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The discourse around Nasha Mukt Bharat often centres on supply chains, law enforcement, and rising statistics. However, addiction is not merely a social or legal issue; it is fundamentally a psychological phenomenon. To understand the growing drug crisis in Jammu & Kashmir, one must look beyond substances and examine the human mind under distress.
The National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use in India (2019) estimated that approximately 2.8% of India’s population uses o*io*ds. More recent region-specific evidence indicates a significant escalation in Jammu & Kashmir. A 2022 epidemiological study using benchmark-multiplier methodology estimated op**od dependence in Kashmir at 2.23%, corresponding to approximately 52,404 individuals.
Parallel clinical observations from the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), Kashmir report an exponential rise in substance use cases over the past decade, with increasing numbers of individuals seeking treatment³. Government data from Jammu & Kashmir (2022–2025) further indicate that over 25,400 individuals have been registered for outpatient treatment and 1,595 for inpatient care, reflecting both an increasing prevalence and improved reporting systems.
Broader administrative estimates suggest that the scale of substance use may be significantly larger, with over 9 lakh to 13.5 lakh individuals affected across Jammu & Kashmir, indicating that treatment data likely represent only a fraction of the actual burden.
District-level trends reveal a distinct pattern: urban centres such as Srinagar consistently report the highest number of cases, while Anantnag, Baramulla, and Budgam form secondary clusters of high prevalence. Peripheral districts, including Kupwara, Bandipora, and Shopian, report lower absolute numbers but show a steady upward trajectory, indicating a gradual spread into previously less-affected areas. This clustering suggests that urbanisation, accessibility, and anonymity may act as facilitating factors in substance use patterns.
Across districts, there is also a noticeable shift in substance patterns. Clinical and field-based studies indicate a transition from c**a*is and pharmaceutical misuse toward h*r*in, which has emerged as the dominant substance in treatment settings, with over 80–90% of o*i*id users reporting h*r*in as their primary drug. Increasing instances of poly-substance use among younger populations further signal deepening psychological vulnerability.
At its core, addiction is not about pleasure; it is about relief.
For many individuals, particularly youth in Jammu & Kashmir, substance use does not begin as a pursuit of euphoria but as an attempt to regulate overwhelming internal states. Anxiety, emotional pain, loneliness, and unresolved trauma create a psychological burden that seeks an outlet. In the absence of adaptive coping mechanisms, substances become a form of maladaptive self-regulation.
Neuroscience explains this process through the brain’s reward circuitry. Psychoactive substances artificially stimulate dopaminergic pathways, particularly the mesolimbic system, producing short-lived emotional regulation. With repeated exposure, the brain undergoes neuroadaptation, including reduced dopamine receptor sensitivity, impairing natural reward processing. Over time, individuals are no longer seeking a “high,” but attempting to avoid withdrawal and emotional dysregulation.
What begins as voluntary use gradually shifts into compulsive dependence. This transition from choice to compulsion is particularly relevant in the context of Kashmir’s youth. Available evidence suggests that nearly 90% of substance users fall within the 17–35 age group, highlighting the concentration of addiction within a critical developmental window marked by identity formation, uncertainty, and psychological vulnerability.
The region’s socio-political history has contributed to a background of chronic psychological stress. Epidemiological studies in Kashmir have consistently reported elevated prevalence of depression, anxiety disorders, and trauma-related symptoms, often linked to prolonged exposure to conflict and instability. Yet, mental health conversations remain limited, and seeking psychological help continues to be stigmatised.
This reflects internalised distress, emotionally intense yet unexpressed, which manifests as persistent anxiety, depressive symptoms, emotional numbness, and identity confusion. Emerging global evidence further links substance dependence to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), including neglect, loss, and household instability factors not uncommon in conflict-affected settings.
For a young person navigating these states, substances offer rapid but short-lived emotional regulation. They silence intrusive thoughts, blunt emotional pain, and create a temporary sense of control in an otherwise overwhelming internal world. Peer networks often reinforce this trajectory, normalising initial use and accelerating progression toward dependency.
However, this relief comes at a cost. Repeated substance use reinforces behaviour through negative reinforcement the removal of distress. Over time, the individual learns to rely on substances as their primary coping mechanism, weakening natural resilience and emotional regulation. Dependency strengthens as psychological flexibility declines.
This is why addiction is understood not as a moral failing, but as a chronic, relapsing condition rooted in neurobiology and behaviour. In Jammu & Kashmir, another critical dimension is that of identity and meaning. Developmental psychology identifies adolescence and early adulthood as key periods for identity formation. However, in environments marked by uncertainty and limited opportunities, individuals may experience what Viktor Frankl termed an “existential vacuum”, a pervasive sense of meaninglessness.
In such contexts, substances do more than numb pain; they temporarily fill a psychological void. Family dynamics further shape this trajectory. Environments characterised by high control but low emotional expressiveness can create attachment gaps. When emotional validation is absent, young individuals may feel unseen or misunderstood, increasing vulnerability to maladaptive coping behaviours.
From a psychological standpoint, addiction in Jammu & Kashmir emerges at the intersection of: Emotional dysregulation, Unresolved trauma, Limited coping mechanisms, Deficits in emotional connection and communication. Addressing this requires a shift from an exclusively external response to a more internal, person-centred approach.
The vision of Nasha Mukt Bharat must therefore integrate evidence-based psychological interventions, including early emotional literacy programs, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), trauma-informed care, and family-based interventions that strengthen communication and attachment.
Equally important is redefining societal perceptions of addiction. Labelling individuals as “addicts” reinforces stigma and shame, both of which sustain the cycle of dependence. Shame drives concealment, and concealment delays intervention.
Breaking this cycle requires replacing judgment with clinical understanding and empathy. Recovery, from a psychological perspective, is not merely the absence of substance use. It is the process of relearning how to live without escapism, rebuilding emotional tolerance, restoring social connection, and rediscovering meaning. In Jammu & Kashmir, where external realities have long been complex, strengthening internal resilience becomes essential. A truly Nasha Mukt Bharat will not emerge solely from controlling substances; it will emerge when individuals no longer need substances to cope with their inner world.
“The real battle is not against substances, but against the unaddressed psychological suffering that sustains their demand. Until that is confronted, supply reduction alone will remain insufficient.”
The Author is a Mental Health Counsellor and Educator and can be reached at aabida0712@gmail.com
