Drug Addiction: The Long Road To Recovery

By Synthia Lateu

For many young Cameroonians, drug use often begins as curiosity or peer influence, but can quickly spiral into years of dependency, broken relationships, and isolation.

At the KAM-SIHAM Rehabilitation and Detoxification Centre in the Cité SIC Terminus neighbourhood, several recovering users are now trying to rebuild their lives after years lost to addiction.

Twenty-five-year-old Samory says his struggle began in 2019, when he first experimented with drugs. What started as curiosity soon became dependency.

Over time, he says, drugs became an escape from personal struggles, but also a force that distanced him from family and community. After leaving Douala for a village in the Moungo division, he met a new friend who introduced him to substance use.

“He asked me if I had smoked before. I said yes. I lied because I had never done it before,” Samory recalls. “I just wanted to fit in.” For Samory, that moment marked the beginning of a longer battle with addiction, one that eventually led him to rehabilitation after intervention from his family.

At the centre, he says, the early days were difficult, especially adjusting to a structured environment and confronting the reality of dependency. However, he now says the programme is helping him rebuild his confidence and learn how to manage personal challenges.

“I have understood through the programmes here that I need to reflect and work on myself, and try to manage my problems,” he says.
At 40, Claude is also on a journey of recovery. He says his experience with drugs began in 2011, driven by curiosity and the belief that he could resist addiction.

“I had heard stories that drugs put people out of their minds. I wanted to prove to everyone that I could be above those substances and that they wouldn’t reduce me to that,” he says.

Years later, Claude says addiction took control of his life, affecting his relationships and stability. Like Samory, he is now undergoing treatment at the rehabilitation centre, where both men have spent weeks without consuming drugs.

Despite the progress, recovery remains a difficult process. Each of them carries different memories of how addiction affected their lives, and how they eventually found help.

Family rejection and strained relationships are among the most painful consequences they describe. Both men say their behaviour changed significantly during addiction, leading to mistrust and emotional distance from loved ones.

For many families, sudden behavioural changes often become the first warning signs. One relative, who requested anonymity, said that is how he discovered his brother’s addiction.

“There is a psychological turn in the family. All members are affected by his attitude,” he said after visiting his brother at the centre.

Officials at the rehabilitation facility say they receive new cases almost daily, either through self-referral or family intervention. However, they say limited funding continues to hinder efforts to expand treatment and support services.

Public health experts warn that drug use among young people is becoming an increasing concern, with calls for stronger prevention and awareness campaigns targeting communities and families.

As Samory and Claude continue their recovery, both men share the hope to rebuild their lives and regain the trust of those they lost along the way.

For them, recovery is not just about stopping drug use it is about learning how to live again