Narconon Testimonials

Drug addiction stops every day at Narconon Arrowhead

Below are testimonials from our students & their parents:

I really do not have the words to describe how I feel today as compared to the life I led engulfed in the degradation of drugs. How do you describe the day to day agony and humiliation of being a drug addict? Drugs control and destroy life and make you do things you would never dream of doing if not for the illusive and hollow promises you tell yourself that this chemical will give. How do you describe this insanity in such a way to make others understand just how devastating it really is? How do you explain a life without pride or integrity or peace of mind, not even a little? How do you describe the guilt and alienation from life?

I came to Narconon Arrowhead a broken mess of a human being. I had lied to myself for so long that I started to believe there really was no hope for me, or a way out of the trap. I told myself that I was a drug addict and that somehow explained and justified my impeccably wasted life. I was more dead than alive and numb.

Today I have no words to really explain the difference in my life. The Narconon® program has taught me how to live again. Narconon Arrowhead has restored my faith in myself and given me a peace and stability that can only be dreamt of. No longer do the chemicals of evil men call my name or haunt my dreams. No longer do I fear or hate or have to hide. I am successful and happy and I have a future. I can see again and have restored faith in myself. I can look people in the eye and be proud. I can smile and enjoy even the smallest of simple pleasures.

Narconon Arrowhead made me whole again. How do you thank
someone for saving your life?


When I first came to Narconon Arrowhead back in 1997, I was 27, years old, had been using every drug under the sun for 15 years and was basically in apathy as to whether or not anything could be done to help me. This was my third rehab in a year and I truly wanted help, I just didn’t think it was available. So I started doing the program and I could not find anything wrong with it. No matter how hard I tried, with all of my old paranoia and distrust in full effect, I just couldn’t find anything wrong with it. Here was a program that didn’t have me admit I was powerless and diseased, want me to relive my terrible past 90 times in 90 days (for the rest of my life) or want me to take “medication” for my “manic depression”.

This is a program that truly showed me that I am powerful, that I can repair the past and that all the happiness I ever hope to find is within myself. This program not only showed me how to stay off of drugs, it did just what it promised, it gave me a new life. If you’re at the end of your rope and you’re ready to put in some good, honest hard work to make a change for the better, without drugs, the Narconon® program is hands down the best drug rehabilitation drug program on the planet, period. I’ve been clean for 3 years now and I owe it all to my grandmother for getting me to Narconon Arrowhead and to Mr. Benitez and Mr. Hubbard.

Thank you very, very much.


I’ve had the finest drug treatment money could buy. It has taught me many things. It has taught me about probation and jails, it has shown me the inside of prison twice, and how it feels to be treated like I was less than human. It has taken me to the funerals of seven of my best friends, where I had the opportunity to witness the pain of a mother who lost a son too soon, a father who will never again hear the sound of his child’s voice, and a mother with two sons and no father to help raise them. I have given my parents the intense feeling of anguish at finding their son OD’d in their own home; the list goes on, a major part of my life today is a legacy of pain and remorse, my own and that of those whose lives I have touched.

I first got clean in 1988 and in my first treatment center I was told that one in ten addicts who make it to treatment live. I vowed then to be that one and for the last eleven years I fought a losing battle. It is a miracle that I stand before you today. For those of you who don’t know, and are using, let me tell you it is a life and death struggle that you are in. For those of you who have had enough pain, I suggest that you grab hold of this program with both hands and don’t let go until you wring every bit of knowledge and information out of it that you can. It’s been said that nothing worthwhile is easy. I have done the hard part already. I have gained certainty that I was going to die or spend my life in prison by trying to “use successfully”.

I have more stability now than I ever dreamed possible. I am clean. I never imagined actually knowing I wouldn’t use drugs again.

I want to talk about the staff. It is hard for me to put into words my gratitude to the staff – how do you thank someone who has saved your life? And not just mine, but who have dedicated their own lives to helping others to live happy, productive lives. Words are not enough. I will forever spread the word about Narconon Arrowhead and the people who absolutely perform miracles every day.

Thank you Narconon Arrowhead!!!


I started drinking at 14 years old, and started smoking pot at 15. Then I started cocaine at 17. I was introduced to crack and I became hooked. I soon dropped out of high school and stopped talking to my parents. I really didn’t care about life. I was introduced to Narconon Arrowhead and I decided that I definitely needed help. So I agreed to come here. And with the technology that we have here, I have learned so much more than just about staying away from drugs. I’ve learned patience. After a month here, my cravings for all drugs disappeared. I have hope for my future. And I have dreams I hope to accomplish one day. I’m happy again.I realize that the world will work with me if I work with it.

And I found the real me, the person I always wanted to be.


The Narconon® drug rehabilitation program has saved my life. I cannot begin to explain the sense of happiness that has been restored to my life. I once pictured myself as a drug addict that was beyond help, but today that picture has changed to one I am proud to face in the mirror every day.

My drug abuse began thirteen years ago with a simple six-pack of beer but quickly turned into a $300 a day heroin habit. I reached out for answers and help along the way, but was never able to find the solution to my drug abuse. I went through countless 12-step programs that never pacified my desire for heroin. My addiction took me to county jails in four states, three hospital trips for overdoses and finally to the state prison. All along the way I knew that my addiction was controlling my life, but I couldn’t stop. I had resigned myself to the fact that I was a drug addict and that was all I would ever be. When I got out of prison I was offered a chance to go through the Narconon® program. I didn’t know if it would work but I knew that if I didn’t do something soon I was going to die.

I arrived on the Narconon Arrowhead campus on June 17, 1998 and that was when my life finally began to change. Through the course of the program I regained the sense of personal integrity and responsibility necessary for me to stay off of drugs. There was one day that I had the tremendous realization that for the first time ever I was in control of my life and could honestly say that I was happy. This was when I knew I had finally conquered my drug addiction, and I owe that to the Narconon® program and staff.


I am very happy to say that since I have completed the Narconon® program I have enjoyed health and control over my life in a way that I have never before experienced. My past life was ruled by drugs, the getting of them and the using of them, for over 25 years. I was cynical, depressed, angry and tired. This program allowed me to confront myself and my environment. It provided me the opportunity to physically heal and to mentally expand. I, in effect, have discovered my spirit, in a new and ready condition. I have captured the confidence and wonder of my youth. By successfully completing this program I am, for the first time in many, many years, living freely and with purpose. I have awakened to my potential. I accept the challenge.

Thank you Narconon Arrowhead Staff!


Before I came here I was told by three doctors that I did not have long to live. The Narconon® program gave me back my life. Doing this program, I have learned that I am a good person and there is more to being drug-free than just being off drugs; it’s knowing yourself and who you are. It’s about honesty, integrity and values that make a person happy. Narconon Arrowhead gave me all these things and more. It’s hard to explain with words.

I thank all those who made it possible for to experience
this wonderful life I now have.


I came to Narconon Arrowhead very physically ill and depressed. I had been in hospitals and doctors’ offices for many months and was getting worse all the time. I started drinking and was losing hope. I came to Arrowhead and did the sauna program. My physical health was almost back to normal after the sauna. I then did the rest of the program and it helped greatly with my problems at home and how to handle them.

It also gave me a new way to look at life in general
and a positive attitude.


Hi. My name is Tom. Three months ago I arrived at Narconon Arrowhead with what seemed, at the time, only a glimmer of hope. After twenty years of heroin and methadone addiction, countless efforts of attempted help that failed, happiness as a drug-free person seemed as likely as hitting the lottery at five million to one. As overwhelming as it seemed, I couldn’t bring myself to accept the alternatives – death or prison. Not without exhausting all possible solutions. Somehow I still cherished the thought of drug-free existence. Happiness had its price and upon arriving at the center, I’d decided if I could, if it was possible, I’d make a real, genuine effort. Then, after being exposed to the loving, caring and committed staff members at Narconon Arrowhead, my commitment became “I can”, and “I will”. And sure enough, three months later I am drug-free and in control of my life for the first time in my adult life.

Five weeks from today I’ll be thirty-eight years old, with a future as a happy, drug-free member of society to look forward to. What appeared impossible became a reality. My purpose as a person has been revealed. Today, I can accept responsibility for my past, I am no longer afraid of my future, and I am wanting and willing to help my fellow man.

The time spent at Narconon Arrowhead has been nothing short of life-saving. The Narconon® program and the people who delivered it; words like amazing, unbelievable and spectacular can’t begin to do them justice.

The Narconon® program works and anyone that recognizes the threat drugs pose to our society and planet must support the efforts of Narconon Arrowhead and its staff – they deliver.


I would like to thank the staff here at Narconon Arrowhead for helping me and having faith in me. Everyone was a lot of help. The staff always kept me on my toes and helped me push, push, push until sometimes I felt I couldn’t push any more (I was wrong). It’s hard for me to think about where I came from, you would have to live it to understand. I don’t know where I am going to go in life but I know I won’t go back to where I have been. That’s behind me now.

I’ve come too far to go back and besides I like,
or should I say love, being drug-free!!


I was drinking heavily and doing a lot of cocaine, but because I was able to “function” I didn’t think I had a problem. During this time I was mentally and emotionally dead. I couldn’t feel things anymore and even when I wanted to feel something I didn’t have the proper reactions to situations. I was dying. My body was deteriorating rapidly and I was very sick frequently. The drugs and alcohol were killing me. You see, I did want to die – the greatest way to not deal with anything is to die, and that is the drug addict’s ultimate dream, but something kept pulling me back. After I ended up in the hospital after a blackout, I did stop once for 8 months, I went through pure unadulterated hell from the withdrawal which lasted about a month. Afterwards, I would still crave the drugs and alcohol. It was madness. I couldn’t stop thinking or dreaming about them. I went to meetings during this time and then I started to drink after the meetings – then I progressed to using the drugs again, mostly cocaine. My sponsor once told me ‘It ‘s OK, you ‘re not ready to quit yet, SO if you have to drink, then drink, and when you are ready to quit you will know it. You may just have to go down further before you make the decision to stop.’ I thought it was a bunch of garbage because every day I did want to quit but I couldn’t.

I went to a chiropractic seminar and they talked about the Narconon® program. I took a pamphlet with Kirstie Alley’s picture on it and called. I asked for information and then I didn’t think about it, until that July 4th weekend. I went on a binge from July 2 to the early hours of July 5th and I realized that I did have a major problem. I called Arrowhead and was there 72 hours later.

I was looking forward to the sauna because I wanted all the alcohol, drugs and residues out of my body. I wanted to feel clean again instead of feeling sick all of the time. I went into the sauna with cloudy eyes, feeling sick all the time and no energy. I came out a new born. I thought it couldn’t get any better, but I was wrong…. the life skill courses here at Narconon Arrowhead really enable you to take control of your life, actions and environment. You make the decisions for yourself without ever having to justify another thing.

Thanks for the life, Narconon Arrowhead.


When I took that 1st drink at 7, I was escaping from a physically, mentally and emotionally abusive environment, but I also lost who I was. When I came to Narconon Arrowhead, I had no idea who I was. I found myself here and that is a wonderful gift. I now help other people get out of the fog, haze and destruction of substance abuse. People don’t have to be lost from themselves or from others. There really is no escape from reality. Anyone can have what I have today. They can have themselves back. Instead of being at the effect of everything going on around them, they can make the necessary changes to make their lives better by coming to this program.

If you or someone you love has a problem with drugs or alcohol, please call. Narconon Arrowhead can save that life and give that person a new awareness of themselves.


I would like to put on paper my feelings at this time on what I’ve been through and what I am going through. I feel as though, to a degree, I am in a state of confusion because of my recent transformation from a lower primate to a higher man. The change has been a painful one in as much as having to give up all the things that I’ve been used to doing for 30 years of my addiction. For the first time I am now truly clean and drug-free. Something I haven’t been for 30 years. All my excuses have been stripped from me. I am now capable of receiving and applying new ways of living a good and prosperous life. I am one again.

Thanks, Narconon Arrowhead Staff.


As for the Narconon® program and all it stands for, I owe my life. When I got here, my life was in a downward spiral, and it had been for the past 18 years. I didn’t know how to live. I didn’t know how to be happy. I only knew I wanted to.

The sauna was the best thing for me. Without the cleansing, I would still be a resigned junkie. My health is back, and my body is alive again. Being in control of my life, is my life.

The Ups and Downs Course taught me why I had mood swings and how to prevent them.

The Personal Values and Integrity Course brought out the real me and reinforced my self-respect.

The Changing Conditions in Life Course taught me how to handle any situation I have or will have in my life.

The Way to Happiness® Course is just what it says, and if you apply these values to your life, you will flourish and prosper and so will those around you.

The Narconon® program is truly a miracle, but this miracle can be explained. I plan on explaining it to many others to come. Through Narconon Arrowhead, I have courage, strength, and happiness.

I personally thank the Narconon Arrowhead staff. I appreciate all the support and understanding and greatly value all that everyone has taught me.

Thanks Narconon Arrowhead!


Read what parents of Narconon Arrowhead graduates have to say:

On the 28th of April 2000, we attended our son’s graduation ceremony at Narconon Arrowhead. Our son’s graduation event will forever be etched in our memory as a rebirth of our child. It had been so many years since we had seen him drug- or alcohol-free that we actually had a hard time recognizing him. He looked absolutely wonderful and his behavior was so accepting and calm. For years, we had wondered if we would ever see our “real” son again. We met so many people the evening of our son’s graduation and we cannot remember all of their names, but we want to thank each person who took the time and effort to make a difference in our son’s life. Your efforts are most likely the reason our son developed the will to change, as all other efforts that had been made through the years had not made a difference for him. You are truly the savers of life!

We will never forget your faces or the wonderful
things
you are doing. Thank you from
the bottom of our hearts.


My son was a bright talented child. He learned to play the guitar and had a natural ability to draw and paint. In his teens something happened to this bright, talented child. I found out later that he had gotten into drugs and barely finished high school. He could not hold a job and his only financial support was a family who “gave him money to keep him away”. This went on for twelve years, in which time he was a waste to himself and others. After trying numerous “Drug Rehab Programs” I found Narconon Arrowhead. I took him to Arrowhead as an emaciated “end-of-the-trail person”. In a short time he regained his health and became himself again. Most importantly, he became free of drugs. My son now has a family of his own. He is very productive in working with others to help them gain their own self-esteem back and to become free of the ravages of drug use. My son and I have never been closer or had such a good relationship as father and son. Narconon Arrowhead not only gave my son back to me, but also gave me a very good friend. There are no words to define what the Narconon® program means to my family.


Just a personal note of thanks for allowing me to be a guest at Narconon Arrowhead to learn about your procedures and to visit my son Joseph, one of your students (Joseph graduated from the Narconon® program). Thanks to you he celebrated his 9th month of sobriety on April 25th, for which we are all grateful.

I studied with professional interest the 9 points (courses) of your program, namely, Drug-free Withdrawal, Communications, New Life Detoxification Procedure, Learning Improvement, Communication and Perceptions, Ups and Downs in Life, Personal Values and Integrity, Changing Conditions in Life, and The Way to Happiness®. We cover these same areas, but not with the excellent books you have.

During my four days I added to my professional competence as an addictions outpatient counselor by talking with students and staff. I was able to see what a focused, intensive program such as yours at Narconon Arrowhead can accomplish in helping people turn around. I was impressed with the level of motivation in the students, and I like the use of the term “student” because it points out the reason why they are there – namely, to learn a new way to live.

After seeing the results of your work and speaking to members of the staff I feel that you have much to teach the drug rehabilitation field and Araphoe House. This was a rewarding personal visit for me as well as an information-packed professional visit for which I am grateful.

H.J.
Outpatient Counselor: Araphoe House
and grateful parent

Ending Heroin Addiction

Narconon’s unique drug rehabilitation program, first established in 1966, has been successfully completed by thousands of people throughout the world. Narconon’s dedicated executives and staff work together with our clients and families with the collective objective of ending heroin addiction through effective treatment strategies.

Narconon Treatment: Effectively Targeting Opiate Addiction

Ending Heroin Addiction

A national effort towards ending heroin addiction must include effective strategies in both prevention and treatment.

The Narconon program targets opiate abuse and the accompanying physical and mental issues brought about by substance abuse through an individualized, drug-free treatment plan. Our goal is to assist the addict, both mentally and physically, to break free from the chains of addiction and to once again regain health, happiness and one’s own life.

Based on several years of outcome studies, staff reports, family and student reviews, it has been determined that about 70% of those who complete Narconon’s drug treatment live drug abstinent lives. Further, these individuals are seen to lead productive lives, staying out of trouble and instead returning to work or school, for periods ranging 6 months up to several years.

Heroin and Other Drug Cravings

While some drugs may become undetectable in the blood and urine, some as rapidly as just a few days after their use, residual drug metabolites can remain stored in bodily tissues for up to several years. This accumulation of drug residuals can continue to cause adverse symptoms in addicts, including mental “flashbacks” and drug cravings.

Narconon’s unique New Life Detoxification Program is aimed at reducing these remaining levels of toxins in the body to assist in recovery and restore mental capacity as well as general quality of life. Through an exact combination of supervised nutritional guidelines, cardiovascular exercise, periods of time in a dry-heat sauna and additional dietary supplements, participants have been seen to experience:

  • Reduction or elimination of drug cravings
  • Reduction or elimination of many of the symptoms associated with drug abuse, including depression, irritability, anxiety and fatigue
  • Restored ability to think more clearly
  • Improved memory and attention span
  • Increased energy
  • Increased sense of well-being and enthusiasm towards life

Life Skills Treatment Phase

The Narconon New Life Detoxification Program is a precise regimen of exercise and nutritional supplements that targets an elimination of chemical residuals in the the fatty tissues of the body. Following this portion of the program, individualized courses encourage the cultivation of key yet often forgotten life skills vital to successful and lasting sobriety.

  • The Learning Improvement Course aids students to overcoming common obstacles in learning and applying information–vital to obtaining work or excelling in any field.
  • The Communication & Perception Course increases personal awareness and helps the student control and be in better communication with his surrounding environment. Participants also help another student to do the exercises. By taking responsibility for helping another, each student increases his own accountability and self-confidence.
  • The Ups & Downs in Life Course gives the necessary knowledge to achieve greater personal stability and happiness in life. The student learns the characteristics of positive and supportive personalities as well as the antisocial, destructive characteristics so he can spot such individuals and better choose his friends and associates.
  • The Personal Values & Integrity Course encourages an individual to develop his own values and maintain high personal integrity and honesty. This portion of the program also gives participants the opportunity to unburden himself/herself of past misdeeds.
  • The Changing Conditions in Life Course employs principles of personal ethics and morals along with exact steps to improve any condition or situation in life, to repair past bad situations or plan for success in the future.
  • The Way To Happiness Course lays out a simple, non-religious moral code as a road map to living a happy life.

The Narconon rehabilitation program uses methodology researched and developed by American author and humanitarian, L. Ron Hubbard. Our goal has always been to assist the addict both mentally and physically to overcome addiction and regain positive control over his/her new, drug-free life.

 

Addiction Leads to Prison

Addiction Leads to Prison

Where addiction has lead thousands to prison, a more effective system of rehabilitation is desperately needed.

Evidence has linked drug abuse to crime for decades, and this trend continues throughout the US today with an estimated half of inmates (according to 2011 statistics) doing time for drug-related offenses. This translates to thousands of incarcerated criminal offenders, many from good families and strong communities, who simply fell into the trap of addiction.

It seems that now, more than ever, the connection between substance abuse and crime is increasingly prevalent in our society. If addiction leads to prison, what alternatives do such inidividuals have in order to live drug-abstinence lives, free of crime?

Heroin Addiction and Criminality

The US prison system is laden with criminals incarcerated for drug possession, substance abuse trafficking and other drug-related offenses who, alongside their need for drugs and/or alcohol, maintained their destructive and overwhelming drug habit through criminal activity.

You have likely heard the saying, “Addiction doesn’t discriminate.” Suburban heroin abuse LINK epidemics and prescription drug problems across the nation demonstrate the potentiality of good people from loving homes to end up in prison, driven by a blind and overwhelming urge to get and use the drugs they have become addicted to.

Further, according to what we have seen, it doesn’t appear that the criminal justice system and periods of incarceration alone serve as sufficient means of rehabilitation. In fact, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Depedence, Inc. (NCADD), substance abusers who serve time actually experience little or no reduction in drug abusing behavior or cultivation of a drug-free life in recovery.

In other words, despite the fact that a heroin abuser’s criminal actions may be solely driven by his urge for drugs, time in jail or prison which keeps an individual away from chemical substances without plans for additional and supplementary rehabilitative strategy is actually ineffective and the cost too great, according to the NCADD.

Drugs and Crime in the United States

According to the NCADD, majority of US inmates are currently serving time for drug-related offenses. Further, about 60% of arrested individuals test positive for drugs at the time of their arrest and a staggering 80% are considered drug and alcohol abusers.

Prevention is the Best Form of Treatment

When it comes to resolving the issue of drug-related crime on a long-term basis, it is important to consider the rate at which criminal behavior is growing in its association with substance abuse. Current projections estimate that approximately a quarter of 12th graders are regular substance abusers before they have even completed high school. At this rate, the future of our youth is bleak in terms of drug-related crime rates, unless effective interventional and preventative measures are implemented.

  • Drug Prevention – Early and Often

Substance abuse prevention, first and foremost, begins in the home. Talk to your children at a young age and continue these discussions throughout the years as they get older. Be sure to answer their questions honestly and factually, and help prepare them for the difficult situations they may face.

  • Keep Kids Happy

Simply having goals, hobbies, regular activities and a structured family lifestyle can be tremendously effective in keeping kids drug free. Learning important values, responsibility and life skills at a young age can make the transition from “tween” to “teen” a little smoother.

  • Support Anti-Drug Programs

Lend a hand or show your support to programs in your community which take a stand against substance abuse, through community awareness events or other activities. These groups have the potential to leave a mark on a more crime and drug-free future.

Addiction Leads to Death

Addiction Leads to Death

From 1999-2010, the number of overdose deaths in the US shot up by 102%. Source: CDC

Each year, thousands of substance abusers pay the ultimate, tragic price for their enslavement to drugs and alcohol: death. Recent reports indicate that drug-related deaths now exceed deaths caused by traffic accidents, a rather large and notable shift that many attribute to the nation’s increasing addiction to prescription substances.

In addition, those who chronically abuse substances like heroin, cocaine, alcohol and other drugs face the risk of related physical illnesses, including liver disease, heart failure, kidney failure, pneumonia and more which are caused directly or indirectly by drug and/or alcohol use.

Why Substance Abuse?

Why does a person keep using drugs or drinking alcohol even though they are suffering and manifesting physical consequences associated with their habits? The answer is found, basically, in the meaning of the word addiction. As stated by the National Instititues of Health,

           “Drug addiction is the compulsive use of a substance, despite its negative or dangerous effects.”

By the very nature and definition of addiction, a person compulsively uses drugs and/or alcohol despite personal consequences, negative repercussions and other dangers of greater or lesser degrees.

Drug and alcohol-using individuals may habitually and compulsively abuse substances a means of coping with the very physical and emotional problems created by substance abuse. In other words, the drug or alcohol is deemed a solution to many or all problems and, yet, the more a person continues on a drug-using path, problems become magnified and seem to require more drugs as a “solution.”

Recognizing Addiction

It isn’t always easy to recognize a situation of drug addiction or alcohol abuse. Further, the concepts of “drug dependency” and “addiction” are often confused or the words used interchangeably, and alcohol use in social settings can enable a destructive habit to be camouflaged or hidden for up to several months.

Some of the initial warning signs which may indicate the presence of a substance abuse problem are:

  • Major attitude shifts
  • Priority shifts
  • Mood swings; emotional instability
  • Changes in physical appearance
  • A haggard or unkempt physical state

Substance Abuse Deaths in the US

According to current statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), deaths caused by drug overdose became the number one cause of death among 25 to 64- year-olds in 2010. Further, in 2011, about 2.5 million Americans visited emergency rooms across the US for life-threatening situations pertaining to misuse of prescriptions or excessive use of substances.

Snapshot of Important Drug Overdose Facts

  • Since 1992, drug overdoses have been steadily on the rise in the US. According to the CDC, between 1999 and 2010, the  number of overdose deaths shot up 102%.
  • Of the 20,000+ prescription drug overdose deaths that occurred in the US in 2010, about 75% were linked to narcotic opioid painkillers (including Vicodin, OxyContin, etc.)
  • From 2004 to 2005, roughly 70,000 children were admitted to emergency rooms for pharmaceutical overdoses.

The CDC also notes that the cost of opioid prescription drug abuse, which is one aspect of our nation’s addiction problem, accounts for roughly $55 billion in lost productivity, healthcare and criminal justice system costs.

Breaking the Cycle of Addiction

Without effective treatment, substance abuse inevitably leads to eventual criminal activity, imprisonment or death. Preventative action, early detection and treatment can act as powerful interventional steps in breaking the cycle of addiction.

To get help for yourself or a loved one, speak to a counselor today by calling 1-888-824-0448.

Addiction Leads to Misery

Alcoholism and Drug Addiction Leads to Misery

Whether one is abusing street drug, prescription pills or alcohol, it is no secret that addiction leads to misery.

Those of us who have been connected to an individual addicted to drugs and alcohol, understand the misery seen when looking into the substance abuser’s life. The compulsive and destructive patterns of behavior, coupled with overwhelming guilt and shame following wrongful actions, runs deep in the eyes of those suffering. The low emotional state of a chemically dependent person can produce feelings of hopelessness, and an inability to effectively manage one’s own life is humiliating and painful to say the least.

In short, it is easy to observe as an onlooker the destruction associated with losing one’s command of life to drugs and alcohol. While this is true, the emotional burden felt by the addicted person is far greater. In helping (or attempting to help) a loved one to overcome their substance abuse issues, take the time first to understand the burden they carry and the obstacles they face in the road to successful recovery.

The Burdens of Addiction

Substance abusers face real and serious physical, mental and emotional obstacles which work directly against any existing urge to get or remain sober.

At the onset of a substance abuse problem, the individual faced some sort of problem or unwanted feelings from which he/she hoped to escape through drugs or alcohol. The temporary relief afforded by heroin or cocaine quickly wears off, and these problems still exist–often magnified due to their abandoned state.

Further, biophysical factors (including the mechanism of drug tolerance and cellular-level drug dependency) encourage an individual on a physical level to continue to use drugs. The pattern of drug abstinence followed by highly uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms, for example, pushes a user to continue using drugs even if only to avoid such discomforts.

Next, and very importantly, mental and emotional manifestations account for a large portion of the burdens which an addict faces on a regular basis. For example:

  • Feelings of helplessness or being trapped; hopelessness
  • Feelings of inadequacy
  • Self-doubt
  • Guilt and shame for one’s actions (drug use or drug-seeking behavior)
  • Fear of being caught
  • Anxiety related to one’s safety
  • Depression, which can in turn encourage continued use

Helping Someone Who is Addicted

The pain, suffering and general misery of addiction can be addressed through effective treatment measures. Where strategies are aimed at an extensive address of every aspect of the substance abuse condition and its associated lifestyle, real recovery is possible.

1. Start by offering your support. Provide a quiet, drug-free environment for the addict and lend a safe, non-judgmental disposition. Let them know you want to help them get clean. If the individual does not want help or cannot be found, at this step consult the help of a professional interventionist.

2. Immediately begin researching treatment options. Consider factors such as program length, efficacy (success rate) and location. Depending on the financial situation of the addict, determine whether the programs you are interested in take insurance or offer payment plans.

3. Together with the addict, determine which program makes the most sense and get them started in treatment right away. Do not hesitate. Where a window of opportunity has presented itself, act quickly.

The seemingly never ending cycle of addiction leads to misery, undoubtedly. Remember this in your approach with helping those who are addicted to drugs or alcohol. In the field of treatment and substance abuse intervention, the objective is always to help individuals to get better and this process begins first by understanding and proactively rehabilitating life skills towards a brighter, drug-free future.

Download Page

Download Page

Please fill in the following form. After submitting the form, you will be redirected to the page where you can download the video and information packet.

First Name:* Last Name:*
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Phone Number:*
Email address:*
What addiction related problem are you trying to solve?
* indicates required field