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| source: google.com |
[Written as a report to LKNU (Health Agency
of Nahdlatul Ulama) when accompanying dr. Atthobari, Fitri Nuraina, Putri Dyah
M of PABM (Community-Based Addiction Recovery) “Fajar Harapan” LKNU DIY and
some IDUs during a visit at PP Al-Qodir Cangkringan Sleman]
Muhammad Yusuf Anas
Every time there is an addict who intends to
join our therapy here (in PP Al-Qodir Cangkringan-ed.), I always ask, ‘Are you
really have a strong intention to stop being a drug user or not? If so, let us
together try our best. But, if you don’t, you better go home and keep on addict
yourself to the death.
Am I too harsh? Well, I deliberately take
such a firm stance, because strong intention is a crucial point in our treatment
and therapy. As, in my opinion, any treatment given to drug users or drug
victims would be in vain if they themselves do not have a goodwill and strong
intention to escape the bondage of addiction they have experienced. Conversely,
their strong intention will be enough to make them free from dependence on
drugs, even though they are not officially join any therapy outside their home.
Many IDUs have tried to take a rehab
abroad, but just because their lack of intent, they eventually relapse when
they return to Indonesia. So, for me, the intention of IDUs to stop using drugs
is an initial requirement for them to undergo our treatment here.
At a later stage, after these drug addicts have
shown their strong intention to quit drugs and has officially become my students (Masrur Ahmad called each participants in his therapy with this term-ed.), then
I will ask their drugs consumption dosage in the past. Let’s say a drug addict
has a habit to injecting drug five times a day. Then, as a first step, I would ask
them to reduce the amount of that consumption. Say that the first day they are here,
I will tell them to cut it down to four times, second day to three times, third
day become two times, and so on until they could actually stop.
Reducing the number of drug consumption is
part of the therapy we provide here. In this stage, I am ‘adjusting’ the amount
of their drugs consumption. Because, in my opinion, drugs only become a problem
for addicts when they abandoning rules in taking it. And I strongly believe
that everything that has no rules will eventually tend to ruin. That’s why I
asked them to manage or even reduce the amount of their drug intake gradually
until they are finally able to stop using it. In other word, I will never force
them to stop suddenly. In fact, in certain cases, I had bought drugs for those
who are still unable to control their addiction.
Meanwhile, I’ve heard that doctors are
scientifically explained that one of the dangers of drugs is to undermine
certain nerves in the brain. And I’ve also read a statement of medical experts
that the nerves in the brain will rub against each other when we are thinking
or dealing with the problem. In the case of drug addicts, the friction on their
nerves, which were already weakened by the drugs, will trigger their desire to
re-take those dangerous goods. I think this theory is true. Because there are
times when I caught one of my students was re-using drug while undergoing therapy,
and when I asked, ‘How did you relapse?’ he said that he was facing a
complicated issue and eventually could not help himself. That is why from the
beginning I am very concern with strong intention of addicts when they want to
undergo treatment here. That is also the reason why I apply the ‘transferring
method’ in my therapy.
‘Transferring method’ by which I mean is to
distract students from their desire to re-taking drugs every time they felt so.
For example, there is an addict that when he was tempted to retake drugs, I
just asked him to drive a car for me. I use this diversion therapy because I
believe he will be forced to focus on his driving task. And finally, when he
was apparently still unable to control his addiction, and the car we were
driving was adversely drowned at the river, I am very well aware that this is a
plain risk of our therapy.
In essence, our treatment here is in
desperate need of an active role of the students. Because of that, I also tried
to change their desire to consume drugs with positive activities in many activities
we provide, such as automotive repair, electrical repair, welding shops,
agriculture, fish farming, cattle ranching, and carpentry. For those who like
to work with motor, I will ask him to be active at the motorbike shop. If it
really necessary, I will ask him to be an employee there. So it is with those who
likes to fish hatching. I simply ordered him to go to the fish farms. The main
point is I will keep try my best to help students diverting their negative desire
to a more positive activities. I think this is one important step in our therapy
here.
I must admit that I cannot guarantee the
success of a student to stop addicting here will continue when he returned to his
community. Therefore, I strongly suggest to every therapy participants that
already able to escape drug addiction to start seeking a new and a more
positive community. I even frequently asked their families to move town. And that
is why I always welcoming students that relapsing in their bad habit. I will gladly
accompanying them. And I also do not mind when relapsing student asked my help
to issuing a certificate of rehabilitation if for example there is a relapsing
student get caught by police officer
when retaking drugs.
In addition, it should also be noted that,
although our therapy is housed in an Islamic boarding school, our therapy is
not a religion therapy. So, if anyone asks, ‘Are the therapy participants here had
to be a Muslim?’ I will say firmly, ‘No!’, and I also explicitly stated that I
have never and will never ask a non-Muslim therapy participant to convert to
Islam. I once had a Christian student here and I just ask him to practice Christianity
properly, for example by going to church on Sundays, and so forth. So, I say it
again that the treatment here is not religious therapy.
Then, when someone asks me, ‘If it’s not based
on religious law, then what is the basis of therapy here?’ My answer is our therapy
based on natural law. What kind of natural law? Natural law that has stated
that behind every pleasure there is trouble lurking, and behind every hardship
there is ease that would accompanying.
In its application, I always emphasize to my
students that if you are taking drugs that makes you feel good, please remember
and be ready that adversity will ambushed at any time. Conversely, I also let them
to know that if at the time of therapy they feel a hardship, I only ask them to
remember that pleasure will soon adorn their hard work in abandoning drugs. I
think this law of nature is applying universally and that is the main reason
why I always try to make it as a cornerstone of my therapy here.
[mya051212]
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