“Punarjani”(Re-Birth)

Charitable Trust FOR DE-addiction & rehabilitation

Reg no 217/2004,
POOMALA P.O. Thrissur 680581, INDIA.
E-mail: punarjanipoomala@yahoo.com Web punarjani.org
Ph 04872201332

www.punarjani.org
————————————————————————————————————————————— A New Venture
for Recovery from Alcoholism

Punarjani means the rebirth, yes, really it is a rebirth not only for its
founderer, Managing Trustee DR. Johns K. Mangalam, but also for more than 200
alcoholic addicts and for their whole family members.

This is really a miraculous achievement for an NGO, which was formed by a

group of Ex-Alcoholics, who were victims of Alcoholism ,some persons affected by
this malady and few humanists who have real concern about them.

Punarjani is at Poomala, a sleepy hug rated village 16 km away from Thrissur

town near Mulamkunnathukavu. This organization is distinct from any other
organization due to its peculiarities. This initiate is led by one DR. Johns K.
Mangalam, who despite having several distinction to this credit like two first
ranks, a Ph.D. Degree in Philosophy, with a short term teaching experience at Sree
Kerala Varma College,Thrissur as Leacturer,and later he become an Advocte.But
still he was a severe Alcoholic and has come out of it seven years back after
having 20 years of life experience as an Alcoholic addict.

Poomala which is home village of DR. Johnson also has the history of wide
spread Alcoholism because the predominant population here had been relying heavily
on alcohol to pep up their spirit in their struggle for survival amidst harsh
weather, attack of wild animals and disease like malaria in the early days of
migration about 60 years back.

Among the first generation of the migrants used to consume illicit liquor
from their childhood. Many of them lost their lives prematurely either due to
suicide and diseases like liver problems or by accidents -all linked to alcohol
someway or other. But even though DR. Johns belongs to this group, by the grace
of God he recovered from it after many admissions and discharges from lots of
De-addiction treatment centers.

It was a chance realization for DR. Johnson that,Alcoholism is a disease

and from it anybody can recover through adopting a new life style and through
prompt knowledge about the nature, reasons, effects and methods of recovery from
it. When he recognized that his efforts to get away from liquor were finally
successful after innumerable failures, he tried to influence his friends and
others to recover from the disease which is being wrongly called as “bad habit”.
Together with his friends who were also recovered from Alcoholism and with the
help of some humanists they started an organization with the goals to recover and
rehabilitate Alcoholics and their families and also to fight and educate about the
evil influence of alcohol.

Through out the last two and half years they were conducting Seminars,
creative discussions between the experts in this subject and the public. They
also conducted various awareness camps and classes about the problems faced by the
alcoholics and the reasons along with solutions for the disease Alcoholism. Now
they are conducting an experiment with their newly innovated means and methods to
recover an Alcoholic from this disease.
 Punarjani produced a audio-video CD about Alcoholism by the same name
Punarjani and conducted the screening of the said documentary at many places, in
order to make awareness about this disease. They distributed hundreds of copies
of the said documentary in the CD form through out Kerala free of cost. Through
the tireless efforts of volunteers of Punarjani they could act as catalyst for the
recovery of a large number of alcoholic addicts within a very short span of time.

Meanwhile they purchased one acre of land at the beautiful and calm area
adjacent to the reservoir of Poomala Dam. Now at the said site in two small sheds
they are conducting a de-addiction center by the name Punarjani Retreat Centre
through which they are experimenting and implementing some newly generated ideas
about the means and methods of recovery from Alcoholism.

Emphasizing the fact that alcoholism is a family disease which not only
affects the mind, body and soul of an Alcoholic, but it also effects the whole
members of the family of such a person. Thus, they begin their attempt to recover
patients with motivation of the patient along with proper counseling and education
for the family members who were also become mentally ill due to the impacts or
after effects of an Alcoholic whom they depend. In fact, they are the scapegoats
of Alcoholism.

Alcoholics usually resist undergoing any sort of treatment due to two reasons.
The formally accepted methods of treatment which restrict the total freedom of an
Alcoholic by imprisoning him in a De-addiction Center for a very long period of
time and the use of heavy doses of medicines , will not be accepted by them,
because they fear to loose the freedom which they ‘used to misuse’ for a very long
period of time. Most of them fear the use of any sort of medicine for recovery
from Alcoholism because from their experience they know very well that it may
create physical and mental problems for them after treatment, i.e. If they use
liquor any more, in most of such cases it may lead to death or paralysis of a
patient.

The possibility of the chance for failure in the treatment and consequent
withdrawal of moral support and sympathy which he may obtain from the kith and
kin,till undergoing expensive treatment , may be lost if he does not recover
completely from Alcoholism even after the so called rigorous treatment at any De-
addiction treatment Center.

It is at this juncture that Punarjani differs from any other recovery

centers. They invite Alcoholics to come and join their joint effort to recover
from their disease by living and sharing together for a period of 21 days at
Punarjani, which is having “no walls and gates” and at which they will not compel
to consume any medicine or any specific religion. They even advised the patients
to come voluntarily for the recovery ,after consuming their last peg as per their
own wish.

A total change in the attitude of the whole members of the family of the
patient and that of the society towards the Alcoholic and the recovered Alcoholic
is an essential pre-requisit for recovery and long endurance of the newly obtained
sobriety of any Alcoholic. An unconditional moral, financial and all other
support is inevitable for the sustenance of the recovered state of life of a
recovered alcoholic

PUNARJANI-THE NEW APPROACHES OF PURNARJANI FOR RECOVERY FROM ALCOHOLISM

AND
WHY IT IS NEW?
The most important hindrance to solve the problem of Alcoholism is that the
Keralait’s even though they may be highly educated and literate, they are not
properly aware of the fact that Alcoholism is a disease from which we can recover
anybody by adequate means and methods.

The other important hindrance to achieve and fulfill the objectives of the TRUST
,Punarjani is that the whole family members of an Alcoholic will be, in due
course, become the victims of the same disease,and all the members of the family
become prey to Alcoholism . The mental, social, financial and family life of an
addict will make adverse impacts up on the mental, social, financial aspects of
the whole family and will create complex problems in all spheres of their life.

The fundamental principles or Axioms of Punarjani about Alcoholism are that

“Alcoholism is a disease’’, “Alcoholism is a family decease’’ and “there is no
Medicine which can offer recovery to the disease of Alcoholism’’.
However, we can recover from the disease, Alcoholism by some other means and
methods and so Punarjani advocates that the true knowledge about the real reasons
and nature of Alcoholism as a disease is the most important thing in order to get
rid of this disease.
Unfortunately even though we are very proud of our high rate of literacy and
educational status, still the proper awareness about the causes, reasons and the
true nature and the means of recovery from this disease etc , are very low,
especially among the so called highly educated people of Kerala, even today. The
awareness about this fatal disease “Alcoholism’’ is insufficient, especially among
the poor.
Punarjani believe that the ignorance about alcoholism in its various aspects as a
disease is the basic and most important reason for Alcoholism in India, and
especially in Kerala with people - working hard and earning money to spent for
life and its enjoyments and living with unbearable quantity of tensions and
worries .
Thus “Punarjani’’ gave importance to educate and make people aware of the true
nature, reasons and remedy for the disease of Alcoholism.
The salient features and factors, which differentiate the approach of Punarjani
from other De-addiction Centers, are that

There is No Medicine for the recovery from this disease- Alcoholism

All attempts for the recovery from this disease should be voluntary and
with the consent of the Patient and thus do not prescribe unnecessary and heavy
Medicine.

Denial of freedom of an Alcoholic by imprisonment is the most important

hindrance for making him aware of the true nature of his disease and its impacts
up on his family .So don’t curtail the freedom of Alcoholics by imprisonment.

Provide adequate opportunity to reveal the broken hearts of each Alcoholic to

anybody who wish to listen and can understand the circumstances and emotions of an
Alcoholic, at any time, anywhere.

Offer the help of recovered Alcoholics to motivate, to make aware of the damages
caused by it to each of them and to provide chances for them to inter act with
many other Alcoholics without discrimination of cast, creed, education and social
or financial status.

Provide the healing touches of natural love as the Medicine for Motivation and
Recovery
FREEDOM

Freedom from unnecessary bondages is very important for an Alcoholic, because he,
as an Alcoholic is the person who lavishly enjoyed and misused freedom by virtue
of his disease or as a symptom of his disease.
So Punarjani believe that whenever be is compelled to restrict his freedom, then
onwards he will not co-operate with the means and methods or attempts of recovery
from Alcoholism.
Restriction of his freedom by imprisonment will generate a rebellious attitude in
the minds of Alcoholics and thus their minds will not listen to what he may hear
about his disease.
----------------------------------

An intellectual conviction about the true nature of this decease, its

symptoms, reasons, remedy, means and methods of recovery are essential for the
recovery of an Alcoholic. Unfortunately, while the patient is under the state of
imprisonment and restrictions he cannot able to co-operate with the persons who
can impart the required knowledge about Alcoholism and the successful means and
methods for recovery from it.

Thus PUNARJANI have no gates for our De-addiction Centre and instead of it
anybody can enter and if he wish to go ,he can doso without any restriction except
sympathetic persuation to continue the stay .Thus the impulse to escape from
Punarjani inorder to have a drink can be overcome by a patient. All we have here
is a communal living together. Which enable the patients to learn from the life
experiences, losses, hopes, achievements and expectations of other Alcoholics
through open sessions of personal, family and group counseling which are totally
different from closed, artificially created, time bound and officially recognized
and accepted modes of counseling. Both recovered and recovering patients
participate in these modes of counseling with out any prejudice and hiding but
with wholehearted involvement.

There is a typical language for communication between Alcoholics. The

languages of sophisticated counselors are mostly alien and not digestive for
alcoholics. Therefore, a lesson or message expressed by an Alcoholic in his own
language could reach at the understanding faculty of another Alcoholic or in
other words, an academically qualified, technically educated counselor may not
express the same lesson or message to the reasoning faculty of another Alcoholic
,much better than that of an Alcoholic, whether recovered or not. He may try to
impart his ideas and thoughts through his sophisticated language and style,but
that may not create the expected result to an Alcoholic. Because the life and its
distinct experiences of an Alcoholic is very different and and peculiar and far
away from that of a Non-Alcoholic, however empathetic or sympathetic he may be.

‘Punarjani’ believes and experience that, the healing touches of love, sympathy,
compassion, protection and care etc will produce tremendous impact up on the life
and thoughts of an Alcoholic,who are in search of it.

With dedication and care, we can buildup confidence and courage to face the
problems, with a calm mood, in the shattered, dejected and confused minds of
Alcoholics. Moreover, the intervention of many recovered but suffered Alcoholics
will motivate, and adduce the required determination, will power, hopes and self-
estimation to an Alcoholic who is fallen to the state of hell , miseries and
defeat. A very short span of time spent with the inmates of “PUNARJANI’’ will make
tremendous impacts upon the life of an Alcoholic and indirectly that of the family
members, the society and his next generations.
 Alcoholics can recover from their disease through self-awareness of the
reasons, symptoms, impacts, means and methods of recovery of Alcoholism. They will
achieve this here ,through self -effort and with the help and assistance of other
recovered Alcoholics. However due acceptance of recovered Alcoholics, by their
family members and the society as a whole, is very essential for the sustenance of
the recovered sobriety of any Alcoholic.

The net work of the family members of Alcoholics, who happen to get a chance
to stay at “PUNARJANI’’ for a period of 21 days, will be act as the supporting
group for every newly recovered Alcoholic .They will be always ready to help and
assist any Alcoholic with out any conditions. It change will happen in the Minds
of recovered Alcoholics even without the intention to do so . Because the
intimacy and affection expressed among the similarly aggrieved and suffered
patients will have a strength stronger than that of any other groups. Thus, infact
each and every person who under goes this recovery process at “PUNARJANI’’ will
become a healer of other Alcoholics. Thus, we can feel the wonder created by the
intervention of WOUNDED HEALERS upon the patients at “PUNARJANI’’

Alcoholism is not a sin. Moreover, the grace and intervention of the unseen
power that we call by different names such as Jesus, God, Allah, Ram, and by other
numerous names, is inevitable for the permanent recovery of an Alcoholic form his
disease. At “PUNARJANI’’, everybody is free to choose his own Deity as he himself
conceives it. Because “PUNARJANI’’ believe that, in order to fight and defeat the
disease Alcoholism which defeated us at present, we are in need of the help of a
power that will be stronger than Alcohol,which already defeated us. The belief and
prayers offered by a depended Alcoholic and his suffering family will reap its
fruits,for his recovery and future prosperity, through the unexpected
interventions or events of God, for which we may not have adequate and reasonable
explanations.

By sharing, we can increase happiness and by sharing, we can decrease

sadness. The feelings of helplessness, worthlessness, rejection,marginalization
etc will be reduced and even it can be eliminated by sharing our experiences,
emotions and state of destituteness and deseration.

By the same process of open and voluntary sharing of thoughts, experiences

and hopes, among the inmates of “PUNARJANI’’, we can impart hopes and
expectations, energy, confidence and the will to achieve and escape from
Alcoholism and to win the fight against the disease of Alcoholism.

A total, voluntary and unconditional surrender by the patient is essential

for his recovery because the important and primary symptom and characteristic of
this disease of Alcoholism is EGOISM, which is baseless and false.

Renovation of the life of an alcoholic through counseling, Meditation Yoga,

Hypnotherapy, Faith, Change in values, Life style, Beliefs and Relationships or in
all spheres of life is also a very significant requirement for complete recovery
and sustenance of recovered sobriety of an Alcoholic.
It is only through the unconditional help, assistance, and acceptance obtained
from the family and society an alcoholic can recover permanently from the disease
of Alcoholism.

Thus for the recovery of an alcoholic, the participation, involvement and change
in the social, mental, financial and spiritual spheres of the patient and his
family along with revolutionary changes of society’s approach and attitudes
towards Alcoholics as ‘Patients’ is very essential . The public is the foremost
enemy of any Alcoholic.Those who may attempt to help or assist for the recovery of
an Alcoholic may not be treated as a Good Samaritin .Because,most of the consumers
of alcohol and social drinkers are not in agreement with the idea of a Retreat
Centre for the recovery of a person from the habit of regular consumption or abuse
of alcohol. Even most of the addicts of Alcohol will not accept the fact that he
himself is now become a patient of the disease Alcoholism and in order to recover
from this fatal disease he needs external help and assistance including medicine
and counseling.

‘Punarjani’Charitable Trust is doing a very great service in this field by

making people aware about the adverse effects of alcohol and the truth that
alcoholism is a disease and also about the proper means and methods to be followed
in order to recover from Alcoholism and to sustain the sobriety of a recovered
alcoholic till his death.

“PUNARJANI’’ also is doing selfless services and exemplary works in the

field of rehabilitation of alcoholics and their affected relatives to live and
recover their lost mental, social, economical and spiritual status and also to
heal the psychological wounds and all sorts of loses caused by any person due to
his disease - Alcoholism. It is an attempt to recover and install the lost dignity
and integrity of a person, who happens to be an addict of alcohol for a long
period .It is very difficult for our social mind to accept an addict even if he
totally recovered from his habit or disease,which was actually an illness of body,
mind and spirit.

It is an accepted fact that, in its complete sense only about 10 % persons among
alcohol consumers may became Alcoholics. They are totally helpless by themselves
to recover from their illness and they need external assistance for their
physical, mental and spiritual renovations in all spheres of life for their
complete recovery. Nevertheless, the other 90% of alcohol consumers firmly believe
and propagate that they can start, control and stop the habit of consuming alcohol
at their will at any point of time. It is true for them, for the other 90% of
alcohol consumers but not for the other 10% of alcohol consumers who become
addicts by that time.

Unfortunately, one among the many symptoms of Alcoholism ,the false ego
prevents them from accepting and admitting their present position that they are
slaves, victims and addicts of alcohol. Thus without demarcation both the addicts
and social drinkers are not willing to accept the fact that Alcoholism is a
disease.
Let us consider the general opinion or views of the pubic about Alcoholism.
They are generally un aware of the fact that Alcoholism is a disease and as for
any other disease it also needs adequate means and methods of treatment for the
recovery from it. Moreover, to them an alcoholic abuser is a social outcast and an
anti-social, unfit to tolerate, a burden to the community and family, a bad man,
irresponsible liar without any promptness in action and word. For them it is a
nice hope and futile effort on the part of “PUNARJANI’’ to start and run a Retreat
Centre for De Addiction & Rehabilitation of Alcohol-Addicts and thus they are
least interested to involve or help the projects of “PUNARJANI’’.

The persons who are in need of and who are eagerly waiting for the
actualization of this project are the adversely affected persons i.e. Alcoholics
and their dependents. They are beings suffering directly and indirectly by the
disease of Alcoholism. They are the really addict persons and their family. The
after effects of the disease of Alcoholism, such as, ‘black outs’, hallucinations,
fluctuating moods, humiliation, cruelty and losses in all spheres of their life,
in due course etc will make each of them a victim of alcohol and make them mental
patients or psychic. However, as they become patients and victims of Alcoholism,
they can do very little to recover son,father ,brother or husband from this
disease, they are not capable to recover them from Alcoholism by themselves,
because their capacity for that will be lost by constant association with an
alcoholic who may be their Bread Winner.
We can directly experince by a simple visit of “PUNARJANI’’at Poomala,the
silent village 13 Km away from Thrissur town, that the efforts of this very small
organization created vast changes in the lifes of more than 100s of Alcoholics and
their family members with in a short span of time and with in adequate facilities
and essential requirements.But Definetly we can predict that “PUNARJANI’’will
change the lifes of thousands of Alcoholics ,their family members and next
generations .Thus, we the so called Samaritins are liable to promote and help this
NGO.

Mr .Varman [The Hindu ]