Members of the Lifted Up Group in Chümoukedima share their experiences of recovery, relapse, and rebuilding lives from addiction.
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DIMAPUR — In Nagaland, discussions around substance abuse continue in everyday life. Last year, Rupin Sharma, Director General of Police, Nagaland, said the state has nearly 1.2 lakh drug users, with heroin and sunflower drugs among the highest consumed.
He also pointed to shortages of rehabilitation centres and Opioid Substitution Therapy facilities and noted that the existing Nagaland State Abuse Prevention and Treatment Policy is “slightly old” and needs revision, stressing the importance of community involvement.
Against this backdrop, members of the Lifted Up Group — formed two years ago and part of Narcotics Anonymous Nagaland — shared experiences of recovery, relapse and rebuilding lives.
The group meets every Sunday at the Peace Centre, Chümoukedima. Members described the fellowship as a space where people can speak without fear of judgement.
One of the main reasons attending meetings plays a crucial role in recovery is the principle of “help yourself by helping others”; it restores self-worth lost during years of self-hate. Sometimes, they said, they need the meetings; at other times, the meetings need them.
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Apart from weekly fellowships, the group visits hospitals, prisons and rehabilitation centres to encourage addicts and help them seek treatment based on their own experiences. They said the group exists to reach people facing similar struggles and to convey that change remains possible.
The members said the Lifted Up Group accepts no donations and that all activities are supported through internal contributions from within the group, to avoid problems of money, property and prestige diverting them from their primary purpose. They added that the group functions without hierarchy and is not connected with any organisation, government or religious body.
For members of the group, the word that connects them is simple — addiction — and the only requirement for joining is the desire to stop substance use. Conversations remain confidential within the group.
Within this shared space, members repeatedly returned to a common concern: “What happens after rehabilitation?” They said recovery cannot end with detoxification and treatment alone but must continue through consistent support after returning to daily life.
A recovering narcotic addict described addiction as a disease rather than a substance. “Just like a wound worsens when covered, addiction worsens when hidden and not taken care of through the proper channel of treatment and rehabilitation,” he said.
He also observed that many alcohol users do not consider themselves addicts because alcohol is socially acceptable, not realising that the problem is not the substance being used but the addictive behaviour, or the disease of addiction, which is the common factor. He pointed to stigma as a challenge, particularly for women, saying societal and family judgement tends to be harsher toward women addicts than men.
Two members in their early thirties recounted how they began using marijuana together and gradually became dependent. They spoke of repeated relapses, sleepless nights and frustration while trying to recover. They added that the fellowship helped them share experiences they could not express even to family members.
Another recovering alcoholic said addiction “doesn’t see any status”—it could affect a professor, politician, pastor or shopkeeper. He described relapse not as a single event but as a process marked by isolation and withdrawal from social engagement.
Members stressed that recovery depends heavily on support systems, i.e., family and close friends, especially other recovering addicts. Constant lecturing and emotional outbursts, they said, often block communication instead of helping recovery, whereas patience and understanding create space for honesty. Some credited supportive parents and relatives for helping them seek treatment, though trust takes time to rebuild during recovery.
Another member said that even when families are supportive, lack of knowledge about proper treatment can become a barrier, as relatives may not know how to respond during withdrawal or relapse. He also noted that remaining in a vulnerable circle of friends often pulls recovering addicts back into substance use.
For one member, marriage and starting a family became a turning point, bringing responsibility and a renewed sense of purpose, made possible by support from family and the group.
Across the group, members agreed the first year of recovery is usually the most difficult.
Recovery, they said, does not end at treatment centres, as individuals must relearn routines, rebuild trust and go through daily life while avoiding triggers that may lead to relapse.
Across their experiences, the same concern kept returning: what happens after rehabilitation? Members said the goal of the group is the re-establishment of individuals into society where the addict is no longer a liability but an asset.