How Narconon Helped Me Heal After 14 Years of Addiction

I was born and raised in Central Louisiana. Today I work in transportation and logistics for an oil and gasoline pipeline service company. But for nearly 14 years of my life, I was an addict.

Heroin was my main drug of choice, but honestly, I would take anything that could pull me out of reality. I was making good money, and that was part of the problem—I could afford to keep my addiction going. I was married and had two children, but the only thing I truly provided was financial support. I wasn’t a loving husband or a caring father. I was absent — even when I was physically there.

I lived a life built on lies, justification, and selfishness. I told myself I was doing fine because I held down a job and paid the bills. But the truth is, I was living with a criminal mindset. Looking back, those 13 years are just one big blur. I have more clear memories from the last few years clean than from that entire time I was using.

My rock bottom came the day my daughter came home from school and found me overdosed in my truck. I didn’t even know she knew I was an addict—but she did. She also knew enough to grab the Narcan from my glovebox, administer it, and call 911.

That was the moment everything changed. I realized if I didn’t do something drastically different, I wouldn’t survive.

“I’d been to multiple rehabs before—12-step, faith-based, and holistic programs. But nothing stuck. Then I found Narconon while researching online. What stood out to me was the science behind it — the idea that if I could get the drugs out of my body, my mind could finally take control. That made sense to me.”

I’d been to multiple rehabs before—12-step, faith-based, and holistic programs. But nothing stuck. Then I found Narconon while researching online. What stood out to me was the science behind it—the idea that if I could get the drugs out of my body, my mind could finally take control. That made sense to me.

I chose to go to a Narconon, far from Louisiana, so I could start completely fresh.

The Narconon program is laid out perfectly. Two parts stand out as completely life-changing for me.

The first was the New Life Detoxification Program (sauna program). It gave me the ability to rid my body of the toxins that were controlling my mind. For the first time, my body wasn’t dictating how I felt. My mind was in control.

Before Narconon, the longest I’d stayed clean was nine months—but every day of that time, I felt the pain of addiction. That pain is what drove me back to using. After doing the sauna program, that pain was gone.

The second part that really impacted me was Objectives. Through this, I learned that I had control—over myself, my environment, and the space I was in. I could now tell life what was going to happen, instead of letting life tell me. It gave me the confidence to remove negative influences and truly start living again.

Addiction took a toll on my health, and I’ll live with some of those effects for the rest of my life. But I’m alive—and that wouldn’t be true if it weren’t for Narconon.

“I lost my family because of addiction, and I lost years of my life to that fog. But Narconon gave me something far greater—it gave me a reason to live and to help others.”

I lost my family because of addiction, and I lost years of my life to that fog. But Narconon gave me something far greater—it gave me a reason to live and to help others.

Today, I’m a member of the Lions Club, I assist Narconon whenever I can, and I take part in drug prevention activities. One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had was doing an intervention for a young woman who needed help. It took eight days of non-stop intention and persistence to get her safely into the program, but seeing her arrive and start that journey was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life.

 

When I worked at Narconon, I loved being part of the students’ journeys—especially during the holidays. Seeing families come together again was powerful. You could see the fear and pain in the parents’ eyes when they first arrived, but then the relief and hope when they saw their son or daughter bright, healthy, and alive again. That’s when the healing begins.

Addiction has changed the world we live in. It has made our communities less safe and torn families apart. I was once part of that destruction, but now I can be part of the healing.

If you want to help addicts get clean, the first thing you need is care—real, unwavering care. Then, learn about the nature of addiction and how the Narconon program truly handles it. Get the educational materials. Understand what each step of the program does and how it helps both the addict and their family.

You’ll need patience, compassion, and a strong resolve. You can’t waiver. But if you stick with it—if you help someone through the door—you’ll see lives transformed in ways you never thought possible.

Thanks to Narconon, I’m alive today. I’m clear minded, I’m helping others, and I’m proud of who I am again. That’s something I never thought I’d be able to say.

—J.F., Narconon Graduate