PETALING JAYA: Imagine starting smoking cigarettes at 14 years old, moving on to marijuana at 15, drinking alcohol, popping methamphetamine pills and eventually injecting heroin at 17.
That was Chris Sekar’s life. But now, at 68 years old, he is a transformed person who has been the addiction therapist at Gleneagles Hospital Kuala Lumpur for the past 20 years.
“I come from a classic dysfunctional family with six siblings and an alcoholic father. Out of the five sons my parents had, three of us got into drugs. We were all village boys who loved hanging out at what used to be called ‘ten sen tea stalls’, where one could get a roti canai and hot tea for 10 sen each, and a roll of marijuana for just 50 sen.
“But my starting point was when I picked up a cigarette at 12 or 13. Nicotine addiction is hard to give up and is known as the ‘Trojan horse’ or ‘gateway drug’.
“I picked up smoking because my father was a smoker and eventually, at 14, smoking cigarettes was normal. Smoking marijuana came into the picture when I was around 15,” he told theSun.
Chris said after that, the pill-popping started and then came the alcohol. Initially, beer was his go-to drink. But when he could not get “high” on it anymore, he went for hard liquor.
He said that meant he would eventually need something even stronger.
The rabbit hole Chris ended up falling into was one that led him to heroin.
“In addition, there is something called ‘frequency’, where you begin to need the drug when you wake up. Eventually, you’ll need it before going to bed. Next is ‘tolerance’, where what was once enough doesn’t suffice anymore.
“I was a heroin addict for about eight years, bringing my drug addiction to a total of 10 years. Those years were a disaster, as I was badly addicted. It happened when I was in Form Five. Soon, I was dealing in narcotics, sleeping in abandoned buildings, and passing out in weird places,” he recounted.
He said his mother sent him to several private and government rehabilitation centres. They even saw a bomoh (shaman), tried acupuncture, visited temples, and self-medicated. But nothing worked.
As a last resort, his mother suggested he try a centre run by Christians. It was a passionate plea from his mother, who told him that she wanted to see him clean before she died, and that finally pushed him to kick the habit.
“Those words were gut-wrenching to hear, especially coming from my mother,” he said.
His journey to the Christian centre had a rocky start too.
“I ran away twice! I was not convinced, as it was all Alleluia! Praise the Lord... and so on.
“I told them if God wanted to save me, how come he did not appear and stop me from sticking needles into my arm?”
One Sept 29, 1981, as Chris knelt and prayed, he said: “Lord, this is your last chance to catch me. If you do not, I will run away again and I will die with a needle in my arm.”
The next day, his cravings for drugs vanished.
“My life took a total turnaround. I was surprised and wondered: ‘Is it real, or is God playing tricks on me? Would I go back to my old habits?’
“Fortunately, it was real. Until today, nearly 41 years later, I have not had a drop of alcohol nor the craving for heroin or other drugs.”
Chris has also written a book, Daily Devotions for the Recovering Addict, which will be launched by Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh next month, and plans are afoot to also have a Tamil edition.
