Frequently Asked Questions on Addiction & Treatment

Addiction is a habitual behaviour that is compulsive, uncontrollable and consumes the addict with total disregard to its harmful consequences. Some of the common addictions that have been treated at the DAIRRC centre are:

• Alcoholism
• Drug addiction
• Gambling addiction
• Social media addiction
• Food addiction
• Sex addiction

Some of the reasons are:

• possession of an addictive personality
• as a form of experimentation or to garner social acceptance
• as a coping mechanism to deal with an unpleasant reality or self image
• addiction is hereditary. People with parents or relatives who have a history of addiction are more prone to become addicts themselves.
• Social environment and improper nurturing.

Every addict essentially suffers from low self esteem. Name-shaming them only exacerbates the problem, causing them to isolate themselves even more and to use more of the substance to feel numb.

Instead, people should realise that addicts are extremely sensitive, and with a little patience can be made to see the error of their ways and be motivated to seek help.

A person with an addictive personality will take to drugs, alcohol or other addictive patterns of behaviour, irrespective of good or bad parenting.

In the case where parents openly display their addictive patterns in front of young children, the chances of the children emulating their parents in later stages is high.

But from my experience, the child with the addictive personality is the one who is more likely to become an addict, while other siblings from the same family will stay sober and less affected.

The root causes of addiction can be identified by introducing the addicts to a safe place, with a kind and patient counsellor, where addicts and their close members can openly speak about themselves, without fear of judgement or condemnation. Gradually over a period of time, as they begin to trust their counsellor, they start revealing facts about their life, and then the root causes become apparent. It could be high sensitivity coupled with low self esteem, difficulty to express oneself, high levels of stress, mental trauma, physical or psychological abuse etc.

Home is a place where one can scratch where it itches, and family is a unit from whom an addict expects unconditional support. Most addicts come from broken homes and dysfunctional families. Many addicts even consider themselves responsible for their family situation and dynamics.

But in recovery I have noticed that divorced or separated parents coming together to support their child leads to better chances of recovery. As long as an addict feels wanted and is presented with an idea of emotional security, the need to become and stay sober becomes stronger.

Neglect, betrayal, humiliation, physical and emotional torture, the prospect of having to helplessly watch a loved member systematically destroy oneself.

Rehabilitation is the most important aspect of recovery from any form of addiction. Any addict can be detoxified or made to stop. But a rehabilitation program is necessary to ensure that an addict stays stopped and becomes productive.

Most rehabs in India have been started without any idea of genuinely treating addicts. Some are politically motivated, some are just to ensure that governmental statics are adhered to, some are the result of ill-conceived Corporate Social Responsibility aims and almost all are staffed with self-seeking opportunists who feed upon the misery of others. There are constant reports of ill treatment, abuse, force, torture and other activities that have nothing to do with the true concept of rehabilitation.

True rehabilitation happens when an addict is provided with a safe haven accompanied by proper care and counselling to evoke recovery on four planes viz., the physical, the mental, the social and spiritual. We ensure a safe and non threatening environment to all addicts at our rehabilitation centre.

Know the program means to Know your self. The DAIRRC rehabilitation program, simply provides addicts with a mirror to themselves. Initially every addict avoids looking into it. As they recover and become more emotionally stable, they are able to confront themselves, to face their fears and to emerge confident and secure in their individual selves.

• Fear
• Anxiety
• Guilt
• Self-loathing
• Depression
• Anger
• Resentment
• Insecurity

• Grandiosity
• Comfort in the company of other addicts
• Impatience
• Intolerance
• Compulsive risk-taking behaviour
• Criticism of everyone
• Perfectionist
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Egoistic

Addiction is a chronic mental disease, that affects the brain and other organs of the body, needs to be treated, and can be cured through proper rehabilitation

These are the stages of treatment at the DAIRRC rehab centre:

• motivating an addict to seek help and treatment
• enabling an addict to get detoxified/ withdrawn from the addictive pattern
• enrolling the addict to the rehab program
• ensuring the addict is provided with the environment and the means to induce recovery on the physical, mental, social and spiritual planes
• weaning the addict away from the controlled environment of the rehab in order to seek constructive activity outside
• follow up meetings to ensure that recovery stays on course

At the DAIRRC rehab centre, parents and family members are involved in the rehabilitation process right from the beginning. They are encouraged to provide emotional and financial support within reasonable limits to the addict on return from the rehab. They are taught to recognise the triggers to relapse, and instructed how to cope with them. They are also included in the follow up meetings.

Some of the triggering factors that could lead to a relapse are:

• reverting to old behavioural patterns
• neglect of self care
• exposing oneself unnecessarily to past places/acts of addiction
• Overconfidence
• trying to have relationships within the first year after rehab
• experimenting with the one-trip-funda (conning oneself to believe that one use of a substance/behavioural pattern will not lead to relapse)
• experimenting with alternate forms/substances of addiction
• ignoring the rules to stay fit on the 4 planes
• staying idle
• avoiding the support structure/follow up meetings

Childhood experiences relating to abuse, neglect and abandonment, as well as other mental trauma all contribute towards the addict’s need to insulate oneself from the horrors of daily life and seek refuge in some sort of addictive behaviour, drugs and alcohol.

Yes. Addiction leads to mental disorders and impaired functioning.
Recovery from addiction leads to improved self-worth and mental health.