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The Rationale Behind Atebion

"The three most important things I have learnt during my career are the Strength of Human Spirit, the Power of Human Connection, and the Healing Impact of Story."

Professor David Clark

Atebion has been developed because problems exist in society today which are not only leading to fewer people overcoming adversities such as addiction than would do if we developed new and better ways of doing things, but also because far too little effort is being made to address conditions that lead to such problems. On this page, we summarise: (A) the nature of the problem today; (B) where society needs to be in the future, and (C) how the Atebion team of Recovery Advocates will help communities in North Wales and beyond move from A to B.

The knowledge to create a better future is available through the experiences of those who have overcome adversity (lived experience), and the ideas of world-leading experts. In relation to the latter, we are lucky to have Professor David Clark involved with Atebion, as through his close to 50 years’ experience working in relevant fields, he is advising us on which professionals and academics ‘hold’ the answers. As he points out, there is a good deal of ‘noise’ in this arena, in part through vested interest and a desire to resist change. 

A. The Problem (Where Society is Today)

  1. A major problem in society today is our disconnection from one another, which results in us having a reduced ability to buffer the negative impact of trauma and other stressors. Our increased vulnerability to adversity is impacting on our social and emotional wellbeing, leading to increases in anxiety, depression, and other problems. Many people turn to illegal and legal (alcohol and prescription) drugs to alleviate their psychological pain, which has led to an increased incidence of serious substance use problems.
  1. Our addiction treatment systems are based on an acute care model focused on managing symptoms, rather than tackling the underlying problems and helping a person gain a valued and meaningful life (find recovery). The majority of people with a serious substance use problem relapse after leaving treatment. The mental health field is dominated by a flawed biomedical model, the idea that there is something wrong with us that can be fixed by drugs. Overall, psychiatric drugs cause more harm than good.
  1. The vast majority of people are not aware of the factors, such as trauma and disconnection, that lead to addiction and mental health problems, or how these problems (and trauma) are best overcome. They are not aware that our treatment systems have serious flaws and often try to maintain the status quo due to vested interests. Many people with a problem feel disempowered and lack hope; they become more isolated in their unresolved condition. Many treatment workers are becoming increasingly disenchanted.

B. The Solution (Where Society Needs To Be)

  1. People at all levels are informed of the fact that disconnection makes us more vulnerable to adversity, affecting our social and emotional wellbeing, as well as our physical health. They have a basic understanding of how our brain functions, and the importance of connection and relationships for helping us thrive in our everyday lives. People with addiction, mental health problems, and trauma have a better understanding of how they can heal. Education programmes that empower people to overcome adversity are widely available.

 

  1. Communities empower people to prevent, and heal from, disconnection with educational programmes and workshops, along with a range of community activities that facilitate connection. These communities emphasise an individual’s strengths and assets, rather than focus on their weaknesses and deficits. They identify, connect, and mobilise assets within their own community. They continually provide community members with hope, understanding, and a sense of belonging. They embrace empathy, trust, and reciprocity.

 

  1. Government, The National Lottery, other charities, the private sector, and benevolent individuals recognise the importance of this approach and provide more funding to the above forms of community initiative. Evaluations are conducted, communities connect with, and learn from, each other. More people with lived experience of addiction, mental health problems, and trauma are engaged in these community initiatives, and the general public is learning that people who overcome adversity are important community assets.

C. How Do We Get From A to B?

  1. Recruit and empower Recovery Advocates, individuals who have come through adversity and now want to give back to society, through Atebion’s EPOC (Eight Principles of Change) initiative—which strengthens purpose, confidence, resilience, and identity—and the educational programmes below. Advocates will deliver bespoke talks and workshops, and tell their Story through written, audio and film media. Our Storytellers will facilitate understanding, create hope, be a source of inspiration, and help tackle stigma and discrimination.

 

  1. Develop education programmes and storytelling initiatives that focus on: (1) helping people understand how individuals recover from addiction, mental health problems, and trauma; (2) illustrate how disconnection impacts on our social and emotional wellbeing, as well as our physical health, and how connection and relationships prevent these consequences arising, as well as facilitate recovery and healing; (3) emphasise the importance of grassroots initiatives that identify, connect, and mobilise community assets.

 

  1. Identify and connect with initiatives that address the problems with which we are concerned. Encourage and help communities in North Wales to use an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach to improve community wellbeing. Develop a high profile, online communication system (and other media) that disseminates our work, and highlights the successes of individuals, families, and communities with whom we engage. Healing will ripple within and across communities; a process of transgenerational healing will begin.


You can download a PDF of this section here.