See Yourself

Here is another Narconon realization for the day.  It is shared with the hopes that others will read it and reach to get some help.  Whether a person has done cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine or pot – there is help for them and a new life.

“I see how controlling my body is a very important tool in my life.  Before in my life I would be going down the road in my car and my intentions were good.  But I would let my body take over and before I knew it, I would be in the wrong neighborhood.  It was as if my body took over my thoughts and took total control over my mind.

Now I see how important it is for me to be in control of every part of me.  Today my body is being controlled by me.  I am in the driver’s seat, and I’m driving with happiness.”

He was told that his drug addiction was a problem that he would have to struggle with for the rest of his life.

Jason isn’t alone there are 25 million drug addicts in America and the problem is only getting worse.

Successful Graduate

After successfully completing the Narconon program, Pam has joined the Narconon family in order to help others. She has a compelling story and something to say to those who are still battling with addiction.

Where were you born and raised?

I was born in Clearwater, Florida. When I was just 14 months old, my parents separated and I lived with my grandmother for a while.

My mother re-married when I was 2, but my real father continued to stay in my life, even when I lived with my stepfather.

My stepfather was unstable and was diagnosed with schizophrenic. He killed our dog and when I was 13 my mother left him and we moved to Savannah.

When did you first begin abusing drugs?

When I was 15 years old, I was at one of my friends and he talked me into smoking weed with him. That’s where it all started. After smoking pot for about a year, my grades slipped and I stopped caring.

My mother got married again, and I wasn’t even allowed to go to the wedding.

I was always on restriction for my grades. I started sneaking out of the house to hang out with my friends. It got to the point where I wasn’t coming home until an hour before I had to wake up for school. I got hooked on No-Doz and Simply Sleep. I would take No-Doz all day in school and when I came home, I would take a sleeping pill and sleep until my mother woke me up for dinner.

My mother put me in a “Safe-Place” shelter for 3 weeks, thinking that it would help me to straighten up. The day I got out, I snuck out of the house again and my mother sent me to my father’s.

My father was a very bad alcoholic. I lived with him for three months but I ran away when I could not take his drinking anymore. I caught a bus, went to Savannah and stayed from house to house. My mother had the police looking everywhere for me.

When I turned 17, I went back to high school and graduated in 2001 as a piano major. My father and I had made up over the years and when he died in 2005.

I was absolutely devastated and really started to go down. I inherited over $150,000. I gave half of it to the guy that was supporting my habit. I also bought him a brand new truck and put it in his name.

Within 6 months, I was completely broke because I’d had $60,000 disappear and spent the rest on crack. I started to hate myself for losing everything that my father had worked his entire life to give me.

I signed my condo over to my mother and her husband and went to living on the streets. I continued trying to bury my self-pity in crack and just did it every chance I had.

I got to a point in my addiction where I was living in a tent that I’d helped steal out of someone’s shed. The next couple years were filled with awful times – there was a lot of crack smoking, a couple of arrests, Ilving on the streets and tons of “bad luck.”

Going from disaster to disaster and through failed rehab, I finally hit rock bottom. I thought it was the end.

How did you get out of this mess?

I went through a five day binge. I was driving around Mobile, AL all the way to Gulfport, MS. I was in Gulfport for a couple days.

I was walking around a truck stop, bumming money wishing that it would just end. That’s when I went to get in my Blazer and the police pulled in.

They were there to arrest me because they thought I was prostituting. That’s when I told them that I was trying to bum money for gas to get back home to Mobile, AL and that I’d been up for 5 days smoking crack and couldn’t stop.

I asked them to take me to jail. Since I had a fugitive warrant on me, they took me in.

It took 2 weeks or more to extradite me to Savannah. When I got there, it was the day that I had to be in court.

So, I had to wait for a new court date and handled my charges. When my mother came to pick me up, my grandfather and I had already spoken about me going to rehab.

My mother had found Narconon on the internet. She showed me the website, and I called my grandparents and told them that with the research my mother had done and what I could see this was the place for me.

Three weeks later, I came to Narconon of Georgia.

How did the Narconon Program help you?

This program has absolutely saved my life. While I was here, I learned how to confront the things in my life that I was running from.

I dealt with and accepted the death of my father. I stopped punishing myself for what I’d done to my life.

This place gave me the confidence and skills that I needed in order to move forward and start my life back on the track I was on before I started abusing drugs.

What would you say to others who are battling addiction? I understand what you are going through. You don’t need to continue to feel guilty – just get some help.

I would also tell them that no matter what has happened to you, Narconon is the right place for you.

“When I first came to this program I was on drugs.  My mind was in a fog and I didn’t think clearly.  Now that I’ve been through this sauna program I see things more clearly ad I think sharply.  I am on point and I’m just ready to move on with my life.

I have lost the need to use drugs.  I can sleep every night and I wake up with energy.

I am going to do something with my life and be a productive member of society.”

Call a drug rehab today for help.

Part of the Narconon program involves getting the student more in touch with their environment.  Heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and other drugs of abuse tend to make a person look inward and after a while, they are not seeing the world any more.  The Narconon addiction program addresses that.  Here is a reflection from one of our students today.

“Today during course I realized that I can have anything and everything.  I can have the sunlight or the darkness. I can have the color yellow or the color black.

I realized I can dispense of anything or everything that I want.

I realize I can leave along anything and everything I want.  If I want it I can have it and if I don’t want it then it won’t be a part of my life! “

Before coming to Narconon drug rehab my life was quickly falling apart.  I didn’t know what I was doing or where I was going or even who I was.  I felt the time to make the change was now.  I knew that coming to Narconon was the best decision I have made in a long time.  I am looking forward to the future rather than trying not think about it and I can thank Narconon for that.

Narconon has a success rate of 76% among graduating students. We use a holistic approach to addiction treatment.

Overcoming Addicition

Meet Danielle, our graduate of the month.

Danielle arrived to Narconon 4 months ago in shackles, directly from jail where she had been for six months.   At only 18 years of age she was facing 25 years of prison for grand theft larceny and the manufacturing of methamphetamine.

In just these few short months has completely turned her life around with the Narconon program.

Where were you born and raised?
I was born in 1991and raised in Conway South Carolina.  I grew up around a lot of abuse.  My father used drugs the whole time I was growing up.  He used to beat my mom real bad.  They got divorced when I was 12 years old.  My mom was always working and the kids didn’t get to spend a lot of time with her.

I had my 18^th birthday in jail.

When did you first begin abusing drugs?

When I was 13 I started smoking marijuana.   I just decided to try it and I went and bought some.  Since I grew up around drugs I knew all the drug dealers in South Carolina I knew where to get it.

When I was 16 I started using cocaine really bad and I dropped out of school.  I worked at some restaurants and used the money I made there to buy drugs.  My mom sent me to Mexico to try to help me.  I stayed there 6 months and came back clean.  However, almost as soon as I came back I started using drugs again and moved out of the house.

When I was 17 I started using methamphetamine real bad.  Some friends introduced me to methamphetamine.

What areas of your life were affected?

When I started using methamphetamine I was in and out of jail once a month.   The methamphetamine made me crazy.  I did not sleep or eat.    I got caught driving a stolen vehicle and went to jail.  I got a grand larceny charge, but was released on bond.  While those charges were pending, I never went to court – I stayed away.   I got caught with paraphernalia.  I never went to court and had lots of bench warrants out on me.  I was a runner – I was even in the newspaper.  There was a reward out for me if someone could catch me.  Before coming to Narconon I was charged with manufacturing.  I spent 6 months in jail and then was court ordered to Narconon with three years of probation.

I started cooking the methamphetamine and was charged with manufacturing.

Describe your experience with Narconon?

When I first got to Narconon I had secretly decided that I was not going to stop using drugs.  I was making plans to flee so I could go back and use drugs.

The communication exercises in the beginning of the program helped me to tear the wall down that I had around me and I started to listen to the staff members.  This is when I thought I might be able to change.

After sauna I felt better but was still doubtful if I could really quit for good.

When I started moving through the life skills part of the program, especially the ethics part, I realized that I still had a chance with my life, regardless of my legal charges.   I saw that my way of doing things had not gotten me anywhere and I decided to try another way.   What I learned in these books was good.  I realized that I wanted to go back to school and that I had other goals for my life.

Through the whole program the staff really got me to see that I was better than methamphetamine.    I found qualities and ambition that I had lost when I was doing drugs.  When I started completing steps on the program it felt really good.

I know that I am not going to do drugs anymore.

I would like everyone to know that no matter where they are in life, no matter their legal charges they can change with the Narconon program.  I was the last person that would have even ever considered changing but I did change.

I didn’t even want help when I came to Narconon, but I got it and I am glad.  I know what it feels like to do drugs and I just want to help others!

How  is  your life now?

I have my ambition back.  I like to write and paint.  I had stopped doing that when I was doing drugs, but I got my drive to express myself back.  I am not focused about getting that next high.  I am focused on making goals for myself and staying busy.

I am going to go back to school, maybe some criminal justice work or therapy    I want to bring the Narconon program to South Carolina and put the program into the jails and the prisons.

I am repairing my relationship with my mom.  I really hurt her.  She used to call me and leave messages on my cell phone, just trying to see if I was alive.    She is one of the reasons I know that I am going to stay clean and do something with my life.  She never gave up on me.   She is really happy that I want to continue to work with Narconon.

I want to give other people the chance that I had.  If we were able to get this program in the jail they could figure out their priorities in life and have something to look forward to when they get out of jail.

I have to figure out how to give people the chance I got.  I really want to help get people to Narconon.

What would you say to others that are thinking about going to drug rehab?

I would say if you really sit back and look at your life, you will see that you are not really happy.  The happy from the high cannot last very long.

You can’t run from your problems forever.  You can come here to Narconon for a few months.  4 months out of the life of someone who spends a lot of time doing drugs is not very much.  This program really saved my life and it can work for anyone.

The following article was published in the Birmingham Times and serves to validate both the hard work of Maggie and of Narconon staff to provide excellent drug treatment.

“ When I came to Narconon I was depressed, foggy and unable to think beyond one hour at a time. After the communication course I was better able to concentrate and be calm. Learning to face another comfortably was very helpful for me in particular due to a past experience with my family and dealing with the wreckage caused by my drinking problem. The sauna released other things that were helpful. Aches and pains started to go away by the second week. The main positive realization that I had is a motivation and fervor for life that I haven’t felt in years. I am excited to start a new career and I enjoy spending time with my children. I feel so much better prepared to handle adverse situations. Even recently when there have been bumps in the road I have chosen not to drink. I feel more powerful with myself and know that I am the only one who can control my own destiny.”

Journey to Recovery

 I disappeared from my family and friends three years ago because I was doing drugs. My family spent the past two years trying to get me to go to drug rehab. I told them I wasn’t ready and I wasn’t going and if I ever decided that I was ready, I’d let them know. I went through a lot of different changes. I got pregnant and still couldn’t quit. I decided that moving from my home town and leaving my connections was the answer. It worked for a while. I found a couple that was willing to do an open adoption. I had a son December 2007. Although I knew it was the right thing to do, I think it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Deep down inside myself, I knew I still had some recovering to do. I was right. I went in and out of relapse. While I was doing so, I started thinking a lot about life. If I hadn’t done the things I’d done, I would maybe have a child of my own that I was raising myself. I would not have legal issues to handle that I hadn’t handled because I still wasn’t doing the right thing. I was on a five day binge and decided that I was tired of getting high. I wound up getting arrested and went back to my home town and spent time in jail handling my legal issues. I am now paying for what I did while I was in my drug addiction by serving a first offenders probation. While I was in jail, I talked My Journey To Recovery! I disappeared from my family and friends three years ago because I was doing drugs. My family spent the past two years trying to get me to go to rehab. I told them I wasn’t ready and I wasn’t going and if I ever decided that I was ready, I’d let them know. I went through a lot of different changes. I got pregnant and still couldn’t quit. I decided that moving from my home town and leaving my connections was the answer. It worked for a while. I found a couple that was willing to do an open adoption. I had a son December 2007. Although I knew it was the right thing to do, I think it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Deep down inside myself, I knew I still had some recovering to do. I was right. I went in and out of relapse. While I was doing so, I started thinking a lot about life. If I hadn’t done the things I’d done, I would maybe have a child of my own that I was raising myself. I would not have legal issues to handle that I hadn’t handled because I still wasn’t doing the right thing. I was on a five day binge and decided that I was tired of getting high. I wound up getting arrested and went back to my home town and spent time in jail handling my legal issues. I am now paying for what I did while I was in my drug addiction by serving a first offenders probation. While I was in jail, I talked to my grandparents and told them that I was ready to get my life together and go to addiction treatment. I was tired of screwing up my life. However, I wanted to chose the rehab I went to. My mother had found a place called Narconon. When I got out of jail, I did some research and loved what I read about the program. I have been here for three months. I feel like this place has done a lot for me. I have no desire to go back out and get high anymore. I am ready to get my life back and build a future for myself. I feel like a whole new person! to my grandparents and told them that I was ready to get my life together and go to rehab. I was tired of screwing up my life. However, I wanted to chose the rehab I went to. My mother had found a place called Narconon. When I got out of jail, I did some research and loved what I read about the program. I have been here for three months. I feel like this place has done a lot for me. I have no desire to go back out and get high anymore. I am ready to get my life back and build a future for myself. I feel like a whole new person!