Families should not be in denial about loved ones’ drug addiction, doctor says

Dr Mohamad Jamal Mousa, a consultant psychiatrist at the Behavioural Sciences Pavilion in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, also urged families to seek treatment when they see someone is addicted to drugs.

ABU DHABI // Family members must be able to spot the signs of drug addiction to help the person concerned and to prevent future issues, a doctor has said.

Dr Mohamad Jamal Mousa, a consultant psychiatrist at the Behavioural Sciences Pavilion in Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, in a talk that was part of a Mental Health Awareness Programme, urged families not to be in denial and to seek treatment for addicted loved ones.

“As a society, we have a role. Parents always get the blame for what their children do and they must talk to their children more, and give them advice,” he said.

“Family members must be aware of the surroundings. They must look out for other family members. Be aware of the changes and look out for the signs.”

More importantly, Dr Mousa said, family members must realise when there was a problem and quickly treat it.

“Don’t be in denial. Family members will say, ‘my child is not an addict, he will not make such a mistake’.

“It’s denial that leads to deterioration of the situation,” he said.

“Confront the problem, treat it early, because treatment is crucial to overcome the issues that will occur.”

Dr Mousa also explained why people resort to drugs or non-prescribed medication in the first place.

“There are many causes. Sometimes, patients need medication to calm down and go to sleep, they use it to feel better. Others use drugs to feel better and get high. There is no purpose in their consumption of such substances,” he said.

“In some cases, a person might use medication and it works for him. He then ‘donates’ it to another person, a friend or family member.

“That friend can misuse, the consumption of the medication will cause a habit to form, he will get accustomed to it and then the addiction process begins.”

The first step in the downward spiral of substance abuse was experimentation, Dr Mousa said.

“People are curious, they want to know what this thing does. One dose will lead to another, which causes the user to tolerate the substance and become accustomed to it,” he said.

The doctor said parents must keep an eye on their children and their friends.

Tardiness, being tired, isolation and constantly needing money are all signs that could mean a member of the family is using a harmful substance, he said.

The address was part of a series of health-related talks given by SKMC physicians.