US expert for making support groups of addicts

Tribune News Service

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Ludhiana, December 16

There are biological, psychological and social aspects of treatment of drug addiction, stated Dr Shaili Jain, a clinical assistant professor in psychiatry at Stanford University, USA, and visiting professor at the AIIMS.

“In the biological aspect, how the addiction affects the brain and how it can be treated with medication is considered. In this part of the world, the psychological aspect is not being much explored. But successful use of group support can be very effective in the treatment of addiction,” she said, adding that associations such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous comprising groups of addicts could be effective in treating addicts.

“Unfortunately, the number of such groups is less,” she said.

On social front, it is important that addicts are not looked down on and society should help them overcome addiction. Unemployment and lack of opportunities for growth are other social factors that lead to addiction, she added.

A specialist in the treatment of post traumatic stress disorders, Dr Jain said, “Although people, after going through a traumatic experience, recover physically, they are not able to recover psychologically. So they get flashbacks, nightmares or suffer from hallucinations related to the traumatic experience. In such cases, they need psychiatric help.”