Dear Governor’s Office:
My name is Brian Gwozdz and I am resident of Westfield as well as a licensed drug and alcohol counselor here in Massachusetts. I will soon be departed on a trip to Southeast Asia where one of my principal destinations will be Wat Thamkrabok in central Thailand. Buddhist monks at Wat Thamkrabok have been successfully treating addicts since the 1950s with a combination of herbal detox, mindfulness and meditation (see link below).
They claim a success rate in the 90% range which is remarkable by Western standards. Traditionally they have treated mostly opiate addicts and while this group still makes up the majority of those seeking treatment at Wat Thamkrabok, today they also treat alcoholics and more recently an increasing number of methamphetamine addicts. Treatment is free of charge and those seeking treatment are admitted only once. Many seeking treatment are addicts from Western Europe who have repeatedly cycled through more traditional treatment modalities only to relapse again and again.
In light of today’s alarming opiate addiction which is off the charts on every metric, I would think the Commonwealth might have an interest in what is being done so successfully at Wat Thamkrabok. I am hoping to gain some insights while there, and ideally apply some of what I learn upon my return in order to help those afflicted by addiction.
Sincerely,
Brian Gwozdz, LADC I
