Today’s exclusive guest is Elias Kalayu, who is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Meqoamia Community Development Organization (MCDO) in Ethiopia. As he is also a well-qualified training expert on recovery coaching for addiction treatment, Elias has been helping several young people to recover from addiction.
Moreover, Elias has been working for more than 12 years for this organization that strives to improve the lives of the young generation. MCDO is a local NGO which is devoted to address social problems facing the youth. The organization has been implementing practices of international trends to contribute to positive and holistic youths’ development in Ethiopia.
The overall mission of the organization is to equip the youth with a skills that prepare them to meet the challenges of adolescence and adulthood through a coordinated, progressive series of activities and experiences, which help them to become socially, morally, emotionally, physically, and cognitively competent individuals.
As he is an expert in recovery coaching for addiction treatment, he carefully discerns addiction-related challenges the young people can face these days when they are requested to stay at home besides suggesting helpful solutions. Cognizant of this, The Ethiopian Herald approached Elias requesting him to share his views on the chances and risks of staying at home and the helpful remedies to minimize the risks. Excerpts:
Herald: Is there any situation that will increase the number of addiction following the state of emergency of staying at home for long hours?
Elias: Following the spread of noble coronavirus (COVID-19) across the world, peoples are staying at home. This is due to the state of emergency. And this situation can challenge the self-control character of the young people. As they are forced to stay at home, they can be attracted to addiction. Since it is unusual for most parents to do schooling at home with their children, the chance of rising of the number of addicted children could be high during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Previously, addiction was associated with psychological, physical, social, economic, political, and spiritual problems of an individual. Nevertheless, if there is existing one addict in the family, the whole family is often at risk. This is a fact that has been confirmed by international studies.
Herald: What are the possible risks people who use drugs may experience during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Elias: People who use drugs can face several risks as those of the general population. In comparison to other group of our society, they can be exposed to additional risks that require developing assessment and mitigation strategies. The risks they would run can be increased by unsafe physical and physiological comorbidity and are linked to some of the behaviors associated with drug use and to the settings in which drug use takes place. Unless the government along with concerned bodies takes necessary measures for the wellbeing of people who use drugs and the protection of those offering care and support for this population, we will incur incalculable loss due to the emerging risks.
Above all, the behavior and settings associated with some forms of drug use may not only multiply risks but also create barriers for implementing risk reduction measures.
Herald: In what conditions, people who use drug experience more risks?
Elias: Since the conditions of people who use drugs are usually associated to different health problems, their chance to be at particular risk for serious respiratory illness is high if they get infected with COVID-19. Researches indicate that chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and asthma are high among clients in drug treatment, and smoking of heroin or crack cocaine can be an aggravating factor while there is also a high incidence of cardiovascular diseases among patients injecting drugs and people using cocaine. In short, for this group of people usually depends on drugs that destroy their proper consciousness towards taking necessary precautions, the chance of their experiencing negative outcomes increases.
Moreover, as the lack of the intended social distancing is prevalent among the people who use drugs, they have high risk of exposure to COVID-19. The usual recreational drug use often takes place in groups or in crowded settings unquestionably increases the risk of exposure to the virus. This can, to some extent, be mitigated by social distancing, following established safety guidelines or other measures to reduce the use or access to high risk environments. Since our organization has relatively long period of experience, the government ought to work with us so that we can also contribute a lot in handling the addicted people.
Herald: How do you describe the connection between addiction and COVID-19?
Elias: Yes. The COVID-19 is a rapidly spreading disease that affects the respiratory system that has changed everything across the globe. It has disrupted the proper functioning of businesses and daily life of individuals in every way. Just as it has impacted almost everything else in life, the virus has impacted the world of addiction and recovery. People who are accustomed to using the drugs are inevitably battling a substance use disorder. Besides mental stress, feelings of fear and anxiety may hold them back from seeking or continuing addiction treatment, when that treatment may be the key to saving their lives. Hence, from this we can see, the state of addiction and the impacts of COVID-19 are inseparably connected.
Herald: How COVID-19 can affect people who are accustomed to drugs?
Elias: The virus can affect the addicts in several ways. First, it damages the proper awareness of an individual to take precautionary measures to protect themselves from the virus. Next, it also destroys the internal organs and weakens the immune system. Medical science has proved that over and long-term alcohol consumption damages the heart, causing irregular heartbeat, stretching and drooping of the heart muscle, high blood pressure, and stroke. Excessive use of alcohol produces toxic substances that can cause pancreatitis and hepatitis. As people who are accustomed to drugs are exposed to several different types of cancer and brain damage, they are more vulnerable to COVID-19.
The illegitimate and long term drug use causes lung, liver, and kidney damage, damage to blood vessels in the heart and brain; this would reduce individual resistances to different diseases. Once someone catches COVID-19, it starts by infecting cells in the lining of the lungs. The first symptoms are a dry cough, shortness of breath, fever, headache, muscle pain, and fatigue. Symptoms worsen as the infection moves from the upper respiratory tract to the lower respiratory tract. A healthy patient’s immune system may be able to contain the disease in the upper respiratory tract, allowing them to recover. In severe cases, COVID-19 can cause bronchitis and pneumonia. In a small number of severe cases, it causes acute respiratory distress syndrome. While a healthy person should be able to fully recover from COVID-19, someone with pulmonary abnormalities, chronic disease, or a compromised immune system is at risk for serious illness and death. Besides this, COVID-19 can result in feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression in many people. Particularly, those with preexisting mental health issues may find that their symptoms are worsening in this time of uncertainty. Substance abuse and mental health have long been linked, with 50 percent of people with severe mental disorders being affected by substance abuse. When someone has both mental health issues and a substance abuse disorder, it is called a co-occurring disorder or dual diagnosis. When mental health goes untreated, substance abuse typically worsens, and when someone starts abusing more drugs or alcohol, their mental health worsens. Many people use alcohol or drugs as a coping mechanism for their mental health. While someone might feel temporary relief from their stress and anxiety after using drugs or alcohol, in the long run it will worsen their symptoms and increase negative side effects. Herald: If persons with asthmatic, cancer, heart diseases, pressure, addiction are infected, to what extent do they have a chance of recovery? Can they experience recovery in a natural way?
Elias: If an addict or a person with a variety of stressors such as pressure, heart diseases, cancer, asthmatic, or tuberculosis is now infected, they have relatively little chance to get recovered in a natural way. And despite all the precautions, there is concern that these people and those suffering from addiction will now become more and more susceptible to COVID-19.
Herald: Most people do not enjoy staying at home; they even suffer from a sense of anxiety. What solutions would you suggest for this difficult time?
Elias: Now is the time to testing our relaxation. There is option other than staying at home till the circumstances pass. Hence, we have to focus on cultivating the characters of children and making this time interesting for them. Paying attention to the psychological needs of our children and then working with them to improve their moral and ethical standards would be very helpful strategy to benefit from this difficult time.
Herald: What the government, NGO’s, the community, the media and the individuals should do to reduce the addiction and the consequences of the pandemic?
Elias: We need to work together in a timely manner, working together with all stakeholders to tackle addiction and COVID-19. I believe the problem needs the concerted effort of all these stakeholders. Thus, they ought to work together by carefully identifying their respective roles.
We as individuals need to be turn to ourselves, control our emotions, more than ever before to address this global crisis. We have this gap because we now hear the reports of abuse in house related to staying at home, on nearly founding relatives, and exploitation of children. All institutions and government should develop a wide variety of programs and psychosocial support for psychological assistance.
Herald:- Finally, any message you would like to leave related to current situation and others ?
Elias: Generally, the government should build a rehabilitation center for young people suffering from addiction. It ought to establish sustainable programs in particular in order to solve those problems I listed above. If we consider and build the city and country as well as other sectors to save the future generation, we will work with the concerned bodies cooperatively. The government and concerned bodies should also support recovery coaching training. I have proved that my vision is helpful; I have seen when the lives of several young people are improving. There are also a lot tasks ahead of me. So far I have been struggling on own. Now I want to train others who are to share this vision. I am going share my skills for the youth who prepare themselves to serve their generation
The Ethiopian Herald May 26, 2020
BY MUSSA MUHAMMED
