What are behavioural addictions? When we hear the word addiction, the first thing that comes to mind is alcohol or drug addiction. However, experts say that any activity or substance that is stimulating in nature can be addictive. Any behaviour, from gambling to pornography to using a cellphone, can be an addiction. They are also categorized as impulse control disorders. …
Indian Addiction and Recovery Blog
India is facing a serious drug addiction problem. According to the ministry of social justice and empowerment, there were 250 drug addicts for every 100,000 Indians about a decade back. This number has only been rising. In India, children as young as 15 years old are abusing drugs. However, the mean age of drug abusers is around thirty-five, and almost…
Romantic breakups have been the fodder for many books and movie plots. From Saratchandra Chattopadhyay’s tragic story of Devdas to the fairly recent Bollywood movie “Queen”. In the book Devdas, Devdas drinks himself to death after losing Paro, his only true love. On the other hand, in the movie Queen, “Rani” played by Kangana Ranaut, overcomes her grief of being…
Addiction is often seen as a problem that only men go through. Sadly, even research on addiction primarily focuses on males. In the US, it is estimated that about 42% of drug users are women. Though addiction is more prevalent in males, the difference is not large. There are many more challenges that women face in their journey through addiction.…
Our brain is the most complex part of the body, and everything that we do is directed by the mechanism in our brain. To explain it better, if our body were a movie set, our brain would be the movie director, our internal organs, the producers and our external features and limbs would be the actors. So, if the movie…
Movies are not only a source of entertainment but also a source of inspiration, they arouse emotions and motivate us to reflect on our lives. Here is a list of movies one can watch to understand how addiction affects people’s lives. These recovery stories can inspire people during their own recovery. If you are someone struggling with addiction some of…
Social media has become a vital part of our daily lives. When you meet a new person, your first means to connect with them is through social media. When you are at the red light for two minutes or trying to fall asleep at night for over an hour, social media is your source of entertainment. Social media sites utilize…
Leaving Las Vegas, Trainspotting and Requiem for a dream are some of the most hard-hitting films that depict substance abuse and its consequences. One thing that is common in almost all these movies is that the actors who play the roles of addicts are thin, gaunt and look extremely malnourished. The reason for this is art imitates life and in…
We are a generation that is determined not to repeat the mistakes of our forefathers. We are not sexist, we are not racist, and we do not body shame; in short, we are “woke”. Yet when it comes to being a true ally to the people of the LGBTQ+ community, why is it that we find ourselves lost? The answer…
Rishab and Ayush were at the same rehabilitation centre for their drug addiction issues. They were offered standardized treatment for addiction along with personal counselling sessions. At the end of 6 months, both were released from care, however, while Rishab continued to stay clean even months after release, Ayush had a non-fatal overdose within weeks of release. While there are…
“We should make it clear that getting help isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a sign of strength.” - Michelle Obama One in four people suffers from a mental illness in a given year. The prevalence of stigma in this area comes in the way of people seeking treatment. A study showed that about 47% of people express higher judgment towards…
In today’s world, your smartphone is an integral part of your life. If you are like most people, you probably can not imagine leaving the house without your phone. According to reports, we spend about 7 hours on the internet on a daily basis. Out of that, we spend about 2 hours and 30 minutes on social media. In a…
Humans have used addictive psychoactive substances since ancient times. They were used by priests in religious ceremonies to reach states of dissociative trance and by healers for medicinal purposes with opium being the drug of choice. The general population also partook in addictive substances like alcohol, nicotine and caffeine which were more socially accepted. The problems of addiction started arising…
Inpatient vs Outpatient Rehab Treatment. Which is a better option? There comes a point in life where any person with addiction has to choose between recovery with rehab or continuing on the path of substance abuse and risk mental and physical breakdown and even death. At this crucial juncture, it is often the family and friends who decide on behalf…
What is mental health? Most of us have some idea about it. We have been celebrating World Mental Health Day every 10th October for the last 30 years and it has helped us identify factors affecting mental health and the different mental health disorders that exist. We know the signs to look out for to figure if someone is depressed…