CLAREMORE —
Claremore Rotarians yesterday were visited by drug rehabilitation expert John Bitinas with Narconon, offering personal and candid truths about himself and about drug addiction.
“What Narconon is primarily, is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program, where people from all over the world come to get off of drugs,” Bitinas began. “I’m originally from Massachusetts, but about six years ago, I came to Oklahoma to go through this program as I used to have a problem with drugs — Narconon pretty much saved my life.
“I started using (drugs) when I was 7 years old,” he said. “I was told by my teachers and my counselor that I couldn’t sit still, and was diagnosed with ADD. I was then put on a drug called Ritalin. I was 7 and I was told I had to be put on a drug to be normal — at 7. I didn’t question this, but there are a lot of drugs out there. There’s alcohol, which I started drinking at 12, there’s marijuana when I was 14, and it just got worse.
“What I do (for Narconon) is travel around the country and speak to business organizations, civic groups and schools about the devastating truths of drug abuse,” he said. “Having lived through it myself, I can speak from a much more personal point of view. I talk about what drugs do to a person’s life and how there are really only three outcomes to drug addiction — prison, death, or sobriety. I’m blessed to be in the latter category.”
Much of the behavioral motivation behind drug addictions, according to Bitinas, involves problems and people’s inability to deal with them.
“At the bottom of every addiction is a problem in a person’s life that they don’t want to look at,” he said. “A problem is essentially an intention versus a counter-intention, or something that keeps them from doing it which creates confusion or misunderstanding.
“Every day, each of us has problems that we encounter and to deal with them, we have to formulate solutions,” he said. “The question becomes, how does a person go from having a problem in life to using drugs or alcohol as the solution to our problem? Here’s how — we live in a society where oftentimes, we’re desensitized to drugs; we see them on television, in the movies, we probably know people who use drugs or alcohol. There are often pro-drug or pro-alcohol influences in our lives, so when a person uses a drug to address or deal with a problem its use usually makes them feel better (about the problem). So they assign the drug a value, and when they encounter the problem, they’re increasingly likely to use the drug to deal with the problem — it can increasingly become their solution.
“But when drug addiction develops, a person uses that solution over and over and over again to the point that that instead of the solution, it soon becomes the problem,” he said.
Bitinas then discussed the physiological affects of drugs, particularly drug addiction, and the difficulty involved in detoxification and the return to sobriety.
Bitinas then answered questions from the audience before making available information regarding drug addiction and Narconon.
Health
Related Photos
-
Narconon Director of Drug Education John Bitinas was guest speaker at Tuesday’s meeting of the Rotary Club of Claremore, addressing the problem of drug addiction in America. PROGRESS PHOTO/Tom Fink
Drug education director addresses Rotarians
- Health
-
-
Claremore Regional getting new name
Change is coming to Claremore. Claremore Regional Hospital has announced it will unveil its new name during an invitation-only event March 6.
-
Oklahoma baby is 3rd sickened by rare bacteria
An Oklahoma baby is the third infant this month sickened by a rare type of bacteria sometimes associated with tainted powdered infant formula.
-
Have a heart healthy holiday
The holiday season begins with Thanksgiving and peaks with Christmas, but for many people, heart disease will impact a loved one or friend this year.
-
Drug education director addresses Rotarians
Claremore Rotarians yesterday were visited by drug rehabilitation expert John Bitinas with Narconon, offering personal and candid truths about himself and about drug addiction.
-
Adult smoking rate edges down slightly
Fewer U.S. adults are smoking and those who do light up are smoking fewer cigarettes each day, but the trend is weaker than the government had hoped.
-
Federal court tosses lawsuits over health reform
A federal appeals court in Virginia dismissed two lawsuits Thursday that had claimed President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul was unconstitutional, though it remains likely the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually decide whether the government can force individuals to buy insurance.
-
Trease to lead Red Cross board
Peggy Trease is the new Board Chair for the Rogers/Mayes/Wagoner County Service Center of the American Red Cross.
-
Cherokee Nation hosts free child care provider workshop
The Cherokee Nation is bringing child care expert Mansur Choudry to Stilwell to conduct a free workshop Thursday, Sept. 22 and Friday, Sept. 23. The workshop will be held at the Elderly Housing office, 400 N. Eighth St., and will take place in two sessions, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday. The sessions are part of a series of free child care provider development workshops hosted by Cherokee Nation and will focus on children with special needs and dealing with grief.
-
Hillcrest completes purchase of Claremore hospital
Hillcrest HealthCare System (HHS) has successfully completed the purchase of Claremore Regional Hospital as well as SouthCrest Hospital in Tulsa. The price and financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
-
Medical clinic opens at Port Plaza
Port industries now has more convenient access to medical services, as IMWell Health, LLC celebrated the grand opening of its newest clinic at Port Plaza.
- More Health Headlines
-
Raw Video: Deadly Bombing at Yemen Parade Preps
Professor: Chinese Activist's 'Spirit Is Good'
Ring of Fire Eclipse Seen in U.S., Asia
Golden Gate Bridge Celebrates 75 Years
G-8 Seeks Unity on Euro-debt Crisis, Iran
Prosecutors: Trio Planned to Attack Obama's HQ
Obama: G8 Unified in Stance on Iran, Syria
