MUHAMMAD ALI JINNAH UNIVERSITY

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
IBTIDA REHABILITATION CENTER AYESHA SALIM KASMANI
11/11/2009

A CLOSE LOOK INTO A FACILITY UNLIKE MANY WORKING TOWARDS THE GOOD OF HUMANITY TIRELESSLY AND NOT READY TO GIVE UP.

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
THIS HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC OPPURTUNITY FOR ME TO NOT ONLY RESEARCH OVER ABOUT FACILITY THAT ERADICATES THE CONTROVERSIES OF DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE. MY WARM THANKYOU TO DR. SHAFQAT BUKHARI WHO GAVE ME THIS CHANCE, PUSHED ME TOWARDS FEILDWORK AND UNDERSTOOD THE PROBLEMS I FACED LATER ON AS WORK AND TIME PROGRESSED. I ALSO THANK MRS MONICA KAMRAN, MS. NAZIA GILL, FRANCIS AND THE PATIENTS THERE WHO WERE KIND EBOUGH TO ASSIST AND EDUCATE ME THROUGH AND THROUGH ABOUT THE EFFORT THIS FACILITY IS MAKING AND WHAT DETERMINATION IT TAKES TO KEEP THOSE EFFORTS GOING. FOR AN AVERAGE FEMALE LIKE ME IT WAS EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE WITH LOTS AND SYMPATHSIZE ABOUT. THIS PROJECT HAS MADE ME THINK OF MY FURUTRE DIFFERENTLY.

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Serial no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 DISCUSSION INTRODUCTION IBTIDA REHABILITATION CENTER THE PURPOSE AND THE PROCESS THE 12 STEPS THE PROBLEMS ENDING NOTE SOURCES OF INFORMATION Page no. 3 4 5 6 7 9 11

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009

INTRODUCTION
Rehabilitation, a term in our society not often used amongst the less educated and hence they are unable to understand the impact it has on ones life. Those of who are substantially aware, use this term in correlation with drug abuse and getting over the habit of overuse of substances ranging from alcohol to various other social evils. The rehabilitation though understood correctly is taken in only a single perspective. We are totally unaware that rehabilitation means getting back to the lives we previously lead. This doesnt necessarily include the use of drugs but in fact physiotherapy, trying to learn and get used to prosthetics incase of amputation or it may be plain clinical depression. Rehab as the process is termed is a painful yet fruitful one which seems like a punishment that we bought upon ourselves but later on we realize the wise choice made by us for ourselves. A time when all their emotions are jumbled and nothing seems better than the support of family or dearly beloved ones. It is a test upon the patients who opt for this, a chance they give to themselves for correction and fulfilling their oath to God to look after what he has bestowed upon them. As per my research based particularly upon drug rehabilitation I came across two types of people. One who are shunned from society and family considered a plague and a basic hopeless care, second were the kind of people who despite their fright never let the feeling of intimidation take over when concerned with people who no one wants to be near. They provide not only service but surrogate warmth, compassion and are like a ray of hope for people who themselves end up believing that their future is bleak. Never have I ever gotten a chance to view an exhibit of kindness such as this. IBTIDA a place despite being a Christian facility never let the difference of religion be known amongst their patients. To them this just the word of God which they believe is their responsibility towards humanity to carry forward, to care for those neglected and make something out of them, to try and explain to people we refer to as addicts most kindly that their repeated mistakes are punishable but not unforgiveable. My conversation with the patients was platonic and easy, they once getting to know that Im a student opened up pretty easily about their stay and their activities at the center, out of humbleness I didnt ask what sort of substance abuse they were involved in. my kind manner certainly made them comfortable but I didnt test their patience for too long since most of them had 4

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009 been there for a month and few days, there is a long road ahead of them apart from wishing them good luck I didnt say anything for this seemed more than enough to them. Nazia, a member of the staff there taught me in a few hours to think from their perspective and peak in their minds. Every bone in the body scared and jittery, mind thinking so many thoughts at once, actions so many to display but the body paralyzed due to reaching its brink of tolerance, each patient is never out of the hell hole but in fact not properly treated the evil roots are deepened inside the hole more than ever. Despite all she says they all want to become the best of themselves, here they are selfless and innocent o extent of childishness, vulnerable as thin glass yet for each other they are strong pillars

IBTIDA REHABILITATION CENTER

Established in 1985 following the time when Karachi became the hub of drug use in Pakistan in 1982. A Christian facility set up within the city beside the Karachi Bible Society opposite the infamous Avari Towers, it has treated, cared and toiled over numerous patients from all backgrounds and all sorts of reasons behind their drug abuse. I met Monica Kamran, the Project Coordinator at IBTIDA who explained me of her journey to this facility and described as her way written for her by God. An MPA representing the minority in Sind Assembly and a member of the World Church Council, she was approached by the Bishop to become a part of this facility when a Christian girl was flogged for her use of drugs under the Hudood Ordinance, this issue was entirely a lie but due to the vast majority of Muslims it was impossible to get people to understand. Donned with her MSC degree from Punjab University Ms. Monica had no clue whatsoever as to how to even deal with people in such fragile state of mind and body. For this purpose she was sent to Egypt for a training course which involved living like an addict in solitary confinement and sitting in groups discussing out experiences along with counseling and language classes as to teach the manner in which to approach the patients. Time for her here has not been easy, along with the basic problems of the facility she has to be viciously protective towards the existence of the facility which due to shortage of donations and it occupying prime piece of land is danger for the most of the last decade. Despite such struggles

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009 she still fulfills all her task with full efforts never letting her belief in Gods plan for her prove wrong. The process of rehab in IBTIDA is basically on the principles of Christianity and this info is not withheld from any Muslim or Hindu patient because despite this it is also a facility that is determined to instigate the lost connection between man and God, which primarily is the center of all religions. Though some practices like visiting the chapel and worshipping Tuesdays are of Christian principle, she told me that their attempt is not to convert but to infact to let the patients realize that from no matter which place they reach out to God and worship their Creator, He is eager to listen and forgive, to Him they are the ultimate being who chose the right path which is indeed His path. My tour of the facility further proved what I was told correct; there was seemingly no disparity among the patients in the contrary what I saw was they all worked together realizing that their reason for being here was the same and there is no point to act superior to each other. I was explained that during the first few days when a patient is scared out of wits and in utter pain, they come to each others support and provide their own experience as an example, what the patient needs is not someone to look up to but just someone whos been through the same whether its the cause of starting drugs or understanding why giving up is important. The facility comprises of a library plus recreation room, a detoxification room, a dining hall plus meeting room, office rooms to check on patients in the detox rooms, a chapel, two office rooms for the project coordinator and the supervisor along with the accountant. The hallways were open and airy with quotes hanging from walls for the patients to read and understand also pictures of student visits and days when functions took place to celebrate the spirit of the patients.

THE PURPOSE AND THE PROCESS

IBTIDA rehabilitation center established for the sole purpose of detoxifying and counseling people and settling them in a proper life, the processes therefore that take place there are entirely for the benefit and complete eradication of any sort of drug from the system. It requires 9 months of direct affiliation with the facility, which includes 3 months of residence, 3 months of 6

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009 weekends with family and 3 months of daycare during which they can come during the day and go at night or stay the night if they feel vulnerable. This duration is important not only to counsel them but also their families as to how they ought to behave with and around the patient once hes home with them, never let him feel disabled or a liability upon themselves etc The process starts with withdrawal stage which includes 15 days in the detoxification room, during these days there isnt any counseling only rest and soft diet as the body is forced emit out the toxins. By the third of admission the body shows symptoms of the damage that has incurred due to the drugs. At the time of admission there is a psychological examination just to clear out the notion of whether a patient is suicidal or not, if he is then his meds are started after 15 days of withdrawal. These fifteen days are toughest, there are patients who feel no pain as their bodies are very much weakened, then there are the patients who rebel and are infuriated, this phase for them is difficult hence no difference can be observed between them and a person with an anger management problem. After 15 day the patients are shifted to residential block A where they live for 3 months. They come to the main facility to eat, group meeting, counseling and recreation. This period is called counseling stage. In this stage they help each other, work to distract them, pray, read, watch TV, and do gardening and follow the 12 steps program stated later. After 3 months their vocational training starts in which they are taught activities which they perform in the future to earn livelihood. This includes stitching, driving, courses associated with St. Patricks and further advanced courses for patients who show promise. Ms Monica quoted with immense pride an example of one of her current patients who came to this facility to rehabilitate during his degree of electronical engineering, the rehab sent him to a computer graphics course in affiliation with St Pats and now he in (PITHM) Pakistan Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, an area of interest hes determined to focus upon. IBTIDA is not only providing facilities that need residency but also home detox for women with family members to keep a check on them since this is facility is male oriented to problems that will be discussed later. Home detox though takes up a lot of their effort since it involves daily visits by a member of the staff to the homes of these addicts in rehab counseling them, checking up on their habits and symptoms etc

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009

THE 12 STEPS OF REHAB

Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable Step 2 - We Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity Step 3 We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God Step 4 - We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs Step 6 - We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. Step 7 - We humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings Step 8 - We made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all Step 9 - We made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others Step 10 - We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it Step 11 - We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out Step 12 - We having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009

THE PROBLEMS
Despite so much time and effort there are cases of lapses/remission and relapses that have incurred over the time and it is not any withheld news. This happens because coming out of here the detoxified man is under tremendous pressure of fitting in and making over rather than losing it all, a minor slip causes this lapse and it takes no time for him to return to his habits. Not because the rehab facility has now finished its part and left it all upon the man, but because he is scared and felt like he has let down everyone and he was better off the addict way. We all go through such phases with different techniques of falling back. It maybe a social evil, it may personality effect it can be anything. The problems that IBTIDA faces are like those that are faced by rehabs all over the world. Not only when it comes to shortage of donations or threats to shut down the facility but also shortage of staff or reluctance amongst staff because dealing with addicts because of their mental state in which they are abusive in all aspects along with the element of fright that effects the staff at times as there are examples of up rises. But nevertheless as explained by one the staff members Nazia Gill, at the rehab facility they utmost respectful while taking or treating the patients in any manner not for the purpose that perhaps this way theyll not be the way addicts usually, but so that they understand compassion that has been missing in their lives for a while now since people have stopped respecting them for their addiction or stopped loving them. It is this compassion that will help them recover and give themselves the right to be as good as anybody. Because of the fact that despite trained staff they have the tendency to shun away addicts or be impolite or appear scared I noticed that there were a few strong staff members alongside Nazia working with her who are ex addicts, facilitated by this very rehab and have become the men they are today and now to them their purpose seems to be helping other cope out their addiction. Francis for example was a worker there who was old and told me had been clean more than two years and he worked in the detox offices which are made for the purpose of keeping an on the detox patients during their most violent time throughout the stay. This way staff member such as Francis through personal experiences know an even better manner in which to treat patients.

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009 Another problem that IBTIDA faces is treatment of HIV Positive patients. For such cases the facility provides only 15 days of rehab care after which they are sent home to spend time with their family, this is because to expensive medication of treatment of the Aids virus which people are unable to afford the virus soon becomes very much malignant once the symptoms after detoxification start showing up, hence it is advised that they spend majority of their time with their family. And they can come in daily for counseling if they want to. Considering this not only according to the doctors opinion but also thinking about this as an average student, I thought what more can a facility such as this or any other operating in Pakistan can do aside from cleaning up the patient. The patient is unable to afford the care needed for HIV positive, the facility does not enough funds to direct the attention needed because then what of the other patients. And also drug use has weakened the immune system of the patient so much that by the time the immunity is build up the virus has already attacked. Also, people in entire Pakistan have not yet become comfortable with even the idea of standing next to HIV Positive., surely patients in a facility would feel the same once they find out that such a patient is living amongst them. Lastly the problem faced by IBTIDA which ought to be the first of concerns is that its a male oriented facility i.e. only treats males, they consider this because of the low funds due to which they have been unable to a separate residence for the treatment of female addicts. Also because of the vulnerability and lack of sexual activity of the male patients, matters become very sensitive and treatment can take wrong turn causing an irreparable mess.

ENDING NOTE
Concluding my report, my visit to IBTIDA rehabilitation has been very fruitful and self awakening. It not necessary according to visit such a place only if youre and addict, but in fact such a visit can stop a problem form arising which has already started showing symptoms. Social evils today dominate our society and have taken over peoples decent personalities turning them into beasts and as the future becomes bleaker the chances to redeem yourself become harder, to recover what is lost is harder after all rather than losing itself. An applaud for people who work towards such a cause and are brave enough to never back away no matter what dangers there are, these people have devoted their lives to this cause 10

INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009 without even uttering a sigh of discomfort they have accepted that God has paved this way out for them and it is up to them to honor this decision of the Divine being. From these people I learnt that shunning away addicts is not the way to be, today it might be a stranger but tomorrow it can be someone we love and cherish. Does this mean that we ought to turn our backs to our beloved people too? After all this isnt what humanity is. This is like turning a blind eye and convincing you that other perfectly fine people can be found to cherish. But do we realize that what of the person who lost his way and would have loved our support to steer him back on to the path, or just make him stop and take a break and analyze the situation rather than pushing himself with help of such indulgences. What of the promises that we make as friends or as lovers, their importance finished suddenly? No it doesnt. We push and push ourselves towards doing anything for our loved ones to come back from the dark hole; we show immeasurable patience and compassion. We try and become their rock of support dont we? If this is what we owe to the person we have made promises to then we certainly something like this humanity too dont we? Because this is the promise that Allah makes us take. Our Holy Prophet impressed upon this fact too, and then if not for humanity, at least to please our God we ought to do everything we can to help. If the staff members can do so then why cant we? There is no training needed to show kindness or too lend an ear just to listen to what they want to talk about. Keep ourselves in their place and think what we would have wanted if we were in such a position. Make people understand that religion is not an excuse to stick by. God is waiting for us up there not looking at geographical location but our spiritual one. Let these patients be example to us that we never ought to let people down, let them be an example of courage and bravery, let them be an example of people a bright future they encouraged themselves after years of bleakness. Let the principles of this facility guide us throughout our lives. Abstinence, repentance, fellowship and service can keep us away from the fires of hell and guide us towards the shining gates of heaven.

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INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY FALL 2009

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

FIELD VISIT TO IBTIDA REHABILITATION CENTER ALCHOHOLICS ANONYMOUS.COM RANDOM SITES FROM THE INTERNET REHAB.COM

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