In this modern day and age, where peer pressure and stress have become the norm, it has also become easier to obtain and use illegal substances on a daily basis. There is no blueprint as to who is vulnerable to drugs and who will fall prey to addiction.
Whether you are a drug addict, alcoholic, going through a divorce or just need someone to talk to, there is a place you can go and people who want to help you. One of those people is Don, who has firsthand experience of addiction and is now starting a support group to help others like himself…
Don is a retired teacher, but also a recovering cocaine addict and a recent divorcee. He used cocaine for almost 10 years, of which the last six saw more frequent use of the drug. Amazingly, he still managed to get promoted to deputy principal at the school where he was teaching. During this time, he obtained his Honours degree in Psychology, as well as an Honours in School Management. One would think that someone with these accolades would not fall into the dark pit of addiction, but as Don says, he didn’t know how to deal with his thoughts, behaviour and emotions, and so turned to drugs. He felt isolated and needed to feel indifference, since he had stress at work and at home and the drugs helped him cope. “It’s a vicious cycle, since your problems are worse the next morning, but an addict doesn’t care; you just need to use again to be able to cope,” he explained the reasoning behind an addict’s thought process. He was on the brink of several suicide attempts and the cocaine gave him that invisible ‘power’ to overcome all obstacles, at least in the short term. When his life became unmanageable, he made the choice to turn his life around and searched for the necessary assistance.
He found it helpful to talk to someone about his problems and “to have someone who supports you regardless of your addiction”. He wants to do the same for others who need that kind of support and understanding, hence he is starting a support group for anyone who needs it. Every day is still a struggle for him and he has to make the daily choice not to use again. He followed the ’12 Step’ programme of the AA and NA, which will also be followed at this non-profit support group. Everyone is welcome to attend the group every Monday and Friday and can contact Don on 084-808-2892 for more information. The first group session will be on October 9 at 6.30pm at the Klipkerk.
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