To the Editor:
While addiction has been recognized as a brain disease for many years, it is reassuring to see the medical establishment embrace addiction research and treatment in its training institutions.
Comparing substance use disorders to other chronic illnesses like diabetes and asthma is apposite, but doesn't tell the whole story. A vital distinction exists between treatment and recovery.
Treatment, whether residential or outpatient, is a discrete, time-limited experience. Recovery must be a lifelong process whereby individuals establish themselves within a community of their peers and together live out the principles learned in treatment.
Recognizing this difference is essential when developing an educational model. It's not continuing medical treatment that addicts need most, but a supportive recovery network to ensure their continued success once treatment is completed.
PETER PROVET
President and Chief Executive
Odyssey House
New York, July 12, 2011
Click here to read the original article, "Rethinking Addiction's Roots, and Its Treatment" (July 11, 2011), on The New York Times website.
Odyssey House was featured in an article by The Wall Street Journal about the Carver Community Garden in East Harlem. Earlier this spring, the Manor Family Center acquired two plots at the garden and, with the help of residents and their children, planted a variety of vegetables. More information on Odyssey House's participation in the garden and how it is being used as an educational tool for parents and children will be in our upcoming summer newsletter. Click here to read the full article.
Josiah Viacava, playing in Carver Community Garden, which is tilled by locals on East 124th Street. Josiah lives in the Odyssey House Family Center with his mother.
"Seeking Wholeness," an exhibition of mandala-inspired artwork, opened at the Haven Art Gallery in June. This is the sixth exhibition by members of the Odyssey House Art Project, composed of individuals in residential treatment for substance use and/or mental health disorders. This year's show explores mandalas as symbols of recovery and the search for spiritual wholeness. Artists, including the children of residents in treatment, were encouraged to use a variety of media, including painting, photography, needlepoint and a hand cranked spinning wheel, to capture the spirit embodied in these ancient images and portray how they continue to resonate and guide individuals in search of balance and wholeness.
Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning "circle." In various spiritual traditions, mandalas are used as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation. Preeminent psychologist Carl Jung saw the mandala as "an archetypal image whose occurrence is attested throughout the ages. It signifies the wholeness of the Self." He encouraged his patients to create them as "movement towards psychological growth, expressing the idea of a safe refuge, inner reconciliation and wholeness."
Artists interpreted the meaning of mandalas in different ways. Jose, an ElderCare client, created a visual interpretation of the baby boomer experience in the form of a clock. Using cut-out photos he created a circular timeline starting from 1945 to today. A self-taught artist, Jose gradually stopped making art until he joined the Odyssey House Art Project. “I was gratified to find I still had that creativity in me,” he said.
Fred, who entered our adult program in October 2010, found the art program to be one of the most rewarding and satisfying experiences he’s had at Odyssey House. He says it provides balance to the clinical aspect and gives him something to look forward to every day. More than that, the art program has helped him relieve stress and given him a new perspective. “Art has a redemptive power,” he said. "No matter how dark your past is, you can use it to create something beautiful.”
“Seeking Wholeness” will be open through December 23, 2010 at the Haven Art Gallery, 239 E. 121st Street in Harlem. View additional selections from the exhibition on our website.
Mark your calendars! Our 6th Annual Run for Your Life 5K and Recovery Walk will take place on Saturday, September 24th at Icahn Stadium. Join us in celebrating Recovery Day in New York City with music, entertainment, children's activities and more! Online registration will open in early July. Check back soon for more details.
The Odyssey House Theatre Project 2011 debuted their original production, "It's A Different Day," to a standing room-only audience at 320 Studios on May 9, 2011. The play, written and performed by an ensemble comprised of teens in treatment at Odyssey House, blends hip hop, dance, jazz, classical music, beatboxing, rap, art, spoken word, and short scenes together, and takes a look at the creation of our world from the beginning, to the middle and onward.
The performance was the culmination of a three month workshop in which the teens learned all stages of the playwriting process, from concept development to stage production. The Odyssey House Theatre Project is funded by a grant from the Elizabeth and Barets O. Benjamin Foundation. This is the third year the Foundation has funded the project.
The workshop was directed by Tom Demenkoff of PossibleArts. For more details on the project, visit the Odyssey House Theatre Project website. Visit our website to see a slideshow of photos from the workshop.
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