(ANS – Tiruchy) – “DB JANANAM”, the de-addiction ministry of the Tiruchy Salesian Province organized a ten day camp in Tiruchi, from 8-17 April, 2015, for substance-abusing adolescents. This first ever treatment camp for substance abusers in the province was conducted in collaboration with “St. Ann’s Sisters of Luzern” (SAL sisters) and the “Karunai Illam” of the CMI Fathers. Six adolescents participated in the camp, of whom five came through Don Bosco Anbu Illam, Salem, and one came through Don Bosco Anbu Illam, Coimbatore. 

The two rehabilitation centres for children and youth, at Salem and Coimbatore, had identified more than twenty adolescents badly addicted to inhalants and other drugs, but only six of them opted to take part in the camp. The Anbu Illam staff found it a big challenge to get the children motivated to attend the treatment camp.

At the conclusion of the camp – the first of its kind - the coordinating team felt that they were indeed fortunate to have a small group, as each young person needed a lot of individual attention. The boys were mainly addicted to inhalants, but all of them manifested multi-substance dependence syndrome, maximum being five different substances, including alcohol, smoking, and chewing tobacco. All those treated were school dropouts as well as child labourers.

The treatment was organised in a fully fledged hospital with a consultant psychiatrist and de-addiction counsellor. Fr. John Dharman, Director of DB JANANAM, and Fr. Jude Muthuselven, Assistant Director, accompanied the participants all through the ten days of the camp. The treatment included physical and psychiatric consultations and medicines, de-addiction counselling, awareness creation through many multimedia inputs, Pranic Healing, Laughter Therapy and methods of Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP).

The participants were visited by AA (Alcoholic Anonymous) and NA (Narcotic Anonymous) members, who shared with them their childhood addiction experiences, thus motivating them to give up drugs and lead a healthy and happy life without drugs. The camp was visited also by  Fr. Amal, Coordinator of the Youth at Risk (YaR) commission of the Tiruchi province and Fr. David Ryan, Rector of DBAI, Coimbatore.

The participants responded well to the treatment and are showing signs of being well on their way to complete recovery. A follow-up programme is being planned by both the Anbu Illams. The Coordinating team is also planning to conduct more of these camps in the near future. The de-addiction camp was conducted with the help received for treatment from Tiruchy CAVERY Development Office, St. Ann’s Sisters of Pallapalayam, and moral support from DB NEST, Tirupur.

Published 20/04/2015