The International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking falls on June 26th of every year to bring to light the issues of the seriousness that illicit drugs foster on society. This occasion is upheld by people, networks, and social organizations everywhere in the world.

This day is observed worldwide with much consciousness to make society at large aware of the risks of chronic drug use and illicit trafficking. It's a problem that is a significant obstruction to health and like a poison to the young. We, at Medicircle, are conducting a series on this International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to make people understand the significance of stopping drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

Shaili Mehta is a psychologist at VEDA Rehabilitation and Wellness Center in Mumbai. VEDA Rehabilitation and Wellness Center provides its services spread across various parts of India including Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata. It is multispecialty rehab and wellness facility for addicts of substance abuse and those afflicted with mental and psychological disorders and conditions. The key services currently offered by VEDA Rehabilitation and Wellness Center are alcohol de-addiction service, substance de-addiction service, prescription drugs de-addiction service, and treatment of co-occurring clinical disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, impulse control disorder. The VEDA Rehab and Wellness facilities are managed by a highly qualified, experienced, and specialized team of clinical psychologists like Shaili Mehta, cognitive-behavioral specialists, professionals, besides an illustrious and reputed Advisory Board of experts to guide and direct the adoption of the latest techniques and treatment protocols in the field of medicine.

Drug addiction is more than a habit 

Shaili Mehta says, “Drug abuse is more than just a habit and becoming addicted to drugs. There are various risk factors involved.

Genetics: Some people have addiction in their genes, wherein the drug abuse or substance abuse runs in families, and it's coming down from generations. These people are likely to be more addicted to drugs and alcohol than others, 

Age: When you start using a drug or alcohol at a very young age, your inclination towards becoming dependent or abusing a drug or alcohol increases.The use of drug becomes a habit and then it turns into an addiction. 

So addiction is much more than a habit. And these are some underlying factors that really contribute to you becoming an addict.” 

Rehabilitation is an effective therapy for drug addiction 

Shaili informs, “Drug abuse is listed as a medical and psychiatric illness under the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) which we psychologists use to list down mental illnesses. So substance abuse is a major illness that occurs in both men and women both. The best treatment for any drug abuse or alcohol abuse will be rehabilitation. So basically, when this drug abuse starts in the first place is because of your habitat, it's factors like your peer pressure or pressure with family. Rehabilitation is a word that tells you that you need to change that environment and give yourself the correct environment in order to get out of that entire addiction. So, there is an effective treatment, psychotherapy, and medication which is very effective rehabilitation. Psychotherapy along with rehabilitation can definitely put you off drugs.”

Psychological elements of drug abuser 

Shaili states, “Drug abuse and alcohol abuse brings with it a variety of comorbidities or coexisting disorders. Sometimes these disorders may have underlying factors. The symptoms of addiction are as follows: 

Mood changes  Impulsivity  Aggression Violence  Extreme sadness  Depression  Anxiety  Mood fluctuations  Personality traits and disorders 

Addiction is all in mind and is termed as mental illness.” 

Advice from an expert at the Veda Rehab Wellness center

Shaili informs, “Society, friends, and family play the most major part to correct addiction. The entire journey depends on the family's support to help give up the addiction. So, even if the person is in rehabilitation, one way or the other, he or she is going to go back into the natural environment at home. So it's the family that needs to understand the severity of that problem in the first place. It's a taboo in our society that we don't really have so much openness and acceptance for mental illnesses and especially something such as drug abuse or substance abuse. 

So, society and families need to understand that it's just another illness such as cancer or some other physical illness. Address addiction without any judgments. It is empathy that the person needs the most.  When the person suffering from addiction is in rehab, they need unconditional support and love from family and friends. Everything starts at home. Support and unconditional acceptance is a must for every person suffering from drug addiction.”       

(Edited by Dr.Rati Parwani)