Substance Use, Addiction, Recovery and Mental Health

Substance use and addiction are among the most misunderstood mental health concerns in South Asia. Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, opioids, prescription medicines and newer synthetic substances affect individuals across every age group, income level and community, yet the response is too often shaped by stigma, punishment and silence rather than care.

Addiction rarely stands alone. It is frequently interwoven with depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, chronic pain, poverty, unemployment, family conflict and social exclusion. Treating substance use without addressing the mental health and life circumstances beneath it tends to lead only to relapse.

This thematic area will explore prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery as a connected pathway rather than isolated events. Particular attention will be given to community and family roles, the realities of rural and low-resource settings, and the danger of approaches that shame or criminalize people who are already unwell.

The conference will also examine recovery as a long-term, non-linear process: relapse as part of the journey rather than failure, and the supportive relationships, peer networks and meaningful roles that help people rebuild their lives.