Tendency and probability of getting addicted is in every first time user of any substance

Kathmandu:

A glass of beer, one shot of tequila, few sticks of cigarette a day or couple of puffs of marijuana once a while might sound normal and okay for many. One just does not get addicted by drinking or smoking ‘under control’ or those who use excess of anything will only get addicted is the concept that many have. But what one does not realise is this casual use of such substances can lead to major addiction in the near future. “Tendency and probability of getting addicted is in every first time user of any substance. We might all have addictive nature but it does not come out generally. Addiction can occur from either personnel addictive traits or genetic addictive nature,” said Prem Dhital, counsellor at Bright Future Drug Rehab Centre, Balaju. Most common addictions seen in Nepal are alcoholism and drug addiction. “Addiction usually occurs when tolerance power increases, this results in dose increment and decrease in duration. The pleasure trip due to abuse of any substance creates a vacuum in the hippocampus area of the brain. Once the vacuum is created it stays that way and addicts trip more to get pleasure till they black out,” said Dhital.

Addiction to any substance is generally caused by psychosocial problems. Youngsters who are addictive to substances either have low self-esteem, insecurities or whose emotional and social growth has been suppressed. According to Dhital, alcoholism is generally a middle age problem here. Binge drinkers are those who don’t drink regularly but drink excessively after a certain period of time difference where as chronic drinkers are those who consume liquor on a daily basis. Where as drug addiction is both social and legal problem. Once a substance abuse enters the rehab centre they are treated through different methods like holistic approach programme (psychosocial approach to the problem), peer counselling, meditation, role-play, music and drama therapy, spiritual counselling, cold turkey method and detoxification. “Though these approaches might help the person to go clean but the major problem that occurs is relapse, where the addict might just go back to the same phase after certain time period. To stop such relapse one should have strong will power, positive attitude and should receive cooperation and help from family and social circle,” said Dhital.

Sulochana Theeg, Director of Maya Nepal Rehabilitation Centre, opened by those who are directly and indirectly affected by drug abuse said, “Our organisation is a non governmental organisation and we run on funds that we collect. Recently we admitted 20 patients for free treatment and collected necessary expenses for food through door to door community level fund raising.”

Stepping out of darkness:

Addiction is a disease and it takes a lifetime to recover. I remember I started taking cigarettes at a very young age, then moved to alcohol and soon it was marijuana and I don’t remember when I started taking hard drugs. When I used to drink alcohol I used to hate drug addicts but never realised that I had become one as well. When my family and friends tried to alert me I could not believe them as I thought I could get out of it anytime.

Both my parents expired when I was young and I was a rebel without a cause. I thought I was cool and got involved in gang fights. I was not very good in my studies but I was good in sports but after getting into drugs I left everything behind. Soon I was unproductive, a self-criticiser, lost my friends, girlfriend and even the trust of my social circle. Once I was drinking early in the morning and I could not hold the glass as my hands were shaking a lot then I decided to get into a rehab. After coming out from the centre I went straight for drug hunting that’s when it struck me that I had become a ‘drug addict’. I went back to the rehab and tried to get over my addiction. It’s been almost two years that I have been clean and working as a counsellor to motivate others to leave the habit as well. When I look back now at that time the phase was cool as far as I was concerned and what I thought was fun was not actually so, because I don’t remember most of it. I am helping myself by helping others today.

— Abhishek Shah,

Junior Counsellor,

Aasara Sudhar Kendra