Encouraging Community Wellness for Behavioral Health (Addiction,NCDs and Mental Health)

Dealing with depressive disorders - Setting up of Peer counseling and ear acupuncture based alcohol treatment and rehabilitation services in Border Security Force (Punjab Frontier) Depression is one of the most common mental disorders found in the general community and in th workplace. Depression is characterized by sadness, fatigue, a loss of interest in most activities, and lack of energy. Other features, such as insomnia or hypersomnia, loss or gain of appetite, a tendency to blame oneself, and difficulty concentrating are often present. In its most serious forms, it can lead to suicidal thoughts and eventually to suicide (World Health Organization, 2001). Depression can be difficult to diagnose and can manifest as physical symptoms, such as headache, back pain, stomach problems, or angina. The workshops with BSF personnel were intended to relate to the depression created due to work stress and stigma by branding of alcohol users. The peer group counselors were trained in the work

Mr.Suneel Vatsyayan shared his experience as part of discussions on setting up of drop in center and how use of ear acupuncture can provide the drug users an opportunity to feel strength within them before they commit themselves to enter in to treatment & rehabilitation program.Mr.Vatsyayan shared Nada project activities of ARPAN (Association of Recovering Peer Action Network), an action network for trauma-related to drugs, & HIV/AIDS. The 7th AFTC Conference was held in Siam City Hotel, Bangkok from 10th November till 12th November 2008 organised by The Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Programme (CPDAP), National Council on Social Welfare of Thailand (NCSWT), Asian Federation of Therapeutic Community (AFTC), Office of Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and funded by Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL). 132 delegates from 15 countries around Asia participated in the conference with its theme ‘ Sharing What Works’

Real Medicine Foundation Blog We have 7 trainees: 4 are already "NADA specialists," proficient in theauricular acupuncture and with 6 months of experience giving thousands oftreatments. 2 are also from the Kenyan refugee community; nurses that were not able to ...< http://realmed.gsood.com/2008/12/07/16/ > Real Medicine Foundation Blog< http://realmed.gsood.com/ >

sir plz intimate us bout ur training schedule n timings... we really enjoyed ur presence & acupuncture really left us in a balanced state....waitin 4 ur reply. with warm regards Dr Uttam Spym,vasant kunj.

The Hindu Online edition of India's National NewspaperSaturday, June 02, 2001 http://www.hinduonnet.com/2001/06/02/stories/14022185.htm Twisting your child's ears may not have daunted him into burning the midnight oil and securing good marks in the board examinations or, in fact, shunning that smoking or drinking habit, but pricking a few needles in his ears might just be the cure you are looking for. Auricular or ear acupuncture is not something that has been practiced in India for long, but it surely is being projected as the next big stress buster after meditation. Unlike acupuncture, which involves use of needles in various parts of the body, auricular acupuncture uses just five or three points in the ear. And if specialists are to be believed, the method can be used for helping students get over post-examination anxiety and stress. With the CBSE results just out, the Caring Foundation, an NGO, organised a special counselling programme for students outside the CBSE building

EAR ACUPUNCTURE, COUNSELING AND ADDICTION TREATMENT- AN INTRODUCTION MICHAEL O. SMITH, MD, Dac**SUNEEL VATSYAYAN MSW, ADS (NADA)*** http://ncdap.nisd.gov.in/articles2.php More than 100 counselors, Social workers, Doctors, Yoga therapists and Peer Support Counselors from different parts of India have been trained to use ear acupuncture for addiction treatment and Rehabilitation as per NADA five-point treatment protocol. These people who are already working in different addiction treatment settings have completed seventy hour apprenticeship training as Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist (ADS). The model put forth by NADA allows an ADS to practice the limited, pre-defined five point needle protocol for the treatment of addictions. The ADSs do not do differential diagnosis or treatment; their role is somewhat analogous to a technician, although the word specialist more accurately captures the clinical reality of providing addiction treatment. As stated in the NADA brochure,

The NADA Protocol http://www.acudetox.com/ In the mid-1970s, Michael Smith, a medical doctor at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx area of New York, modified an existing system of auricular acupuncture into a simple technique for the treatment of many common drug addictions as an alternative to methadone. This selection of ear points proved to be extremely effective in the treatment of addictions, and became what is now referred to as the “NADA protocol.” ...... While the NADA protocol is an important component of any detoxification program, it is by no means the only component. A patient’s behavior and attitude, along with the perceptions of the clinician delivering care, are also integral to successful treatment. The NADA protocol is often used with other treatment modalities, such as counseling, support groups and self-help programs, to increase the overall effectiveness of care....Read more http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/nadaprotocol.php