“I was addicted to nyaope, cocaine, crystal meth and Cat and started when I was still in high school. I later went to rehab but that didn’t work,” says Shawn, a 27-year-old resident of the town.
He says his decision to go and find out what the AA is all about changed his life.
“It is a life or death decision. I lost many of my friends through drugs and just wished they could have found the AA as I did. The people at the AA received me with open arms; they are all addicts and know what it is like to be addicted,” says Shawn.
He adds that he had a “slip-up” when he relapsed at the end of 2016, after the death of his uncle, but no one in the organisation chased him away.
“I thought they would look down on me for having failed, but they did not do that at all. The motto of the AA is “keep coming back” and you will get help if you do that. I would not have been able to leave drugs without the AA. No matter how much you want to, you cannot battle addiction by yourself. People like your family do not know what it is like,” he says.
According to Shawn, other residents should not judge drug addicts. “It is hard. You are used to people calling you names but drug users are not bad people in themselves.
They must know that there is help, however, although it’s not easy. You can beat addiction but you have to take it day by day,” he says.
Shawn says he owes a debt of gratitude to his mother, who stood by him, even through his most difficult times.
“I want to encourage people with addiction to give the AA a try to see what we are all about. The AA is a big family, and we adopt new people every week,” he says.
All the services of the AA are free. People who want to contact the AA or NA can call its national 24-hour helpline at 0861 435722, visit the website www.aasouthafrica.org.za or call Nico Kotze at 082 461 9627.
