MANILA, Philippines—“I became irresponsible. I quit my job. My relationship with my family was destroyed.”

These are the words of Pol, a recovering drug addict who now serves as the program director of a rehabilitation center for drug dependents. Like many individuals who are recovering from substance abuse, Pol considers his decade-long addiction to illegal drugs as one of the most difficult chapters in his life. Losing many of the things he valued and ruining his relationship with his loved ones, Pol, like other drug addicts, was caught in a web of self-destructive habits caused by his substance abuse.

Pol’s case is not uncommon. In all parts of the world, drug dependents and their families know fully well how much addiction can alter a person’s life. It may start out as an innocent foray into the unknown but as the use of drugs progresses, the substance abuser starts behaving in ways that are hurtful to his family. An addict will go to great lengths—stealing, cheating and lying to his loved ones—in order to get his hands on the thing that he falsely believes as the one that nourishes him.

When this happens, the substance abuser starts to lose the trust of the people who are important to him. Wives, parents, siblings and friends are left disappointed and hopeless, as in the case of Mark.

“I was emotionally and morally bankrupt already,” said Mark, another recovering substance abuser. “My mom’s heart was broken into pieces,” he added.

For drug dependents’ families, putting all of these painful events behind could be just as difficult as getting their loved one, the drug addict, to muster the courage and undergo treatment or rehabilitation.

“After 10 years I decided to submit myself into rehab,” Pol said.

Motivated by his desire to change for the better and to regain what he lost, Pol volunteered to go through a six-month recovery program. After finishing the program at the Recovery House, now known as We Do Recover, Inc., Pol guides other drug dependents to a better path as the rehabilitation center’s program director.

Healing

According to him, healing takes time. In fact, it is even considered a lifetime process because in just a snap, a drug addict can easily fall back into his former ways. (This is why people like Pol are called recovering drug addicts, not former drug addicts.)

However, addiction is a disease that can be treated.

“People are always one-sided when they hear of addicts,” said BJ, a recovering addict. Contrary to preconceived ideas, drug addicts are capable of changing, but to do so, they need all the support that they can get from their families and friends.

BJ, who used to be an addict for four years, went to rehab himself. He related that recovery is not a fairy tale; everyday, one fights the temptation of sliding back into the habit.

After fighting his way through recovery, BJ is now a psychologist, helping substance abusers as the counselor of We Do Recover, Inc. When asked if he would change his life if given the chance, BJ simply said that if it hadn’t been for his shady past, he wouldn’t be where he is now. “Just a day before I entered rehab, I prayed to God that what happened to me was just a dream, and God answered it.” He wants to carry a message to other addicts: There is hope and freedom after addiction, freedom from lies, worries and cheating.

“Life has been great, when you wake up in the morning and you don’t think about drugs anymore,” Mark said. Also one of the people behind We Do Recover, Inc., Mark shares that “life is not perfect but it is no longer miserable. Whatever I was years ago does not deter who I am today.”

Mark, Pol, and BJ’s stories demonstrate that there is always hope for drug addicts. No matter how shattered their lives are, there is another day to look forward to. Another day to change for the better and to rise after a fall.

There are people and professionals who are willing to give assistance to those suffering from addiction. Contact 231-5229.