Understanding Addiction – International Day Against Drug Abuse

Vanshita Patoria | Staff Blogger

With the entire world observing International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26, ManipalBlog.com tried to dig out how people fall into this trap of drug addiction without realizing the consequences. Beginning small, drug use later leads to self-accusation and mental breakdown. Patients end up taking hardcore medication (which is again a form of drugs) to get rid of these narcotics. So why don’t we prevent it before it turns out to be a condition worth demanding cure.

The meaning of ‘drug’ has been given a new flavor these days. It originally meant medicine but largely has come to be associated with weed, Marijuana, Cocaine, Smack, Brown Sugar, and other substance. The people who get addicted to this evil are called drug addicts. It’s hard to accept for the youth that they are one of those drug dependents as they associate the idea of drug addiction with a movie character who is homeless, desperate, suicidal, and criminal. With this opinion in mind, the consequences seem less dreadful but the reality is different, any ordinary person can too have an addiction and should visit a Rehabilitation Centre.

In Conversation With Dr. Suresh Agarwal, Founder, and Owner of Ankur Rehabilitation Centre, Indore.

What are the main causes of drug addiction?

The main causes marked behind this evil is curiosity, lack of self-confidence and peer pressure where youngsters get influenced and to prove themselves cool and fashionable, and avoid the inferiority complex, they start taking substances in the small doses and this soon becomes the habit and then addiction.

What is your opinion about the rising issue of Drug addiction among the youth?

The issue of drug addiction is increasing day by day because of modernization, peer pressure, and the race of matching the status. This is mainly found in youngsters from 15 to 25 years of age. At this age, once the body tastes the drug, it demands it more. The chances remain just 10% after crossing this age group. The youngest addict we’ve treated in our center is of 12 years.

What treatment is available?

There are various domestic treatments which include family counseling, SSS society counseling, Drug addicts anonymous meetings, OPD, and others which tell addicts how to get rid of it and also, about the negative consequences it can lead to. In the OPD, the patients are under medication but this is a failure for those who lack self-control. The next and final step is the rehabilitation centers where the patients stay for months and follow a healthy lifestyle that includes various classes like ‘Thoughts and feelings’, ‘character defects’ etc followed by many fun activities like dance, music, gym, meditation, and other sports. 

What inspired you to open the rehabilitation center?

I used to feel bad seeing people facing transport issues because there was no rehabilitation center in the city and hence we decided to open one.  The rehab trainers keep a watch on activities of every patient even during nights. Mobile phones and any kind of communication from outside are prohibited. The centres always have patients who are looking to escape and hence they’re strictly under CCTV surveillance.”

We’ve successfully treated 80% of addicts. The remaining 20% are cases of relapse. Relapse here means getting addicted to the drugs again after the treatment. There are various relapse prevention programs which are conducted to avoid it and are a part of the curriculum of rehabilitation centre.

 

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