An NHL Legend, A Physician & a Canine Assist Addicts Discover Hope
Aug. 19, 2022 — Amongst hockey followers, Kevin Stevens is a legend. A member of a number of groups, together with the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers, the now 57-year-old was particularly recognized for being a Pittsburgh Penguin through the workforce’s Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992.
However the Bostonian can be a recovering addict whose life modified dramatically when he was 28 years previous and made “one unhealthy choice” one night time.
“I had by no means performed medicine in my life, however somebody caught cocaine in entrance of me,” he says. “I didn’t know what it was, however I attempted it and that modified my life for the subsequent 24 years.”
Stevens cast a protracted and infrequently well-publicized battle for sobriety with many challenges alongside the best way, together with an opioid habit due to an enormous hockey harm (in addition to persevering with to make use of cocaine) and an arrest for dealing oxycodone in 2016.
When he entered a responsible plea in 2017, he vowed to show his life round. Ever since, he has devoted his life to assist others via Energy Ahead, a nonprofit he began in 2018 that’s targeted on elevating consciousness about habit.
Convey on the Canine
Right this moment, Stevens, who at present works as a Nationwide Hockey League (NHL) scout, and one in all his board members, Michael Hamrock, MD, a main care and habit medication physician at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Boston, have launched a singular therapeutic methodology to the checklist of choices for folks in restoration.
Referred to as the DOER (Canine Possession Enhancing Restoration) program, a educated help canine — on this case, a golden retriever named Sawyer — might be despatched to stay with 12 males dwelling in a sober dwelling within the Boston space, in a program that’s the primary of its type within the U.S.
“For the whole lot of my apply, my sufferers have instructed me time and again how a lot their pet canine have improved their bodily and psychological well being, so I assumed we must always add this to one in all our choices,” Hamrock says. “I do know this can assist.”
The day Sawyer was launched to the residents as a part of a pilot program was a joyful one, Hamrock says.
“We introduced Sawyer to the yard and, whereas on a leash, he went to every resident individually,” he says. “They began patting him and taking part in with him. I may see the super delight of their eyes.”
The objective: So as to add extra canine to this system, over time.
“I consider conferences, drugs, religious care and having a sponsor assist with restoration,” he says. “However canine can present security, stop loneliness, enable you to reestablish relationships, enable you to discover function and worth and provide unconditional love.”
And with overdose deaths within the U.S. reaching file ranges final 12 months, Hamrock says the time is now to persevering with innovating.
“We all know the chance elements for coronary heart illness, however we want a greater understanding of the mind illness of habit,” he says, noting that the acronym GAMES gives a great way to quantify the 5 threat elements: G (genes), A (age of first drug use), M (handled or untreated psychological well being points), E (publicity to opioids as a remedy for, say, power ache) and S (stress, particularly from antagonistic childhood occasions) is an effective approach to quantify threat elements.
However a well-trained canine can mitigate a few of these elements.
“We all know canine can scale back stress and improve psychological well being,” he says. “We additionally know that pet canine may also help with accountability, create a caring atmosphere, and fill the void of nurturing. We are able to actually see a distinction.”
Ask Stevens and he’ll inform you he’s enthusiastic about how service canine may play a job in serving to addicts keep in restoration.
“I feel what Michael is doing is fairly neat,” he says. “When he introduced this concept to the desk, it made sense. Canine are so nice for folks and so they’re that vivid spot in your day. Providing these residents the prospect to handle one thing will make all of the distinction.”
