The addict, regardless of drug of choice, is a chameleon. Ask the addict for a self-explanation (life story), and the story goes through a kaleidoscope of changes depending on who’s listening. Autobiographical accounts contain retrospective explanations and justifications that may have little to do with the person-drug relationship. The addict described by family members will never be the person described by others. Probation officers describe the addict from behind the criminality of the addict’s life. Clergy will describe the addict from spiritual emptiness aspect.  Anthr ..read more

If a loved one is suffering from an addiction and you judge that they might be responsive to an appeal from family members and close friends to address their problem, an intervention might be a good course of action.  By “intervention” we mean a deliberate, planned discussion initiated by those closest to the addicted person with the intention of encouraging him or her to recognise the problem and take action.  The immediate objective of an intervention is to induce the addicted person to see clearly the impact of the addiction on themselves and others, without provoking defensi ..read more

Addiction is an insidious illness.  It usually develops gradually over time, making it easy for the severity of the problem to escape the notice of immediate family members.  On top of this, the natural inclination for close family is to deny and diminish the problem in order to retain some sense of normality.  If you suspect that a family member may be addicted to alcohol or substances, but you are unsure of the severity of the problem, consider whether any of the following apply to the person: An inability to stop using. The individual has made at least one serious but unsucc ..read more

If you love someone who is battling an addiction and you are wondering what to do, please keep the following in mind: Treating an addiction is about more than just about breaking the addict’s physical dependence on the substance – It is a common misconception that curing an addiction simply means abstinence from the substance or behaviour for a long enough period that it is eliminated from the addicted person’s system. This assumption fundamentally misunderstands the nature of addiction and the neurological processes that keep it alive.   As an addiction develops, new and disti ..read more

The first steps on the long road to recovery are the hardest to take; you’ve committed to rehabilitation, and it’s time to stop using heroin. But stopping any drug takes a great deal of willpower, strength, and support. Especially when you start going through heroin withdrawals, which come with symptoms and need for a detox. Symptoms of heroin withdrawal can range in strength and severity, and because of this, it’s always important to not go through heroin withdrawals and detoxes without supervision, especially if it’s a long-standing addiction. While withdrawal from heroin isn’t considered da ..read more

All drugs are addictive by nature, but some are certainly more addictive than others. And while all forms of substance addiction should be avoided at all costs, it’s not unfounded to warn potential users of which drugs are most addictive and the effects of their use. Tik, or crystal meth as it’s otherwise known, is one of these alarmingly dangerous drugs. One of the most widely reported substances abused in the Western Cape, Tik is an insidiously addictive substance that affects people from all walks of life, and most alarmingly, people of all age groups. Here are some of the reasons Tik is mo ..read more

How does Cocaine Affect the Body To really understand the gravity of cocaine addiction, we have to get real about its effects on the body. All drugs wreak havoc on an addict, but the long term effects, even after you’ve stopped using, can be truly devastating. No matter how many times you dabble in cocaine, it’s going to have an adverse effect on your body.  Even the shortest-lived high on cocaine can have lifelong consequences for your health. And there are no two ways about it, those consequences can be deadly. Not only will you quickly become addicted, but it alters the way your brain ..read more

Depression is a debilitating mental illness, one that doesn’t receive nearly as much attention as it should, especially here in South Africa. When a friend or loved one suffers from depression, it’s natural to want to help them, even if the prospect is a touch daunting. Depression is a complex issue, and there’s no simple cure to it as much as we wish there was one. Simply telling someone it’s going to be okay or to ‘try to be happy’ isn’t enough, and is actually counter-intuitive. If you want to help someone suffering from depression, there are a few ways to go about it. Here are some things ..read more

Tik is renowned as one of the most addictive drugs in South Africa, an ‘upper’ drug that induces intense but short-lived euphoria, confidence and paranoia. Officially known as Crystal Meth, it’s an extremely addictive substance that hooks its victims more often than not from the first hit, making it extremely dangerous. The mind-altering and addictive nature of any drug, makes dealing with an addict a monstrously difficult task. If you’re faced with a loved one suffering from addiction, it’s important for them, and for yourself, to handle the situation appropriately. Forget everything you thin ..read more

So often we hear people saying “But why don’t they trust me? I’ve been clean for a few months now, I’ve done 3 months of rehab, surely, they should trust me already.” Firstly, I think we need to look at what a relationship looks like with an addict before we start expecting anything from anyone. If we take a moment and reverse our roles, we might start to see things a little differently. In Addiction: The Hostage It has been said that addicts and alcoholics don’t have relationships, they take hostages. This might sound extreme but if we look a bit closer, this statement has many areas that rin ..read more