I welcome everyone in the New Year! Mindheal went on a short break, but we are here again and ready to continue our endless story about Harm Reduction.
Mindheal has turned a little over a year old, and our small team has achieved, in my opinion, very decent results – now about 1,500 people visit our site every month. I didn’t expect this a year ago!
I want to express my gratitude to everyone, who has applied their knowledge, skills, passion, and funds to the creation and existence of the Mindheal, as well as those who read and share our materials. Thank you!
That’s the end of the sentiment. I wanted to make the first post in the new year special, but also not sacrifice usefulness. Therefore, I have collected some cool books and manuals that are in the public domain and I hope they will be useful and help you.
The Drug Users Bible
This is a fairly popular book, so I will limit myself to the description from Amamzon:
“Over a 12 year period the author of this book self-administered over 180 psychoactive substances; both chemicals and plants. For each he recorded the life-sensitive safety data, including the anticipated onset times, the common threshold doses, the routes of administration, and the expected duration of the experience.
In addition, for every compound he also produced a trip report, detailing the qualitative experience itself. This delivered another invaluable insight, enabling, for example, an objective assessment of the extent of any loss of judgement and self-control.”
You can also read an interview with the author of the book, Dominic Milton Trott, specifically for Mindheal:
Speed Limits. Harm Reduction For People Who Use Stimulants
The book offers an extensive exploration of harm reduction strategies for stimulant users. Authored by Rafaela Rigoni, Joost Breeksema, and Sara Woods, this book addresses the growing concern over stimulant use and its health, social, and economic impacts.
The authors detail their approach to the study, including the literature review process and the selection of seven good practice cases that demonstrate meaningful involvement in harm reduction strategies.
The book provides an in-depth look at various types of stimulants, such as Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS), Methamphetamine, Cocaine, New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), and Cathinones. It also discusses the potential risks and harms associated with these substances, including physical, mental health, and social harms, as well as the risk environment surrounding their use.
Overall, “Speed Limits” is a pioneering study, filling a significant gap in knowledge about effective harm reduction interventions for stimulant users. It underscores the need for more research in this area to address the increasing prevalence of stimulant use and to inform evidence-based drug policies and best practices.
Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Peer Support Manual
Zendo Project Manual is a comprehensive guide focused on psychedelic harm reduction and peer support. This manual provides essential information and training for individuals interested in understanding and assisting those undergoing difficult psychedelic experiences.
Key components of the manual include: understanding difficult psychedelic experiences, working with difficult psychedelic experiences, questions of integration, ethics, and other important aspects of harmless trips.
Overall, the manual serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in the field of psychedelic harm reduction, offering in-depth insights and practical guidelines for effectively supporting individuals through challenging psychedelic experiences.
Harm Reduction at Work. A Guide for Organizations Employing People Who Use Drugs
The Field Guide is a comprehensive resource designed for organizations employing people who use drugs, including those on methadone or buprenorphine treatment. Authored by Raffi Balian and Cheryl White, experienced professionals in harm reduction, drug user activism, and organizational leadership, this guide is the third in a series providing practical, hands-on guidance for harm reduction and drug user organizations.
The guide is structured into several chapters, each addressing key areas:
- Hiring and Recruiting People Who Use Drugs: This chapter discusses the advantages of hiring and organizing individuals who use drugs, including those living with HIV and hepatitis C, and outlines the common challenges faced by these employees.
- Harm Reduction Policies for the Workplace: It offers a range of harm reduction policies that can be adopted by organizations to create positive work environments for people who use drugs. The policies cover various aspects, such as inebriation at work and differentiating between full-time employees and peers. These policies are adaptable to the specific needs and cultural contexts of individual programs and staff.
- Practical Strategies for Harm Reduction Programs: This section provides strategies to sustain projects that employ people who use drugs. It focuses on recruitment, training, supervision, support, evaluation, conflict resolution, and boundary maintenance.
- Case Studies of Successful Initiatives: The guide also includes an in-depth examination of two initiatives in Toronto, Canada, that have successfully employed and organized drug users. These include an award-winning harm reduction project and an initiative providing safer smoking equipment and health information to homeless crack users.
Overall, the guide emphasizes supportive supervision procedures, acknowledging the unique challenges and potential feelings of isolation, frustration, and alienation that employees who use drugs might experience. It underscores the importance of a respectful and understanding approach towards these employees, focusing on their job performance rather than their drug use.
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