Accept that you are an addict!

Addiction is a major problem in the society. Unfortunately a few people treat drugsas a source of recreation, fun and relaxation, and ignore its adverse affects. Many families have been destroyed due to substance abuse. Apart from addicts and their family members, it also affects other lives in the society.

A couple had once visited my office, and the wife narrated about her husband’s drug addiction. However, the husband denied having a problem and stressed that his ‘use’ was under control. ‘I can stop whenever I want’, is the most common lie heard every time. When the husband was further probed as to why he was unable to quit, despite experiencing the damages to himself and his family, he failed to answer.

This is the typical case for many people. This is why American Medical Association (AMA) and World Health Organization (WHO) considers that addiction to any mood altering substance is a chronic, progressive, highly relapse prone and a fatal disease, which requires proper treatment. This holds true for both narcotic users as well as chronic alcoholics. The disease is addiction and therefore both users are known as addicts.

Though it is considered a disease, unlike others here the individual fails to acknowledge the damages (physical, mental, financial, social, professional and family) but the family members would experience the pain and sufferings. An addict always justifies his using and tries to blame people, places and situations for it. The addict further believes that people and situations trigger an increase in usage.

However, it is actually the other way round; that an addict’s increase of consumption, would only lead to the unmanageability in his life. Denial is the main block for any addict to opt for treatment and unless it is broken, the addict would never be ready for treatment. This is when family’s intervention is required; to motivate the addict for treatment.

An addict may not accept instantly and sometimes it requires regular family interventions, which have to be conducted under the supervision of a de-addiction therapist. In some cases, it appears as if the client is willing for treatment but actually does not cooperate. There are three main aspects that play crucial roles for any addict to get into treatment; these are Denial, Detour and Delay…also known as the “Deceptive D’s”.

Everyone needs to understand that a professional method and approach of motivating an addict for treatment is required. The first and foremost step is that the family must reach out to a de-addiction therapist at the earliest before it gets too late. (The writer is de-addiction therapist and life coach)

By VS Gideon