Daily Times

Health experts have urged the parents to monitor the change in behavior by observing hectic routines, economic constraints, mental pressure, habits, and unfavorable relationships for preventing drug abuse in children.

Talking to APP here on Saturday, Clinical Psychologist Mariam Riaz said that male, as well as female youngsters, get into drug addiction at any time of their time and parents should monitor the company of their children and mood swings for early prevention and cure.

She informed that parents should get alarmed if their children look annoyed, unaware of their hygiene, spending unusual time in bathrooms and outside the home. “Friends’ circle, telephonic conversation and internet search history of the youngsters can be monitored if parents have doubts about drug addiction”, she maintained.

Explaining the treatment of addiction, Clinical Psychologist Shamsheer Hayat said that drug addiction can be completely cured with the help of therapy, counseling, and monitoring of the patient therefore, guardians of the addicts should acquire services of a registered rehabilitation center for the treatment and cure. He said a team of medical specialists, psychiatrists, and clinical psychologists monitor the health of the patient, after which the process of detoxification is started as the first phase of the treatment.

He said that patients staying at the rehabilitation center are delivered cognitive behavioral therapies and counseling sessions for three months. “Patients are also equipped with the techniques to avoid the slippery situation when they go into their normal lives”, he added. He said that patients are also asked to abide the religious practices to strengthen their willpower and belief. He concluded that drug addiction should be treated in the same way as any other disease and if it remained untreated, consistent use of drugs would damage the vital organs of the body resulting in death.