drug addiction

Sugars, Whoonga and Naope*

….sounds like fun, but far from it.

Lois Kuhle delves into the world of drug addiction.

*street names for heroin

They say if you remember the ‘60’s you obviously weren’t there! It was a time of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Born in 1960, I always felt slightly cheated, and yearned for my teens when I could wear daisies between my toes. By the time the ‘70’s rolled on, the world had woken up to the dire consequences of uncontrolled drug abuse. The ‘60’s, it turns out, wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

As early as 6000 BC humans have had a desire to eat or drink substances that made them feel relaxed, stimulated or euphoric. Herbs, roots, mushrooms or fungi were used and it wasn’t until the 19 century that active substances in drugs were extracted and refined. Morphine, cocaine and laudanum were unregulated and freely prescribed by physicians for a wide variety of ailments. Opium dens flourished and in the early 1900’s there were an estimated 250,000 addicts in the USA. Problems of addiction were gradually recognized and by 1914 the Harrison Narcotic Act forbade sales of opiates, except by licensed doctors or pharmacies. By 1920 the use of narcotics was illegal. This spirit of temperance led to the prohibition of alcohol in 1919, to be repealed in 1933. The social upheaval of the ‘60’s brought with it a dramatic increase in drug use and some social acceptance, a hangover we are dealing with today.

“Drug abuse is in epidemic proportions,” said Dr. Prakash Naidoo, Medical Director of ARCA (Assisted Recovery Centres of Africa). “After 1994 there was a lot more freedom of movement between our borders and coupled with the economic boom, drug usage has escalated.”

Hard core drugs have the perception of being expensive, but tragically a school kid can get a heroin fix for as little as R20.

“Usage starts off recreationally,” expanded Dr. Naidoo, “but it’s like putting a stick of dynamite in your lounge, the whole family is shattered. Addiction transcends all ages, gender, races and economic groups.”

Dr. Naidoo believes that addiction should be accepted as a medical problem, and once social stigmas are eliminated we can achieve a better outcome.

“Addiction is a chronic medical disease, it is life-long. We have effective measures to control other chronic ailments like asthma and diabetes and we should accept that addiction needs to be viewed in the same medical category.”

Obviously the first step is to recognize that you have a problem, and sadly most addicts delay treatment because family, education or work commitments prohibit long in-house rehabilitation periods, and it spirals out of control.

ARCA was established in South Africa 3 years ago and so far over 800 people have been treated with positive results.

“The key to our success is that it is an out-patient programme. A 3 – 5 day humane medical detox treatment is administered at our premises. Patients are mildly sedated diminishing the harrowing experiences of going ‘cold-turkey’, something that addicts fear the most. We prescribe the latest non-addictive, anti-craving medication so that there is no cross-addiction to the treatment. Combined with expert counseling and intensive cognitive behavioral therapy we believe we offer the most effective treatment approach for alcoholism and drug dependency available in South Africa.”

Once clean, patients are prescribed the ‘miracle’ drug Naltrexone for a year. It acts like a silicone coating on the brain protecting it against the effects of drugs or alcohol. It is non-addictive, non-mood altering with few side effects. Rehabilitation is home based, allowing people to continue with their work and home relationships, this time with freedom from the yearning for drugs, but obviously strong support systems are put into place.

“You would be amazed at the number of high powered professionals and business people that are addicted to cocaine, heroin and alcohol. Our programme allows them to deal with it discreetly and confidentiality is of utmost importance. The fact that it does not require them to be absent from work or home for extended periods, breaks down the barrier of seeking help,” concluded Dr. Naidoo.

I interacted with three recovering addicts, all perfectly acceptable looking young men, all with the same story of slipping into the dark world of drugs for basically the same reasons. Their enthusiasm and joy of now being clean and looking forward to a life without drugs will surely be an inspiration to others who have yet to make this decision.

ARCA Help line: 078 27 22911 (078 ARCA 911) or 031 261 5515.

www.arcadurban.com

ARCA was featured on Carte Blanche in November 2011.