Skip to main content

NADA-Europe to NADA-world status...Dr. Michael O.Smith

From the Desk of Dr. Michael O.Smith....
I am completing my first part of the post-NADA 2013 and pre NADA 2015 tour.  Rita’s program, Retretten, is closest program to Lincoln at this time.  It is a very fitting location for the elevation of NADA-Europe to NADA-world status.  It will be the 30th anniversary of NADA, and the 25th year of NADA-Europe.  
Rita visits 2 jails frequently.  There is the old city prison near Retretten.  This week senior and junior officers together with various regular inmate clients.
Everyone participated equally for over an hour—a wonderful letting go of status and validation of the human spirit of all.  Today we visited the most successful of the 14 addiction treatment center inside prisons.  Again a triumph of common sprit.  The program would be much more powerful if the more senior  prisoners were able to provide outreach and counseling for the  inmates in general population (an analogous situation to being in an outpatient program).  Such possibilities are impossible in most prison systems,  but Norway is more tolerant than most places.  Otherwise every inmate-patient must remain in a prolonged adolescence where adult challenges and growth are severely postponed.  Overly analysed plans create a weakness because nothing is ever really tested.  One of the secret benefits of Lincoln (or Retretten) is the ability to face challenges as soon as they happen.  Some people need stimulation for growth and not artificial delay of life’s issues.  Conversely, people may need more safety and  protection because the reality that seemed so easy in an artificial environment is more troubling in the light of day.

Having met the Retretten staff and volunteers over the recent years,  you can easily see their growth in counseling, acupuncture, and sober maturity that the program has helped them find.

                                                                More later,     MIKE  



Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

IAADS SMART Commitments Presented at the Second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine

The Indian Association of Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists (IAADS) submitted its SMART Commitments in support of the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034 , which were formally acknowledged at the Closing Ceremony of the Second Global Summit on Traditional Medicine , held in New Delhi on 19 December 2024 . Submitted by Dr. Ajay, President of IAADS , the presentation took place in the presence of the Honourable Prime Minister of India , the WHO Director-General , and the Honourable Union Ministers for Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH , highlighting India’s leadership in ethical, community-based Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) . The Indian Association of Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists (IAADS) is honoured to share that its SMART Commitments were among sixty global commitments submitted in support of the World Health Organization’s Global Traditional Medicine Strategy 2025–2034. These commitments were formally acknowledged during t...
Read more

The Future of Quitting: NADA Protocol and AI Transform Tobacco Cessation

Tobacco Cessation: From Inner Calm to AI-Driven Solutions —  A Path Shaped by NADA protocol In an era increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence and digital innovations, tobacco cessation strategies must evolve to address both emotional and technological dimensions. While AI-powered conversational solutions offer promising avenues to assist individuals in quitting tobacco and preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs), the most profound change often begins internally.  As Dr. Michael O. Smith, founder of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA), aptly stated, “NADA acupuncture teaches us to relax from the inside out.”  This internal transformation is crucial. Individuals, particularly adolescents, youth, women, and marginalized communities, often grapple with stress, trauma, or stigma, making discussions about tobacco use, mental health, or domestic violence challenging. To surmount these barriers, a fusion of compassionate, community-based met...
Read more

Indianizing Prevention and Restoring Human Dignity in Drug Response

  From Confrontation to Compassion: Indianizing Prevention and Restoring Human Dignity in Drug Response By *Suneel Vatsyayan The journey from confrontation to compassion in India’s drug response is not merely a professional reflection—it’s a personal one. It began for me in 1985, when I met a 16-year-old boy struggling with petrol sniffing. Brought by his mother to the Observation Home for Boys near Delhi Gate, this moment left an indelible impact. It was before I officially joined Navjyoti, but it became the seed of my lifelong commitment to humanizing addiction treatment. When I joined Navjyoti , established under the Delhi Police Foundation for Correction, De-addiction, and Rehabilitation in 1987, I came as a trained social worker—not just to treat symptoms, but to restore dignity. Back then, and still today, I hold this belief: No human being should be reduced to their addiction . The challenge of substance use is not merely medical—it is deeply social, cultural, and spiritual....
Read more