Solace of the mind
UDUPI : While the menace of alcoholism and drug abuse on an individual’s physical and mental health is well-documented, the ill-effects of it on families, especially children, are often overlooked. The vulnerability of such children to emotional inefficacy and challenges faced by them while growing up in adverse circumstances is a matter of concern that needs to be addressed. Alcoholism or any substance abuse by parents will have a huge impact on children as the habit interferes with parenting duties and family bonding. And this makes it vital to have camps to create awareness on the trauma such children face and to help them get out of it.
While Dr AV Baliga Memorial Hospital in Udupi has been organising alcohol de-addiction camps for the last two decades, it was in 2016 that the idea of organising ‘Children of Alcoholics (COA) Awareness Week’ was conceptualised by its doctors – Dr P V Bhandary and Dr Virupaksha Devaramane. Dr Bhandary is the medical director and psychiatrist at the hospital, while Dr Devaramane is the consultant psychiatrist at the hospital.
Children of Alcoholics (COA) Awareness Week is observed from February 11 to 17. Over 2,000 people who suffered from alcoholism have defeated it in the last two decades after de-addiction camps at the hospital. Dr Devaramane told The New Sunday Express that the concept of COA Awareness Week shot into the limelight during the 1990s in the US and European countries when The National Association for Children of Alcoholics, UK and The National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA), US, started observing the awareness week. But it is yet to gain popularity in India.
“Though this issue is rampant in rural and urban India, it has always been in oblivion. So, we started observing COA Awareness Week in 2016,” says Dr Devaramane. The awareness week hosts a variety of programmes like radio talks, TV shows, workshops for teachers and nursing students, drawing competitions, phone-in programmes, and even workshops for parents, he adds.
‘‘Many a time, intervention to tackle the problem will be wrong. To a child of a user of any addictive substance, a helping hand is needed from the school days. A teacher may help the children complete their homework by making them stay back at school for an extended hour in the evening. This is because they may face problems at home even to complete their homework as an addicted parent may not support them. Social support is another aspect that helps such children. Creating embarrassment for kids of alcohol addicts may negatively impact their psyche. The government also should make necessary budgetary allocations to the health sector to open more deaddiction centres. Family, friends and teachers also have the responsibility of tackling the issue,” he adds.
‘‘Behind the closed doors of countless homes, a hidden epidemic festers – children growing up with parents battling alcohol addiction. Often overlooked, these youngsters become silent victims, their childhoods marred by fear, anxiety and confusion,” says Dr Bhandary. Through COA Awareness Week, they try to break the silence and shine a light on their struggles, he says.
Studies have shown that children of alcoholics face anxiety disorders, learning difficulties, and depression. But it should be remembered that each child’s journey is unique. ‘‘The severity of the parent’s addiction, the child’s age and temperament, and the presence of supportive adults all play a role. While understanding these complex dynamics can be challenging, even simple acts of compassion and awareness can make a significant difference,” Dr Bhandary says.
“In our programmes, we have made children of alcoholics discover that they are not alone. They gain strength and hope through shared burdens and supportive peers. Now COA Awareness Week Programmes are initiated by us through NGOs, hospitals, and trusts in Udupi, Belagavi, Shivamogga, and Chitradurga. But the seeds sown should spread fast in our state,” he concludes.
TAKING THE RIGHT ROUTE
Children of Alcoholics (COA) Awareness Week became popular during the 1990s in the U.S.
and European countries when The National Association for Children of Alcoholics, U.K. and The National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA), U.S., started organising such weeks
Udupi’s Dr A V Baliga Memorial Hospital has been organising COA Awareness Week since 2016
The awareness week hosts a variety of programmes like radio talks, TV shows, workshops for teachers and nursing students, drawing competitions, phone-in programmes, and even workshops for parents
Children of Alcoholics Awareness Week was observed in Udupi this year from February 11 to 17