BENGALURU: Despite measures being taken by several states to make the sale and consumption of alcohol illegal, reports suggest that it hardly impacts the alcoholics, as they find various ways to consume alcohol.
With a vision to end the long term ramifications that alcohol has on the individual and the chain of relationships dependent on the individual, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a non-profit group of men and women, share their experiences in order to help others recover from the addiction.
Anand, a member of the AA, terms alcoholism as a disease. He said, “People do not understand that it is a disease which can be compared to diabetes, where patients despite being advised to stay away from sugar would be tempted to consume it.”
He adds that AA being a fellowship of men and women approach the alcoholic who wants to quit drinking, as only an alcoholic can understand the trauma of another alcoholic.
While the de-addiction centre isolates the individual by keeping them in a protected area, AA volunteers aim to bring the alcoholics to the mainstream by the volunteers sharing their personal experiences.
Harsha (name changed), one of the recovered members of AA, who quit alcohol consumption six years ago, shares his experience with Deccan Chronicle, “I was 21 when I was an alcoholic. It ultimately led to my isolation as nobody gave me respect. Despite having a good job I was paranoid,” he said.
Today Harsha is a happily married man and he calls himself a good son and a good father.
There are over 93 groups of AA in Bengaluru and meetings are conducted at schools and churches twice a week. Out of 2,500 members of AA, Anand said 705 are active members.
