Common Characteristics of Addicts in Addiction Recovery

DAIRRC rehabilitation program for treatment of Drug Addicts, Alcoholics, Depression and Behavioural Disorders was established and registered in 1983.

It’s one of the Oldest and Best rehabilitation centres not only in Mumbai but all over India.

Over a period of 38 years in the field of treating addicts, we have seen common denominators from data relating to more than 2000 patients.

1. Over 81 percent of drug addicts begin their entry into the world of drugs between the ages of 16 and 21 years.
2. Most of them start their experimentation with ‘softer’ drugs or wine/ beer, and then graduate to ‘harder’ drugs like heroin, cocaine, crack, crystal meth, L.S.D, hard liquor etc
3. Most of the addicts are introduced to the world of drugs by their friends.
4. Only a meagre number of drug addicts approach a rehabilitation centre for treatment during the first 3 years of using/ drinking.
5. Over 70 percent of alcoholics who have approached for alcohol treatment at our rehabilitation centre, have done so between the ages of 35 and 55 years.
6. Over 75 percent of drug addicts have the absence of a father figure at home.
   The absence of the father is due to the following reasons:
   • fathers have passed away
   • the addict is from a broken/divorced family and staying with their mothers
   • mother is the dominant person in the family.
   • father has a job that necessitates him to go out of town often
7. Of the drug addicts that are in addiction recovery at our rehabilitation centre in Mumbai:
   • over 90 percent have difficulty in self expression
   • over 75 percent have a low boredom threshold
   • over 95 percent are unable to cope with stress

So it seems that most drug addicts have a low boredom threshold, a low stress threshold and have difficulty in self expression.

These common characteristics amongst the addictive personalities, suggests that treatment centres should focus on these issues. There are several mental exercises and tools to help drug addicts in their addiction recovery. CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy aids in recovery of drug addicts, alcoholics and depressives.

Because these people have difficulty in self expression they get very stressed and are very often misunderstood.
Treatment centres have to help drug addicts and alcoholics to deal with stress and boredom.

Boredom may be defined as a negative emotion that surfaces when every means to distract a person from his/her self has failed. This means that addicts have low self esteem and find it difficult to be comfortable with themselves.

It is definitely possible for anyone to give up addiction and addictive patterns for good. Drug addicts and alcoholics can stop on their own. Most of them have stopped many times. They need a drug treatment centre to stay stopped.

A good treatment centre for addiction recovery comprises of detoxification and rehabilitation.
Drug addicts and alcoholics are coupled physically and mentally with their substances. Detoxification only takes care of the physical decoupling.
Rehabilitation is a must for mentally decoupling the addict from his substance of addiction and aim to help them be off substances and negative patterns for life.