Forging the high road to sobriety in Andhra Pradesh Premium

A tale of addiction, despair, and hope unfolds at a de-addiction center in Andhra Pradesh.

Engaged in a profound battle of desire and despair for nearly a decade, 23-year-old Gnanendra often gets overwhelmed by the craving to escape pain, anxiety and trauma caused by his addiction to narcotic drugs and pornography.

“A strong urge to go back to drugs overshadows the fleeting moments of clarity that surface when I recognise the need to change,” Gnanendra says, taking long pauses as he shares his tale of vulnerability and weariness.

Sitting on a chair in front of a window overlooking the lush green lawn of Indla’s Shantivan, a rehabilitation and de-addiction centre nestled at Nunna, a suburb of Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, Gnanendra recounts his first encounter with drugs when he was only a 9th Class student.

“It was in the volleyball ground near home where seniors initiated me into it. I began smoking cigarettes but quickly moved on to drugs, and before long, I was addicted to the high,” he recalls.

Multiple experiences of running away from the law enforcers from secluded designated spots to consume drugs have left him with a heightened sensitivity to noise or touch.

“I am continuously paranoid about the police watching me all the time. I fear they may catch me at any moment,” he says as his eyes widen and his lips quiver.

Overcoming an unease that crept in as he began to look back, this young man from Annavaram, says his father, an agriculturist, died five years ago.