Get RAAD Program

Available for private, confidential support relating to impacts from mental health, alcohol and drug use or gambling. Mentoring, coaching, motivational support, counselling.
This is a fee for service support. Message me to discuss support options.

Offering support, mentoring and coaching for young people or adults impacted by alcohol and drug use. Non directional, non judgemental support.
Supporting people engaged in use, or their family members.
Almost 15 years experience working in the drug and alcohol sector, youth sector, mental health sector, homelessness sector and disability sector.
Reach out via message.

Get RAAD Program Helping families and young people get real about alcohol and drugs.

Its not about the event or people involved in the event that impacts us. Its our feelings that are key. If we don't label our emotions and process them, then we stack them up. This then creates behaviours that impact our environments and relationships. Left unresolved, our emotions keep us stuck, and this produces us to act out sideways. Its very important to allow ourselves to feel our emotions, but collecting them and carrying them is risky and unhealthy for us.

Id like to post a piece of writing someone gave me today. I have been working with this person for six months and they have been substance free now for around 150 days, after a long time of use. The writing is on Identity. Feel free to comment.
"We can all probably relate to having identity issues. For me I think trauma is what changed my identity the most. The disconnection from myself which lead to a series of unhealthy coping behaviours to deal with unhealthy traumatic events. The defense mechanisms I created were created as a direct result of the trauma I had experienced. Which then lead me to creating a false self made up of false beliefs and false values. All to protect the boy inside of me hurting and in pain. the behaviours, values and beliefs I'd adapted kept me safe for many years to come. But the downfall to having these maladaptive styles however is rather then addressing and processing the trauma and the behaviours related, I had developed self destructive behaviours such as self sacrifice, self doubt and self sabotage. These coping styles lead me to confusion of who I actually was. I valued more about what others thought of me rather than valuing what I thought of myself. I became attached to my "online self meaning", in control of how others viewed me. I'd act out to seek approval, took on others personalities, rebelled against authority, and after years of living like this I began to feel hopeless and helpless. I had cynical views on everything. I feared the worst in any situation, I had deep seeded guilt and shame. I couldn't trust anyone, let alone myself, and didnt like the person I'd become. I sought help to not stop using, but to figure this stuff out, otherwise I would have kept self destructing. I missed the boy that I was and wanted to re-connect with him, and the only way to do that is to put the hard work in and rebuild my identity and connection with him."

Here's a new day program run by Goldbridge.

This is a comment from a Family member we received in an email today.
"Dom was fantastic and even met with me and my son privately and told my son a "few home truths" about real life situation around drug taking. Needless to say I really think that was a turning point in my sons life (he was 17 at the time) and he has now completely turned his life around. Thank goodness!"

We have heard and read several reports recently about issues from drug use at festivals and schoolies events. And while no use is the safest way to use drugs, it's just not a realistic approach. People will always engage in use on some level.
What we are not hearing or reading are reports on issues from alcohol use at these same events. Alcohol is a drug after all. How many assaults, accidents, injuries, emergency service responses, intoxication, health issues or arrests are occurring due to alcohol? Are we to assume none? Or are they simply not being reported on? And if that's the case, then why aren't they being reported to the community?
What's you're thoughts?

Well we finally met with our first Qld high school and spoke about delivering the program to students next year. I went through our content and explained the message we try to deliver. This high school said, "this is exactly what our students and parents need".
This is exciting for Get RAAD. This is exciting for the young people, parents and school community.
Hopefully the proposal is approved.
A huge thanks to a local police officer, Tony, for pushing our program and for continually supporting us.
Let's Get Real About Alcohol & Drugs!

Today is international men's day. Approximately 95% of those that seek support from Get RAAD for alcohol and drug misuse issues are men or men's families. We need to champion men, which starts with young men, if we are to prevent harm and create change. We all have a role to play so the change is proactive and not reactive. We need to change answering to people's struggle with punishment or negative stigma and labelling.

Words from The Velveteen Rabbit.

"Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it Hurt?”

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen to people who break easily or have sharp edges or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But those things don’t matter at all because once you are real you can’t be ugly except to people who don’t understand.”

This passage screams out to me strongly right now. Ive seen proclamations of being real, yet it is so obvious there is NO authenticity whatsoever. In fact, another person's "realness" intimidates those who are struggling with being real. To be respected or revered is not a self appointed privilege, it comes with being raw and real. Being real is not to be prejudice, punishing or to silence those who are different. It is to embrace the differences, to connect to them and to learn from them.

Schoolies has only just begun, and already there are announcements of young people being arrested on drug charges. Announcements of "Toolies" being arrested for drug and alcohol related offences.
This is not to mention how many emergency responses have already occurred.
Get RAAD is an education, prevention and support program that will assist young people. Presenting this program in schools may be a vital tool to minimise these events happening for young people.
Is your school and community championing this program?

Just arrived back after having spoken at the Manifest Symposium in Sydney Town Hall.