De-Addiction Camps
If you are presently, or once were – addicted to drugs, then you understand the intense power of illicit drug use; you recognize the dangers of potential dependence on an external substance, and you can comprehend the difficulty of the “recovery road.” Maybe you’re on that road, or perhaps you’re scared to embark down the intimidating path to recovery.
Possibly you’re watching as drugs destroy someone else; maybe a family member or friend. Do you sometimes feel like crying: “Someone just help!”
Former brown sugar addict, Indrajit Deshmukh has felt each one of these painful emotions. What makes Dishmukh unique is that he had the courage to take action. First, he combated his own drug obsession; and now he helps battle the addiction struggles of others. In an attempt to use his personal recovery experience to help other addicts achieve abstinence, Deshmukh has worked to establish de-addiction camps since June of 2011. His organization called “Santalu,” sets up de-addiction camps that typically run for about 15 days, allowing up to 32 addicts to receive help.
Deshmukh’s Story [ref] http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/jun/140611-Young-people-drug-habit-vocational-training.htm[/ref]
“I started doing drugs when I was in college. It was just for fun. I was using brown sugar and injections and life completely changed after that. My education stopped as I had to discontinue my studies; then my family stopped supporting me financially. I started stealing to support my addiction. It started with stealing petrol because I had to travel to the peddler to get the drug and did not have money to buy petrol… I started the addiction by doing it once a month. Later it became twice to thrice a week, and finally it was three times a day.”[pullquote]”You must be the change you want to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi[/pullquote]Deshmukh was eventually admitted into a recovery program at a local de-addiction centre. Years of living in the shadow of drug addiction had eroded away most of his teeth, and his veins were no longer visible because of the drug injectioning methods he had employed. It was at the centre where he was finally able to steer away from drugs, and began to lead a better – more disciplined life. With his new lifestyle came new desires and ambitions. One desire recently realized was his noble ambition to create a de-addiction camp: a place where addicts can come and recieve expert help and counsel for a few weeks. De-addiction camps are extremely important in India, and have proved very successful in helping Indian drug addicts.
De-Addiction Camps
Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our developing country, had a dream for India. His dream was for a peaceful and powerful society – essentially he dreamt of an addiction-free and prosperous India. According to ZP president, Katpady Shankar Poorjary, drug and alcohol de-addiction camps are essential, and if Gandhi’s fading dream is ever to be fulfilled, camps must continue to be established. [ref] http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=118528[/ref]
The goal of a de-addiction camp is “To help [addicts] become clean, get employment, and lead a normal life,” said one camp director. The typical camp provides an effective recovery atmosphere where doctors, counselors, and volunteers gather to help addicts realize their addiction, and then recover from it. Basically, a de-addiction camp offers an inexpensive way to get on the path towards recovery. Though most de-addiction camps do not extend beyond a few weeks, that is still enough time to see an addict start to lead a better life, and begin to stand on his own two feet.
De-addiction camps are also a cheaper alternative to programmes at de-addiction centres – allowing some addicts to receive help they otherwise never would have. Thousands of addicts across India have received aid because of de-addiction camps, and the success of 
these camps can be attributed to people dedicated to seeing their country turn its back on drug use.
Gandhi was absolutely right when he said, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” In other words, don’t simply desire to see change – but act on that desire and be the change; de-addiction camps are doing this for India.
Helpful De-Addiction Camp Articles
- Former Addicts now help others kick drug habit: http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/jun/140611-Young-people-drug-habit-vocational-training.htm
- Drug De-Addiction Camp Held: http://greaterkashmir.com/news/2011/Jun/9/drug-de-addiction-camp-held-29.asp
- Alcoholics Speak out Their Heart at De-Addiction Camp: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/76923/alcoholics-speak-their-heart-addiction.html