Daily Lessons from Life 25 March 2014 - S'pore counsellor sees more professionals who are addicts

MH370 Updates - Day 17: It is almost over for the families of the passengers and crew on the missing MH370 as the 'crashed into the southern Indian Ocean' theory gained currency. If that is true, let's go get some evidence by focusing on the search in the named area by ALL the resources made available by all nations involved. If it is true, rest in peace. The answers will be found somehow.

"S'pore counsellor sees more professionals who are addicts - Tuesday, Mar 25, 2014 The New Paper

SINGAPORE - For years, he used methamphetamine and Ecstasy when he went to parties. But his dependency deepened. It got to a point where he would fly into a rage without drugs, sleep in all day and withdraw from being intimate with his wife. When most people heard about him, they assumed he was a gangster or school dropout who mixed with bad company.

But Mr Tony Tan, a Singaporean counsellor at rehabilitation centre The Cabin in Thailand, reveals that he was a successful businessman in his 20s.

"He was heading a subsidiary of his transport related family business, so there was stress at work." There was also tension in his marriage as his wife wanted to settle down with their new child, but he wanted to party," he says.

Mr Tan, who helped him, says that he is seeing more professionals such as bankers, teachers and even CEOs getting addicted to drugs.

The Cabin, which helps about 500 drug abusers each year, has seen the number of Singaporean clients going up by 40 per cent each year for the last three years.

"Many are high-functioning individuals, who are often well-educated and affluent. Money is often not an issue for them."

Mr Tan says: "People keep using because it's serving them a purpose. "For example, young adults who have just started working in competitive economies like Singapore and Malaysia may find that it relieves stress, and that would serve as a reason for why they return to it again.""

Should we be alarmed that seemingly more professionals, educated and successful people are taking drugs and becoming addicted?

Lessons for me are:

1. there are all kinds of people. Some know what they are doing while some don't. Most took it up willingly and some give an excuse for doing it while some just do it. It is their lives and their decision to make. Yes?;

2. yet, if they are living in a caring society, their miseries become the burden of the society. A caring society will try to find out why they did what they had done? A caring society will try to help the addicts to kick the habit and turnover a new life. Of course, some members of the society will ask questions like: help to what extent? what if the addicts are not responding or not able to respond or do not want to respond?;

3. in most cases, some of them featuring pretty prominent members of society in the West and the East, died from drug overdose. Easy to pick many from the glamorous and glittering entertainment circle like: Singer Amy Winehouse or actor Hoffman, etc. Most know what the end game will be when they are on drug. Yet, many could not find a way out. Some tried, succeeded and back-slided. Some never did make any efforts. For me, if they are aware and happy, fine with me. It is their lives. As long as whatever they do don't affect others in a negative manner. Possible? Maybe. The more likely outcomes are: people will follow them or people will lament their passing in their prime! Those who love them and had tried to help them may live with guilt and sorrow. So many possibilities.

In the end, the one who takes drug must take sole responsibility after help has been given. No one else should be blamed or be feeling guilty.

Can addicts help themselves? Definitely. Do they want to be helped? Definitely even though some may not want to admit it as who wants to die young?!

Your life. Your choice. Stress can be a factor if you want it to be an excuse. Take care. Beware.