Ramesh began drinking alcohol at 18, but it escalated to a more serious problem after he married. “He started to fight with me every night,” his wife, Angala, said. “He always wanted money to buy alcohol.”

Though he had a job as a day laborer, a common job in India, Ramesh never seemed to have enough money. He would harass his wife for the paycheck she made working at a gas station, which she needed to support their children.

Ramesh began beating his wife and children to the extent that they no longer set foot inside the house if he had been drinking. The neighbors complained to the police, but he was consistently let go with just a warning.

ADRA heard about his case and sent representatives to invite him to their addiction treatment center. He refused, insulting them as they left.

His regression continued as he turned to the bottle, always drinking, demanding money from his family, and beating them if they refused him.

One night, he finally drank too much. He was alone in the house when his daughter walked in the door. He told her to give him money, and she said she had none. He started yelling at her, demanding that she hand over her money. When she repeated that she had none, he grabbed a knife from the counter and stabbed her in the neck. The neighbors heard the screams and rushed her to the hospital.

Only then, after 22 years of addiction, did Ramesh realize he needed help.

Once he was sure that his daughter would make a full recovery, Ramesh contacted the ADRA representatives and signed himself into their care for addiction treatment and rehabilitation.

That night was nearly two years ago, and Ramesh hasn’t had a single drink of alcohol since.

“I lost 22 years of my life to alcohol,” he said. “I am trying to make it up to my children and wife.”

Sober and employed, Ramesh now has only one goal: to save money for his daughter’s wedding.

“I am grateful to ADRA for their de-addiction treatment support,” Ramesh said. “I now enjoy every minute with my family.”

Addiction is a problem all over the world, destroying lives and pulling families apart. ADRA works to help people recover and to find an alternative to substance abuse.