Of all the addictions, as terrible as they all are, perhaps the most desperate is an addiction to Krokodil. This is a drug that started being home-cooked in Russia by heroin addicts. Someone realized that they could buy over-the-counter headache medication that contained codeine and strip the opiate base out of it. Then when this drug was injected, it would have an effect similar to that of heroin but it would not last as long.
In these kitchen drug labs, the most caustic and damaging chemicals are used to strip out the opiate. Chemicals like gasoline, lighter fluid, iodine, lye and the phosphorus from the red tips of matches. There is some slight effort, usually, to filter impurities out of the resulting liquid but running the liquid through some paper filters would do nothing to remove caustic chemicals from the final solution.
The appeal is the low cost of Krokodil, a fraction of the cost of heroin. When a person is looking at getting hopelessly dopesick from heroin withdrawal, cooking some krokodil may look like the only choice.
This is the drug that causes body parts to ulcerate and gangrene. This is the drug that causes the meat of one’s body to simply decay on the bone. When a person starts using krokodil, it’s common for them to be dead in two years.
Overcoming Krokodil Addiction
It was very meaningful to me when I found this success story from a Narconon graduate. His name is Stanislas. He had started using drugs when he was 14 and by 28, was a hardcore addict hooked on Krokodil. Here’s what he said:
Having seen my friends pass away one after another, I accepted the idea that I wouldn’t last long either and simply carried on with my numbered days. It became a vicious cycle: pharmacies, drug ghettos, the “brewing” – every day was the same. I thought I was as good as dead and just didn’t care any more.
One day, my mother told me about a center called Narconon where they help people get out of addiction. Deep down inside I knew that I was sick of my druggie friends and of getting high every day. But I was convinced that addiction is impossible to overcome, and unless the person himself decides to quit, nobody can help him.
I have, of course, made numerous attempts to quit drugs and suffered through the withdrawal, only to pick the habit up again in time. Eventually I agreed to go to Narconon thinking that I could go home at any time if I didn’t like it.
From the very first days at Narconon, I realized that the program actually works and I saw a glimmer of hope that it will work for me too. I’ve talked to the other students and they’ve confirmed it. But still I didn’t fully believe this. It was something I had to experience. I began to work on my self-improvement and with every step I felt better and better. I was changing and my environment changed with me. I became more confident in myself and then suddenly realized that drugs really weren’t my thing, and I couldn’t even believe that I could have lived this past destructive life.
I never would have thought that you could start a new life at 29! At Narconon, my hope became a reality. I have fully recovered from addiction, I’m reunited with my family, I found a lot of new, genuine friends and I’m very happy! I’m prepared to use all of my energy and potential to help other people achieve what I have. A huge thanks to Narconon and its caring, committed staff.
I am forever in your debt.
Stanislav.
