JEDDAH — Alternative therapies like methadone, which can reduce heroin withdrawal symptoms, are still waiting for a religious decree to sanction their use in the Kingdom to treat drug addiction cases, according to Dr. Muhammad Shawoosh, former medical director of Al-Amal Hospital.
“Alternative therapies don't have dangerous side effects and can be used to help drug addicts who can't give up the addiction. They don't have any health risks,” Dr. Shawoosh said, noting that a new drug will be also used alongside methadone over the next six months.
Dr. Abdulhameed Al-Habib, director general of mental and social health in the Ministry of Health, admitted that there is a room for improvement in mental health and addiction facilities across the Kingdom.
Al-Habib said: “The nonexistence of support programs provided to patients who have recovered from addiction and have left Al-Amal Hospital will contribute to their return to the hospital repeatedly. The percentage of relapse after recovery among patients ranges between 60 and 70 percent.”
On the sidelines of a recent international conference for Al-Amal Hospital, Director of Health Affairs in Jeddah Dr. Sami Badawood said the Al-Amal Hospital's bed capacity in Jeddah does not exceed 200. “We are in the process of setting up of a mental health hospital which is expected to be completed in three years. Its capacity will be 500 beds.
Jeddah's Al-Amal Hospital receives patients from all parts of Western Region. The construction of another hospital in Makkah will greatly contribute in reducing the pressure on the hospital in Jeddah. As a result, it will provide more opportunities for the treatment of addicts.”
An official source at Al-Amal Complex for Mental Health in Riyadh said 10 percent of the hospitalized women at the complex are receiving their de-addiction treatment. About 20 percent of them are suffering from different psychiatric disorders. He said women form 30 percent of the total number of patients hospitalized there, Makkah daily said.
The source, who requested anonymity, drew attention to the increasing rate of addiction among women. However, he refused to disclose the percentage of increase. He said their addiction is mostly due to smoking hashish.
The official source said: “The complex receives 12 different new cases every week suffering from psychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression, aside from addiction.” He said most of the psychiatric diseases that affect adolescents visiting the complex are caused by family problems.
At the same time, Dr. Al-Habib said there is an increase in drug addiction among women. He said: “We, as curative centers, do not discern this increase due to the weak response of women to the therapeutic services.”
He attributed the weak response to the social circumstances that force women to hide their problems. He added: “Women's control over their addiction is greater than that of men. It is easier to prevent women from taking drugs compared to men, who enjoy greater social freedom. This makes it easier for men to return to addiction.”
Al-Habib said: “Women taking drugs is usually accompanied by a certain issues like violence and other problems and not because of psychiatric disorder. She tries to escape from her problems by using drugs. Therefore, her addiction is temporary due to pressing circumstances. It disappears with the disappearance of her problems.”
Meanwhile, the National Committee for Combating Drugs has disclosed that drug addicts spend a whopping SR384 million per month. The committee said there are 160,000 regular drug abusers in Saudi Arabia.
An informed source said a recent study conducted by the committee showed that the average monthly spending on drugs reaches SR2,400.
