Recognise signs of drug abuse early
Interested residents attended an addiction awareness evening hosted by Meteffect Recovery Centre during which they learned more about different addictions that exist, and the signs and effects thereof.
POLOKWANE – Interested residents attended an addiction awareness evening hosted by Meteffect Recovery Centre last Monday during which they learned more about different addictions that exist, and the signs and effects thereof.
Meteffect Recovery Centre owner, Michele Dix-Peek spoke first and discussed the social use of substances.
“First you have a positive relationship with substances. It improves your mood but also induces your moods.
“The uses are socially acceptable and there are no emotional costs,” she explained.
According to Dix-Peek abuse started when the emotional cost increased and there was discomfort about using the substance.
“Signs of abuse include defensive denial, losing touch of one’s feelings, extended periods of excessive using and other social problems.”
She said when you are dependent on the substance you start to feel normal when using it and the physical deterioration is obvious. You have impaired judgement and there is emotional cost or pain.
“You become out of touch with reality and behave destructively.
“Your responsibilities are unfulfilled and you are unreliable with inconsistent behaviour,” she further explained, saying there was a cycle of addition starting with euphoria.
She said after one experienced euphoria, which was when one had a positive relationship with the substance and get back to normal, physical tolerance develops with regular excessive use.
Then one starts to live to use and use to live, which is physical dependence.
“Most likely substance abuse ends up in suicidal despair and people die either by overdosing or committing suicide in another manner,” Dix-Peek explained.
She said intervention often worked in such case. “Intervention is an orchestrated attempt by one or more people, usually family and friends, to get someone to seek professional help. It is non-threatening confrontation that includes multiple strategies,” she said.
Steps of intervention:
• Be brief;
• Be positive;
• Refer to specific behaviour;
• Label your feelings;
• Offer an understanding statement;
• Accept partial responsibility, and
• Offer to help.
