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My Brother My Hero!
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That day when he was admitted to the ICU and the doctor said that he had only 48 hours. It was devastating; he had had so much alcohol and was out of control. He had liver cirrhosis and pancreatitis. The whole world came crashing down on me. And I couldn’t stop cursing my father for it. Sitting outside the ICU room, I went into a flashback. When my father was alive, we would all dread as the evening approached. He drowned himself in the alcohol and his whole behavior was like a demon. He would keep shouting at all of us and most at my brother for no reason.
My brother’s childhood was traumatic, having an alcoholic father and he is the only son of four children.
There were times that we admitted my dad at NIMHANS, but it didn’t help us. My brother – was finding it hard to face it all and deal with it. He used the route of an escapist. Come evening, he would leave the house and go meet friends. What I didn’t realize that he too was drowning alcohol, just like my father. My father died when my brother was 17 years. He had the burden of taking up my father’s business soon after his 12th standard. I could have believed that my dad was an alcoholic but my brother? It was too hard. I didn’t see it coming. A difficult and traumatic childhood led him to the path that I dreaded the most – that destroyed my family, my dad.
He was the youngest in the family and we all loved him too dearly. He ruled all our hearts, our lives. With time, his drinking got worse. He stopped going to the office, stopped taking calls, and stayed home all day long. No work and only alcohol.
His marriage was getting affected too with his behaviors. We couldn’t see him go down in life this way. So we made a strategy. We asked his wife to leave him behind with his two lovely sons age 2 and 4 years. And we three sisters decided not to talk to him, not to be in touch. We thought it was just a behavior problem and he would learn the lesson. And leave drinking alcohol. But that was a failure.
I didn’t realize that alcohol had overruled him, his personality, his character; he was a changed man. That day was the worst day of my life. His wife called me up saying that he is not taking my calls and that she was worried about her son’s, whether they were safe with theirs. So I had broken what I had decided and barged into his house. He was totally drunk. The house was a total mess. The kids had not even brushed their teeth in three days. One son was playing by himself in the balcony and the other was sleeping. We had rushed him to the hospital and he went to ICU.
After he was out of danger, we moved him to Cadabams rehabilitation center. Since that day I have been his biggest enemy. I would keep visiting him there and seeing that what lovely progress he made. And I could see my gem shining back.
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Today I am so proud of him. He overcame his addiction with such confidence and such brilliance. Today he lives a very happy life, with his wife and two lovely sons. He often makes family holidays happen. He has earned himself a rewarding marketing job in one of the best companies. He also renovated his home. And me. Well, I continue to be his enemy, but that doesn’t matter. He to me is a hero now and forever.
If your brother or a person of someone close you know is dealing with addiction problems badly, it is a good idea to consult them with a rehab counsellor for betterment. To know more about the best treatment options to treat addiction issues, visit www.cadabams.org/anunitha or call us right away @+91 96111 94949 to book an appointment with one of our best counselors for the same.
