Sunday, October 12, 2008

What is Addiction ?

Addiction as the word normally implies is, to get used to something to such an extent that life cannot be conducted without it. It is an old and wise understanding that we should do everything, eat and drink everything but never get addicted to anything. This is because addiction leads to dissatisfaction, frustration and ultimate destruction. No matter what we get addicted to, it is bound to lead to a sense of annihilation at some stage or the other.
In the context o today’s scenario in India, we use the word addiction mostly to, addiction of drugs. Standing at rooftops, speaking from public platforms, we all decry addiction but, has anyone of us cared to analyse the cause of this addiction. This addiction of today, commonly to drugs, is not just fun for the young, there is a deep seated cause of this epidemic. This deep seated cause is in the violent change of styles, of family life, of society and of demands and ambitions of parents. All these together make life hell for the younger generation and they take recourse to drugs for solace and peace of mind.
Let us objectively and rationally study the causes of drug addiction. First cause I can attirubte to this, is the home. The father and mother are always busy in earning money, no elders are at home. The child and the home both flourish on the work of servants, ayahs and crèches. Now, when the child small or big comes home from school, what does he see, a pet dog, a servant or a cook. This is the first cause of frustration, whom is he going to tell his experiences, in school, his woes and enjoyments? Parents often compare their children with their peers. Peer pressure adds to the child’s frustration. I feel, it is the parents whose unfulfilled ambitions come to play a prominent role here. However, they don’t ever seem to realize that this criticism of the child will not make the child but mar his desire to study.
Next in line of culprits comes the Society who only keep comparing children – they seem to forget that “comparisons are odious”. These comparisons make the children hate each other.
It appears here that parents and society seem to forget that all children cannot achieve same targets, all have their individual limitations. Friends and elders what would you do if some day your child turns up to you and compares you to other parents whom he feels are better than you? Would not it cause frustration in your mature minds? Then what do you expect to achieve by comparing children and being over ambitious.
Because of circumstances at home and immediate social circle children become prone to substance abuse. When they are lured by their seniors, whom they see as their ideals, they become entrapped. This section of society is the greates contributor towards increase of drug addiction in India. If the drugs would not be easily available at sweets shops, in front of schools and colleges, from where would the children get them? We elders help them to get drugs and addicted to drugs, and then shout about it.
When this addiction crosses a certain level, the addicts cannot do without them and the next step is to steal from home, money to buy the drugs. So, till now they were only drug addicts, at a later stage, they get an added qualification of becoming thieves in their very homes.
When the child has reached this stage of addiction that, there is no going back, the parents cry and brood but, what is the use of crying over spilt milk? I squarely blame the home, society and this world of elders for getting our younger generation addicted to drugs.
Every generation has been young then why this special frustration in the present generation only? This is because, I daresay the elders of this younger generation have become more callous than any elders ever before. With their continuous lust for money, the world of adults doesn’t seem to see and understand where they are leading the younger generation. To improve the lives of the young, I daresay the elders must mend their ways, for, if life continues to move at this pace it will not be long that we will have to sit and bemoan the loss of a younger generation i.e. the future of the country.

No comments: