Muhammad is a young man of 21 from Punjab, Pakistan. He struggled with addiction and was treated at H&H HealthCare Rehabilitation Centre in Islamabad, Pakistan.

Muhammad encountered many hurdles in his struggle to overcome the addiction which marred his life. This story reflects not only Muhammad’s perservance and persistent efforts, but also gives deep insight into his desire to better his life for the sake of his loved ones and his country.

Muhammad’s journey is one that is awe inspiring.

Muhammad was born in a small village in Punjab. His father was not there to provide emotional, physical or financial support to his family– He had fallen prey to drug addiction. The responsibility of his family therefore fell upon Muhammad. Muhammad thrived in school during his youth. That was until his family decided to move to a nearby city.

Muhammad had to enroll himself into a different school. Overwhelmed by a new geographical space and environment Muhammad scrambled to adjust. In the desire to do so, Muhammad fell in the hands of friends, friends whom he at the time had thought to be good people.

Navigating his way through a treacherous space, Muhammad was a person easy to mold. With the added burden of peer pressure and need to fit in, Muhammad started smoking flavored cigarettes with his friends. He then moved on to tobacco cigarettes– Which then led to nicotine addiction.

Muhammad began to lose interest in studies.

Under the shadow of bad influence Muhammad was soon beckoned to join a “student organization”, one that required him to stay out late at night after school hours.

This is how he started to smoke hashish.

This proved to be a detriment to his relationship with his family. He stopped caring about his mother. He stopped caring about school. He stopped caring about himself.

He spent hours attending social gatherings and parties — parties at which access to drugs was not difficult at all. He began to abuse drugs. His addiction had taken a hold on his personality.

Hashish however stopped fulfilling Muhammad’s incessant escapist mindset. He looked for something stronger–and with the friends he had fallen prey to finding harder drugs was not an issue. It wasn’t long before he found Heroin.

Heroin gripped him harder and soon became a drug that Muhammad needed desperately to survive. Muhammad was using heroin all the time, taking it everywhere with him. When he would run out he would indulge in self-harm, punching walls until his knuckles were bruised.

His family had him move to Islamabad in an attempt to help him resume his education there. But this proved to be just as bad if not more harmful than his situation before. Heroin addiction had taken control of his life. He sold all of his belongings to feed his addiction. He became anti-social, uncaring and unkind to his family but above all– he began losing his sense of self. He used heroin on all occasions– including at his sister’s funeral.

Soon when his parents discovered that their son was nothing more than “a mere addict”— in an attempt to discipline him, they locked Muhammad in a room for three days. As withdrawal kicked in–

Muhammad’s body longed and yearned for heroin. He punched walls and indulged in self-harm like he had never before — helpless against his body’s need for heroin.

Hopeless and helpless, Muhammad’s parents decided to put him in treatment. This brought Muhammad to H&H HealthCare Rehabilitation Centre.

This was Muhammad’s first experience of being in a rehabilitation Centre. He went through extreme withdrawals for the first few days — unaware of why he was going through such agony. Muhammad pleaded to be taken out of treatment, longing for the pleasure of drugs and avoid the withdrawal symptoms.

As time passed by, Muhammad was treated by a psychologist. Muhammad knew he wanted to change, he just didn’t know how to do it. That is where therapy helped. Therapy fueled Muhammad’s passionate desire to turn his life around. It made him aware that he can not compromise on his well- being. It made him aware that in order to return to his family and the rest of the world he had to take control of his life.

He came to terms with this and soon began working hard to better himself. He learnt anger management skills. He developed coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety. He learnt about his emotional capabilities, ones that he had never discovered before. Muhammad had discovered a new found faith in himself. He used his therapy and education and implemented it in his day-to-day life. He learnt about how to expel negative thoughts from his mind.

Muhammad soon became an emblem of hope and role model for others. He had found himself again– a gift, which he soon realized was greater than any other.

In Muhammad’s own words:

” Every night before going to sleep, I would replay all the things I had learnt that day. I started gaining confidence. This was the beginning of a new life for me, a life without drugs. My family and psychologists leant me endless and unwavered support. I set myself out on a mission to regain their trust. I set short term goals for myself and once I would achieve those goals, I would feel a sense of pride.

Now my family was willing to welcome me home with open arms. I made plan to ensure my stability and maintain my recovery outside of rehab in the big, open world. I was ready to prove myself to my family, friends and outside world. I envisioned a better world for myself and others.

The day I got discharged was the beginning of a new life for me. A new era.

I met my mother that day and told her that she would never have to shed another tear of sadness for me ever again.”

Muhammad is now a motivational speaker who helps individuals suffering from anxiety, depression and many other psychological issues. Muhammad is a symbol of hope now.

Pakistan has one of the lowest literacy rate in the world. There’s a great need for awareness about mental health and substance use. Muhammad is providing the awareness people need by speaking at

social events, gatherings and academic institutions. His aim is to put an end to the stigma associated with mental health and substance use. He wants to start a movement for structural reforms in the education system in Pakistan. The main aim is to introduce mental health as a mandatory part of the academic curriculum. Muhammad is planning to lead a team of recovery role models who can play their part in bringing a much needed change in society.

Muhammad says:

” A healthy mind is the first step towards a successful future generation”

Muhammad changed his life and now wishes to bring his own experience in bettering the wider world. Muhammad has a vision that is larger than life and there is no doubt about the fact that he is a leader in the making.