Prevention of Drug and Drink Addiction

Prevention of Drug and Drink Addiction

In order to devise suitable measures for prevention of Drug and Drink addiction we should fist try to find out the etiological factors, which were originally responsible for those addictions, such as,

1.       The per-disposing and

2.       The precipitating causes.

The following preventive measures might be recommended against the predisposing causes:

         i.            The parents should adopt psychologically sound child rearing practices; so that they could help they could help their children develop into mentally healthy and strong personalities. This would prevent them from drug or drink addiction, during stressful situations in adult life.

       ii.            The children should also be properly educated in well-equipped schools, having qualified teachers trained in educational guidance techniques, so that they could assist such children to develop into bold and dynamic personalities by participating in co-curricular activities, along with their education in school subjects. These would also prevent them from developing drug or drink addiction during stressful situations later on.

      iii.            The state should also provide the required minimum necessities of life for its citizen, such as, food, clothing, and home, medical and educational facilities. For the purpose, it should build up a strong economic foundation throughout the country, so that the above-mentioned basic needs of its citizens could be properly met. Furthermore, the State should also guarantee a sense of security for its citizens by adopting necessary measures, so that they would not have to resort to escapist designs, during the most insecure and stressful situations by indulging in drug or drink addiction.

     iv.            The Department of Narcotics and Liquor of the country should also effectively control illegal traffic in narcotic drugs and alcoholic drinks within the country. Such control would act as a preventive measure against any possibility of drug and drink addiction of its citizens. For the purpose, the Police, the Military and the Public should jointly assist the Department of Narcotics and Liquor to effectively control such illegal traffic in drugs and drinks.

       v.            Prevention of Drug and Drink addiction could also be effected through the spread of education, regarding the dangerous possibilities of such addiction. For example, it might induce the addict to indulge in immoral and anti-social act ivies. Thus, he would become an undesirable burden on the family and the society.

     vi.            Earl detection by near relations of the symptoms of Drug or Drink addiction in a person might also lead to the prevention of such addiction. The early symptoms of possible addiction are the following:-

a.       Consuming drug or drink in the morning

b.      Gradually increasing consumption of drug or drink

c.       Displaying erratic behavior

d.      Forgetting such erratic bout when normal.

When a person shows the above-mentioned symptoms, necessary preventive measures should be taken at once in consultation with qualified Psychiatrists, Psychologists and Social Workers. The following preventive measures could also be adopted against the precipitating causes of such addictions:-

a.       To give necessary guidance and counseling to any person, under terrible stress, due to extreme anxiety, insecurity, frustration and loneliness, originating from environmental causes, so as to prevent him from becoming a drug or drink addict by resorting to such escapist devices, repeatedly.

b.      To give necessary moral and religious advice to persons, indulging in drug or drink addiction, in order to escape from his duties and responsibilities or just to enjoy fun or even to commit some immoral or criminal acts an finally.

c.       The most effective preventive measure against any possible relapse of a cured drug or drink addict would be to keep him under the supervision of a properly organized Rehabilitation Centre, which should act as a half-way house before he is handed over to his near relations for his final adjustment with the community.

Some well-equipped organizations, like the Alcoholic Anonymous or the Addict Anonymous or the Syn-anon House would be the most suitable Rehabilitation Center to properly train up a cured former addict in some trade or profession in the future.

Prognosis of Drug and Drink Addiction Therapy

Prognosis of Drug and Drink Addiction Therapy

In some advanced countries of the world such as, the USA where the Drug or Drink addicts complete their therapeutic programme successfully in well-equipped Hospitals, the prognosis of their therapy combining medical, psychological and sociological and also participation in AA procedures has not been satisfactory. For example, in a follow-up of 1881 Drug-addicts, discharged from the Lexington Hospital in the USA more than 90 per cent of those released became addict again after six months. Some authorities however, have claimed that 60 to 80 per cent of Alcoholics might be helped to achieve permanent sobriety. However, the prognosis varies from addict to addict. Those who harbor a death-wish would like to drink themselves to death rather than be cured of their Alcoholism.

Thus, it appears that therapy of Drug or Drink addiction even in the properly-equipped Hospitals of the most advanced countries of the world could only direct the Drug or Drink addict on the road to recovery but could not give any guarantee for his life-time immunity from such addiction. However, notwithstanding such a pessimistic observation about the prognosis of the best available therapy of Drug and Drink Addiction, we should keep up our spirit for discovering the most suitable techniques for successful treatment of such cases in the future. If suitable arrangements could be made to change the personality pattern of the addicts concerned as my system of medistic psycho-therapy aims at therapy aims at thereby eliminating their unconscious motivation and craving for such addiction much better prognosis of Drug or Drink Addiction Therapy could be obtained in the future. For the purpose, properly designed research in this direction should be conducted by the specialists.

My system of medistic psychotherapy is a combination of individual psycho-analysis and Suggestive psycho-therapy techniques. It attempts to cure the addict by changing his abnormal personality-pattern, which compelled him initially to indulge in drug or drink habituation as an escapist device from the environmental stress, until he became a confirmed addict.

Some psycho-neurotic patients, who were also tranquilizing Drug-addicts, were cured by me of their addiction after they completed the required seven sessions of medistic psycho-therapy. The few marijuana and pethidine addicts, who came to me for treatment, did not show much promising result. Most of the Pethidine addicts were qualified Physicians. Easy availability of the drug was mostly responsible for such a gloomy prognosis of Marijuana and Pethidine addiction Therapy.

Placement of children: Child Guidance Movement

Placement of children

After proper classification of the children the Child guidance techniques are applied for their proper placement, guidance, therapy or education. The environment in which the child has to be admitted should, however, be commensurate with its needs, aptitudes and abilities.

The institutions for proper Placement or such children are as follows:-

                     i.            Parental Home

                   ii.            Foster home

                  iii.            Ordinary Day school

                 iv.            Ordinary boarding school

                   v.            Special boarding school

                 vi.            Special day school

                vii.            Vocational school

              viii.            Reformatory school

                 ix.            Child guidance clinic

                   x.            Hospital etc.

The therapeutic or educational techniques of the child guidance clinic may be profitably applied to the child, requiring guidance, when it is properly placed in an appropriate institution. For educational purposes, the child should be admitted in the appropriate class of a suitable instable institution, consistent with its IQ, its needs, aptitudes and abilities. The clinic or the Psychiatric Hospital is the best institution for guidance or therapy of the problem children. Other institutions may also provide necessary facilities for their therapy and education.

Auto-Suggestion may develop a Strong and Dynamic Personality

Auto-Suggestion may develop a Strong and Dynamic Personality

‘Auto-suggestion’ implies ‘repetition’ of some significant words, by a person, in order to produce upon his own self, some desirable impressions. ‘Auto-suggestion’ stimulates ‘Imagination’, which is automatically translated into ‘Reality’.

                In order to practice ‘Auto-suggestion’ effectively you should remain relaxed, passive and effortless. You must not have any tension, or worries, while practicing ‘Auto-suggestion’.

                You may induce such an ideal Psycho-physical condition in your personality, by practicing ‘Progressive Relaxation’. In order to ‘relax’ properly, lie down comfortably on a bed, sofa or easy-chair. Then, breathe slowly, by closing your eyes. After some time, you will feel drowsy. Repeat, then the following ‘Auto-suggestion’ formula of Emile Coue, in a passive, mechanical manner, during the first week, without trying to ‘concentrate’ on what you are saying, nor understanding its meaning, until you are fast asleep:-

“Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better”.

                During the next week, practise the following the following formula of Auto-suggestion:-

“I have perfect self-confidence, self-reliance and self-control. I am strong mentally and physically”.

                During the third week, you may practice the following ‘Auto-suggestion’:-

“I have perfect concentration, good memory and a strong personality”.

Your ‘Auto-suggestion’ formula for the fourth week may be:-

“I am quite bold, courageous and strong. I have perfect health, happiness and success”.

                By practicing these ‘Auto-suggestion’ exercises, you are likely to improve your personality. The best time for practicing ‘Auto-suggestion’, is after retiring to bed at night. In the morning too, you should practice ‘Auto-suggestion’, before leaving the bed. You may also practice ‘Auto-suggestion’, any time, during the day.

While thus engaged in engaged in practicing these psychological methods for improving your personality, you may also do some ‘Breathing Exercises’. Proper breathing will not only improve the function of your cardie-Vascuter System but also produce in you the ideal state of ‘relaxation’, which is very much essential for the should also be accompanied by appropriate ‘imagination’ or ‘Visualization’. For the purpose you may just imagine that you are breathing in ‘health and your personality’. These will stimulate our imagination properly and thereby get translated into Reality ultimately.