Humanistic Agnostic Darwyn

I am a humanistic agnostic (agnostic mostly due to the extreme ambiguity of the word "god") but accept people of all faiths or beliefs and believe freedom of religion is a fundamental right.

I can help with -Addictions issues discussion with either addict or person with a substance use problem and/or their loved ones -available for step 5 sessions in AA or NA 12 step or 16 step style programs

• explore options with people who may have drug problems or their loved ones. Such as setting meaningful goals, treatment or harm reduction. Forcing abstinence is often more harmful than helpful in the long term. The "helping them hit bottom faster" method, sometimes mistakenly called "Tough love" is so reckless that suggesting it to a desperate loved one takes ignorance or psychopathy. Real change requires time, trust, compassion and in most cases practice. Harm reduction services increase the odds of living long enough to recover. An intervention may, in some cases, be helpful. I would definitely not recommend it as the first step. Doing one without a well considered plan or in conjunction with an poorly chosen ultimatum can end very badly.

• Finding personal agnostic or atheist acceptable interpretations of 12 steps. Many treatment programs or remote communities do not have other options available, though they do exist.

-Ethical questions, overcoming personal psychological bias(we all have them), feelings of not having purpose, and acceptance issues (either of yourself or of others)

I am located near Red Deer, Alberta, Canada If necessary, I will sometimes travel within Canada if return travel and accommodation are arranged in advance. Remote consultation via skype, zoom, facebook messenger, Google meet are available.

If you have specific questions that may affect someone's future options in life, including step 5 meeting requests. I suggest End-to-end encryption, if in person meeting is not possible. I recommend protonmail for private email. My address is revdarwyn@proton.me I take your confidentiality and privacy seriously and understand it to be a matter of life or death.

Get a protonmail account first and use it to contact my protonmail account for end to end PGP email encryption. You can use that email address from other services but it is much less secure. You can choose less secure if it is you we are discussing, not if it is another specific person. If necessary I can explain why. Any email to revdarwyn@proton.me is confidential religious communication, to the extent and limitations granted by Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Why does that matter? Data Mining companies, like facebook, sell personal data to insurance companies(possibly increasing rates), prospective future employers, anyone interested really including government agencies wanting to bypass usual warrant requirements. The fact that communication with a religious advisor or "religious communication" is protected to some degree in much of the world, does not help much when data collection is often automated. If you are in a nation that is less free and inclusive, or may become one in your lifetime, and need to discuss beliefs, addiction, gender role expectations, or mental health I would recommend it even more. We can discuss if further options are needed based on your needs or concerns.

If feel you lack purpose, my first suggestion is making finding a purpose, your first purpose.

My purpose is trying to fix some of the systemic problems that endanger the interconnectedness of humans, such as being able to trust in other people and in the systems that are intended to protect people. A task that requires a lot of time in research, study, and analysis. Helping individually helps me keep perspective.

I lost a brother to a drug overdose as well as many friends and coworkers both to overdoses and suicide related to drug problems. I have talked to over a thousand people with substance use issues, some of whom identified as addicts, including government officials, law enforcement, homeless, famous actors, highly educated to functionally illiterate, learning what I could from all of them and helping when I could. I have talked to many affected loved ones, I worked at a treatment centre and have learned much. More about what not to do and how hard it is for those involved to make rational choices without a guide who knows something of the options( advantages and trade offs) and information sources that have helped. It is an issue I care greatly about.

Alert. If illegal drug use is involved get a naloxone kit and training. No matter what you or loved one may think you are taking, a fentanyl overdose is possible. Fentanyl test strips are recommended, to reduce risks, even if it looks like a brand name prescription drug.