I WAS saddened to discover that residents of Tunes are outraged by the thought of a rehabilitation centre opening in the area. Personally, my own first thoughts were: “Great, what can I do to help?” We badly need somewhere where parents and families can get advice and addicts can get treatment. Alcohol and drugs are an ever-growing menace in our society and there are many people affected, some well known among us.
I can understand their anxieties; we are all capable of fearing the unknown, and if you have enjoyed a life of never having anyone close to your family suffer from substance abuse, then be grateful, but please try to understand the helplessness that the victim, their families and friends feel when they are living this nightmare and the overwhelming relief they all feel when a glimmer – wrong – a beacon of light, is shining in front, showing them a way out.
The kind of rehabilitation centre that Andrew and Sally Vincent want to open in the lovely property they have bought on a spacious piece of land in Tunes, is not the kind of Victorian madhouse that alcoholics were brought to, screaming and kicking in the dim and distant past. The days of attempting to cure someone of substance misuse against their will are long gone. The patients who would arrive at this centre are people who, having reached their personal ‘Rock Bottom’ are making a very real effort to get their lives back on track, and have finally accepted that they need help and guidance to do it.
All the staff at the Nova Vida Recovery Clinic are experienced professionals. They all know what they are doing, and have spent many years doing it. They know what to expect and they know how to deal with it. Andrew Vincent was with the well-known Priory Clinic in England and can assure people that the local community have nothing to fear.
“Patients will eventually come from many countries, seeking the peace and tranquillity we can offer, which will help them maximise the treatment they will receive medically and through group therapy and one-to-one counselling. The treatment should last about 30 days, sometimes a little longer. Before they leave the clinic, they will have been advised on where to go to continue their treatment when they arrive home. We don’t believe in ‘quick fixes’ – they simply don’t work. Patients need ongoing support and, once they have started to regain their health and self-respect, they willingly seek that support to maintain their new-found lives.
“One of the fears that people seem to have is that property may drop in value; this seems unrealistic, as there are many of these discreet clinics throughout the world, including the Priory Farm Place Clinic in the UK and the Betty Ford Clinic in the US. In close by Silves, one clinic already exists at Falacho. The same kind of fears were expressed when it was proposed several years ago; now nobody remembers it is even there, while surrounding property has gone up in value at the same pace as anywhere else.”
Andrew and Sally Vincent are more than happy to answer your questions, so why not call the clinic on 282 570 020 or take a look at their website www.novavidarecovery.com?
Think carefully before condemning something that could save so many lives. I wish this help had been available to my family many years ago ….
By Jenny Grainer
