However long it may last, after every darkness, there will be light. The night must pass. The day must begin. If there is despair, then there shall be hope.

Hope in the form of ZorbaCare Rehabilitation Centre–one of India’s leading Luxury Deaddiction centres. Optimism in the kind of Siddharth Jhaveri– the Founder and CBT/DBT specialist.

And solid evidence is in the way of the best testimonial received by ZorbaCare. An English class essay that won the top prize for Akshay Pagare, Professor, Royal English, 1A, 9/10/2019. The essay titled ‘Second Chances’ says it all.

Akshay: “My hands trembled, fumbling with the laces as I tried to tie my shoes. I struggled to get to my feet and looked over at my friend Blake. His dark, dreary eyes met mine for a second, and then both of us looked away, acknowledging the agony we felt while, deep down, realizing that it was what our lives had become. I glanced through the window in the room. To most people, the sight would have been pleasant. Sunlight had begun to trickle through the tall redwood trees. Little swallows chirped their morning song. And the sky was slowly shifting to a light blue colour. But through my eyes, the outside world looked gloomy and grey, with a sense of impending doom.”- From the essay, Second Chances. 

According to Siddharth, ZorbaCare offers evidence-based holistic treatment for individuals suffering from alcohol, drug or behavioural addictions. Treatment is voluntary, and treatment plans are completely customized according to the client’s issues, needs and goals. It is the core belief that every person has a right to be provided with a safe and supportive environment and an array of mental health resources, and there is no “one size fits all” regarding recovery from mental health issues. This focus on treating each unique individual and not just the illness sets Zorba apart and helps clients and their families achieve a fulfilling quality of life and well-being.

Akshay: “I didn’t want to think about my day. I turned to a wooden desk cluttered with unfinished artwork next to Blake’s bed, desperately searching for the bag or any trace of the substance that had kept us up all night. “There’s none left. I already checked,” Blake said in a defeated tone as he hastily packed a water pipe, “Just hit this. You’ll feel better.” I grabbed it from his pale hands, knowing it wouldn’t make things much better. But at least it meant I could eat. After I was high enough to function a little, I stumbled out of his room and into the bathroom.” – From the essay, Second Chances. 

We Care

At ZorbaCare, there is a focus on psychological intervention and only need-based pharmacological intervention to treat the clients. In-house experts are trained in various therapeutic approaches, allowing them to design a step-by-step recovery plan for the clients. The aim is to combine traditional scientific treatment with new-age Therapy techniques, integrating the old and new. Therapies that are commonly used are:

• Cognitive Behavioural therapy
• Motivational enhancement therapy
• Acceptance and Commitment therapy
• Twelve-step approach
• Trauma-informed therapy
• Interpersonal and Family therapy
• Mindfulness-based Cognitive behaviour therapy
• Dialectical behaviour therapy
• Rational Emotive behaviour therapy
• Hypnotherapy

This mix of holistic treatment methods, when uniquely combined as per a client’s needs, leads to the creation of a reflective state. This leads to the removal of ingrained attitudes and replacement with healthy, socially acceptable behaviours. Zorba was the first to try the implementation of multiple models of therapy at the same time, which now has become usual in higher-end rehabs.

Akshay: “In the mirror above the basin, I saw the same person I’ve seen every Saturday morning of every week for the past year. He had dark brown skin, and his shiny black hair was a jungle. His eyes were droopy and red. The white outfit he wore was covered with dirt stains. His shirt collar was stretched from a fight he had the night before. His face hung in shame as he stared at the dried blood caked on his upper lips, trailing out of his nose. This man was the same person the week before that reassured me that this same situation wouldn’t happen again. As I washed my face and walked out of the house, I wondered how it was going to all end. A familiar creeping anxiety overcame me again. As I clutched my heart; feeling as if someone slowly slid a knife through it.

Months went by, and I was getting worse. Hope was lost.” – From the essay, Second Chances.

We Get It

Telling more about the immersive benefits of the services that ZorbaCare offers to its clients, Siddharth says that a Multi-Modal Approach and holistic treatment means that ZorbaCare focuses on various areas of development. A client is usually taken through the following features of treatment

*Prehab

• Counselling is given to the family and client, preparing them for rehab treatment
• Psycho-education regarding the illness and treatment
• Support and guidance for decision-making before admission

*Detox 

• Withdrawal Management
• Medical Assistance for withdrawals and other issues
• Regulation of Biological processes (sleep, appetite, bodily symptoms)
• Psychological first aid

*Treatment 

• Assessment and Diagnoses by a team of psychiatrists, physicians and psychologists
• Evaluation of problem areas and goal setting
• Designing a customized treatment plan
• Regular Individual Psychotherapy
• Daily Group therapy
• Mindfulness training and Meditation
• Regular feedback and evaluation

*Areas worked upon

• Relapse prevention
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Emotional instability
• Self Esteem
• Trauma/Past events-based therapy
• Behavioural issues
• Unhealthy thoughts and beliefs
• Communication and Interpersonal skills
• Stress Management
• Denial
• Cognitive Restructuring
• Fears and Phobias
• Personality issues
• Anger Management

*Focus on Holistic healing

• Meditation
• Time Management
• Improving Physical health (exercise, diet and nutrition)
• Indoor activities and games
• Outdoor recreational activities
• Return to community support

*Family Counselling

• Consistent feedback to and from the family
• Family therapy
• Guidance for Family and client adjustment post-rehab

*After-Care

• Follow-up sessions
• A Support group for Recovery
• Alumni meetings
• Celebrations and events for ex-clients

We Believe in You

Akshay: “I no longer told myself that things would change; I couldn’t remember how it even started. As another night ended, I stepped out of Blake’s jeep and walked into my two-story countryside house. I had no words to reassure my mother as she opened the door to my knocking. No more excuses about why I was showing up home at three in the morning. “It’s okay, mom. I’m fine, just leave me alone,” I said to her worried face, feeling nothing at all for her as I shuffled up the stairs and closed my room door behind me.

Pain set in as the high wore off, as if I had reached the peak of my rollercoaster ride, and it began to plummet straight into hell. Shaking violently, I sat down by my bedside, produced a handful of assorted anti-anxiety pills from my white jean pocket, and in one swift movement, took them all, instantly drifting into sleep. I prayed that the morning would never come, an end to the horror movie that was my life. I thought if maybe I had a second chance at life, things would have been different, but it was an impossible fantasy.

The next morning, my eyes slowly opened. To my unfortunate surprise, I had lived. I reached under my pillow immediately for my vaporizer, put my lips to it and hit it hard. My body won the battle through the night, but my soul didn’t. My mattress and turquoise bed sheets were covered with cold sweat. I felt lifeless, like a zombie. I groggily peered around the room. My white, blue striped football jersey hung on the wall, along with dusty baseball trophies and frames for my accomplishments, including three years in a row of first places for writing showcases and a diploma for graduating high school at sixteen. I felt like such a disappointment. All the wall was missing now was a death certificate and a plaque for the worst drug addict alive, I thought.”

According to Siddharth, a Sober Companion is the latest trend in India and abroad for those whose profession, work, Family background and wealth keep them in a lifestyle where access to all sorts of substance abuse is easy, and the temptation to relapse is always strong. Frankly, this is for the wealthier class, who also need a reliable person who is diplomatic and tactful and keeps the client’s needs foremost.

It is a tough job as it entails 24/7 companionship with only short periods off, and they are paid well for their efforts. A sober companion, according to Siddharth, whose career start began as one, is the lightning rod and buffer for the client. “They have to keep the client free from their predilections while being the buffer that protects from others attempts to provide the client with the substance of abuse,” says Siddharth, whose own journey began in his 20s by helping addicts as a sober companion became a passion for the young man.

Akshay: “I jolted when my mother touched my arm. I didn’t notice her there the entire time. She was sitting on the blue carpet next to the bed, tears pouring from her eyes. “Look what you’re doing to yourself, Akshay,” she whispered in sorrow. “I know, mom,” I managed to say through my parched lips. I actually didn’t know. I really didn’t want to stop, either. I didn’t know how to. But she knew. She asked, “Do you want to keep on dying, or do you want to live?”

A week later, I stood in line, passport in hand, ready to board a flight to Mumbai. I felt like my mom had hatched the best idea ever. All I needed was a vacation, and I had everything I needed. I passed out before the plane took off, conformably content: there was a stash of weed in my luggage, and a week’s worth of Xanax supply in my pocket.” – From the essay, Second Chances.

We Promise

In his search for himself, Siddharth explored different areas of self-expression like theatre, meditation, business and others. He found his calling in helping addicts find a new joyful, and productive life. He has 15+ years of experience in chemical dependency at various levels. He specializes in working with young addicts and prefers evidence-based and cognitive behaviour therapy.

Akshay: “Everything was a blur after that, until one evening. I arrived at a tall tan bungalow with three floors in a suburban area of Pune. It was surrounded by a red brick wall, had a bright green freshly mowed front lawn and a rose garden. My first thought was that I was visiting a wealthy family friend of my mom’s. I went inside and sat in a furnished living room in front of a casually dressed, light-skinned man with a black beard. “Hello, Akshay. My name is Siddharth. I heard you have a problem. Is that right?” He asked in a light tone as he pushed his glasses up with his index finger. I panicked; I realized I was in rehab. The last place on earth I wanted to be. “I don’t have a problem,” I started to shout, “Mom, what the fuck? I don’t belong here. I can stop on my own. I promise!” Overwhelmed with anxiety, I left the room and went outside to the street, where dogs started following me as I ran. I realized how elaborate my Mother’s trap was. She made sure I didn’t have my wallet, kept my passport, and didn’t let me see my plane tickets, which ended up being a one-way trip. I felt like running far away, but I was in the middle of India. I had nowhere to go. I couldn’t handle the pressure of anxiety anymore. I stopped, took out the bag of pills and looked at them. A sad, familiar song lyric came into my mind. They told me they wouldn’t hurt me. They told me not to worry. But that’s what I get for talking to the pills…no benefits.” – From the essay, Second Chances.

Since 2004, Siddharth has actively participated in awareness programs for various NGOs and Anonymous groups. He has extensively researched the subject and refined his approach through interacting with several addicts suffering from addictions and in recovery. In the past decade, Siddharth has worked closely with them in different stages of recovery. In this role, he has also been a life coach to many. Cutting-edge research is the basis of the program he practices with his clients in ZORBA.

Siddharth furthers that a sober companion helps you start your new independent life. In some ways, they act as training wheels, helping you stay on the straight and narrow path of sobriety. But their help can also be more practical. While recovery companions often are misconstrued as glorified babysitters, it’s much more complex. They are an effective combination of personal assistant, security guard and counsellor in a friendly but not friends connection. They keep the client in check, ensure they’re up on time, take their medications, hit the gym, and even sleep in the same bedroom. They may also play the role of matchmaker, vetting their clients’ supportive friends.

Akshay: “I stumbled back to the rehab and fainted on the way inside, tears flowing down my face.” – From the essay, Second Chances.

We Remain Humane

Being an experienced leader, sharing his opinion on how adopting modern technologies like AI and ML impacts the rehabilitation segment space and how Zonracare is adapting to the change, Siddharth says that AI and ML seem to be the future not only of industry but also rehabilitation from addictions. But the way things are currently, the scenario where one can go to a machine for help seems far off. Besides, though a machine may be able to duplicate human understanding, in therapy, the value of one human being reaching out to another with understanding and empathy is without parallel.

If progress is made, AI and ML could participate in the first contact to evaluate the person, which could be correlated to diagnose the severity of the problem. Such technology would initially be cost-prohibitive except for governments and corporate entities. Siddharth says their approach is to wait, watch, and be prepared to incorporate it into their treatment system.

Akshay: “Four months later, I came thundering down the bungalow stairs in a yellow shirt, red shorts and flip-flops. “Good morning Siddharth. Good morning Sandy. Hey Raj. What’s up, Rags!” I said with beaming enthusiasm. It was another day in paradise. We all joined our hands and prayed, “God grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, the courage to change the things we can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” – From the essay, Second Chances.

According to Siddharth, the biggest challenge faced by the Rehabilitation world is the stigma associated with addiction and the reticence of the families to own up to the reality of having an addict amongst them. He adds, “This is a societal problem, and we try to open up people to the idea that mental illness is a combination of brain, belief and behavioural dysfunction. We illuminate these things and try to change mindsets through our counselling, blogs and input sessions.”

Akshay: “Afterwards, I sat down with my legs crossed outside under a palm tree with a hot cup of chai and lit a cigarette. I only had one day left at the rehab. And I wished that I could never leave. I thought about all that had happened. All the incredible memories. Making friends from all over India who were my age. Sneaking off at night, buying weed from a street vendor and getting caught. Going to the theatre every weekend and watching Bollywood movies. Riding around on scooters and drinking freshly made sugar cane juice. Smoking cigarettes at night on top of a mountain looking at the twinkling city lights. Going on road trips and singing along to Green Day. Going to the gym every day and gaining thirty pounds of muscle. Going out to clubs. Meeting a beautiful Indian girl and eventually falling in love with her. I had the best moments of my entire life! I realized how dumb I was to be weeping and being hateful for weeks after my mom left me. Thanks to her, my life now had meaning again.” – From the essay, Second Chances.

We Are Your Sober Companion

In his advice to budding entrepreneurs aspiring to venture into the rehabilitation segment niche, Siddharth says that it is a segment that needs a tremendous amount of integrity. While operating expenses and profits need to be considered, the more important issue is the lives of the addicts and their families.

Follow all governmental norms and ensure that the suffering addicts and their families are given humane treatment and a well-thought-out program implemented with non-judgmental love.

Akshay: “Painful memories come back into my head again and again of when I was self-destructing. Being in juvenile hall, in jail, getting kicked out of my house and school. And worst of all, utterly demoralizing my soul. But I no longer have to do any of that anymore. It’s a relief beyond measure. The change I went through in the rehab was astonishing. But I would have never wished that life of using drugs upon anyone. I think of Blake a lot, and my eyes always water. It’s been almost three months since he overdosed and died in his bed. It could have easily been me. I wipe my eyes and feel intensely grateful every day that I have a second chance.” – From the essay, Second Chances.

On envisioning scaling ZorbaCare’s operations and offerings in the future, Siddharth lists,

Current plans envision 

• Moving into a 20-bed facility with Gym, Swimming Pool, Meditation Gazebos, multiple Counselling rooms etc., to provide a complete in-house experience. “This will be our flagship centre, corporate office, and the training centre for staff that will handle our other centres across India,” says Siddharth.
• Expansion into major metros of Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, as also smaller cities like Nagpur, Nasik, Darjeeling, Mussouri, and Chandigarh. These cities are known to have a fairly large number of people with Substance Abuse Disorder. Siddharth adds, “Having our centres closer to home provides addicts in these cities with a treatment plan based on WILLINGNESS AND MOTIVATION Rather than coercion and much closer for the families to be involved in counselling too.”
• Providing a sober companion service post-treatment. Sober companions, also called recovery companions, are trained to help individuals become more productive, healthy and positive members of society and maintain sobriety. They can provide a “safe landing” once a treatment program is completed and/or accountability in difficult situations after treatment.

ZorbaCare is a rehab that began by its Founder, Siddharth who has ably trained people that comfortably fit themselves into the lives of their clients while being their confidantes – protectors till the client feels strong enough to go it alone.

Also, ZorbaCare introduces

Destination Therapy: A New Approach to Individualized High Intensity Focused Plans

According to Siddharth, ‘Destination Therapy’ is a relatively new approach to healthcare that seeks to provide individualized attention and high-intensity focused plans to patients. This approach is characterized by the use of advanced technologies and techniques that help doctors and healthcare professionals create tailored treatment plans that are specific to each patient’s needs.

The goal of destination therapy is to provide patients with the highest quality of care possible, while also ensuring that their treatment plans are efficient, effective, and personalized. This approach is particularly useful for patients who are dealing with chronic or complex medical conditions, as it allows doctors to focus on the specific needs of each patient and provide targeted treatments that are designed to achieve the best possible outcomes.

At the heart of destination therapy is the concept of individualized attention. Instead of treating patients as a collective group, doctors and healthcare professionals take the time to get to know each patient on a personal level. They use advanced diagnostic tools and techniques to identify the underlying causes of each patient’s medical condition, and then develop customized treatment plans that are tailored to address those specific issues.

Another key aspect of destination therapy is high-intensity focused plans. These plans are designed to provide patients with intensive treatments that are focused on achieving optimal results. They may include a combination of medications, therapies, and other treatments that are specifically designed to address each patient’s unique medical needs.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of destination therapy is the use of advanced technologies and techniques that are helping to revolutionize the way that doctors and healthcare professionals approach treatment. These technologies include things like precision medicine, which uses genetic testing and other advanced diagnostic tools to identify the specific genetic factors that may be contributing to a patient’s medical condition.

Overall, destination therapy represents a new frontier in healthcare that is focused on providing patients with the individualized attention and high-intensity focused plans that they need to achieve optimal health outcomes. “Whether you are dealing with a chronic medical condition or simply looking to improve your overall health and well-being, this approach could be just what you need to achieve your goals,” concludes Siddharth.

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