The Profile of a Typical Middle Eastern Patient Using Illicit Drugs in the Last 30 Years

Abstract

This is a compilation of multiple histories of patients compiled in one story to highlight the burden of addiction and its catastrophic consequences.  All the components are real, but they don’t describe a single patient, although they could well be so. I have come across these stories over more than 25 years as an addiction medicine specialist. I believe they can help decision makers, service providers and users, and society. All parts of the story are true but many patients contributed in the scenarios described. Any similarities with a history of any patient would be a mere coincidence, as I have taken all the necessary measures to conceal any facts that might lead to the identification any single patient. I have seen patients in 5 different Middle Eastern countries and these stories come from my experiences in all of them. While reading, please remember that all the drugs mentioned are street drugs mostly, so whatever name is mentioned, it does not necessarily mean its contents are the made by licensed drug manufacturers and are mostly laced with other chemicals. This paper was written to be presented at the American Center for Psychiatry & Neurology in Abu Dhabi, UAE  5^th AAPA- Advances in Psychiatry Across Ages, January 2026.