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An Eternal Battle

28 –year old Raju has been at Anbagam (Chennai) since its inception. He hails from Puri, a hundred kilometers away from Bhubaneshwar, Orissa. After he completed high school, Raju went to Himachal Pradesh to work as a quality controller at a reputed organization.

The occupation provided him a comfortable salary and unfortunately, Raju started drinking regularly. A little while later, intoxication reached greater heights when he started taking drugs.

Raju was the youngest of three siblings and he shifted many jobs, travelling across Surat and Kerala in that pursuit. But, his addiction finally got the better of him. He then came to Anbagam Rehabilitation Center (Chennai) and has been a part of it since. “I am now totally clean of all my addictions”, confesses Raju.

At Anbagam, Raju is on continuous medication. “I tend to think a lot, get tensed and worried when I don’t take my medicines”, he says. Raju is a relieved man these days. He is passionate about cooking and cooks for the mentally ill destitutes of Anbagam. “Robinson (Supervisor) and Shakti (another inmate) are my close friends. I really like it here”, he adds smilingly.