SHILLONG: A combination of alcohol, drugs and flesh trade haunts a section of hapless women victims in city with their families offering little support to ensure that they recover from the addictions.
This was observed by senior counselor, Kripa Foundation, Larisa Giri Lyngdoh who said that most women find it difficult to come out in the open with the stigma attached to them.
Speaking to The Shillong Times, Lyngdoh said that taking into account the discrimination by the family members and the society, women are hard to be convinced as compared to men.
Lyngdoh said, “Families spend a lot to rehabilitate a male alcoholic/drug abuser, but they are reluctant to spend on a female. There is taboo attached to this entire thing of having a female alcoholic/drug abuser in the family.”
She added that it is a tough task for counselors to advise females as they live in denial.
“Women give a lot of excuses and they are not willing to be counseled. With men, however, the case is different as the society accepts them,” she said.
Similarly, Naphisabet Kharsati, Clinical Psychologist, SANKER said, “For males it is easier to seek help, it is very rare for a woman to come forward.”
Cases of women being disowned by families have also surfaced and the same is more prevalent in married women.
“Married women take to drinking initially with their husbands and when the wife becomes unmanageable, the husband leaves which depresses her, making her dependent on alcohol,” Lyngdoh added.
Such situation slips the women into a state of denial.
Although there is a spurt in women alcohol and drug abuse, yet, Lyngdoh informed that only 10 per cent women report it. She further added that in her nine years as a counselor, she has witnessed only three success stories.
On being queried if alcohol and substance abuse in women have any impact on the society, views differ, a counselor said that it may not at all be the basis where there are cases of females as young as 15 and above start indulging in such habits.
While another counselor said that a lot of research needs to be carried out on the issue of impact. “As compared to patriarchal society, women suffering from addictions are more stressed, this is based on research,” she said.
However, Lyngdoh termed alcohol addiction and substance abuse as a disease.
She added that there are different factors — genetic factor, peer pressure, other mental problems– that affect different people.
Another issue that came to the fore is the tendency of women to turn to flesh trade which becomes a secondary addiction.
Lyngdoh explained, “For a radical alcoholic it is feasible to counsel but when a women falls into secondary addiction, it is complicated to turn her back.”
She further indicated that there are cases of drug abusers taking alcohol but fewer cases of alcoholics taking drugs.
Lyngdoh pointed out that disowned women are more prone to flesh trade especially in the rural areas, getting the tag of commercial sex workers.
“If women are unwilling to come to recovery, they fall in the trap of sex addiction. Such cases are handled by the Meghalaya State Network of Positive People (MSNP+), as cases of HIV/AIDS are shooting up in the state,” Lyngdoh said.
While speaking on the risks posed by alcohol and drug addiction, Agui Daimai, Project Coordinator, MSNP+, said, “Drugs give the abusers a different ‘kick’ but alcohol sexually arouses a person, which again risks the virus being spread to other men by alcoholic women.”
Daimai added, “Educated and affluent people are more susceptible to such risks, making them opt for treatment outside the state.”
“We make field trips and sensitize the staff in the health sector, in our effort to give the people infected with the virus hope and for them to live normal life.”
