Dear Editor,
Despite high prevalence of alcohol addiction for decades in Guyana, little professional help is available for the addict, leaving many to live a poor quality of life, eventually succumbing prematurely to this disease. Editor, Guyana desperately needs professionals who understand and can address this disease. Additionally, the attitudes of society toward the alcoholic need to change, so that we can solve this problem. Countries like the United States have this problem and they were able to reduce it with the right attitude and with appropriately trained professionals. Alcohol addiction is a disease like any other disease. Alcohol addiction is not a choice. It can happen to any one of us who consumes alcohol. Addicts need professional help so they can understand their problems and lead normal lives. Addicts are vulnerable members of society. They are bullied, exploited, mistreated and harassed, and in many instances horrible acts of violence are committed against them. Further, we all know that because of ignorance, addicts are stigmatized socially and society gives them a low social status, leaving them with a sense of shame and hesitation about seeking help. As a society, we need to be compassionate and have empathy for these individuals. Alcohol addiction is like any other disease and addicts need medical attention for this disease too. In the Guyanese culture, attitudes and insights into treatments and modes of treatments are lacking owing to a severe shortage of trained professionals, thereby causing alcohol addiction to remain a persistent and chronic problem in the Guyanese society for decades.
Children of addicts sadly suffer needlessly and innocently, longing for parental love, support, care and basic needs. They are robbed of quality life. They are vulnerable. They are innocent victims of this evil disease. They are more likely to become school dropouts and experience poverty, mental health issues and poor health in general. They are also more likely to experience physical abuse, emotional abuse and sexual abuse by the addicted parent themselves or by other members of society. They are more likely to become addicts themselves. They are more likely to become parentified children. In this situation the child takes on parental responsibilities. They are more likely to be victims of child labour and be exploited by the parents themselves to provide financial support for the parents.
The spouses of alcoholics are more likely to be emotionally and physically abused and experience aggression (domestic abuse and domestic violence) at the hands of the addict. He or she is more likely to live in poverty and suffer poor health and mental health states. The family unit of an addict is more likely to deteriorate owing to the many problems associated with alcohol addiction.
In essence, the entire family unit suffers adversely including the addict. Life is far from normal. Every member of the family is robbed of a normal life. There is a huge sense of shame within these families causing members of the family to become depressed and in some cases even suicidal. As a society, we need to conceptualize the problems of domestic abuse and alcoholism as interacting variables rather than as single entities. Professionals are definitely needed, but there is a severe lack of these in Guyana. Therefore, we need to mobilize professional volunteers to help with this situation.
Yours faithfully,
Annie Baliram
