Addiction is treatable at every stage. It should be considered a family disease and the patient, his or her family members should be emotionally strengthened to get good results.
Awareness level about addiction and treatment is low and the addicts or the others would not like to talk much about addiction when the need is to discuss. A child seen smoking by an elder should be told to stop it instead of feeling that the child does not belong to his or her family.
These are among some points made by a counsellor Uma Raju of the Green Valley Foundation on the eve of World Drug Abuse Prevention Day to be observed on Sunday with the theme, Listen First.
The addiction would start as an occasional habit, then a joyful act and into a habit of social drinking. But only five to 10 per cent of those consuming alcohol or drugs would become addicts, said Ms. Uma raju.
They start avoiding people, prefer to stay alone, experience blackout of what has happened or said while they are drunk.
Crucial factor
They also become suspicious about what people are thinking about them, have a feeling of self-pity and experience a feeling of loneliness. “But it (addiction) is treatable at every stage”, she asserts. A child must be stopped at the time of experiment by creating awareness, she points out. While making the addict emotionally strong would give results, the family should also be involved. Relapse management is another crucial factor.
Any one can get addicted to alcohol, drugs, etc. and it is genetic factor in 60 per cent of cases and circumstances lead to addiction in the rest 40 per cent.
Ms. Uma Raju found prescription drug abuse is notice more now and it is necessary to alert the parents and educational institutions. “Parents come to know after everyone else come to know of it (their child getting addicted). And it is also important that the parents must aspire their child to be a good and healthy citizen than an EAMCET top ranker or a great performer in studies,” she cautioned.
Drawing from her experience Ms. Uma Raju said many would not like to be questioned on their alcohol habit and addiction and the refrain is “It is my own money”. However, children in the family would suffer due to alcohol addiction of their parents. Father clashes with mother and mother is upset and cannot concentrate on children. This results in the child always apprehensive about the atmosphere at the home and experience fear, shame and uncertainty.
Mother of an alcohol addicted son, who fortunately quit the habit, a 30-year-old driver who was a drunkard and a paramedic who was addicted to drug injection after she lost her mother and sister, say they have been talked out of their habit by Ms. Uma Raju and counsellors at the Green Valley. Basically they were explained their condition and fear and shame being experienced by them and the feeling that their loved ones are not able to talk to them, and how better they would be if they could kick the habit. The foundation also provides medical treatment to the needy as part of rehabilitation.
The foundation, located at Jodugullapalem can be contacted on 0891 2781966, 9247251126 or 98480 65643 for help.
