Satyamev Jayate- I don’t think there is anyone who isn’t aware of this term today. In literal terms, it means- the truth is victorious. Sticking to its meaning, Aamir Khan has brought this show to unmask the issues that have been plaguing our society. The show started addressing issues like female foeticide and dowry deaths. As it progressed- it came to issues like the malpractices in agriculture surfeit of chemical pesticides. And then it shifted to broader issues where it addressed the mindset of people towards the physically challenged. But for me, what made this show completely emerge from the hackneyed TV shows at war for better ratings was its subject ALCOHOL ABUSE, today.
Substance abuse, a wider term which includes alcoholism, is something that our society refuses to recognize even in this modern age. Since times immemorial, it has been a considered a taboo- whether we accept it or not. It is human tendency to vilify anything that doesn’t conform to one’s own ideal of right or wrong. And we Indians are very vocal in doing so.
What this show did today is recognize Alcohol Abuse as a disease just like diabetes or something. The key word here is DISEASE. It is very rare that people call this a disease. Ranging from the most erudite psychiatrists to the general population- the popular belief is that addiction or alcoholism is the lack of will power in a person. The person is hooked to alcohol and is too weak, lacks the will power to quit the habit.
I remember for my 12th board, I had made a research project on the very same subject and had done case studies with two people- one from Narcotics Anonymous and one from Alcohol Anonymous. Apart from that I had circulated some questionnaires amidst my friends and teachers. When it came to my viva, the examiner told me my study was wrong because I had addressed Substance Abuse as a disease. I was told that this is completely false because terming it as a disease implicitly states that addict is a victim or a patient of what he/she cannot control. Somehow, that examiner couldn’t accept this. Because alike million others she couldn’t empathise with this. Demeaning the addict/alcoholic and thinking them to be mentally weak probably seemed like a more comfortable thought. My case studies, while made her think, weren’t enough to convince her to open her mind from the fixed notions she had. She isn’t the only one. Billions accompany her with this outlook.
A similar thing happened with me a while ago. One of my acquaintance’s aunt was psychiatrist practicing stuff like hypnosis and all to cure mental diseases. Once again, she believed, that the only way to cure substance abuse is to build a person’s will power through past life therapy and the likes. Once again, it was about will power. And once again, she isn’t the only one. Today there are organizations that preach that this isn’t a big problem. They believe things like yoga, pranayama, sudarshan kriya, can cure this problem.
Let alone the general population. Rehabs that specialise in this also fail to see it as a disease. They believe in locking up a person for a few hours or days. That’s there definition of cure. After that, the person is set free. And majority of the times the alcoholic/addict goes back to his/her old ways because it is believed that s/he was “too weak to stay away”.
The need of the hour is to recognize this as a disease- a step towards which the show Satyamev Jayate took. A cause for this disease is yet to be found. Sometimes it can be genetic. There is no proof. ‘I’m a social drinker’ is no excuse. Everybody starts as a social drinker and before you know it, your body starts craving for it. Same is this case for other drugs. You’re at a party, all your friends are doing it, and so you smoke up a joint with it. ‘One joint, what’s the big deal? Everyone is doing it.’ One joint turns to two, two to four, and gradually you are unable to keep away from it.
It doesn’t happen with everyone. Doctors haven’t been able to find out why one sibling gets hooked on to it while the other repels it. But how do you know you aren’t that person who will get hooked on to it? Everyone thinks they won’t. Even an alcoholic doesn’t realise till later that s/he can’t survive without that bottle. Is it worth the risk?
We need to remove the stigma associated with substance abuse. Stop looking down on people suffering with this disease. They are patients just like any other say, cancer patient. And if you think this isn’t a cause urgent enough for attention- think again! Drunk driving accidents, people as young as teenagers dying from overdose, liver failures, the list goes on.
To conclude, I’ll highlight the same again- It’s a disease! Recognize the same and help to treat it. Let the diseased not feel ashamed to come out and admit to his/her problem. Remove the stigma!
Substance abuse, a wider term which includes alcoholism, is something that our society refuses to recognize even in this modern age. Since times immemorial, it has been a considered a taboo- whether we accept it or not. It is human tendency to vilify anything that doesn’t conform to one’s own ideal of right or wrong. And we Indians are very vocal in doing so.
What this show did today is recognize Alcohol Abuse as a disease just like diabetes or something. The key word here is DISEASE. It is very rare that people call this a disease. Ranging from the most erudite psychiatrists to the general population- the popular belief is that addiction or alcoholism is the lack of will power in a person. The person is hooked to alcohol and is too weak, lacks the will power to quit the habit.
I remember for my 12th board, I had made a research project on the very same subject and had done case studies with two people- one from Narcotics Anonymous and one from Alcohol Anonymous. Apart from that I had circulated some questionnaires amidst my friends and teachers. When it came to my viva, the examiner told me my study was wrong because I had addressed Substance Abuse as a disease. I was told that this is completely false because terming it as a disease implicitly states that addict is a victim or a patient of what he/she cannot control. Somehow, that examiner couldn’t accept this. Because alike million others she couldn’t empathise with this. Demeaning the addict/alcoholic and thinking them to be mentally weak probably seemed like a more comfortable thought. My case studies, while made her think, weren’t enough to convince her to open her mind from the fixed notions she had. She isn’t the only one. Billions accompany her with this outlook.
A similar thing happened with me a while ago. One of my acquaintance’s aunt was psychiatrist practicing stuff like hypnosis and all to cure mental diseases. Once again, she believed, that the only way to cure substance abuse is to build a person’s will power through past life therapy and the likes. Once again, it was about will power. And once again, she isn’t the only one. Today there are organizations that preach that this isn’t a big problem. They believe things like yoga, pranayama, sudarshan kriya, can cure this problem.
Let alone the general population. Rehabs that specialise in this also fail to see it as a disease. They believe in locking up a person for a few hours or days. That’s there definition of cure. After that, the person is set free. And majority of the times the alcoholic/addict goes back to his/her old ways because it is believed that s/he was “too weak to stay away”.
The need of the hour is to recognize this as a disease- a step towards which the show Satyamev Jayate took. A cause for this disease is yet to be found. Sometimes it can be genetic. There is no proof. ‘I’m a social drinker’ is no excuse. Everybody starts as a social drinker and before you know it, your body starts craving for it. Same is this case for other drugs. You’re at a party, all your friends are doing it, and so you smoke up a joint with it. ‘One joint, what’s the big deal? Everyone is doing it.’ One joint turns to two, two to four, and gradually you are unable to keep away from it.
It doesn’t happen with everyone. Doctors haven’t been able to find out why one sibling gets hooked on to it while the other repels it. But how do you know you aren’t that person who will get hooked on to it? Everyone thinks they won’t. Even an alcoholic doesn’t realise till later that s/he can’t survive without that bottle. Is it worth the risk?
We need to remove the stigma associated with substance abuse. Stop looking down on people suffering with this disease. They are patients just like any other say, cancer patient. And if you think this isn’t a cause urgent enough for attention- think again! Drunk driving accidents, people as young as teenagers dying from overdose, liver failures, the list goes on.
To conclude, I’ll highlight the same again- It’s a disease! Recognize the same and help to treat it. Let the diseased not feel ashamed to come out and admit to his/her problem. Remove the stigma!
No comments:
Post a Comment