Research Background and Problem Statement
📌 The research is titled "The Forgotten Voice: Recovery Stories of Former Drug Users in the Sleman Rehabilitation Community."
📌 Drug abuse remains a serious issue in Indonesia, affecting adolescents to young adults, causing physical, social, and emotional disruptions.
📌 Relapse is common because many former users struggle to reintegrate without adequate environmental support outside rehabilitation.
📌 Rehabilitation alone is insufficient if individuals lack strong social support upon re-entry into society.

Methodology
🔬 A qualitative approach using a case study strategy was employed to deeply explore the recovery experiences of former drug users.
👥 Subjects were selected via purposive sampling, focusing on former users from the Sleman rehabilitation community who have direct recovery experience.
🗣️ Data collection relied solely on in-depth individual interviews using a semi-structured format to capture subjective experiences, meanings, and challenges.
✅ Ethical principles were maintained, including securing informed consent, guaranteeing confidentiality, and adhering to the "no harm" principle.

Findings: Subject MRK (23 Years Old) - Path to Addiction and Initial Triggers
🧪 Initial substance use began with trying a Y-logo pill due to peer encouragement and curiosity after changing social environments (moving from a boarding school area to the city).
📈 Substance use escalated from occasional pills in high school to methamphetamine (sabu), spiking to 2-3 times per week during college, indicating an early loss of control.
🧠 The motivation for continued use was hedonistic (seeking pleasure/sensation) rather than purely stress-driven, making it a mechanism of escape.

Findings: Physical, Psychological, and Financial Consequences
📉 Subject experienced strong physical withdrawal symptoms (sickness, fever) after just 2 weeks of abstinence, confirming physical dependence.
🍔 Substance use suppressed appetite, leading to significant weight loss and noticeable physical deterioration.
💔 Addiction expanded beyond drugs to slot machine gambling, leading to severe financial distress, including using tuition money (UKT) to fund usage.
😨 The subject experienced extreme mental pressure, feeling panicked and nearly insane, but found crucial emotional relief through the support of his girlfriend.

Findings: Recovery Factors and Social Dynamics
💑 The girlfriend served as a major protective factor, acting as a confidante and even managing the subject's funds to prevent misuse.
💼 The subject found that physical work (e.g., repairing company facilities) provided a positive distraction, diverting thoughts away from drug use.
🚫 Previous attempts to stop failed because the influence of friends still using outweighed internal self-control, highlighting environmental risk factors.
🎓 The drug use caused academic failure, resulting in dropping out of college (not paying UKT from semester 5 until semester 10 was discovered).

Key Points & Insights
➡️ Reintegration requires strong external support; rehabilitation alone is insufficient to prevent relapse if the environment remains unsupportive.
➡️ Romantic partners can be critical protective factors, offering both emotional stabilization and behavioral control (e.g., managing finances).
➡️ Addiction often manifests as comorbidity; the subject's drug use co-occurred with and fueled gambling addiction, leading to severe financial consequences.
➡️ Meaningful routine and work can act as effective positive distractions, aiding in maintaining abstinence post-rehabilitation.

📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Jan 09, 2026, 10:59 UTC