Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 17:
A distance from the vigilant eyes of parents and indiscriminate doling out of pocket money without ever questioning, went a long way in me falling into the traps of drugs, said Rajen, previously a drug abuser who has given up the habit for more than 13 years now.
Rajen was speaking at the 16th anniversary of the Imphal Area Service Committee of Narcotics Anonymous at MDU Hall on June 15.Staying away from home and parents and lack of emotional support at tender age led him to the dark alley of substance abuse, recalled Rajen.
Though born to a big businessman father and an affluent family, Rajen was able to meet his father only on Saturdays and Sundays.
So pampered was he by his parents that his every wish was fulfilled and every demands met.
When in standard V, Rajen was sent to Delhi for schooling.
As he reached standard VII, Rajen started taking ganja with some of his friends in Delhi.
He used to take ganja twice every week and he felt ecstatic smoking it, Rajen recounted.
But after he passed class X, Rajen started intravenous injection of heroin.
By then he was totally possessed by drugs and as a result, his study was seriously jeopardised.
Even as he used to dream of becoming a fighter pilot during childhood, he was so taken by drugs after leaving high school that he used to pray "Let me live my whole life with the pleasure derived from taking heroin", Rajen recalled.
Eventually, Rajen came to such a stage where he could not imagine living without drugs.
He remarked, "When man consumes drugs, he enjoys the pleasure; when drugs start consuming man, he suffers the pain of every dose of drug he consumes".
After the damage was already done, his parents started reprimanding him and he was even confined to a room for 4/5 days after injecting him with sedatives in consultation with doctors.
Sharing his experience, Rajen said that some 14/15 years back there was not a single doctor in Manipur who could identify drug addiction as a disease and could treat the ailment accordingly.
Neither there was counsellors.
The drug addicts used to share syringes unwittingly, he recounted.
Realising, though lately, the disastrous affects of taking drugs to his physical and mental health as well as to the family and the society at large, Rajen wanted to give his vicious habit very strongly.
Accordingly, he admitted to a treatment centre.
There he learnt that drug addiction is a severe disease.
After a period of 10 long years under the spell of drugs, Rajen started participating in meetings of Narcotics Anonymous while simultaneous undergoing treatment.
By and by, he pledged to abide by the 12 rules of the Narcotics Anonymous.
Eventually, Rajen was able to stay away from drugs since 13 years back which once controlled his whole life.
Now a father of two daughters, Rajen is today a responsible man even though he grew up nagging at his own father.
Capitalising on his woeful experience, Rajen has been contributing in the efforts to wean away drug addicts from their vicious habits.
The anniversary function was attended by AMUCO advisor Th Iboyaima and writer Arambam Memchoubi as chairperson and guest of honour respectively.