Ghanaians are being warned that the effects of substance abuse and drug abuse could be devastating, particularly to the mental wellbeing of an individual.
The Upper East Regional Mental Health Coordinator, Edem Quarshie Ameglah expressed grave concern that people continued to abuse many substances, particularly alcohol, without realizing that the effects of same could cause irreparable damage to their mental and physical wellbeing.
Speaking on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East, Mr. Ameglah said substance abuse could have a damaging effect on career progression, education and personal relationships and thus warned the public, particularly the youth to stay away from such practices.
“We have classified some people and put them in a cage and have said that they are this or that. Meanwhile, mental health issues are all around us,” he said.
Mr. Ameglah affirmed the notion that one in every four people has a certain level of mental health condition. He was however quick to add that because of certain African traditional beliefs, people refuse to believe that some conditions are a result of poor mental health and would rather attribute it to religion and spiritism.
He continued to say that poses even more challenges because such cases go unreported and could thus morph into more severe cases of mental disorders.
It would be recalled that earlier this year, it came to light that some 49 people in the Bongo District of the Upper East Region had developed various degrees of mental health disorders from the use of alcohol.
Mr. Ameglah called on the public to avoid the abuse of alcohol and other psychoactive substances. Mr. Ameglah explained that “the best form of treatment for substance abuse is prevention”.
A1radioonline.com|101.1|MHz Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
