Beyond the High: The Hidden Struggle of Substance Abuse

Substance abuse, a growing concern, threatens the well-being of teenagers and young adults worldwide. This silent epidemic ravages young lives, families, and communities, demanding attention and action. Behind the staggering statistics, lies a complex web of causes, treatment options, and devastating consequences.

According to the World Health Organisation, WHO, Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. One of the key impacts of illegal drug use on society is the negative health consequences experienced by its members. Drug use also puts a heavy financial burden on individuals, families, and society.

Meet Okoro Ndubisi (not his real name), a 25-year-old who’s battled with dependency on substances for some years. His journey began with the search for escape to distract him from his life. According to “I can’t attribute my use of substance to a particular reason because at this point I had a lot of things that weren’t going well for me. Also my environment played a role because I was an upcoming artist at the time.”

Ndubisi’s story echoes the experiences of many. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 270 million people worldwide suffer from substance use disorders. Also, a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Nigeria indicates that 14.4% (14.3 million) of people aged between 15 and 64 years abuse drugs.

Substance abuse stems from a multifaceted interplay of factors. Awugo Jessica, a social welfare worker, says that there are various reasons people abuse substances such as trauma, abuse, neglect, underlying mental conditions like depression, anxiety, maniac disorders, and social environment. She also said that genetics sometimes contribute to abuse of substances and addiction. “one of the things we do when we have a patient that struggles with substance abuse is to check family history”

“Substance abuse often masks underlying issues,” explains Jessica. “In our field of work we don’t just focus on the addiction treatment must address these root causes to ensure lasting recovery,” she said. According to her, one of the ways used to treat patients is counseling, and not just for the patients but for the patients family. “some patients with substance abuse history do this as a form of escape, when they take these substances they feel euphoric and according to the patients nothing matters” she said. Some people refer to this state as Cloud Nine.

The consequences of substance abuse are far-reaching and devastating and range from organ damage, cognitive impairments, strained relationships, and financial ruin, to mention but a few. According to Ndubisi his period of dependency on substances caused him a gastric ulcer, and that was when he decided he needed to cut down on smoking.

According to Ndubisi he had strained relationships with his family and loved ones “Even though they were still there for me it just wasn’t what it used to be.”

Also according to Jessica there were times when the families of the patients tended to give up on the patient.

He was also financially challenged as he could not always get money to access them. “A small cup of Loud the size of a restaurant ketch-up container is ₦3,500 for the cheap stuff, which will roll get you about seven to nine rolls of Loud, and the same size of the cup for Canadian Loud is from ₦40,000 upwards, and I was just a student”

Effective treatment requires a comprehensive approach such as Detoxification, counseling, Medication-Assisted Treatment, and Support Groups

According to Jessica, recovery is very possible but requires commitment, patience from the patients and their families, and willingness to confront underlying issues.

According to her, counseling is one of the best ways to reach a patient struggling with abuse and addiction, and this is done by building trust between your patient. “make them understand that you know what they’re going through and sometimes make them think you’re in similar positions as them” she also sternly advises that judgment is never allowed and instead of telling them that they’re wrong let them know it’s the actions and not them. “don’t judge them and also avoid being too emotional, crying in front of a patient is a No!”

From Ndubisi’s side, he goes to rehab as he is not completely clean but he uses detox tea and as of the moment he is no longer dependent on them and can go a month or more without tasting cannabis or smoking.

If you or a loved one is battling with substance abuse here are helplines to call

l National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Toll-Free Helpline: 0800 1020 3040.