Drug Addiction, if defined in laymen’s terms, means to be unable to control oneself from consuming a substance or engaging in an activity that is injurious to a person’s overall well-being – i.e. both mental and physical. It can include one’s inability to control their eating habits, drinking habits, and most important of all their inability to seize the consumption of illicit drug addictions and substances like opiates, alcohol, cannabis, etc. While most people consider addiction a bad habit, it is a disease. It is a lifelong condition that is manageable but not curable.
Here are 5 things you need to know about drug addiction if you or someone you know has drug addiction problem:
1. One can recover from Drug Addiction
Yes! It is without a doubt possible if the person is provided the appropriate treatment program which not only deals with the cessation of the problem but also addresses the emotional social and physical aspects of the person’s life that led to addictions to Drugs, for instance, will not just focus on the drug consumption but ideally also on the factors that made the person seek refuge in alcoholism.
2. When there is a will, there is always a way
There is no quick fix for addiction to drugs. The road to recovery is a rocky road indeed. It is a constant struggle. Although medication initially might facilitate the addict, it is imperative that the person be taken out of the environment which had previously led to addiction; treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration into society are all a part of the process. It takes time and willpower.
3. Mental illness and addiction go hand in hand
Treating an underlying mental illness as a means to cure addiction is like treating someone’s physical symptoms in an exclusion that is a manifestation of their mental illness. While 20% of people with mental illnesses develop an addiction, it is critical that both illness and addiction be treated simultaneously. They are not mutually exclusive. There are lucky people who are trying to deal with this dilemma in society, such as the PRC Rehabilitation Center which is an addiction of drug rehab which provides holistic treatment to its patients, catering to all their needs so that they have a chance at living a better life.
4. You do not have to hit rock bottom to seek help
This is a common misconception. People think they need to end up with full-blown symptoms of addiction to seek help. No. Family and friends and loved ones can help a person recognize their behavior and how it can lead to legal, professional, and interpersonal losses. Treatment rehabilitation in Karachi is readily available for people who are interested in getting back on their feet before it is too late.
5. You can help remove the stigma
Normalizing the ‘talk’ or removing the taboo is upon YOU. Starting the much fret conversation in this society is a need of time. With people as young as 15 years old getting in addiction to drugs, it is the hour of calling where people young and old should talk about the much-ignored topic. Here is how you can start:
- Bring the issue up at a neutral gathering. A gathering where you think you will have sufficient support against the people who would try and sidetrack the topic
- Encourage the discourse by being actively involved in gathering information about the drug addictions treatment center, facts about the rapid increase, and by assuming the role of a problem solver than a critic
- Help someone you know might have this problem by letting them know that you are concerned about them. Give them the moral support they need and link them up with people and organizations that will facilitate their journey to recovery.
Let’s help each other build up a society where we facilitate each other through support and care.