State Expects Greater Interest in Treatment Following TV Series

A series premiere is scheduled Wednesday at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

(SALEM) - State officials say they are preparing to meet heightened interest in treatment and recovery growing out of a 14-part HBO series on addictions that begins Thursday.

"We're hoping people will watch the series, engage in local town-hall meetings and home discussion groups, and learn that addiction is really a treatable brain disease," said Bob Nikkel, Oregon Department of Human Services assistant director for addictions and mental health.

Nikkel said the HBO series, featuring personal stories and expert interviews, has added credibility because it was produced in cooperation with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Institute on Drug Addiction, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and others.

"One in four Americans has a family member who is struggling with addiction," according to the www.addictionaction.org Web site that is promoting the television series. It says 23.2 million Americans needed treatment in 2005. In Oregon, an estimated 410,173 adults and 99,252 youth need treatment, with approximately 69 percent of adults and 35.6 percent of youth who are believed to need publicly financed treatment actually receiving it.

• For alcohol or other drug treatment, call the DHS-financed Oregon Partnership helpline at 1-800-923-HELP (1-800-923-4357). • For problem-gambling treatment, call 1-877-2-STOP-NOW (1-877-278-6766). • Or contact your local county mental health department, listed in the government (blue) pages of the phone book.

A series premiere is scheduled Wednesday at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.

"A key message of the series is people should not be afraid to discuss addictions and should not hesitate to help loved ones seek treatment or enter needed treatment for themselves," Nikkel said.

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Albert Marnell March 14, 2007 4:05 pm (Pacific time)

Underlying most chemical dependency are emotional problems and yes even disabilities. Some people need to be on medications even the vilified benzodiazepines. Every case is different and remember that everything is a business; even rehabs. Some people have a broken heart, spirit, psyche, nervous system ie. PTSD. There is no magic solution. There is no one size fits all. We live in such a sad state of affairs that some people watch "Dr. Phil" to find direction. Some people need personalized help that requires lifetime support. Rehabs can be live savers for many people but there is no fix it factory. Some people are chemically dependent for reasons that we do not even know despite what the "experts" say. Some people need permanent support outside of a confined setting and we all have different levels of memory, sensitivity, insight, intuition, feeling and such. You never know what another person is going through or why they feel the way they feel. There is usually a reason and comparisons are not logical. Let's help people but not get into a Volstead Act state of mind. Some people can use fantasy and delusion to get though life, others are too intelligent or honest with themselves. Some people need to be on chemicals for life. I have seen too many situations where people think that abstinence is a must in the same way that they think religion is a must. Let each person be able to consult with a professional who is not influenced by big pharma indirectly......lots of luck on that one.

Hank Ruark March 13, 2007 3:40 pm (Pacific time)

Every Oregonian should help "get the word around" on this one. If NOT for family member on alcohol or death-sticks, for close friends: "One in four Americans has a family member who is struggling with addiction"; 23.2 million Americans needed treatment in 2005. In Oregon, an estimated 410,173 adults and 99,252 youth need treatment, with approximately 69 percent of adults and (ONLY !) 35.6 percent of youth who are believed to need publicly financed treatment actually receiving it. Anyone still wish to kill death-stick tax-rise ? Step up and ID-self AND reasons !!

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