Drugs, the silent killers
THE RECORD spoke to two men from Eden Park recently about drugs; the one, Gary Eland (32), is an ex-drug user and is now spending his time and energy on helping others get off drugs; the other, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a 27-year old who is currently using drugs, and is being assisted by Gary to turn his life around.
DRUGS, the scourge of communities, comes under the spotlight this week, as the RECORD explores the problem in our community.
We spoke to two men from Eden Park about drugs.
One, Gary Eland (32), is an ex-drug user and now spends his time and energy helping others to kick the habit.
The other, who wishes to remain anonymous, is a 27-year-old who is currently using drugs and is being assisted by Gary to turn his life around.”I was addicted to drugs for 13 years before I gave it up, and I was in the destructive stage for six years,” said Gary about his addiction.
He explains that the life of an addict goes through certain stages.
It starts with experimentation, trying things with friends, testing different stimulants, etc., and then moves on to seeking. This is where you start looking for friends and situations that involve drugs.
From there it becomes an obsession. When the addiction becomes an obsession, it soon moves over to the destructive stage, where the user will sell, steal, or do just about anything to get that next “hit”.
“I started off with dagga which, in my opinion, is definitely a gateway drug,” says Gary. ”It’s one of the few drugs that can cause instant psychosis, and drugs are a progressive thing, you keep moving up to more hardcore substances.
“Once I got off drugs, I started seeing a need in the community for some kind of support group, so my wife and I, along with a few others, started the ‘New Life Recovery Centre’ to help others fight their addiction.”
”Anonymous” says he started using drugs at the age of 22, as a means of staying awake. “My friends were always teasing me about sleeping so much, so one night I tried some CAT, so I could party with my friends,” he explains.
”I’ve been on it ever since, but I started going to meetings at Gary’s place since last week and I’m hoping I can get off it”.
“Government needs to open their eyes and start fighting the root cause, drugs, because many of the problems in communities, like crime, are a result of drug use,” says Gary.
He is a prime example of what can be achieved, even after a serious drug addiction nearly ruined his life.
He fought back to get his life together and now helps others.
Those who find themselves in a similar predicament can contact Gary on 074 652 6458, or Natalie Abraham on 082 774 09616.
Also read:
Police take a stand against drugs
