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Sankalpa is a holistic centre that works with people who are seeking support to detox off methadone.

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Archive for March, 2012

Sankalpa Recovery Group

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

By David Staunton, Project Worker at Sankalpa.

A seed of an idea is growing strong here in Sankalpa over the past two months.  I refer to the Sankalpa Recovery Group which takes place every Tuesday Afternoon from 3.00 to 4.30pm. The group is in response to people from the Finglas and Cabra area who have indicated their desire to become drug free.

Some individuals who have successfully participated in their personal programme here at Sankalpa and who saw a need for support on their journey forward, are also attending and have brought great wisdom, kindness and direction to the group.  The group members to date have drawn up their own guidelines on how they want to see it run and grow, and the ownership that has resulted from this self- managed, self -directed approach, offers both positivity and ownership to participants.

I have a lot of respect for anyone who finds the courage to attend a recovery group.  All the challenging steps which somebody has to take, days, weeks, months, maybe years weighing up the decision.  The courage in dialling a telephone number, speaking about how they are right now to someone on a phone, walking into the group for the first time, meeting other’s – both known and unknown, sharing in the group for the first time and hearing your own voice share feelings and emotions which have remained hidden for many years.  This is certainly no easy task and my heartfelt appreciation and admiration goes out to those who try.

And that is the point – it is about trying.  Trying something else, something different, something new.  It is about trying to develop new behaviours which will serve you well.  At Sankalpa, we believe that you will always know best, you will always know what it is that you have to do in order to become the person you have always wanted to be.  The best we can do is offer you support with this ‘new direction’, affirm you for both your achievements and your courage in trying.  Recovery will take as long as it takes, but Sankalpa and the participants of the Tuesday afternoon group are there with you every step you take on your path.

So, if you want to join us and see your own seed grow and prosper in the Sankalpa Recovery garden, we are right here, right now…

Where are you?

For more information, or to discuss confidentially how Sankalpa may support you, please contact David on 01 8302690 or email: dstauntonsankalpa@gmail.com or you are welcome to just drop in.

Pascal Donoghue TD visits Sankalpa

Monday, March 5th, 2012

Pascal Donoghue TD for Dublin Central visited Sankalpa recently as part of our political awareness campaign.  Drug services have not aways spent enough time telling the story of the work they do.  Too often we take for granted that people understand the work of drug rehabilitation services.  We just get on with the work and believe that people are aware of what we do.  However this is not always the case and more and more services need to improve their relations with the media, politicians and other key stake holders.  We can not take for granted anymore that our politicians know what we are doing, we have a responsibility to ensure that they know.  Its a two way process, as the we can educate the politicians as to the work we do and the challenges we face.

Pascal arrived on his bicycle after getting lost on the Ballyboggan road.  However I was impressed with his mode of transport as a cyclist myself.  Pascal was friendly and warm to our service users and staff and after a brief meeting with myself, Pascal met with a number of participants to listen to their fears and anxieties around the cuts to CE and social welfare benefits.  The session was very engaged and Pascal was reminded by one of the participants ‘remember, we vote now!’.  And so goes out the reminder to all politicians that Sankalpa is raising the political conscientious of service users from Finglas and Cabra.  Too often politicians think that once their elected they can do what they want.  Sankalpa would like to promote a participatory democracy.  A democracy that is built on genuine participation.  Too often our citizens are excluded after the general election has ended and the votes have been counted.  Lets start changing that and call our politicians to account to us the voters on a regular basis.  Lets get more politically active!

Dr. Tom O Brien

Manager of Sankalpa