Addiction & dependence
Dependence develops gradually, and rarely because someone lacks willpower. It usually begins as something that worked — for pain, sleep, anxiety or boredom — and then stopped being optional.
Important: I do not provide addiction treatment, detoxification or rehabilitation. These need specialist medical services, and stopping some substances suddenly — alcohol in particular — can be dangerous without medical supervision. Please speak to a doctor or a de-addiction service. What I can offer is support to family members living with someone else’s dependence.
Signs that use has become dependence
- Needing more to get the same effect
- Trying to cut down and being unable to
- Continuing despite clear harm to health, work or relationships
- Hiding the amount, or lying about it
- Withdrawal symptoms — shaking, sweating, agitation, nausea — when stopping
- Life narrowing around obtaining and using
What helps
- Medical advice first. Withdrawal from alcohol and some medications can be medically dangerous. Do not stop abruptly without advice.
- Specialist services. De-addiction programmes exist across India through government hospitals and private centres. A doctor can refer you.
- Peer support. Groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous run free meetings in most Indian cities, including online.
- Support for the family. Living with someone else’s dependence is genuinely difficult, and family members deserve support in their own right.
- Treating what sits underneath. Dependence often grows over untreated anxiety, depression or trauma, which need addressing too.
When to seek support
If you are worried about your own or a family member’s use, speak to a doctor. Tele-MANAS on 14416 can also point you towards services near you, free of charge, at any hour.
Not sure where to start?
If you are unsure whether counselling is the right kind of help, you are welcome to ask. If something else would suit you better, I will say so.
If you need urgent help Counselling is not an emergency service. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, please contact your local emergency services, or call Tele-MANAS, the Government of India mental health helpline, on 14416 (available 24 hours).