Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Oct 8: Orissa apparently has a growing number of drug addicts, which, although not as high and alarming as those of Punjab or Uttar Pradesh (14,564 and 6,039, respectively, according to figures of 2013) is a cause for worry. Across India, 34,101 persons were booked under the NDPS Act in 2013.
Several NGOs in Orissa are working towards deaddiction. They operate deaddiction centres in and around the city in consultation with psychiatrists.
According to Dr Suvendu Narayan Mishra, a psychologist of renown, motivation enhancement therapy, yoga/spirituality therapy and anti-craving drug therapy are some of the methods currently used to heal addicts.
The doctor believes there is a need for clear understanding about the condition among the general populace and initiatives to counter the menace to effectively counter it.
Many do not understand why or how drug abuse begins and evolves to an addiction. It is often assumed that drug abusers lack principles or willpower and that they could stop using drugs simply by choosing not to.
In reality, though, drug addiction is a complex condition, and quitting takes more than good intentions or strong will. Drugs of abuse change the brain in ways that foster compulsive behaviour. Quitting is difficult, even for those who are ready to do so.
Scientific advances have revealed how drugs work on the brain, and we know that addiction can be successfully treated to help people stop drug abuse and lead productive lives.
Drug abuse and addiction negatively affect individuals and the society as a whole. According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2013, Punjab had the highest number bookings under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985.
These numbers do not fully represent the destruction drugs can wreak on public health and safety, such as disintegration of family, loss of employment, failure in school, domestic violence, and child abuse.
The causes
Many factors contribute to the making of a drug addict. Individual biology, social environment and age or the stage of mental development influence the risk of addiction. Higher the number of risk factors in an individual, greater is the chance that the person using a drug becomes an addict.
Biology:
Genes in combination with environmental influences account for about half the number of addicts. Gender, ethnicity and presence of other mental disorders may aggravate the risk for drug abuse and addiction.
Environment:
It is a key factor that influences family and friends, socioeconomic status and quality of life in general. Peer pressure, physical and sexual abuse, stress, and quality of parenting can greatly influence the occurrence of drug abuse and the escalation to addiction in a person’s life.
Development:
The vulnerability to drug addiction is greater in certain critical developmental stages in a person’s life. Although drug abuse at any age can lead to addiction, early beginners are more likely to end up being more severe addicts. Drug abuse poses a special challenge to adolescents as areas in their brains which govern decision-making, judgment, and self-control in the development state. This makes adolescents more prone to risk-taking, including trying drugs of abuse.
