Adopting the Addiction Culture

One of the definitions of culture is the behaviours & beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic or age group: the youth culture; the drug culture.

It shows the social acceptance pattern of behaviour among a specific community. It also talks about the living hood of that society.

Being addict is a process. People slowly turned in the category of addict. The transformation of this phases passes through this phage called adapting the culture of addiction.

In simple words, people make some changes in their outward appearance & in the behaviour to fit in to the addicts group. 

I remember around 2007; a teenager was referred to me by the school. The complains was breaking rules, arguing with staff, bullying students, coming late in nights, hanging out with senor students, not receptive for suggestions etc.

2 yrs after that in 2009 the same case has come for counselling this time he was exhibiting different changes. He was significantly different than his Premorbid personality, he was wearing all dark cloths, long red & yellow coloured hairs, all right hand was with full of tattoos, no eye contact. Parents were complaining about drug (ganja) use.

2013 when I saw him, I realized drug use has changed him a lot. I was noting down my observations. Each time there was a significant change. He incorporated many new irrational beliefs in him. This time the shirt was sleeveless & buttons were open, big rings in all the fingers, was wearing Bermuda, some repetitive abnormal gestures like bending neck towards left side shoulder &   rubbing his nose with right thumb. He was wearing big white stone ear ring. I feel I am talking with the different person. Addiction has entirely changed him as a person. Some of his using friends were Nigerians.

He was just imitating their dressing pattern, tone & accent, gesture & reaction pattern too. This time complains were being physically aggressive, breaking articles, engaged in illegal activities etc. He was using all kind of drugs since morning to night. He was very apathetic towards family & was running away from home after assaults or stealing. Frequent accidents & hospitalizations were there during last year.

One can see the progression of the behavioural symptoms each time.

Over the period, he was struggling to fit into the culture of addiction. He was moulding himself according to his using friends, blindly imitating some of their behaviours like: dressing hairstyle, gestures etc.

 Many addicts admit that they consciously changed their language, dressing style, reaction pattern, eating patterns as a result of increased substance abuse. In order to fit in to the peer group, support addiction without money, escape from the guilt & shame of ding wrong one s this culture.

Adapting addition culture is red alarm which clearly indicates that the person needs long term treatment for substance abuse.

HOW TO IDENTIFY:

1.       Sudden change in friends

2.       Sudden change in dressing sense

3.       Demand resistance

4.       Opposite deviant behaviour

5.       Attention seeking  

6.       Breaking rules

7.       mood swings  

8.       Difficulty in managing money

9.       Manipulating behaviour

10.   Careless attitudes

Sheetal 

ग्रामगीतेमधील व्यसनविषयीचे विचार- भाग १

मला नेहमीच ग्रामगितेविषयी प्रचंड मोठ आकर्षण वाटत आलयं। खुप उघड्या डोळ्यांनी आणि खुप खुल्या विचारांनी ग्रामगीतेची रचना झाली आहे असे वाटते। माला कुतूहल होत की व्यसनबद्दल ग्रामगीतेमधे काय बर लिहीलाय? 

माझी शोधमोहीम सुरु झाली आणि मला जे समजल ते मी इथे मांडण्याचा प्रयत्न करते आहे. 

वैष-वैभव या ग्रामगीतेच्या सोळाव्या अध्यायामध्ये तुकडोजी महाराजांनी जी लक्षण सांगितली आहेत ती अशी. हा श्लोक व्यसनासाठी अनुकूल घटकांना स्पष्ट करतो। अनुकूल घटक म्हणजे बाळाचे पाळण्यात दिसणारे पाय. अशी लक्षण जी रोगाचे निदान करण्यापूर्वीच रोगीमध्ये दिसू लागतात।

स्वैराचार हीन विचार। राजस तामस आहार विहार। दिनचर्येत नाही ताळतंत्र। त्यांचे इहपर सुख नाशे। 
खरच ज्यांना स्वातंत्र आणि स्वैराचार यातली पुसत रेष कळत नाही त्यांच्यात प्रयोगशीलता वाढीस लगते। कुतूहल, मित्रांचा प्रभाव यामुळे आहार-विहार बदलतो। सहजच, रात्री उशिरा घरी येणे किंवा सकाळी उशिरा उठणे, कधीही जेवण कशाचाच नियम रहत नाही। मग अस असताना समाधानचा नाश होणे स्वाभाविकच आहे नाही का? 

चहा- चिवड़ा चिरकुटाचे दास। आपुल्या तनमनधनाचा नाश । करोनी बिघडवती जीवनास । गावच्यांच्याही 

जेव्हा माणस अधिक वेळ घराबाहेर राहु लागतात तेव्हा सिगारेट, दारू अश्याचे व्यसनी बनून स्वतःच्या जीवनाचा आणि पर्यायाने गावच्यांचाही आरोग्याचा नाश करतात 

किती खर आहे नाही? दोन साध्या ओळी आणि व्यसनापासून वाचण्याचे प्रतिबंधात्मक उपाय ओळखता येतील।  बाहेरच्या अनेक देशात वयोमानानुसार व्यसनासाठी अनुकूल असणाऱ्या घटकांची यादी करण्यासाठी अनेक वर्षांचे संशोधन सुरु आहे. मला मात्र या दोन ओळीतले शब्द अधिक बोलके वाटले।   

Deadly D’s: What keeps you stuck in the disease?

“There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to believe what is true.” 
Søren Kierkegaard

Few years back I decided to publish my research work, for that I was interviewing people with one or more substance dependence. Few of them were undergoing the treatment for almost for fourth or fifth time. However the liver reports or health condition is clearly showing the evidences of physical deterioration & unmanageability in important areas of life; many of them were still bend upon an irrational thought that they are not addicts. 

I was thinking about only one question

What is that keep addict stuck in the disease?

I started reading & collecting the information which can help me to solve this puzzle. I got the answer when I was studying about the self deception tendencies of addicts. 

We all want to defence ourselves from various physical or emotional threats. some of  us feels offense is the best defence, some of us feels prevention is better than cure; likewise an addict also wanted to protect himself by using the self defence techniques. 

Some may use rational techniques to protect the self image & some may use irrational as well. 

Some of the defensive techniques don’t help the addict to come out of the problem but it just gave a temporary relief from the threats he perceived. 

It’s hard for human being to accept & admit the defence. Once the addict starts experiencing the damages then this unhealthy defence mechanism comes in play to rescue. Addicts will eventually face harmful consequences & realities of disease.  This defence mechanism stopped working. An addict reaches to the following phases.

   Denial

   Detour

   Delay

   Dilemma

   Defeat

   Dry/Die

   Decision

I would like to discuss each one of them separately in this series of articles. I would like to discuss some of the relevant cases.  

Till then think on the pointsJ

मनातले काही -------

कधी अचानक जिवलग भासे
कधी भासे विरक्त

कधी जाणतो हाळव्या भावना
कधी वागतो अगदीच परका

मनी तयाच्या असतो आम्ही
कधी  मात्र ठरतो तुम्ही

माझा माझा म्हणणारा व्यक्ती
इतका कसा होतो स्वकेंद्री ?

मला उगाच वाटे भीति
रहिन का रे मी तुझी सखी ?

अशी काय ही जादू आहे?
बाटलीत जणू राक्षस आहे

जणीवा सांगतात तु माझा
पण राक्षस जागतो पुन्हा कसा ?

Loving Someone in Recovery

Loving Someone in Recovery

A relationship conflict is a common thing with addicts. Hate rate, loss of trust, blame, emotional blackmailing, manipulative behaviour, aggression, and verbal abuse can be clearly seen in the family members & addicts. Even though the addict comes in to recovery, most of the families find it difficult to love someone in recovery. 

It’s difficult to forget the hurts given by the addict.

I would like to share my view on the same as family member of a recovering addict. I hope these suggestions will help everyone to make this journey easy.

1.     Living in Today:  Being anxious about relapse & slips doesn’t allow us to appreciate the recovering person’s today’s efforts to be clean. Many times sticking to the past memories of addiction life; make us biased & close minded. Thinking about today makes the life easy & focused.  

 

2.     Being clear about our stand: As addiction is known as relapse prone disease. It’s always better to have a backup plan for handling slip & relapse. Conditioning is the key of preserving the changes.

3.     Looking at a whole picture: Sometimes we just magnify current use & damages. It’s important to be solution orientated. It’s unfair to be selective focus on relapse or recovery. Think about the whole picture even in the good days.

4.     Understanding the disease: we can’t deny the fact that disease in nature is relapse prone. Remember your patient is not unique, he has a equal chance of being clean & the same time facing relapse. You can help the patient by providing motivating him, reminding him for follow ups or giving him feedbacks about his mood swings, reactions & emotions.  

5.     Enabling vs. Helping: If you want to help your loved once who are suffering with addiction then you should decide the right mode of help. Sometimes we become emotional & we try and hide the slip or relapse. Denying the fact just aggravates the disease. We need to think logically & should focus on long term benefit of client. Any action of yours should not directly or indirectly help the client to continue the substance use. Sometimes being hard or not listing to addict will help them to come in to recovery.

6.     We are also recovering: Going in to self pity, giving up hopes will not solve the problem. Despite of the failure or success of the recovering addict we should access & think about our own recovery also. Trying to control the addict, blaming the destiny, neglecting own health, neglecting children’s need & being preoccupied about relapse will adversely affect your mental health. Take help & attend al-non meeting for yourself. Take therapeutic help & learn positive coping mechanisms.

Substance Abuse and risk of HIV

Substance Abuse and risk of HIV

In 2002, National institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism conducted research and findings clearly show that the use of alcohol and other substance of abuse is a factor in the spread of HIV and can complicate the long-term health outcomes of HIV-positive individual. Every year the number of newly infected people through Injective drug use in increasing and it’s a alarming

 How does drug abuse predispose to HIV-AIDS?

1.    The most common method of transmission is by sharing infected injection equipment like needles and syringes among people who inject drugs.

2.    There is sexual transmission of virus between those who injects drugs and their sexual partners.

3.    HIV may be transmitted from a addicted mother who is HIV positive during pregnancy, delivery or child birth.

4.    Even non injecting use of drugs like alcohol, cannabis, heroin can lead to high risk sexual behavior as alcohol/drug use can interfere with judgment about sexual (and other) behavior.

5.    Exchanging sex for alcohol/drug is a common risk behavior pattern adapted by many addicts.  

Why is injecting drugs a risk for HIV?

§  Direct syringe sharing / sharing drug equipment carries a high risk of HIV transmission through:

§  Using blood contaminated syringes to prepare drug

§  Reusing bottle caps, spoons or other containers like spoons and cookers used to dissolve drugs in water and to heat drug solutions

§  Reuse water

§  Reusing small pieces of cotton or cigarette filters (cottons) used to filter out particles that could block the needles

§  ‘Street sellers’ of syringes may repackage use syringes and sell them as sterile syringes.

Points to remember

v  Take treatment for alcohol and/or Drug abuse.

v  Stop using drugs.

v  Avoid mixing alcohol or other drugs with sexual activities.

v  Never share needles and syringes, water or drug preparation equipment, if you are a injection drug user and follow safe injection practices.

v  Safely dispose of syringes after one use.

v  Abstain from casual and unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex.

v  Avoid multiple partners.

v  Take immediate treatment for sexually transmitted diseases.

v  Get yourself tested for HIV if you are a drug user or have indulged in other high risk behavior even once.

And always remember DRUGS DRAG YOU DOWN.

The Ghost within

The Ghost within...........

One fine morning I was getting ready for office, I ate my breakfast I was fine & clam. I got a call from a fake agency as I won some fat amount from UK. I was happy & wanted to share the good news with my wife. 

She replied.... ''Hey! The greedy Ghost within you making you believe the stupid gift?'' It's fake 

I started looking in the mirror & I got the answer.

My Wife was right the ghost lives within me................ & that is nothing but  

 

‘MY ADDICTIVE SELF’

Easy Money, impulsive acts, irrational planning, grandiosity, false pride within one second started dominating me. I was thinking that one need to at least enquire about it. Why will somebody call you just like that? I lost control on my thoughts. I was just planning to act.  

My Addictive self was telling me, ’It’s better to get this easy money then struggling every day.’

 I am staying way from alcohol from last almost 4 years but still the thought process is not streamlined.

My addiction has changed me as a person. I was self cantered, impulsive, not empathic during my active addiction days. I quit taking alcohol but still I have to work consciously on my thinking style & attitude as the ghost within me is still alive.....  

Sheetal

  

Misconceptions about Addiction

The good news is that addiction is a treatable disease. With treatment and support, everyone can counteract the destructive effects of addiction and regain control of his life, but unfortunately most of the time we hear inappropriate & misguiding beliefs about the causes and treatment of addiction. It increases confusion.

 

3 most dangerous misconceptions about Addiction

Overcoming addiction is simply a matter of willpower. You can stop using drugs if you really want to. Prolonged exposure to drugs alters the brain in ways that result in powerful cravings and a compulsion to use. These brain changes make it extremely difficult to quit by sheer force of will.

Addiction is a disease; there’s nothing you can do about it. Most experts agree that addiction is a disease, but that doesn’t mean you’re a helpless victim. It is treatable with physical & psychological treatment

Treatment didn’t work before, so there’s no point trying again; some cases are hopeless. Recovery from drug addiction is a long process that often involves setbacks. Relapse doesn’t mean that treatment has failed. Rather, it’s a signal to get back on track, either by going back to treatment or adjusting the treatment approach.

SHEETAL 

Addiction Counsellor 

Pin your ears back

Pin your ears back 

The effects of addiction not only affect the person who abuses but it slowly starts affecting the family members as well. This article is for those who are caretakers or relatives of active addicts.  We needs to understand one thing about addict is , he is either preoccupied with the thought of using or completely under the influence of drug or substance 24 hours a day & likewise we as family members are thinking about substance abuse constantly, for example how much he will spend for drug/ alcohol today?  How can I control his using? What will be the affect effect? Why my loved one is like this?  All the focus or energy of ours (family members) is accumulated around the thought of substance use. We become sick.  We become suspicious about each movement addict. Many times we act very irrational like hiding bottles, confronting addict’s friends, locking the addict in room etc.

Here are some do’s & don’ts for you.

If you suspect that a friend or family member has an addiction problem, then

Speak up. Talk to the person about your concerns, and offer your help and support. The earlier addiction is treated, the better. Don’t wait for your loved one to hit rock bottom! Be prepared for excuses and denial with specific examples of behaviour that has you worried

Take care of yourself. Do not get so caught up in someone else’s addiction problem that you neglect your own needs. Make sure you have people you can talk to and lean on for support. And stay safe. Don’t put yourself in dangerous situations like blaming own self for situations or thoughts of suicide.

Avoid self-blame. You can support a person with a substance abuse problem and encourage treatment, but you can’t force an addict to change. You can’t control your loved one’s decisions. Let the person accept responsibility for his or her actions, an essential step along the way to recovery for drug addiction. 

What Not To Do

ü  Don't attempt to punish, threaten.

ü  Don't try to be a martyr. Avoid emotional appeals that may only increase feelings of guilt and the compulsion to use drugs.

ü  Don't cover up or make excuses for the drug abuser, or shield them from the negative consequences of their behaviour.

ü  Don't take over their responsibilities, leaving them with no sense of importance or dignity.

ü  Don't hide or throw out drugs.

ü  Don't argue with the person when they are high. 

'Nothing better to do?'

My Grandmother passed away on 1st April 2014.

I would like to share her views about my job as an 'addiction counsellor'. 

I got selected as an addiction counsellor in a well known Drug de-addiction centre. I was single & just 25yrs old.  I was excited and happy. I called up my grand mum & shared my happiness as usual.

She was curious about the job profile. I started explaining to her that I am going to counsel people with substance abuse.

She took a long pause and replied, ‘hummm, nothing better to do?’ she further added, ‘You are an intelligent, kind & sensitive person, I have a concern why are you wasting your talent for drunkards? Waste fellows they never bother about their parents & family, why will they bother you? & counselling?’

She was afraid & anxious about the violence, abusive language, suspiciousness which my patients going to exhibit. She was explaining every black part of alcoholic’s life.

She was sharing many addicts she came across & moreover she was worried how can single & just 25 yrs old women will be able to handle the nastiest male population. She was extremely unhappy about my decision to join this job.

Her views about addicts are like any other lay man. I learnt & decided to spread the real picture about the disease, treatment & recovery.

Two months later, I requested her to come to my rehabilitation centre, she spoke with my HR head, Admin head, & many other people in the office. I asked her, how do you find them? She was happy & appreciating the hospitality & humbleness of everyone.

Then I revealed Most of them are on the path of recovery. They are ex-addicts. She was astonished. She said, ‘You are doing a great job, God bless you n people in recovery. You & your team is giving life to many needy families’ She hugged me, she was feeling pride about my work. Then onward she was one of the strongest support systems for me.

Till today whenever people enquired about my job profile; before replying anything  I immediately remember my grandmother’s dialogue, 

‘Nothing better to do???????’