The use of illegal drugs or the use of prescription or over-thecounter medicines or alcohol for purposes other than those for which they are meant to be used, or in excessive amounts are termed as Drug abuse. Substance abuse may lead to social, physical, emotional, and job-related problems. On reading this definition of drug abuse, one might think of it as a simple condition that can be tackled easily. But when it comes to real life, it becomes a threat even to the person’s life, often resulting in their demise.
Usually, men are often seen to be more resorting to such drug abuse. But the hidden fact is that females too are now addicted to drugs which needs to be discussed in this present scenario. In a modern society that emphasizes more on gender equality, the prevalence of drug abuse in females can be considered as a question mark. But the need for the discussion arises from the womb of a female, which is the home of a future generation. The health of a female is not only her responsibility. The world needs to look after each female for a healthy society in the future.
A woman, having a history of drug abuse during the time of pregnancy is prone to have abnormal labor and unhealthy offspring. During the time of pregnancy, proper nutrition is essential for the development and well-being of both mother and baby. If a woman falls into the trap of drug abuse, it can hamper the whole nutritional status of the mother thus causing a detrimental effect on the baby including IntraUterine Growth Retardation (IUGR) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). There can also be malnutrition, especially of micronutrients (vitamins, omega-3, folic acid, zinc, choline, iron, copper, and selenium) which can be the seed of many diseases in the future. Another frightful condition that can arise for the baby is the Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). It includes a group of symptoms that develop when the baby is withdrawn from the drugs exposed to in utero. It includes excessive crying, sneezing, tremors, increased muscle tone, and gastrointestinal dysfunction. In severe conditions, it can even turn into a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Even after being born out of a drug-addicted mother, the child does not remain safe in that family. After birth, if the mother continues the usage of such drugs, for example; if she smokes cigarettes while she is with the baby, it can create an effect called second-hand smoking or passive smoking. It is the breathing in of other people’s smoke. The innocent newborn, who has not even learned to smile, breathes in the smoke ending up in the development of teratogenic changes in the body cells, often leading to cancer shortly. Moreover, Nicotine, the main content of tobacco, metabolizes faster in women than in men. This can further decrease the health of the mother, thus destroying her metabolism pathway making it difficult for even breastfeeding.
If the breastfeeding mother doesn’t have any intentions of stopping her drug abuse, she should be made aware that she might be slowly killing her offspring through the milk, which was supposed to be nectar to the baby. Such breast milk can destroy the immunity of the child leading to many diseases in the future. They must be educated about such threats and must be motivated to stop substance abuse. To successfully nurse their babies, women with opioid use disorders must overcome several challenges, such as psychosocial, behavioral, concurrent drug usage, and tobacco use. As a result, they may need intensive support. They frequently lack the knowledge necessary to decide how best to feed their infants. Increased breastfeeding rates are linked to hospital policies that minimize barriers to breastfeeding, rooming-in, and prenatal education.
If a child cannot be spared from such drug abuse at home, we cannot expect them to be safe in their schools too. A survey study showed that most of the girl children first tried the drugs through their friends of the same gender. Lack of proper awareness and unnecessary curiosity can lead little girls to the trench of drug abuse. The trend going on in our country is that drug dealers start giving drugs free of cost to these girls and start demanding money when they have become fully dependent on the drugs. To provide the money to buy drugs, these girls often start doing petty thefts, and even end up in sex rackets. The need for a thorough comprehension of some of the problems, such as those involving exploitation, vulnerability, stigmatization, and a lack of social support for these women, as well as increased focus on their problems with health and financial stability, information on the dangers of HIV and other STDs, assistance for women, and a heightened awareness of the needs of families, particularly those of women undergoing treatment is the need of an era.
If such children are not taken care of, they can continue their usage resulting in major physiological and psychological problems. Even small changes in the family and professional life can make them crave for drugs as a method of escape from life situations. These drugs can affect their reproductive cycles leading to infertility and early menopause. The other common diseases are Liver disease, Cardiac-related conditions, Osteoporosis, Cognitive and other neurological effects, Breast and other cancers, HIV/AIDS, and Hepatitis C.
The common symptoms seen in a drug-addicted female are persistently claiming to be ill, Depression or Anxiety, Modifications to menstrual cycles, a lack of cooperation, Changes in mood, and alterations in energy. The major physical signs include unbalanced sleep cycles, abrupt weight loss accompanied by reduced appetite, and under indulging in food. Skin tone changes, such as acne, jaundice, scars, or pale skin constricted pupils and red eyes are also the other common signs. Every individual must look out for such warning signs among your friends, colleagues and family members.
In such a situation, panicking is never a solution. Being afraid can never save the lives of an individual. Ensuring that the particular woman feels safe and not alone is the primary step toward de-addiction. Relationships are essential to a woman’s identity, serve as sources of self-worth, frame decisions, and support day-to-day living. The woman’s current relationships can be examined and healed as part of her treatment. Working with communication, stress management, assertiveness, problem-solving, and parenting skills can be useful tools for women to cultivate new relationships or rebuild existing ones. Women tend to have lower self-esteem than males, thus supportive therapies are beneficial to them. All systems of medicine offer medications that can help in bringing back the patient to a normal life. To get better results, therapeutic approaches should be founded in awareness, understanding, and trust. If their basic needs are satisfied, women may recover more quickly and remain in therapy longer. After the most basic requirements are satisfied, trust may be established and the problem of substance misuse can be the main emphasis. Women may feel more comfortable discussing topics of abuse, violence, and relationships when receiving same-sex treatment. A confident, non-authoritarian female therapist who exudes acceptance and caring may be beneficial to women.
Women being the pillars of society need to know about their self-worth and health. Every girl child should be educated well so that they prevent themselves from falling into the traps of drugs.
After all, you don’t need a substance to create a ‘kick’ in life. Life itself is an adventure. You don’t need the help of a drug to fly, you need only the wings of dreams to emerge as a phoenix.
