I am Aleksandar Aleksandrov. I am 26 years old and I work in "Ogilvy & Mather" as a graphic designer. The first drug that I took was marijuana. I had been offered this many times but I would always refuse having a feeling it was not for me. But, in one period the relationship with my girlfriend was in crisis, and I started falling into depression, with a feeling that there is no way out, with feelings of failure. That is why I took marijuana with which, the worries, for a moment, would disappear and I could relax for a while. I began smoking it regularly every day and I was convinced I was not addicted to it. I knew why it was I taking it because with it I could stop the negative feelings and I could run away from the problems I had. The problems from which I was running away from though, were growing bigger and bigger every day - because I was not solving them and I also started feeling as if I had no feelings in me. I was diving deeper and deeper. I started taking ecstasy and LSD. On LSD I had beautiful experiences of a higher states of consciousness. In life I was experiencing magical colours, great joy, things were becoming crystal clear.
So I came to a point whilst being on LSD where I had to ask myself a question that needed answering: should I continue taking drugs or should I find another way of reaching those wonderful states of mind without drugs? The following day I stopped taking all kinds of drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol simultaneously and I started searching for the Path that can take me to this higher consciousness. Then I met Kristijan who at that time was leading the Komaja community in Skopje. He was a living proof for me that that which was written in the Komaja book can be a way of life. I have chosen the Path of Komaja. The Path of Love. The turning point for quitting the drugs was the change of the surrounding and the support of a healthy community based on love. I have peers who also wanted to stop taking drugs, but they have always failed because they had no support and the old surrounding was pulling them in the old ways of living. Before I thought that I needed drugs to be happy. Now I know that the whole time I had a need for love and that with the drugs I was running away from the problems through which I could learn how to live in love.
Today I am thankful to the Community and to my spiritual teacher Makaja for opening up for me a completely different life. Life is wonderful!