Book 6

Personal Values & Integrity

When a person suffers from addiction, integrity is the farthest thing from his (or her) mind. A truly addicted person is driven by the cravings, emotional and mental dependence on the drug, and a terror of withdrawal sickness. These factors drive his decisions day in and day out. This explains how a formerly loving person can neglect or abuse those he loves.

The drugs themselves make further changes in a person's behavior. Stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine often trigger paranoia and aggressive behavior. Opiate addicts may completely neglect their own care and health, and the care of children or elderly in their charge. Those addicted to marijuana may abandon goals. In all cases, buying drugs or alcohol become financial priorities, meaning that theft, drug dealing or other crimes may occur when the person's own cash runs out.

The result of this skewing of priorities is an utter loss of integrity.

The Narconon drug rehab program is designed so that a person approaches the recovery of integrity and responsibility on a gradient. There is so much shame associated with addiction that it does not work to simply insist that the recovering person "face up to" the wrong they did.

For a person to really grasp the harm done in the past and benefit from it, they must first go through the earlier steps of the Narconon program. For example: the residual drugs must be cleared out to make thinking clearer and improve mood; a person must have basic communication skills and self-control; they must have a better perception of the present; and they must have healed somewhat from the influences of dangerous personalities.

Now each person sits down in a classroom to learn the fundamental truths about how personal integrity is lost and the effect this has on one. The next step is to learn the self-administered procedure that enables a person to find relief from this loss.

When they have learned these fundamentals, each person is guided through the procedure. It often takes help to begin to really face the harm one has done. But when this procedure is honestly completed, it is common for the recovering person to talk about the "great weight" that was lifted from them.

This is another significant step in each person's healing. With this relief, a person can go on to learn the final skills he needs to stay sober for the long term.