Offering a New Sober Life to Kentuckians
Kentuckians are the stuff of legend. Major movie stars like John Wayne and Burt Lancaster portrayed these strong, independent characters in movies and James Bowie, famous for his last stand at the Alamo and the knife that bears his name, got an upbringing in Kentucky that turned him into real-life legend.The painkiller addiction epidemic did a lot of damage to the reputation of Kentuckians by bringing many good folks to their knees—physically, morally and spiritually.
Kentucky is an intensely rural state. There are a few urban areas, mostly in the north around Louisville and Lexington. Kentucky is peppered with coal mines, especially the western end of the state. A heavy industry like coal mining is often associated with injuries and in last couple of decades, doctors have been more free with their painkiller prescriptions. It only takes something simple and relatively obvious like this to set in motion a kind of social devastation.
If you look at a chart of addiction treatment admissions in Kentucky, you’ll see the pain inflicted on the state by prescription opioids. In 2004, when this chart starts, painkiller admissions are already higher than they are for most other states. In 2006, these admissions begin to climb, as alcohol and even marijuana admissions drop. Where did all the pills that addicted Kentuckians come from? The second half of this decade, many people from Kentucky and surrounding states were making regular purchasing runs to Florida to pick up pills.
For several years, Florida had a deserved reputation as the pill mill capital of the country. It wasn’t until 2010 that they finally revised their laws and put most of the unscrupulous pill sellers out of business. Also, OxyContin was reformulated that year so that if someone tried to crush it so they could snort or inject it, the pill would turn into a gooey mess. After these two changes, many people could not get the pills they were used to abusing. Painkiller admissions peaked around this time and then began to fall. But admissions to treatment for heroin addiction begin to take their place. After all, painkillers and heroin are chemically much the same.
Bringing Kentuckians Back to Life
For more than 50 years, the Narconon program has been helping people recover their integrity and health with an effective rehabilitation program. For someone from Kentucky, it’s not far to the Narconon center near Baton Rouge, Louisiana or another one in Southeastern Oklahoma. For the person who wants to put a few more miles between themselves and their drug-using former friends, there are also Narconon centers in Texas, Colorado, Nevada, Michigan, Florida and California.
This program isn’t over in the 28 days of a conventional rehab. That’s because most people have not really had enough time to recover in this time. But if the program is considered complete after four weeks and a person is sent back to his life ready or not, then it is no wonder that many rehabs have low success rates. At a Narconon rehab, a person goes home when he has gained the skills that are so essential to his lasting sobriety.
Recovery Starts with Detoxification
A thorough detox starts the trip to sobriety at a Narconon center.
Each person is assessed by a physician for the need of a medical detox, this is followed by the Drug-Free Withdrawal and then on to the New Life Detoxification.
This unique detox reaches deep into cells to flush out residues from past drug or alcohol use that stayed behind when the body was breaking down these substances to be eliminated. These traces can remain for years and contribute to foggy, slow thinking and even cravings.
Following a precise regimen of nutritional supplements, moderate exercise and time in a low-heat sauna, each person has a chance to cleanse their body of these residues. When complete, they very often mention how much more positive their outlook is and how their cravings are finally manageable. Some people even say their physical cravings are now gone.
Building New Sober Living Skills
The remainder of the Narconon program involves healing the trauma of the past, brightening one’s perceptions of their current environment and gaining the life skills they will need every day once they get home. It’s important that they learn to identify toxic associates so they are never tripped up by them, and find relief from their guilt resulting from the harm they have to themselves and others. These improvements are achieved by giving each person an understanding of basic principles and then supporting them while they put these principles to work. For example, relief from guilt results from learning how personal integrity was lost and how it can be maintained in the future. Putting these lessons to work often results in a weight being lifted from their shoulders – a weight that they didn’t even know was there.
Finally, each person learns how to overcome problems that may come up in life so that setbacks can be weathered without resorting to drug use for escape. When these lessons are complete, each person has gained the essential skills they need for stability after going home.
Before There Were Painkillers, There was Marijuana
As far back as 1991, the Los Angeles Times noted that Kentucky was home to a high number of illicit marijuana grows. Whereas at one time, Kentucky families deep in the woods ran moonshine stills, now they are running hidden and booby-trapped pot farms. The poverty of these rural areas was cited as a compelling factor for setting up one of these illicit grows.
In 2000, foresters reported finding grows tucked into places like the Daniel Boone National Forest. If these grows were found on national forest land, the grower would lose nothing if the plants were seized. If he planted on his own land, it would be forfeited to law enforcement. In 2000 alone, more than 460,000 plants were eradicated.
As recently as last fall, the National Rifle Association warned hunters to beware of stumbling upon a guarded and booby-trapped grow while hunting in Kentucky.
Kentuckians are welcome at any of the Narconon drug rehab centers. The program itself is fully drug free. No substitute medications like methadone or Suboxone are ever given because they are not found to be necessary. At a Narconon rehab, the focus is on repairing the damage of the past and building new, strong life skills. When someone you love needs help forging a new life, call us at 1-888-821-7750. Call today.