“One free experiment destroyed our lives”
*Emotional distress, peer pressure are major trigger
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 14: It often begins quietly— with a cigarette shared in isolation, a “free sample” offered by friends after work, or a small packet passed around during evening gatherings to escape stress. For many youngsters, that brief moment of experimentation soon turns into a dangerous dependency that slowly consumes their health, earnings, relationships and dreams.
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Twenty two year old “Rohit” (name changed), employed at a small mobile repair shop in Jammu city, still remembers the day he first consumed drugs with some co-workers during lunch break.
“They told me it would help me forget tension. At first, they never asked for money. Later, I could not even start my day without it”, he said in a choked voice while waiting outside Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) Centre inside the Government Psychiatric Diseases Hospital, Bakshi Nagar Jammu.
“My entire salary disappeared into drugs. Instead of supporting them, I watched my family fall apart because of me, but by then I had lost control over myself”, he admitted.
According to the doctors and counselors in the OST Centre, such stories are becoming painfully common among petty shop workers, workshop helpers, students and unemployed youth. Many recovering addicts said they never realized when occasional experimentation turned into a desperate daily need.
Another teenager “Rishi” (name changed), a student, said he initially consumed intoxicants only to “fit in” with his friends. “Everyone around me was consuming something. They said it would help forget stress. Slowly, I stopped caring about food, studies and family. My life started revolving only around drugs,” he said.
One more youngster said, “I only wanted to feel accepted during the evening hangout with the friends. Everyone said trying once would not matter. Within months, I lost interest in everything and stopped speaking properly with my parents”, he said quietly.
A young truck helper said, “the drugs are easily available for anyone seeking them. I first took from my Ustad (driver) and slowly I became completely dependent on the same. Because of my addiction, I had to even leave the job of helper”.
“Now, I realize that instead of supporting my family, I became a curse for them”, he said while waiting for his turn to obtain medicine as part of long term treatment recommended by the doctors.
In response to a question, he said, “initially I was taking Opioid orally and then gradually I switched over to injectables as the latter form of addiction is comparatively cheaper”. Now, like many others he is struggling to come out of this hell-like situation.
Dr Charu Bali, Medical Officer, who was handling the drug-addicts in the OST Centre, said, “vulnerable youngsters are often deliberately trapped through free supplies and emotional manipulation. Peddlers know exactly whom to target—lonely teenagers, struggling workers and emotionally disturbed youth. Addiction does not happen in one day. It traps people slowly until they become completely dependent”.
“Peer pressure, easy availability of narcotic substances, unemployment, family disputes, depression and emotional isolation are among the biggest reasons pushing youngsters towards addiction”, she said, adding “many patients arriving for treatment simultaneously suffer from severe anxiety, depression and behavioral disorders”.
She further said, “drug addiction is no longer confined to any one locality or economic group. We are seeing students, petty workers, labourers and educated youth arriving with shattered emotional and mental health. “Particularly disturbing is the number of girls seeking counseling and rehabilitation support”, she added.
Though female cases remain comparatively fewer, Dr Charu Bali described the trend as deeply alarming because girls rarely approach treatment centres earlier.
As far as girls are concerned, emotional trauma and toxic friendships push them towards substance abuse. “I felt completely alone. Some friends told me drugs would help me sleep and forget pain. Instead, they slowly took away my peace, confidence and identity”, one girl addict said.
According to Dr Charu Bali, many girls continue suffering silently because families hesitate to seek help due to fear of social stigma. “Several young girls hide addiction for months. By the time families approach treatment centres, their emotional condition has already deteriorated badly”, she added.
Doctors associated with rehabilitation programmes said recovery remains difficult but possible through sustained counseling, medical supervision and strong emotional support from families.
“Don’t try drugs even once just to impress friends. That one moment can destroy your entire life. We generally think that we are experimenting for fun, but slowly drugs take away our studies, families, peace and self-respect”. This is the appeal of those struggling to recover from agony they had gone through by falling into drug abuse.
They further said, “if someone offers you drugs for free, understand that they are not giving you relief…they are pushing you towards destruction. We ignored our parents when they warned us. Today we realize they were trying to save us”.
“No intoxication is worth watching your parents cry every day and night. Drugs first give false happiness and then slowly take away everything that truly matters”, they again said.
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