Hi everyone, I’m here today to share some deeply personal insights from my own journey. My name is Sanjay Khullar, and I am a recovering addict. For 27 long years, I battled with alcohol addiction. Those years were a constant struggle, not just for me, but for my mother who tried tirelessly to get me into rehab. The truth is, every time rehab came up, I would manipulate, deceive, lie, and even scare her away from the idea. I was stuck in a cycle of manipulation and denial.
Now, having received treatment and reflected on my past, I understand one profound truth: the biggest reason I couldn’t get well was my own dishonesty. As an addict, I constantly lied to my family, manipulated them, and used them. I never listened to them; instead, I always wanted them to listen to me. This created a constant conflict within my family.
Addiction is a disease that is treatable, but not curable. It’s a lifelong journey, and as long as I stick to my treatment, I will remain well. If I stray from it, I know I won’t be okay. My mindset during active addiction was always negative; I approached everything negatively. If someone told me to take the straight path, I would always find a way to veer off it. And if I wanted to do something and was stopped, it often led to revolt and chaos at home. There was a fundamental breakdown in communication because neither side truly understood the other, with addiction blocking any chance of finding a solution.
One of the main reasons for this behavior is the addict’s attitude – they are often spoiled, making it hard for them to speak the truth or accept anything. I’ve seen this pattern extensively, especially with only children, whom I refer to as “civil school babies”. Their parents have never truly let them grow up, always fulfilling their wishes rather than just their needs. I often tell families to fulfill needs, not desires, but they give them whatever they ask for, never saying no. This makes it incredibly difficult when it comes to treatment; if a patient is in treatment and their family wants to take them home, the family often listens to the patient first, driven by attachment, not understanding the gravity of the disease they’re fighting.
This brings me to a crucial point: no patient can truly recover without the unwavering support of their family. Family support is absolutely essential. Families need to understand the treatment process, how it works “one day at a time”. If a patient like me comes in and says, “I’m not going to quit,” what does a place like Naya Savera do? We focus on changing that negative mindset. Until an addict’s thinking changes and they accept their problem, they won’t quit. Once they accept it, they must also accept that places like Naya Savera the best Nasha Mukti Kendra have the treatment.
At Naya Savera, when someone commits to treatment, we chart their progress day by day, step by step, and share this with the family. However, the manipulative nature of the patient often leads them to discredit us to their families, saying things like, “They do it this way, they do it that way”. This reinforces my belief: until families understand this disease, their loved one cannot get well.
Before we can even treat the patient, we must educate the families. This message needs to spread throughout society: you must understand this disease. If you don’t help your child, your husband, or your son, they cannot get well. You need to provide a supportive platform behind them. Our families often make the mistake of telling their recovering loved ones, “You can’t get well”. They unintentionally prevent recovery because they haven’t been educated; they haven’t understood the treatment process. They just think, “We’ll send them to Naya Savera, give them some magic potion, and they’ll quit”. This is simply not possible. Until families learn and understand, and until the patient learns and understands, true freedom from addiction cannot be achieved.
My hope is that by sharing my experience, more families can gain the understanding and strength needed to support their loved ones on the path to lasting recovery. It’s a journey that requires everyone to learn, adapt, and support each other, one day at a time.
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Who This Blog Is For: Finding Your Path to Understanding and Recovery
If you’ve read this far, chances are you or someone you love is grappling with the shadow of addiction. This blog isn’t just my story; it’s a mirror reflecting the struggles and necessary truths of recovery, directly informed by my journey and the philosophy of places like Naya Savera.
This blog is for you if:
- You are an individual struggling with addiction yourself, or in recovery. My experience as a recovering addict, Sanjay Khullar, who battled alcohol for 27 years, might resonate deeply with you. If you’ve found yourself caught in a cycle of manipulation, dishonesty, and a negative mindset, you’ll find common ground here.
- You are a family member of someone battling addiction. This is especially critical. The sources emphasize that no patient can truly recover without the unwavering support and understanding of their family. If you’ve been manipulated, lied to, or felt helpless, or if you’re struggling to understand why your loved one doesn’t seem to “just quit,” this blog offers crucial insights.
- You are a parent concerned about enabling behaviors. I’ve observed that many children, particularly only children, are often “spoiled” by parents who fulfill desires rather than just needs, making it harder for them to accept truth or treatment. If you recognize this dynamic in your family, this perspective is vital.
- You are seeking to understand addiction as a disease. It’s essential to grasp that addiction is a treatable disease, though not curable, requiring lifelong commitment to treatment. If you’re looking for an explanation that goes beyond moral failings, this blog helps demystify the illness.
- You are a family member needing education on the treatment process. The sources strongly state that families must be educated about the disease and the “one day at a time” treatment process before their loved one can truly get well. If you’ve been told your loved one “can’t get well” or if you’re expecting a “magic potion” cure from rehab, this blog clarifies the reality.
- You want to understand the importance of changing the addict’s mindset. Naya Savera’s approach focuses on transforming the negative mindset that often prevents recovery. If you’re looking for how an addict’s thinking shifts, my story provides a firsthand account.
Ultimately, this blog is for anyone who believes in the power of understanding and family support to overcome addiction. It’s about recognizing the problem, educating ourselves, and standing together for lasting recovery.
Naya Savera Nasha Mukti Kendra, the best deaddiction Centre in India stands out for its high success rate in the recovery of addicts, particularly for alcohol treatment, making it recognized as one of India’s best rehabilitation centers. Their philosophy deeply resonates with my own experience: true recovery is achieved when both the patient and their family learn and understand the process, moving beyond the misconception of a “magic potion” cure.
For inquiries or to learn more, you can contact Naya Savera Deaddiction & Rehabilitation Centre at 9873290300 (Delhi / Noida) or +91-9816008103 (Palampur), or email them at info@nayasavera.org.
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