Sr. Juliana Asantewaa, SVI, a Counsellor at a Seminar organised on pastoral care and mental health, on September 19, 2026, at the St. Joseph retreat center, Sunyani, has made a presentation on substance abuse and addiction.
The seminar brought together Priests, Consecrated Persons, Catechists, heads of Catholic institutions, teachers, and chaplains to help them in discharging their pastoral duties.
During her presentation, Sr. Juliana Asantewaa emphasised that addiction extends far beyond illegal drugs and alcohol abuse to include behaviour patterns.
Drawing on World Health Organization definitions, she underpinned that substance abuse ranges from drugs, (legal and illicit) to non-prescribed medications.
She reiterated that while these substances initially seem to offer emotional relief or energy, they gradually foster dependency, making one unable to stop despite clear physical or psychological harm.
Sr. Asantewaa categorized addiction into substance-related and non-substance related (behavioural) addictions, opining that compulsions can center on activities like gambling, and social media, or emotional states like chronic anxiety, anger, and perfectionism.
She outlined substances with addictive potentials into stimulants, depressants, opioids, and inhalants, detailing how repeated exposure alters brain chemistry by triggering dopamine surges that lead to increased tolerance, physical dependence, and compromised impulse control over time.
Addressing the root causes, Sr. Juliana Asantewaa identified key risk factors across psychological, environmental, family, and demographic domains.
Family factors include substance use or abuse or addiction within the family, family dysfunction, and unresolved trauma such as bereavement or divorce.
Environmental influences encompass peer pressure, social norms, social media exposure, weak religious affiliation, accessibility to drug, and curiosity, while demographic variables like age, geographic location, education level, and socioeconomic status further shape vulnerability.
Equipping participants for effective pastoral ministry, she emphasised that recognizing early warning indicators across physical, behavioural, and psychological spectrums is vital for timely intervention.
Warning signs include physical changes in sleep or coordination, behavioural red flags such as neglected duties or financial strain, and psychological symptoms like extreme mood swings, intense cravings, or denial.
Sr. Asantewaa emphasised that the fact that someone uses a particular drug does not automatically mean that he or she is addicted.
Addiction is a gradual process that develops into a clinical condition. Many people, especially young people, experiment with substances with mood enhancing potential.
However, when one develops dependency or becomes addicted to a particular substance or behaviour, there is the possibility of recovery.
Counseling, psychotherapy and medication or psychopharmacology are some of the treatment options. It was also stressed that recovery does not mean that one is immune. There is the possibility of reusing the substance, a phenomenon called relapse.
She reiterated that relapses should be understood as a common phenomenon within the recovery process rather than an absolute failure, thus calling on pastoral leaders to offer continuous empathy and support.
By Sr. Sheila Adombire, HHCJ and Sr. Esther Kutie, SVI (Catholic Sister Communicators Network Ghana- CASCON – GH)
