Special Graduation at Narconon

Most Narconon® rehab centers the world over have graduation events on Friday nights. Students tell their wins--both from each part of the program as well as upon graduation from the full program.

The graduation event at Narconon on the night of June 22, 2007, was doubly special as it marked the celebration of Kathy D's promotion to the Narconon Western United States Regional Management Office. She smoothly turned over the reins to the new director, Frank R. [Top right picture: Kathy D. (3rd from left) with Narconon program graduates]



From Frank R. :

"I finished the program in 2000 and came back in 2001 to join staff. … Now, after 6 years of training and experience, I've been promoted to Executive Director of my Narconon. Life can't get any better! I've done nothing but succeed since I completed the program. We have about 35 staff and 30 students consistently. This gives us a lot of one-on-one and an ability to spend the time with them to make sure everything is definitely understood and applied. Our students get a lot of attention here. The staff really care and give every bit of attention that they can towards the students. They give what they got. ...

"After my personal experience and the stories of the many who have gone through this program, I can't see how there's a better program in the world. ... It doesn't just put you through a quick 30-day program with a few jargon words you can say to each other in groups and then go home. It doesn't do that. It actually makes you dig down and find out what's really within, and then gives you the tools to go out there and live."

Following are excerpts from interviews with other staff at the center:



From Stacie B. :

"My favorite part was the Personal Values and Integrity Course. It allowed me to take a good look at the different areas of my life and take responsibility over them. …

"It completely changed me. Since graduating, my life has completely changed. I have a position with Narconon as a junior executive. Thus I'm able to help other students progress through their program and get a hold of their lives again. It's truly an amazing thing because I feel like I have my life back, PLUS some! ... Probably the greatest win I have from the Narconon program is I have my parents' trust back. That means everything to me. I'm able to function as a family member and give back to them and repay an obligation to them that before I could never do."



From Kyle W. :

"I completed the program a little over 3 years ago and since then everything's improved. … All aspects of my life have changed dramatically …

"I was given the privilege of joining the Volunteer Fire Department in Sunshine Summit a few years ago. Since then we've been able to get a few other staff members into the group and now we constitute about 75% of the department. We respond 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to any local emergency--fire, car accident, or medical emergency that might come up. Prior to Narconon joining the Department, the average response time was anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes. We've got it down now to under 10 minutes, average, and usually it's a little quicker than that.

The community really appreciates the fact that Narconon is able to make the community a better, safer environment."



From Edee A. :

"I started off like many other people just with alcohol and marijuana. Then it just progressed with every drug possible and ended with methamphetamine. I found myself 100% addicted. I became a completely different person. … I had a 4-year full tuition scholarship because of grades and I lost it. I couldn't hold a job. I played soccer for a college and I lost that. It took everything! ...

"I loved learning the life skills--tools that I was able to start using immediately to come back up across all areas of life and to be normal again and to be trusted again. … Everything is better than it ever was--confidence bigger than it ever was. … I now help other people. I know where they've been and exactly what it was like. I can have a reality with them and help them to see that it's possible to be honest and ethical. ... My biggest win is that my mom is my best friend now. She used to be my biggest enemy. Before, everything was her fault. Now she is my best friend!"

Other Success Stories
"This is the "thank you" I meant to write you long ago. It is from both Alicia & I. One fine day, many years ago, you met us at LAX airport. That was the beginning of the end of Alicia's drug abuse. You took 1 scared, addicted teenager, and guided her through a process that saved her. You said to me if Alicia stays here & participates in this program, she will never need another drug-rehab again. You were so kind, so positive, explaining the Narconon Program, reassuring me there was always hope. When Narconon told me of all the drugs Alicia used -- heroin, cocaine, LSD, ecstasy, uppers,
downers, Ritalin, Special K, & most at the same time, I thought this was an
impossible situation.
Remember when she ran away & you went out after her? Above & Beyond! I know she was a tough one to have around all that time, after all, I lived with her all those years. She kept messing up, she was always on "Ethics" with Pat! You told me she only knew how to self-destruct & self-sabotage. She never experienced success, so this was the only road she knew. You all were trying to show her another road to travel. How about how long it took her to graduate! When I finally flew to Narconon for her graduation, the room was filled with well-wishers. If Alicia could graduate, anyone could.

She thinks so highly of you, all of you at Narconon. She lives by what you taught her. She resides & works in Santa Barbara. She is going to college there. She is a straight A student & does not use drugs! She is so happy she is still smart & did not fry her brains! So Larry, I am eternally grateful to you & Narconon, for all the wonderful work you do. For I handed you a drug addict, & you handed me back my daughter."
P.C.


I began using marijuana at the age of 10. My parents had divorced. My father moved away. I was angry and confused about life. I wanted to escape. I wanted friends.

As the years went on, I gravitated toward kids that were in similar circumstances as myself. Kids who were from single parent households, who stole, who used drugs, and who had little responsibility.

I started to sell marijuana by age 14. It started out small and eventually went into large quantities. All of my hopes and dreams faded away. I lost the motivation to work and succeed in a legal occupation. I had no goals and no self-esteem. To deal with this along with the increasing anxiety of being a drug dealer, I started to go out to clubs to drink, I also started using ecstasy and crack. I found myself in a deeper and deeper pit. I finally realized I needed help when I ruined a nine-year relationship. I was depressed over the loss and the partying only made me feel worse. I didn’t know where to go for help.

I went to Narconon and it has been the best thing I have ever accomplished. I no longer sell or use drugs. But that’s only half of it. I now enjoy going to work, because I am a Drug Education Lecturer for Narconon. I go out to schools across Southern California to educate children on the dangers of drugs, helping to ensure they make better choices in life and use their education to achieve their goals.

-G.M.




9/2/02

To Whom It May Concern,

I wish to offer my testimony of the Narconon organization and the marvelous work these dedicated people do. Having been asked to give an understanding of my background, I offer the following:

My mother was the granddaughter of Dr. Willard, an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who loved the prophet Joseph Smith and was with him at Carthage when he was murdered by a mob. As a child I sat at the feet of my grandfather many times to hear stories his father told him about his good friend, Joseph Smith. With an unbending testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I served a full time mission and was 2nd counselor to the mission president.

After being sealed to a choice companion in the temple, we have enjoyed bringing 6 lovely children into the world; I have been called to 4 high councils in the LDS Church, 3 stake presidencies, served twice as a bishop and once as a stake president. As chairman of the Denver Temple District, with a membership of 84,000 people, I was responsible for the site selection, zoning, preparation, and daily observed the construction of the Denver Temple. I was released as stake president to serve in the first Denver Temple presidency.

Five of our children lived very straight moral LDS lives --- which has included temple marriages for each and full time missions for 3 boys and 1 girl. We now adore 18 happy grandchildren who are all active in the church.

One of our children, our youngest son, got involved with liquor, nicotine, and drugs early in junior high school. For ten years we struggled with this terrible experience. Satan had total control. We were on our knees continually and attended the temple weekly, placing his name on the temple rolls. By the time he had reached college age, we had to ask him to leave our house and make his own way. We would love him always but could not contribute financially to his downfall nor allow him to destroy the spirit in our home.

When he finally discovered that he could not support his habits by working 4 jobs and trying to get an education, and after a short stay in jail, he woke us up in the middle of the night and asked for a blessing. He said that he wanted to go on a mission (being the only one in 5 generations not to do so weighed heavily) but that he needed and finally wanted our help.

We had a friend, Dr. Fila, who has studied drug addiction and rehabilitation for many years. We followed his advice and took our son to Narconon in Newport Beach. After 3 months at Narconon he was free from all addiction but the nicotine habit.

He was so committed to his Narconon experience that he accepted employment with them. With the loving help of a family friend, who was a bishop in the area, he was able to overcome all of his problems including the nicotine. After two years of hard work, he received the mission call that had become all important to him. This past March he was honorably released from that mission.

Our son is returned to us -- he is his old, loving self and now goes to the University of Utah full time. What a thrill it was for our family to have all six children seated with their mother and me in the temple prior to his mission and again upon his return.

We cannot say enough good about Narconon. They saved our son�s life. We now receive calls on a regular basis from people who are looking for answers. The staff at Narconon are dedicated only to saving the lives of those in trouble. We are so convinced that the Narconon experience is the answer to eliminating substance abuse through their unique sweat program where weeks on end are spent in a sauna. This is the key. Without this portion of the program, drug addicts never rid themselves of the drugs stored in the fatty tissues of the body. We think this is vital.

I believe that the program is divinely inspired and would strongly recommend it to anyone.

Sincerely,

J.B.




To Whom It May Concern;

I wanted to take the time to write you this letter of thanks. Three years ago, I sent my son to Narconon. At that time, I had lost all hope that my son Patrick would ever recover from addiction to crack cocaine. I am a very successful business man. I started my company the year my son Patrick was born, in 1967. I started my company from a one room office in Cleveland, Ohio. At this point in time, Minute Men Staffing Services is the largest privately owned staffing service in the country. It was my dream that one day my four sons, including Patrick would be running the companies that I had worked so hard for. I wanted my sons to have a good life, and to know the value of hard work and what it means to truly sacrifice in order to accomplish your goals.

Patrick was always a hard working young man. When he was in school, he always had a job and although I was well off at the time, he wanted to be self-sufficient. This made me very proud. Upon his graduation from high school, Patrick attended flight school. It was his dream to be a commercial pilot. Although I wanted him to follow in my footsteps, it made me very happy knowing that he was pursuing something that he truly loved. When he was in his mid-twenties, after receiving an honorable discharge from the Air Force, he came to work for me. About one year after he started, I began to notice that something was not quite right. He was losing weight, and he would call in sick often. He was also struggling financially, which I would not understand because he was making good money. At first, I thought that perhaps he was just under a lot of stress because his marriage was failing. He then started to disappear for days, coming up with unbelievable excuses for his absence. I did not want to face the truth, but I knew that my son might be on drugs. I would ask him if he was having a drug problem, and he would deny it. It was difficult because I did not have much reality with this sort of thing. He was always such a good person, why would he lie to me?

One day his wife called and told me that she was concerned. She said that Patrick had left the house on Friday night and had not returned home. It was Sunday night. I asked her if she thought that he was on drugs and she replied yes. We then started to make plans to get him into treatment. When he returned home, his brothers and I confronted him, and he admitted that he had been using crack cocaine for the last six months. He agreed that he needed help.

To make a long story short, the next three years were a living hell. We sent him to eight different rehab centers, some of which were supposed to be the best in the country. He would get out of treatment, and soon afterwards he was on cocaine again. I could tell that for the most part, he seemed as though he wanted to stop, but he could not maintain any long-term stability. I gave him opportunities, including accepting him back to work more times than I would like to recall. It got to the point where the family just did not know what to do for him anymore. All that we wanted was our Patrick back. I would have given anything that I owned if I thought that it would cure him.

It was something that he seemed to really enjoy. While he was in Florida opening up an office, I received a call that he had not shown up for work for a couple of days. I immediately knew that he was using cocaine. I was furious. At that time, I was at my wits end. I still loved my son, but I hated him for what he was doing to himself and the family. We brought him back home to Cleveland, not knowing what we were going to do. A friend of mine had seen an ad for Narconon on the internet. He knew of Patrick�s problem, and I had to give my son one last chance before I decided to totally withdraw from him for my own sanity.

We called Narconon and were very impressed by your caring attitude and your knowledge of addiction. I sent my son to you as my last option.

You told me that you could help my son, and you did. I sit in my office writing you this letter three years later with the sincerest of thanks and gratitude for what Narconon has done for my son. His life is stable and he is doing what he truly loves to do, helping other drug addicts achieve sobriety with your organization. I cannot thank you enough. If there is anything that I can do for Narconon, please let me know and I will be happy to help.

Sincerely,

S. G. L.




September 4, 2002

To: Shannon

I am writing this letter to let you know what a positive experience I have had talking to the staff at your facility and how Narconon has really helped me and my son Jason heal our relationship. I had put Jason into many drug recovery programs in the past, but he never responded to his treatment. He relapsed over and over again. I had become a very sick person physically and emotionally while he was using drugs. I had almost lost hope for him and myself. Our family members were upset and could not accept him or his behavior any longer. I found out about Narconon from the Internet one day while I was desperately looking for something to help him recover. I called the phone number and spoke to Larry. Larry was very understanding and kind. He took as much time as I needed to explain the program and how it could work for Jason. Jason had been through 12 step programs and they had not helped him at all. Once I saw Narconon was not a 12 step program I spoke to Jason and asked him to try a different type of recovery program, a program that would give him a positive attitude about his recovery and teach him coping skills.

Jason left for Narconon in Newport Beach in 1999. He went through the program and I noticed a change in him even in the first few months. He found the self-esteem he had lost. Jason really liked the staff and the classes he took. He started talking about his own recovery when we spoke on the phone and when he wrote me letters. Jason was starting to grow up and through Narconon�s wonderful program, Jason became a responsible, loving young man again. I would recommend this program to anyone who has a loved one who suffers from substance abuse. It turned my son�s life around and has let my family become close again. The staff at Narconon are a special group of people who are dedicated to helping those who want to be helped.



Sincerely,

E.J.




July 23, 2002

To Whom It May Concern:

As a nationwide businessman, I am writing to strongly encourage you to approve the proposed application of the Narconon facility for Warner Springs, CA.

I can tell you first hand, as my son went through their treatment program, what a quality, full service organization Narconon is, not only to the patient but also the family of the individual going through treatment. With organizations like Narconon and the dedication of the people who run them, hope is given to the entire family that their loved one may return to being a productive, contributing individual to society.

Sincerely,

C. J. E.




September 5, 2002

To Whom It May Concern;

Approximately two years ago, my daughter Sabrina, was suffering from depression, an eating disorder and methamphetamine drug addiction. She had low self-esteem, saw herself as having no future, and was ready to give up and surrender to drug addiction as a way of life.

Being a father who has built a very successful business as the exclusive developer for the Sandwich Franchise in the State of Arizona, and had achieved financial security with 220 open Restaurants in Arizona plus another 30 added each year, still as a parent, I felt a certain helplessness that I couldn�t keep my daughter off of drugs.

Sabrina had some experience with the traditional twelve-step drug rehabilitation program with little success. I was looking for something different. . . . A program that could teach Sabrina about the basics of life, how to re-invent her life, find her own path to happiness and also to beat drug addiction.

After much searching we found out about Narconon on the internet. The program sounded like what I was searching for: A life strategy program with the intent to help Sabrina beat drug addiction for life.

Today, with the help of the Narconon program and a lot of hard work, Sabrina is drug free. Narconon provided Sabrina with a foundation of strategies to help her achieve success in life. Sabrina is a changed person with goals, confidence in herself and a bright future. In short, I believe Narconon provided Sabrina with the skills that saved her life.

Sincerely,

R. V. S.




Dear Shannon,

Please accept this as an open letter of appreciation to Narconon and it�s staff for their successful efforts on behalf of our son Chris.

As a successful entrepreneur and businessman responsible for million dollar payrolls and hundreds of employees, I always felt confident about my abilities to face and manage problems and issues. I was equally confident that I could deal with whatever issues and problems were involved in building a marriage and helping to raise our 3 sons. In fact I was very confident about �life� until our son Chris became involved with DRUGS in his freshman year of high school.

The lectures and discussions on the dangers of smoking pot seem like they took place yesterday, but it was actually 25 years ago. Unbelievable! It didn�t take long for that confidence to give way to frustration and futility. Unfortunately we all became slaves to his addiction.

It didn�t take 25 years to recognize:
1) the distance traveled between smoking pot and becoming a hapless crack addict is barely perceptible
2) �Getting clean� means nothing without being given the �hands-on, real life� tools necessary for that addict to make life style changes.

My message to you is simply that Chris has been in a great many formal and informal rehab programs, ONLY NARCONON has provided a program that includes �getting clean� but more importantly has provided those tools that result in restored self esteem, self confidence and independence.

Contrary to what some may say, Narconon teaches the student �how to think� not �what to think�. This then becomes the foundation of learning how to recognize your options and trusting in yourself to make the right decisions. Add those facets of the program to the opportunity for that student to continue on as part of the staff to utilize that knowledge to benefit others and to begin to make those life style changes in a secure environment make the program that much more valuable.

Shannon, as you know Chris is currently part of the staff. The fact that he is a productive part of society and making a contribution is a credit to the Narconon program and his desire to overcome his addiction. We are most grateful to you and to Narconon.

Respectfully,

G. S. C.




September 6, 2003

To Whom It May Concern;

In 1995 my husband and I were overwhelmed with worry, guilt and anger because of our son�s drug use.

We did not know his drug of choice and we did not know the extent of his habit. What we did know is that he was lying to us continuously and his choice of friends was questionable based on their appearance and social behavior.

Ed always was concerned about his appearance and that never changed, but his surroundings and those around him showed a total disregard for his family, our privacy and, our belongings. By 1995, Ed could not hold a job or continue with his own business as a contractor. He would be gone for 2-3 days, come home, and pretend to be working on a project or going to school for a new career.

At this time, Ed was 26 years of age and the only hope we had, was that he came from a good family with strong values, and we hoped that his foundation and family love would bring him around to get help.

We continued to accuse, ask, pry, yell, cry, and beg for him to get help. He would tell us he did not have a drug problem and he did not drink. Things were going to get better after this class, or another job opportunity was on the horizon. There was always a good story. A good excuse. A reason for the insanity. When you love someone, you allow yourself to have a lot of hope. You want to believe, that all will get better. How could we have raised a son to be so totally useless? One that would lie? A son that showed no remorse for his behavior. A son that showed no awareness of what he was doing to his brother, parents and other family members.

During this time, I would make several calls to drug rehab centers, but no one wanted to talk to the mother of an adult with a drug problem. We got counseling from friends, family and professionals. They suggested tuff love, �He will change when he is ready� or �When he wants to get it together he will�. We considered having him leave and move out of our home. I could not do this because then I feared our next call would be from the morgue. It now sounds so ridiculous but at the time these were real fears.

In September of 1999, my husband arrived at my office to tell me that Ed was in jail. That night, after the tears, we slept well knowing that he was not doing drugs and knowing he was not dead and knowing that a call was not coming tonight.

While Ed was in jail, I again tried to locate someone who could give us some hope regarding a rehab program. Our attorney advised us to locate Ed in a drug treatment center far away from home. Now we had to locate a facility and make a big decision.

I started my newest research on the Internet. I went to a search engine and pulled up multiple drug rehab facilities. Some were for 28 days and some were gender specific, some were reaching out from specific religions. My psychology degree armed me with the knowledge that someone is probably not going to change behavior in 28 days. I wanted a long commitment, a minimum of 3-4 months.

I wrote to all of the centers with programs that had the smallest suggestion of hope. I gave my home number, my cell number, and my office number. These were all private programs. I was looking for a program that had a good location because I knew someone coming up again to face the world, needed to have a good feeling about themselves and their physical surroundings. I liked the information the Narconon program provided. I was impressed with the time commitment and the promises which all came true.

Within 24 hours, someone from Narconon called me. It was the first voice that offered us help. I was a mother losing her son; I was starving for assistance.

Ed was in jail for approximately one week and two representatives from Narconon stayed in touch with me. They called me daily, sometimes twice a day. They would no let me lose hope. They told me what to expect. They told me what Ed would say when he was released from jail. They told me that we had 24 hours to get him into a program before he would be repeating his behavior and starting the cycle again. They were right! Their detailed analysis and their caring to stay in touch with us daily gave us the strength to get Ed from Northern California, to Southern California. We took their advice. We delivered Ed to the Narconon facility in Newport Beach in September of 1999.

The Narconon program worked for our son. We noticed a major difference in Ed within a month. Ed had been using methamphetamine (speed). It was not an instant change but after the sauna portion, he admitted to feeling better and he showed great promise to becoming the young man we all knew who did not use drugs. Ed was beginning to look at us with eyes wide open and a smile. A smile that needed dental work, a smile that needed to make a lot of amends. He had legal problems because of the drug abuse, and Narconon counseled us with more advice.

My husband is a retired fire fighter and I am the owner of a Real Estate Office in Northern California, I am also the President of my local REALTOR Association. We are active in our community and with our families.

The Narconon program has given Ed a new chance, which he is embracing. As his parents we are proud of him for his success and his hard work. We are confident that the past will not be repeated. Ed is now showing genuine concern for his brother and their relationship. I believe his involvement with the Narconon organization has given Ed the strength to develop as a person so he can love and be loved. And we love him.

D.S.




September 5, 2002

To Whom It May Concern;

Our son was in a 12-step rehabilitation program for heroin addiction, prior to coming to Narconon. The 12-step program did not work for him. Narconon was his saving grace. Narconon helps the students become productive members of society and helps the student set achievable goals as they progress.

Narconon is a program that does not use drugs to end drug addiction. During our son�s stay at Narconon, we saw a transformation in him as he progressed from step to step. He cleansed his system of the drugs through the sauna and vitamin therapy.

As he progressed through the steps involved in the program, we saw the son we always knew, emerging again. The supportive environment and staff dedication at Narconon is most impressive. The camaraderie among the students is awesome; they all support one another on their journey to sobriety, thanks to a dedicated and enthusiastic staff.

Our son has been drug free for 14 months; Narconon has given us our son back and kept our family intact. It is a program that really works. We are forever grateful to Narconon.

M.W.

For over the last 10 years of my life I have been killing myself with drug use or I've been struggling to get off them for good. Regardless, my life has been plagued with anything but happiness and freed living. The daily habits and routines of drug dependency are extremely difficult to let go of to say the least. I truly believed I was the only one, the only who truly who had a unique conflict that didn't allow me the luxury of ever learning to trust myself enough to unconditionally confront life without drugs. I had to learn for myself I can handle, right or wrong, anything that came my way in life. I had finally hit a point of complete and uncontrollable disaster about 4 months ago. Prior to that, I had been through a rehab. In Miami FL. and it just didn't help my situation. I found the help I needed here, where above all else, I have been able to regain the control in my life that I need in order to be happy. I need to forever say thanks to John, Nick, Larry, Shannon and especially Dave... I will miss you all.
-E.C.


When I first arrived at Narconon I was scared, but I knew I was going to get off drugs totally. The staff were wonderful and whenever I needed them they were there. The program was effective and accurate. It has answered so many questions I have wanted to answer about myself. It has taught me how to pick my friends and how to help myself with situations in life I need to handle. It has shown me what drugs do and how to accomplish goals in life without drugs.
-L.Y


I never knew it could feel so good! And it's without drugs. They said it would happen and it did. I can't wait to start my new life like this. I've gotten so many good tools to work with now, I know I'm going to do great. I really am thankful to everybody for all the help, I needed it. It's really nice to find out who I really am and I'm sure some people back home are going to be pleasantly surprised.
-M.L.


Just a short note to say 'many thanks' for the helpful tour of your facility. Both my wife and I were impressed with the program and the dedication of the people involved.

More impressive is the result we have seen in our son. With your help (and that of our Creator) he has gained back his life after twenty years of lost time. Enthusiastically he is looking forward to productive and enjoyable remaining years. Even I have learned from watching his growing maturity during the four years since he left Newport Beach.
-J.S.B


I first came to Narconon on November 18, 1998. I am from Mexico City and I have been in four different rehabs and that did nothing for me but accumulate a lot of anger toward my family for putting me there. ( I didn’t want to change at the time) I was lucky enough to have a friend of my family come to my house, knock on the door and introduce Narconon and the purification part of the program to me. I was instantly interested. I knew then that I had a chance. Something different. For once, something that I wanted. I was dying, desperate for a change in my life.

Here while doing the program, something inside me clicked. I knew then that this would work. All I needed was someone to tell me how to do it; how to stay away from drugs. I knew that the rest was up to me.

I now know that the ability has always been within me. The problem was I didn’t realize it was lying dormant. Now with the technology of L. Ron Hubbard and the guidance of the great staff at Narconon, my life has changed dramatically. I can now confront problems in my life, and I found out that my life is worth living. That living is beautiful. Now, any problem, or better yet, any situation that I might encounter, I will find a solution with the technology that I learned here. I know that applying it to my daily life, the condition of my life has bettered 100%. Even more! I now see opportunities, when in the past I saw them as problems. Of my 22 years of addiction to cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol, I don’t regret a moment of it because without having gone through it I wouldn’t be here at Narconon.

Because of me doing this program, the communication with my entire family has been restored. I am grateful for this because they all were there for me. I was the one who had withdrawn from them. I’m back as a whole human being. I am grateful.

-R.S.


By the age of 32, I had abused alcohol for 16 years. At that time, I had lost a career, a spouse, and was on the verge of never being able to see my 3-year-old daughter again due to the fear that had been created in my ex-wife over my lack of control regarding my drinking. My mother was at wits end, and was also soon to wash her hands of me.

In taking one final chance to salvage her son, my mother brought me to Narconon. After spending a few days of detoxing from the alcohol, I awoke to a miserable state of mind regarding myself. I was 32 years old, a complete failure in life and in rehab. I wanted to die and not face the misery that I had put others through as well as myself through. I felt utterly alone and had no idea of how to go about fixing anything about these relationships, and hence, wanted to just give up on life.

Fortunately, I had around the clock care. This was probably the most vulnerable time in my life, and with me by my side 24 hours a day during this time was a dedicated staff member of Narconon to assist me in my recovery. During this time, I was treated with dignity. I was nourished, exercised lightly, and soothed and calmed by professional treatment. I was in a place where somebody was actually going out of their way to tend to my needs. I was bewildered as to why anybody would treat me in such a manner. I felt as if I did not deserve this treatment, and was shocked that it was actually being delivered to me.

After a few more days of this treatment, I was gradually integrated into the actual program that Narconon had to offer. I was started on a regiment of communication exercises that further calmed me and brought me back into reality. I was starting to get to know some of the other people that were involved in this program and soon began to recognize that they were some pretty good people that (to me) didn’t seem to have any problems. I thought to myself “what are these people doing here?” I soon started to understand that these people were just like me. They had just been through the program a little bit longer and had handled themselves much more than I already had. They encouraged me to just stick with the program and apply myself to it, and I would turn my life around. Yeah, right, I said to myself.

After getting through the communication exercises and that had helped me to calm down to a strong degree, I was informed that I would be doing the sauna portion of the program. Okay, I was feeling a bit better, so I figured I’d give it a shot and last it out a little bit longer. I still didn’t feel as if I was cured. As a matter of fact, I hadn’t even started addressing alcohol in the two weeks that I had been there. I hadn’t talked about it once to any of my counselors, and therefore didn’t feel as if I was making any progress.

In doing the sauna portion of the program, I started to feel much better physically and mentally. I started exercising and was on a strong vitamin regiment combined with sweating the impurities out of my body. By the time I was done with this portion of the program, I had regained some confidence in myself. I could actually run several miles relatively easily and was overall just feeling physically fantastic. Hmm, there might actually be something to this stuff after all I thought.

From this point on, I started focusing on the technology and learning what I could from it. I had been around for just over a month by now, was feeling very good, had a clear head, and was starting to feel that life was pretty manageable after all. The materials that I learned from this point on made a tremendous amount of sense to me. Much of what I was learning also had a familiar sense to me as well. Like I had known it through my upbringing, but just never had it explained to me in such a concise manner.

These materials emphasized such things, as making sure you understood something when you read it, treating others the way that you would want to be treated, establishing a good sense of the reality of the world around you, developing and staying with a moral and ethical code, and staying away from negative influences in your life. By the time I had read all of these materials, I was recognizing within myself that I was not a terrible, awful person, but just somebody that had gone against the basic principles that my family and friends had instilled in me as I was growing up. Well, I could correct these negative traits about myself, and with each new principle read, I indeed did so.

I was also helped during this time in putting these principles into application with my family and friends. I was encouraged to restore communication with my loved ones. I was terribly afraid of doing so at first. The anxiety that I went through the first time that I called my ex-wife was incredibly strong. By the time I was done with that first phone call, I was extremely grateful for those communication exercises that I went through in the beginning. These allowed me to be as comfortable as I possibly could despite the anxiety. The amazing part of it was, with each phone call, it became easier and easier to communicate. I was beginning to recognize more so, that my loved ones really did care about me and were just interested in me doing the right things in life and not causing any havoc in any of our lives.

By this time, I began to recognize that alcohol was not the problem. It was all of the social skills that I had been lacking in that was the true problem. With each correction of my skills, I was soon becoming quite confident in my ability to deal with the everyday problems of life without turning to alcohol to escape them. And with each new victory in confronting these problems, my confidence grew, until finally, I had completed the program that had been laid out.

I felt very, very good. I had been doing the right things for about four months. I had restored the good feelings of my family, my friends, and most importantly in my life at the time, my daughter. For the first time in my life, I knew I had the capability of being a father. I also knew that I had the ability to be a friend, an employee, a husband, or anything else that I so desired.

Since the day that I graduated the program, there have been many, many situations in life that I have had to face that were difficult. But I had learned that life is made of situations and problems that need to be sorted out and dealt with. I had learned that if I didn’t solve these situations with the best resolve that I had, that I would not feel good about myself. But that if I did solve these problems, I would feel much better about myself. Pretty simple, actually, succeed or fail. And I had been given the tools to succeed, again. Once by my upbringing, and again through Narconon. And what I chose to do is succeed.

I am forever grateful that I was given the opportunity to turn my life around for the better. I don’t believe that I would have ever done so on my own accord. I know that regardless of whatever occurs in life from here on out, that alcohol and/or drugs is not the solution to the problem, and that these could only make the matters worse. I enjoy the confidence of family and friends alike, that I will do all in my power to ensure that I never betray, and won’t through alcohol or drugs. Life is too good and enjoyable when one is doing the right things and displaying the reasons why one is loved.

I’m proud to say that I have now been sober for almost six years now. I have my head on straight, I think with the foresight of the consequences of my actions, and only act with the best interest of others in mind. Without a doubt, I never would have felt or behaved this way if it weren’t for the fact of doing the Narconon program. It is truly a life-changing course of action that I support fully.

-D.W.


My name is Ed. I’m 30 years old. I started using drugs when I was 15 years old, smoking pot. By the time I was 20 years old, I was using speed (methamphetamines) and cocaine. I began to manufacture methamphetamines and was busted and put in jail.

When I was in jail by myself, I was thinking that this is it. It’s over, but how do I really get out of it. For years my parents had asked me to get help. I would say, “No, I’m fine.” So, when I asked my parents to get me out of jail, they asked me if I was ready for a program. I said I would do whatever it takes. They got me out of jail and into a rehabilitation program, Narconon Newport Beach.

I have to say that when my parents said that it was a 3-4 month program, I thought my life was over. It sounded like forever because I really didn’t want to change yet.

For the first few weeks of the program, I was very negative. But, after seeing how nice the people are and teaming up with another student, the program started to work for me. After a month, I knew that I was never going to use drugs again.

Now, after learning the technology from Narconon, I not only know that I won’t use drugs, but I also won’t commit crime. Narconon gave me my life back. I am happier. I have better relations with my family. I have better friends. I am able to see how screwed up my life really was, and how much I have hurt people. I know after finishing the program that life is much better for myself and everyone around me.

-E.S.


I grew up on the east coast in a tight-knit, highly educated Catholic family. I went to Catholic schools until I graduated from high school and flew off to attend U.C. Berkeley. There I studied physics, calculus, and English. In my second year of college, I became an alcoholic and began an odyssey that led me to Narconon Southern California—Where I got the education of a lifetime.

When I was 26 I found AA, a fine institution; and I stayed sober for some seven years. That was not enough; that was not real sobriety; something was clearly wrong. During my years of sobriety I finished my BA and MA and earned CA Teaching Credentials and started my career as a language teacher. I had and took the opportunity to work throughout California, the Caribbean, and South America. I did professional research and delivered presentations at international conventions, but I never nailed what wasn’t quite right in my life, and I ended up drinking again.

This started a roller coaster of drunkenness and dryness, of horrible times and okay times. It ended in lost jobs, a failed marriage, DUI’s, a stint of homelessness, and a jail sentence. No matter what I—or others—tired, I could never put together another entire year of sobriety.

Narconon Southern California was highly recommended to my family who were desperate to find me help. I had already gone through several twelve-step type recovery facilities with only varying degrees of success; nothing stuck. I was willing to take the hand my family extended and try one more time. But I didn’t expect anything different, anything new; I just went to satisfy my family and to organize my thoughts.

Not too long into my three-month stay as a student at Narconon, I began to realize how very different this program is from any other I had ever known or heard about. I realized how phenomenal Narconon’s simple technology is. I began to understand that Narconon is not a place that was going to just get me to stop drinking and doing drugs. Narconon was the place that was showing me how to live my whole life forever.

The eight-course program, built book upon book, literally showed me the way to happiness. The courses and the people who delivered the program to me utterly empowered me in every aspect of my life. At Narconon I didn’t just recover from addiction, I recovered from wrong living, from unethical behavior, from poor communication habits, from not understanding my own condition or my own responsibility for it, and especially how to get out of it.

Every time I left other twelve-step program, I left them sober and with good intentions. But I always reverted to my old ways. That is because the other programs did not help me discover the cause of my addiction, the why of all my problems and the how of handling them. Narconon did.

When I graduated from Narconon, I graduated understanding my conditions in every aspect of my life and having usable tools with which I can keep on improving my conditions every day. There is no other program like this on earth, I am sure of it. The people who delivered the program did so tirelessly; they are absolutely dedicated professionals. The Narconon technology itself is so remarkable and life changing that when I graduated I decided to change professions. After years and years as a public school educator of all levels from grades seven through university, I knew that there is no education more imperative to impart than that which Narconon delivers—the technology that saved my life and the lives of so many others in much more than one way. Sending me to Narconon was the best decision my family ever made, and joining staff at Narconon is the best decision I ever made.

God Bless,

J.A.


I always thought of myself as a philosopher. From as early as I can remember I’d been looking for truths that would make my life make sense to me. I grew up in a religious family, a Quaker family, and in a family that liked to help other people. My search led me into different locations and into different schools of thought, and finally to experimentation with drugs.

I sought out drugs in order to expand my world, but I ended up totally trapped and confused. I had no idea, nor could I fathom the complexities of that trap. I always considered myself to be well disciplined, a good athlete, a good musician, and a good friend—yet that discipline and strength that I was so proud of was just not there when confronted with the trap of drug addiction. I spent fifteen years trying to find my way out of this seemingly unsolvable maze.

Somehow, and I consider it a miracle, I found Narconon and it’s technology. It has now been fifteen years since I last used. My life is as full as I once imagined it to be. I am achieving the dreams and goals that I had pursued in my younger days before my drug use. I’m happy, and now, again, I’m well disciplined, a good athlete, although my body doesn’t always agree anymore, a good musician, and a good friend.

-N.K.


I would like to write this success story attesting to my completion of the Narconon program. When I came to Narconon in September of 1999, I was in a state of desperation because I did not want to use drugs anymore, but no program that I had tried was able to help me, and I was beginning to lose hope. I always knew that I was a good person but I could not obtain any long-term sobriety. The program that Narconon offered me has changed my life. It not only helped me to stop using drugs, but it taught me how to really live again. I had the ability, but they helped me to see it, and most importantly, how to get and maintain control in all areas of my life. This has been the experience of a lifetime. Thank you

-P.L.


Just the other day, my best friend, who also happens to be my older brother said to me, "you truly are back and in better shape than ever before." To understand the significance of this statement you would first have to understand the years of disappointment, concern, and disgust my drug addiction caused to those I care about and even eventually to myself. It wasn't enough that I disappeared from their lives, but that I only reemerged when it served my need, to ask for money or favors or even to blame them for my own mistakes.

Thanks to the basic life skills that the Narconon program is built upon, I progressively gained more and more confidence to confront my life and restore to my family, friends, and myself the stable, outgoing, charismatic person that was missed.

I can not tell you how empty I was inside or how dim my future looked while on drugs because I barely remember myself. I can tell you I was all consumed with chasing my chemically induced high which preoccupied a 15 year span of my life. This was my pursuit of happiness. Since gaining the viable tools to battling my abberated behavior I have gained back all those lost years and lead, by example, a very productive and fulfilling existence in which everyone wins from my hard work. And in response to my brothers statement, "You bet I am!"

-G.F.


I have been a cocaine addict for 20 years nonstop. Everyday, every night for 20 solid years. During that time I tried to quit, but of course after 2-3 days I failed. Also I tried NA and AA, but that failed. I also tried a sober living house, but that also failed. I was doomed to either be an addict the rest of my life or die. Dying looked like the best way out at the later stages of my addiction. I called my mother one last time and she said there is a place that had a 78% success rate. I jumped at the chance to have a cure. I came into Narconon willing to do whatever was needed of me, but it was easy - no meetings, no sponsors. The first thing was the sauna, the sauna took away the physical cravings and also I quit biting my nails after 35 years. Then the book work made me realize I am responsible for my condition and I can and have the ability to improve my condition. Today I am 2 years clean and no longer an addict - I owe my life to Narconon.

-J.E


"This is a letter of thanks and recognition to all those associated with the work, endeavors and promise of Narconon. It is our sincere hope to reach out to families and friends of loved ones still inside the downward spiral of drugs, alcohol and self-destructive addictions. Narconon gave and continues to give our daughter a second chance at life.

As Christian parents we struggled with concerns over Narconon’s creator, L. Ron Hubbard and the possibility of enrolling our daughter in a “cult.” We watched intently and followed the overall detoxification process, course content and concepts very closely. Happily and gratefully we concluded that the staff and, indeed the concept of Narconon, have all of humanity’s noblest interests at heart. The tools given our daughter are universal and not religiously specific. Communication with family and positive influences are encouraged on a regular basis. We applaud and commend our daughter’s tremendous efforts to make it happen and stick to it until she completed the first phase of the program. We also appreciate the comfort zone offered by Narconon’s philosophy that “it takes as long as it takes” to be cured. There is no specific number of days in which the student must return to the world again before he/she is ready.

Our twenty year old daughter reached the bottom with a smorgasbord of drugs, raves and destructive lifestyles. Most of her friends only added to the spiral of lies, cheating and misinformation that take up all of an addict’s time when relating to those who love them. Loss of her job, loss and distancing from productive friends, her feelings of worthlessness and emotional depression brought the whole family perilously close to a tragic ending.

As we approached the reality of a tragic end for our daughter, an internet web search and analysis brought Narconon to our attention as a very different concept in treating addictions. While the Narconon concept has been around for decades, it is new to the uninitiated who never had a need for it! Narconon works on the whole individual and gives its in-house students the tools for life to overcome both the physiological and psychological holds of addiction. Narconon’s different concepts allow its students to say and believe that they were addicts before Narconon and that after they graduate, if they practice the precepts of the training, they are no longer addicts and are able to lead happy, productive, addiction-free lives.

In the end it is up to the individual addict to want to rise up from the hell of their addiction. Our daughter now has the opportunity to be a happy, productive member of society. That chance is directly a result of the love, care and tools provided by the staff of Narconon. We thank Narconon for giving our daughter that chance.

Both my wife and I stand ready to communicate through Narconon with anyone who requests or needs to share our experiences. No system is perfect and, ultimately, it is up to the individual to make his/her way in life. Narconon provides one answer that can and does work to make the world a better place."
-J.O., A.O.


"I have spent the last 6 years in a constant state of panic and worry over my daughter's life style. She has been through treatment program after treatment program and would only manage to stay off drugs for two or three weeks and than she would fall. Night after night I would go without sleep worrying if my child was in jail or god forbid even dead. I will never forget the day I first learned of the Narconon program. I was watching TV and the announcement came on. After hearing the testimonials from the graduates of the program a renewed feeling of hope for my daughter's sobriety came over me. I knew Tracie needed to be at Narconon and that it was her only hope. Thank god she made it into Narconon's hands. I have my daughter back now. She speaks with confidence now. We have never been able to communicate in such a meaningful way as we do now. I can honestly say that Narconon saved my baby's life and I will be thankful to Narconon for the rest of my life."
-M.K.


"John is my son, and I love him very much. But up until a year ago, I thought I’d lost him forever. He had gotten addicted to cocaine, and no matter what we did, he couldn’t seem to stop. He’d become a different person, an unreliable, angry, selfish young man who didn’t seem to care how badly he hurt our family or himself. We stood by him while he went through treatment after treatment. But it seemed hopeless. He’d stay clean for a few weeks or months and then disappear. Pretty soon we’d get a call from the hospital or the police or his girlfriend, telling us that John was in trouble again. It didn’t seem like John was going to be able to stop using drugs on this side of the grave and it was tearing us apart. I’m a doctor, and I felt that if anyone should be able to help, it should have been me. But the cravings were just too strong for him to overcome. Things seemed pretty grim. Then we heard about Narconon New Life Center. The counselors there told us that they could help me get my son back. They explained addiction to me in language that made sense. They told me that they could help, and I believed them. I decided to give it one more try and today I’m glad I did. Today I have a son again.-Dr. L.A.


My name is Marlene. I’m the sister of someone who went through the Narconon program. We live in Surinam, South America. In October of 1996, I came with my brother to Narconon. Within four days my sister and I could see the difference in him. During the following four months, he would call home often and wrote letters in which we could read how excited he was and how grateful he was to be part of the Narconon family. I came back in March, and found a new man. I got my brother back and so much happiness that it was almost too much to comprehend ... Narconon, you are a gift from Heaven!
-M. C.


The first time I walked in the Narconon office I was desperate. My son had not spent more than a few months out of jail at any given time period for over five years and all of his incarcerations had been directly related to drug and alcohol offenses. Counseling, and even hospitalization, had not helped. You were my last hope. As I read the letters on the wall in the waiting room I remember my eyes stinging with tears. I wondered if I would ever be able to write a letter thanking Narconon for the successful treatment of my son. That was almost two years ago and with a happy, grateful heart I am writing you and your dedicated, wonderful, committed staff to let you know that the program proved successful. The nightmare of drug and alcohol abuse is finally in the past. My son has become a happy and confident individual, with your assistance. The program established itself as the best investment we could have ever made. Would I recommend Narconon to anyone? In a heartbeat! May God bless each and every one of you. Keep up the great work.
-Parent of Narconon Graduate


Narconon has a program that works. I know. I did it. It saved my life.
-Kirstie Alley


This is a great program. It had been so long since the time when I wasn't doing one type of drug or another, that I always felt "if I'm not high, I'm not happy". Well, this just isn't so anymore. I'm not high on drugs and I'm happy. This is a great success for me. All the staff members here helped me each in their own different way. They put up with me and helped me with my problems one by one. I thank each and every one of them for their time taken and will remember them forever. This is not an easy job and they all deserve sincere congratulation. And for me, I now have myself back to start a new life without drugs.
-A.M.


I was not your typical drug user, but then again maybe I was because there are a whole lot of people that abused drugs that came from "good" families. My parents, both physicians, were also both alcoholics and prescription drug users. I went to a fine private school right here in California. By the time I was 16, I had already been to Europe, Hawaii, Africa, Japan, China, Greece and South America. I had a car when I was 16 and carried a 3.8 grade point average in school. I was a national merit scholar and high school All-American. I was even accepted to play on the US National Volleyball Team. I also used drugs on a daily basis from the time I was 15 years old. I came back to California because my mother was dying of cancer. A year later she and my father both died within 40 days of each other. Thus began 4 years of "hell" in which I spent close to 1 million dollars of money and merchandise on crack. I was smoking about an ounce of crack a day. I got pregnant 3 times, losing 2 babies, and at seven months pregnant I was arrested twice facing a jail term of at least three years. On Feb. 17, 1993 I entered the Narconon program. 2 months later I had what I never dreamed possible... a life without drugs! To top that off, I had borne a beautiful daughter, Michelle, drug free.
-K.P.


I am 52 years old. I began using drugs when I was around 13 years old. By the time I reached Narconon I was taking 5 to 10 bags of heroin a day or whatever I could get. I had ruined my relationship with my family and friends and lost everything I cared for. My worst day on drugs was the day before I came to Narconon. I was going to kill myself. That same day I watched a television program about Amanda Rice and the Narconon Program. I called and by some miracle I talked to the right person, and she got me out to Narconon by train. It was a real journey. When I came to the front door of Narconon I was greeted with loving arms and the rest is history. I haven't used drugs since.
I have tried 10 other programs before I came to Narconon and they did not give me much attention, but they gave me drugs to get me off drugs and this did not work.
During my withdrawal from heroin I was given no drugs. Narconon did this with vitamins, minerals, healthy food and 24 hour counseling. At first I said to myself "Oh lord... what am I going to do? I am going to get real sick in my heroin withdrawal." When I came here I was reeling in pain, but with the help of the vitamins, minerals and nonstop help, I did make it through. I have not had a pain since.
Then came the communications training routines (exercises) which were just amazing. From there I went into the Narconon New Life Detoxification Program. When I completed, my mind was clear. While I am an older person, I feel great.
What Narconon has done for me up to this point is give me the knowledge to handle my situations. It has given me back a lot of things that I had lost. Narconon gave me back my confidence. As an addict I could not trust anyone. I did not trust anyone and no one trusted me, this all has now changed.
I cannot express what these people have done for me. This is the best program in the world.
-B.A.


Narconon is a great program. When I came in I could not even go a day without doing cocaine. Now I have control of my life and can confront the society I live in. This program taught me a lot about self-confidence, morals and ethics; basic living requirements! Narconon should be commended.
-M


For 20 years I don't think I ever told my parents the truth. Maybe part of the truth, sometimes, but realistically my relationship with them was based almost entirely upon lies. I've realized that this makes life very complicated! Which lie are we talking about today Mom? I had to have this huge additional mental filing system just to keep track of what I had told my folks.
At Narconon I found that standards of ethics do exist. Not moral platitudes enforced on me by someone else, but basic, commonsense guidelines for honesty and happy living. I apply these basic standards to how I live my life now. It has improved my condition on a very broad scale. But especially it has improved my relationship with my parents. I am completely straight and honest with them now, and feel more closer to them than ever before. After all they've done for me, I think I owe them at least that much.
-B


I don't know exactly what to say about the Narconon program except that it worked thoroughly, miracles do happen. This program has given me more than I could have ever possibly imagined - much less write.
-T.B.


Being drug free is the most wonderful feeling in the world. Go for it! I have learned so much along the way. Narconon gave me back my life - better than ever.
-P.M.

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