The Menace Of Drug Addiction

The mind exists, yet not structural; but the brain, as an organ, facilitates the functions of the mind, hence the aphorism that the mind and the brain are two sides of a coin.

We know that whatsoever alters the function of the brain has a consequent correlation on the mind. The chemicals that facilitate human behaviour through the brain and allied structures are regulated by a physiological system that does not require supply from extraneous sources, except in the case of an illness when drugs are prescribed.

Every society has always had to grapple with the fundamental human needs for meaning, pleasure and motivation. I think what separates us from animals is that our brain, which facilitates the functions of the mind, also has sophisticated needs.

In adolescence, the mind acquires an abstractive appetite with the hypothetico-deductive reasoning when ideas are tested in the environment and feedbacks are analysed to be incorporated to modify human behaviour. This exercise is not without its frustrations, which is the most outstanding challenge across life span.

When we are adjusted to the rhythm of life, the biological clock helps to make available appropriate chemicals from the innate store to fulfill these psychic needs. When there is an experience of a low feeling, human beings mount coping strategies, which could be mystical or religious or the abuse of drugs.

We have various brands of alcohol and other substances capable of modulating the brain to give a transient experience of fulfillment, release and energy. Some over-the-counter drugs are misused, especially for sleep and for temporary escape from the challenges of life.

Marijuana is one of the most popular and the age of initiation is as low as nine years. There are other local substances in our villages that are not in the NDLEA gazette of drugs of abuse.  Some can excite the normal functions of the brain, just like some slow it down with varied experiences in the mind. These substances, no doubt, can facilitate a transient feeling of energy and fulfillment, but with a gamut of damages to the same organ that is crucial for our participation in life. They are capable of causing mental illness, even when there is no such history in the family.

Drug addiction is responsible for a certain percentage of our youths who take to armed robbery and wild, expensive adventures. A good number of early school dropouts is traceable to drug addiction. A reasonable number of HIV/AIDS cases is due to sexual recklessness under the influence of these drugs. Violence — whether political, religious or ethnic — is facilitated by the use of drugs, especially marijuana, which makes the target appear like ants. Routes of administration, especially when injected, can cause infections of vital organs as well as HIV/AIDS as needles are shared.

Technically, any substance that impairs our judgment and incapacitates us to fulfill our basic social roles to self, family and society at large is dangerous. Alcohol consumption is gradually becoming a big issue, especially in the context of our current socio-economic situation where increasing number of family heads deposit a sizeable amount of their salary at the beer parlour before thinking of school fees, house rent or medical bills.

Such folks continue to drink, even against their doctor’s advice. A good number of our road traffic accidents are preventable if drivers can abstain from the use of drugs, especially alcohol. Some serious top-level government decisions are taken under the influence of drugs, with the attendant grave consequences for generations unborn. Marital conflicts, attended by physical assault, are very common when a partner escapes into the world of drugs as a way of coping with the marriage.

Parenting becomes impaired as children grow unsupervised, making them vulnerable to peer pressure that links them to the drug culture. Even when a reasonable amount of wealth is acquired, a child who is hooked on drugs will squander it to satisfy his cravings. The challenge of drug addiction is that the victim will always require an increasing amount of the substance to achieve the original feel.

Prevention is the key word; and the most vulnerable period is adolescence, although some start at midlife and at some other downturns in life. Parents need to be alert to abrupt changes in behaviour of their children who may start withdrawing from family discussions, acquire new but strange friends, become more argumentative, come home late and disobey instructions. Teachers can also watch out for drug groups and institute counselling as soon as possible. Sound religious instruction as an adaptive coping mechanism for life challenges is indispensable.

There will always be a need for established cases to be referred to mental health experts, because the patient will need immediate intervention as he/she can become very dangerous to self, family and society at large.