HOW DID I GET TO THIS POINT?
How did I get to this point? Indeed, life is like a slippery road. I was busy enjoying the high that I got from using cat but now I have fallen into a deep and sticky pit that I can’t get myself out of no matter how much I try. Lorato has tried her best to advise me to stop using before things get out of hand but I didn’t listen to her. Look at me now. My life is messed up. Cat has got me hooked and it has dragged every aspect of my life down the drain. By now, I should probably be finishing my studies in at university, but no, I dropped out because cat was more of a priority to me that school.
Right now, I spend all my days at the drug house using cat, I even sell my body to men at the drug house so that they can buy cat for me. My family wants nothing to do with me. Truly speaking, I don’t blame them because I have burned all the bridges and broken their trust. My parents did everything to raise me well and to provide for all my needs. Unfortunately, the ‘meow’ was of more importance to me than anything or anyone else.
I am glad that Lorato was really stern in her decision to quit Cat. Word on the streets is that she passed her degree, is working for a good company and is about to get married. Good for her. I never thought that the decision to go to a party at the end of my Form 3 would completely destroy my life. The funny thing is that it didn’t happen overnight. I started out as a curious teenager who was trying out new things in order to fit in with my friends. Honestly, I thought I had it all under control but clearly I was fooling myself. I didn’t realise that I was slowly but surely becoming dependent on the drug over the years. Before cat, I was so naïve and innocent. I was a girl who respected her parents, did my chores at home and passed my studies very well. Then I got the scratch from the ‘white cat’ and my life has never been the same.
Today, as I lay here in this dark cold room, with no one but my thoughts, I am filled with so much pain and regret. There is this one question that torments me and makes me watch nights go by, ‘Why did I decide to try out cat?”
Addiction/dependency
The last stage of substance abuse is called addiction/ dependency. At this stage, the user compulsively seeks and uses the substance despite the harmful consequences that they are experiencing in their lives. The user will experience problems such as conflicts in his or her relationships, financial problems, legal challenges and health issues, etc. In addiction, there is recurrent substance use resulting in a failure to fulfill major role obligations at work, school, or home (e.g., repeated absences or poor work performance related to substance use; substance-related absences, suspensions, or expulsions from school; neglect of children or household). In most cases, the user will be aware that his or her life is being destroyed by the substance use yet will be struggling to quit. This is because now the body is dependent on the substance. At this stage, the user will experience withdrawal symptoms depending on the type of substance that he or she is using.
The user who is dependent on a substance spends most of his of her time seeking the substance, using the substance and recovering from the effects of the substance. The substance will have priority in one’s life more than anything else. Most people in this stage lose interest engaging in activities that they used to love such as playing football, going out to the movies with friends and other hobbies. The user will prefer to spend most of his/her time using the substance with other users or using it alone.
In the stage of addiction, there is a persistent desire or unsuccessful efforts to cut down or control substance use. Additionally, one reaches tolerance and this can be defined by either of the following:
(a) A need for markedly increased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect, or
(b) Markedly diminished effect with continued use of the same amount of the substance.
In this stage one will have intense cravings for the substance.
BOSASNET offers counselling services to people experiencing problems with substance use, depression, anxiety, stress, anger management and adjustment issues. If you think that you might have a problem regarding gender based violence or if you have a friend or family member who does, we encourage you to seek help. For some, it can mean the difference between life and death. You can find BOSASNET on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tiktok or call us on 3959119 or 72659891 for more information.