Breaking Free from Addiction

June 13, 2013
by Rodney Olsen
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needle

As well as popularising the phrase, “tune in, turn on, drop out”, Dr Timothy Leary was known around the world as being at the forefront of experimentation with drugs, especially LSD.

Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and writer, known for his advocacy of psychedelic drugs. During a time when drugs such as LSD and psilocybin were legal, Leary conducted experiments at Harvard University under the Harvard Psilocybin Project, resulting in the Concord Prison Experiment and the Marsh Chapel Experiment. Both studies produced useful data, but Leary and his associate Richard Alpert were fired from the university nonetheless because of the public controversy surrounding their research. Leary believed LSD showed therapeutic potential for use in psychiatry. – wiki

Back in those early days at Harvard there was a young professor of psychology named Charles Slack who also began experimenting with LSD and other drugs. Within a very short time he went from being a bright young academic to being a drug addicted mental hospital patient.

Dr Charles Slack has now been completely free of drugs of any kind for over 37 years but he says he still has to deal with his addiction every day.

Dr Charles Slack is well-known in Australian recovery circles. He gained a PhD in Experimental Psychology from Princeton University and became an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Harvard Psychological Clinic from 1955 to 1960.

He was amongst the first to experiment with LSD and as a result became addicted. In 1976, clean and sober in 12-Step programs, he migrated to Australia to start a new life.

Charles is now the chairman of B-Attitudes, a not-for-profit group that aims to facilitate the restoration of the physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual lives of individuals and families who have been affected by substance misuse. He has turned his own experience into a way of helping others break free from addiction.

B-Attitudes is a charitable, not-for-profit organisation, founded 10 years ago by three people who have a heart for empowering individuals who want to recover from alcohol and drug addiction and work towards a drug-free lifestyle.

The founding directors are qualified Psychotherapists in Transactional Analysis, one a Certified Transactional Analyst in Psychotherapy. Two have a background in Registered Nursing and Midwifery. The Committee of Management contributes a wide field of expertise and the Chair is Dr. Charles Slack, Ph.D. who is himself a recovered addict with over 37 years ‘clean’ and sober.

Each of the three founding directors have 15 years experience in the field of alcohol and drug addiction and community-based recovery and related family care.

I recently had a fascinating chat with Charles about B-Attitudes and about his own journey to beating addiction. He even said that a current, popular television series displays the right way to fight drug addiction. Can you guess which show it might be?

You can hear our discussion by clicking the play button on the audio player below.



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Bob Cooper – Outback Survival

October 8, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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Bob Cooper has worked as a commercial fisherman and professional diver but it’s his bushcraft skills, developed over more than 30 years of experience, that have helped him make his mark.

He has learned and practiced his craft in a variety of ways including living with traditional Aboriginal people in our Western Desert, instructing with Special Forces Units, lecturing with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Service on desert survival in the Mexican Desert, delivering Wilderness lessons in the UK and learning bushcraft skills from the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana.

We might not be planning such adventures anytime soon but are there are basic skills that are valuable for us all to learn?

Bob has recently published a book titled Outback Survival, outlining the skills and preparations required to stay alive when something goes wrong.

Bob joined me in the studio today as part of my radio program on 98five Sonshine FM. You can hear our discussion and pick up a few tips that could save your life by clicking the play button on the audio player below.



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Real Reality TV

March 22, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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I watched some real reality television recently.

ABC TV was showing On A Wing And A Prayer, a magnificent documentary which follows the life cycle of the Carnaby’s cockatoo through the story of one small cockatoo family. It’s a local production made by a Perth documentary maker. You can watch the trailer below.

Playful, mischievous and highly intelligent, Carnaby’s Black Cockatoos are adored by thousands, hunted by many and saved by few. Endemic to the south-west region of Western Australia, only a small pocket of these large, gregarious birds remain and these are permanently under threat. Some are still being poached and smuggled for private collections. Many are illegally shot. Together with land clearing, loss of native food habitat and injury from man-made structures, the Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo is plummeting towards extinction.

I wasn’t the only one in our home watching closely. One of our cats was on my lap snoozing until she heard the bird sounds. Then she started watching TV too. Soon after that she jumped off my lap and after getting a little closer to the telly, lunged at the screen to capture one of the cockatoos.

I had to hold her tightly for the rest of the show to make sure she didn’t damage our television. She was fascinated by the birds and the sounds they made.

It was further proof that we’ve made the right decision to keep our cats inside at all times. I wouldn’t want to let them loose where there are real birds.

I’m wondering if you have pets that watch TV. Have you ever had a dog, cat or any other pet which enjoyed a good drama or a few laughs over a comedy?



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Australia Day 2012

January 25, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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Are you ready for Australia Day tomorrow?

We celebrate Australia Day on the 26th of January each year because it was that day in 1788 that Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales and became its first Governor. The first official celebrations were held in 1818 to mark the 30th anniversary of white settlement.

If you want to find out more about Australia Day you can go to the official website here.

Watching fireworks on Australia Day has become a solid tradition in Perth but over the past several years many people have started looking for ways to avoid the parking hassles and find a family friendly event. Answering the call is the 98.5 Sonshine FM Town of Bassendean Australia Day Celebrations and Fireworks event which has built a reputation as a safe place to spend Australia Day with friends and family as well as providing a spectacular show.

If you’re in the Perth area it’d be great to catch up with you at Ashfield Reserve, Guildford Road, Ashfield, for the evening. It’s a great event that culminates in a massive fireworks display away from the big and sometimes rowdy crowds of the city fireworks. 98.5 Sonshine FM is proud to be providing the soundtrack and we’ll be broadcasting live from the venue.

I’ll be joined on stage by my friend and colleague, Arthur Muhl, to MC the live entertainment which starts from 5:00 p.m. There’ll also be an awards ceremony. The fireworks will begin lighting up the skies later in the evening with the whole event finishing at 9:00 p.m.

If you want to enjoy some great entertainment in a more relaxed family atmosphere, without having to wait hours in traffic on the way home, come on down.

Either way, make sure that you’ve got some plans in place to celebrate.



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Gnomesville

January 17, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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Do you believe that gnomes are magical creatures? I’ve got to wonder if they have magical powers after visiting Gnomesville a few days ago. Why else would I be drawn to wander around in searing heat looking at thousands of gnomes?

Located by the roundabout at the junction of Wellington Mill and Ferguson roads, Gnomesville is the magical home to over 3000 Gnomes who have migrated there from all over Australia and around the world.

Plan to spend a few hours wandering through the villages and glades full of playful, naughty and sentimental gnomes climbing logs, hanging out in trees, playing cricket, even flying planes! You’ll enjoy the clever Gnomish puns and who knows, you may decide to return to contribute a Gnome of your own. Don’t be tempted to take home a souvenir, however, as Gnoman legend has it that bad luck will surely follow! – Ferguson Valley Website

We had a few days holidaying in the Ferguson Valley before I returned to work and part of the visit to our state’s south included a visit to Gnomesville. It’s a strange and wonderful place with many gnomes telling stories of those who have placed gnomes in the past.



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