Tshewang Tenzin, who once suffered from drug addiction, has had his share of pain and suffering while on his journey to recovery.
“I have lost hundreds of opportunities, hurt thousands of people and harmed my health in thousand ways.” He said now he is living with the consequence of drug abusers, such as memory lapse, physical and emotional pain among others.
To help people like Tshewang Tenzin, a forum on, “Drug Addiction and Recovery”, was held on Wednesday at the Royal Thimphu College. The forum was to nurture core values and behaviour that lay the foundation for being a responsible citizen.
With a theme, Living Free-without Tobacco and Drugs, the forum was also an emphasis on self-respect and respect for others, as tobacco and drug abuse not just seriously undermine individuals’ health but also create problems for the community, as the organizers put in.
The forum saw some informative deliberation on drug related issues, addiction and its implication on spiritual values.
Lama Zhenphen Zangpo, one of the panelists, said the society should not see the drug abusers as being fundamentally bad. “They should think that they made a mistake through ignorance and the ignorance can be cleared away.” However, he said, if those suffering from addiction cause damages, they might need to be put it away into the rehab.
Tshewang Tenzin, who now runs Chithuen Phendhey Association for Recovering Addicts, said those suffering from addiction should not fight alone. “Don’t fight alone, come forward, and seek help before it is too late.”
“We should never give up on them,” said Lama Zhenphen Zangpo. He gave an example Milarepa. He said the person who killed an entire village out of ignorance later went on to become a saint. “The society should look at addicts as somebody who is need of help.”
The forum was initiated by Royal Thimphu College in collaboration with Bhutan Narcotic Control Agency.
