A Study on Addictions in the family

This is a field project titled “A STUDY ON ADDICTION IN THE FAMILY”. It has been prepared to be submitted in partial fulfillment for the award of the post Graduate Diploma in value education & Spirituality of Annamalai University in technical collaboration with BrahmaKumaris education-wing. The term „ADDICTION‟ is used in many contexts to describe an obsessive compulsive or excessive psychological dependency such as DRUG-ADDICTION (e.g. Alcoholism, Narcotic-addictions, Nicotine-addiction, dependency on prescribed drugs.), video game-addiction, crime-addiction, money-addiction, work-addiction, computer addiction, compulsive over-eating, problem-gambling, pornography-addiction etc. In medical terminology, an Addiction is a chronic neurological disorder that has genetic psycho-social & environmental dimensions. It is characterized by one of the following the continued use of a substance despite it‟s detrimental effects, impaired control over the use of a drug(compulsive behavior ) or pre occupation with a drug‟s use for non-therapeutic purpose (i.e. craving for drugs). Thus there is a distinction between abuse of & dependence on a substance. So it is one thing to abuse a psychoactive substance & quite another to dependence. If a person uses any psychoactive or addictive substance for most of the days, with or without occupational, social, medical or personal impairment that is dependence. Addiction & dependence is the same. The history of disease is also the history of drug-use. Since earlier time's herbs, bark, milk potion, leaves & plants have been used to relieve pain & help control disease. In & of itself, the use of drugs does not constitute an evil; drugs properly administered have been medical blessings. The starting use of alcohol dates back about 2500 years ago when people began to ferment grapes or distill alcohol from it to be used in special occasions. The use of Tobacco is first known in West Indies, North America. There it was taken as the gift of God used in holy occasions. But when it was brought to Europe by Columbus & grown in a small town „ Tobaca" it was spread by colonizing countries throughout the world. For long, the use of alcohol, tobacco & narcotics were taken as harmless & used as mood altering & entertainment, pain-killers& stimulants & activating agents (specially in military & games).Half a century ago, psychologist as well as medical scientist came with the warning to the people of the detrimental effects of on physical ,mental & social health as well as main causes of various non communicable diseases then only people came to know that tobacco uses is a slow poison, it contains more than 200 toxins among them 20 are more dangerous ones i.e. Cadmium, Carbon mono-oxide, DDT, Arsenic, Acitor. It causes cancer of heart, nose, lungs, lips, toes, fingers, teeth, gums. It is also the cause of 3000 death per diam in the world. Alcohol's main effect lies mental disorders, digestive disorders, family quarrels, insomnia, an accidents etc. Tobacco & Alcohol use causes cancer of lungs, heart attack, cancer of lips, and oldness in youth, cough-ever long, Asthma. WHO as well as medical professionals recognize the cumulative problem of alcohol addiction & it is potential to damage a person's body & mind as well as the harm it wreaks on the family or society at large. Narcotic drugs produced from Cannabis plant, marijuana (leaves), Hashish (resin), Bhang(leaves),cocaine from coca bush, morphine, codeine opium from Poppy plant. From morphine Heroine is prepared along these extracts from various cactuses, magic mushrooms & other plants & fungi‟s are used in drugs. As former UN secretary general Boutros Boutros-Ghali refers in his message-“Drug abuse has escalated dramatically in recent years. Most drug abusers are young, poor or both. No nation is immune from the devastating consequences of drug abuse & illicit trafficking& upsurge in crime, violence & corruption, the draining of human, financial & other resources that might otherwise be used for social & economical development the destruction of individual, families & the entire communities; & undermining of national economics. Another consequence, one associated with intravenous drug abuse is the high risk of spreading AIDS. n this study, it has been tried to find out the condition of Drug- abuse & Addiction i.e. Alcohol, Narcotics, Nicotine & misuse of prescribable- medicines. Drug-Abuse is observed to see weather the abuse by the elder family members entices younger-one to become addicts or not.