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Dwijen, a Former Addict, Gives Back

Admin
May 4, 2011

Dwijen’s story was originally posted on Muktangan Rehabilitation’s website. Find out more about Muktangan on their listing page.

The universal saying goes that a cat has nine lives. As an individual, I wouldn’t know whether it is true or not, but in my case, the fact is that I have had three lives.

As my name suggests, I got two natural lives – one when I was born and came into existence on this mother Earth and second – when I was given Yagyopavit (the thread ceremony, being a Brahmin), the most sacred conversion term.

Dwijen Smart

The third life, I got from Muktangan De-Addiction Center, wherein a real sense I was converted from a beast to a human being, not technically but as a terminology – based on my behaviour of instincts.

It was here that I was taught once again to think and act normally. I am back to being a productive member of society.

Although I lost the most valuable 14 years of my life due to multiple addictions, I was able to gather and put back scattered bits and pieces of my life, with a lot of support from Muktangan.

Today I am a counselor at Muktangan De-Addiction Center, where I am like a wheel in the machinery, extending helping hand wherever required. I was recently deputed to the Andaman and Nicobar islands for a tenure of 8 weeks to help bring about awareness of this disease and help in setting up a de-addiction centre.

Anil Awachat

Anil Awachat, the founder of Muktangan Rehabilitation Center

It was during this tenure that I found SARnet. We were searching for sources of funding and I stumbled upon the wesouthasians.org website. We put in a post on the message board of the site and were promptly contacted by Tushar, who put us in contact with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Simultaneously, I have set up a small side business of digital printing, catering and tailoring. Although I do have to put in 14 to 16 hours of hard work every day to recover from my lost years, I am a happy man. I have a loving and understanding wife who also extends a helping hand to run the side business. We are blessed with a baby boy who is almost 3 years old.

Last but not the least, I can never forget the painful moments, or rather I should put them as years, I have given to my parents and to my near and dear ones. They had to undergo mental, physical, emotional and social trauma because of me.

I thank god and I thank all my friends, well-wishers and colleagues who stood by me in spite of all the misgivings. They showed me the way to recovery, step by step, to become what I am today. I pray to God that each day as it passes should keep me the same and I continue towards betterment, till the last day, when the time comes to say good-bye to all.