Translation - By NGO Fontana staff.

DON’T COVER YOUR ADDICTION

The addicts of Binh Minh Village Center, Thanh Da are very familiar with the name Ragnar Larussion – a professional counsellor of the AA program (Alcoholics Anonymous) and NA (Narcotics Anonymous) from Denmark.

PHAM THI SEN

They call him with an informal name: Teacher, Uncle and Father. For them, he is really a hero. LifeStyles Reporter had a chance to have a short talk with him about his life and career in Viet Nam.

•Reporter: How do you understand about addiction?

RL:     I am an addict. I started drinking when I was 16 years old. For many years, I had never thought alcohol was my problem. I just thought that I am a man, so I have to know how to drink and if so I can give it up. When I was 25 years old, alcohol was really my good/close friend. I drank immoderately and at any time I could. My family advised me to limit drinking and give it up. I refused strongly. I began telling a lie and said I just drank a little bit. I caused many problems to my family. I felt ashamed when I was sober after a drunk. I always excused that I drank because of my sadness and problems at work….

Standing up from a help

•What made you become clean?

-I tried to surrender, but I could not. It was easy for me to forget it for one week, sometimes I could stop drinking for one month, but everything turned back as before. Each time of relapse, my status became worse. When I was 38 years old, I had a real hopeless feeling. My family did not want to see my face, my friends gradually avoided me. I lost my job, no money. My mother passed away. I remembered I drank so much that I could not realize anything after my mother’s funeral. Impossibly, I decided to give up, but not successful either. I sought to a friend and called him for a help.

•Why did you call that friend for a help?

-He was an addict. He had stopped drinking for 2 years at that time. He came to center for a treatment and could give it up. Each time he saw me, he always encouraged me to come to the treatment center. At first, I refused and voided him, but in the year of 1982, in December I remembered I drank during 3 days. I woke up on the fourth and could not stand up. Nobody was next to me, so I called that friend. I just hoped someone could understand and help me at that time, and he came to me.

•How did he help you?

-I was introduced about the 12-step program for AA. Through the program, I could understand that addiction is a disease. The same with other diseases such as cancer, diabetes…and if I want to survive, I totally have to give it up. Addiction influences to the whole of your body, from mind, soul to body. It destroys everything. You have to admit that you are an addict and never can control your addiction. You are powerless over addiction, so you need a help from another sober addict.

-Many times, but I knew how to contact the counsellor and tried to live with the 12-step program, promised to stay clean day by day. I also came to the group of sober addicts. In each meeting, we learnt together how to stay clean. I also began changing my daily life style. I did not come to see the addicted friends anymore. Now I have become a normal person when no alcohol.

•Many people think that drug addicts have never given up drugs. What do you think about this?

-It is not a right point of view. Hundreds and thousands of drug addicts could give it up and are getting the good jobs. But there are 2 important conditions: the addict himself/herself has to want to give it up and has to find out a right place of treatment. I totally believe in the 12-step program of NA/AA. You see, I am sober now. Many Vietnamese drug addicts have given up drugs through the 12-step program. Now some of them are working with me here.

•You are now working with the addicts. What do they look like?

-They are also the normal persons, only that they are having an illness. They are being addicted and they can not treat their addiction by themselves. They need a help to get recovery. You can blaim anyone when you are sick. We have to teach them how to do to stop using drugs. We have to teach them to have responsibility for keeping drugs away.

•It is called addiction, so it is everywhere in the world. Why did you choose Vietnam to work for?

-I was not the person who chose Vietnam, another person decided that. After my first visit to Vietnam, I decided to stay in Vietnam.

•Any difficulties during the time you have been working here?

-Many things. Everything is very differently: weather, culture, language and people…But I like my job. I have learnt many new things everyday.

•You are an alcohol addict. Are there any difficulties for you to treat the drug addicts?

-Not at all, the addiction is the same. Though you are addicted with alcohol or drugs, you are also powerless over it. You are always controlled. Therefore, I always remind me that I am an addict.

It is necessary to understand that addiction is a disease

•There is a lot of discrimination against addicts. Any problems about this when you introduced yourself as an addict?

-    No, I have never been discriminated. I have explained very clearly that I am an addict but a sober addict. I am still an addict. I learnt and don’t want to negative it. It reminds me that if I relapse, I will be powerless and can not stop again.

•Could you please introduce a bit about this program in VN?

-    This program was introduced in VN from beginning of 2006 and applied to BM Center, Thanh Da, HCMC. At first, we only had one center for both detox and recovery. In middle of 2008, we opened the center 2 (HWH) which is the first of its kind in VN. After a detox of 13-15 days in center 1, the patients will be moved to center 2 where they have a chance to get the vocational training, approach the 12-step program for drug addicts, learn the living values and join the leisure activities….They also have a chance to get permission to visit family.

•How is your one day?

-    When I get up every morning, the first words are that I promise to stay clean in the next 24hrs and no worry about relapse. And then, I go to the center at 7.30am. I give my lecture on 12 steps to the patients to 11pm. I have lunch and come back center at 1pm. In the afternoon, I have the private audiences for the patients who are having problems – craving feelings, loneliness feelings or contradiction among patients…to 5pm. In the evening, I am online to talk with my family or read book, preparing some things for the next day and go to sleep at 11pm.

During the day, I always remind me to be responsible for my feelings, thinkings and actions. I believe in the words: How you want people behave towards you, you have to behave the same towards them.

Now, after 25 years of staying clean, my addiction is not my problem any more.

•Any messages to addicts and not addicts in VN?

-    Don’t try to cover your addiction, but seek the help. In Vietnam, it must have more information of addiction and understand that addiction is a disease. The sick persons need to be helped.