“Reach for the stars because success is limitless!”: Mr. Balwan Ji’s 14th Recovery birthday...

                On 20^th May 2014, SHAFA graduate and highly respected recovering addict, Mr. Balwan Ji celebrated his 14th recovery birthday amongst our family and staff members at SHAFA HOME, Delhi.

       He was accompanied with his friend, Mr. Hanif Ji of 12 years recovery. For any recovering addict, his recovery birthday heralds a time of victory over his destructive demons and liberation from his tumultuous past. Another year has passed without him compromising his inner-strength and wisdom by caving into the ruinous temptation of a drink or a drug. Today, he stands tall in the face of adversity and declares to himself; “come what may, I am clean and serene living a life free from substances”.      

       Balwan Ji was met with a sea of warm wishes and congratulations from residents and staff as he descended upon the eagerly waiting gathering. He sat before our residents with guest of honour, Mr. Ranjan Dhar, to share his story of hope and courage. Everybody attentively listened to his tale of personal transformation, from a once stormy and unpredictable drug-addicted existence and the transition into a optimistic and fruitful life.

       Our staff and residents listened closely to Balwan Ji’s sharing and drew many connections from his charismatic story. It was apparent in the wide-eyes of many residents how similar their previous lives were to his. He shared how addiction grabbed and consumed him voraciously. How with the progression of the disease, his future aspirations and dreams had vanished and finally, how his family and outer society viewed him as a parasite and shunned him from their vicinity. All of us could honestly say we had also experienced this during our active using period.      

However, as Mr. Balwan Ji met with the outstretched hands of SHAFA HOME, he found his light at the end of the dark tunnel. He expressed how through completing treatment at SHAFA, his outlook on life completely changed when entered the outside society. He became determined to live a disciplined, dynamic and drug-free life. 14 years down the road, today goes to show he has achieved just that! Despite life’s inevitable ups and downs, his willingness to remain clean and sober has remained unfettered. He went on to talk about his regained self-respect, dignity and confidence. This ignited a blazing beacon of motivation and reassurance within the hearts and minds of our recovering residents.  

       As his sharing wound to a close, the hall was filled with applause and sincere commendation of his shining success story. His dynamic sharing had a few of our members left with questions. One younger resident asked Mr. Balwan Ji “How is it that you have managed to not pick up substances despite life’s inevitable problems? Balwan Ji’s response was that he has always kept in touch with Mr. Ranjan Dhar without fail, come rain or shine. After all “a problem shared is a problem halved”.

 The resounding message was; if he could achieve 14 years without a drug or a drink, so could we! Residents sung a hearty chorus of "Happy Birthday" and our younger residents then presented him a hand-made birthday card to commemorate his special day.   

       This occasion is an example of how through grit-determination, a fighting spirit and unconditional positive thinking, any addict can break free from the shackles of his substance-ridden past. It is a matter of dedication, discipline and patience. Like Mr. Balwan Ji, our SHAFA residents have been presented with a beautiful chance to start their lives afresh on the road of recovery. 

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Morning ‘Energisers’ with Maheshwari Jani: Fun and Games within Therapy.

Over the last 3 weeks, Ms. Maheshwari Jani; a behaviour analyst and master in neuro-linguistic programming has presented 3 sessions at SHAFA HOME, Delhi dedicated to self-exploration, confidence building and personality development. These sessions have been attended by all residents and staff members. Ms. Maheshwari Ji hosts her sessions on Sunday mornings. When the mood is slightly flat we know we can rely on Maheshwari Ji to infuse vivacity and energy into the dreariness!

When residents assemble in the ‘Asha Greh’ hall, their expressions radiate both wonder and anticipation of the forthcoming event. Finally, Ms. Mahi Ji enters and is met with a sea of applause. On her first visit, she greeted the residents and explained her credentials. We came to know she was self-esteem and confidence coach with extensive training experience.

During her first session, she fronted the residents with a poignant question. “Had we ever felt our positive skills & qualities fell invisible to the world?” From the glimmers of agreement in members’ eyes it was clear to see the answer was a resonant “yes” We were intrigued to see where this was leading…In this session we played a game designed at improving our self-expression skills, elocution and utilise our brain power. Residents split into 9 teams and were instructed to consider each letter in our name and attribute a positive quality we felt we possessed to that letter. As our residents got into the swing of things, the atmosphere buzzed with excitement! Creative juices were flowing as our minds were set to the task. As the session as everyone shared their contributions to their attentive audience, smiles beamed from our resident’s faces as they unlocked their tightly-bolted doors to greet their long-forgotten companions – their worthwhile and charming selves!

Maheshwari Ji’s second session was dedicated to peer-relationship establishment. Her bright and bubbly personality captivated us as she exuberantly explained the aim of this visit. In this session, we would play “hot-seat”, wherein one member would sit in front of his peers and answer their rapid-fire questions. The “hot seat” setup would test each member’s willingness to open up to their past, as well as assess their dynamic communication skills. There was a little ‘head-scratching’ and nervous laughter as each family member took it in turns to grace the “hot seat” Their fellow brothers and sisters asked them about their past, their present feelings, fears and hopes for the future. It was evident to see this pushed the answerer outside of their comfort shell, but this tested their eagerness to release their emotional baggage. This “letting-go” is deeply crucial for a successful recovery.      

The third session had the residents participating in a continuation of the peer-relation strengthening game. However, this session’s setting took on a more intimate format. Rather than the residents collectively throwing their questions to the individual, members split into pairs. After initial hesitation, everybody overcame their apprehensions and confidently gave their emotional insights to their partner. Residents had their adaptability skills and flexibility to new situations tested perfectly. Polishing these skills would be integral to ensure a smooth recovery in the future.

So far these sessions have been a resounding success! Both staff and residents alike enthuse that Ms. Jani’s activities have been a valuable chance to investigate ourselves. At SHAFA HOME, we believe in “expecting the unexpected”. These sessions have proved this statement beautifully since our residents are overcoming their negative self-image and are learning to appreciate how their past actions and behaviour have shaped them into the person they are today – and consequently who they envisage to be in the future.

From all of us at SHAFA HOME, we send our sincere gratitude and thanks to Ms. Maheshwari Jain for her time, dedication and effort with our residents. 

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