Author: alteredhigh

Groups Update

The days of our groups are changing, but don’t worry, we have all the information right here!

Get With It group will be running on a Tuesday evening from 18:00-19:30. The next group starts on the 30th of April. For more information click here

Whānau Group group will be running on a Thursday evening from 18:00 – 20:00. The next one starts on the 9th of May. For more information click here

If you would like to talk to us about attending one of the groups feel free to call 09 845 1893 (Monday – Friday 08:30 – 16:30)

You may already be aware through the media that there have been a number of deaths and multiple presentations to the ED’s across Auckland thought to be due to synthetic cannabis.

If you or anyone takes a substance and become acutely unwell, dial 111 and request an urgent ambulance.

Synthetic cannabinoids are much  more potent (strong) than natural cannabis (up to 20 times). They also act on the brain’s chemical signalling system more directly than natural cannabis (block brain receptors fully versus only partially). This means that their effects are way more stronger.

The recent deaths and presentations may be the result of some new super potent synthetic cannabinoid or the substance may be laced with other unknown chemicals . Alternatively it could be some completely unrelated substance or poison that is being sold as a ‘Synthetic’.

Be careful out there. Is it worth poisoning yourself (to death) just to get high?

If you or anyone takes a substance and become acutely unwell, dial 111 and request an urgent ambulance.

CADS Youth Service has lots of experience with helping people to detox and stop using synthetic cannabis (and natural cannabis). Refer yourself or your young person if you want more info or help.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR ‘FAMILY & FRIENDS GROUP’.

The evening provides an opportunity to talk about your concerns related to your young person’s substance use, and how this is impacting on the family and importantly yourselves. We provide a supportive place to share, receive support, and explore potential approaches to your concerns. It also provides:

• A safe place where you can voice the many stresses and emotions this brings, and feel heard and understood in a non-judgemental way
• Ask questions and gain knowledge on alcohol & drugs, youth development, and the interaction of these.
• Explore potential parenting strategies to addressing your young person’s substance use and behaviours, and recognise what is working as well.
• Contemplate your next step on the way forward with support from the Altered High counsellors and from other parents
• An important focus of the Evening is on how you are coping, how family look after themselves, self-care skills and support networks.

WE ARE STARTING TO OFFER THE FAMILY & FRIEND GROUP ON WEEKLY BASIS – EACH WEDNESDAY FROM THE 1ST FEBRUARY 2017

START 18.00-20.00, CADS ALTERED HIGH OFFICES IN KINGSLAND
THIS IS A FREE ON CHARGE SERVICE

WE WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU COULD CALL OUR DUTYLINE ON 845 1893 ON THE DAY, OR PRIOR TO THE DATE, TO LET US KNOW YOU ARE INTENDING TO COME.

ARRIVAL INFORMATION
Parking: is located behind the building. Please ensure you park at ‘Visitors’ or WDHB. Unmarked carparks are tow away. Take the lift under the building to Level 2, as level 1 is the CADS Central Adult service.

CADS Youth Service – Alcohol and Drug Brief Intervention Group

This group is specifically designed for young people who:

• are using drugs and alcohol and may wish to make changes or are just concerned
• work full time and need to access support after business hours
• have legal issues – Diversion, Probation, Police involvement or other

Age range: 16-19

Participants will receive a certificate acknowledging their attendance.

Timing – 18.00-19.30

First 2015 group starts: Thu 28th January – finishes: Thu 18th February
Runs for 4 weeks

Venue: CADS Altered High
409 New North Road, Kingsland
Parking at the rear of the building

Call us: 845 1893

Here is a Flyer that you can print off and post if you like…

We love feedback and so we have made a few survey monkey questionnaires so that you can provide it.

It’s all on a new page so go here and feed us…

 

 

Yes it’s that time of year again; warm jumpers, electric blankets and magic mushrooms start appearing here and there.

There are many varieties of magic mushrooms out there, 190 to be exact, 9 of which can be found in New Zealand. Know what you are doing; picking the ‘wrong’ kind of mushroom is common and extremely dangerous as the ‘wrong mushrooms’ are often highly toxic and can cause death.

• Mushrooms contain Psilocybin which is an hallucinogenic drug.
• Mushrooms are a Class A drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act. This means that the maximum penalty for possession of mushrooms is 6 months imprisonment and/or $1,000 fine. The maximum penalty for supply (giving it to your mates) is life imprisonment
• Different types of magic mushrooms vary in strength and effect. Things like age, recent rain and soil conditions can make a difference – even mushrooms from the same patch can be more toxic than others. It is therefore impossible to know how much psilocybin you’ve taken and how stoned/wasted you’ll become.
• Sometimes psilocybin can give you an experience that you didn’t anticipate – a bad trip – and that can be very scary. When using ’shrooms ‘Less is More’.

What to expect:
An average trip can last 4-6+ hours though it might seem to last much longer because of psilocybin’s ability to alter the perception of time. The ‘peak’ happens within the first 3–4 hours when users experience a feeling of well-being, ‘hallucinations’ usually in the form of distorted visual perceptions; a loss of touch with reality possibly seeing or hearing things that aren’t actually there; and time, space and body image is distorted.

Other short term effects can include:
Dry mouth, exaggerated reflexes, dilated pupils, blurred vision, confusion, disorientation and possibly agitation, numbness, muscle weakness and twitching, dizziness, nausea and vomiting and fluctuating body temperature.

Food for thought – The safest use is no use.
Helpful links:

[I] Hallucinogens psychedlics_CADS MAY 2015

http://www.welltrust.co.nz/Magic_Mushrooms

http://www.drugfoundation.org.nz/matters-of-substance/about-drug-psilocybin

http://www.police.govt.nz/advice/drugs-and-alcohol/illicit-drugs-offences-and-penalties

The Substances and Choices Scale or the SACS, is a questionnaire that Altered High workers use routinely with young people who attend our service.

It’s useful to help get an idea of the range of difficulties young people might have with their alcohol and/or drugs. It’s also used it to measure progress… if your SACS score goes down, that good!

You might be interested in doing the SACS as a way to see if your alcohol and drug problems are serious or not.

If you’d like to check it out there is an electronic test here. If you score 3 or more on the SACS it might be worth talking to someone a bit more about things. If you score 5 or more, it could be worth considering some treatment.

If you live in the Auckland get in touch. That’s why we are here.

From Monday 8th June Waitemata DHB has a new service that’s FREE for the public. You can download information about any mental health or addiction medication that you are prescribed.

The leaflets can be printed off. The information can be shared with friends and family.

Go to: http://www.choiceandmedication.org/waitemata/ to find the website. If you want, you can click on the survey link and tell Waitemata DHB what you think.