An anaesthesiologist, Dr Rita (name changed) tried painkillers on herself to just get a ‘high’. One injection led to another and soon she got addicted to it without realising that she often had withdrawal symptoms if she did not take the injection. Her family soon admitted her to a rehabilitation centre to treat the addiction.

From a doctor who misuses painkillers and injects herself to get a high, to bored middle class housewives getting addicted to alcohol, the ‘Nishigandh’ ward of Muktangan de-addiction centre that was started in January this year exclusively for women has already seen five batches of at least 15 women each undergoing treatment.

Says Mukta Puntambekar, one of the trustees of Muktangan De-addiction centre, this is perhaps the only centre that has a rehab ward exclusively for treating women who are addicted to drugs, alcohol or medicines.

Puntambekar says that housewives, who are mostly alone at home, initially get into social drinking with a closed group which gradually leads to addiction without them even being aware of it, says Puntambekar.

At Nishigandh ward, treatment includes individual and group therapy and counseling. Patients come from various walks of life here- from doctors to counselors to ayahs.

On the eve of the International Day against drug abuse and illicit trafficking on June 26, city-based organisations say that abuse of alcohol among women is on the rise, however, not many are aware of the solution.

The woman’s group of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that meets every Sunday at Camp, however, feels that the social taboo still exists about women who drink. A member of the group says that even as the Indian Medical Association is considering terming alcoholism as a disease, most women are ignorant about solutions to the problem. While AA’s role is to provide space to help the addicted women open up and share their stories, it takes a lot of persuasion to encourage them to attend meetings.

... contd.