Drug and alcohol abuse: The refugee experienceDrug and alcohol abuse: The refugee experience
All In The Mind
They survive civil war, refugee camps, dispossession, enforced resettlement. Yet nothing can quite prepare a refugee for the challenge of adapting to life in a new and foreign home. This week, are the world's refugees at increased risk of drug and alcohol use and abuse? What's the international evidence, and what interventions work? Members of Australia's Sudanese community share their own concerns.
30:09•24 Feb 2007
Drug and Alcohol Abuse and the Refugee Experience: Sudanese Voices and Expert Insight
Episode Overview
- Trauma from war, camps and family separation can increase vulnerability to alcohol and drug use among refugees.
- Substances are often used as self-treatment for anxiety, depression and PTSD, but escalating use quickly becomes harmful.
- Shame and collective ideas of honour can push alcohol and drug problems underground within tight-knit communities.
- Sudanese youth face major education and cultural gaps, leaving some disengaged from school and at greater risk of street-based drinking and drug use.
- Effective support hinges on culturally aware prevention, clear information, and stronger social bridges between refugee communities and local society.
“"The problem, of course, is that over time what was an adequate amount no longer is adequate, and so they'll have to double or triple or quadruple their dose, at which point their favourite friend becomes their foe."”
Understand the complexities of addiction with insights from refugees, clinicians and community leaders in this thoughtful instalment of All In The Mind. The episode centres on Sudanese refugees in Australia and asks a blunt question: can the trauma of war, camps and resettlement spark a new trauma in the form of drug and alcohol misuse?
You’ll hear from acclaimed performer Ajak Khoi, whose powerful songs about freedom and loss set the emotional tone, before the focus shifts to everyday struggles of adapting to life in a totally different country. Confusion over basic things like buses, bank cards and school placements paints a vivid picture of how dislocation can pile stress on already traumatised families.
Psychiatrist Professor Joseph Westermeyer explains how refugees may turn to alcohol or other substances as "a form of self-treatment" for depression and PTSD, warning that "over time … their favourite friend becomes their foe." He introduces the idea of acculturation therapy and stresses that good care starts with understanding a person’s full life story, not just their years in their new country. Community voices keep the conversation grounded.
Youth leader Zachariah Mowat Masek worries about older teenagers thrust into classes they’re not prepared for, who "run away from school" and "end up on the street" and then "go straight direct to the alcohol and drug." Elder Professor Martin backs his concerns but cautions that only "very few individuals" are affected, challenging sensational headlines that label Sudanese youth as gangs and drunk drivers.
Project officer Helen Soey highlights how shame, stigma and unfamiliar concepts like counselling can make it hard to seek help, while also arguing for culturally aware prevention and clear information about alcohol’s risks. The episode balances grief, resilience and practical solutions, asking listeners to consider how societies can build better bridges to new communities before problems escalate. It leaves you wondering: what role could you play in making that bridge a little stronger?
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