Group pushes idea that ‘Hope is Dope’
There were many points along Ken Clowes’ recovery from addiction that he didn’t believe he would ever be drug-free, and one of his “light bulb” moments was realizing he could feel good in ways that didn’t require using substances.
The power existed in his own mind — the idea that he could get out of addiction gave him hope, which offered a similar feeling to “dope.” The revelation happened around 2007, when Clowes met Steve Treu, who would go on to author a book detailing the power of the mind — that “Hope is Dope: Achieving Chemical Balance.”
“People like Steve that instilled hope in me when I didn’t have it myself,” Clowes said. “I had a probation officer once, back in Mercer County, years ago who treated me with the utmost respect. And what that does for somebody is it makes me want to treat myself with respect too.”
Clowes, who is Community Initiatives Center assistant at Butler County Community College, now helps oversee a training program, Hope is Dope, modeled and named after Treu’s 2016 book. Treu also hosts sessions where he explains the ideas of his book, which he said are based on observations and research he conducted during his career as a sports journalist.
“We have the ability to heal because the brain chemistry that got affected in the first place is still there in the brain to be influenced again,” Treu said. “It’s the only way anyone recovers, and we consider it to be a really unifying approach.”
Clowes said he struggled with drug addiction, particularly opioid use, throughout his life, which led to bad mental health that led to further drug use. It took several attempts for Clowes to get sober, and he had a few relapses along the way as well.
“I had already went through detox treatment, been introduced to 12-step programs, I was even in therapy, but no one could explain what was happening inside of me,” Clowes said. “Why despite this strong desire to stop using that I wasn’t able to.”
Clowes said he had many philosophical conversations with Treu, who had ideas he had never considered before. Prior to speaking with Treu, Clowes knew nothing of brain chemicals like serotonin and dopamine, which Treu explained are what gives people positive feelings.
The educational sessions Treu hosts — and the trainings Clowes facilitates with professionals working with people who could be experiencing addiction — build on the idea that the human mind, by itself, can give a person good feelings. The lessons, Clowes said, can also be put into practice by people not going through addiction.
“The amazing thing about the Hope is Dope program is the brain chemistry, understanding that and how you can produce good chemistry is good for any type of substance you are trying to heal from,” Clowes said. “Also, it’s just good mental health. Maybe someone who struggles with stress could learn material that Steve created for substance use and benefit their life.”
Treu compared an individual’s ability to alter their own brain chemistry to the use of keys in doors and locks. He said explaining ideas like this in simple terms often helps people understand how their own mind works.
“It’s just that there’s about a hundred different keys and locks,” Treu said. “Imagine if you had a hundred different keys for your car, and you have to find the right spot for all of them for your car to start, that would be some work. That’s why it is difficult.”
To Clowes, just knowing it was possible to escape addiction helped him get the will power to do it himself.
“Addiction changes the brain, but they don’t know how it changes the brain specifically,” Clowes said. “Understanding how it does, that’s a light bulb going off, because that also provided the key in how to change it, how to provide healing brain chemistry.”
The four-hour Hope is Dope training is available in-person or online and is open to all treatment and human service provider employees; certified peer and recovery specialists; and county agencies and employees. Participants learn the science behind addiction and the recovery process and how a well-informed and supportive community increases recovery rates.
There is also Hope is Dope community training, professional training, financial wellness sessions and Hope Nights, where people in the recovery community gather to share their stories and hear from others experiencing addiction.
Clowes said he and Treu soon will train people through VA Butler Healthcare System, which is another avenue where addiction treatment is necessary, he said.
“This will be our first time offering the class to veterans specifically,” Clowes said.
He aims to train as many professional people as possible in how to recognize and react to signs of drug addiction in individuals, because those individuals may be able to be reached before they hit “rock bottom.”
“There’s a lot of people that are struggling with substance use that maybe aren’t seeking out or aren’t in trouble with the law,” Clowes said. “One of the things we want to do is reach more government agencies and employees, also in hope that those folks may be able to help refer people to Hope is Dope.”
Treu said the Hope is Dope programs are best implemented alongside other drug treatment programs offered throughout Butler County, because it is more of an educational supplement focusing on the science of addiction. He said everyone who sits in on one of his classes should walk away with knowledge of how to manage emotions to help avoid negative outcomes of those emotions, including addiction.
“In many ways, I feel like we’ve been more like a starter kit for a lot of other agencies working on things,” Treu said. “We end most of our series and classes that we do with an explanation of 40 or 50 different ways you can choose positive, healthy brain chemistry.”
