Cape Town Drug Counselling Centre
The Cape Town Drug Counselling
Centre Observatory branch (Photo/Qaqamba Matundu)
Observatory is one of the richest
suburbs in Cape Town, Western Cape with a lot of adventurous places that people
can have fun on or get help when needed in terms of health. The Cape Town Drug
Counselling Centre situated on 1 Roman Road is one of those places.
The level of quietness outside
the place is awesome, you would hear birds chirping, giving a nice calming
moment to meditate and think about life. The fresh refreshing scent you smell
when entering the building is so pleasurable, with the warmth you get in the
reception from their staff.
Inside the building of CTDCC (Photo/Qaqamba Matundu)
You would hardly hear doors
opning, people are speaking softly you wouldn’t want to leave their space. The
moment I entered the building I heard a voice in my mind saying “we welcome you
here, we are not going to judge you rather, we will help you fight to get your
life back. Their environment is transformed enough to transform an individual.
What I like about CTDCC is that,
when I spoke with one of their Social Workers Olwethu Matolengwe, she highlighted
the fact that they keep client’s information confidential. My other tick for
the place is that clients must be accompanied by a family member or other
responsible adult.
Pamphlets with everything
about drugs, Centre and other places to help fight addiction (Photo/Qaqamba
Matundu)
In my opinion CTDCC is a place
of fighting addiction whereby people are being helped to become who they were
before the storm of being exposed to drugs. During my tour at the Centre, I
learnt that people at times are led by situations to do drugs. Those include
peer pressure, being financial frustrated, frustration of work or academics,
boredom, anxiety, depression, escape the demands of life or insomnia. Drugs
were the only way people here found as solution to their problems not knowing
they were killing themselves.
“It’s closer to home than you
think” is a quote from them that I interpret as, with only one step you would
take by going to the CTDCC can be a life changer and bring you closer on going
back to normal.
CTDCC Logo (Photo/ Qaqamba
Matundu)
It has been 37 years now since
the Centre has been found. CTDCC has been part of Observatory since 1985. The Centre
is current under its clinical manager Fairuz. One of their former clients once said,
“Don’t give up, you will get your life back, I have and I am grateful to CTDCC,
they are people who understand and care.”
There is nothing to dislike
about the place. It is full of life. It is important to go there and seek for
help. “You need the right tool to battle your cravings and help you with
recovery. Primarily, it will treat your underlying mental health issues which
may have caused you to start abusing drugs at the first place.
The CTDCC has about 3 branches
that people can find them on. The first one is the one in Observatory, Mitchells
Plain Branch that is on 1 Civet Street, Eastride and Atlanta branch at Drosdy
building, Wesfleur circle.
On their pamphlet they
mentioned that their mission for the Centre is to treat and rehabilitee
substance users those directly affected to bring about transformation and recovery.
The Centre treat both legal drug (e.g alcohol, tranquillizers and codeine) or
illegal (e.g. dagga, tik, heroin). They
provide an intensive outpatient program. They help clients with referrals e.g.
to an inpatient drug treatment care. The place offers compulsory sessions which
includes group counselling, family counselling, psychoeducational lecture,
individual counselling and family workshop.
Another thing I like about
CTDCC is that the assessment process for adolescents as adult except that a
parent/official guardian must be present to co-sign their treatment contract.
They offer a program specifically designed for adolescent clients. They build a
supportive network by working closely with the school or family.
Their fees for programs are
less their real cost. With only R100 per week a person can be transformed.
Video of the outside building (Video/Qaqamba Matundu)
When I was walking around
admiring the beauty of the place, a very young man which I assumed is a client
got out of the building. I approached him and had a little chat with him about
his presence in the premises. With a smile he answered freely
How would you describe the
place?
This is a place of brightening
your future that you made dull by yourself and overcome addiction.
What made you to do drugs?
I was 16 years old when I
listened to friends and letting them to control me when they gave me a blunt of
weed. With the fear of losing friends and trying to avoid being called weak I
smoked. It happened for some time and 7 years later I couldn’t go a day without
smoking, so yeah peer pressure led me to the hands of weed.
Do you think you made a right
decision of coming here?
Obviously, the best decision I
have ever taken in my whole entire life of 23 years is coming to this place
that is full of life and non-judgmental people.
What do you like and dislike
about the place?
When I was new here all the
sessions were boring me. My mother used to force me but now I willingly come
because I know things that happen behind closed doors remains there so when it
comes to dislikes, I haven’t had anything that would make me not like it here.
What made you to come here?
My mother is suffering from stroke,
and I don’t want to lose her. She has been nothing but a caring parent. This
thing of giving my life to drugs didn’t sit well with her so, all the sacrifice
of coming here is all for my queen and I also dropped out collage in 2020 so I
am thinking of going back to school. They made me realize that I still have a
bright future ahead of me.
Lastly what would you advise a
person out there suffering from substance abuse?
I am still on the journey of
fighting my addiction but all I can say is, drugs are the devil himself but
with consistence you can stop. Try and thank me later.
According to North Jersey
Recovery Centre individuals frequently believe that their substance abuse only affects them Perhaps
you have had similar thoughts if you are suffering from addiction. Unfortunately,
addiction affects the people you care about. It also impacts on the school
workplace and communities in which we are involved, weather because of
geography, culture or another factor.
The second consequence of
addiction range from unsafe workplace to disease transmission to crime. To
prevent drug abuse in a community, members must collaborate to educate people,
particularly those that are at higher risk of drug abuse. Preventing addiction
is the most effective way to avoid the social consequences of drug abuse in the
community.
Young people doing drugs (photo/internet, studyfinds.org)
Young people are the ones that
are mostly exposed to drug usage in our community. They sell them amongst
themselves. They do not mind the consequences of doing so. One of the rural
areas in the Eastern Cape called Misty Mount was suffering due to some young
man selling Tik. Young children were buying as usual and after some time the
drug showed its effects, they started losing their minds, others started being
thieves, stealing because they want to have money to buy again. By doing so
they are becoming a threat to the community. The community worked together to
get rid of the whole family of the seller, they burnt their house and demanded
them to leave the place. Now the whole family was in trouble because of drugs.
Drugs are nothing but the world killer.
According to the pamphlet I
got from CTDCC, alcohol abuse is one of the major problems in societies. It
negatively impacts workplace and economy due to the reduction of productivity,
increased job turnover, interpersonal conflict and damage to property. The few
social effects that come with alcohol abuse are crime (murder, assault, rape,
robbery), Violence (including domestic), sexual offences, reckless driving (or
walking) to contribute on accidents, deaths and injuries, unsafe sex and sexual
promiscuity, Fatal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and child neglect.
Consequences of drugs (Photo/internet,Lakeview Health)
Alcohol plays a huge role on
health. A person can suffer from liver damage and failure, cardiovascular
problems, brain damage, diabetes and weakened immune system. For a person to
stop drinking addiction, he/she must seek assistance through rehabilitation
program. This can be inpatient facility such as Ward 13 at Stikland Hospital or
an outpatient program such as South African National Council on Alcoholism
(SANCA). This is a place you will have occupational therapy session, psychology
sessions, talk to social workers and nurses and the service is opened for 18-65
of years.
Lastly, really the CTDCC is
for people who need to treat and rehabilitee and recover from substance abuse
and after my discovery of it, I would highly recommend it to anyone in need of
polishing again their future. Do contact your nearest branch for more information
about how they operate with bookings, costs and sessions.
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