continue to rise, as do large increases in ice-related ambulance call-outs. Addicts are from all strata of society;


apparently no one is immune. We are confronted by media reports that write up and frequently display clichéd, depressing stories about addicts, crime and disease, complete with distorted facts and sensational headlines. Is it it possible that our mainstream media has become part of the problem? We currently endure a dire lack of


inspirational stories that investigate how to convert problematic drug use into a powerful catalyst for positive, even amazing, personal change.


Every time we feed negative stereotyping about drug users, the stigma associated with drugs increases and it makes it harder for anyone to change.


thought I was God. Then I was the devil. My partner, gone. My baby girl, gone. My mind doesn’t work the way it should. I can’t face my friends. I haven’t left the house in weeks. The rumours are everywhere. Someone leaked. The media have started to show interest. There have been phone calls. I’m scared. If this gets out, I am totally f***ed…” Predominately a social drug, ice is


used mostly amongst friends, typically in a party setting, with weekends being the favourite time. Once taken, ice releases 1250 units of dopamine in the brain, our natural feel-good reward bio- chemical. By comparison, a pleasant sexual experience releases around 200 dopamine units. Do the maths: Taking ice feels six


times better than having sex – tough competition for what is arguably the most pleasurable activity we know.


psychosis and crippling depression when use ceases – an addiction to ice is destructive. The ‘highs’ are extremely powerful, love without fear, pure joy without despair, ecstasy without misery, clarity without confusion, one-ness without separation, pleasure without pain, transcendence without any hard work. The higher the level of these states,


the greater its power to reprogram a person’s entire life, and, as we are discovering, just one instant in a very high state can completely change a person’s orientation to life, as well as his or her goals and values. These higher states are so powerful that, once experienced, they are never forgotten, and are sought ever after. It is to this experience of higher states that people become addicted. According to the Eastern medical/ philosophical (cosmological) point


It looks grim, but is it really as hopeless as we are being lead to believe? Millions of people use drugs, both legal and illegal everyday, and intriguingly, the proportion of our population that uses stimulant drugs, such as ice, remains small. So what makes ice such a problem and is there a pragmatic, meaningful solution? …It’s November now, ‘Shane’ is in his


early 40s, formerly an elite level AFL player, respected by his peers, and loved by the fans of practically an entire state of Australia. I took the call. It’s 4am. “I’m in deep shit. I thought I could handle it. It got the better of me. I


Taking ice induces multiple effects, both mental and physical, such as intense pleasure, energy, alertness, a self-esteem boost, increased sex drive, longer lasting sex, erased tiredness, perceived freedom and reduced appetite. This equals weight loss, stronger self-confidence and the ability to work longer hours. However, as day follows night, and


as yin follows yang, the net negatives will, over time, outweigh the positives. Symptoms such as cramps, increased blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia, tachycardia, paranoia, anxiety, toxicity, overdose, coma and seizures. Add to that suicidal thoughts, paranoia,


of view, such higher states may be legitimately attained; through a lifetime of dedicated inner work. There is a systematic approach to re-capturing these high states without the need for ice or drugs in general.


Within the problem, is revealed the solution When people came to Guatama the Buddha for assistance, he often advised the following; “For the next 12 months, sit near to me, focus on your breath, be silent”. This technique is known in our modern time as ‘mindfulness’ and is gaining popularity and traction in our modern world.


JULY 2015 23


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