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.

Norcross, GA (PRWEB) December 21, 2009 — Thanks to Narconon drug rehab – for the first time in twenty-three years, Maggie, a self described “heroin baby”, is going to spend Christmas with her family and children, clean and sober

When Maggie was six weeks old, her mother, a heroin addict, dropped Maggie off at her Maggie’s grandparents house, stating she would return after she went shopping. Maggie’s mother never returned, leaving her grandparents to raise Maggie.

Maggie describes a great life with her grandparents -filled with love and Catholic School. She did well as a kid, but at 19 when her grandfather died, Maggie was not prepared to deal with the loss. She turned to cocaine for what she thought would be an avenue of temporary relief. Instead she became addicted and spent 25 years of her life focused on the chase of that next high.

Maggie reflects on her life; “When I was about 25 I started dating a bouncer at a bar. Our whole relationship was centered on getting high. One day when he was very high he robbed his friend’s house. A woman walked in and surprised him and he cut her throat. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison. I was pregnant so I married him in prison. I stayed married to him during the 12 years that he was in prison and I got pregnant again.

“Four years ago I started smoking crack cocaine and life really started to go downhill. My husband (now out of prison) left me because of my addiction and took our daughter with him. During the next 4 years, I had only one friend – a crack smoker. I continued to do bartending, but started to get high at work. It had gotten to the point where I was high continuously.”

Fortunately, Maggie spent some of her time when she was high on the computer, looking for the right drug treatment program. Though she was not ready to go to treatment yet, she had her heart set on Narconon of Georgia and carried the number around with her for almost a year.

Maggie lost everything and for two days found herself living in her car, still not caring about anything but getting high.

“About 1 am I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror and started to cry about what I saw. I looked so bad that I didn’t even know who that person in the mirror was. I still had the number in my pocket and I knew that I had to make the phone call to Narconon.

“I called and the person answering the phone assured me that she would do everything in her power to help me. She worked with my family so I could arrive to Narconon.

“That was the best phone call I ever made. Last Christmas I was at Narconon for addiction treatment and this Christmas I am decorating the tree with my kids.

“Last Christmas I called from Narconon and promised my kids that all the future Christmases would be good and this year I am keeping my promise.”

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.

Narconon of Georgia, a long term drug treatment center, helps those in the drug rehab program as well as those not in the program.

Narconon Graduate Success

The drug rehab graduates, upon completing the program, often find that they want to help others who have been in the same situation they were once in. One group, started in South Carolina by DJ, who graduated the Narconon Drug Rehab Georgia drug  program three years ago, helps friends and family by counseling them and even giving talks to school children about the dangers of drug addiction.

The Narconon methodology encourages those who graduate to help others, D.J., the father of two, operates a successful car dealership and is a custom car builder.  Helping others is a passion he has, and none of this would have been possible without the help of Narconon and the support he had from friends and family to kick his methamphamine addiction once and for all.

D.J. describes his drug addiction and recovery through the Narconon Drug Rehab located in Georgia:

“From the time I was 25 in (2001) until I went to Narconon of Georgia I had a strong methamphetamine addiction.  A friend of mine in the same industry had become addicted and quit the car industry and was dealing dope. He eventually found Narconon of Georgia. He called me several times when he was in Narconon and told me how the Narconon Sauna and Exercise Program was helping him get his energy back. At first, I did not want to hear about it – I was not ready to quit. In my heart, when I looked at him, I knew that Narconon worked.

“I started a group with other Narconon of Georgia graduates in my area It started out with 2 of us. Within a few months we have grown to a group of 5. We are all doing very well and are support for each other. Surrounding myself with these good people who have done the Narconon program was the first step to staying clean.

“When I meet someone on drugs, I most definitely refer them to Narconon.

“You can’t put a price on someone’s life. Narconon gave my life back. I have done things that I did not do for 5 years, like go to the beach and go to Las Vegas. Now that I am clean, I can enjoy my children. Words cannot describe what it means to get my life back and do these things.”

Narconon invites graduates from any program to join our new support group.  Call 1-877-413-3073 for more details.

Narconon is a non-traditional drug abuse treatment program which was founded in 1967.

Narconon of Georgia was founded in 2001.  While many drug rehab statistics are nebulous, Narconon boasts a 76% success rate (based on a two year follow-up) through a non-12 step drug treatment program.  This program provides body detoxification through a sauna and exercise program that helps eliminate or reduce cravings.  After the sauna program, the client learns those life skills essential to success in life and the ability to stay clean.  They graduate from Narconon with a life plan and continued support to make sure they make it in life.

Formerly penniless and without possessions, Narconon graduate enjoys new found riches this holiday season.

John (left) with his instructor

John never kept track of holidays and didn’t even know when it was Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Years – they were all just another day to use drugs.  That was before Narconon drug rehab.  This Thanksgiving he will be delivering dinner to 1500 homeless and will be home in time to cook Thanksgiving Dinner for his elderly parents.

John won’t be scrimping when it comes to getting Christmas gifts for his family.  While many families have had to deal with a layoff, since his graduation from the Narconon program 4 years ago, John has prospered and this year with Christmas music, Christmas Recipes, Christmas Cookies he finally has a taste of the life he could only have dreamed of.

Before drug treatment John had lost all his possessions to drugs abuse.   Anything he had, he traded for drugs.  Upon arriving home after graduation from Narconon, though penniless, John discovered he was much more focused and enthused about life.  He started to put all the life skills he had learned in the Narconon program to work and now has a management position in a 5 chain store.  Not only that, leading by example, he has gotten 6 others in his company through the Narconon program and runs a virtually drug free company.  Though drugs are problematic in South Carolina, John has created a drug free haven around himself.

“I use what I learned in the program everyday”, states John.  “I keep my books in the car and if my mind starts to go in different directions, I pull out my books and study.  This puts things back into perspective.  If I start to go downhill at all, I can reverse it right away and I pop back up.”

John enjoys kayaking, dirt bike riding and other hobbies that he could not afford as a drug addict.

He plans on getting married this year and has adopted the two children of his fiancé, a responsibility he could not have faced while on drugs.

He got his step daughter through high school last year and is concentrating on his adopted son.  “I am able to deal with my 16 year old boy when he gets into trouble.  If I were still on drugs, I would just let him go – I wouldn’t have been able to deal with him.”

“Since I have graduated from the program I really have some holiday fun with family and friends, whereas before I would just sit in the house.

It is really about family now for me and I wish others could experience the joy I have.

I would love a world without drugs.  I imagine that it would be a world where people cared about each other. Right now, we need to help those we can and get them to Narconon.”

Drug Addicted Orphans

Addicted Street Children Helped

There are sixteen million children living on the streets in Latin America.  They have been orphaned, abandoned or have fled from violent and exploitive situations.    Many of these children are addicted to glue.  The glue stops them from getting hungry.  For a brief time after inhaling glue, the children actually feel no hunger, no cold and no discomfort.  When the period passes they crave more glue and take it with severe health and mental damage.

As a long term non traditional drug treatment center, Narconon of Georgia was approached three years ago by this organization, looking for solutions to the growing epidemic of street orphans addicted to glue.

The orphanage in Honduras took many street children in, only to find that they would run away, back to the streets, to feed their drug addiction.  The safety and comfort of the orphanage were not stronger than the addiction to the glue and the orphanage personnel searched for solutions.

After being contacted by a local Atlanta synagogue, working with the orphanage, Narconon of Georgia helped to establish the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program in Honduras.  They assisted in everything from getting donations of nutrients, a sauna stove and funding.   Staff from the orphanage trained in Narconon of Georgia.  Once trained, Narconon of Georgia staff has continued returning on a yearly back to Honduras to ensure proper implementation of the program.

Sauna Detoxification, Addicted Street Kids

Almost 100 children have successfully completed the Narconon New Life Detoxification and the orphanage staff reports that there are fewer runaways as the body detoxification process is reducing the drug cravings.

The Executive Director of Narconon stated in a recent interview, “I am proud of Narconon’s contribution to these children.  If all of us took a little piece of the world and worked to make it better, in no time at all this world could be a beautiful place.”

Narconon is a non-traditional drug abuse treatment program which was founded in 1967.

Narconon of Georgia was founded in 2001.  While many drug rehab statistics are nebulous, Narconon boasts a 76% success rate (based on a two year follow-up) through a non-12 step drug treatment program.  This program provides body detoxification through a sauna and exercise program that helps eliminate or reduce cravings.  After the sauna program, the client learns those life skills essential to success in life and the ability to stay clean.  They graduate from Narconon with a life plan and continued support to make sure they make it in life.

Street Kid at Orphanage

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.

Successful Graduate

Atlanta, GA, Nov. 18, 2009 A Narconon Drug Rehab graduate will be enjoying time with his family- a family, which, for three years, didn’t know if he was alive or dead.

Michael, a likable, happy, outgoing construction supervisor, had fallen to prescription drug addiction, cutting all ties with family and friends.

For the past three holiday seasons Michael’s family did not even know he was dead or alive. They spent holiday time with family and friends, pretending to be happy and telling others that Michael was off doing construction jobs. In their hearts, they felt that he was dead.

They dreaded when the phone rang at night, expecting the worst. They called police departments and hospitals throughout the country to no avail. Even the private detective came up with no leads. The trail was cold.

But Michael’s parents continued to send emails to his e-mail address. As his mother told counselors at Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia: “Even though we did not know if he was getting the emails we would write and say how much we missed him and give him news about the family. We told him how much we loved him and how much we cared and begged him to just let us know if he was alive.” But there was no word.

Meanwhile, Michael was busy trying to feed his drug addiction, which had led him to darker places than he ever believed he would visit. He was too ashamed to call his family and describes himself as “out of my mind with Oxycontin and Xanax. My goal was to become comatose.”

One day Michael’s father e-mailed to tell him that his grandmother was dying. The doctors said there was no physical reason why she should still be alive, but felt she was hanging on, out of concern for her grandson. More than any other family member, Michael’s grandmother had a sense that he would someday come home.

To their surprise, they got an e-mail from him asking for help. He had taken so much Oxycontin and Xanax that he was sick and fearful he would be dead before they got word. He was tired of living but something inside told him to not give up yet. His last hope was that his family would listen to his pleas.

Overjoyed, Michael’s mother spent 13 hours on the computer looking for the right addiction treatment center for her son. “Of all the places that I called, Narconon of Georgia was the first to get back to me. The intake counselor even offered to go pick my son up in another city. We chose this program because of its success rate and the caring attitude of the staff.”

The next day her son arrived at Narconon drug rehab, and months of hard work found him recently graduating his drug addiction recovery program.

For the first time in years, Michael is going to be with his family over the holidays.

His mother says, “It is so great to have the old Michael back. He is very thankful for the help he received from us. He has a sense of humor and looks us in the eye. I have always known there is so much good in Michael.”

His father adds, “In the past years I would cover up for Michael. I would say he was off doing construction, but my friends really knew something was wrong.

“Now I am proud to describe what he has accomplished by going through Narconon Drug Rehab of Georgia. What he did in the past may have been an embarrassment to him, but when I look at him today I am proud of what he has accomplished and how the Narconon program has helped him so much in such a short amount of time. His whole life is going to be turned around now – he has a whole lifetime facing him. His whole future is there. He is ready to face the world.

Christmas has already happened for us.”

Contact Mary Rieser, Executive Director of Narconon Drug Rehab Georgia at 1-800-311-4407 or narcononofga@yahoo.com.

Original Article
www.drugsno.com

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.