon treatment facility, he came to Washington, D.C. and never left.
The Post wrote upon his death in May 2019, “Many of his clients were African Americans, and he wanted to help them rid themselves of the poisonous effects of racism —the inferiority complexes, the low self-esteem, internalized oppression and self-hatred.”
“In a residential treatment setting that could last more than a year, patients studied African and African American history. Jazz musicians, black poets and artists performed and participated in group therapy sessions. Recovering addicts received nutrition counseling, reading lessons and job-skills training.”
The vintage Montgomery Spark wrote in 1971:
“The center’s approach is radically different from other ‘addict rehabilitation centers’ in the area. RAP operates as a collective, with staff and residents making decisions together.”
“RAP’s left-wing analysis of the heroin plague has led to attacks on the organization from reactionary elements who seek to capitalize on an addict’s plight through methadone maintenance or other exploitive methods.”
“RAP’s ‘success rate,’ as government authorities call it, has been remarkably higher than other types of treatment. This is probably because RAP’s residents learn that the root of the heroin problem lies in society’s illnesses, and by knowing this, the individual can better realize how to cope with their problems.”
Early counselors included radicals like Montgomery County’s John Dillingham that were supporters of the Black Panther Party.
RAP initially offered outpatient services before opening a residential facility at 1904 T Street NW in July 1970 and moved into the Willard Street property in 1973 when they were offered the facility for $1 in rent. They later opened other facilities in the District and Maryland.
Part of the program for the live-in treatment facility was community service. RAP organized to give out free vegetables and clothes, information on legal aid, welfare rights and where to find medical attention.
They worked to clean up the neighborhood around their facilities and ran workshops for the community called “survival teaching.”
RAP vigorously opposed the methadone as a drug that produced “Zombies” instead of instilling self-reliance.
Connie Clark, a co-director of RAP, said in a 1972 Washington Post interview, “Authorities like it because it cuts down on crime and makes people docile—easy to control. But all the same it addictive and babies born to methadone-taking mothers are addicts and persons on the drug are never free to think for themselves.”
RAP struggled financially in its first years of existence, holding benefits throughout the city to keep the facility functioning. Later grants from the city and private-pay residents would help to sustain it.
RAP adapted its treatment through the years as one drug epidemic after another swept through the city—heroin, crack, PCP, fentanyl—and everything in between, including alcoholism.
Nearly 50 years after opening, RAP describes itself, “RAP's overarching mission is to promote and enhance human health - physically, spiritually, emotionally and socially. Individualized intensive and comprehensive assessment and case management guarantee an all-inclusive care plan.”
“RAP, Inc. has served the Washington metropolitan area since 1970. We base our treatment approach on cultural values, respecting and supporting all individuals and their communities and recognizing that a client’s culture is an inseparable part of his or her self-image.”
“Teaching from the work of giants such as Malcom X, Frederick Douglass, and Maya Angelou who are models of recovery and overcoming abuse, we motivate clients to embrace the possibilities for their own sobriety.”
For more information and related images, see flic.kr/s/aHsmJB3Fvr
Photo by Reading/Simpson
A mural in Vancouvers' Downtown East Side (DTES) by local muralist SmokeyD marking the death of another illicit drug user.
In the first 9 months of 2024, at least 1.749 people have died from unregulated drug toxicity throughout the province of British Columbia. This represents an 8% drop from the same period in 2023 (1,896).
From the Vancouver Sun, 16 November, 2024 by Post Media columnist Sarah Grochowski.
Fol-low-ing his latest relapse in Octo-ber, Hardy — known as “Smokey-D” is grateful his friend Kevin Parker suggested he try an addiction treatment in Thailand.
Fol-low-ing his latest relapse in Octo-ber, Hardy — known for his mur-als rais-ing aware-ness of the opioid crisis and memori-al-iz-ing those lost to a toxic drug sup-ply — had shif-ted from using graf-fiti to help oth-ers to using it as an out-let for his own pain.
“It was 1 a.m. and these two guys showed up out of nowhere,” recalled Hardy, 55.
“One of them was Kevin, someone I used to party with back in the day. He said, `Hey man, we're here for you. Do you want to go to Thai-l-and?'
“I laughed and told him, `Yeah, right.' ”
But Kevin Parker wasn't jok-ing. Parker, a peer worker in the Down-town East-side, wanted to help his friend Hardy over-come his opioid addic-tion, just as he had over-come his own in 2009 after serving time in prison for steal-ing to fund his habit.
And he had a plan.
“People in the com-munity had been wor-ried about (Hardy). We found people in Thai-l-and who were will-ing to give back and spon-sor his treat-ment.”
Hardy is part of a grow-ing num-ber of Brit-ish Columbi-ans head-ing to Thai-l-and for addic-tion treat-ment, driven by a pub-lic health sys-tem stretched to its lim-its and the high costs of private treat-ment centres.
A 2017 Cana-dian Med-ical Asso-ci-ation report estim-ates that 60,000 Cana-dians travel abroad for med-ical treat-ment annu-ally, but there is no data on how many are Brit-ish Columbi-ans seek-ing addic-tion treat-ment.
“Word has been get-ting out about Thai-l-and,” said Parker. “People in both the harm-reduc-tion and recov-ery com-munity are decid-ing to spend their money on addic-tion treat-ment there because their money goes much fur-ther.”
Post-me-dia inter-viewed Hardy last Tues-day, about a month into his med-ical detox at The Hills, a licensed in-patient detox and addic-tion treat-ment facil-ity in Chi-ang Mai, Thai-l-and. He was gran-ted a six- to ninemonth schol-ar-ship for treat-ment.
Parker accom-pan-ied his friend Hardy on his entire jour-ney over-seas for the treat-ment.
In four weeks, Hardy has been med-ic-ally detoxed from all illi-cit drugs and has received one-on-one trauma coun-selling three times a week with a registered psy-cho-lo-gist, along with addi-tional ser-vices such as life skills train-ing, fit-ness pro-grams, and art ther-apy.
“The worst part was detox-ing from GHB (a type of depress-ant). I was curled up on the couch watch-ing Net-flix for about a week — but I had nurses and doc-tors check-ing in on me, giv-ing me med-ic-a-tion and food,” he said. “They've even put up fresh walls here for me to graf-fiti.”
For the past 17 years, Hardy had been using a mix of fentanyl, methamphet-am-ine, crack cocaine and GHB, along with leg-ally pre-scribed meth-adone, an opioid agon-ist, from a Down-town East-side addic-tion clinic to man-age with-drawal symp-toms.
A child-hood marked by poverty and viol-ence led Hardy to turn to drugs for escape — first marijuana at age 13, then heroin at 16, laced into a joint he smoked with a friend.
“I was addicted right away, and that's how I became `Smokey', ” he said. “I've tried to stay clean more times than I can count, but I was never able to stay off the dope for more than a few days.”
Every time Hardy tried to kick his drug habit in B.C., help was hard to find. He was just another name on a long pro-vin-cial wait-list for pub-licly fun-ded res-id-en-tial treat-ment.
Former Down-town East-side res-id-ent Brendan Fleury found him-self in the same situ-ation almost a year ago, hav-ing exhausted much of B.C.'s addic-tion treat-ment options for his opioid use dis-order.
Nearly a year ago, Fleury tried again to recover, trav-el-ling to Start Today, a licensed rehab-il-it-a-tion centre in Chi-ang Mai, Thai-l-and, after detox-ing at a Van-couver hos-pital.
The private rehab, which costs $7,000 a month, is not only more afford-able than most in Canada — where, accord-ing to the Canada Drug Rehab Addic-tion Ser-vices Dir-ect-ory, the aver-age cost for the same dur-a-tion is $9,000 — but Fleury also noted it offered more in terms of indi-vidual coun-selling ses-sions with licensed psy-cho-lo-gists and life-skills train-ing.
For Hardy, recov-ery is just begin-ning, but he is hope-ful that with wrap-around ser-vices that he's receiv-ing, he will finally turn his life around for good.
Fine. So if you really are what you eat, then what am I? Overly processed, packaged, artificial, disassembled, excessively sugary to cover up my lack of flavor, tasteless, empty, full of calories but not fulfilled boxed, bagged sitting on a shelf food? Or living in the sun, soaking up the rain, fresh organically grown, pesticide chemical free, sweet, flavor-able, nourishing, delicious, whole food?
Hm.
They say its insanity to do the same thing over and over and expect different results. So I really get it that its time detox my life of old patterns and make space for the new. Change needs to be made on every level. Detoxification of the Body part one. . . . Detoxing the Mind Next! HahaHa!!
Trip to the local health food joint and then to a local farmers market. $40 smackers later. . . . I realized I'm in a need of a battle plan and armory of weapons!!