The story of substance abuse leading to addiction lies not in the substance but in the individual- especially how one perceived one’s childhood experiences, translated them to one’s reality and perpetrated self -harm to escape from that trauma.
Children are like sponges – they absorb not from what you say but what they see and experience around them.
Any habit or experience when repeated umpteen times develops its own pathway in the brain for that experience or activity. This is the brain’s innate ability to respond to experiences.
During childhood, as the brain begins growing and maturing, it creates, strengthens, and occasionally discards neural connections, which compose a network between neurons that develop the brain with its many functions. One’s experiences affect brain development in a similar manner as learning to speak or walk, causing certain synapses, or connections between neurons, to develop, grow stronger or break.
Thus we see that our life experiences whether positive or negative, can significantly affect our brain’s growth, development by impeding or altering it.
Certain anomalies in brain development in the social, cognitive and behavioural contexts can be the consequence of maltreatment in childhood. The reason behind this is that childhood maltreatment or trauma results in severe stress in the child which when long drawn gets embedded as a habitual way of response to any situation in life resulting in various issues like Anxiety disorders, Obsessive Compulsive disorders, a predeliction to substance abuse disorders and impulse control issues.
Children who have experienced the above can have an increased tendency to become addicted to substances as an escape from the harsh realities of their experience of they have not received appropriate help. Other behavioural disorders like compulsive eating or compulsive sexual behaviours or anxiety disorders with addictions might surface.
An adult who experiences trauma might have a reference of context from some experience and can deal with them to a certain extent in a better manner. Hence, what might seem traumatic to a child might not seems so to an adult. This is because the child has no frame of reference to deal with these experiences that are perceived to be traumatic. This makes the effects of the trauma linger and create more trauma. Children depend on the family around to support them in times of stress or trauma. If the loved ones themselves are the source of the traumatic experience then the child feels lost. They then take to substance use and abuse as a mode of medicating themselves insulating them from the emotional pain creating an illusion of “dealing with” the traumatic experiences.
Receiving help in the form of appropriate counselling in a non- judgemental loving environment allowing the time and space for the child to be comfortable, feel accepted and not threatened, to open up and learn to deal with the trauma can prevent future propensities to addictions. This would also help them develop meaningful and trusting relationships with themselves and around them .
Once addicted then long term residential care where all the past issues are dealt with in a non- traumatic, non- threatening, non- judgemental , compassionate, voluntary, comfortable environment. Peace is made with the past so that it stops affecting the present and thereby the future.
We at Anatta Humanversity provide this in an exclusive, one on one, luxurious ambience through Counseling, meditation, introspective writing and various other alternate therapies. This Alternate Life therapy enables the individual to finally lead the life that he/she wanted to lead away from substances.
Managing Director and Counsellor
Primary Counsellor and Facilitator
Since 2003, he has been actively treating those afflicted and affected by chemical dependency using Meditation and Counseling as cornerstones of therapy.
Psychiatrist and Consultant
M.D(Psych) PhD.D.F.M
Dr. Jerajani is a consultant psychiatrist with a niche practice in Mumbai for the last three decades. He has worked in the field of Chemical Dependency ever since.
Administrative Director & Family Therapist
Management expert & counsellor
Vandana Hiranandani is an important part of the team of Anatta that helps organise Seminars, Workshops and Awareness Programs facilitated by Anatta Humanversity.
Director and Counsellor
B.H.M.S.,PG Hom.(Lon.)
A Bachelor in Homoeopathic Medical Science from Mumbai with a Post Graduation from The Hahnemann College of Homoeopathy – London.
Consultant Cardiologist, expert in Addiction management & HIV-AIDS care
Dr. M. Shashidhara Menon trained at the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune (1974) and Institute of Naval Medicine (Mumbai University), India, has done post doctoral Fellowship training in HIV Medicine and Biostatistics from the University of South Florida, USA