Health
Drug addiction took 10 years of my life, left me smelling at work — Man narrates
Saheed Oyelakin
A recovering drug addict, Abraham, has recounted how substance dependence cost him his job, strained his family relationships and took nearly 10 years of his life.
Abraham shared his experience on NarcoTales S4 E8, aired on NDLEA TV’s YouTube channel on Friday, where he spoke about his journey from addiction to recovery.
He said he realised the severity of his addiction after losing his job at an oil company because of his offensive body odour.
He said his colleagues would open the air conditioner and windows and spray air freshener whenever he came into the office.
“When I got employed, I got a job opportunity in an oil company. I’ve always said this is a company I was promised. The job was more in my favour than I was given the job I was applying for. People kept complaining that my body was bringing up very offensive smell.
“Most of the time, when I came to the office, they would open the AC, open the windows, they would be spraying air freshener up and down. I couldn’t last on the job beyond a couple of months. They had to let me go and put me on sick leave,” Abraham said.
He said losing the job made him realise that he needed to confront his drug dependence.
“At that point, I knew that. That was also the point when I realised that the initial pain that made me start taking it, I was no longer feeling it. But yet, I was taking the drug based on impulse. Whenever the craving comes, I just rush in. It was like automated,” he said.
Abraham said the addiction affected virtually every aspect of his life, including his finances, health, career and relationships.
He said the strain of his addiction also affected his parents and siblings, adding that his mother and father eventually separated while his mother was trying to help him.
“In the course of my addiction challenge and my mom trying to help me, my mom and my dad separated. You can see that it’s not just me that’s affected. It affected my family at large,” he said.
Abraham said his relationship with his siblings also suffered, despite his recovery.
“My siblings right now, even though I’ve recovered, because of that strain over the years of the addiction, we now feel like strangers. That connection is no longer there,” he said.
He, however, identified time as the biggest loss from his years of addiction.
“I lost almost 10 years of my life due to this. So why am I missing this beautiful life for themselves? Getting a job, getting married, just a beautiful life for themselves. I miss those opportunities,” he said.
Abraham said he became addicted in his mid-20s and did not understand what it meant to live without the euphoria associated with drug use until he reached his 30s.
“I could have saved money, but you can lose money and regain money. But time is something you can’t regain. You can’t regain time,” he said.
From years of needle injection, he said his addiction also left him with physical scars, difficulty walking and an inability to engage in activities he once enjoyed.
“I think it’s the scars on my body. The scars. Up till now, you know when you just feel, you wake up and you see your body and you’re like, it’s a dream,” he said.
He added, “The consequence of knowing that I won’t be able to run again. I used to love dancing and that’s gone. Knowing that I’m partially disabled, anytime I need to walk, I need to limp alongside.”
Abraham said he often wore long sleeves and socks to hide his scars because he was uncomfortable exposing them in public.
He also recounted some of the extreme behaviour he engaged in during his addiction, including stealing from his mother and begging strangers for money to buy drugs.
“I never knew I was capable of stealing. So I stole from my mum when the addiction was, when the crazy was serious,” he said.
He said he also attempted suicide on three occasions and became dependent on strangers for money.
“Then roaming the streets begging for money from strangers, from shop to shop, going around begging for money like some desperate people do,” he said.
Abraham said his recovery was aided by people who continued to believe in him, including his pastor and members of his church, as well as professional support.
He said his first attempt at rehabilitation lasted about a month, but he relapsed weeks after leaving the facility.
According to him, his subsequent rehabilitation was different because he had a support system that continued to monitor and encourage him.
He said his pastor helped him secure rehabilitation and remained involved in his recovery.
“I did not feel alone. Members of the church even the ones that were doctors sometimes they would come with food, they would come visit and there were a couple of church members that worked in the hospital there. So most of the time they were always checking up on me,” he said.
Abraham said life after rehabilitation was also difficult, particularly after he returned home to discover that he had lost his accommodation and had nowhere to live.
He said he relied on his pastor, psychologist and other members of his support system while adjusting to life outside rehabilitation.
He also took up wig-making and hair-related skills to keep himself occupied and gradually rebuild his life.
“I had something to fight for. I had something to live for. I had a purpose to chase after him. So, my mind was no longer idle anymore,” he said.
Abraham said his advocacy work, through which he speaks to students and others about drug abuse and recovery, also helped him remain focused.
He urged people struggling with addiction to acknowledge the problem, speak out and seek help.
“I would tell the person, see, there’s never a time that is too late to stop. There’s never a time too late to stop. Stop now, while you still can,” he said.
“Addiction flourishes in silence. Speak out. Seek help,” he added.
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