Aghaz-e-Nau

The Lost Soul is a true story of one of my clients, written by me and being published with her consent. I believe her case history will be an eye opener for many of us. I am 30 years old and my story is really sad and tragic. This is what I feel but others might not feel this way because everyone has a different perspective of life. I think life is pleasurable and one should enjoy life. If I look back starting from early childhood till today I can't recall a single day of pleasure or joy in my life. I wanted to enjoy life: my childhood, my education, my career, my marriage and my children but I couldn't. I was a little kid when I lost myself and till today I am in search of myself. I don’t think I can find myself now because I have been diagnosed with drug abuse psychosis: a condition, which is known to be as "bipolar". I think others can learn a lot from my experience and it might help them from getting lost. I was the only child of my parents. My father was not doi...

Bright Stars In my previous post I mentioned that young students start using drugs because of anxiety. At the same time we see females using psychotropic drugs too. Aghaz-e-Nau carried out a pilot project to establish treatment and rehabilitation services for females and it was indicated that 41% females were using drugs because of stress, tension and anxiety. Today I will give a few suggestions to cope with anxiety. Before I start let me tell you that anxiety has genetic reasons at the same time environmental factors play a great role to learn to experience anxiety in certain situations. Mostly, we learn to be fearful or anxious in early childhood. Parents, Teachers and Other Significant people pay an important role by: Keeping high expectations from their children as a result children learn to become perfectionists . physical, verbal or sexual abuse is also one of the causes of anxiety, any other traumatic experience, children learn to feel shy and don't discuss with others. In ...

Bright Stars Some students start using drugs when they experience anxiety. They need to understand that anxiety is a normal and natural physiological response to a threatening situation. The situation could be actual or perceived. In either case it triggers the Fight or Flight response. The Fight or Flight Response is your body's automatic, inborn response that protects your survival. It prepares the body to "fight" or "flee" from any real or perceived threat to your survival. When the fight or flight response occurs, it stimulates an area of your brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus prepares your body for fighting or running. It does this by flooding your brain with chemicals such as adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol. This process creates physical reactions. If you lead a very stressful life, your sympathetic nervous system may be sending you “false alarms” much of the time. For example, your fight or flight response may be activated when your t...

Bright Stars Studies such as the National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration indicate that some children are already abusing drugs at age 12 or 13, which likely means that some begin even earlier. Early abuse often includes such substances as tobacco, alcohol, inhalants, marijuana, and prescription drugs such as sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medicines. If drug abuse persists into later adolescence, abusers typically become more heavily involved with marijuana and then advance to other drugs, while continuing their abuse of tobacco and alcohol. Studies have also shown that abuse of drugs in late childhood and early adolescence is associated with greater drug involvement. It is important to note that most youth, however, do not progress to abusing other drugs. Scientists have proposed various explanations of why some individuals become involved with drugs and then escalate to abuse. One explanation points to a biolog...

Bright Stars Research has shown that the key risk periods for drug abuse are during major transitions in children’s lives. The first big transition for children is when they leave the security of the family and enter school. Later, when they advance from elementary school to middle school, they often experience new academic and social situations, such as learning to get along with a wider group of peers. It is at this stage—early adolescence—that children are likely to encounter drugs for the first time. When they enter high school, adolescents face additional social, emotional, and educational challenges. At the same time, they may be exposed to greater availability of drugs, drug abusers, and social activities involving drugs. These challenges can increase the risk that they will abuse alcohol, tobacco, and other substances.When young adults leave home for college or work and are on their own for the first time, their risk for drug and alcohol abuse is very high. Consequently, young...

Cannabis compounds are found in marijuana and hashish. Signs and symptoms of use and dependence on these drugs include: A heightened sense of visual, auditory and taste perception; Poor memory; Increased blood pressure and heart rate; Red eyes; Decreased coordination; Difficulty concentrating; Increased appetite; Slowed reaction time; Paranoid thinking; Sexual problems and infertility and Drug induced psychosis.