Saving The Next Generation From Falling Into The Trap Of Drugs Addiction

A news reporter's camera panned across a sobbing mother's face. Her 17-year-old son had committed suicide. It was further revealed that the boy was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine. Sadly, this is not an isolated case of suicide and substance abuse. Studies show that nearly 75 per cent of those who attempt suicide are using one substance or the other.

The 17-year-old's suicide note talked about his failure in the class 12 exams which, he believed, had shut the door to higher education forever. Failure in exams, bullying in class, peer pressure, a desire for attention, the need to be included, the need for experimentation, thrill-seeking behaviour, wanting to be cool – these are just some of the many reasons I hear when I ask young children why they chose being high over being sober.

Every day I meet with at least two clients who are brought in for substance abuse issues either by their family or friends. So many of these clients are young adolescents who are still only in high school. According to leading de-addiction centres and program heads, the number of patients being enrolled in de-addiction programs is increasing by the year. The most common age group is 16 to 21 years. Buying and selling drugs is now not a difficult task. Every other month there are reports of drug peddlers being arrested in Mumbai with MDMA, charas, ganja, cocaine. Today the number of marijuana users in schools and colleges is so high that one in every three adolescents coming in for therapy admits to using it in some form or the other.

Sudha Murty, who wrote about attending an AA meeting in one of her books, describes drugs, alcohol and smoking as the three brothers who often appear together. Many people abuse drugs along with alcohol or mix alcohol and cigarettes. The fourth brother to accompany them is lying behaviour. The cycle of addiction begins first with experimentation, then building a tolerance level, and then developing a liking towards the substance. From this point, it is about slowly making it a coping mechanism (for stress, anxiety & depression), then relying on it for pleasure and distraction, lying about the abuse, denying the dependency, becoming violent and distant from those who criticize their choices.  This is when the isolation begins and finally leads to a complete inability to balance life.

Addiction is also rampant in older age groups, and slowly it is blurring gender lines as well. Smoking pot while discussing office projects or getting drunk each weekend at a bar is now considered the new normal. Often one hears reasons like ‘my friend does weed every day and functions pretty well in college. I guess I should give it a try too'; or ‘everyone in my office smokes during office hours and mostly socializes at that time. I started smoking so that I don't feel left out'; or ‘my boyfriend chills more with his stoner friends than me. Once I started doing his choice of drugs, he spends more time with me. It's a happy high for me'; or then ‘each time I have been stressed, I have snorted cocaine or done LSD, both have helped me immensely'.

A combination of one-on-one counselling, family counselling and the vigilance of law and order can help curb this rising menace. Awareness programs need to begin as early as middle school since a lot of children in this age group are being exposed to locally available drugs. Often it is peer pressure or the internal struggle of wanting to fit in, that makes addicts of young children. The source of most of the drugs is unknown, so addicts can't tell if they are ingesting adulterated substances which could have severe repercussions. Psychiatric help can identify any underlying anxiety or depression that acts as a contributing factor to being an addict. It can trace personality traits that indicate an addictive tendency. This information helps in formulating a better plan for the individual.

Families also need counselling so that they are better equipped to identify patterns of addiction, to deal with the situation, as well as treat the individual. This common notion of ‘once an addict always an addict' often ruins the chances of recovery for those who are addicted. However, there are several successfully run rehabilitation and de-addiction centres, run by experienced staff, to help such individuals. Addiction is a growing problem. The sooner we come together to collectively curb it, the better environment we create for the next generation.

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