DCS Celebrates Recovery Month

Local drug rehabilitation experts say addiction is a big problem in the Cayman Islands, but that recovery options and a support community are available.

Mark Miller, who has been struggling with addiction, told the Compass of his journey towards recovery after he lost his family, his home and eventually his dream job.

“I hit what they call rock bottom,” he said.

Emma Evans, a therapist at Caribbean Haven Residential Centre, in Bodden Town, explains how the facility offers addiction recovery services to people like Miller.

“We focus specifically on drugs, substances and alcohol,” Evans said. “However, addiction is a wide-ranging problem. People are addicted to work. People are addicted to gambling, computers, pornography, exercise. It’s more about the behaviour and how people use these things to help manage themselves, manage their emotions and help them to cope with difficulties in their lives.”

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She said issues like these are brought into focus during Recovery Month, started in September 1989 by the US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to raise awareness about evidence-based treatment and recovery practices.

Resources are available in Cayman, but Evans said for a lot of people, addiction creeps up on them.

“They don’t realise they’re addicted until they stop functioning and by that, we mean that their work, their relationships, their finances become quite significantly affected,” she said.

Kimberly Febres is clinical supervisor at Caribbean Haven Residential Centre. – Photo: Reshma Ragoonath

Crime statistics provide a hint at the prevalence of drug abuse.

RCIPS crime statistics showed that there were 150 drug offences in 2023, and while there were some reductions in most types of drug offences related to ganja there was an increase for possession of cocaine, the report stated.

People facing drug charges may be offered rehabilitation services.

Even without court involvement, Evans said, reaching out for help can be difficult for people.

“None of us want to admit that we’re not coping,” she said.

Seeking community support can be a vital step towards recovery.

“Just reach out, reach out to anyone. There’s the [government-run] Counselling Centre, which offers free services, or there’s Caribbean Haven,” she said.

Kimberly Febres, clinical supervisor at Caribbean Haven, said many of the centre’s clients also have co-occurring mental health issues and histories of complex trauma.

Addiction, she said, is a complex disease and it is a medical issue just like any other illness.

“If we see it that way, instead of a moral failure, then that could make accessing treatment a little bit easier. It’s just like if you have any medical problem; you go to a doctor and you get treatment. If you have an addiction, you can get treatment and it is very treatable,” she said.