Capable hands of an experienced team

POLOKWANE – With June being Addiction Awareness Month, Review has shared the story of recovered drug addict Susan* van der Merwe and her mother, Beverley*, who went through the drug addiction ordeal together and survived it.

Meteffect Recovery Centre, which is located just outside the city on the Mogwadi road, has also been introduced to readers.

Addicts go to Meteffect Recovery Centre to recover from their addiction, learn new life skills and gain self-confidence. The centre is not registered for medical aid yet, but according to co-founder, Michele Dix-Peek, they are in the process at the moment.

This week, Review introduces Meteffect’s counsellors. All the counsellors have two things in common: a passion for recovery and each of them is a recovered addict.

Scott Davison (53) is the co-founder of Meteffect. He is a recovered alcoholic and drug addict.

Davison says he started using alcohol at the age of 12 when his parents allowed him to have a glass of wine every now and then. His drinking escalated and he also started using drugs, until 1997 when he found it necessary to stop, seeking recovery. He is Meteffect’s stepwork head coach, he gives lectures, works with groups and is an acudetox (treating addiction with acupuncture) specialist.

Dix-Peek (43) started using alcohol when she was 16 years old.

She says she started out by stealing alcohol from her parents because she liked the feeling it gave her. She found recovery from her alcoholism in 2002.

Dix-Peek is head of treatment, responsible for the entire Meteffect centre, managing the personnel and keeping a watchful eye on the participants. She is an excellent recovery coach, and is also a neuro-linguistic programming practitioner (a special approach to communication, personal development and psychotherapy) and acudetox specialist.

Ady Dodds (42) started using alcohol when she was 21 years old. She also started using drugs and prescription medication. She says she did not have any help in stopping. “I did it on my own; I needed the relief.” She stopped by going to counselling sessions in Johannesburg.

Dodds has been with Meteffect since January and is responsible for the halfway house, outpatient, working with families, public relations and marketing, as well as groups, counselling and drug awareness projects.

Sarah Leigh Holloway (27) comes from Johannesburg. She started using drugs in her last year of college and stopped in 2011 when she realised she needed help. She studied counselling at Families South Africa (Famsa) and is trained in lymph drainage massage and reflexology. Sarah has received her master’s degree in recovery coaching and has a huge passion for inspiring people to be the best they can be. She has been a counsellor at Meteffect for a year.

Marno Smith (27) is also a counsellor at Meteffect. He grew up in Polokwane and started using alcohol at the age of 15, and drugs by the age of 16. “I did it to fit in with my friends,” he says.

By the time he was 25 years old, he had lost everything. He decided to get help and went to a rehabilitation centre in Johannesburg.

Soon after he left the rehabilitation centre and came home, he had a relapse after six months of being clean. His parents’ response was to phone Davison and Dix-Peek.

He hasn’t looked back since and is currently working towards studying for his counsellor’s diploma.

“Since school I wanted to help people, but I never knew how. Now I have the experience and the knowledge and can help them.”

The counselling team at Meteffect are committed to each of their participants individually, facilitating change in the lives of the people they touch – affecting a metamorphosis in each client, no matter who they are, or where they are from.

* Names changed in the interest of privacy.