Staying sober is a real
struggle for alcoholics, and the protagonist of this sad story is no
exception than 30-year-old Zhang Rui who had been trying to kick the
habit for a while, but when all his attempts failed, both he and his
family got desperate. After what must have been a serious intervention,
he agreed to let his mother chain him by the neck in a room, to prevent
him from buying or stealing booze.
Zhang,
who is still locked in his attic room in Bengbu, east China, told
reporters that he couldn’t think of any other way to stop himself from
harming others or drinking himself to death. Despite his poor living
conditions, Zhang believes that confining himself is the only way to
beat the addiction that has ruined his life. In fact, he wants to stay
chained up and locked in there for at least six months, until he no
longer feels the need to consume alcohol.
The
tiny 10-square-meter space is sparsely furnished, with only a
mattress for sleeping, a laptop and a small TV to keep him entertained.
He doesn’t even have a toilet, just a bucket and a large bottle of
water to keep himself clean. The chain around his neck is four meters
long and weighs about 22 lbs, so he can hardly stand up on his own in
his current state. It allows him to walk around the room as exercise,
but not much else.
According
to the reporters who visited him, Zhang used to be a kind and gentle
person working as a truck driver, however, all that changed six months
ago when he started drinking. He turned so violent and abusive that he
lost both his job and his wife and children. Things got so bad at one
point that he begged for money on the streets just to be able to buy
cheap rice wine. Once drunk, he reportedly had no controls over his
actions.
When
his family left him, Zhang was devastated, and the misery drove him to
the extreme decision of home imprisonment. Quitting cold turkey has been
torturous for him, so much so that he cries all the time and beats
himself up with the chains. He becomes very irritable at times and tries
to pick the lock or slide the chain off his neck. So far he has only
managed to hurt himself even more.
Zhang
hasn’t had an easy life – he lost his father at an early age and he was
brought up by his mother in poverty. it is believed that this rough
upbringing eventually led him to alcohol addiction.
Zhang’s
mother is obviously heartbroken with his current situation, but she
doesn’t plan on unlocking the chain until she is sure he has beaten
alcohol addiction. She doesn’t know how long he will stay locked up in
the attic, but she is convinced it is the only way to get her old son
back.
This
has to be the most extreme case of self-imposed rehab since the guy who
built a metal cage for his head in order to stop smoking.
Photos: NetEase
Sources: Shanghaiist, Daily Mail
