Lisa Mojer Torres

[garstang]

I came across Lisa Mojer Torres whilst googling various sites about stigma and methadone. It'd be great to see such a high profile user advocate of the benefits of MMT in the UK.
http://www.facesandvoicesofrecovery.org/publications/profiles/lisa_mojer_torres.php
Camden Service User Group have just produced a video giving a voice to those in treatment for drug/alcohol dependancy and I came out of the chemical closet on it! It's going to be shown to residents groups, council officers etc to show that we are, like them, normal, everyday people. However, I must say that I'm still a little bit anxious about getting my name out as someone on MMT, but there comes a time when you have to stand up and be counted.

[campanula]

Yep. Abso-fucking-lutely. We are NOT scum (and even if we were, so what, we still have rights)

[wastedyouth]

That was really good reading i have saved it to my favourites as i think that this story could help me with a assignment at college.  I also would be fearful of putting my face to methadone but not for me for my children, i would hate them to feel the stigma i feel and have recieved in the past.  I have a funny fealing though that it would only take a few success stories to comes forward then it might open up to the normal recovering addict in the street, really if i thought that me alone could do any good i would to it, but i think we need to get together on this one.  Hands accross the water as such how corny, but i know what i mean

60DEGREESNORTH has made a start with aproaching a paper we need to be more pro-active, but alone it feels pointless, but it is the stigma that made you feel alone in the first place.
WY

[Fluoro]

i dont mean 2 sound stupid,but who is she?..the only torres i know plays 4 l.f.c

[OP8S]

I take my hat off to you garstang, must have taken a lot of balls to come out the closet like that. Is the video/dvd going to be circulated nationally? If not would it be possible for me to obtain a copy of it somehow as I know that my local SP is at the moment trying to educate our local Sheriff ( Magistrate if your English ) & I think it would be usefull for this purpose alone. You wouldn't need to worry I live about as far from Camden as you can get. As for my little attempt to bring the subject of succesfull MMT into the public domain for debate the editor was not able to take any calls today...from me anyway. I don't know why me wanting to remain anonamous is so big a deal? Surely the journalist doing the interview would be able to guarantee my actual exsistence, maybe it's more to do with the fact that they don't want their readers to send in letters saying that I would be giving the impression drug users are not all lazy, good for nothing criminals. I wouldn't be advocating the use of back market opiates obviously, I just want to show that given the right substitute prescribing that we are just like anyone else & can be usefull members of society. In my eyes I am no different than somebody that gets patches to replace the nicotine that a cigarette provides. In fact it will probably be tobacco that finishes me off, not methadone!

[garstang]

60 degrees - it's on youtube in three parts:
http://www.youtube.com/user/CamdenCouncil#p/u/2/ecxC-39qD0w

[wastedyouth]

Garstang iv'e just watched the first of the 3 clips, and i would like to conglatulate you in getting involved in the project i think it certainly showed a wide ranged on different types of addicts not just the steriotypical type that everyone thinks about i mean you have a uni student and then you have a woman who fell into it through her mother being ill, i really wish there was a programm like that in Glasgow as i would love to go because the guy was right if it is the right one for you it does motivate and inspier you because of that iv'e went to college for exactly those things.  I certainly think that scotland has to catch up with you's, im going to take my daughter to nursery and watch the other 2 when i come back.  But well done and you come over well, that ofcourse is if i have picked out the right one.  I think the video clips would be good for schools and maybe the public who were interested in changing there attitude towards us to watch, it looks really professional, well worth a watch, its also good if you are isolated a bit like me to know that even though i dont mix in those types of crowds with addicts(you end up feeling your the only one)that there is people out there with similar stories that have managed to move on and become a success.  You should feel proud of yourself that you had the balls to stand up when counted on, Take Care WY