A man in central Türkiye’s Kayseri province who began using drugs at age 18 after being influenced by co-workers at a part-time job has overcome a 12-year addiction following treatment at a Green Crescent (Yeşilay) rehabilitation center, officials and the individual said.
Identified by his initials K.Y., he said he started using drugs during the summer of 2013 after completing his first year at university. While working to earn pocket money, he was introduced to drugs by a co-worker, a decision that led to declining academic performance and growing distance from his former social circle.
He later suspended his university education. In 2017, after being involved in a traffic accident while driving his father’s car, he disclosed his addiction to his family.
Despite receiving family support and seeking treatment at several facilities, he said those efforts did not produce lasting results. He continued using drugs without his family’s knowledge and later developed a gambling problem while trying to earn money.
His situation changed in 2024 after he contacted the Kayseri Green Crescent Counseling Center (YEDAM), a support service operated by Yeşilay, a Turkish nongovernmental organization (NGO) focused on addiction prevention and rehabilitation.
After a period of counseling support, he entered the Kayseri Yeşilay Rehabilitation Center, where he completed a six-month inpatient treatment program. He said he has since stopped using drugs and begun rebuilding his life.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) on Tuesday, he said addiction had distanced him from his values and relationships, replacing healthy friendships with social circles centered on substance use.
He said the rehabilitation program focused on awareness-building, individual counseling and group therapy, addressing both addiction and its underlying causes. The treatment also included structured daily routines and social activities such as sports, art and workshops.
K.Y. said he is among the first graduates of the Kayseri Yeşilay Rehabilitation Center and described recovery as an ongoing process. He said he plans to remain drug-free and urged others struggling with addiction to seek professional support.