Sanjay Gangwar
(I’ve been enjoying the Fruits of Recovery)
I was slowly drowning in addiction and found no way out of my disease. Medical intervention & religious rituals would give me temporary relief and I would mistake these measures as my recovery. It was then that the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous brought a ray of hope to my troubled life. AA taught me to identify my disease and showed me the way to a clean & sober life. The Steps gave me freedom from my diseased thinking and helped me work on my negative attitudes and character defects. The 12 Steps put me in touch with my Higher Power. Soon Joy and inner peace prevailed and today my family is very happy with my progress. AA helped me realize that abstaining from alcohol is not recovery but leading a life of self-honesty that keeps me in touch with my higher power on a daily basis is true recovery. It has been three years now, and I have been leading a disease-free life. With the Grace of my higher power, I am now enjoying the fruits of recovery by serving fellow-addicts one day at a time.
Sunil Bahuguna
(I Found Sobriety Practicing AA’s 12th Step)
What does Recovery mean to you?
To me Recovery means to achieve all those goals I could not achieve during my using days. I took my first drink at the age of 16. By the time, I was 22, I became a chronic alcoholic. For over 20 years I continued to drink but did not realize that I was powerless over alcohol.
What does sobriety mean to you? How long have you been sober?
I have been In Recovery since January, 30, 2010. To me sobriety means not just staying away from alcohol.
What is your definition of spirituality?
Fulfilling family responsibilities is the first and foremost spiritual principle for me. During my addiction days, I was not able to live up to either my family expectations or that of society. Today, if I am able to help a fellow-addict unconditionally it gives me the greatest joy.
Do you approve of a 5-month Rehab Programme? If so why?
I think a 5-month programme is a must since it takes time to understand all the damage I did during my drinking days — Whether it was physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. For me to understand the spiritual concept, it took me over four months.
Have your family relationships improved? If yes, In what ways?
Today, with five years of sobriety under my belt, my relationships with my family, relatives & friends are looking up, and I am very happy with the gifts sobriety has given me.
When you get thoughts of using, what keeps you away from the first drink?
I don’t get thoughts of using. To me drinking alcohol is the worst thing a human being can do. It is a poison that kills the drinker, his family and the society he lives in. Today I work AA’s 12th Step and carry the message to others suffering alcoholics and addicts.
Utkarsh Raturi
(Self-honesty is my recovery mantra)
What does Recovery mean to you?
For me Recovery means living life on life’s terms. It also means fulfilling your responsibilities both as an individual and as a family member.
What does the term sobriety mean to you? How long have you been sober?
To me, being sober means to lead a balanced life away from drugs. I had been into an addiction for over four years and alcohol, smack & injections were my choice of drugs. I completed two years of sobriety on January 3, 2015
Do you approve of a 5-month Rehab Programme? If so why?
I think being in a rehab is like practicing in the nets. So, the more you practice, the more you will be ready to face life when you go out. I think 5 months is absolutely necessary. When I was put into Naveen Kiran in 2012 for the first time, I was not willing to believe I had an addiction problem. I was majorly into denial and manipulated my way out of here within two months. The second time was on January 3, 2013, and it was no different. I even tried to escape from here after two months of the programme and there was a change in my perception.
Have your family relationships improved? If yes, in what ways?
Today, I am totally satisfied with the trust my family has in me. The first year after recovery was my baptism by fire. Today, there is mutual respect and lots of sharing & caring
When you get thoughts of using, what keeps you away from the first drink?
I believe in living life on life’s terms. I don’t get thoughts on using but my Recovery Tool is Self-honesty. If I remain honest on a daily basis I will stay away from the first drug.
Madan Jadli
(I keep it simple, I follow the first step to stay clean)
What does Recovery mean to you?
To me recovery means leading a sober life. It meansleading a life free from addiction. It also means there should be no clashes within the family, no confrontations within my immediate environment.
What does the term sobriety mean to you? How long have you been sober?
I don’t believe in complicating things, I like to keep the programme simple. To me, sober means to remain clean. I started drinking alcohol in 1996, when I was 17 years old. I started with a glass of beer but by 2003, I became a chronic drinker. As of now, I have been sober for one-and-a-half-years and came clean on October 16, 2013.
What is your definition of spirituality?
To me Spirituality, means to make the distinction between right and wrong
Do you approve of a 5-month Rehab Programme? If so why?
Yes most certainly. If you stay for 5 months you realize what damage you have done in your drinking days. It took me two months in the rehab to become willing to become sober.
Have your family relationships improved? If yes, In what ways?
I realized I was like a flea sucking the blood of my family. Today, when I go home they have a lot of faith and trust in me. I feel so privileged that nobody questions me even when I come home after 10 or 11 p.m. in the night. Everything has changed for the good.
When you get thoughts of using, what keeps you away from the first drink? What is your recovery tool?
No, I don’t get thoughts on using. However, to me surrendering to my higher power and living the 1st Step keeps me sober, one day at a time.
Nitin Raj
(The joy of living a clean life is beyond comparison)
What does Recovery mean to you?
Being in Recovery means to live a disciplined life; work on family relationships and ability to look within myself.
What does the term sobriety mean to you? How long have you been sober? To me being sober means to lead a clean and honest life. I started using when I was 15. I started with smoking Hashish but within a year I had become an addict and could not stay away from using In 2001, I started using pain-killer injections and drank alcohol to get a bigger high. I checked into a rehab through intervention in 2013.I have been sober since January 22, 2013 and that means two years of clean life.
Do you approve of a 5-month Rehab Programme? If so why?Whoever worked out a 5-month stay in the rehab to come clean must have given it enough thought. I think the duration worked just fine for me. For four months, I remained so quite that most family members did not even know I existed.
Have your family relationships improved? If yes, In what ways?
In the beginning, my family had no faith in me because of my past actions. They were used to me running on self-will but today there is a sea-change in their attitude.
When you get thoughts of using, what keeps you away from the first drink?
I don’t get any thoughts about using again. However, it is AA’s 12th Step that keeps me clean and sober.
SATVEER CHAUHAN
(The damages i caused while using, keeps me clean)
What does Recovery mean to you?
Recovery means responsibility. We are not bad people but addiction has made us the worst people.Due to my using, I did not understand my responsibilities.
What does the term sobriety mean to you? How long have you been sober?
For me, sobriety means being a good and productive person in society. I am at a crucial phase in my career where I can lay a foundation for a strong and successful career. I started using Hashish, marijuana, capsules & alcohol in the year 2006. Until 2011, I could say I was a social user and did drugs & alcohol for pleasure. In 2011, I moved on to doing cocaine, Crystal Methamphetamine, Brown Sugar 1t all. I became a chronic addict and Multiple Drug User. I used to be stoned 24×7 and was admitted to Naveen Kiran Rehabilitation Centre, on April 24, 2018.
Do you approve of a 5-month Rehab Programme? If so why?
For a personality like mine, I need a 5-month rehabilitation programmatic feel willingness takes time, since I had to realize all the damages I caused during my using days to come into recovery.For some it may take a week, but willingness holds the key. From the first day in treatment, I was willing to come clean. I felt realization without action was of no use. I got invaluable help from Relapse patients.
Have your family relationships improved? If yes, in what ways?
It is my age factor that comes in the way of rebuilding family relationships. Considering the amount of damage I caused, it will take time. They are very shaky about my recovery prospects, even though it has been 1 year. Once I work on my attitudes, my nature, it is a matter of time before things fall in place.