CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — Persons who use drugs (PWUDs) could go back to drug use even during recovery periods when craving is not controlled, according to the Department of Health (DOH); however, family support could deter these tendencies.
Ma. Dolores Mercado of the Department of Health Center for Health Development (DOH CHD) Northern Mindanao stated in Talakayan sa PIA: Konsultayo Series that the families of these PWUDs undergoing rehabilitation must provide them with support.
“Factors pinaka-common ana is family support; na feel nila nga wa na sad sila’y suporta, sila nalang isa, so, posible nga mao pud na ang makapabalik sa ila,” Mercado said.
(The most common factor is family support; they feel that they have no support, they are the only one, so it is possible that this is what will bring them back.)
The Community-Based Drug Rehab Program (CBDRP) is an evidence-based practice and has been proven in science to be very effective among PWUDs, but not all will go for the CBDRP.
The DOH must screen the individual before sending them to a facility or rehab program to determine whether they require a low, moderate, or high risk level of intervention.
According to Mercado, for DOH, drug addiction is a disease, not a crime; that is why they monitor drug-cleared persons through random drug testing after the program. While not all PWUDs are addicts, the CBDRP enrolls low- to moderate-risk individuals, while the DOH enrolls high-risk individuals in its six-month in-house drug rehabilitation facility.
“Sa addiction, kutob ra gyud ta sa recovery, wala ta’y cure, makaundang sila pero kailangan gyud na’y suporta, nga forever na gyud sila muundang, once makakita sila, makit-an nila ilang amigo, nga naggamit, mutaas ang possibility nga makagamit sila, pero kung naa sila’y maayo nga support system,” Mercado explained.
(In addiction, we are only in recovery; we don’t have a cure. They can stop, but they really need support; they will stop forever. Once they see, they will see their friend, who is using; the possibility will increase. They can use, but only if they have a good support system.)
Rehabilitation is not perfect, though, Mercado shared, as there are really PWUDs who will revert back to drug use after rehabilitation. “Kay ang rehabilitation dependent ra gyud sa tao. Kay kung dili gyud siya magbag-o, dili gyud siya muusab (Because rehabilitation really depends on the person. Because if he doesn’t change, he won’t change either),” she said.
