Srinagar- Fehmeeda (name changed), a cancer-stricken mother from Dalgate is battling not only her illness but also the harsh blows inflicted by her own son under the influence of drugs. In the dim glow of her tear-streaked face, Fehmeeda’s eyes mirror the silent storms raging within.
“He doesn’t give a damn about who I am, always remains high on drugs, goes insane, and beats and abuses me. I am battling with cancer and spend my monthly salary of Rs 9000 on my treatment. My son treats me badly rather than showing sympathy for his sick mother,” Fehmeeda said in a video that went viral on social media.
Despite filing a report against my son at the concerned police station, she said that the authorities outrightly refused to take any action, saying ‘there was nothing they could do about a drug addict.’
“What happens if he murders me or injures me? Several accounts of sons in the valley killing their mothers have surfaced over the years. Who will be responsible, if the police act as a mute spectator? He fractured my arm this morning and doused my back with scalding tea. To satisfy his drug craving, he also took my phone and other belongings,” she added.
Fehmeeda’s heart-wrenching story is just one among the many “ticking time bombs” – chronic drug abusers – whose aggressive tendencies rupture the very fabric of familial bonds.
Experts claimed that drug abusers emotionally mistreat people around them since they put too much emphasis on drugs. Long-term substance abuse can lead to several mental illnesses such as bi-polar disorder or schizophrenia in victims, which can cause them to act violently against themselves or those around them, they added.
“The close family members are constantly at risk because the abuser may attack them under the severe influence of drugs, or may become violent out of a desire for money or craving for drugs,” Dr Fazl-e-Roub, DM Addiction Medicine Faculty, Institute of Mental health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) told Kashmir Observer.
Parents, spouses, and kids may be affected by the negative impacts of drug addiction, he added, since they may witness a loved one suffer from drug side effects or lose control when high.
Dr Shaheen Shora, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Lead, Hertfordshire University while speaking to Kashmir Observer also said the aggression and violence is common among the people misusing drugs. Over the years, several incidents of drug-addicted children violently abusing their parents have been reported in Kashmir.
In March last year, a drug addict son, accused of killing his mother in a cold-blooded murder of his mother, was arrested in Sopore town of Baramulla district in north Kashmir.
Since October 2022, there have been three instances of sons killing their mothers in Kashmir. On December 22, 2021, a man assaulted his family members and neighbors with a wooden log, killing three people—including his mother—and wounding seven more in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
A boy hailing from Kehribal area in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district killed his mother in October 2021 with intention of robbing his deceased mother’s money.
Following the murder, the suspect concocted a lie with his friend in order to confuse the public and the authorities into believing him that his relatives had committed the murder.
According to Dr. Fazl, family members may have physical and mental health problems as a result of their relative’s addicted behavior.
“Tensions run high and conflict becomes the norm. Without appropriate treatment, addiction can destroy your home, work and family life,” he said.
He said the drug users’ aggressive behavior may have a negative impact on their family and relatives if appropriate action is not taken promptly. As such, he added, the police cannot act as a mute spectator and watch idly while this happens.
“Police can refer drug abuse victims to rehab centers for treatment instead of putting them in custody, which would allow the victim to recover and his family members to feel relieved,” he added.
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