By Betty Shanguro
Chitungwiza residents have raised concern over an increase in drug abuse among young people calling on for action to curb the scourge.
Parents and guardians called on authorities to come up with measures that will keep youths occupied and shun drug and substance abuse.
“Economic hardships are pushing young people into drugs and it is critical that authorities come up with projects that keep them occupied. The behaviour that we are witnessing is a cause for concern therefore we are calling on leaders to provide them with jobs,” said Mike Gwesu a Manyame Park resident.
Dorcas Munerenyu another resident concurred saying “there is no way that we can blame our children without pointing to the economic hardship that we are experiencing right now, many companies are closed with means the majority of young people have nothing to do. Parents cannot afford to send them to school especially in our area, the only activity available is taking in dangerous drugs and doing whatever they are doing,”
Psychologist George Muhlupeki Manxiwa said drug and substance abuse affects the normal function of the brain
Drugs affect mental health, they cause the individual to experience hallucinations which refers to seeing and hearing things that are not there .They might also encounter delusions, unrealistic beliefs. Sometimes the person using drugs might think or take on the persona of an affluent rich person
This is because drugs psychologically affect the normal function of the brain. Such effects on the brain results in surges of delusions, hallucination. The more you take drugs the more it affects the normal functionality of the brain. Drugs also destroys personal relationship, boy might have anger management issues the reasoning and judgement issues. This affects the family, resulting in the individual becoming anti-social and leads to isolation from the society leading to addiction
He said there are two main methods used in treatment of drug abuse problems
“The two main types of treatment, medication are pharmacological treatment and psychotherapy. Pharmacological treatment involves injections and oral medications psychotherapy is too therapy and other therapies to deal with effects on the individual, delusion and hallucinations we use antidepressants
“Psychotherapy is the top therapy, includes a bit of counselling and mostly involves using cognitive behaviour therapy and also motivational behaviour therapy. For that individual to obtain from the drugs psychotherapy is used, in some cases a person may just take the drugs,” he said.
