For Ujval Shankar, the lure of cigarettes, tobacco and
drugs was impossible to resist. This was his story, a decade back. Ujval's
life took a U-turn when he decided to kick the habit. Pranayama, yoga and
meditation were his tools to fight the battle which was ruining his life.
"For a decade, I was into smoking, drinking and drugs. When I was about to complete school, I picked up my first cigarette. In college, it became a status or ego issue. Soon, smoking was no longer ‘for fun’ — it became a habit that was difficult to kick.”
Speaking of alcohol he says that at the end of five working days, we go for a drink. “We end up sleeping too much and feel so tired when Monday starts off. With this the same office cycle continues where you go out, smoke and come back but the stress and pressure has not gone permanently, it’s just being pushed under the carpet. But with these techniques the root cause is eliminated,” he highlights the importance of the yoga, pranayama and breathing techniques that helped him a great deal.
Today, Ujwal plays a key role in making other addicts kick the habit. He conducts the 'Stop Smoking, Start Living' program by the Art of Living.
This is Ujwal's Story carried by the Times of India Bangalore edition on June 26, 2014http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/After-the-high-he-bats-for-de-addiction/articleshow/37222232.cms
"For a decade, I was into smoking, drinking and drugs. When I was about to complete school, I picked up my first cigarette. In college, it became a status or ego issue. Soon, smoking was no longer ‘for fun’ — it became a habit that was difficult to kick.”
Speaking of alcohol he says that at the end of five working days, we go for a drink. “We end up sleeping too much and feel so tired when Monday starts off. With this the same office cycle continues where you go out, smoke and come back but the stress and pressure has not gone permanently, it’s just being pushed under the carpet. But with these techniques the root cause is eliminated,” he highlights the importance of the yoga, pranayama and breathing techniques that helped him a great deal.
Today, Ujwal plays a key role in making other addicts kick the habit. He conducts the 'Stop Smoking, Start Living' program by the Art of Living.
This is Ujwal's Story carried by the Times of India Bangalore edition on June 26, 2014http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/After-the-high-he-bats-for-de-addiction/articleshow/37222232.cms
BANGALORE: Ujval Shankar picked up his first cigarette when he was about to complete school. It was just the beginning: alcohol and drugs followed after he joined college . For 10 years, he was so engulfed by the addiction that it began to affect his studies, career and family.
Today, the 36-year-old HR professional runs de-addiction camps and has launched the "Stop smoking, start living" initiative. As part of the campaign, Ujval and his team of youngsters visit schools and colleges to create awareness about the ill-effects of addiction . For those who get registered with his initiative, de-addiction programmes are organized with the help of the Art of Living (AOL), which includes yoga and meditation camps.
On the eve of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (June 26), TOI spoke to the man who not only overcame his addiction but is also now helping others beat it. "In 2003, when drug addiction was severely hampering all aspects of my life — physical, emotional and my relationships — a friend introduced me to a three-day de-addiction course in the Art of Living. I didn't believe it when the friend put me in touch with the de-addiction camp, saying things would improve. That was because I had tried rehabilitation centre and self control techniques, and they had not worked. At the camp, I tried breathing exercises and met with people who had come out of the problem , which changed the course of my life," Ujval said.
After getting rid of the habit, he set the next target. Over the next few years, with the help of like-minded people, he planned a campaign to help others facing drug addiction problems. "In 2006, we launched the campaign and called it 'Stop smoking, start living' . We decided to target smoking, because in many cases, it forms the gateway to other form of addictions," he pointed out.
"We visit pubs and other hangouts where we can interact with youngsters. However, we don't force anyone to quit the habit. After they register with us, we try to help them explore the positive sides of life. De-addiction courses under AOL and Sudarshana Kriya (a unique breathing exercise) have helped many youngsters to say goodbye to addiction," he added.
Ujval said consumption of drugs increases dependency on the dope and youngsters are forced to be on the high. "We recently had a person who couldn't sleep without alcohol and drugs. As a result of addiction for years, he was experiencing short-term memory loss, too. He attended the de-addiction sessions in a drunken state. With the help of meditation and proper diet, he was able to overcome the withdrawal symptoms and cope with emotions. He is leading a happy life now," said Ujval.
'Not a cool quotient'
Ujval says it was peer pressure and the urge to maintain the socalled "cool factor" that made him stick to smoking. "It all started as fun. During one of my outings, I started drinking. Then came the dope, it was a pure case of experiment in search of the new high. As I got a job and moved to Himachal Pradesh, I further got engulfed by addiction as there was no family control over me. Through our campaigns through websites and social media, we highlight such sensitive issues and success stories to help others to come over the problem," he added.
Ujval believes anyone who wants to overcome addiction would definitely have given a try. "Through our campaign we just help them to give that try," he said.
98% of cocaine users started with cigarettes
According to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, over 10 lakh people die due to tobacco addiction and related diseases in India every year.
Those who smoke tobacco easily fall prey to other addictions. 44 per cent of tobacco users (in the age group of 12 to 15 years) have been found to be addicted drugs such as ganja, cocaine and heroine, according to various studies 65% of ganja and 98% cocaine users surveyed said they began with tobacco Those who smoke 15 cigarettes and more per day were found to be addicted to using ganja frequently.
Today, the 36-year-old HR professional runs de-addiction camps and has launched the "Stop smoking, start living" initiative. As part of the campaign, Ujval and his team of youngsters visit schools and colleges to create awareness about the ill-effects of addiction . For those who get registered with his initiative, de-addiction programmes are organized with the help of the Art of Living (AOL), which includes yoga and meditation camps.
On the eve of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (June 26), TOI spoke to the man who not only overcame his addiction but is also now helping others beat it. "In 2003, when drug addiction was severely hampering all aspects of my life — physical, emotional and my relationships — a friend introduced me to a three-day de-addiction course in the Art of Living. I didn't believe it when the friend put me in touch with the de-addiction camp, saying things would improve. That was because I had tried rehabilitation centre and self control techniques, and they had not worked. At the camp, I tried breathing exercises and met with people who had come out of the problem , which changed the course of my life," Ujval said.
After getting rid of the habit, he set the next target. Over the next few years, with the help of like-minded people, he planned a campaign to help others facing drug addiction problems. "In 2006, we launched the campaign and called it 'Stop smoking, start living' . We decided to target smoking, because in many cases, it forms the gateway to other form of addictions," he pointed out.
"We visit pubs and other hangouts where we can interact with youngsters. However, we don't force anyone to quit the habit. After they register with us, we try to help them explore the positive sides of life. De-addiction courses under AOL and Sudarshana Kriya (a unique breathing exercise) have helped many youngsters to say goodbye to addiction," he added.
Ujval said consumption of drugs increases dependency on the dope and youngsters are forced to be on the high. "We recently had a person who couldn't sleep without alcohol and drugs. As a result of addiction for years, he was experiencing short-term memory loss, too. He attended the de-addiction sessions in a drunken state. With the help of meditation and proper diet, he was able to overcome the withdrawal symptoms and cope with emotions. He is leading a happy life now," said Ujval.
'Not a cool quotient'
Ujval says it was peer pressure and the urge to maintain the socalled "cool factor" that made him stick to smoking. "It all started as fun. During one of my outings, I started drinking. Then came the dope, it was a pure case of experiment in search of the new high. As I got a job and moved to Himachal Pradesh, I further got engulfed by addiction as there was no family control over me. Through our campaigns through websites and social media, we highlight such sensitive issues and success stories to help others to come over the problem," he added.
Ujval believes anyone who wants to overcome addiction would definitely have given a try. "Through our campaign we just help them to give that try," he said.
98% of cocaine users started with cigarettes
According to a study conducted by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, over 10 lakh people die due to tobacco addiction and related diseases in India every year.
Those who smoke tobacco easily fall prey to other addictions. 44 per cent of tobacco users (in the age group of 12 to 15 years) have been found to be addicted drugs such as ganja, cocaine and heroine, according to various studies 65% of ganja and 98% cocaine users surveyed said they began with tobacco Those who smoke 15 cigarettes and more per day were found to be addicted to using ganja frequently.
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