Online Reporter
Sadia Khan
Correspondent
THE name previously holding extreme negative connotations has now become a ‘casual term’ for the cocktail of drugs available to lessen its severity in Zimbabwe.
It is shockingly, lurked into all classes and areas of society with the common known drugs being cocaine the ‘rich mans drug’, codeine based syrups a ‘poor mans drug’ and marijuana being the ‘chilled man’s choice.
Now, we have a world of drugs, that we don’t know much about, like monkey dust, spice and blues to name a few. With all the drugs in the market now, it is difficult to spot the signs and symptoms of use by an individual.
In a country where socioeconomic hardships are a fighting battle, we have many poor who are hungry for food, yet they are choosing to use drugs instead, is this really what we want the poor to be fed on?
Have we really accepted it, as part of our society? Is it now part and parcel of one’s daily life? Why the use? Is it merely for instant gratification, to feel self fulfilment, peer pressure or is a real cry for help in the youth and society of Zimbabwe today?
Please, parents, educators, health carers and community, have a long hard reflection about this and the resulting realistic consequences for the generations to come.
The use horrifyingly is worldwide, with new drugs invented everyday that are misused and abused. Sadly, the emphasis of the effects and results are downplayed and not talked about enough.
Families who have a drug user, don’t voice out enough the hardships they face because of the user and believe brushing it under the carpet for fear of society and judgment and believe not facing up to it, is the only solution. Let’s push each other to get the help today and face the truth, that’s it an illness that can creep into anyone’s life and that without cure it won’t just go away.
The addict often lives without care or empathy for the effects on others, whether that is emotionally, financially or socially. They take no care or responsibility for their own personal use or even reflect on the pain or hardship that it plays on the people around them.
The mind, body and soul are slowly destroyed by the chemical substances which ingrains in the person’s mind and body, and this ultimately takes a toll on their health and well being leading to mental health and health deterioration.
Sadly, once an addiction is in place its hard to overcome, even if the user chooses to stop its much harder than anyone can ever imagine, resulting in life long issues and the attachments to one substance or another, as the battle to replace the substance of primary choice is always at play.
Remember all, it may start of as simply vaping or smoking marijuana, but can lead to heavy usage and the often to the move to a newer stronger substance and with a life of regretful addiction.
Educate yourself, talk to your children, reach out to establishments, psychologist and to those who are in need of help and advice to solve and prevent use, so that the children of tomorrow are free of addictions and mind consuming substances.
Everyone in the community must play a role in the war against drugs and assist in the improvement and implementation of abstinence from anything that harms the mind and health of the people in Zimbabwe.
Helpful contacts: Manicaland Mental Health Hospital and Rehabilitation Centre, Fern Valley, Mutare. (+263 77 292 4062)
Sadia Khan is a counselling psychologist
