Declan Murphy believes an alternative type of addiction treatment may be beneficial, writes Kitty Holland
Deep in the Wicklow mountains a Norwegian revolution is unfolding in drug and alcohol addiction treatment.
Or so those behind a new drug treatment centre, at a secret location in the county, passionately believe. Forest - the name of the centre - will provide "fresh thinking, evidence based treatment and plain speaking on the true dynamics of your condition."
Aiming their services at the high-achieving, professional and executive client, those behind the Forest centre expect alcohol and cocaine will be the main problem substances for their clients. They open the doors on September 12th.
Director Declan Murphy argues there is a need for another option in drug treatment here.
"While almost all drug and alcohol treatment options in this country rely on either the Minnesota 12-step approach, or heavily on medication, the Forest centre will be different."
He points to a recent report from the drug misuse section of the Health Research Board which found a trebling in demand for drug treatment services in recent years. Among its conclusions was that treatment providers must be "capable of adjusting treatment approaches in accordance with changing patterns". Forest will deliver a different approach, he says.
Key to the difference at Forest will be the use of "motivational interviewing", a technique pioneered by behavioural psychotherapist Dr William Miller in Norway in 1983. Working with him in developing the approach was Dr Tom Barth, now Treatment Director at Forest.
Murphy met Barth about two years ago, when living in Norway and seeking treatment for, and with, his wife. She had had a severe cocaine problem and though she became "clean" through a 12-step programme, "we realised she just was not going to make it with just the self-help groups. They were just not focused or detailed enough, there was a clear need to explore all sorts of other issues, she needed to be repositioned - to remove the motivation to lapse."
Barth's work with Murphy's wife was hugely successful. Coincidentally, while Barth was seeking new work, Murphy had a "hankering to do something in Ireland". His business partner in Forest is Bill Cullen, Chairman of Renault Ireland.
The motivational interviewing technique, which has been elaborated upon and refined, treats addiction not as a disease over which the sufferer is powerless, but fundamentally as a motivational problem which the addict ultimately has the power to resolve.
One definition describes it as "a directive, client centred counselling style for eliciting behaviour change by helping to explore and resolve ambivalence."
One aspect of this, says Murphy, is treating people as adults. Rather than telling addicts they have an illness that must be "cured" with a solution imposed from without, Forest will seek to motivate change from within, he says.
"We will start with the positive, focus on the health of the individual, focus on what they have going in their lives, whether that be their families, jobs, friends. We're not going to be confrontational, not going to focus on the 'disease'."
Contrary to many experts' opinions, Murphy insists an addict does not need to hit "rock bottom" before successfully seeking treatment.
He refers to the cycle of addiction, which sees the user move from "pre-contemplation" - when in denial there is a problem - to "contemplation", through "action" and finally, "maintenance". While many believe the addict must move past contemplation, into a "rock bottom" phase before taking action, Murphy says action can be taken as soon as the addict is in contemplation. "We catch people early in the cycle."
He disagrees with the suggestion someone caught in the social whirl of drink and drugs, who has not reached rock-bottom, will not yet want to give up the lifestyle.
"Of course they like the high of substance abuse, but their self esteem is already so small. When they're being honest with themselves they all want to change before rock-bottom. But often the other alternatives [in treatment options] are either so unattractive that they have to hit rock bottom before they would want to go, or it's demanded that they do.
"I guess we start with the individual instead of the disease. We're not here to denigrate the value and results achieved by psychiatric medical based treatment, and the Minnesota 12 step method," he stresses. "But the 12-step method in particular does not always suit everybody. A lot of people don't like the almost religious nature of it."
He is also keen to stress that the target client for the centre will be the higher professionals, with programmes tailored to suit their needs - and lifestyles. There will be both a "short reality check" option and two and four-week residential programmes.
Murphy does not feel these spells are too short to be effective in tackling complex emotional and addiction issues. He says workplace commitments of many preclude them taking more than two weeks off at a time without questions being asked, adding that many who know they need help would seek it sooner if there were such two-week options available.
After the programmes, support staff will visit the clients to continue their "transformation" into a non-drug or alcohol abuser.
The key milestones are 120 days sober, and then one year. The out-reach programme will help here.
"If you can achieve these, the evidence is that the likelihood of success is far greater," he says.
The centre's international staff, will be headed by treatment director Tom Barth, and including Ms Ina Soviknes who has "trained in a variety of alcohol and drug abuse treatment settings in Norway". Other staff will hail from the United States and Ireland as well as Norway.
The centre is a former guest house in a "secret location" to protect clients' privacy. Though there are 32 en-suite rooms, Murphy reckons on a capacity of about 14 or 15 clients at a time. There will be none of the usual rules, like checking in mobile phones or curfews.
The gardens and surrounding countryside will allow a key aspect of the treatment - physical exercise, "which has been proved to be beneficial in the treatment of all forms of addiction." There will also be a lifestyle coach, a creativity therapist and family support.
Murphy says the centre "must be self sustaining"; he does not want to have to seek funding from Government or for Forest to be seen as a charity.
The four-week programme will cost €13,800 he says, adding that the VHI and BUPA are "receptive positive and open" to his approach.
Forest can be reached as (01) 2015863, info@forest.ie or viewed as www.forest.ie.