Bethlehem Recovery Centre RSA

01/01/2016

Overview of the Drug Abuse Problem in South Africa

by Karen Thomson on August 14, 2013 in Addiction, drugs
teen-drug-abuseDrug abuse in South Africa is fast becoming a big problem. According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group, illegal drug consumption in South Africa is double the world norm. This has led to an increase in crime rates especially among poor unemployed South Africans. Figures published by the South African Police Service show that drug abuse accounts for 60% of all crimes. To make matters worse, the Central Drug Authority’s (CDA) Dr. David Bayever reckons that up to 15% of South Africans abuse drugs. Read on to learn more about substance abuse rate in South Africa.

Factors that Contribute to Drug Abuse

A study carried out by researchers from the Free State University, University of Natal, University of the North, and Institute for Special Populations Research found that South Africa has the dubious distinction of having the largest illegal drug market in sub-Saharan Africa. Factors that have contributed to rising levels of drug abuse include widespread and severe poverty levels, rapid modernization and decline of traditional and social relationships, as well as porous borders. Expanding trade links with other parts of the world such as Asia, Europe, and the Americas have also made South Africa attractive to drug traffickers.

Widely Used Drugs in South Africa

A nationwide survey carried out by Shisana et al. found that 2.3% of the urban population use cannabis. In rural areas, the rate stands at one %. In addition, figures from the Youth Risk and Behavior Survey (YRBS) show that nine percent of school-age children use cannabis. South Africans addicted to cannabis account for 19.9 % of all patients undergoing treatment at drug rehabilitation centers. Co***ne is another widely used drug with substance abuse rate in South Africa figures from the CDA showing that its use increased by 20 % between 2006 and 2008. As a result, the number of people seeking treatment for co***ne addiction increased from 1.5 % in 1996 to 17.5 % in 2008. Other widely used drugs include he**in, amphetamines, hallucinogens, methamphetamines, and sedatives.

Drug Abuse among Teenagers

According to the Central Drug Authority, the substance abuse rate in south Africa among teenagers is spiraling out of control. In fact, one in two schoolchildren have already experimented with drugs. In most cases, children start dabbling in drugs at age twelve, according to the CDA. A study published in the Lancet Medical Journal found that more than 60 % of teenagers aged 18 years regularly drink alcohol. This is worrying considering 30% of teenagers drink alcohol when they should be in school. The problem with drinking alcohol during one’s teenage years is it increases the likelihood of developing alcohol dependency later in life. Cannabis abuse among teenagers ranges anywhere from two to nine %. Additionally, figures from the YRBS show that the number of teens who abuse prescription drugs stands at 16 % while a further 0.2 to 11.1% abuse inhalants.

There is no doubt substance abuse rate in South Africa is rising every year. Some of the widely available and abused drugs include he**in, ma*****na, methamphetamines, and co***ne. Another increasingly popular drug is “Nyaope” — a mixture of ma*****na and he**in.

01/01/2016

http://www.health24.com/Medical/Addiction/About-addiction/15-of-South-Africans-have-a-drug-problem-20150625

The 26th of June marks National Substance Abuse Awareness Day and this year SADAG hopes to create awareness of their drug abuse hotline available to help the estimated 15% of South Africans using drugs.

13/12/2015

Shopping/Spending Addiction – Shopaholic

Do you think you might be addicted to shopping or spending? While some people joke about “retail therapy,” a SHOPPING ADDICTION IS SERIOUS BUSINESS. Take this quiz to find out if you are a shopaholic.

When you have money, do you feel you must spend some (or all) of it?
Do you shop in order to relax or relieve stress or anxiety?
Do you sometimes feel bad or guilty after shopping?
Do you hide some of your purchases out of embarrassment?
Do you often feel an inexplicable urge to buy something?
When you enter a mall or store, you do feel the need to make an instant purchase?
Do you sometimes buy products you don’t need?
Do you spend more than you can afford?
Do you buy things you had no intention of buying?
Are there unopened packages sitting in your closet?
Do you often buy on impulse?
When you feel down, do you go shopping in order to feel better?
Do your days typically revolve around shopping and buying things (or thinking about shopping and buying things)?
Do people joke that you’re a shopaholic?
Do you suffer anxiety when your bills are due to arrive?
Do you own clothes you’ve never worn, gadgets or appliances you’ve never used, or books and magazines you’ve never read?
Do you ever lie to others about how much money you spend or on what?
Do you ever buy things you already own?
Do you feel excited when making a purchase but guilty afterward?
Have you ever considered stealing (or actually stolen) money in order to be able to go shopping?
Do you think your shopping or spending habits might be problematic?
Do your shopping or spending habits create financial difficulties for you or your family?
Do you and your partner argue about your budget or purchases?
Do you use shopping to reward yourself?
Do you feel a surge of energy when making a purchase?
Do you find it difficult to browse without making an actual purchase?
Do you have credit cards no one else knows about?
Do you feel that you are entitled to buy whatever you want?
Does shopping interfere with school, work, or family?
Do you have difficulty staying within your budget when spending?
Do you make excuses for your purchases (e.g. “It was such a bargain”)?
Are your spending habits hurting someone else (e.g. using a child’s college fund)?
Do you shop more often or spend more money on purchases now than you did in the past?
Have you ever promised yourself that this was your last splurge, but soon after went shopping again?
Have your spending habits given you a bad reputation or ruined people’s opinion of you?
If you are prevented from buying something you want, do you feel angry or frustrated?
Have your shopping habits ever caused problems sleeping or eating?
When your bills come, are you often surprised at how much you’ve spent or on what?
Have you ever contemplated su***de because of your spending habits?
Have you maintained your spending patterns even after faced with divorce or bankruptcy?

If you answered yes to 5 or more questions, you may be addicted to shopping or spending

13/12/2015

Internet Addiction Quiz

Everyone uses the computer! How do I know if I’m online too often? Take this quiz and find out.

Do you turn your computer on first thing in the morning?
Do you check your email before doing some other task that needs d**g?
Do you feel a need to set limits on how long you will be online?
Do you often stay online “just another minute”?
Is shutting your computer the last thing you do every night?
Do you use the internet to form relationships?
When your internet connection is broken, do you feel an urgent need to get it back?
Are you preoccupied with being online during other activities?
Do you hide the amount of time you spend on line from others?
Do you neglect responsibilities because of the time you spend online?
Do you prefer online relationships to those in real life?
Do you get annoyed when someone interrupts you while on the computer?
When you walk away from the computer, do you try to figure out when is the next time you’ll be able to return?
Do you ever stay late at work so that you have more time to be online?
Do you think about online activities in order to calm down?
Do you sleep less than you need to because you are on the computer?
Have you tried to cut down your internet use and failed?
Does life without internet sound scary, bland, or joyless?
Do the people around you complain about how much time you spend online?
Do you get defensive when someone asks you what you’ve been doing online?
Does your job or schoolwork suffer because of the time you spend online?
Is being on the computer more exciting than being with people?
When you’re offline, do you have bad feelings (sadness, moodiness, depression, fatigue) that go away once you’re back online?
Is it easier to reach you through email or chat than by phone?
Have you ever lied about your computer or internet use?

If you answered yes to two or more questions, you may have or may be developing an internet addiction

13/12/2015

S*x and Love Addiction — Romantic Intrigue Quiz

While some people are clearly addicted to s*xual acts, others are addicted to love, relationships, romance, passion, seduction, or flirting. Take this quiz to find out if you have a s*x and love addiction, or addicted to romantic intrigue.

Do you feel empty when you are alone?
Do you feel alive only when you are with someone else?
Have you ever wished you could me more emotionally independent?
Do you feel like your life is out of control because of your relationship needs?
Are there goals you aren’t meeting because you are overly focused on another person?
Do you obsess about being with another person, even if you know the experience will be uncomfortable or harm you in some way?
Do you frequently “hit it off” instantly with another person and develop a sudden intense crush or relationship?
Do you find yourself in one difficult relationship after another?
Have you ever been in a relationship that you thought you should leave but couldn’t?
Does spending time and energy on relationships provide an escape from other problems?
Do you feel desperate or uncomfortable when away from your lover, partner, or best friend?
Does romance, fantasizing, being in love, or romantic intrigue give you a high followed by a crash?
When one relationship ends, do you begin another one immediately?
Does life seem to get worse and worse no matter what you do?
Do you flirt without meaning to?
Do you try to control a relationship, deciding how often you see someone or have s*x?
Do you grant s*xual favors so that someone will like you or love your more?
Do you set limits on your romantic or s*xual behavior that you cannot stick to?
Do you feel that you are valued mainly because of what you provide the other person in the relationship?
Do you keep a written or mental list of the partners you’ve had?
Do you have difficulty concentrating on other tasks because your head is filled with another person?
Do you need to be in love in order to feel truly masculine or feminine?
Do you feel that most of your problems stem from being with the wrong person?
Do you believe that the right person, relationship, or s*xual encounter can fix your life or make everything okay?
Do you hide your true feelings about (or activities with) another person from others?
Have you had s*x with someone you didn’t really want to have s*x with?
Have you had s*x at a time or in a place where you did not want to?
Does your need for a lover make you wonder if you’re crazy?
Has your romantic or s*xual behavior threatened or ruined another important relationship or job?
Are you uncomfortable with how often you ma******te, where or how you do it, or the fantasies you engage in?
Do you invest more and more time in finding variety in your s*xual or romantic activities in order to find the same level of satisfaction?

If you identify with three or more questions, you may be a s*x and love addict, or addicted to relationships or romantic intrigue

13/12/2015

Compulsive Overeating – Food Addiction Quiz

You can’t just not eat. But do you use food to live? Or do you live in order to use food? Take this test to find out if you have an unhealthy relationship with food.

Do you eat when you are very happy, very upset, or experience any other strong emotion?
Do you feel guilty or embarrassed about the way you eat?
Do you eat even when you’re not hungry?
Do you fantasize about being thin?
Do you deprive yourself of food to feel good, in control, or to punish yourself?
Do you keep eating even after you’re full or even after you feel sick?
Do you sometimes binge?
Do you always need to have something in your mouth, like gum, candy, or a drink?
Do you eat differently in front of other people than you do alone?
Does the way you eat affect your lifestyle or health?
Do you vomit, overexercise, or use laxatives to control your weight?
Do you feel powerful when you restrict your food or caloric intake?
Are the people I am close to worried about my health because of my weight or eating patterns?
Do you sometimes eat food that is raw, frozen, burned, or spoiled?
Do you finish what’s on other people’s plates so it shouldn’t go to waste?
Do certain foods make you lose control over how much you eat?
Has your weight yo-yoed several times?
Do you spend a lot of time debating what or how much to eat?
If you answered yes to any one of these questions, you may be addicted to food. If you answered yes to two or more questions, it is very likely that you are a food addict.

Everyone needs to eat in order to live. Unlike drugs or alcohol, complete abstinence is not an option.

13/12/2015

Gambling Addiction — Compulsive Gambling Quiz
Are you a COMPULSIVE GAMBLER? Take this quiz to find out.

Do you sometimes spend more money or time than you plan to on gambling?
Do you think about gambling often, even when far away from potential gambling situations?
Have you tried unsuccessfully to stop gambling?
Do you need to wager increasing amounts of money in order to feel good, satisfied, or calm?
Do you often gamble until you run out of money?
Do you ever gamble to relieve stress, frustration, worry, or other negative feelings?
Do you want to celebrate good news or positive feelings by gambling?
Have other people had to bail you out of debts due to gambling?
Has gambling affected your family, schooling, or job?
Have you ever borrowed or stolen in order to finance gambling?
Have you ever sold an item in order to have money for gambling?
Have you ever lied to conceal how often you gamble or how much money you spend?
When you lose money gambling, do you think the solution is to gamble more and gain back your losses?
When you win money gambling, do you crave another chance to win even more?
Do you ever feel bad or guilty after gambling?
Do you ever do without basic necessities in order to finance your gambling?
Do you lose sleep because of gambling?
Have you ever thought about su***de because of complications due to gambling?

If you answered yes to 3 or more questions, you probably have a gambling problem.

13/12/2015

Drug Addiction — Substance Abuse Quiz
When does DRUG USE become DRUG ABUSE? Take this quiz and find out where you stand.

Do you think about using drugs a lot?
Do you use drugs more than once a week?
Do you use drugs either to wake up in the morning or fall asleep at night?
Have you ever used one drug to counteract the effects of another drug?
Do you ever use two or more drugs at the same time?
Have you ever used prescription drugs for reasons they were not prescribed for?
Have you ever stolen drugs or stolen money to buy drugs?
Have you ever used a drug without knowing what it was supposed to do?
Does your family complain about your drug use?
Has your s*xual relationship been affected by drugs?
Have you lost (or almost lost) friends or a job because of drug use?
Do you stay away from places, or people, that disapprove of your drug use?
Have you ever switched drugs, thinking that the problem was the particular drug you were using?
Do you ever feel guilty, embarrassed, or defensive about using drugs?
Would you like to stop using drugs, but haven’t yet figured out how?
Have you ever had legal problems related to your drug use?
Do you get blackouts or flashbacks?
Do you feel sick when you stop taking drugs?
Does your drug use interfere with eating or sleeping?
Have you ever lied about your drug use – to your family, employer, or doctor?
Does buying drugs take precedence over basic needs (food, childcare)?
Do you ever feel like you’ve gone crazy?
Have you ever used drugs to relieve stress, pressure, or emotional pain?
Have you ever taken an overdose of a drug?
Do you keep using, even though you suffer from the consequences of your drug use?
Do you panic when you think you may have run out of your drug?
Do you think life would be unbearable without drugs?

If you answered yes to two or more questions, you may have a drug problem.

13/12/2015

Alcoholism – Alcohol Addiction Quiz

Do you have an alcohol problem? Find out now. Answer these questions honestly. No one will see your answers but you!

Have you ever thought your life would be better if you quit drinking?
Have you ever decided to control your drinking or quit, but your resolve only lasted for a short time?
Do people comment about your drinking?
Have you ever tried switching brands or types of drink to keep getting drunk?
Are you jealous of others who can drink without getting into trouble?
Does your drinking cause trouble at home or work or with driving?
Do you tell yourself you can stop drinking whenever you want?
Do you black out, with periods when you can’t remember things
Do you drink when you are stressed out, anxious, sad, or after an argument with someone?
Do you drink in a way that others won’t know about it?
Can you handle more alcohol now than in the past?
Does it make you uncomfortable when you know that alcohol is not available?
Do feel shaky in the morning and reach for that first drink earlier than you used to?
Do you sometime feel guilty about your drinking?
Does anyone in your family have an addiction of any kind?

If you answered yes one time, you may have a drinking problem. If you answered yes two or more times, it’s almost certain that alcohol has become a real problem in your life

23/11/2015

An exciting new excuse for dancing on tables.

02/11/2015

Make it count...

01/11/2015

Addiction is a Medical and Psycho-Social disease

I survived breast cancer, but my son died at the age of 26 because those struggling with addiction do not receive the care they need