Rising from the Ashes of Addiction : Story of Jatin, a Real Life Phoenix

“I appeared for my final exam with a team of individuals from the Rehab Centre and in front of my parents.”

These were the words from Jatin, who had been in a de – addiction rehabilitation centre for over half a year and is now successfully about to finish a year! But, let’s take a step back and get to know the psyche of Jatin.

Originally from Kanpur and now settled in Gurgaon, this is the story of 25-year-old Jatin Arora, who has gone through so many hardships but managed to face all of them victoriously. This jack of all trades has been involved in almost everything during his school life – from badminton to dance and from science projects to drama! However, Jatin was a fairly average student during college and paid extra attention to co-curricular activities. Owing to this, he worked with over ten organisations to find his true passion.

During his final year in college, he started substance abuse, and it was getting out of his hands. Jatin’s family supported him through thick and thin and encouraged him to enroll at a rehabilitation centre. After successfully staying sober for six months, unfortunately, Jatin fell back into the pit of darkness. 

“I had to go to rehab again for five months, but this time around, I decided to study well and prove that I am worth more than this.”

With sheer determination and dedication, Jatin appeared for the exam and even topped in the University! As a cherry on top, Jatin even started working at Byjus’ as Business Development Associate. 

“When I received the First Year Recovery Medal from Narcotics Anonymous in 2020, I was on Cloud 9 and decided never to look back. I have been clean for 1 year and 5 months since I joined Byjus.”

As Jatin’s training period at Byju’s got over, he poured his blood, sweat, and tears to be the top performer. But, slowly, he realised that some things had been off lately. He noticed a major behavioural change in him, which was majorly fueled by his work stress. Jatin introspected himself and realised how he felt the ‘social media and sex addiction lately. 

“After working tirelessly for 12-14 hours a day, I still couldn’t sleep in peace. So, I started visiting porn and gambling sites. I used to be on such sites till 4 AM and so didn’t get enough sleep.”

The lack of sleep hampered Jatin’s productivity as well. However, with a supportive manager by his side, Jatin got to know about YourDOST, the emotional well being partner of Byjus’. Jatin connected with Dr Nikita Somani, an Expert Counselor from YourDOST; he started his counseling session via chat and then video sessions.

“I was so surprised to see how openly I was able to talk with Nikita. She first made me understand the what part and later moved on to the impact part of my issues.”

Nikita suggested that Jatin should work on a self-inventory to keep his thoughts and its triggers compared.

Self-inventory is a questionnaire or series of statements on which participants check characteristics or traits they perceive to apply to themselves. Self-report inventories often ask direct questions about personal interests, values, symptoms, behaviours, traits, or personality types.

Along with this, Nikita also suggested that Jatin change his routine and focus more on time management. As a result of his consistent efforts, Jatin could see a significant decline in his addiction towards sex and masturbation and even realised I deserve better!

Jatin was slowly recovering from his addiction, but simultaneously his work life was getting disturbed. Jatin complained about poor management at Byjus’ and how he would want to leave the job to focus more on himself. Though Jatin didn’t dedicatedly follow the techniques suggested by Nikita, he was getting better and learnt to focus on permanent happiness rather than focusing on temporary pleasures.

“I was unable to notice my coping mechanisms, but talking to Nikita made it much easier. I enjoy being sober now, and I appreciate myself from then to what I am right now!”

As a kind and dedicated individual Jatin is, he even spreads awareness in people about how he has faced the second deadliest disease in the world after cancer AKA; addiction, and works towards his betterment.

When asked about how much he would like to rate himself in terms of improvement on a scale of 1 to 5, Jatin responded with 2 on 5, as he thinks he has a long way to go. But for us, he is already a perfect 5! Apart from such improvements, counseling also benefited him to be honest, and more expressive. Jatin is more assertive than before, and he now always prioritises himself rather than indulging in any form of addiction.

We at YourDOST hail Jatin for being a true mental health warrior and rising from the ashes, just like a phoenix!

Jatin’s Warrior Tips:
1. Accept who you are. Don’t be afraid of yourself.
2. Practice gratitude. Pray to God. It will help you realise that you indeed have a lot to celebrate and keep moving forward.

Are you someone who has gone through a difficult phase and emerged stronger and better, with some professional help? Share your story with us to encourage thousands of others who might be struggling. Click here to submit your story.