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Keep up to date with the campaign to Rethink Addiction in the media

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For media enquiries, contact Rethink Addiction Campaign Director Andrew Stewart on 0423 939 733

Rethink Addiction Webinar

18 December 2020

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Off the back of the incredible SBS series, Addicted Australia, and all of the support that Rethink Addiction received from our partners and the general public, we wrapped up 2020 with a free virtual event to discuss the role of frontline workers in the alcohol and other drugs (AoD) space.

A mental disorder, not a personal failure: why now is the time for Australia to rethink addiction 

14 December 2020

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At the start of the pandemic we saw a surge in alcohol sales and reported drinking. Almost one-third of people who purchased more alcohol expressed concerns about their own drinking, or that of someone in their household.

Inside the life of a secret alcoholic

3 December 2020

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She’d leave work for a coffee break and buy a bottle of white wine. She’d consume roughly around 80 standard drinks, within one week. Heidi first sought help in 2018 for her alcohol addiction but she didn’t tell anyone. Then last year she came across a call out on social media looking for people to participate in a free six month program if they were struggling with addiction.

"I've been told I don't look like a drug addict"

11 November 2020

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Dr Dan Lubman from Turning Point, who also featured on the premiere of Addicted Australia last night, joined the Body+Soul Podcast to talk about his mission to help others overcome their addictions and the need to Rethink Addiction.

My daughter's entire personality changed. One Sunday at lunch, she told me about the ice

10 November 2020

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Shortly after the break up of her marriage, I noticed my daughter Sarah was experiencing frequent and significant changes in mood. While I felt this to be, in part, expected, I was very concerned because her entire personality seemed to be changing.

On my way to meet friends, I'd stop at a TAB and lose all my money

5 November 2020

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Every pay day for nine years, Lucas gambled away his wages. Last year, the 39-year-old applied for a treatment program as part of the new SBS documentary series, Addicted Australia. Here, he reflects on his recovery.

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Fiona O'Loughlin's Battle Against The Drug That Kills You As You Kick It

15 November 2020

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In your circle of family and friends, it's estimated that at least 7 of them will have faced a battle with addiction at some stage of their lives. The Quicky investigates the drug that is legal and an accepted social lubricant, but is also one of the deadliest drugs to ditch.

Sarah hid her drug addiction from everyone she knew for over a year

12 November 2020

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From desperation to devastation, Sarah’s infertility journey slowly led her down a path of self-destruction. For years, she and her husband tried to have a baby.

I drank three bottles of wine a day as an alcoholic

8 November 2020

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Heidi would go to work and try to act normally but she was hiding a devastating secret. Then one day she saw a post on social media that changed her life.

Healthcare workers want an integrated approach to treat people with an addiction

24 November 2020

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GPs, paramedics and addiction support service workers say they are 'stretched to the limit' when responding to and treating people living with an addiction

A conversation with Prof. Dan Lubman 

16 November 2020

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If you’re like most people, the word “addiction” might conjure up an image of a shady person clutching a paper bag filled with cheap red wine. But according to the National Survey of Mental Health, one in five Australians have a problem with drugs, alcohol or gambling at some point in their lives.

“My mother encouraged me to imitate her drinking. I've now struggled with alcohol for 50 years."

17 November 2020

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When I was approached by Blackfella Films to take part in a new treatment program with Turning Point as part of SBS’s documentary Addicted Australia, I didn’t hesitate. 

Australia is awash with addictive habits; we need to clean up our act

4 November 2020

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Heidi is 31 and takes a swig from a bottle of wine hidden in her wardrobe after she wakes up. Ruben is 48 and injects heroin three times a day. Lucas is 39 and gambles away 80 per cent of his pay every month. Matthew is 33 and drinks a bottle of whiskey every day.

Addiction is a chronic health condition - why isn’t it treated like one?

2 November 2020

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The number of Australians experiencing addiction is increasing, but support isn’t. We spoke with Professor Dan Lubman, from SBS’s new series Addicted Australia, to find out why.

We need to stop treating addiction as a personal failure

4 November 2020

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Addiction, as is commonly believed, isn’t just a matter of willpower. It’s not about having to reach rock bottom, and it does not exclusively affect the downtrodden, the homeless or those lacking self-control.

“I was driving drunk with my kids in the car”

30 October 2020

Looking back, *Sharon describes her old self as a “functioning alcoholic.” She managed to hold down jobs, obtain promotions and to the outside world she seemed normal. But “looking normal”, she says, was the backbone of her denial.

Addiction on screen: How movies and TV shows shape community attitudes

29 October 2020

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Could dodging stereotypes on screen and, instead, telling real stories of addiction help people with drug and alcohol problems get help sooner?

Ten Australians confront their addictions in a powerful new documentary series

20 October 2020

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Premiering Tuesday 10 November on SBS, Addicted Australia is a bold, revelatory and inspiring documentary that puts a spotlight on Australia's addiction crisis in the most powerful and deeply personal way.