Help is available and recovery is possible

BANGALORE: Propagating the fact that the first step towards recovery from drug addiction is to win the internal battle, Narcotics Anonymous stated at a press briefing that the rate of youngsters dependent on drugs has gone up in the city.The group further pointed out that all over the world, there are 58 per cent male addicts and 42 per cent females addicts who come in for recovery.Statistics for Bangalore too are quite similar.“There is no social, religious, economic, racial, ethnic, national, gender or classstatus membership restrictions. There are no dues or fees for membership. We want to create awareness that help is available and recovery is possible. All people have to do is to make that choice between letting the addiction take over you, or take initiative and responsibility to seek help and recovery,” said a member of the anonymous group.The network that is inextricably linked, succeeds from the therapeutic value as addicts work with other addicts to understand each other’s problems and gain motivation for successful recoveries.The Bangalore fellowship of narcotics revealed that the youngest member was a 14-year-old who faced hardships early in life due to addiction.“He came in for help as he dropped out of school, was thrown out of house and eventually lost everything in life. Soon after he realised that it was addiction that was the root cause of all problems. He decided to seek help and was able to get back on his feet. He started studying again and now is back home and managing well. People need to realise that recovery is available and it is possible to rid oneself of drug dependence,” said the member.The group organises 56,000 meetings across the world and is present in 136 countries, with daily meetings of recovery held in Bangalore too.The group is also trying to promote their helpline number 9880590059 to make sure that those in need get the right kind of guidance.