Safe homes, blindsided by the specter of drugs and addiction taking hold of one of their own, often a young man in the prime of his life, swept up by fleeting impulses and pressure from bad company that pushed him toward experimentation, ultimately dragging him into the depths of addiction.
اضافة اعلان
Yet many families have broken through the barrier of social fear, stepping up early to take their son by the hand rather than leave him on an uncertain path, and bringing him to centers that treat addiction to drugs of all kinds. Family support coming first, followed by official and security-sector backing from relevant authorities, has been among the key factors that have helped save thousands of young people who fell prey to addiction.
Despite growing awareness of the importance of treating addiction and approaching it as a health issue requiring treatment and rehabilitation, social stigma and fear for one's reputation remain among the most significant barriers pushing some people to hide the problem and delay seeking help, out of fear of how society will view them or of the matter being exposed to family and those around them.
Recently, a report featuring a set of official security statements, such as those from the addiction treatment center in Orjan, revealed that the center had received 1,192 people for treatment since the start of the year, compared to 548 during the same period last year, with officials stressing that treatment is free and confidential, and that plans are underway to expand treatment centers in the north and south of the Kingdom.
Growing Trust Among Families and Youth in Treatment
A rise in the number of people seeking treatment doesn't necessarily reflect a matching rise in addiction rates, according to senior psychiatric consultant Dr. Waleed Sarhan, since the increase could instead reflect growing awareness, declining stigma, improved access to services, and rising trust among families and young people in treatment, all positive indicators when accompanied by comprehensive, evidence-based treatment and long-term follow-up.
Sarhan told Al-Ghad that social stigma remains a barrier to seeking treatment, as some families treat addiction as a scandal or a moral failing rather than a health condition requiring specialized intervention, which can lead to denial, concealment, or delaying help-seeking, allowing dependence to worsen and psychological, physical, family, and legal complications to emerge.
The individual themselves may also fear being labeled an "addict" for life, or that it could affect their job prospects, education, or chances of marriage, or that their situation might become known to others. This is why guaranteeing confidentiality and privacy, clarifying patients' rights, and offering non-stigmatizing treatment services are essential factors in encouraging people to seek treatment early.
Sarhan stresses the need to change the societal discourse around addiction, reinforcing the idea that it is "a treatable health condition, not a moral failing or a cause for scandal," noting that shaming, threats, and punishment can push a person toward denial and hiding, while understanding, firm treatment encourages them to seek help.
Sarhan believes a person who seeks treatment isn't harming their reputation, but making a responsible decision to protect themselves and their family, noting that recovery is possible, and that a relapse, should it occur, doesn't necessarily mean the treatment has failed, but calls for reviewing the treatment plan and continuing follow-up.
Trust in the Services Provided
According to Dr. Nisreen Abdullah Al-Bahri, associate professor in the Department of Sociology at Mutah University, the decision to seek treatment can't be viewed in isolation from the social environment a person grows up in, since social stigma and fear for one's reputation still stand as a barrier for some individuals and their families in deciding to seek treatment.
Al-Bahri explains that some families still view addiction as a moral failure or deviant behavior, rather than a health and social problem that can be treated and recovered from, alongside fears about how it might affect the person's future at work, in their studies, or in their social relationships and marriage prospects.
Al-Bahri agrees with Sarhan that "the rise in the number of people seeking treatment, alongside the availability of free, confidential services, could signal growing awareness of the importance of treatment and trust in the services provided," but at the same time raises the question of how many people remain outside the treatment system due to fear and stigma.
Al-Bahri affirms that what's needed is a shift in society's view of the person seeking treatment, they shouldn't be treated as a source of shame, but as someone who made a responsible, courageous decision to reclaim their life.
Likewise, a family that turns to treatment isn't hiding a "scandal," but playing an essential role in protecting one of its members and helping them recover.
The Public Security Directorate had announced in August a rise in visits to the addiction treatment center from users of "crystal meth," coinciding with an awareness and security campaign launched by the Anti-Narcotics Department, noting that 60% of the center's current residents are addicted to this substance.
Providing a Treatment Environment That Makes People Feel Safe
It noted that some cases, following medical evaluation, are referred to the National Center for Addiction Treatment or the National Center for Mental Health, depending on each case, affirming that treatment remains confidential and carries no legal consequences for those who seek it.
Sarhan therefore stresses that treatment isn't limited to withdrawing the substance from the body, but should take place under the supervision of a specialized team following a comprehensive psychological, medical, and social assessment, and may include safe substance withdrawal and medication when needed, psychological therapy, family and social rehabilitation, and ongoing follow-up to prevent relapse.
At the same time, opinions circulating among the public and comments on recovery-related news reveal that the fear of stigma persists for some people, particularly in a small society where some fear their visits to addiction treatment centers becoming known, and that this step could follow them socially afterward.
While some comments on recovery stories carried negative views or prejudgments, they also reveal the scale of the challenge facing those trying to break free from addiction; there are people genuinely searching for a lifeline to pull themselves out of the depths, who see treatment centers as a real opportunity to begin recovery and reclaim their lives, free from fear and stigma.
This underscores the importance of providing a treatment environment where people feel safe and are treated with privacy and dignity, encouraging them to seek help early rather than waiting until the problem worsens, alongside ensuring confidentiality, expanding treatment services, and making them easier to access.
Instilling a Culture of Seeking Help When Needed
Educational expert and consultant Dr. Jamil Al-Shuqairat believes families and schools play a fundamental role in protecting children and adolescents, by equipping them with the skills needed to face challenges and difficulties, boosting their sense of self-worth and confidence in their abilities, alongside instilling a culture of seeking help when problems arise.
He affirms that providing a safe, stable environment at home and school, built on dialogue, support, and encouragement, helps children express their opinions and problems without fear, gives them room to build independence and cope with difficulties, while offering support and praise when they display positive behaviors.
Al-Shuqairat notes that confronting drug use and addiction requires integrated efforts between family and school, whether in prevention and awareness or in encouraging those already caught in addiction to seek treatment and make use of the services available through government agencies.
He adds that dealing with children and adolescents struggling with addiction should be built on empathy, support, and building a positive relationship with them, away from blame and intimidation, while drawing on trusted, close role models to help them recognize the importance of turning to treatment centers.
Both Al-Shuqairat and Sarhan stress the importance of highlighting success stories of people who have achieved recovery, and raising awareness of the role treatment centers play in helping them reclaim their normal lives, which fosters hope among those struggling with addiction and encourages them to take the step toward treatment, while reassuring them that the procedures and steps involved in their treatment and recovery remain confidential, reducing their fears of social stigma and encouraging them to seek help without hesitation.
According to Al-Shuqairat, "protecting children and young people from drugs and addiction is a shared responsibility, requiring cooperation between family, school, and society in prevention, awareness, and support, and working to make seeking treatment a natural, responsible step toward reclaiming one's life, not a stigma that follows a person afterward."
Positive Models of People Who Have Overcome Addiction
Al-Bahri also affirms that media, educational institutions, families, and civil society organizations have a major role to play in spreading a culture of recovery, and presenting positive models of people who have overcome addiction and returned to normal life, helping shift society from a culture of "stigma and condemnation" to one of "support, treatment, and reintegration," so that addiction doesn't become an identity that follows a person for the rest of their life. The more normal and socially safe seeking treatment becomes, the greater the chances of early access to treatment and recovery.
At the same time, confronting addiction isn't limited to treatment after the problem occurs. Sarhan believes protecting children and adolescents from falling into addiction begins early, and isn't achieved through fear alone, but through building "psychological immunity" from a young age, strengthening self-esteem, a sense of competence and belonging, the ability to express emotions and ask for help, tolerate frustration and pressure, delay gratification, solve problems, and make sound decisions.
Here, Sarhan notes that prevention includes training children to resist peer pressure and to be able to say "no," developing critical thinking toward what circulates on social media, alongside communication skills and building healthy relationships, and managing internet use, sleep, time, and daily activities.
Real prevention begins within the family, through a safe relationship and open dialogue, and balanced supervision that doesn't turn into surveillance or harshness, with clear rules in place and parents setting a good example for their children. Schools, meanwhile, have a role to play in offering ongoing programs to teach life skills, providing psychological counseling, and noticing early changes in students' behavior, such as absenteeism, declining academic performance, isolation, changes in friend groups, and shifts in behavior and mood.
Source: Al-Ghad. Reporting: Taghreed Al-Saayda
