Kat in powder form seems to be the most addictive form of the drug.  Abuse of this drug is widespread in South Africa and especially in Cape Town.  The drug addiction symptoms are much the same as when a person is addicted to other drugs such as heroin or cocaine.

Kat is a stimulant drug and it is also an amphetamine.  When people use Kat in its powdered form instead of the plant form it also comes in it is actually more dangerous and more addictive.  Cathinone and methcathinone are both chemicals that appear in the Kat drug. These are very harmful substances and can destroy your central nervous system over a period of time when it is used frequently.

If you suspect that someone is using Kat please get professional help in as soon as you possibly can.  Prolonged use of Kat can lead to death in extreme cases.  Some of the early symptoms of addiction to the drug is unprompted weight loss, unusually large pupils, dehydration as well as sleeping habit disturbances.
When people use Kat, especially teenagers, they experience a greater energy rush, feelings of extreme anger or aggression and in some cases they even experience hallucinations.  Some people have the experience of a great self confidence that builds up as the drug reaches its pinnacle.  But as the effects of Kat wear off it can cause the user to fall into despair as he is no longer on the euphoric cloud that the drug allowed him/her to be on.

Long term use of Kat will cause your mental health to decrease even up to the point where you can lose control.  Depression is also a common side effect with the abuse of Kat.  When you stop using the drug with the help of a rehab centre at first you will experience a form of anxiety because you will realise that all your problems have not disappeared while you were high on Kat.  Suicide thought may also become a problem but a therapist will be able to talk you through it and help you see that it is not the answer.

Kat Addiction

Kat addiction refers basically to two types of drugs that exist.  One comes in the form of leaves that are chewed in order to get high.  It contains Catherine, a natural form of Amphetamine.  For many years it has already been in use in the Arab world and East Africa.

The second form of the drug is powder form and this is the form of drug that most addicts first get addicted to.  Kat has the same side effects as that of cocaine.  It causes delusions, anxiety and paranoia.  The colour of the Kat powder is white and is normally taken in the form of a capsule or is snorted up through the nose.  This drug is highly addictive and very popular amongst teenagers especially at parties or nightclubs.

It is not easy for people to break the addiction and one would have to seek medical help in order to do so.  It is impossible to try and break the habit yourself.  Unfortunately even when you are addicted and you manage to break the addiction, the after effects can still last for years afterwards! However this should not deter anyone from trying to break the addiction.

There is help out there in form of rehabilitation centres that can help you to overcome the addiction to Kat or any other drug you may be addicted to.  But it is a long and difficult road and you have to realise that it is so much better not to try and experiment with substances in the first place.  The human body is not built or meant to cope with substance abuse and will break down very fast in the event of drug abuse.

If you suspect someone might be using Kat or other drugs, seek help immediately.  Make sure you find someone you can trust and discuss the matter with them.  Some symptoms of substance abuse is behavioural changes, low energy levels, personality changes and lack of concentration.  It will be very helpful to find help immediately for an addicted person as Kat can kill  them if it is used excessively.

Kat Addiction Is No Joke

Kat is a drug that is very addictive. It is very popular in South Africa. It is one of the more expensive drugs and is therefore more popular among the middle class. Kat is also illegal and it is therefore a crime to be found in possession of It. Kat is made illegally and sold for a high profit. A drug is something that can be taken that will make a person feels better but it can have severe side effects.

The problem is that the body starts to think that it needs the drug and that if the drug is not taken negative side effects start to happen like withdrawal. This can be very unpleasant and it described as an intense craving. These cravings are the reason addicts do not stop sooner.

Drug treatment must be sought out as soon as possible. The person must want to be helped in order for the treatment to work. A lot of people will as what is drug treatment? Drug treatment just means the process by which an addict gets help. This help comes in different forms. One of the most popular forms is clinics.

These clinics are placed all over the country and can vary in price. Although the most common method to enter rehab is voluntarily a court can order a person to enter rehab, this can happen if the person committed a crime under the influence of drugs. A person can also be forced to enter rehab if they are under the age of eighteen and by a parent.  Available at these rehab centres are qualified psychologist and doctors.

These psychologists will help the person understand why they abuse the drug and they will also be taught different coping methods for reality. The doctors will help with the medical side of things. These includes helping the patient deal with withdrawal symptoms and help ease them, they will also help in the case of side effects that have led to a medical problem. These professionals are often specialist in drug addiction and help these types of people for a living.

The newspapers and TV are always inundated with talk shows and self help programmes and also advice columns about drug abuse and drug addiction. Overcoming an addiction to drugs, especially heroin is never easy, but it is nevertheless possible. If you are addicted to heroin the best thing for you to do is to go to rehab. Even if it seems like a futile mission, rehab facilities really do work wonders if the person is willing to straighten him/herself out.

The staff at rehab centres are all highly trained to deal with people who are addicted to drugs and they will know exactly how to help you should you want to be helped. It is very true that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. If you don’t realize that you have a problem, no one will be able to help you no matter how hard they try.

The biggest cause of people not coming forward with their issues such as heroin addiction is embarrassment. Their family and friends vey often do not know what they have become involved in and it is very hard for them to witness the shock and unbelief when the truth comes out. Heroin is a very addictive drug and can cause strong hallucinations which could in turn so rattle the addict that he/she might hurt themselves.

Heroin addiction can be overcome with the help of a medical doctor as well. Doctors can prescribe medicines and treatments that could help lessen the craving for the drug. Although the addicted person will still go through withdrawal symptoms when they stop using heroin. The withdrawal symptoms are the hardest part of overcoming heroin addiction. They cause the person to break into cold sweats, have heart palpitations and even pass out!

If a person chooses not to get help for their heroin addiction, it will most certainly kill them eventually. The body is not built to handle such substances especially over a long period of time. Eventually the organs will give in under the strain and the person will die. This is why overcoming heroin addiction is so vital!

Help for Cocaine Addiction

Cocaine addiction in South Africa is well established and thus the country is experienced in dealing with it. Numerous facilities are available through both the public and private sector to help those suffering from an addiction. These include Drug Rehabilitation Centres or Clinics where drug users can receive medical attention, enter into a rehabilitation program and receive support and advice from drug counsellors.

Even without the knowledge of the drug user, concerned family members and friends are welcome to contact these offices or any of the various 24/7 help lines telephonically to receive expert help. A multitude of websites offer information on the origins of cocaine, its affects and what is required to beat the addiction.

The medical professionals involved in a cocaine rehab program have an expert, specialised knowledge of cocaine and how to treat addiction to it. The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Group compiles data and information on cocaine use in South Africa and this information can be accessed at www.sahealthinfo.org Cocaine Anonymous South Africa are a group dedicated to helping users quit cocaine and stay clean through sharing their experience and guidance in a supportive social forum.

They offer the well established 12 step program which was initially devised by the Alcoholics Anonymous group in 1935. The program is aimed at alleviating the social discourse created by addiction and rebuilding lives of addicts through individual and group counselling. It is also an organisation completely free of charges to whoever seeks help. CASA does not offer medical treatments. Their website is www.ca.org.za

The drug addiction campaign also offers information through their website: www.drug-addiction.co.za and is affiliated to the Houghton House addiction recovery centres. Houghton House offers a 24/7 Helpline which is 011 787 9142 and have run a number of programs to cure cocaine addiction. Other websites concerning information on cocaine and addiction treatment in South Africa are www.drugaware.co.za and www.wedorecover.com (South African branch)

One of the most interesting facts about the abuse of substances in South Africa, is that the prevalence of drug users is almost as high as that of alcohol addicts. Sadly, another fact exists, namely the one that shows that amongst demographic groups, one of the highest ratios of substance abuse lies in the twelve to nineteen range. Teenage drug abuse is a terrible problem in South Africa and one has to ask oneself what is being done to combat it.

One of the biggest problems in this country is that alcohol abuse resources are so few for those within impoverished social situations. South Africa has a high number of townships and informal settlements that are filled with addiction, crime and poverty. It is these in which the use of drugs and alcohol is becoming more and more commonplace and so, the help for drug abuse is not easy to find.

Though these are state run drug abuse centres throughout the country, it is difficult to get a place in them because they are overcrowded, too few and lacking in staff and other resources. As for alcohol problems, many do not consider the abuse of alcohol to be a problem at all, and go on with their lives thinking that drunken bouts of rage, memory loss and the poor living conditions that the abuse of substances lead to are all normal.

What we really need in South Africa is a stronger programme for alcohol and drug abuse help. In layman’s terms, we need the government to stand up and make public the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse, and make assistance in those areas readily available and well-funded, so that clinics will no longer lack resources, and people can avoid the problems that arise due to their addictions.

Of course, these changes in government will only come to pass if the people of our nation stand up and make it clear to the government that we need these treatment facilities. With so many other worthy causes currently on the books, including the war against HIV/Aids, will we ever see this come to pass?

Abuse is rampant all over South Africa and indeed all over the world in these days we’re living in. Almost every day the news bulletins on TV and newspapers run stories on child abuse, women abuse and animal abuse. While physical abuse is more dangerous and life threatening, verbal abuse can also leave deep scars that affect the abused person for life.

Physical abuse and domestic violence is a common occurrence in South Africa. Men no longer have respect for their wives or children and think nothing of it to beat them senseless every day. Sometimes these victims of abuse die before anyone can help them. Abuse often starts at a young age and when the victim doesn’t receive any kind of help or counselling, it often turns out that the he/she becomes an abuser when they grow up. This is a vicious cycle that repeats itself throughout a generation.

Women and child abuse is the most common abuse in South Africa, but very often men are abused by their spouses or partners and are too ashamed to speak up about it. This is obviously also the case when women and children are abused. They are too scared or embarrassed to say anything or to seek help. Therefore the abuse statistics are incorrect most of the time.

There are several hotlines and help centres that have been started up so that victims of abuse can seek help anonymously. Childline is a well-known hotline that has been around for a good number of years and has been instrumental in helping several young children out of severe situations of abuse.

Animal abuse is also on the rise in South Africa. Every year there are horrific cases of animal abuse that land up in court. Last year there was a very heart wrenching case about a woman who left her dog in her car at the airport and security only found him about three weeks later. This court case is still pending.
Maybe if everyone in South Africa starts standing together and standing up against abuse in any form, we may start seeing a difference soon.

Almost everyone nowadays either have an alcoholic in their family or know one who might be a friend of a friend.  Being an alcoholic doesn’t mean getting drunk every other weekend and acting stupid.  Alcoholics start out by drinking socially and eventually end up not being able to make it through one day without having a drink.  Being intoxicated makes a person unable to make rational decisions.  This is why so many domestic violence cases and even murders start out with one or two people being drunk.

Being an alcoholic means you are addicted to alcohol.  This addiction is just like any other substance addiction.  It is dangerous, compromises your health and needs to be rehabilitated.  Long term alcohol abuse can cause your organs to give in when you are older.  It can also cause liver cancer.

If you suspect someone is addicted to alcohol and you want to step in and help them, the first step would be to stage an intervention. This is when you get together a group of the addicted person’s friends and family as well as a pastor or priest to talk to the person and try to make him/her see reason.  This would also be a good platform to use if you are trying to get them to consider rehab.

Many child abuse cases are also the after effect of alcoholism.  Some people drink to forget about their problem whether it be marital, emotional or financial but they end up making their problems worse by becoming addicted to alcohol.  Many people become so addicted that they end up becoming criminals and start stealing just to support their addiction.
Sometime when expectant mothers cannot stop drinking while pregnant it can cause the unborn baby a lot of damage.  This is very sad considering that the child really does not deserve this.  Children also get addicted to alcohol sometimes due to bad childhood circumstances or living conditions that are beyond their control.  In these cases the best thing would be to get professional help such as a social worker who can assist in helping the child or staging an intervention.

Kat is one of the common names of the drug Ketamine which is normally used for medicinal purposes to treat humans and animals. Other street names include K, Special K, Kit-Kat and vitamin K.

Kat or Cat as it is sometimes spelt is a drug that can be taken in two forms – as a leaf that is chewed or as a powder. Kat is a common South African drug that is easily accessible. Kat originates from the Middle East, North and East Africa where it has been used for centuries in Arab society.

The term Cat comes from the ingredient of Catherine which is found in the leaves of the plant. Catherine is a natural Amphetamine. The drug is taken to attain a state of euphoria by the user also known as a ‘high’. While this can simply be achieved by chewing the leaf, the more powder form creates a more potent affect on the user. Kat is similar to cocaine in that along with euphoria it increases hallucinations and a strong sense of anxiety.

The powder is white in colour and can either be snorted or taken as a capsule orally. It has even been added to drinks and smoked. Powdered ketamine is formed from pharmaceutical ketamine by removing the liquid by evaporation. Due to its high demand in medicine, pharmaceutical ketamine is produced in large quantities which have also led to it becoming easier to acquire for the illicit drug trade. Its illegal use started in the United States during the 1970′s.

Kat in South Africa is mostly associated with teenagers at parties and clubs having gained popularity with the rave scene during the 1990′s. Usually a dose of 100mg or more is taken to gain hallucinatory effects. It is considered extremely addictive compared to some other drugs. The treatment required for Kat outweighs many narcotics in that an addicted user cannot kick the habit on his or her own.

Professional intervention and help is a constant requirement. Perhaps the most disturbing fact concerning Kat abuse is the long term affects of use. It is known to cause considerable mental torment and psychological damage long after its use has been discontinued. Kat is known for causing hallucinations that can last for hours and can cause a radical change in mood for the user.

Fortunately Kat is well known to Drug Rehabilitation Clinics and drug counsellors as well as medical professionals are well educated on how to treat the addiction and cure the patient.

Dealing with someone who is addicted to a legal or illegal substance, is not like punishing a naughty child. The behavior that the person might display could be inherent to the drug addiction, and has nothing to do with the way the person would normally behave. And it is exactly this that should be your first clue that someone might need help. But knowing that, is not the easy solution. The addict might even know it herself, but herein lies the problem – does she want to be free of this drug that holds her life in its hands?

Many times the addict does come to the point where there is no way that things could possibly get worse, without dying. This is that point in his or her life where help is sought, and if you are related to such a person, support will be your best tool. On the other hand, a situation might have become so bad, that the drug addict is no longer capable of even making such a choice, and an intervention is required. In all cases, professional help is the only advice that can be given.

The addict could have become addicted in a very short time, but the recovery process is aimed at a lifetime of living without substance abuse. Even the detoxification process is but the start, and not all that is involved. Experts recommend that medication and behavioral therapies are employed at the same time, to teach the addict how to move forward and away from the drugs. Effective programs also make provision for relapse situations. It is not that they plan for the addict to fail, but rather teach her how to move back and not fall into the cycle of abuse and addiction once again.

People become substance abusers and addicts for as many reasons as there possibly are people on this planet. How that can be dealt with, in a positive and life-long lasting  manner will not depend on only avoiding the drug, but dealing with situations that caused the problem in the first place in a constructive way.

Addiction Advice

More often than not, when advice pertaining to those suffering from an addiction is dispensed, it is forgotten that there is a family (children, spouse or parents) who cannot help but be caught up in the disturbing and emotionally traumatic reality that is the life of one who abuses a substance. It is heartwarming to realise that certain drug – and alcohol rehabilitation programmes and/or centres take the time to consider those who live with a substance user and take the time to try and make their lives easier. There are certain “pearls of wisdom” that can be passed on to the family and perhaps even friends.
The most pertinent addiction advice that may be given to a husband or wife who has had no choice but to suffer through endless nights of worrying about his/her spouse, or the parent who feels s/he has no option other than to sit by and understand his/her child’s irrational, hurtful and irresponsible behaviour is as follows:

• Remember that living with and being a part of the life of someone who has a drug or alcohol dependency is not easy. It takes a toll and it is near impossible not to experience the stress that comes with this. That noted, it is important that while taking care of the person who is an addict one does not neglect him/herself and that s/he should take extra care to look after his/her body.
• Although it is a natural reaction, it is absolutely essential to be mindful and avoiding blaming oneself or wracking oneself with guilt over the disease.
• Due to the fact that the addiction does not affect only the individual who has a drug or alcohol dependency, one of the most helpful and significant steps that the family may take is to join a family treatment programme. These programmes are designed such that the circumstances of the individual and family are taken into account and the most suitable one is then introduced.

Living with a person who abuses substances is by no means an easy experience. While the addict becomes the centre of all attention the loved ones deserve a little addiction advice themselves.

As with other kinds of substance addiction, the cocaine addict will find it almost impossible to rehabilitate himself and remain clean of drugs for the rest of his life. Cocaine like other street drugs are highly addictive and rehabilitation will require professional help. It is sometimes getting to the point where the addict realizes that he needs help like a intervention, that can be the biggest obstacle. Hitting the bottom can be the turning point in the addict’s life, but that point could cost him his life if an overdose is the result. It would be best if help is sought before this crisis arrives.

However, close friends and family will notice if your behavior has changed, and it will not take an expert to notice that you have become a drug user. Depending on how serious the addict is taking their concerns, it might require an intervention to save the life of the addict. In either of these cases there are professional facilities available that can assist.

Drug rehab facilities with experience will assess the addict and the situation regarding his or her relationships. Therapies will often be a combination of both medication and psychological therapy. If the rehab only focuses on using medication, the cocaine addict might be cleared of the drugs in his system, but then returning to his normal life, relapses might occur as he will not be prepared to deal with situations where he is confronted with drugs once more.

Where only psychological therapy is employed, the patient may go through a very painful withdrawal process which is not easy and could inhibit the success of the therapy. The most successes have been achieved with a combination of the two approaches, and that is what most rehab facilities will be using to help the cocaine addict. Part of the therapy will include a plan to recover from a relapse.

This might sound hypocritical, but it is necessary for the drug addict to be aware that he might fail when back in his normal life, but if such a plan is in place, the road back need not be one that starts with panic and a feeling of failure.