Apex Scotland
Over the last 6 years, Apex Scotland has made an investment to our volunteers and staff by enabling them to train to be NADA 5 point auricular acupuncture specialists.
We have found that including acu-detox through our service has enhanced our holistic approach to the individuals that we support back into employment, training or further education. This will continue to be offered for the foreseeable future as we have found this to be an invaluable part of our service delivery.
We currently offer treatments at our main office in Inverness, our satellite office which is based in Alness and more recently in partnership with HMP Inverness. Our sessions are offered once a week for relaxation and have high attendance numbers both in prison and the community.
Katrina Beattie, Personal Development Mentor, Apex Scotland, Inverness
ACU-DETOX and NEW HORIZON
New Horizon has been using Acu-detox in our programme for the past 13 years and it has become an integral part of our service. All staff in New Horizon are Acu-detox Practitioners. There is at least one group session every day and sometimes two with individual treatments administered on request. We have over 5,000 treatments administered every year.
Recent feedback from service users included, “The acupuncture has had an effect on my sleeping pattern. I am no longer awake till the early hours. I am getting a good nights’ sleep and no longer have that horrible knotted feeling in my stomach.”
Acu-detox has been influential in helping stabilise sleeping patterns, modify mood and emotions and assist in the process of detoxification when people are coming off Methadone and other substances. Treatments facilitate relaxation and introduce service users to clarity of mind that is essential if they are to deal successfully with their addiction issues and future recovery.
Henry Curran, Project Leader, New Horizon
Turning Point Scotland
Acu-Detox Training Workshops currently provide training in NADA Acu-Detox 5-point protocols to a range of organisations.
Turning Point Scotland a registered charity and voluntary organisation who provide a range of services to adults with complex and challenging support needs across many care groups.
Turning Point Scotland staff have been using NADA Acu-Detox 5-point protocols in their substance misuse services for many years both as a tool to help address withdrawal and work towards stability and abstinence, and as a complementary therapy for relaxation purposes.
In both residential and day services, regular acupuncture has been found to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal, improve sleep and reduce anxiety. In some Turning Point Scotland services Acu-Detox forms a core element of service delivery and in others, it is an optional additional service.
Acupuncture and ‘Legal Highs’….Our Experience at GDCC
At the Glasgow Drug Crisis Centre we have been practicing acupuncture with service users wishing to detox from heroin for a number of years, with great success. However recently we have seen a new trend emerging and we have begun to engage with clients who are using ‘legal highs’. In supporting people to reduce and ultimately cease the use of ‘legal highs’ staff have been providing acupuncture as an effective intervention.
Service users have reported much the same benefits as those who are detoxing from other drugs, citing that they are able to feel positive changes to their mood and mental health concerns. In particular they have shared feeling more relaxed, less anxious and better able to gain restful sleep overnight. Service users who have used this element of our service have been particularly appreciative of the support we offer, citing that they didn’t know who else to approach as they were fearful about approaching traditional medical services such as their local GP.