A Former Addict Tells How She Found Accountability
Addiction is like a fire that burns inside. Forever needing to feed the flames of addiction, the addict will do or say anything to get that next pill or that next drink. This never-ending quest takes everything from the person—his responsibility, integrity, honesty, family, and future. It becomes vital to find a drug rehab program that will address all aspects of addiction so the addict can find lasting sobriety. Ryan had searched for recovery to no avail.
She said, “My life was miserable. I had lost everything that was important to me. I was using heroin every day, cheating my friends, stealing from my family, doing everything I could just to feed my addiction.” She tried other rehab programs but was unable to shed her addiction.
When she found the Narconon Arrowhead rehab program, she said, “My first impression of Narconon was awe. It was so different than other treatment programs I had been to. The staff made me feel really comfortable and unafraid. They let me be who I was at the time and made me really positive about looking forward to the changes I would experience here. I just was really comfortable.”
Narconon is a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program quite unlike any other. After the initial withdrawal phase, the recovering addict goes through a sauna-based detox where residual drugs stored in the body’s tissues are eliminated. Then the person begins a study of life skills—training in how to restore and repair an addicted lifestyle. These courses make it possible to go back into the world drug-free and never have to turn to drugs or alcohol again.
One of the courses done is called the Personal Values Course. This course provides a way to analyze the past and harmful acts committed, and by doing so find relief from guilt. Ryan said, “The part of the program that stood out the most and had the most impact on me was the Personal Values Course. This is where you take responsibility for your mistakes, for the people you have wronged and for the harm you’ve done to yourself over the years through your addiction. This made me really accountable for the damage I had caused. I was able to put it behind me and look forward to living an ethical life and doing the right thing.”
Those attending the Narconon program get effective tools and knowledge that help them maintain sober lives. Ryan said, “Now that I’m done with the program, I just feel like I have a new confidence and that there’s nothing I can’t achieve. I feel new again. I feel life is for the taking. I’m married now and so happy to have a future in front of me—a bright future.”
