The story of a man's struggle and victory against alcohol addiction

Ahmedabad, May 25, 2022

Behind all cases of alcohol use disorder are people – people with real stories of struggle and triumph. There’s a deeper, human element in each story that is too often untold. It takes courage for one caught in the grips of addiction and living in recovery to come out and tell his or her story to help and inspire others.

This is the story of one such courageous man named Kishorebhai Nathubhai Patel -- his journey and how the De-addiction Awareness Programme run by the Adani Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Adani Group, played a vital role in his life and that of his family.

In 2002, when he was 25, Kishorebhai lost his mother and took refuge in alcohol. He had lost his father in 1990 but the trauma of the sudden death of his mother and the fact that the responsibility of the entire family had fallen upon him, pushed him down the path of addiction.

The peaceful atmosphere at home became disharmonious. The situation did not improve; he felt disturbed and distressed. To soothe his nerves, he took a peg or two of liquor. After this he felt relieved. Gradually he increased the quantity of liquor for further relief. The atmosphere at home atmosphere, and he started absenting himself from work, adding further to the family's economic difficulties.

Chronic alcohol abuse made him a mental wreck and 5-6 years into alcoholism, he started hurling abuses and beating his wife and two children. He would go to work drunk, attended social gatherings in bad spirit and many times would be found on the roadside in an inebriated state. One day, after many warnings issued to him by officials of the Reliance company where he worked, his gate pass was confiscated, and he was asked to come back to work only after he quits alcohol.

During this period, team members of the Adani Foundation met his family and colleagues. The team explained to the family about the de-addiction programme and convinced them to send Kishorebhai for the 21-days rehabilitation programme in Parivartan Trust, Surat.

In February 2021, Kishorebhai started his 21 days of residential de-addiction programme. A few days into the programme, he tried to run from the centre but with incessant support of the team, he successfully completed the programme.

“My family has undergone major transformations–some positive, some not so positive, but with each change, a consequence of dealing with and moving beyond addiction and toward a more conscious life path. I’m grateful to Adani Foundation for their support during a time of need,” averred Vasantiben Patel, his wife.

Regular follow-up and compliance with treatment helped Kishorebhai gain in mental and physical health. He started working on a regular basis as his employers, Reliance, welcomed him back after completion of his de-addiction programme and allowed him to resume his duties as a forklift operator in plant.

Kishorebhai now stays away from all types of addictive substances. He has gained a few kilogrammes in weight and is back to life.

“Every day that I live and am clean is because of the strength I have been given by my wife, my family, and an amazing network of people around me supporting my recovery–for some, it is also their recovery,” shared Kishorebhai.

He has now taken a vow to never look back on the path of addiction. Moreover, he has started to work as the brand ambassador in the village and speaks about de-addiction programme to various people around him.

He has even inspired two persons to join the programme, which testifies to the extent of his progress individually and holistically.

NNN