Takdir - Opick feat. Melly Goeslaw

SMOKING

Smoking : An Addictive behavior Taken For Granted.

      " I spent years telling people how great it felt to be drug-free before I realized that I couldn't last twelve hours without a cigarette." (A former smokers)

Most people are aware of the danger of addictive characteristics in heroin, alcohol or other drugs while they consider smoking as a bad habit only. Nicotine contained in tobacco is a stimulant, like cocaine or amphetamines. The scope of the problem is staggering : heroin may kill hundreds of people a year, but tobacco-related illnesses kill more than that every week.
But does nicotine addiction qualify as an addictive disease?
Can it be classified alongside drug addiction?
Let's see if it meets the criteria :

1. Compulsion.
   Smokers who've made an attempt to quit and have relapsed may experience this compulsion in such a powerful way that they find themselves consuming many more cigarettes than before.
2. Continued use.
   Most smokers begin in their late teens and continue to smoke at least ten years before they quit.
3. Medical problems.
   The negative aspects of smoking to the body such as shortness of breath, coughing, lung diseases or several kinds of cancers become more apparent as smokers age.

Drug Addiction Rehab or Treatment Center

Here are the addresses of some recovery for treatment groups at Jakarta (in Indonesian) :

• Yayasan Titihan Respati
  Jln. Hang Lekir II No. 16, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta Selatan.
  Telp. (021) 739-4762, 739-4769
• Yayasan Insan Pengasih Indonesia
  Jln. Daksa IV no. 69, Jakarta Selatan.
  Telp. (021) 720-8216
• Rumwattik Parmadi Siwi
  Jln. MT. Haryono No.11, Cawang Timur.
  Telp. (021) 809-2713.
• Wisma Adiksi
  Jln. Jati Indah No. 23, Pangkalan Jati, Pondok Labu, Jakarta Selatan.
  Telp. (021) 769-0455
• Rumah Sakit Ketergantungan Obat (RSKA)
  Kompleks RS. Fatmawati, Cilandak, Jakarta Selatan.
  Telp. (021) 765-5461, 750-4022
• Prof. Dr. dr. H. Dadang Hawari.
  Perumahan Tebet Mas Indah E-5, Jln. Tebet Barat I Jakarta Selatan.
  Telp. (021) 829-8885, 829-9857.
  

Concern the Addict for Family

1. Calmly confront the addict and ask him or her to stop using drugs and to get into treatment. In this situation, we need to convince the addict that we can understand his or her condition and therefore are willing to help. Try to have a heart-to-heart communication with the addict. Talk gently and listen emphatically in the hope that the addict will trust us to open up his or her problems. Be prepared for defenses we'll face. Here are the things to remember : 
   • Don't lose your temper. Don't arque.
   • Express positive feelings for the addict and negative feelings about the drug use.
   • Be specific with evidence.
   • Don't accept promises to "stop on my own"
   • When one person falters, another should step in.
   • Don't back out. Don't give up.
2. Learn about the disease and involve ourselves in the treatment procedure.
   The closer we are to the addict, the deeper we'll be influenced by his or her addiction. And, in turn, our response will influence the addict's recovery, either positively or negatively. So, it's extremely important to know all about the disease in order to gain ideas about how to facilitate recovery in the right ways.
   We can do this, for example, by reading books or magazines, attending seminars or workshops, consulting experts ( psychologists, psychiatrists, or counsellors).
3. Identify our ineffective behaviors.
   Our ineffective behaviors may inhibit the addict in learning to be responsible for his or her actions and also damage our relationship with the addict, as well as drive ourselves crazy in the process.
   These ineffective behaviors include:
   • Protecting the addict from potential crises associated with drug use, such as taking care of him or her physically or bailing him or her out of legal or financial problems.
   • Manipulating or controlling situation to please the addict for the purpose of making him or her forget the drugs such as by providing facilities or other support so that he or she doesn't have to shoulder the normal responsibilities of adulthood.
   • Nagging, blaming, reprimanding, or picking useless arguments about drug use.
   • Thoroughly controlling and continuously watching the addict's behaviors.
   • Punishing the addict for drug use rather than addressing the underlying issue of addiction.

Addiction Recovery

     We're going to talk about how to deal with drug addiction, either our own addiction or our loved one's.

What to Do When Addiction Occurs
For The Addict

1. Stop taking drugs (including drinking and smoking)
   The first step is to get off any kind of drugs to cleanse the brain and body of toxic chemicals, and to break the cycle of intoxication and withdrawal.
   In some cases, we may need to do this under a physician's supervision.
2. Learn about the disease caused by our addiction.
   We need to have, for example, information about characteristics and symptoms of drug addiction, kinds of abused drugs as well as the effects and the problems they bring, what to do to successfully avoid repeated drug use, what it takes to fully recover, etc. We are the only ones who have to become experts in the treatment of addiction. Who could possibly benefit more than ourselves?

Effects of Drug Addiction

Using drugs forces us to face its menacing risks and consequences. Lets we see the effects of drug addiction:

1. Risk to our personal safety.
   If we take drugs, there's a risk we could die of overdose or poisoning because many drugs are lethal, especially if they're mixed together. Crossing a road, driving a car or using any machine while on drugs can cause an accident which is harmful not only to ourselves but also to other people.
    
2. Damage to our health, both physical and psychological.
   A long-term abuse of drugs can cause significant physical and psychological problems such as brain damage, liver failure, lung disease, abnormal sleep patterns, loss of appetite, weight loss, digestive problems, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, depression, paranoia, hallucinations, or suicidal thinking. These problems also include the risk of infection or contagious diseases, such as AIDS or hepatitis, due to the use of contaminated needles.
   
3. Decreased thinking ability.
   A long-term abuse of drugs can lead to a loss of interest in activities normally pleasurable, memory deficits, and difficulties in completing intellectual tasks as well as linking information in coherent patterns.
   
4. Destructive behavior.
   Under the influence of drugs or during the experience of drug withdrawal, we may become extremely irritable and have very little impulse control. So, we can easily engage in aggresive, assaultive or bizarre behaviors.
   
5.  Legal Consequences.
   Possession of many drugs is illegal. Supplying them to others or giving drugs to a friend is against the law. Also, if we are abusing any drug, we are more likely to break the law in other ways, such as theft or vandalism. 

Understanding

      Addiction means having an excessive appetite for something. It's like the lyrics of popular love songs : "I can't live, if living is without you" ; "You're every breath I take, you're every step I make" ; "I've always been a fighter, but without you I give up" ; etc.
This excessive appetite for something may develop into a pattern that leads to an overwhelming attachment to it, subjective compulsion to continue it, and reduced ability to exert control over it.
Therefore, addiction affects us in all ways - physically, mentally. socially and spiritually. What is it that leads us to abuse drugs in spite of the tragedy that results? What causes otherwise intelligent human beings to sacrifice careers, families, lives, and those of loved ones, in the pursuit of something that comes in a bottle, a needle, a tablet, or a pipe? What should we do if we get addicted or if someone we love does?
What, why, and how...??
      Temptations To Use Drugs
      We're talking about mood altering substances. Drugs can provide us with artificial sense of self-worth, power, control, security, intimacy, and accomplishment. They can change our mood, for example, from feeling tired to feeling energetic, or, from feeling anxious to feeling more relaxed.
Under the influence of drugs, we can feel like we're flying in the sky or floating on a cloud. Psychological dependence is reached in those moments. So discontinuing the use of a drug is met with aversion.