Media release – August 14, 2008
Head of NZ’s newest rehabilitation clinic knows from experience how to treat addicts
The head of New Zealand’s newest rehabilitation clinic for drug, alcohol, eating and gambling addictions knows exactly
how to treat people crying out for help.
Serenity Clinic opens in Auckland on August 25 and the general manager Murdoch, the name he goes by, is a former drug
addict. The clinic has the backing of Waitakere mayor Bob Harvey.
Murdoch said today the last time he received treatment he was one of 53 people seeking help.
After a year only five of them were ‘clean’ and after two years just two of them had kicked their addictive habits.
``We admitted we were powerless over drugs but I always had a problem with accepting that. I believe people, like
myself, are not powerless if we make a decision not to use them.
``Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous say if you don’t follow their programme you die spirituality,
emotionally and physically. This isn’t true. They also say that only 10 percent of those that enter their doors will
find recovery. What happens to the other 90 percent?
``At Serenity we will treat people how they present, find out the under lying reason they use drugs. We’ll fill the
void so the need will be gone.’’
Murdoch said the government was funding mental health areas and addiction on outdated models of treatment that had
``appalling’’ rates of success. Serenity will have a 70 percent success rate after the first year, if they don’t they
will close their doors, he said.
Serenity had already received a number of inquiries through their www.serenitynz.co.nz website.
An American head of treatment programmes for methamphetamine for the state of Minnesota and the US government Richard
Moldenhauer today endorsed the environment and setting of the West Auckland Clinic.
"By the time someone seeks treatment for methamphetamine addiction, their life is, by definition, chaotic and out of
control. The calmer, more re-assuring an environment a facility can provide (like serenity) the more conducive it is to
repair and recovery. Calm staff plus calm setting equal calmer clients."
Murdoch said they expected inquiries from Australia because people liked the idea of being away from their home
environment to at least have some confidentiality.
ENDS