In the name of Allah
Addiction is a disease, not a stigma
The 14th session of the 10th series of the private educational workshops for Congress 60's companions at Dr. Masoud's branch was administered on Monday, January 6th, 2025, at 16:00 by Assistant Traveler Parisa as the master of ceremony, Companion Leila as the guardian, and Companion Giti as the secretary. The agenda was "Female Travelers."
Summary of the master’s speech:
First, I would like to announce my travel statement. Hello, friends, I am Parisa, a traveler. I entered Congress 60 with 15 years of crystal meth addiction. I completed my journey over eleven months and twenty-three days under the guidance of Traveler Zohreh using the DST method and OT (opium tincture) as medication. Now, I have been free (of addiction) and liberated for six years and one month, thanks to the capable hands of Mr. Dezhakam. Later, I also went through a nicotine cessation journey. I had thirty-six years of cigarette addiction with the help of nicotine gum and under the guidance of Traveler Negin, I traveled for thirteen months. Now, I have been free (of cigarette addiction) and liberated for five years and ten months. I joined Traveler Niousha's Jones Legion (weight loss Legion) with a weight of 92 kg. I lost 26 kg and have been free (of overweight) and liberated for four years. My sport in Congress 60 is volleyball.
Mr. Dezhakam honored us by dedicating a week to "Female Travelers" after 25 years. Female travelers in Congress 60 have performed exceptionally well, so much so that they now have branches in five to six cities across the country, including Kerman, Tehran, Isfahan, Mashhad, Shirvan, and Qazvin. Their strength and determination are remarkable. I hope that branches will also be established in Karaj and other cities that need them. Currently, many female travelers from Karaj travel to Tehran. Female Assistants in Congress 60 hold a role similar to that of male Didehbans (watchmen). They also travel to different cities every month to address any shortages and assess needs or provide guidance if possible, and they convey Mr. Dezhakam’s message to them.
Female travelers are constantly commuting between cities, maintaining close connections. Many come from Mashhad, Isfahan, Kerman, and other cities to Tehran for liberation. As family group companions, you have likely had a traveler in your home, which is why you are here today. In Iran and [many] other places, addiction carries a much harsher stigma for women than for men. Society finds male addiction easier to accept, even though both men and women suffering from addiction are patients with damaged X-systems. If their X-system were functioning properly, they wouldn’t turn to addiction. No drug user starts using just for pleasure. They turn to drugs to relieve their pain. Perhaps in the first couple of sessions, they might experience some enjoyment, but even that "pleasure" is merely a temporary escape from their suffering—not the kind of intense pleasure people often assume.
I want the dear companions to move forward with strength, so that if there is a female addict in a family, she shouldn’t feel ashamed to come to Congress 60. We should show so much love and affection that she herself says, "I need treatment." If our daughter has migraines, we take her to the doctor and get her medication because she is sick. But if she uses drugs, we might react with violence or even expel her from the house. If we have a daughter who is using drug, we shouldn’t treat her violently. We need to be aware and look at this issue with open eyes. In Congress 60, we have learned that addiction is a disease, not a stigma, and we must help the sick person. Female travelers are educated, and I am studying psychology at university because Mr. Dezhakam mentioned we should transfer the knowledge of Congress 60 to modern psychology in universities. This perspective will become evident in fifty years. Modern psychology says addiction is incurable, but Congress 60 has proven that addiction is curable, and many female travelers continue their education at university. I hope you move forward with an open mind, and as Mr. Dezhakam said, "If one Nafs (Self of one human being) is saved, it is as if the whole people are saved."
https://www.congress60.org/News/377809/-%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AF-%DB%8C%DA%A9-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA-%D9%88-%D9%86%D9%86%DA%AF-%D9%86%DB%8C%D8%B3%D8%AA
Translated by Companion Sepideh, Sheikhbahaei branch of congress 60, Isfahan, Iran
