April 13, 2024
Dear Hossein,
I hope you enjoyed restful days during Ramadan and the holidays break in Congress 60 activities. Such respites can be a welcome time of rejuvenation and reflection.
The number of Congress 60 members seeking to take the guide examinations is powerful testimony to the vibrant service ethic within Congress 60. That 8,000 to 10,000 members will be seeking to serve in these roles is remarkable as is the degree of preparation chosen candidates will receive. A vanguard of recovery carriers with such preparation and of that size could change the world. Unpaid acts of service are among the supporting pillars of Congress 60.
Please do continue sharing photos and videos. I particularly enjoyed the videos that your daughter, Shani Dezhakam, directed. These provide a wonderful overview and flavor of Congress 60 and I found them quite well done. They felt like a welcoming invitation into the Congress 60 community as I viewed them.
The update on your research activities was quite exciting as was the news of articles set for publication. I have been working with Dr. Marc Galanter on a few studies related to participation in Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous in the U.S. and their effects on treatment outcomes. Those should be published late this year or in early 2025. I find it hard to keep up with all the trends occurring in addiction treatment and recovery support as I have been unable to travel in recent years. That disconnection from the field makes me less confident about my observations. Keeping regular email communication with you and other leaders around the world is a great help to me since my traveling has ceased.
We have communicated about fentanyl before and I am wondering about any other new drug trends in Iran that I should be aware of. One that I am following here in the U.S. is the spread of Xylazine (a non-opioid anesthetic use in veterinary medicine) which in the illicit drug culture appears along or in combination with fentanyl. I am looking forward to reviewing your forthcoming fentanyl study.
When I describe the DST method used by Congress 60 to others, many are amazed that the each member is expected to adhere to the opium tincture dosage schedule and to possess their medication without rigorous external supervision. In the view of many professional, addicted people are not capable of such self-management. In one of our future communication, I would like you to explicate how this is possible within the DST method. I want to make sure I am explaining this procedure as accurately as possible. Here in the U.S., for example, patients in early methadone treatment are not allowed to manage their own medication which requires regular clinic attendance which can be quite demanding and contributed to the drop-out rate in methadone maintenance treatment. I look forward to your thoughts on this.
I will sign off for now. Please extend my warm regards to your family and to all members of Congress 60.
Friends and Brothers Forever