A PUFF IN THE DARK

A PUFF IN THE DARK

What you are about to read is not your regular "feel good" weekend read. However,reader discretion or discrimination is NOT advised. Some parts of this write up may make you squirm or disturb your equanimity. Please continue reading all the same!  This can happen to any one of us,socio-economic status not withstanding. Maybe your very own "apro Hoshang, Homi, Dali, Beniffer,Armaity.firoz or Firoza" is already into drug abuse,or is at present flirting with the idea.

It is like setting out on a long drive on a bright and sunny day.The wind blowing through your hair and on your face as you pass the countryside. Little village kids waving at you as you wiz past them in your gleaming set of  wheels.

Suddenly your car's steering wheel develops a mind of it's own.The accelerator gets stuck to the floor board. YOU CANNOT SLOW DOWN OR CONTROL THE CAR AT ALL. After crashing head-on into 2 passing trucks, your car drives itself straight into a wall. Then it reverses,engine screaming and runs over three pedestrians, you are helpless as it races onto a mountain road. You stare in horror at the hairpin bend ahead. You cannot open the door ,your seatbelt has locked you around the waist. You are completely trapped. A scream escapes your lips as your car plunges over the cliff.

That is probably the way Sage Stallone, Sylvester Stallone's only son, felt when he died of substance abuse at the ripe old age of 36 years and Amy Winehouse, and Michael Jackson, before him.

The Times of India issue dated 28th July reported "7 year olds in UK taking Ecasty and Cannabis", a shocker, even by western standards.Their survey highlighted that the age of onset was most commonly 18...and upto 57.18years is ,most likely the  Indian average age too.

Drug addiction or substance abuse is the worst form of SELF-ABUSE ever discovered.

Peer pressure, not surprisingly,is one of the major cause for occurrence. The need to be accepted by your friends, who you presume are "casual smokers".Or that they smoke only "at parties".You want to enjoy the same COOLTH factor as you erroneously attribute to them.You are aware it is the wrong thing to do,but that is EXACTLYwhy you want to do it!! You can stop any time you wish,right? WRONG,Studies by the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, claims that the rate of addiction of even onetime users is as high as 65%.

Another reason for getting drawn into substance abuse is being exposed to the drug ,professionally.There was a shocking report in The Times of India just two weeks ago. A lady anesthetist from a reputed hospital in Pune is undergoing treatment for de-addiction at a hospital in Mumbai, from the same drugs she was responsible for administering to patients before surgery.She too, @ 36 years of age   erroneously ASSUMED that she could QUIT AT WILL.Today her husband and two teenage children take turns to be by her bedside @ the hospital,shuttling between Pune and Mumbai.The psychiatrist treating her says this is not an isolated case. Many professionals like her succumb to this temptation ,causing agony for themselves and their dependents.

The worst fallout of drug or substance abuse is the selfishness it creates in the user. EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE JUST CEASE TO EXIST. It is a my way or the 'high" way(pun intended).attitude that sets in.Your education,family members, job, just do not matter anymore.Where and how to get the next fix is the ONLY concern.Your car is driving itself now,.You start speeding ,with each passing day.The three pedestrians you run over might just be,mom,dad,brother,sister ,wife or even your own kid.

Somehow,someone convinces you to de addict.But after a month you are tempted into a relapse. Again the drug becomes the master. Stagnation sets in.Emotional,Financial and career-wise. Now your car has crashed into the wall and is reversing onto the mountain path.

Let us pause to reflect on some of the symptoms of a user.

1) The eyes turn reddish and have a glazed look all the time.

2) The speech is slurred and there is a distinct lisp.

3) Not caring about one's appearance and lethargic behavior.

4) Loss of appetite and body weight,also dehydration.

5) Frequent mood swings and turning violent if denied money.

6) Stealing money from family,relatives,friends to feed the habit.

7) Very low self esteem leading to depression.

Depending on the duration of abuse the user has severe withdrawal symptoms.This is called Turking,Derived probably by condensing the expression "going cold turkey." The eyes start watering,the nose runs incessantly,vomiting occurs.Muscles start contracting involuntarily causing twitching of the limbs and abdomen.The pain is so severe as if you have fallen down ten flights of stairs.

For a complete recovery,serious medical and psychiatric attention is necessary.A good 3-4 weeks of hospitalization will take care of the physical trauma.Then psychiatric assistance is foremost.besides the psychiatrist the co-operation of the immediate family members is necessary. And of course the EX-USER has to consciously resolve to quit.......otherwise a relapse is just a puff,a whiff or needle away.That is the stage when you cannot open you car door as it hurtles over the cliff.

Pain is temporary but QUITTING lasts forever.

Drugs are BAD NEWS.....Drugs SUCK......best advice yet......DONT GET STARTED.

THE RELUCTANT WRITER.