Addiction support group is changing lives

The Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA) support group that opened in Toekomsrus in early April is going from strength-to-strength.

This after they successfully sent seven members to rehabilitation centres. Enrico Bhana from Women Against Women Abuse (WAWA) and chairperson of the new Local Drug Action Committee (LDAC) joined hands with Tevin Fritz – a recovered drug addict – and his father, Graham Fritz, and founded this support group.

They also joined hands with the Breaking The Chains Rehabilitation Centre (BTC).This AA and NA support group is growing stronger by the day, and had as many as 73 people attend one of their meetings.

Bhana says the support group is non-political, non-racial and any person of any faith or lack their of can join. Parents, friends and family of these addicts that also needs support are also most welcome. Meetings are held at 7.30pm on Tuesdays and Fridays at the St Joseph Anglican Church.

The Herald spoke to three recovered addicts who gave motivational talks at the meetings.

Lilly Michaels, 37, Tevin Fritz, 22, and Marvin Stellenberg, 31, were the people proud enough to stand up and tell their stories. They are extremely passionate to help people who is currently in the same situation as they were. They all strongly encourage suffering addicts or alcoholics to come out and seek help and to not hide away.

Sharing her story, Michaels – who is employed at WAWA – said her problems first started when she separated from her husband. She was a depressive alcoholic who drank as soon as she started feeling low, frustrated or stressed. Having three children, whom she had to support on her own, also added fuel to the fire. She gave up her faith, suffered from low self esteem and got involved with the wrong man.

She eventually ended up neglecting her children and would disappear for days, binge drinking in taverns and pubs. Michaels then on 4 April ended up in her room with a rope around her neck, attempting to commit suicide. She even sent her colleagues at WAWA a WhatsApp message that said she had passed away. She was then hospitalised and with support from her colleagues as well as the AA group she is well on her way to recovery.

Seeing the hurt in my children’s eyes made me change and reach out to others.

“Even being an employee of WAWA does not make you immune to alcohol or drugs. We are all just people.”

Tevin Fritz, who has had a drug problem for nine years, took ecstasy, cat and crystal meth during this time. Without studying, Fritz passed matric with a bachelors degree without studying and landed a good job at Mercedez Benz. But his drug habit started spinning out of control where he eventually lost his job and started selling his belongings and his parents’s belongings for drugs.

“Two years ago I also attempted suicide, but by the grace of God, did not go through with it.” He eventually landed up in Breaking the Chains rehab centre, where he relapsed once, but then completed the 12 step programme, which he says, is a life long commitment.

Marvin Stellenberg, who appeared in the Herald in March, also had a drug addiction problem and is clean since 24 December 2015.

Graham Fritz, Tevin’s father, says that his family went through tremendous pain while Tevin was a drug addict. Their unconditional love and support for their son through those nine years eventually proved to be fruitful.

Support from any source is vital when it comes to drug addicts and alcoholics.”

The AA/ NA support group now aims to open a After care clinic, where people that return from rehabilitation centres, can go for ongoing support. The group hopes that the community can assist them in skills empowerment for those rebuilding their lives or with any donations or sponsorships for the recovered addicts, or those who do not have the funds to go to rehabilitation centres.

• Details: Contact Enrico Bhana on 084 997 7252 or Graham Fritz on 083 400 9445. For any help with addiction, please call Tevin on 078 475 3514 or Lilly on 079 054 5066.

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Also read:

Local drugs action committee launched in Toekies

Toekies finally gets addiction support group

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