Ex-addict channels help via television

[Lunar Loops]

This from The Guardian (UK):
Ex-addict channels help via television

Wednesday November 7 2007

It was only when the police came knocking on Dan Butcher's door that his wife discovered he had a problem. For almost a decade, Butcher, a successful City banker, had kept his cocaine addiction - which at its height amounted to eight grams a day - a secret from family, friends and colleagues. "When you are an addict, you think you are the only person in the world who is going through it," says Butcher, 34. "It was only when I said 'I need help' that my recovery could begin."
Just over 12 months, a stint in the Priory rehabilitation clinic and hundreds of support meetings later, Butcher is launching the Recovery Network, the first interactive TV channel and internet portal for people affected by addiction.
He says his brother, an alcoholic who will not seek outside help for his addiction, was the catalyst for the idea. He says: "I kept thinking about him drinking in front of the television and thought, 'Why not bring the same style of support I got at the Priory into Simon's living room?'"
The network website, launched on Monday, provides online information, advice and support for addicts and their families. Similar to social networking sites such as Facebook, it allows users - anonymously if they choose - a profile page where they can post video diaries about their recovery and talk about their experiences. Chat rooms provide live support along with interactive therapy sessions. The TV channel, which will go on air on Sky early next year, will have discussion and interactive therapy programmes and a 24-hour help line.
Harry Shapiro, from the charity Drugscope, has reservations about the format. He says: "Anything that encourages people to get help is extremely welcome, as long as people don't imagine that this is a substitute for getting proper face-to-face treatment."
But Butcher insists that the Recovery Network is designed to complement, not replace support. "This is an extra tool for people in recovery," he says. "And, as far as I know, there are not many group sessions at 4 o'clock in the morning."
Funded by sponsors and advertising, a £5 subscription fee covers the interactive tools on the website and TV channel after an initial free trial. "If people are serious about recovery, then £5 a month is a small price to pay," Butcher says.
As well as helping recovering addicts, Butcher wants to break preconceptions. "I want to make it easier to admit that you are an addict without the fear of being labelled a sad, weak, good-fornothing loser," he says. "Addiction is an illness, not a personal weakness."

[Big Fella]

His website is here http://www.trntv.co.uk/