Out of the Darkness of Drug Addiction and Into the Light – Kyiv, Ukraine

Jun 14, 2018 10921

“I am attending church and building a new life.”

When I finished school, I started drinking alcohol. This was despite the fact that my mother was absolutely against me drinking because my father died from alcohol intake. Neither my mother nor her husband would drink, even on holidays or at birthday parties, because they didn’t want to give me an excuse to start drinking. However, as soon as I gained some independence, I started anyway. At the age of 17, I already needed treatment to help me with alcohol addiction.

As soon as I stopped drinking alcohol, marijuana appeared in my life. I thought I had left days of fights and passing out induced by alcohol behind me. Marijuana seemed different. There didn’t appear to be any problems with it – it wouldn’t cause me any troubles with eating and no body would notice anything strange about me. Many of my friends began selling marijuana and they earned enough money to buy cars. My friends urged me to take marijuana at discos and said that it was cool.

After four years of marijuana intake, I switched to salts, another kind of drug. After taking salts for three months, I just went mad. I was scared all the time. Even when there wasn’t anybody at home, I lived in a constant state of horror.

I took alcohol and drugs for 12 years. I didn’t simply drink sometimes. I drank a lot. Eventually my mother forced me to go to a rehab centre. But the rehab centre I went to wasn’t good. There were no professionals there. It cost a lot of money, but they didn’t take care of us. They kept us there until our treatment was paid for. They would even tell the addict’s relatives that the drugs had affected them more than it had so that they would need to stay longer and pay more.  I didn’t like it there and tried to run away but each time I was caught and beaten. It stayed like this until I announced to my mother that she could continue to pay if she wanted, but I was not going to stay at that rehab centre.

While I was still at that centre, one guy told me that there was a good rehab centre in Poltava. I told my mother about it, but there was a two week wait. If you could only know how I prayed for those two weeks that my mind wouldn’t come loose. But when I was accepted into the Poltava rehab centre, all of a sudden I changed my mind and decided I didn’t want to go. I started doing the medical workers’ heads in which was absolutely opposite to my behaviour at the previous rehab centre. My mother was told that I wasn’t ready and it would be better for me to wait for a year to realise my need.

I still sin but I also see some light – a bright light of a good life with God

I spent one more year living the way I wanted. Then I came back to the rehab centre myself and said that I was ready. And then I understood how good it is at that centre. Nobody pressed me or made me scared, and I was very satisfied. I went through the entire treatment course and after that began attending church. I kept attending church when I went back to my parents in Kyiv.

I was okay for about a year until I became involved with a girl who was undergoing a treatment course as well. Being under stress, I came loose. I understood what happened so I called my parents. I told them about it and said that I would try to cope with it by myself. But when the same thing happened again, I asked them to take me to the rehab centre in Poltava once again. And now I am undergoing the treatment course for the second time. I am attending church and building a new life.

I enjoy learning about God at the Bible meetings lead by a GNU pastor. I didn’t realise we could learn God’s will by reading the Bible. I learned that the Bible was not written by people in order to attempt to control the masses – it was written by God.

I attend church and study the Bible. I feel when and where I am not right in my life. It is not always when I change my behaviour but I have the right understanding. The Bible has opened my eyes to the spheres where I need to work on myself. I have learnt what prevents one from living happily and communicating with God.

I dedicate one day to God. When I earn some money, I give a tithe. I pray every day and read the Bible. I have some internal disassociation and I still sin but I also see some light – a bright light of a good life with God. The model is as following: a family of believers, and my work or my service in helping people. I will give up my bad habits. I am surrounded by people who support me. They are real friends and believers.

– Sergey (Edited by Ella Rodionoff)