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IN FOCUS: Acupuncture –In the fourth of a series of articles about the
work of drugs professionals in the city, we take a look at how
alternative therapies are helping drug users to beat their addiction.
Rachel Wareing reports.

IN a community hall in Peterborough, a group of addicts sit in a circle as
their skin is pierced with needles.
The room is calm and quiet as they wait eagerly for the needles to pass
their way and ease their troubles.
Once upon a time it might have been a hypodermic syringe full of heroin
they were looking forward to, but now it's the acupuncturist's needle
they're devoted to.
Ear acupuncture is one of the activities on offer as part of the Nene
Drug Interventions Programme (Nene DIP), which offers rehabilitation to
offenders addicted to class A drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine.

Each week acupuncturist Jack Warner (49) holds a session for a group
of people who are trying to quit heroin or crack cocaine through the
Nene DIP project.
The technique he uses was specially developed for the detox process.
By poking tiny needles into six key points on the outer ear, Jack can
relieve pain, calm the mind, reduce cravings and calm the digestion,
which is often disturbed by heroin use and withdrawal. He also tailors
the treatment to the individual, by targeting certain points in the ear to
sort out particular problems such as insomnia or tooth ache.

He dismisses the suggestion that the therapy is a luxury.
He said: "It's actually very cost-effective, because I treat a whole group
at the same time and the needles cost only a few pence each. If you
compare that to the price of prescribing anti-depressants, for example,
then it's very cheap.
"It's really important as after-care, as the client is withdrawing, because
it helps them to cope with all the problems which start coming out
because they're not being hidden by the drug anymore."
He said: "When addicts stop using heroin they suddenly get lots of
aches and pains, which have been disguised by the pain-killing
properties of the drug, so I help them with that.
"Hepatitis C, which affects the liver, is another common complaint and
acupuncture is very helpful for that, too."

While acupuncture is usually used throughout the body, ear acupuncture
is just as effective and is easier to administer.
The needles remain in for about half an hour, while the clients sit and
chat to each other.
Jack said: "In some cases patients open up and tell me about their
problems, because they're feeling relaxed. They also talk within the
group while they're receiving the treatment, so it becomes a sort of
group therapy too. They all support each other outside the group too."

Jack started learning acupuncture and the Japanese massage technique
shiatsu after he suffered a back injury and was unable to work.
He started using his skills as a volunteer with drugs projects and is now
employed part-time with the Nene DIP project.
He also runs classes in Qi Gong, a form of Chinese martial art similar to
tai chi which improves health by improving the flow of the body's life
force, which is known as qi.
Now he even has his own apprentice, a former client who was inspired
by Jack's work to learn the ancient art for himself.
FOCUS: Acupuncture – how users get the needle in a bid to beat
addiction
Model Kate's therapy

Supermodel Kate Moss is among the celebrities who are reported to
have used the ancient Chinese therapy of acupuncture.
The 31-year-old checked in to a rehabilitation clinic after pictures of her
allegedly taking cocaine were published last year.
She was recently photographed with two plasters on her right ear,
which were covering two small beads.
In acupuncture, beads are attached to the ear with a plaster between
sessions, so the patient can press down on them and stimulate pressure
points if they experience anxiety or withdrawal cravings.

IT training, counselling and CV writing courses also available

ACUPUNCTURE is one of a range of structured activities run as part of
the Nene Drug Interventions Programme.
Other activities on offer include IT training, CV writing sessions and
group counselling.
Members of the programme have also recently set up an allotment
where they plan to grow their own fruit and vegetables, and lay out a
Zen garden where they can go and spend quiet time.
They also have the chance to take a healthy living course where they
learn to cook.

Jackie Wilson, community engagement project manager, said: "We've
had a very good response to the activities.
"I'll never forget one client who turned around one day and said: 'this is
the first day in years I haven't thought about gear'.
"It's also about gently introducing learning by stealth. For example on
the healthy living courses we also bring in budgeting."

Clients are handed a timetable of activities which they can choose
whether or not to participate in, depending on their interests.
They get a chance to make new friends by taking part in the Time To
Talk sessions, which is a weekly discussion group maintained by
volunteers.
Discussion of drugs is banned, and instead they talk about the normal
watercooler subjects such as last night's football match, current affairs
or the latest film they saw, as well as discussing their own personal
thoughts and feelings.

Jackie added: "It's an opportunity for them to talk frankly with a small
group of others. Sometimes they just sit in silence with each other, and
that's OK too.
"The sessions help to develop listening skills and give people the
opportunity to think about things outside themselves."

Acupuncture – how does it work?

According to traditional Chinese philosophy our health depends on the
body's life force energy, known as chi or qi, moving in a smooth and
balanced way through a series of channels beneath the skin.
Qi consists of two equal yet opposite qualities – yin and yang – and
when these become
unbalanced, it can cause
illness.
By inserting fine needles into the channels of energy, an acupuncturist
can stimulate the body's own healing response and restore the natural
balance.

In ear acupuncture, certain points on the ear correspond to certain
points on the body, and by stimulating those points you can heal the
parts of the body they correspond to.
The flow of Qi can be disturbed by a number of factors from drug abuse
to stress, poor nutrition, weather conditions, hereditary factors,
infections, poisons and trauma.
The main aim of acupuncture is to recover the balance between the
physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual.