President of Centre Tells His Recovery Story

This story is about Shri Yogendra Kumar, President of Sai Sahara Drug De-Addiction and Rehabilitation Centre. The story can be found on their website. To find out more about Sai Sahara, check out their website or go to their listing page.

It wouldn't have been possible for me to come into the treatment without the strict actions taken by my family members as they suffered serious social, economical and psychological problems. Even after letting them suffer for such a long time i.e. 23 yrs, I never realized of quitting drugs, though I could not learn anything from my past experiences at that time but my behavior towards my family members made them learn a lot.

They learnt how to live without me. They stopped caring for me, never yielded to my threats and started praying God to take me away from their lives so that they can live more peacefully. My parents took me to many pandits, jyotishi's , tantrik's, ojha's, and psychiatrist etc.

This is first time some one advised my father to take me to the rehab center. Here after few months detoxification period I learnt that addiction is not only a disease rather a fatal disease.

Addiction had ruined my total personality and that we have a disease of attitudes. Here with the help of self help group and my counselor I got to know that "we are powerless over our addiction but we are not powerless over our attitudes, habits and behavior". Here I got ready to go to any length to stay clean, do anything and everything to obtain the gift of recovery, and thought of living the life on life's term.

I have to perform my duties as a human being by my own, no one else would do it for me, and I need to love others if I want to be loved by them. We can't run away from the truths of our lives. We need to face them squarely, learn from those mistakes and do not repeat them.

On 23rd April, 2010, I completed my 15 years of recovery by the grace of God and every one around me. My family members played an important role in my recovery.

They just followed the instructions of my counselor strictly. Attended all the family meetings held in the center. The main factor is that they never denied my problem; they were taught that denial is an unconsciousprocess of blocking out reality, the longer denial goes on, the longer it takes before the addict to change his behavior.

Through this programme (TC Programme) I learned that I might be able to influence but I can't change others. My behavior will definitely change their views about me. Recovery is not only state of not taking any forms of substance, it is more than that. It deals with entire psychic change.

It is a change in life style, which is reflected in our living. In fact it is a journey that never ends. No one can be sure of his or her destination but we can make sure that the journey we are taking leads to the right destination.

Hence journey is far more important then the destination. I believe that my experience will be equally useful to all the recovering substance users in particular and the treatment centers in general.