Yvonnie Bailey- Davidson

Dear Counsellor,

My son is 16 years old and smokes ganja and cigarettes. He is doing poorly in school and not paying attention to his personal hygiene. I am trying desperately to get him to stop the smoking. HELP!

- Avril

Dear Avril,

Smoking is common among teenagers. Adolescents often mimic the negative behaviour of their peers and, unfortunately, smoking ganja and cigarette falls into this category.

Many individuals are unable to maintain good health when they smoke ganja. Cigarette smoking is bad for your health and can cause various cancers. Smoking should not be encouraged and you are quite right in trying to get your son to quit.

It will be challenging, because smoking is a popular pastime among Jamaicans and ganja is readily available. Many youths who smoke ganja are producing poor academic performances. They spend their time smoking and daydreaming and don't attend to their books.

Your son needs to be involved in a rehabilitation programme to get him off the ganja and cigarettes. Many people smoke as a mechanism to help them cope with stress. It takes a while for the drugs to exit his body and he may still have cravings. Let him see a psychiatrist as well.

It is important to get him off ganja as some individuals develop schizophrenia-like reactions to it. Many individuals feel that the smoking of ganja and cigarette is harmless, but research has indicated otherwise. Counselling will help him to stop the drug use.

Coping with Alzheimer's

Dear Counsellor,

My father is 86 years old and is suffering from Alzheimer's. He is forgetful and will wander away if not supervised closely. Some days he doesn't remember who I am and gets aggressive.

My mother is dead and I have three siblings who help me take care of my father. My father is getting worse and I have difficulty coping sometimes.

-- Sandy

Dear Sandy,

Alzheimer's is now a common condition affecting the elderly. As one grows older, the risk of getting the disorder increases. Unfortunately, it's a condition that worsens with time.

There are medications that are taken in the early phases to help prevent the progression. Several of the medications are available in Jamaica and so, you should keep your appointments with the doctor for management of this condition.

There is a social aspect to this disorder, as you need a caregiver to attend to the daily needs of your father. You need someone to prepare meals, tidy the house and assist your father with bathing and personal hygiene.

As the saying goes, 'once a man, twice a child'. As we grow older we become 'babies' again, desiring nurture and care. It is good that there are four of you to assist your father, as caregiving can be stressful and individuals need time off. Like a child, your father will have to be taken to the doctor, to church and to visit family members.

In the early stages of the disorder, the individual's memory will be inconsistent. Some days he will remember things, while on other days he will forget everything. It requires tolerance, patience and help to take care of an individual with dementia.

Contact Dr. Yvonnie Bailey-Davidson by phone at 978-8602 or 791-1778; or email yvonniebd@hotmail.com.