Free rehabilitation helps drug users

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Doni has given up hope of coming off drugs as his father told him the family would not shoulder the cost of his rehabilitation program.

"I have been in and out of rehabilitation centers. I am tired of living like this," the 25-year-old vocational school graduate said. "But, when my mother had a heart attack, I knew that I must find a way to quit drugs."

The injecting drug user was lucky when a friend told him about a free detoxification program at the Bhayangkara Police Hospital in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta.

Fifty drug addicts are housed on the hospital's second floor under the program, the collaborative project of several non- governmental organizations, which began last month and will end early in August.

"We focus more on psycho-social treatment ... medication comprises just 30 percent of the withdrawal process," said Gigok, a volunteer for the program who was formerly a drug user. "Each phase lasts for 10 days, the first three days are done with medication and the rest is group sharing."

Since the treatment is given for free, the addicts are given generic medication.

"The medication does little to help overcome the pain caused by the addiction," said Doni, adding that in a way the pain of the withdrawal process would remind him not to touch them again.

Doni who has spent 11 days on the program is actually allowed to go home.

"I am afraid of the influence of my surroundings -- getting BR (slang for drugs) in my housing complex (in Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta) is as easy as opening my window and reaching outside," he said.

Damaging community influence and family rejection can seriously jeopardize a drug user's chances of rehabilitation. In the program, which adopts the Narcotics Anonymous method, the addicts are encouraged to share their problems and fears.

"We meet for an hour every morning, afternoon and evening," said Gigok. The drug users, who come from all over Jakarta, really open up in the sessions.

But after the sessions are done, the drug users, many of whom have lost the skill of being creative with their time, have nothing to do.

"After the sessions we just sit around, watching TV or playing music," said Doni.

"It should take more than this to cure an addict," he said. (004)