7 Kashmiris choose life every day

Srinagar, Aug 9: The Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS), which runs the De-Addiction and Treatment Centre (DTDC) at SMHS Hospital in Srinagar every day, sees a beeline of people who have taken the bold step of getting treated for addiction, rather than letting drugs destroy their lives and families.

The stories of de-addiction are more than what the numbers show.

For Mustafa (name changed), the centre has become the saviour, the kind that saved his life.

Mustafa had lost his business, his family’s valuables, including a car and his wife’s ornaments to his heroin addiction.

When he saw his family crumbling under his addiction, and the day he did not have money to take his son to a doctor, he decided to get admitted to the centre.

He remained admitted for over a month in March this year, and now visits every week for a follow-up.

“I am on regular treatment and counselling and have changed my residence to remain away from the bad influence that destroyed my life,” he says, his three-year-old son and wife accompanying him.

Such stories of triumph and determination are written every day by people addicted to drugs and stepping forward to get treated.

With 9000 patients currently enrolled for addiction treatment, IMHANS Kashmir is the cornerstone of recovery in the drug-ravaged Kashmir.

In 2023, the institute recorded 55,443 visits for addiction treatment, with each of the enrolled visitors visiting multiple times for regular, successful assistance to a drug-free life.

In 2024, a total of just over 80,000 visits were recorded.

During the first six months of this year, 32,638 follow-up visits were recorded at the facility.

The new patients do not flood the hospital, but trickle steadily.

Every day, 7 to 10 people enter the doors of the facility, traverse the beelines of patients, and stand in front of the doctor, their fears and hopes interplaying.

In-Charge DTDC, Dr Yasir Hussain Rather, said addiction treatment was a protracted one, and requires immense will power from the patient, a support system, and a qualified team to make the journey successful.

“It is a battle fought on many fronts,” he said.

Certified De-Addiction Specialist at IMHANS, Dr Fazl-e-Roub, said that it was important that people follow the right and approved de-addiction treatments from a centre that is approved by the government.

He said many people seek treatment from places that have no expertise in treating addiction.

“Such practices only worsen the outcomes,” he said.

With the number of people addicted to drugs estimated to be over 10 lakh as per government sources, the number of people seeking treatment is minuscule. However, doctors believe the numbers are rising every year, as the optimism about getting treated spreads among the users.