Leaving the Guilt and Shame Behind
Many addicts fall into criminal activity to support their habit. It is a common practice for an addict to steal from family members and friends in order to get the money for the next pill, injection or drink. Although the person addicted to drugs or alcohol may never have previously done such things, the cravings push him (or her) to do things he would never have even considered before. Due to this, the addict feels guilt and shame. This is a huge barrier to recovery.
Russ was addicted to drugs and could not even get out of bed in the morning without getting high. He said, “I had been stealing from my dad, and my family had pretty much had it with me.” He had not spoken to his mother in a couple of years. His family was torn apart because of his actions.
When Russ found Narconon, he knew something was different about this program. He said, “I never really made it more than a few days at any of the other rehab facilities that I went through. This program worked great for me. I don’t know what I would have done without it.”
Narconon is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program that is the full package for recovery from addiction. Both the physical and mental dependency must be addressed thoroughly, and the Narconon program does just this. Eliminating some of the physical dependency is accomplished with a withdrawal from the drug of choice or from alcohol. However, that does not cover all of the factors of physical dependence. At Narconon, a sauna-based detox is done to flush out the drug residues that have accumulated in the body. These residual drugs have been associated with the triggering of cravings for drugs or alcohol. Once these toxins are gone, the recovering addict finds greatly reduced cravings, and sometimes the cravings are completely gone.
Russ found relief from physical cravings and this changed his life. He said, “My biggest win on the Narconon program was the fact that I could go to bed and get up in the morning and not have to get high to get out of bed - to be able to get up and be a functional human being again rather than being addicted to the drugs.”
The final steps of the Narconon program are courses which effectively educate the recovering individual in living a life without drugs and without the need to turn to drugs or alcohol again. The student discovers what responsibility is all about and can be accountable for his actions once again. He is able to rid himself of all the guilt he carries from his past misdeeds. One course that accomplishes this is called the Personal Values Course. On this course, he confronts the things he did wrong in the past. Once this is done, he can then move forward into the future with a clear heart and mind. Removing the guilt and shame eliminates a huge barrier to recovery.
Russ said, “Since I’ve completed the Narconon program my life has completely changed. Every day when I get out of bed now I know I’m going to be a successful person in life. I know that I don’t have to get up and use drugs. I know that I don’t have to go out and rob or steal from people to get what I need. It’s just great to know that when I get up in the morning I can go to work and be a happy member of society.”
The Narconon program offers a method for accomplishing lasting sobriety for a person addicted to drugs or alcohol. Lasting recovery is what it is all about, and an addict can gain back a sober life and his family can gain back an ethical and productive member.
Russ got his life back at Narconon Arrowhead.