Associate Doctor at Houghton House
“Recovery from addiction means learning to live differently“
Stopping drinking and using drugs is easy. Many of us have done that several times! What, for most of us, is very difficult is to stay stopped. In active addiction, using is not a choice. Partly, this is because the symptoms of addiction that we generally don’t talk about – hopelessness, depression, anxiety, fear, feelings of aloneness and isolation, and very importantly, anhedonia (never looking forward to anything or finding enjoyment in daily life and activities) – tend to trap us in a vicious cycle of using and drinking.
Recovery from addiction is so much more than just not using drugs. It means living a life in which we can grow and flourish, live contentedly and become the person we can be.
Rehab won’t cure you. But it will set you off on a wonderful journey of learning to live a life in which you don’t need to take drugs and alcohol. And because it is learned, recovery is available to everyone.
Through his own experiences, David has a deep commitment to teaching and guiding addicts in how to recover from addiction and live a life with purpose and meaning. He has a special interest in the role of the five pillars of wellness: mindfulness, healthy eating, exercise, sleep and socialisation.
David is registered with the HPCSA as a general medical practitioner. He has an honours degree in zoology, qualified as a personal fitness coach through the Health and Fitness Professionals Association (HFPA) and has completed the two-year Postgraduate Certificate in Mindfulness through the Department of Family Medicine, Stellenbosch University.
He is a member of the South African Addictions Medicine Society, Board of Addiction Professionals South Africa and PAINSA.
`Dr Dan is part of The Houghton House Editorial Team and Advisory Board who are responsible for the content and information on this site.
BSc(Hons), MBBCh (Wits), N Cert Ex Sc (HFPA)
Personal Website – www.poetryofaddiction.com