Family role with drug addict
During the previous period, the drug addict did not receive sufficient attention from all the authorities concerned with combating drugs. In the past, the drug addict was seen as a person who had no will, tempted by bad friends and aides until they made him addicted to it. The accusation finger was also pointed at bad friends, and this is not true except in a very few cases, but in the vast majority of cases, drug use and the subsequent addiction was a conscious act that a person did knowingly and voluntarily, and with a complete will that does not detract from the fact that he was influenced by factors psychological or social.
As a result of this narrow view of the fight against drugs, governments and their various institutions have directed all their attention to the people who bring drugs and those who trade in drugs, and they have tightened their penalties time and time again. Perhaps this will discourage them from bringing it and trading it, and you have not forgotten the abuser and the addict, so the punishment stipulated in the law has been tightened for them as well so that they wake up and not let these and those deceive them or deceive them.
Thus governments were deceived and erred; Where it realized that the tightening of penalties, whether for bringers, smugglers and traders, or for drug addicts and addicts, is not by itself sufficient to prevent the first party from bringing and trafficking in drugs, nor to distract the second party, who are addicts and abusers, from their abuse and addiction.
With regard to the first group, an analytical statistical study of drug trafficking and drug trafficking crimes was previously conducted before and after the tightening of the penalties, which indicated that the toughening of the penalties alone is not sufficient to prevent trafficking and trafficking in them, or even to limit them, but rather – in addition to that – the request must be prevented. As long as the smugglers and dealers find that drugs bring them huge profits that no other trade brings, they will not turn away from them, whatever the dangers that surround them and which they always think they can avoid and overcome, such that the price of a kilogram Of opium in the producing countries, it is not more than ten dollars, while in the consuming countries it is ten thousand dollars.
Here comes the role of the second group – that is: drug users and addicts – they are the ones who buy drugs at the prices set by the dealers, and from them smugglers and fetchers, who bring them huge profits that encourage them to continue in this trade. about buying them, and I forgot that if this is true for those who take drugs that do not lead to addiction, then it is not true for drugs whose abuse leads to addiction, and who will not be frightened by the punishment, no matter how severe it is; Because the state of addiction makes them underestimate everything, and therefore the demand will remain and the merchants will meet it no matter the risks that they will compensate for by raising prices, and they are confident that the addicts will not be able to stop buying, but will do their utmost to get the money needed to buy. If we suppose that the merchants are unable to provide the ‘variety’, this will not make the addict stop, but will work on his part to obtain a substitute that may be more harmful than the kind he has addicted to.
As a result of relying on severe penalties in the face of drugs, and according to what is currently happening, the responsibility for combating it has fallen to the police, the judiciary and prisons. their penalties.
Perhaps the lack of innovative views and unconventional attitudes towards the drug problem is due to this impractical situation arising from the legislator’s belief that the matter requires nothing more than continuous police efforts and quick and harsh court rulings. The continuing drug crimes of all kinds and a greater increase in the quantities seized, as will be evident from our subsequent studies, which the United Nations estimates to be equal to 10% of the total amount that is being smuggled into the country.
In addition, additional and complementary efforts were made on the sidelines of the fight (police/judicial); Such as preaching by some clergymen in mosques and other places of prayer, advice and guidance by some doctors and researchers in the field of drugs on radio and television, as well as conferences, seminars and workshops. It is flawed by the extreme superficiality arising from the fact that those who did it were – and still are – confident that something serious would not be achieved, and in fact the matter was nothing more than a procedural act as a result of the continuous failure to reduce addiction and abuse.
The beginning of interest in addiction treatment:
Although drug abuse is one of the old problems in our Arab world, the thought of treating drug addiction did not appear in us until after the United Nations Economic and Social Council decided in 1958 to call for a conference to approve a single drug convention, in order to replace it with multiple treaties. The parties that existed at that time, which issued several decisions, including the second resolution on the treatment of drug addiction, which read: “The Conference, Recalling the provisions of Article 38 of the Convention relating to the treatment and rehabilitation of drug addicts:
• Declares that treating addicts in hospitals in a drug-free atmosphere is one of the most successful methods of treatment.
• Urges the states parties where drug addiction constitutes a serious problem to provide these facilities, if their economic resources permit.
The Protocol issued on March 25, 1972 amending the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 also authorized states parties to replace the punishment stipulated by law for drug users with measures that subject them to procedures of treatment, education, rehabilitation and social care (Article 14), as stated in Article (15) that states parties must To be concerned with taking the necessary measures to prevent the misuse of narcotic drugs, and to work on treating addicts and rehabilitating them professionally and socially so that they return to society as good individuals capable of giving.
Thus, the protocol has confirmed that efforts should not be limited to influencing the supply of narcotic substances, but must also affect the demand for them.
This is the same as the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Where it has allowed states parties to apply other measures to the abuser – instead of punishment -; Such as drug treatment, aftercare, or rehabilitation with the aim of reintegrating him into society (Article Three, Paragraph 3 – b, c, d).
On the Arab level, the Arab Convention for Combating Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances was issued in 1994, and its second article, paragraph 3 – c, states that it is permissible for drug users to replace penalties with other measures such as awareness, treatment, rehabilitation, social integration and aftercare.
With the signing of the conventions and protocols for narcotics and psychotropic substances, Arab countries showed interest in implementing them, especially with regard to the treatment and treatment of addicts.
The study included seven chapters as follows:
Chapter one: Defining narcotics, which briefly clarified that they are any natural or prepared substance in laboratories that, if used for other than medical or industrial purposes, would lead an individual to a temporary total or partial loss of consciousness. According to the amount ingested.
Among the most common types of drugs are:
• Alcohol.
• Hashish (hemp).
• Opium.
• Morphine.
• Heroin.
• Amphetamines (stimulants).
• Cocaine.
• Khat.
Then the study defined addiction, abuse, and stages of addiction, and the study dealt with the classification of drugs according to:
• its impact.
• Method of production (natural or synthetic).
• According to accreditation (psychological and organic addiction).
• By color.
• The classification of the World Health Organization.
• According to the chemical composition.
Then the study touched on the factors associated with drug abuse, and then the most important effects associated with drug abuse.
The second chapter: of the study talked about abuse and its harms, and the factors leading to drug abuse included:
• Personal factors.
• Factors of the surrounding social environment.
Then the effects of drugs on society:
• Legally.
• Economically.
• Socially.
Then the effects of addiction on the individual, family and society.
Chapter Three: From the study on combating and the repercussions of illegal trade, and the chapter talked about several points, the most important of which are:
• Detecting the places of cultivation and trafficking (production).
• Consumption patterns.
• Smuggling method and means.
• The field of control and response.
Then the study talked about the repercussions of addiction in terms of:
• The social repercussions of drug addiction.
• The economic repercussions of drug addiction.
• The security implications of drug addiction.
Chapter Four: It talks about addiction treatment, starting with:
• Treatment measures.
• Means of rehabilitation and social reintegration.
• Factors that affect the outcome of treatment.
• Important factors and expected difficulties in treatment and rehabilitation.
• Detailed study of places of care.
• Means of physical therapy and treatment of drug addicts.
Chapter Five: About the State and Rehabilitation Houses for Addicts, from which the availability of propaganda centers within the State appeared in the following areas:
• Ministry of Health.
• Ministry of Social Service (Social Affairs).
• Ministry of Interior Affairs.
For wealthy addicts, there are many large and luxurious clinics that are no less than five-star hotels and are located in quiet areas in Egypt; Kahlwan, Maadi, Mohandessin, and the Cairo-Ismailia Desert Road, and it charges huge amounts of money for the accommodation, treatment and rehabilitation of the addict, but it is rare for any of its clients to get rid of the addiction!
As for Yemen, given its unfavorable economic conditions, it was not able to establish private clinics for the treatment of addicts, and it was content with opening sections that it attached to government hospitals, frequented by a small number of qat addicts who were allied against them by addiction, various diseases and old age, and this is the situation in the rest of the Arab countries.
Here, after this presentation, we clarify that the treatment centers for addicts are divided between:
• Governmental clinics.
• Private clinics, which in general are like private hospitals.
• clinics affiliated to civil society organizations.
Each of these branches has advantages and weaknesses that face its work process. Such as the fear of addicts and their families from resorting to government clinics for fear of registering with the security services, and the subsequent tracking, monitoring, and possibly detention.
This is in contrast to what the family is currently concentrating its efforts through family incubators in treating the person who is addicted to it. With the aim of:
• Avoiding the accountability of the addict by the authorities of the state.
• Focus treatment efforts to ensure recovery.
• Immediate follow-up of the addict; So that it achieves avoiding suffering and being close to it with the aim of follow-up first, and that the addict does not escape from treatment; Recently, family incubators have appeared, which are often considered by well-to-do families to treat the addicted family member.
as well as:
It helps to preserve the future of addicts before the eyes of their families in terms of:
1- Intensifying efforts to try to return them to their normal lives and complete their recovery.
2- Tightening the grip on their behavior and keeping them away from the criminal behavior into which they may drift with their friends and colleagues.
3- Preserving them, especially since they strongly refuse to work even the honorable one, even though it was made available to them and some of them obtained higher qualifications thanks to the support of their families.
Then the chapter talked about rehabilitation homes and the treatment program, and the role of the family in the treatment program and the 12-step care program.
Chapter VI: On the family and rehabilitation of addicts, and the importance of the behavior of abuse, and the discussion in the chapter focused on the role of the family for the success of the treatment of the abuser; like:
• The family’s role in persuading the patient to attend treatment.
• The importance of the family’s commitment to the treatment method and its terms.
Chapter Seven: About family incubators. The chapter began with a study of the causes of abuse. So that it can be used as a guide in the treatment of the abuser, starting with:
• The reasons for the addicted individual.
• The reasons that belong to the family.
• Community responsibility.
Then the chapter talks about:
• Motives for establishing family incubators.
• Civil incubators.
• Sound foundations for building a family.
• Troubled family environment.
• The family’s dealings with the addict.
• Problems of family therapy.
How does the family deal with the addict:
It must be noted that the statistics confirmed that the addict who receives correct family support will have a much higher recovery rate than others.
How is the treatment done:
There is special care for the one who is afflicted with this disease to support him, save him from his tragedy and treat him, as he is sick and needs treatment, as follows:
1- If the addict is ready for treatment, he can attend the complex by himself or accompanied by his family or colleagues and treat him through the complex without being exposed to him by the Narcotics Control Agency.
2- If the patient refuses treatment, his family can submit an official request to the Narcotics Control Department or one of its branches in the country requesting forcible treatment. Cooperation and support from the state towards drug addicts, and for the benefit of the afflicted family.
Conclusion and recommendations:
Thus appeared to us the ways and methods of treating drug addicts and the burden this poses to the family and family, whether father, mother, sisters and friends, and the restrictions of the addict joining any of the treatment centers, whether governmental, private or affiliated with civil society organizations, and what this represents. suffering if these centers are far from the places of residence of this family, in which there is an addict.
As a result of the suffering of this family, a large proportion of them turned to establishing family nurseries in their homes in an attempt to achieve the best and most successful methods of treating the patient, especially since the presence of family and friends close to the patient’s heart is a catalyst for speeding up and achieving successful treatment.
Anyone who takes drugs or is addicted to drugs can stop using alone or may need a complete treatment program, and the period after drug treatment and the end of withdrawal symptoms from addiction is the most important period to plan. Until the convalescents from addiction reach a full recovery, to protect them from the specter of relapse and return to addiction.
Addiction is not only a disease but a way of life, and those who decide to quit addiction and return to mental health are like immigrants from one community to another within the same city and place. about their past society.
They need guidance and gain new experiences and new relationships that will help them succeed in migrating from the dark addictive society to their new society in which they seek reassurance, help and safety, and there is no doubt that the family will be the most sincere person in directing and providing assistance to the patient until recovery is complete.
The first thing convalescents face is:
1- The desire to return to it, and that feeling continues with him for several months after the treatment. Groups not to be affected by them again.
The other thing is his need for a set of normal social relationships that help him mature, help his will to grow and strengthen his resolve. However, he often fears these new relationships for fear of people knowing that he was addicted, and because of the new friendship’s need to be frank about the human past, these new friendships cause It causes anxiety and stress and pushes him away from forming new relationships with healthy individuals.
2- Problems of adapting to life and acquiring new ways of gratification away from drugs, and these require him to learn new patterns of behavior and bear the conditions of life, and adapt to problems and confront them, and his failure to do so will make him doubt quickly his ability to continue clean of drugs, especially as he loses a lot From the mood and fun he was getting with these drugs, which makes seeing what is going on around him an unpleasant vision at first, and he needs some time to adapt to these events.
3- During these first periods of adaptation and learning new patterns of behavior, the occurrence of severe pain, problems or tensions with incomplete learning of patience and ways to get rid of them, and proper behavior in confronting them, these pains, problems and difficulties may lead him to frustration and despair and return to addiction once other, which requires his support and standing next to him.
4- There is also a need for new relationships that push him to rely on himself more than his dependence on others, and his dependence on drugs, but this takes time and comes slowly and requires a long period of time, patience and determination.
5- Also, the relationships of that person after he left drugs with his friends and those around him are exposed to many problems as a result of his leaving bad companions and his new view of them, which leads them to attack him in his new path with the aim of destroying their confidence in himself and in his ability to continue away from drugs, which may affect in his career; As his personality is fragile during this period, in addition to the pressures of the parents (father, mother, wife and children), these pressures combine to affect his path to mental health and maturity.
6- Then there is the availability of drugs either from friends, co-workers, or as gifts presented to him to put pressure on him. Therefore, learning to say “no” to drugs is an essential factor in improvement. That is because his use of a new dose of drugs after his treatment – whatever the dose, the circumstances of that dose and the pressures around it – may lead to a relapse that violently brings him back to the drugs.
All of these influences, in addition to what the addict may be exposed to from academic problems or problems at work and life with parents, family and wife, may affect him negatively, leading him to need more efforts from others, therapists, friends, family and a large community to help him pass the stage of convalescence from drugs in peace. Until a return to a happy, contented life.
The mere desire to quit drugs may not be enough to face these problems, but persistence and patience is the only solution. Relapse again into drugs leads to a loss of self-confidence, severe pain for failing to face this problem, family pain for this, pain for friends and pain for therapists themselves, and therefore the post-treatment period for drug addiction should be a period of utmost attention from the family friends and the patient himself, and that “no” to drugs is persistence and determination; Because relapse makes others lose interest in him, and leads them to despair of him, so that they help him less, and his problems increase again and again.
Therefore, it becomes clear that the best treatment methods are family nurseries and their role in treating addiction if the family is able to achieve this with its own capabilities.