Treating addiction

eveline [at] mediacorp.com.sg

SINGAPORE — A hard-core heroin addict, Mr Steven Ong, 53, had been in and out of prison and the Drug Rehabilitation Centre seven times over the past 30 years. His wife, Madam Michelle Chong, 51, had to toil 14-hour days to raise three children — now aged 17, 19 and 24 — on her own.

That changed three years ago when Mr Ong sought help from the National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

NAMS, which also runs an inpatient treatment programme at IMH, has seen a gradual rise in the number of new addiction cases in the past few years. There were 1,556 new addiction cases from April 1 last year to March 31 this year, a 25 per cent increase from the same period three years ago.

Dr Christopher Cheok, vice-chairman of Medical Board (NAMS) at IMH, attributed the rise to better awareness that addiction is a treatable condition and there is help available.

Drug addiction accounted for 40 per cent of the total addiction cases seen at NAMS in the past four years. Alcohol and gambling form 30 and 25 per cent, respectively. The rest are types of behavioural addiction, including cyber and sex addiction.

“The most important thing the family can do is to acknowledge the problem and not deny it,” said Mr Suresh Anantha, head and allied health and principal counsellor at NAMS. “Instead of trying to manage it on their own, it is advisable for the family to seek help and support from mental healthcare or addictions professionals.”

It is important for family members to recognise addiction as a “chronic relapsing brain disease”, added Mr Anantha. Hence, when it comes to treating addictions, the focus is on recovery rather than a cure.

“This means that the treatment is aimed at helping the patient abstain from the addictive behaviour and prevent the next relapse. Recovery is possible if the patient is able to stay in treatment and adhere to the treatment programme,” explained Mr Anantha.

For Mr Ong, being part of NAMS’ support group helped. “A big part of recovery is about reaching out to and learning about recovery from other addicts. We help one another stay clean and I’m proud to say I’ve not used drugs for almost three years,” he said.

Mr Ong’s transformation has mended his relationship with his children. Now a changed man, he volunteers with the support group to help other recovering addicts. He has even gone back to school and hopes to get a Master in Counselling in three years’ time.