I started drinking in my teenage years and continued until I was 41. Now in my late 40’s and coming up to seven years clean, I can say with all honesty I am glad I am in recovery – it’s something I work at every day. It has given me a new lease of life and has had a positive impact not just on me but my friends and family, too.
I hated the last ten years of my drinking lifestyle. I use the term lifestyle loosely; it wasn’t much of a lifestyle and certainly not one I would wish on anyone. I noticed my drinking was not right and ‘normal’ when I used to continue drinking for days, and use drugs as well. More so, the drinking by myself became worrying!
When I hit rock bottom, I had no choice but to stop. If my family had never intervened, I would be dead now. I got support from a service in Leicester and through AA. I practiced the 12-step program and still work on myself through meditation, reading and understanding my mind to then apply tools I have learnt, to deal with issues which could potentially lead me to substances again.
The short film I made is about my journey as someone from the South Asian community dealing with addiction, and the impact it has had on people around me. It talks about my struggles coming from that community and the way the community view addiction - the stigmas and taboos it creates around those in active addiction. The film includes interviews with those around me, the impact my drinking had on them, and a conversation with a lady from the South Asian community who is also in recovery.
I was inspired to do the film because I have had enough of seeing people struggle without support, the lack of conversations about alcohol harm and the hurt families feel. I have been through this and want others to not go through the struggles I had initially: having no support, being laughed at and feeling ashamed. If you reach out, I am here to help you!
I am planning to take the film and do Q&A sessions – from October 2021 to March 2022 – in the South Asian community by taking it to temples and centres, to give hope to others. You can turn your life around if you seek help. There is no shame in struggling with your drinking, and if you work at it and get the right help you can address it. The South Asian community as a whole need to normalise these conversations so no parent or friend or brother or sister has to feel shame or worry what others think. I also believe that services need to do more to reach out to these communities and offer help. There needs to be a many-pronged approach to really get into the community and make a change!
Once the community engagement is done as part of the funding requirements, I will continue to take this story out further in the UK and keep challenging the stigma surrounding alcohol problems. The film will be released publicly in 2022.
I have to be honest; I don’t miss the drink; my lifestyle choices now are the ones I love!
To find out more about the project, visit Jit’s website here.
