Change of Address

I have decided to move this blog to a new location. My aim is to provide a lot more content focusing on fighting addiction and getting the most from recovery. You can find the new blog here

In this episode we discuss the benefits of meditation for those suffering or recovering from addiction.

Don’t forget to check out the Dead Drunk Facebook Page

Music for this week’s podcast comes from Doug and Judy Smith

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Should Ireland Send Addicts to Thailand?

A recent article in the Irish Herald newspaper referred to some of my ideas about sending Irish addicts for treatment in Thailand. I would just like to expand on some of the issues raised in order to give a fuller
explanation of my views. It is not my intention to come across as some sort of evangelist for any temple detox program in Thailand, but merely to suggest an option that I feel could work for some addicts.


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Theories about Substance Abuse and the Models of Addiction

The way that a substance abuse treatment program will deal with substance abuse will usually depend on which of the models of addiction they subscribe to. Many attempts have been made throughout history to provide a reason as to why some people abuse alcohol or drugs to such an extent that they harm themselves and others. The behavior of the addict can really baffle those around them and the addict themselves will often be at a loss to explain their destructive behavior.

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Mindfulness Addiction Cure?

Can Meditation Beat Substance Abuse?
A mindfulness addiction cure would be something that would be welcome by many people. There is a lot of interest in the possibility of using mediation as a means to combating substance abuse. Alcohol and drug abuse is
recognized as contributing to a whole host of personal and societal problems. In this article I will discuss my own experience of using mindfulness as an addict and in recovery.

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Addiction and Recovery Podcast 23 - The Response to Dead Drunk

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Don't forget to check out the Dead Drunk Facebook Page

Music in today's podcast is from Doug and Judy Smith.

Addiction and Recovery Podcast 22 - Dealing with Difficult Times in Recovery

In this podcast I discuss my recent experiences of dealing with difficult times in recovery.

Don't forget to join the Dead Drunk Facebook Page if you want to find out what is happening with the book.

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Dead Drunk After Three Years

It has been almost three years since I first began writing my account of addiction and about my time spent in Thamkrabok temple detox. So much has happened during that time, and my life has changed in so many ways. For one thing my son came along and that certainly shook my world, but things have been unpredictable in other ways as well. When I first began posting some of my experiences as a blog it was just a way to get things off my chest; there was no way that I could know that this would all lead to an actual published book. Yet here we are; today for the first time I held the finished product 'Dead Drunk' in my hands.

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Is Wat Thamkrabok the Magic Cure for Addiction?

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The Vomiting Ceremony of Wat Thamkrabok

Wat Thamkrabok is famous for its vomiting ceremony. In fact when this temple detox is mentioned in the western media it is usually this that gets the most attention. This is hardly surprising as the practice is just so unique; there are also those individuals who would even see it as extreme. The vomiting is an important component of addiction treatment at Wat Thamkrabok, but it is only a part of it.

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Public Talk in Dublin

As Part of the promotion for my book "Dead Drunk" I will be giving a talk on the fourth of May in the Irish Writer's Centre. This will be open to anyone who wants to come. Here are the details;

Title: Does Wat Thamkrabok Offer a Wonder Cure for Addiction?
Venue; Irish Writer's Centre Parnell Square
Time: 19:00 4 May 2010
Click for Directions

Advice for People Considering Addiction Treatment at Thamkrabok

The Thamkrabok temple detox is becoming an increasingly popular choice for those hoping to escape the misery of substance abuse.

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Free Treatment at Wat Thamkrabok

The treatment at Wat Thamkrabok is provided freely; although most people will give a donation to the temple at the end of their trip. Those who can only afford the plane ticket to Thailand will be welcome no matter how much money they have with them; nobody is ever turned away.

There are some organisations that can assist people to get to the temple and some of these may have costs involved. It should be noted though, that there is no requirement to use these services or pay anything. This is optional; plenty of people make their way to the temple without the need. You can find some useful information here;

Latest News about Dead Drunk

It is now only a few weeks away until the release of my book Dead Drunk - 30th of April. My publisher Maverick House is arranging for some radio appearances in Ireland and there is also going to be a public talk somewhere in Dublin. Other exciting promotional activities are also being planned - exciting for me at least. I will let people know as soon as more details are available.

Please feel free to join my Dead Drunk page on Facebook.
Dead Drunk Fan Page

Addiction and Recovery Podcast 20 - Dead Drunk

In this episode I discuss my new book Dead Drunk and what prompted me to write it.

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Dead Drunk Cover

This is to be the cover for my new book Dead Drunk which will be available in book stores across Ireland, the UK, and Asia from 30th of April 2010.

Spiritual Enlightenment; The Damndest Thing by Jed McKenna - Book Review

Jed McKenna claims to be enlightened; this is what he says in Spiritual Enlightenment; the damndest thing. I don't know if that is true or not but what I do know is that he has some interesting ideas to share. In this book he said some things that challenged some of my own beliefs and opinions. What really surprised me was that by the end of the book some of my ideas and opinions had changed. Not because I believe that Jed McKenna is some higher spiritual being, I don't really care about this, but because what he said felt convincing; you know that feeling when you read something and you just know it's true.

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Just Giving Up Drinking Alcohol May Not Be Enough

The term dry drunk syndrome can seem a bit confusing; after all if someone isn't drinking how can they possibly be a drunk? Well the dry drunk definition refers to a form of negative behavior that some people can exhibit even though they are not drinking alcohol.

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A Dream Come True - Dead Drunk Will Hit Bookstores Soon

Less than four years ago my life was a mess. I had been an alcoholic for almost two decades and had lost all hope of there ever being an escape. I had hit my first treatment centre before even leaving my teens and had been in and out of recovery groups every few years since that time. I had tried and failed at every addiction method that I could find and had been told that my liver was damaged. I was in my late thirties and had ended up somehow living in a Thai village; I was waiting to die.

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