We were delighted to host our 29th joint conference with the Royal College of General Practitioners in Manchester in January.
Key themes over the 2 day event included alcohol-related harm, with presentations from Dr Julia Lewis, Consultant Addiction Psychiatrist who discussed alcohol related brain injury, and Dr Roger Prudham, Consultant Gastroenterologist who presented on alcohol related liver disease. There were also sessions on detox and beginner sessions for those new to the sector. All speakers pointed to the alarming rise in alcohol deaths, and the need to provide prevention as well as treatment to those at risk.
Dr Caroline Copeland, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology & Toxicology, King’s College London and Dean Acreman, Project Manager of WEDINOS covered the alarming rise in drug-related deaths, and the importance of analysing and understanding the data, and putting this into practice. Nitazines were discussed amongst other concerning trends.
There was a fascinating presentation on the issues related to sex and pornography addiction from Dr Paula Hall, Senior Accredited Psychotherapist. This little-discussed issue has prevalence rates similar to gambling addiction and causes significant harm. If you would like to find out more, Paula is presenting 2 Premium CPD membership webinars soon.
Another key theme at the conference was how to work with trauma, together with the links between adverse childhood experiences (ACES), trauma and addictions. Dr Warren Larkin, Consultant Clinical Psychologist discussed trauma and resilience-informed practice and Danny Ahmed, Clinical Director Cranstoun and Senior Clinical Lead Addiction Professionals, discussed ways to deliver opiate substitute prescribing in a trauma informed manner. We need to be aware of how people who have experienced trauma navigate services, and how we can meet their needs.
We also had a strong flavour of what is happening in Manchester, with presentations from Kate Green, Deputy Mayor and Shaun Jackson, GP Urban Village Medical Practice on his work with homeless people. Finally we looked at how the prescription pad and formal treatment settings are often a small part of support people into recovery. Fallen Angels Dance Company gave a moving performance followed by a question and answer session about the role dance plays in recovery and Maff Potts, Director/General Nuisance, Association of Camerados discussed how their public living rooms aim to provide places for people to support each other.
We are already beginning to plan for next year's event which will be our 30th and we look forward to seeing you there!
Other News & Events