Cases of alcohol addiction have been on the rise in Visakhapatnam. Officials in rehabilitation centres say that the number of people approaching them has gone up considerably in the past few years and majority of addicts are educated and job holders.
In the case of Government Hospital for Mental Care at China Waltair, at least three to five cases are registered for admission in its de-addiction centre every day.
According to Superintendent of Government Hospital for Mental Care Radha Rani, nearly 15 new cases are being admitted to the centre every week. “Most of the victims are aged over 35 years. They are not just daily labourers, unlike the past. Now victims include government employees, private employees and educated persons,” Ms. Radha Rani said. Another rehabilitation centre, Green Valley Foundation, also receives at least 25 to 30 cases per month.
“Almost 80% of patients which come here, confess that they have started alcohol intake during teenage itself. It may be due to curiosity or friends,” said Uma Raju of Green Valley Foundation. According to her, just 20% of people can be social drinkers (who can stop taking alcohol), while rest of 80% become addicts.
‘Completely ruined’
“For each and every problem, some addicts feel consuming alcohol is the solution. They lose state of mind, go into depression. Unfortunately, many are admitted to de-addiction centres after they suffered financially, mentally and physically,” Ms. Uma Raju added.
As per experts, there are several stages of treatment in the de-addiction centre, which includes detoxification, motivation enhancement, counselling, aversion treatment, relapse etc.
“The process could take one-month or more. After the process, every month, we could be conducting checking. There are groups and associations where they could join. But there are people, who start to take alcohol again,” said Ms. Radha Rani.
