Addiction in Eswatini

Effects of high addiction-related stress on health and personal life

Health impacts

• Physical: sleep problems, fatigue, headaches, weight changes, and higher blood pressure.
• Mental: increased anxiety or depression, irritability, mood swings, and concentration difficulties.
• Behavior: using substances to cope, poorer diet, reduced exercise, and riskier behaviors.
• Chronic conditions: can worsen existing illnesses and weaken immune function.

Personal life impacts

• Relationships: more conflicts with partners/family, withdrawal, and less quality time.
• Parenting/caregiving: decreased patience and potential caregiver burnout.
• Finances and responsibilities: money worries, neglect of chores or work tasks.
• Social support: isolation and stigma can shrink your support network.

Coping steps

• Seek support: talk to a trusted person or counsellor; consider support groups.
• Set boundaries: limit enabling behaviors and establish recovery-friendly routines.
• Self-care: prioritize sleep, balanced meals, movement, and mindful breaks.
• Access help: consider digital tools or programmes (e.g., October) and check if your employer offers an EAP.

When to seek urgent help

• Thoughts of harming yourself or others, or a crisis situation.
• Severe withdrawal symptoms, extreme mood changes, or safety concerns.

Eswatini resources (tip)

• Speak with a local healthcare provider or counsellor at your clinic or hospital.
• Look for mental health NGOs or community health programs; ask about integrated care options.
• Check with your workplace about Employee Assistance Programs or partnerships with mental health platforms like October.

Economic impacts of high addiction-related stress (Eswatini context)

• Lower productivity and GDP growth due to absenteeism, presenteeism, and higher turnover.
• Increased health and social costs (treatment, hospital care, medications) straining public health systems.
• Higher crime and enforcement costs related to substance misuse and related security needs.
• Deterioration of human capital (disrupted education, skill development), hampering long-term growth.
• Greater strain on public budgets and reduced tax revenue, potentially impacting social programs.

Workplace actions to mitigate impact

• Offer confidential counselling and support through an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); consider digital group sessions and assessments (e.g., October) to improve access and reduce stigma.
• Implement compassionate leave and return-to-work policies; train managers to recognize addiction-related concerns and respond without punitive judgment.
• Promote preventive mental health programs and stigma reduction to sustain morale and productivity.

Country actions to lower addiction-related stress (Eswatini-focused)

• Prevention and early intervention

  • Invest in youth and community education, stigma reduction, and culturally appropriate campaigns; involve traditional and community leaders to improve reach.

• Integrated, accessible care

  • Strengthen screening and referral for substance use and mental health in primary care; train healthcare workers in trauma-informed care; link services with HIV programs where relevant.

• Evidence-based treatment and harm reduction

  • Scale up treatment options for substance use disorders (including counseling and support) and, where appropriate, consider harm-reduction measures (e.g., naloxone availability) and medication-assisted treatment.

• Address social determinants and economic stress

  • Expand social protection, unemployment support, housing, and food security; target rural and vulnerable populations to reduce stressors that can drive or worsen addiction.

• Digital health and workplace mental health

  • Leverage digital tools and workplace programs to reduce stress related to addiction; consider partnerships with platforms like October for anonymous assessments, group sessions, and ongoing mental health content that can support employees and communities.

Ways companies can reduce addiction-related stress in Eswatini workplaces

• Implement a confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with evidence-based addiction counseling; ensure privacy and clear referral pathways to local treatment services, and consider linking to October's digital group sessions for ongoing support.

• Launch stigma-reduction initiatives: frame addiction as a health issue, use respectful language, engage leadership in promoting help-seeking, and share anonymized success stories if appropriate.

• Optimize work design and stress management: monitor workload, set realistic deadlines, offer flexible schedules, encourage regular short breaks, and provide access to mindfulness or resilience resources.

• Ensure access to treatment and supportive return-to-work policies: provide paid or flexible treatment leave, maintain non-punitive policies around substance use, and create structured return-to-work plans.

• Build peer and leadership support: train managers in compassionate, confidential conversations; establish peer support groups or recovery circles; set up safe reporting channels for concerns.