With the support of Blythswood Care, Bonus Pastor Foundation helps people like Arpi to rebuild their lives

Fighting addiction in Romania

A harmful dependence on alcohol can creep up on you at any stage in life. That was the experience of Arpi who only ever drank in moderation as a young man. He was in his late 30s before alcohol became what he describes as a regular presence in his life. “It started with just one or maybe two beers each day,” he says. “I was drinking to escape stress but developed a panic disorder for which I was prescribed medicine.

“Then I was forced to stop work during the Covid lockdown and that was when I really started to go downhill.”

Arpi’s growing addiction destroyed his health, threatened his relationship with his family, and left him unable to concentrate on anything.

“I tried to get out of this swamp on my own,” he says. “But one failed attempt followed another and after each brief abstinence I sank deeper.

“The moment came when I realised that if I continued in this way of life, I would lose everything, especially my family. People mentioned to me the Bonus Pastor Foundation’s therapy centre but my ego stood in the way. It had to be my decision to seek help. My final despair and physical deterioration resolved that.”

Arpi was hospitalised for two weeks in September last year, and then went to stay at BPF’s therapy centre at Ozd.

“It was strange and new to me but I was accepted by my peers. We all had the same problem and a shared purpose: to escape our addiction. I was full of tension, guilt, shame and the fear of losing my family. The breakthrough came when I accepted that I had to deal with my own problems first. I understood that no matter what happens, I was not alone. God was there with me. In his providence I was still alive and was given the opportunity to live free from alcohol.”

Arpi eventually returned home to what he describes as a post-war situation – “the mess I had created during my addiction.”

“Slowly I began the rebuilding process. The most important thing for me is that my family has stayed together. My lifestyle has changed a lot. I am calmer and I plan my days. With God’s help I will succeed.

“Bonus Pastor’s aftercare programme is an important part of my everyday life. We have a weekly support group where we help and encourage each other.”