Addiction

Drug Abuse Case Study: Arjun’s Struggle Against Drug Dependence

Written By

Dr. Amar Shinde

Last Updated on: 25 Jul 2025

Patient Details

Name: Arjun (changed to protect identity)

Age: 24

Sex: Male

Background: Arjun belonged to a small town in the state of Himachal Pradesh. His family had a clothing business in the city. Arjun was the responsible, quiet, and supportive one always because he was the eldest son of his household. He was also the intelligent one in his family, and hence after getting through his 12th in high grade, Arjun was leaving for Chandigarh for engineering.

Cause or History

Arjun, with his move to Chandigarh, was thrilled with his city life. But that wasn't the scenario. The experience wasn't smooth; he couldn't adjust and become friends with anyone. He began feeling lonely amidst the competitive and harsh weather.

One day, his hostel roommate presented him with a pill and said that it makes people alert and focused more during exam periods. Everyone in the hostel is using it, and the seniors have friends who own it. Arjun felt he had accessed everything with the pill. The pill was magic, and he was able to move around in the city. He felt he had found the secret. The only thing he was unaware of was that he was becoming addicted to the pill and appeared to require larger quantities of them with time to achieve the same sensation. The one pill led to several, and Arjun, together with his new friends, ventured into more addictive drugs. 

He moved from prescription drugs to MDMA and then Heroin. Gradually, the actual consequences of the drugs became visible, and his studies collapsed. He skipped his lectures, spent the days sleeping, and hung out with individuals who were not studying at the college.

Arjun's family began observing the change in his lifestyle.

While they were initially cheerful and thought that he was occupied with studies and attempting to be a good engineer, his behaviour worried them. Arjun hardly called home, and if he called, it would be for money. His money demands increased; he would never accept no and would get angry so easily. He also lost touch with his family and became emotionally absent. Diagnosis Worried, Arjun's younger brother visited Chandigarh to know about his well-being. 

He discovered Arjun had overdosed and was unconscious in the boys' hostel corridor. His brother phoned home, scared. The elders rushed him to a doctor. The doctor examined him and detected drugs in his system. He recommended rehab treatment for Arjun. He was subsequently admitted to Chandigarh's Jagruti Rehabilitation Centre.

Symptoms Noted -

We noticed the following symptoms in Arjun:

• Insomnia and intense mood swings
• Lack of interest in communication, food, or hygiene
• Always showing signs of restlessness and withdrawal symptoms.
• Lie and manipulate to get access to money.

Diagnosis

After a comprehensive evaluation through various means, we determined that Arjun had:

• Severe Opioid Use Disorder
• Substance-Induced Depression and Anxiety
• Physical evidence of drug-induced liver strain and malnutrition
• We informed the family that Arjun's body and mind were both hit hard and needed to be healed, and that would need to be done in the hospital or through an inpatient rehab program.

Treatment

We segmented Arjun's de-addiction process into four phases. The four phases together made up a 16-week recovery program. The program included medical detox, psychiatric counselling, correction of behaviour, and reconstruction of emotions.

Not only did we concentrate on depriving Arjun of drug availability through detoxification, but also on empowering Arjun in a better manner. We committed ourselves to making Arjun conscious about his addiction, building inner strength, and retaking control over his body and mind.

Rehabilitation Program

We designed a well-planned 16-week de-addiction recovery program. The program, which was structured in four phases, was based on the various aspects of recovery from addiction. Staged process benefited Arjun's recovery at the body, mind, and society levels.

Phase 1: Medical Detox & Stabilisation (Week 1–2)

In weeks 1 and 2, emphasis was placed on detoxification.

It is the stage in which toxins that have built up in the body as a result of repeated exposure to toxic substances are purged out. Also referred to as the toughest stage of de-addiction programs, the stage is with withdrawal symptoms, restlessness, panic and insomnia. The responses are severe and usually need prescription drugs to normalise, since the body is abruptly deprived of addictive substances. 

For the initial phase of two weeks, Arjun was offered special food to help regain the lost strength in his body. He was also guided and offered holistic treatment through yoga and meditation to boost his tolerance against withdrawal symptoms.

Phase 2: Therapy & Behavioural Work

(Week 3–6) After the detox process was complete and Arjun was physically stabilised, our focus shifted towards healing his mind and improving his behaviour.

Individual therapy sessions assisted Arjun in voicing out and becoming aware of the true causes that resulted in addiction.

One of the epiphanies in the therapy was when Arjun came to understand that he was not addicted to the drug but was consuming substances for other reasons. For him, in his situation, he desired to belong to the group. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, understood Arjun's patterns, and then he was guided on how to effectively substitute them. He was asked to maintain a journal to note day-to-day successes, which helped him re-establish connections with himself and others.

Phase 3: Group Healing & Skill Building

(Week 7–10) Arjun had become significantly different by week 7 of his rehabilitation at Jagruti Rehab.

It was time to come out of seclusion and relearn his social behaviours.

We introduced him to peer group therapy sessions where drug addiction patients shared their struggles, successes, and failures. He developed friends in these group therapy sessions, and he lost self-confidence. We engaged him in holistic well-being activities with other individuals, where he learned relaxation techniques, meditation, and yoga. It also showed him how to remain grounded and deal with stress even among humans. We began training Arjun's life skills as well during the same phase. Simple but crucial life skills, such as how to say NO, time management, money management, and communication, were a part of his everyday routine. He had to be strengthened and brought to the real world so that he would not fall prey to the pressure again.

Phase 4: Reintegration & Aftercare Planning

(Week 11–16) In the final and longest phase of our rehab program, we transitioned to preparing Arjun for independent living outside of Jagruti Rehab. We devised a plan of action for relapse prevention specifically tailored for Arjun.

We conditioned him by setting future situations for him to be in. We taught him what he needs to do if he were ever in these situations. We instructed him on all the potential high-risk situations, conditioned him to identify them and, above all, successfully avoid them without causing an issue. We also established a balanced regime for Arjun to adhere to and assisted him in taking up the new lifestyle habit. The plan had space for health, education, work, and social relationships to make it effective for long-term implementation. Arjun met with his therapist at the end of the program to establish achievable goals for the next six months. The goals were to go back to school, resettle and make new relationships, and above all, have regular planned therapy after discharge.

Medical Treatment: Arjun received medical treatment at various times during his rehabilitation stay. Medicines were given cautiously under strict observation to control his violent symptoms without addicting him.

Prescription drugs were utilised to treat his withdrawal symptoms and drug cravings.

These were of utmost importance throughout detoxification. He was also kept under regular observation for co-morbid psychiatric illnesses and medicated whenever his anxiety and depression symptoms were seen. Besides that, nutritional supplements were given to him to meet the nutritional needs of his body, which were being deprived because of excessive drug intake and neglect.

Therapy

We employed different forms of therapy to treat Arjun. The therapy sessions covered both emotional and behavioural sides of drug addiction:

• Individual Counselling - To uncover and solve personal problems.
• Group Therapy - It enabled Arjun to talk and recover through peer guidance and sharing.
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) - CBT enabled him to recognise and substitute negative thoughts with positive thoughts.
• Trauma-Informed Sessions - Addressing healing of trauma incurred while developing, in college, and all past emotional traumas.
• Mindfulness Exercises - Meditation, yoga, and breathing for stress management.
• Daily Journaling & Affirmations - For self-knowledge, discipline, and emotional development.

Recovery Journey: Progress Timeline

Week 1

Arjun began detoxing, cranky and resistant to therapy

Week 2

Physically stabilised, began eating and sleeping well with the use of prescription medication

Week 3

Arjun experienced his first therapy break; he portrayed guilt and shame

Week 5

He started to take the lead in group sessions

Week 8

His desire for drugs ceased, and he started doing morning yoga independently.

Week 10

He had a healthy and strong daily schedule and called home on his own

Week 12

He began discussing going back to college and restoring relationships

Week 16

Arjun, with routine and skill training in place, was ready to face daily challenges.

He laid out goals for the next 6 months and an action plan.

Our Success

Arjun is now 18 months sober and actively in recovery.

He returned to finish his engineering degree and started freelancing as a web programmer. Most importantly, however, he started sharing with his family. He also started doing volunteer work. He is delivering lectures at schools in the local community about mental health, why one should learn skills and drug abuse.

His journey in his own words- "It's not about avoiding drugs," he states. "It's about finding something to live for that's stronger than your need to escape, and Jagruti Rehab helped me do that."

Family and Social Influence

• Arjun's family was instructed on how to support their children and prepare them for life.
• His parents began attending parent support groups.
• His younger brother, inspired by Arjun's authority, also started volunteering for mental health camps.
• One of these youth awareness initiatives in the local area had the guest speaker as Arjun.

Future Steps: What's Next for Arjun

Arjun still goes for twice-monthly therapy sessions and weekly peer groups. He keeps a "gratitude diary" and adheres to the routine and lifestyle mapped out by Jagruti Rehab very studiously. He contacts his therapist whenever he feels life is becoming difficult for him. Moreover, he keeps himself occupied with other things so that he doesn't have spare time to behave badly.

A Word to Anyone Who's Reading This

Addiction is blind. It can happen to anyone: topper or drop-out, rich or poor, introvert or extrovert.

This case study of drug abuse demonstrates that, like Arjun, you too can recover. What does the trick is reaching out and asking for help from the right people. If you or someone you know is affected, don't wait. Help is at hand. Healing is within your grasp.

The journey is tough, I know, but it's for the best. Divide it into a step, a day, a decision at a time. Call Jagruti Rehab and let us provide you with what you require to start your transformation tale like Arjun or better.

Dr. Amar Shinde

Dr. Amar Shinde, founder of Jagruti Rehab, is a renowned psychiatrist in India with over two decades of experience in mental health, addiction recovery, and neuropsychiatry, dedicated to holistic, compassionate patient care.