Essay- Social Internship

Name- Jaitik Nagpal

SAP ID- 500093518
Course- BBA Core

When I completed my first year at the University of Petroleum & Energy

Studies, I wanted to contribute to society in a meaningful way and hence I
decided to do a social internship. I was allotted my internship at the addiction
rehabilitation centre named “The Jagrati Foundation”, located in my home-
town Dehradun, through my university's career service department and found
out that this would be an ideal place for me.

On the first day of our internship, we were introduced to the patients and the
three-pronged treatment they were receiving, i.e. physical, mental and
spiritual. There I met different kind of personalities who were battling their
addiction of alcohol, cigarettes, cocaine, cannabis, etc. The consequences of
the addiction were evidently visible. In addition to the physical health of the
patients, the mental condition was also deteriorating with some patients
having their brain damaged by constantly abusing drugs. The patients were
there for a no-contact 5 month treatment wherein they were not allowed to
leave the foundation premises for that period. In today’s world where mobile
phones are an integral part of our lives, they were not even permitted to bring
their mobile phones along with them. The patients narrated to us their stories-
how they got there and what consequences they are facing. I came across a
number of stories, but to pick out a story that deeply touched my heart was of
a patient- which I recently met in the organisation. I cannot recall the name, as
far as it is concerned, but the story he narrated, made me stick to my chair
while giving me goosebumps. During induction, we were being acquainted
with the patients when one among them mentioned how addiction was
responsible for his life going off-track. The patient, a few years ago, was
running a profitable business enough to cater the needs of him and his family.
Following the problem of drug addiction, the business collapsed with the time
taking its course. Apparently, his family disowned him which made him stay at
his in-laws (brother in law, i.e. “Jiju”). Consequently, with time passing, feeling
ashamed living at his sister’s house, the protagonist felt suffocated. Now he
was robbed of everything he possesed- whether it be his business, his family or
his self-esteem. The silver lining of the cloud is that he’s now ready to start his
life altogether and live his life better than ever. Through my personal
experiences with the patients, I realised that the society underestimates the
drug addicts. They aren’t looked upon as a part of the society. Moreover, a lot
of people consider them good-for-nothing. On the contrary, they are having
some serious talent, which is generally under-utilised because of the
neglection of the society or the difficulties they’re going through. During my
internship, I observed the patients doing the work of a skilled craftsmen,
contributing effectively towards the NGO’s business model.

As a social intern, I faced many challenges. One of the biggest ones was not
having any experience in addiction rehabilitation. But I overcame this challenge
by doing research and learning about the field. I faced another hurdle when it
came to dealing with mentors. It was challenging to know what they wanted
and how they wanted it done. I regularly asked them required questions and
carefully listened to their answers - so that I could better understand what
they needed from me as an intern. Another big challenge was that I had to
learn how to deal with different kinds of personalities and people. I had to
understand the differences in cultures and backgrounds. I learned that not
everyone has the same needs, so it is important to be flexible when it comes to
working with people who have addiction problems. It is also important to have
a good understanding of what you are doing because you will be dealing with
people who are hurt and need guidance. I, being a group leader, faced other
challenges as well. I had the responsibility of all the interns working in the
organisation and was the prime conduit between the organisation and the
college. Documenting all the activities, maintaining records, looking after
miscommunications, etc. proved to be a challenge. I had faced a lot of
challenges but I overcame them with time and experience.

My social internship at a rehabilitation centre helped me learn about the

various kinds of mental health disorders, their causes, and how they can be
treated. I also got an opportunity to interact with patients and their families. I
learnt that it's not about the number of hours you put in but the impact you
make. The social internship helped me to have a deeper understanding of both
physical and mental health, especially when it comes to drug addiction. I
learned about the different programs and treatments offered there, and I got
to work with patients who were struggling with their addiction. I also learned
about some of the challenges faced by people in recovery, such as relapse
prevention and finding employment after rehab. In addition to this, I learnt
skills which upgraded my skillset and which would help boost my career. As our
team organised “Jagrati Sports Week”, I learnt the skill of event-management.
While working for the NGO’s business model, I learnt certain marketing
techniques, hence upgrading my skill-set which would help me a great deal in
future as I belong to a business background.

As an intern at an addiction rehabilitation centre, I made a difference in a

number of ways. I gave mental support not only to the patients, but also their
families out there. As interns, our team brought a fresh youth perspective that
few others have, and that can help the centre understand and serve their
patients better. We helped to create a more positive environment for both the
staff and the patients. Our team engaged the patients through interacting with
them and organizing events such as Sports Week. Our team also did a research
on the modern techniques that can be used to treat addiction, which would be
helpful for the organisation in the long run as they could update their
addiction-programme accordingly. Also, this social internship gave me a fresh
approach on how to look upon drug addicts in future, how to deal with them
and not neglect them. I’ll also try to educate those who forsake the addicts. In
these ways, I’ll be making a difference. The highlight of our impact was that
after being influenced by the activities that we organized for the patients, the
organization adopted the activities part in their daily schedule, as a part of
their treatment programme (even after our internship got completed).

My internship at the rehabilitation centre was an eye-opening experience. I

met and interacted with people who have been through so much in their lives.
They are survivors, not victims. I saw that there is hope for everyone, no
matter how dark things seem to be. The stories I heard from these people
were heart-wrenching and inspirational at the same time. It made me realise
that life is full of twists and turns and also helped me understand the
importance of giving back. I now have a renewed outlook on life which will
help me grow as an individual and I am excited for the journey ahead.

THANK YOU