As it is Youth Day/Month June 16th, we thought it apt to discuss this topic. The youth are the pillars of social, economic and political developments. In addition to their intellectual contribution and the ability to mobilize support, our youth bring unique perspectives to our lives and society. As a society we should value the imagination, ideals and energies of young men and women, which are also the future stakeholders of our society. We will Explore some of the basic problems faced by today’s youth, in our evolving modern world.
Single Parent Households
When kids see their parents living under different roofs, their adolescent mind suffers. The last two decades, we have seen an increase in single parent homes. It is really tough to look after a child in divided home. The situation is far more difficult when kids are raised single-handedly. Even if the parent / s are participatory ans involved it has been seen that the children are often deprived of parental guidance, which may result in an unwanted number of problems, such as alcohol/drug abuse, school dropout, and teenage pregnancies. Often these children do not have a childhood as they are burdened with adult responsibilities.
Substance Abuse
“A cigarette in my hand…I felt like a man.” Yes…..the famous anti-smoking campaign by Gary Lawyer did manage to scare smoking to some extent. Leave aside the society, cigarette smoking is not even justified in the world of cinema now. Smoking was cool, back then. But nowadays, the awareness to the danger of smoking has increased substantially. Unfortunately it is not the same in case of drinking and using drugs. They are still assumed as cool stuff. Youngsters literally hang around booze. Apart from damaging their own health, they also risk the society. Under the influence of alcohol, these brats will rash drive and do several other anti-social activities.
It’s extremely important for people with addictions to seek help and if you know someone who can’t make the leap themselves, it’s important for you to then be supportive and encourage them to do so.
We will be discussing more challenges over the coming weeks during the month of June, so watch out for our posts.
What Substance Abuse Treatments are Available?
- The National Department of Social Development in partnership with the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) has run the 24-hour Substance Abuse Helpline for over 10 years: Call 0800 12 13 14. If you are unable to call you can also SMS 32312 and a counsellor will call you back.
- SADAG has also created an online “Contact a Counsellor” button.
- Along with the SADAG Facebook page, there are also other online communities you can get in contact with for help or simply to learn more about substance abuse and how you can help someone with an addiction problem. The Ke Moja Substance Abuse Facebook page is another great online platform.
- For those with alcoholism, outpatient programmes are offered by organisations like the South African National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependences (SANCA), Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).
Besides outside assistance, Balanced Healing can Provide the Following:
Acudetox – for management of stress & anxiety, addiction, ADDHD
Bach Flower Remedies – for emotional balancing
Supplements for the management of stress and mild to moderate depression as well as assisting with the focus and clarity of mind especially for the wandering mind and high stress times around exams…
