Addiction is a complex and multifaceted reality – President

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca told the Psychological Students’ Association (Betapsi) yesterday that addiction is a complex and multifaceted reality faced by many individuals during their journey through life.

She was addressing Betapsi’s annual 360° Conference.

“Addiction does not always manifest itself in obvious ways. Addiction manifests itself in different ways that are sometimes difficult to discern.”

“Today’s conference is another opportunity to share your expertise, and to foster new partnerships that strengthen your mission, to achieve the objectives of inclusion, of participation, and of social justice. For this reason, I am pleased to note that you have selected ‘Addiction’ as the topic of your conference today.”

Addiction affects people differently, and affects people’s lives very differently too, she said.

“My most recent experience working with people with addictions was earlier this week on a visit to the Caritas shelters at San Blas. Dozens of people shared their stories with me, talking about their experiences and aspirations. The first concern of many women I met was the wellbeing of their children; men and women talked about the stress of being disowned by their families, and they all talked about their hope for a better life.

“My experience also showed me how difficult it is for people living with addiction to take that essential step to reach out for help, and to make a practical and proactive change. Addiction, simply put, is anything and everything that shifts our focus away from the path of wellbeing, with far-reaching implications for our loved ones, our communities, and society.

“Addiction means that we have been dangerously trapped by things which damage our lives. This may happen as a result of our own actions or, from my experience working with people, as a result of oppressive life circumstances and inequalities that unfortunately operate in their status quo.”

The President said that very often, talks held on addiction centred on what it means to be an addict. “Very often too, we discuss the ways that addiction controls a person’s mind, and the ways that addicts self-med- icate, with drugs or alcohol, to dull their pain. Many a time, popular discourse centres on attempts to shift the blame of addiction onto the addict. Too many people describe addicts as lazy or lacking in willpower, and of being selfish for inflicting their addictions on the rest of society.”

The discussion that centres on addicts and their culpability is similar to the dangerous words sometimes used with regard to the poor, and the causes of poverty, she said.

“Unfortunately, society can be judgemental and unfair. There is a prevailing danger, in contemporary society, to push the addict, the poor, and the vulnerable to the edge of our communities, and outside our circles of care.

“Injustices which are built into our status quo, further contribute to a pervasive culture of inequality. While some people are able to change their circumstances, many are not. We should not take it for granted that this means they did not try hard enough or that they have weak characters.

“To me, it means that they faced great obstacles, and some of them were unable to overcome those obstacles.”

According to the latest data from the European Union Drug Report, Malta still has one of the highest indicators for high-risk opiates, mainly heroin, in the European Union, she explained

“Furthermore, important indicators gathered by the Centre for Freedom from Addictions, within the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society, show that we must, as a country, do more to address the risks of ‘drug driving’ in Malta. This means that more people are using drugs, or combining drugs and alcohol, when driving.

“Other addictions, which need close monitoring as stated by the latest edition of ESPAD in 2016, are internet use, gaming and gambling.”

This report states, “With the internet now an integral part of daily life, ‘the development of patterns of addictive use among children and adolescents needs to be closely monitored and investigated’. Malta’s situation in this regard, as recorded by ESPAD, states that, on average, boys spend 5.9 days on the internet weekly, while girls spend 6.3 days on the internet.”

The President told Betapsi: “We need to secure the active participation of all stakeholders, including national authorities, communities, and civil society, to continue creating the relevant changes to update our legislation and our policies, and their implementation.

“I appeal to you, as students and professionals in the sector, that society benefits if we tackle the problems of addiction in a sensitive way and ensure a continuous process of synergy. Working in synergy, will not only improve the quality of life of affected individuals struggling with addiction, but will also provide more holistic support to address the negative impacts of addiction on families and communities.”