
Smita
Phase 1. Recreational Use≫
Smita thought she might have always been prone to addiction and viewed herself as demanding, stubborn, and given to fits of rage when she did not get what she wanted. On the other hand, she saw her older brother being pampered by their parents. It seemed he was given everything he wanted while he just indulged himself in drugs. Her brother had 23 rounds of treatment and finally got clean. However, during this time Smita felt her parents “forgot that they had a daughter too”. She felt it was unfair that, while she had stayed clean, it was she who suffered the consequences of her brother’s addiction. At the same time, she was trying to manage a long-term relationship with her boyfriend who was also deep in addiction.
The first time Smita tried alcohol it was out of anger, curiosity, and spite as she grew tired of seeing the men around her using substances while she missed out. She said: “You like alcohol so much? One day I will try too. What is this thing? My brother also likes drinking it a lot. You also like it a lot. Dad too likes it. What is this thing? I will try this time.’”