Sanket Rajesh Loya
Aurangabad
Nitin was living in an intoxicated world as he started drinking 24×7. His family thought that marrying him would bring him back on track, but in futile. He continued immersing himself in drinking and doubting his wife. The situation in life worsened. Nitin developed multiple personality disorder, mental illness, and memory loss. His weight was reduced to 42 kg. In 2009-2010 Nitin was admitted to a hospital where doctors said that he would not survive more than two months.
As he shares his story Nitin Ghorpade from Aurangabad in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra shudders for a moment but then he controls himself and narrates his life. Nitin was born in Pune on December 15, 1979, and due to poor financial conditions, his family moved to Aurangabad when he was just six-year-old. Nitin along with his brother and mother sold popcorn at the city bus stand. Additionally, he also washed cars to earn money for the family. When in ninth standard he started working as a paperboy. Life was harsh and so was destiny, he says. With no hope in the present and unpredictable future, he turned to liquor.
“I was in the eighth standard when I first consumed liquor. It was a Holi day and I drank with my friends. Liquor was not new to me. It was always there around in the family and neighborhood” he says. But this was the first time he embraced liquor which tightened its noose around him.
Intoxicated Life
Even though he was drinking continuously, he was a hard worker. Sometimes he attended classes in his school and one of his teachers was aware of his background and hard work. The teacher asked Nitin if he would do a job in the transportation business. The company was owned by the teacher’s relatives. Nitin agreed as he was in the need of more money for his family. Also working in a transport company gave him some dignity for which he was yearning while working as a paper boy.
He joined the transportation business, as an employee. As his salary increased, his drinking habit doubled. He was so deep into the liquor that he could not stand or walk on his own.
Nitin admits that money made him arrogant and he started abusing his family members who would try to stop him from drinking. He suspected his wife and remained agitated with the family members. His wife was at the receiving end. The National Family Health Survey – 5 (NFHS-5) states that experience of spousal physical or sexual violence varies greatly with the level of the husband’s alcohol consumption. Seventy percent of women whose husbands often get drunk have experienced spousal physical or sexual violence, compared with 23 percent of women whose husbands do not drink alcohol The NFHS also highlights that only 1 percent of women (among surveyed) drink alcohol, compared with 22 percent of men. Among men who drink alcohol, 15 percent drink alcohol almost every day, 43 percent drink alcohol about once a week, and 42 percent drink less than once a week.
Way to Rehabilitation
Nitin was among those 15 percent who survived on alcohol. His family and friends were trying to help him to get rid of alcohol, but Nitin was unwilling to listen to anyone. “My family tried everything, but I was still drinking. But Supreme Power (God) sent my friend Raju and he told my family about Alcoholic Ananimers (AA)” he says. AA is an organization working for de-addiction.
Nitin’s family convinced him and immediately took him to AA. Nitin unwillingly went there. Habitual drunkards who were admitted for treatment at AA regularly met and shared their experiences. When Nitin started hearing stories from other alcoholic patients, he was shocked. He could relate to what they were saying. He knew how he behaved when he was drunk. But now he was listening to the same stories and suffering of their family members. Nitin lamented remembering his behavior. It was like looking into the mirror.
“After six months at AA, guilt and self-realization made me conscious. It was the moment I decided to change” says Nitin. It was not easy living without liquor, but Nitin was ready to fight the battle with himself. He would see how his wife and family members suffered because of his liquor addiction. It took over a year for Nitin to come back to a regular lifestyle, he was successfully able to defeat his addiction to alcohol consumption. This was probably the toughest battle of his life where he was his own oppressor and enemy. But finally, he succeeded and quit liquor.
The New Beginning
After leaving alcohol he realized that he was getting fat and unhealthy so started running, swimming with friends, and cycling. Also, he worked on his diet. One day when Nitin’s friends suggested that he should try TRIATHLON and explained to him about the sport. A sport includes 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km of cycling and 42 km of running which a participant has to complete within a given time to win the title of IRON MAN. Now, Nitin had a new target in his life. After the tragic past, he was determined to do something that would satisfy him and his family. Nitin started preparation for TRIATHLON. He participated in different fitness, cycling, running, and swimming competitions. “I used to bath with ice water for 15 months to get used to cold conditions abroad where competition was to be held,” he says. Preparing for the competition was the best part because it was just like preparing for school exams and Nitin enjoyed working hard daily.
Nitin was able to win his first IRON MAN title in 2018 in Hamburg Germany where he completed all three events in a total of 12 hours and 49 minutes. Next year Nitin again clinched the title in Denmark.
As he pursued his passion for exercise, Nitin also built his own transportation business. “ Now, I want to live a normal life with my family and forget the dark past,” he says. Life has taught him many tough lessons and Nitin knows how difficult is to fight the battle to self.
He strongly believes that nobody can gift you willpower, it is you yourself who has to earn it. The will to change is the basic premise of life, says Nitin. Good Samaritans hanging around are there to facilitate your journey. Once addicted to liquor, Nitin today is addicted to achieving new heights and testing his own capacities as a human being.
(Sanket Rajesh Loya is a TYBAJMC student at Vishwakarma University)
Note: Pics for the story are taken from https://nitinharishghorpade.blogspot.com/2018/09/ironman-journey.html
Bhot bdhiya,article,i’m proud of you
Very well described, the story of cronic alcoholic family and person, but unfortunately, our society is not aware of this, though WHO recognized it, a disease .nicely written Sanket, I’m proud of you