Castle Craig Hospital Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Today, Sunday 29th June 2008, physicians and former patients from the UK and the rest of Europe are gathering to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Castle Craig Hospital, the UK’s largest hospital for the treatment of addictions.
The reunion will begin with a morning session on ‘Addiction Treatment: How to change the brain’ addressed by two eminent psychiatrists, Dr. Peter Geerlings, former Medical Director of The Jellinek in Amsterdam and Dr. Geert Dom, Head of Addiction, Psychiatric Centre Alexian Brothers, Belgium. After an electrifying therapeutic drumming session, the afternoon session will be introduced by the International Coordinator for Narcotics Anonymous who will speak together with six former patients about their experiences in recovery, after leaving Castle Craig.
“The annual reunion is always an inspirational occasion where hundreds of former patients return to Castle Craig to talk about their new alcohol and drug free lives”, said Peter McCann, Castle Craig Chairman. “Over the last twenty years, attendance at the reunion has grown rapidly and this year we are anticipating around 600 attendees. Substance misuse is one of the UK’s major problems and Castle Craig plays an important role in influencing public awareness that people who are addicted do recover and go on to lead abstinent and fulfilled lives.”
About Castle Craig
Located in the Borders of Scotland, Castle Craig Hospital opened in 1988 and has since helped over 7,000 patients on the road to recovery from their addictions. The treatment at Castle Craig is based on the Minnesota Model and promotes The 12 Step Programme as a way of recovery from alcohol and drug dependence. A skilled, multidisciplinary team provides medical and psychiatric care, detoxification and relapse prevention.
Castle Craig is a major contractor to the National Health Service and is recognised by the major medical insurers in the U.K. While Castle Craig is a national resource for the people of Scotland, many insurance companies from other countries also fund the treatment. www.castlecraig.co.uk
Alcohol and Drug Addiction in the UK
In the UK, the number of alcohol-related deaths more than doubled from 4,144 in 1991 to 8,758 in 20061. The Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England estimates that up to 22,000 premature deaths per year are associated in some way with alcohol misuse2. In 2004, the Government estimated that alcohol misuse costs the health service in England between £1.4 and £1.7 billion per year2. Alcohol problems cost Scotland an estimated £2.25 billion per year in NHS, social work, police, emergency services, and the wider economic and human costs3. It is estimated that in England there are up to 1.3m children affected by parental alcohol problems4 and in Scotland there are 100,000 children in Scotland are living with a problem drinking parents.