RISING FROM THE ASHES

For 22 years, Tyron Zungu (40) had been struggling with drug addiction. It started with a casual cigar in his Matric year just to fit in with friends. It seemed harmless, but little did he know that those few puffs would open the gateway to an expedition he never could have fathomed.

No one would have thought that the academically gifted young man, who got five distinctions in his Matric, did a degree in Chemistry Planting Operations and got a full scholarship for his Master's degree would throw it all away for a life on the streets for six years.

The claws of Nyaope had got a stronghold on him.

The cravings for the next fix made his intellectual prowess obsolete.

Nothing else mattered.

“At some point smoking, Nyaope was just never enough so I started injecting myself so that I could get a proper fix. I still remember how I tore my mother’s heart on my graduation for my first degree because I was so high. It haunts me to think she never got to see the refined version of my recovered self because she went away soon after,” he said.

When his mother died, Tyron knew he had to do something to change his lifestyle, but he was now too hooked to let go.

According to experts, when one first uses a drug, people may perceive what seems to be a positive effect, which is to think that they can control their use. However drugs can quickly take over a person’s life. Over time, if drug use continues, other pleasurable activities become less pleasurable, and taking the drug becomes necessary for the user to just feel normal. They may then compulsively seek and take drugs even though it causes tremendous problems for themselves and their loved ones. Some people may start to feel the need to take higher or more frequent doses, even in the early stages of their drug use.

“Upon receiving my Masters scholarship, l was given 10 500 rands as a monthly stipend, which I recklessly squandered on drugs. The addiction had gotten too strong and l dropped out of the Master's class. My life moved downhill as l felt like nothing was moving well for me. l moved to stay on the street because no one wanted to stay with me anymore with the way l had wrecked my life, with no financial backing l turned into crime. This type of life l hated but in the midst of all this darkness l started praying for help to locate me," he said.

Tyron saw the hand of God while he was in the valley season of his life.

“Waiting for a miraculous way out, God sent an angel into my life. Mama Margaret of the Shalom House of Refugees. She just approached me in love and offered to take me off the street on the spot," Tyron said.

Tyron was not sure of what to do with such news; at this point, he had mixed feelings about this confrontation.

Expects also reveal that for one to beat drug addiction a good support system is what they need. Regular exercise in any form has been proven to boost confidence and determination in recovering addicts. It is a healthy way to stay busy, get stronger, build your focus, de-stress, get better sleep, and help you feel much better about yourself. When you stop using drugs or consuming alcohol, the body has strong urges and craves the highs that it is used to experience.

“I decided to take up the challenge; l then went for a six weeks rehab. It was intense l must share for me to get this out of the system. However, in this entire process l see the hand of the Almighty God. l have been clean for a year now."

“Drugs made me lose my respect. l separated with the mother of my children and my children are all grown up now doing their Matric. My prayer is that they forgive me for not being there for them and for not being a good role model. I am fixing my life; a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. l am happy l took the first step," he said.

Tyron is now pursuing his dream of being an artist.

“I never studied art at school but I love art and willing to give back to recovering drug addicts within the Tree of Unity NPO. A picture utters a thousand words. My type of art is out of the ordinary. It is in these pictures that, I can tell my story a story of triumph a story of picking up the broken pieces. A story filled with hope, vibrantly illuminating. At some point my art was stolen, that did not bring me down, l will soldier on," he concluded.