By Indrani Chanda:
The very first reaction that comes with the term “drug” is never an appreciable one, rather a terrifying notion and a question mark on how to cure its addiction. India with all its glorifying victories and discoveries also has under its carpet, this ominous curse called drug addiction. Most of the teenagers and adults are collapsing under its threat. The reasons are mostly mental stress, failure and tension to cope up with the fast paced life.
Drug rehabilitation system, often described as “Drug Rehab” is a process of medical treatment for addicts to cure their habit of using alcohol, prescribed-drugs, and drugs such as heroin, cocaine and amphetamines, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), mandrax, barbiturates etc. The aim is to make people aware of the dire consequences of drug addiction and to cure them with various therapies. But the most important process is to encourage patients to enquire about the effects of drugs and drive themselves back towards a normal life.
In India, the rehabilitation programme is being conducted by the governmental health centres as well as by non-governmental health centres. State level health centres run this programme through various medical indoor treatments for the addicts with their psychiatry departments. Treatments such as residential treatment (in-patient), out-patient, local support groups, extended care centres, recovery or sober houses, addiction counselling, mental health, orthomolecular medicine and medical care are the systems that are followed up by these centres. Besides, there are a lot of voluntary organizations who have spread their hands to help these victims. Their treatments are endorsed through allopath, homeopathy, ayurveda, naturopathy and yoga coupled with a range of psychotherapies to cure addicts. The therapies start initially by acknowledging to the patients about the complexities of addiction. Then they are treat with individual or group therapy sessions. The counsellors also meet with the addict’s family members and provide them good counselling through which the addiction can be reduced and the patient can be rehabilitated. After being discharged, the patients are directed to visit rehabilitation centres periodically to relapse prevention and continuing care. Some of the rehabilitation centres are The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Freedom Foundation, Narcotics Anonymous, Alcoholics Anonymous, Hope Trust India. Narcotics Anonymous provided patients with the self-help technique where the addicts learn from other addicts how to set free themselves from the clutches of drug addiction.
The Drug Abuse Information Rehabilitation and Research Centre (DAIRRC) is one of the reputed NGOs’ that have proven to be very satisfactory to these victims and also to their families. The National Institute of Drug Abuse Prevention has identified 8 NGOs to provide great drug abuse monitoring system, they are-Â Galaxy Club, Kripa Foundation , The Calcutta Samaritans , Mizoram Social Defence and Rehabilitation Board Muktangan Mitra, Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses , TT Ranganathan Clinical Research Foundation , and Vivekananda Education Society . To spread the awareness, some of the NGOs have programmed various de-addiction camps every year in the country.
Instead of all these medical, ayurvedic treatments and counselling what is more important is public awareness, to provide the addicts the basic attention and communication with their families. It is to be made clear to the general public that drugs are not a solution to their problems, rather a problem which itself seeks resolution.